The Bramble Queen

[Quickleaf]

Hey a question for [MENTION=1288]Mouseferatu[/MENTION]:

I'm including the Court of the Bramble Queen in my game - it's a great article! And I want to bounce an idea off you. Would/could Rheusendros ever betray Selepjra? It seems unusual that a formorian serves an eladrin-esque archfey, so I was wondering if you have any thoughts?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Really glad you liked it.

As far as Rheusendrous... Well, the first and obvious answer is "Whatever works for your game." But you didn't ask just to get that old canard.

Keep in mind that at no point did I actually say that Rheusendrous was truly a fomorian. The text says he combines the worst aspects of fomorian and hag, and the sidebar suggests that you use a fomorian as the starting point for his stats, but it's just that: A suggestion.

In my mind, Rheusendrous is probably one of two things: He's either a completely unique fey (who perhaps shares a common ancestry with the fomorians), bound to Selephra by some ancient bond or oath; or he's literally a hag/fomorian offspring.

As I personally see it, such a betrayal isn't likely; the oaths that bind them are strong, and his loyalty is unfeigned. There are circumstances in which he'd truly die for her.

That said, he's still fey, with all the inhuman motives, long-term point of view, and capricious nature that implies. So while it's extremely unlikely he'd betray Selephra, it's not entirely impossible.

 

[Quickleaf]

Thanks Ari! That gives me a little better idea of where to take Rheusendros. The PCs are high heroic tier now but I'm laying the seeds for some major fey story arcs. Having Rheusendros as an oathsworn hag-spawn with possible fomorian blood makes for an intriguing character.

Keep on writing!

 

[Unwise]

It would be in keeping with much fey-lore for a fey to be controlled/influenced by some pretty odd things. Like someone could find out his true name. Somebody could solve a riddle he posed in a moment of haste many years ago. A tricky contract could backfire on him. A birch dipped in the waters of the river styx hung from his birth-tree. An oath that pre-exists his ones to the Bramble Queen comes into play when he never thought it would. All sorts of arbitary and otherwise silly stuff can influence fey in folklore.