Dear Kelna,
I know you want to look for me. Don’t.
There are some things in this world that shouldn’t leave the imagination.
Remember when I said I wondered what the animals worshipped?
That was one of those things.
Stay safe and stay away.
Sincerely,
...
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There are some particularly unsavory pockets of the Feywild. Though the tangled, pearlescent thicket—the Cressida Weald—where the Moon Court dwells is beautiful, planar visitors should avoid it, lest they find themselves the subject of an experiment. Though the Fey are known to be divided between the Seelie and Unseelie, the Moon Court is what can be called independent. The Archfey who leads them, Lady Luanach, is a satyr and a practicing bard: to any outsider, she would appear as a lovely songstress happy to share tales of past travelers and their exploits. Unfortunately, as someone finds themselves enraptured by their music, they also fall under a geas that makes them far more pliant. Luanach then leads any stupefied visitors she collects to the Selenic Oak—a hollowed out oak tree beneath which the Moon Court conducts magical experimentation. The tree is a massive conduit for arcane energy that derives its power from the moon. Since the amount of power it can channel waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, someone determined to see the Cressida Weld for themselves might be lucky enough to catch an uninterrupted glimpse during the new moon.
For all their love of pushing arcane boundaries, there is one experiment that stands out above others. When they first became independent, they needed underlings. At first, Fey who were considered lesser such as fairies became the lowest rung on the ladder and fodder for experimentation. Then, the Moon Court turned to animals: not Blink Dogs and Displacer Beasts, but mundane creatures pilfered from the Material Plane. They took birds, cats, and rabbits and pumped them full of enchantments. At first, they just wanted servants. Then, their curiosity got the better of them and they decided to see just how far they could push the souls of these animals. The surviving creatures acquired heightened intelligence and wisdom as well as the ability to speak and read Sylvan and Common; this was all in exchange for being subjected to painful and constant soul manipulation while watching those they came to view as friends die. Eventually, the Fey grew bored and turned their attention to other pursuits.
Most of the animals they’d captured were either dead or used as minor entertainment, but one small runt of a bunny mustered the strength to find her way out of the Feywild. Upon finding her way out, she found herself isolated from the rest of the world: none of her intelligent friends were with her and she could no longer fit in with her own kind. No one knows exactly how it happened, but the hatred she held for the Moon Court combined with the magic they had fed her soul and festered, slowly transforming her from a rabbit into a vengeful spirit. As a spirit with Fey magic at her disposal, she took to formulating a revenge plan. The first thing she did was bestow intelligence and power on other animals. She then preached to them about her understanding of the world and the tyranny of Fey. Those who became her followers went on to call her the Under Rabbit.
Eventually, the Under Rabbit’s hatred consumed her and made her far more sinister. She took to demanding sacrifices to fuel her power, and her followers gladly obliged; however, they never sacrificed other animals to her, only unsuspecting humanoids. These sacrifices did indeed empower her, giving her strength on the same level as an Archfey. As years went on, the doctrine of the Cult of the Under Rabbit became more complex, with rituals and prayers developing. Unfortunately, word of heer exploits somehow made it back to the Moon Court and they sought to imprison her for the sake of further experimentation and entertainment. Though the Under Rabbit fought their attempts alongside her followers, they eventually succeeded, killing many of her cult in the process. Most of those who were left scattered to the winds, losing their intelligence without the presence of the Under Rabbit. However, a few managed to hold onto their wit and keep the tradition of her worship alive.
One day, she will be liberated, and there will be hell to pay. For it is in captivity that a new god has been born.
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And She hath bestowed
Unto Her dead children
Another chance
In other lives.
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