A fey crossroads was a magical site within the Prime Material plane which acted as a portal to a specific location either in the Feywild or elsewhere in the Prime Material plane.[1] A fey crossroads was not to be confused for a fey crossing, which was a place where an overlap between the Prime Material plane and the Feywild allowed for travel between the two planes.[2][3]
Description[]
Only fey truly understood how a crossroads worked, and they saw little reason to share their secrets with mortals. According to druids, a fey crossroads occurred where a fold in reality's ends touched each other, thus allowing instant travel by stepping in one end and coming out of the other.[4] They were found in places where the barrier between the Prime Material plane and the Feywild was thin,[5] and most were large enough for a huge creature to fit through.[1] However, most crossroads were hidden from casual observation and could not be seen or felt,[4] and instead required the detect crossroads spell or the walk crossroads ritual to find.[1][6] Druids would often mark them by arranging stones in circles, lines, arches, trilithons, or in other ways.[1][6] The analyze portal spell did not always work as intended on a fey crossroads.[1]
There were said to be countless fey crossroads scattered all over Toril,[1][5] but most people regarded them as the stuff of legends. They were mapped by druids and known to some bards.[4]
Creation[]
Druids and certain fey could cast the create crossroads and backroad spell to create a new crossroads with two ends and one crossroads guardian at each end.[7][8]
Activation[]
Each crossroads had a fey guardian, called a crossroads guardian, who had to be convinced to allow usage of the crossroads. After finding the crossroads (often with the aforementioned detect crossroads spell), the guardian needed to be asked for permission for passage by every traveler individually. The guardian could give or deny permission as it saw fit, and fey were always permitted to use a crossroads.[7] Compelling a guardian to allow access might involve entreating it with a special spell or with a song,[5] and sometimes one might travel through a crossroads unintentionally. This usually happened when the crossroads guardian mistook a traveler's singing for a plea to enter the crossroads, thus granting them unwitting permission to enter. If the singer then accidentally stepped into a crossroads, they would come out at the other end.[7]
In some cases, a fey crossroads would not function without certain rites or keys, or it might have restrictions placed on its activation.[1][9]
While creatures and items could pass through a crossroads, it was not possible to launch a weapon or spell through one. It was also not possible to see through a crossroads to its destination, although sound could travel through a crossroads if permitted by the guardian. In this way, a crossroads could be used to communicate with people on the other side. A guardian would generally revoke permission for such communication if the speaker left the area of the crossroads, requiring for a new request once they returned. Permission for travel did not entail permission for communication, or vice versa.[7]
Backroads[]
Most mortals who knew of a crossroads used it to instantly travel or communicate across long distances within the Material Plane. This was accomplished at crossroads that connected to each other along mystical pathways of geomagical energy known as backroads.[4][7] In some cases, a ritual known as walk crossroads allowed the caster to use any fey crossroad to travel in a similar way, although one did not always arrive exactly where they intended.[5]
Defenses[]
A crossroad guardian was an artificial fey with the duty to guard a crossroads.[10] In some cases, these guardians were servants of archfey, such as Titania.[11]
With increasing urbanity of the crossroads' area, a guardian grew increasingly hostile towards would-be users of its crossroads. They had a weakness for music, which was why bards had it easier to get permission than others.[12]
One guardian was stationed at each end of the crossroads. People who wanted to use a crossroads couldn't just kill a guardian and get through, because a crossroads without a guardian ceased to function as an entry point, it could still be used but only one-way from the other side, given the guardian there wasn't killed beforehand.[7]
Notable Fey Crossroads[]
- Arnrock Crossroads, located on Arnrock in the Lake of Steam.[12]
- Cantlowe Crossroads, located in the Cantlowe Library Archives in Silverymoon.[12][13]
- The Dragon's Jaws, a waterfall outside of Starmantle that connected to Skullport.[14]
- In the Grampalt Highlands, through which fomorians of Vor Thomil invaded Oman's Isle.[15]
- Herkemon's Hub, located on the western shore of the Lake of Steam.[12]
- Hermit Heights Crossroads, located in the Orsraun Range in Turmish.[12]
- The Hordelands were said to contain numerous fey crossroads.[16]
- Knightswood Nine Crossroads, located in Cormyr's King's Forest.[12]
- Myrloch Vale on the the isle of Gwynneth was said to contain perhaps the highest density of such portals on Toril.[17]
- Myth Drannor was known to contain hundreds of fey crossroads.[11]
- Nykkara Crossroads, located on the Isle of Memory in Calimshan.[12]
- In the Quivering Forest in the Moonsea, where the crossroads was activated by the light of the full moon.[18]
- In Shadowdale, through which many fey came to inhabit the surrounding forest.[19]
- Thornwood Crossroads, located in the Thornwood north of the Lake of Steam.[12]
- Wastes Crossroads, located in the Teshyllal Wastes of the Calim Desert.[12]
- Waterdeep Crossroads, located in Waterdeep's Heroes' Garden.[12]
History[]
The first elves arrived in Faerûn circa −27,000 DR via fey crossroads opened by the fey creator race.[20][21] The locations of these crossings came to be forgotten.[20]
As of the 14th century DR, druids maintained schedules to send information to other druids via fey crossroads, allowing for news to spread rapidly across Faerûn.[7] By the late 15th century DR, some people who styled themselves as fey guides were known to make a living by helping travelers find and use crossroads.[1]
After the Spellplague of the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, many fey crossroads malfunctioned.[1] At this time, there were also places where the barrier between the Prime Material plane and the Feywild were so thin that it was possible to pass between them without the use of a true crossroads.[9]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Novels & Short Stories
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 53. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 138. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (November 2024). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition (revised). Edited by Adrian Ng, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 195. ISBN 978-0-7869-6952-4.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 44. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 147. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 48. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 45. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 86. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 68. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 183. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ed Greenwood (2020-03-06). Ed's Twitter. Archived from the original on 2025-10-05. Retrieved on 2025-10-05.
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 Sean K. Reynolds, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy (August 2001). Magic of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 46. ISBN 0-7869-1964-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (2023-02-10). "The Cantlowe Library". Greenwood's Grotto (Discord).
- ↑ Paul S. Kemp (June 2004). Dawn of Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 11. ISBN ISBN 0-7869-3225-2.
- ↑ Shawn Merwin (November 2011). “Backdrop: Moonshae Isles”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #196 (Wizards of the Coast) (196)., p. 11. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 143. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (July 2011). Darkwell. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 7. ISBN 978-0-7869-5970-9.
- ↑ Brian R. James and Matt James (September 2009). “Monument of the Ancients”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dungeon #170 (Wizards of the Coast) (170)., p. 49.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (2024-02-28). Shadowdale Today. Ed Greenwood's Patreon. Retrieved on 2024-02-29.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 27. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.