I haven't gone and picked up the Thousand Screams or Fellnight adventures, so all I know of the First World is what's in the Wiki and the blurb in Carnival of Tears. So this is the way I understand it and am going to use it in my homebrew:
The First World isn't another place... it's what has come before and still is in the material. In other words the First World is the bones under the skin of the real world my PCs inhabit. So you might be just walking through the woods, minding you own business, and suddenly BAM! You're in the middle of a little fey realm in your own backyard.
Do I have this right? Fey don't have any outsider type or subtype, and the literature seems to hint at this being the case. If I'm way off base let me know.
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Like Evil Genius Prime said, it is a physical and separate plane of existence. It is the first world that was created, but not all was well and not everyone liked it so it was set aside and Prime Material was created.
Much of it is in flux, meaning that it is always changing and the creatures in those areas are prone to change. Some areas are violently changing to the point where it isn't safe. Others are more fixed and solid in their being.
The First World is the original home of the fey and gnomes, though there are subtle differences.
Another thing that is noteworthy is that no one dies in the First World. You are reincarnated, in a sense, instead.
The Land of No Consequence, the gnomes call it. Helps explain them a bit, if they evolved in a place where it didn't matter what you did.
Oh, I was thinking of it like the material was built right over top of this "template" which is why the fey are type: fey, not outsider.
And when I say "over top of", I mean to say like the Umbra from WOD Werewolf. So it's coexistent with the material but certain spots its nearly inaccessible, in others it bleeds through, and for the most part it's just wilderness everywhere you look.
This is an example of how I've used it in my homebrew: The Tower at Grenduzs
There was a mortal town called Grenduzs and here they built a tower infused with the power of the fey to serve as a gateway between the 2 realms. When the High Kingdom of Karnoss fell in the crusades, over the ensuing centuries the town was abandoned as was the tower. It fell into disrepair and was swallowed by the wilds.
When the characters unlock its powers however the tower will be represented in both worlds. Here in the material the thing looks like a shattered husk of its former glory with vines up the walls and scrub in the cracks. In the First World though it appears whole, vibrant. Banners fly on the ramparts, the stone shines in the sun and the surrounding gardens are well manicured.
I know the reincarnation thing and have added that bit of lore. I'm asking about it because I have a knowledge specialist PC who is asking me if why to know about the fey he needs knowledge: nature but then, if the First World is another place, wouldn't he need knowledge: planes?
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Kinda like the Shadow Plane. Except the First World is one of unsurpassed nature and majesty.
Unlike the Shadow Plane, the First World is not a rough copy of the Material Plane. The Shadow Plane in most areas has the same physical layout, except creature created features. The First World is not analogous and changes its layout according to the whims of the powerful Eldest.
I think one of the novels or a web fiction features travel to the first world to consult an Eldest. Can't remember which one though...
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Imagine a planer game where the PC's interact with 3 different states of the same location. Stuff hidden in one version and then they have to step over to the other.
Also remember that the geometry isn't identical either. And the plane of shadows also deals with dreams and figments. Emphera vs the First Worlds obsolutes.
I think one of the novels or a web fiction features travel to the first world to consult an Eldest. Can't remember which one though...
That's Death's Heretic. If you want to have the First World explained to you by a satyr, along with a quick tour and a meeting with one of the Eldest, that's your book. :)
Somewhere, I read that accessing the world of the fey is called "stepping sideways". That implies that their world is just one step away (or the next stop on the line, if you will; the one that could have been left out, because the distance to it is so small).
I like the picture you paint, Mark.
I know the reincarnation thing and have added that bit of lore. I'm asking about it because I have a knowledge specialist PC who is asking me if why to know about the fey he needs knowledge: nature but then, if the First World is another place, wouldn't he need knowledge: planes?
Well since fey are technically not outsiders, Knowledge (nature) is actually appropriate.
I know people hate it when a new skill is created, especially with a skill so ambiguous as Knowledge. When running campaigns within a specific world, say one deeply imbedded with fey as the basic premise, I'd create Knowledge (fey). Of course if your campaign will lead you eventually away from fey to other normal settings, that wouldn't be a good idea.
