Bestowing Friendship

The Fey, the first sentient creatures placed upon Cartyrion by the gods, have learned over the years to be somewhat wary of the Folk. Even the Alev, a people Awakened by the same Alevar deities that created them, have shown themselves capable of producing individuals who do not have the best interests of the Fey, or Berdea's works, in mind. Most of the Folk are somewhat indifferent to the Fey that may be around them. They ignore them, the Fey and Folk go about their business as if the other simply weren't there.

But there are a very few of the Folk who have demonstrated that they are not only aware of the Fey, but concerned about them. And among these few, there are even fewer that that back up that concern with action. When the Council of the Feywood become aware of one of these, they are presented with a token that signifies the gratitude of the Fey for their efforts, and further marks them for all other Fey - in the Feywood and beyond - to know that they are trusted allies and friends. These few are bestowed with the honor and title of Friend of the Feywood.

Choosing a Friend

The members of the Council of the Feywood, all Greater Fey, tend to be aware of all of the goings on within their homeland. Among themselves, the Fey are quite eager to share their experiences and any gossip they may have picked up when speaking with others of their kind. Any event of note quickly finds its way to the ears of one of the Council. And since the events of the Great Strife, which saw the Feywood reduced to less than half of its former size and glory, whenever such news involves the Folk, the Council members take notice. Good or bad, any news of interactions between the Folk and the Fey are sure to the Council's ears. Passing kindnesses or inadvertent harms are generally allowed to pass without response.

Members of the Folk who continually crop up in "Fey news", however, become worthy of more scrutiny. It is not surprising that the Council would take some action if repeated injuries to the Fey or their home were incurred. But their innate sense of appreciation for beauty causes them also to pay close attention to any Folk whose actions are beneficial to the Feywood and its guardians. The Great Strife taught the Council that allies among the Folk were good things to have - and it was important for other Fey to know who these allies were.

Recognizing a Friend

In order to both let the honored Folk know that their actions have been appreciated, and to let all other Fey everywhere be able to recognize the honoree as an ally to be trusted, the Council established an honor they called Friend of the Feywood. While ranks, titles, and awards really didn't mean much to the Fey themselves, they were aware that most of the Folk put great stock in such things. To signify the honor, and to provide the honoree with a physical token that served as an identifier for the other Fey, they use their magical abilities to craft an Acorn Cloak-Clasp to give to the honoree.

There is no formal ceremony, no feast or celebration surrounding the recognition of a new Friend. To the contrary, one of the Council will attempt to catch the honoree someplace where there are few if any other Folk around. They will identify themselves and express their gratitude, and that of the all the Fey. They explain to the honoree that what a Friend of the Feywood and will present them with the Acorn Clasp. A brief admonition that the Fey would prefer that word of this honor not be spread widely among the Folk, for fear that glory-seekers may start seeking recognition for the wrong reasons - and do harm to the Feywood as an unintended consequence. Then the Fey Councillor will depart.

Friends Among the Fey

The magic imbued into the Acorn Clasp is such that any Fey creature, anywhere in the world, is able to recognize its wearer as one who can be trusted as an ally, protector, and rescuer in times of dire peril. Many of the lesser Fey consider anyone with such a clasp to be "one of them", and may even try to include them in their circles of gossiping friends.

There is a downside, however, that the honoree is likely to discover if they continue to reside in the Feywood. Gremlins, former Fey who were corrupted by Corizzea as an affront to Berdea, can also sense the magic of the Acorn Clasp. And while gremlins are predisposed to harass and annoy the Folk anyway, the wearer of an Acorn Claso is seen as a hated enemy - one to be attacked with extra fervor.