Unseelie Fey Are Evil?

[Gale]

I was looking at the Unseelie Fey template from the Dragon Compendium the other day and noticed at end of the entry it states they are "always evil." But as far as I can tell there isn't a clear reason given as to why. All it says is that they're the result of crossbreeding between fey and other races. The only thing that suggests they may be evil is the brief description they give which states, "these mixed creatures often resemble things out of nightmares or a mad wizard's experiment." Then they give an example of what a half-fey might look like.
http://i.imgur.com/HeN2muu.png
I don't really understand it. What causes an Unseelie Fey to always be evil?

[The Insanity]

Unseelie Court is the court with Evil fey, I believe. I guess their half-breed children inherit their evilness.

[ZamielVanWeber]

It has to do with the myths they are based on. Here is wikipedia shedding some light on the topic:

The Unseelie Court consists of the darkly-inclined fairies. Unlike the Seelie Court, no offense is necessary to bring down their assaults.[6] As a group (or "host"), they appear at night and assault travelers, often carrying them through the air, beating them, and forcing them to commit such acts as shooting at cattle.[7][8] Like the beings of the Seelie Court who are not always benevolent, neither are the fairies of the Unseelie Court always malevolent.
This does not seem to fit "always" until you remember than in DnD "always" means "almost always."

[Spore]

This does not seem to fit "always" until you remember than in DnD "always" means "almost always."

Agreed.

Rumpelstiltskin and other evil fairytale entities are most likely Unseelie Fey. But the evil Fairy in Sleeping Beauty is basically just a jealous version of a good Fairy (and thus most likely neutral). Not inviting her to Sleeping Beauty's baby shower was an act of political incorrectness rather than an act of caring for her kid.

As for your picture, TechMoogle: Haven't you learned that some of the worst evil and the best good creatures and characters are entirely mundane and innocent looking? If you see a demon, an angel or an inevitable, you always know it is some kind of personified principle. If you see a human with a knife and a bloody rags, he might either be a butcher or a mass murderer. If you see a beautiful young lady, she might either be the royal advisor bent on conquering the kingdom or an innocent lady's maid.

[Gale]

@Sporeegg: It is true that evil beings aren't always easy to spot and could potentially be anyone; in fact I think that's half the point of unseelie fey.

I'm mostly bugged however, that the entry doesn't really explain how the fey interbreeding with other races produces evil spawn in the form of unseelie fey. But maybe that's due to my lack of knowledge about them.

[Keltest]

@Sporeegg: It is true that evil beings aren't always easy to spot and could potentially be anyone; in fact I think that's half the point of unseelie fey.

I'm mostly bugged however, that the entry doesn't really explain how the fey interbreeding with other races produces evil spawn in the form of unseelie fey. But maybe that's due to my lack of knowledge about them.

Rule of thumb, anything that involves the word "fey" as a racial descriptor is steeped in magic.

Also, to be clear, are you asking about the Unseelie Fey, or the offspring of Unseelie Fey?

[nedz]

Personally I've never really regarded the Seelie/Unseelie fey as Good/Evil. I tend to view them as more Purple/Orange, but I guess this has to be mapped to the nine alignment system somehow even if that involves using a Sledge Banana.

[Gale]

I'm asking why Unseelie Fey are evil. Going off the description in the Dragon Compendium there doesn't seem to be a reason.

Fey can breed with anything and—except for the pure-blood-minded seelie court fey—often do. The offspring of these liaisons are unusual creatures, blending characteristics of both parents, sometimes able to pass as a parent's creature type. In turn, these half-breeds mate and pass on a blend of features and abilities. After several generations, these mixed creatures often resemble things out of nightmares or a mad wizard's experiment. These oddities generally are spurned by their nonfey ancestor's society. The seelie court fey view these creatures at best as pathetic half-breeds to be spurned with contempt and at worst as despicable perversions of all that is fey, to be hunted down and put out of their misery.
It seems to imply that the offspring of a fey and any other type of creature will always be evil. Or at least if its not evil, the descendants of the halfbreed will inevitably turn into unseelie fey. But there doesn't seem to be a reason as for why their alignment is invariably evil.