The fey that live in the Material plane are not from the First World, for the most part. They go with the Material. It's just that the First World is where these species had their ultimate origins, even if the individual fey who live on the Material have never been there. The fey that live in the First World are still fey, not outsiders. This is because outsider has a slightly different connotation than "every creature from every plane that is not the Material". Humans born on the Plane of Air are still humanoids.
One gets a general sense from reading some of the material that there is pretty heavy movement of Fey between the First World and the Material. I always figured that most Fey actually readily moved between both worlds, except for the exiles like the Gnomes.
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Kinda like the Shadow Plane. Except the First World is one of unsurpassed nature and majesty.Unlike the Shadow Plane, the First World is not a rough copy of the Material Plane. The Shadow Plane in most areas has the same physical layout, except creature created features. The First World is not analogous and changes its layout according to the whims of the powerful Eldest.
I think one of the novels or a web fiction features travel to the first world to consult an Eldest. Can't remember which one though...
I didn't say it was a "rough copy". I said it was a "rough draft". Meaning that it was the precursor to the material plane. Page 239 of the Inner Sea World Guide says the first world is a rough draft. Check it out if you don't believe me. :)
The First world is a continous world of forests, deserts, oceans, mountains, etc. there is no space, planets, stars, etc. just a universe sized world of ever changing environments. While there is a sky with a sun/day and night/stars it is just an illusion. Since this world is a rough draft there are seasons that never were, animals from all time periods and strange variants of those, a giant could have extra arms, fast healing, a owl bear could be gargantuan size with wings. Most inhabbitants aren't religious simply because few/no deities have any interest in this world because of a lack of mortal souls. Also the reason for gnomes curse of the bleaching is when they came to the material plane they become part of the cycle of mortal souls and the bleaching was a side effect of this.
AP#36 has a great article about the first world and the Eldest.
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Well,
- The First World is Western Europe, the USA, and their allies. Today, it's often synonymous with developed countries.
- The Second World is Soviet Russia, Communist China, and their allies. Today, it's mostly defunct and not referred to often.
- The Third World is non-aligned coutries. Today, it's often synonymous with developing countries.
- The Fourth World is the realm of the New Gods.
That is what you meant, right?
(Now I want to start a Pathfinder "First World Problems" thread ...)
Well,
- The First World is Western Europe, the USA, and their allies. Today, it's often synonymous with developed countries.
- The Second World is Soviet Russia, Communist China, and their allies. Today, it's mostly defunct and not referred to often.
- The Third World is non-aligned coutries. Today, it's often synonymous with developing countries.
- The Fourth World is the realm of the New Gods.
That is what you meant, right?
(Now I want to start a Pathfinder "First World Problems" thread ...)
No. There is nothing synonomous to the real world's developed nations, regarding the first world of the fey. Consider whatever is Eden, the first world came before. (Are you a troll?)
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No. There is nothing synonomous to the real world's developed nations, regarding the first world of the fey. Consider whatever is Eden, the first world came before. (Are you a troll?)Well,
- The First World is Western Europe, the USA, and their allies. Today, it's often synonymous with developed countries.
- The Second World is Soviet Russia, Communist China, and their allies. Today, it's mostly defunct and not referred to often.
- The Third World is non-aligned coutries. Today, it's often synonymous with developing countries.
- The Fourth World is the realm of the New Gods.
That is what you meant, right?
(Now I want to start a Pathfinder "First World Problems" thread ...)
I suspect just a jokester. :)
Seriously, though, PF #36's article on the First World is really the clearest, most beautiful description of it I've read. Then again, James' description of the passages in "Death's Heretic" has me really intrigued!
I thought Distant Scholar's post was hilarious, but am mainly writing to heartily echo the recommendation of reading the most excellent Pathfinder Tales novel Death's Heretic by James L. Sutter. The chapters in the First World are just one of the splendid evocations of various planar locales visited by the characters, who themselves are masterfully limned in an interesting and well-constructed plot. It's a very good fantasy novel.