A light pack (either a backpack or large satchel) can be helpful for storing other necessary items. Make sure to avoid large, bulky or heavy packs, as they will slow you down when (not if) you need to run for your life.
Comfortable clothing that covers the arms and legs (the Briars have thorns, after all). Make sure to wear muted colours, as bright or flashy colours will attract the fey. Layers are also strongly recommended, as the temperature can swing quite drastically from one part of the Nevernever to the next.
A protective charm may reduce the chances of being eaten. Cold iron blessed by the druids during a new moon works best, but if that is not available a twist of St John’s Wort, a four-leaf clover or a rabbit’s foot might help. If you have none of the above, wearing your clothing inside out may work in a pinch.
A high-quality pair of cross-trainers or running shoes. Remember, buying the shoes is not enough. A strong cardio programme is highly recommended before crossing into the Nevernever.
What Should I Pack?
It is a common mistake to take a large number of gadgetry (cameras, cell phones, portable computers, etc …) into the Nevernever. The second problem with these devices is that they will not work well (if at all) in Faery. The first and larger problem is that any fey you chance across will not take kindly to the presence of so much mortal technology, which, in turn, could lead to a situation where the running shoes mentioned above are needed. Better to stick with a few simple items:
Food. Any type of small, high-caloric, portable food items will suffice. Energy bars, candy bars, trail mix, dehydrated foods, etc … will extend the amount of time you can spend in the Nevernever. (Note: Extending the amount of time spent in the Nevernever is not recommended.) It is recommended that you do not eat anything you find or are offered while in the Nevernever. Side effects of faery food include but are not limited to: mood swings, inebriation, memory loss, shape-changing, obsession, coma, inability to leave the Nevernever and death.
A weapon of steel or cold iron. Modern steel (e.g. a knife, sword or other implement of death) is serviceable in this regard, but cold iron (e.g. a spike from a wrought-iron fence, a length of pig iron, etc.) is preferable as it has a more direct impact on the fey. Before entering Faery, an intense training programme with your chosen weapon is strongly encouraged. Several years of training should be enough to adequately protect yourself from the weakest fey. If you wish to protect yourself from the strongest fey, you will need several mortal lifetimes.
Gifts for the fey. If you encounter creatures of the Nevernever, many can be won over by offering gifts, free of obligation. Suggested items include jars of honey, bags of candy, bronze weapons and young children. Please check with the laws of your home country before procuring any of these items.
Water. While most of the water in the Nevernever is drinkable without direct side effects, it is also the home of many aquatic fey of the nastier variety and may result in numerous indirect side effects: nausea, vomiting, sudden blood loss, inexplicable need to flee and death.
Entering the Nevernever
This guide will not lay out explicit directions on how to enter the Nevernever. The publishers consulted with their legal teams and determined that the associated liability of such an act was, as one attorney put it, “Certain to lead to financial ruin for this company, reprisals from the Summer and Winter Courts and, quite possibly, the end of the world as we know it.” Suffice it to say, one enters Faery through trods, paths between the mortal realm and the realm of the fey. Finding those trods is, per Legal, up to you.
The Geography of the Nevernever
The Nevernever is a diverse and wild realm populated by strange creatures and ancient powers. The land itself is said to have a consciousness and a sometimes malicious will. When travelling through the Nevernever, there are three primary realms with which one may have to contend.
Arcadia, the Summer/Seelie Court. Thick forests, ancient hills, and flowering grassland dominate Arcadia, home of the Summer fey. Newcomers to the land of the Summer King might falsely believe that Seelie territory is not as dangerous as the rest of the Nevernever, but do not be deceived. Arcadia is sunny and beautiful year round, but it is not safe. Satyrs, dryads and trolls roam the forests of Arcadia, and the lakes teem with mermaids and nixies. The Seelie Court rests beneath an enormous faery mound, where King Oberon and Queen Titania rule without opposition.
Tir Na Nog, the Winter/Unseelie Court. The territory of Mab, the Winter Queen, is as hostile and icy as the fey that dwell there. Snow covers everything, never melting away, and the frozen woods, fields, streams and lakes all rest beneath several inches of ice. All sorts of vicious creatures call the Winter Court home: from goblins and redcaps to bogeymen and ogres. The Winter palace lies beneath an enormous cavern, home of the terrible Winter Queen. Few mortals who set eyes on the Unseelie Court and Mab ever live to tell of it.
The Wyldwood. The dark, tangled forest called the wyldwood is the largest territory in the Nevernever, completely encircling both courts and extending into the Deep Wyld. It is neutral territory; neither Summer nor Winter hold sway here, and the wyldwood denizens owe allegiance to no one. The wood is vast and endless, and the creatures that roam here come from every corner of the imagination. Not only does this make the wyldwood one of the most dangerous places in the Nevernever, but one of the most mysterious as well.
There are rumours of a fourth realm within the Nevernever, that some have dubbed the Iron Court. Currently, there is no information on this so-called court, and it is likely nothing more than rumour.
Encountering Denizens of the Nevernever
If you are wise, you will do as little as possible to draw the attention of the fey. Sometimes, even if you are a quiet observer, the fey will find you. If this occurs, there are a few steps you can follow that may allow you to escape with your free will and, if you are lucky, your life.
Always be polite. Discourtesy is a deep insult to the fey and will not be well received, no matter how cool you think it will make you look.
Do not be deceived by the politeness of the fey. Fey are almost always polite. This does not mean they will not happily remove your head. They will, however, be grateful for the entertainment you provide. Or, if you are very unlucky, the sustenance.
There is no such thing as a free lunch. In the Nevernever, there is no free. Accept no gifts, no matter how sure you are that there are no strings attached. There are always enough strings attached to tie you up in a pretty bow and deliver you to someone who will be grateful for the sustenance.
Give gifts freely. The fey will either think you are a masterful manipulator and respect you more, or be completely befuddled by the notion of a gift with no obligations.
Never, ever, under any circumstances, enter into a contract with the fey. It always ends badly and often fatally. In the rare cases where it does not end badly, it is because it does not end. You will be bound for eternity.
If you have to run, zig and zag. Many faeries carry bows.
If you chance upon a big, grey cat, you probably owe him a favour. Even if you do not remember the favour, do it anyway. In the long run, you will do it, but it will be far less painful if you do it up front.
How Do I Leave Faerie?
The best answer to this question is, quickly. Spending a lot of time within the realms of the Nevernever can lead to many strange effects. A few minutes in Faery may be years in the mortal realm, or the reverse may be true. If you leave by a different trod than you entered, even one only a few feet away, you may find yourself on the other side of the world, or at the bottom of the ocean. Here are a few things to remember