[Cool Trash]

The goddess of the Unseelie Fey, the Queen of Air and Darkness, resides in Pandemonium, which is a viable afterlife for both Chaotic Neutral and Chaotic Evil characters-which to me implies that they could probably go either way. Remember, those assigned alignments are just as much a matter of perception as fact-when they're not human and they can throw charm spells around and get offended by logging companies, people probably find it pretty easy to decide every chaotic fey jerk that ties their shoelaces together is a monster that needs to have some PCs sicced on them.

[Keltest]

The goddess of the Unseelie Fey, the Queen of Air and Darkness, resides in Pandemonium, which is a viable afterlife for both Chaotic Neutral and Chaotic Evil characters-which to me implies that they could probably go either way. Remember, those assigned alignments are just as much a matter of perception as fact-when they're not human and they can throw charm spells around and get offended by logging companies, people probably find it pretty easy to decide every chaotic fey jerk that ties their shoelaces together is a monster that needs to have some PCs sicced on them.

Beyond that, treating them like that is going to contribute significantly to it becoming reality, and that's assuming they aren't just all slightly crazy as a side effect of their heritage.

[Karl Aegis]

"The seelie court fey view these creatures at best as pathetic half-breeds to be spurned with contempt and at worst as despicable perversions of all that is fey, to be hunted down and put out of their misery."

That's why they're evil. They get spurned and/or hunted down. That's all that needs to happen for you to be evil.

[Bad Wolf]

Unseelie Fey are the type to murder an entire village because one of the inhabitants insulted it. Guess the genes get passed on.

[Honest Tiefling]

If we examine the picture, it should be noted that the dominant colors are purple and green. The colors of villainy and evil, to be sure. And then examine the cut and style of dress, which is clearly a monumental fashion disaster which will haunt the nightmares of all sane creatures. So I think the picture is appropriate.

[Spore]

Unseelie Fey are the type to murder an entire village because one of the inhabitants insulted it. Guess the genes get passed on.

There's nothing wrong with that. If we apply D&D standard player character morality, any goblin can be slain without hesitation because goblins are all evil. And you're still a perfectly good character (if you don't know about the innocence of said goblins). You might even be exalted (because you've done something proactive against evil.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

The answer is because alignment is stupid, and also words in D and D are also often stupid. Always meaning usually is a pretty good example. Also it's originally Dragon Magazine content, and that stuff is nutty.

So I guess the answer for me is that Unseelie Fey are evil if you, the DM, need them to be. And if not, then they aren't.

[atemu1234]

There's nothing wrong with that. If we apply D&D standard player character morality, any goblin can be slain without hesitation because goblins are all evil. And you're still a perfectly good character (if you don't know about the innocence of said goblins). You might even be exalted (because you've done something proactive against evil.

That is a stereotype and NAAPC does not appreciate it!

[AvatarVecna]

I'm asking why Unseelie Fey are evil. Going off the description in the Dragon Compendium there doesn't seem to be a reason.

It seems to imply that the offspring of a fey and any other type of creature will always be evil. Or at least if its not evil, the descendants of the halfbreed will inevitably turn into unseelie fey. But there doesn't seem to be a reason as for why their alignment is invariably evil.

Let's suppose an Unseelie Fey has a child with a mortal, and that child would therefore gain the Unseelie Fey template. The Unseelie Fey steals the baby away from their lover, because they're an Unseelie Fey, and they were raised to be naturally manipulative and self-serving. That child is raised to adulthood in the culture of the Unseelie Fey; that culture either teaches that child to manipulate their peers, never give anything for free, never accept anything that seems free, and never truly trust anyone unless you've literally brainwashed them or devil-dealed them into being your loyal slave...or that culture makes that child an object lesson for all the others on why they should do that.

Not all Unseelie Fey are Evil when they shoot out of their mother's crotch. They learn that Evil from the culture they're raised in...and the ones that are too morally sound to be a part of that culture will be torn apart as the rest of this manipulative, self-serving culture absolutely destroy them for any potential gain that can be wrung out of whoever it is that doesn't want to play by the system. The "Good" Unseelie Fey exist, they just don't generally survive to adulthood.