Grovekept

Whether in the Dreaming or the waking, dryad groves are sheltered and secret places where potentially dozens of heart trees are carefully tended behind walls of bramble and wards of misdirection. Here the capricious dryads play out a microcosm of the fey courts, jostling for social position amidst the Court of Groves, which may or may not involve other dryad groves. Life here is safe from everything but gossip, drama, and intrigue. However, the efforts of the older dryads do little to keep the naturally curious sprouts—mortal and fey alike—from venturing out into the world. Wanderlust is built into the very heart of a dryad, for how else could the forest see beyond the trees?

Inevitably, dryad groves fill up with other creatures as well: mortals who took a gorgeous, leafy hand, only to be whisked away. Sometimes children are born to the Court from such mortals or are brought here by the fey themselves. The grovekept are often entirely unconcerned and unused to real consequences for their actions. Only the health of the land and their position in the clique matter. The forest will take care of the rest, why worry?

Characters raised in the grovekept culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Clique Sense. Living in the groves gives you an innate sense for social structures and pecking orders. After you speak with a group for at least 1 minute, you can use an action to make either an Insight or Persuasion check opposed by their group Deception check. On a success, you learn the following information about the group:

• Which member is the leader or most in charge.
• Which member is at the bottom of the hierarchy.
• If the group is close-knit or only loosely associated.
• If any members are romantically or carnally interested in each other.

Courtly Skills. You gain proficiency in Culture and one from Insight, Performance, Persuasion, and Stealth. You also gain proficiency with one musical instrument of your choice

Fey Roots. The Dreaming runs deep within you. In addition to being humanoid, you also have the fey creature type.

Polite Smile. You are well acquainted with the tactics fey use to get their way. You gain an expertise die on saving throws to avoid being charmed or frightened .

Sheltered Dreaming. The Court of Groves keeps its seedlings as cut off from the material world as possible, while training them in fey etiquette. You gain the courtly manners and etiquette skill speciality in Culture. This expertise die increases by one step if it involves influencing fey creatures. However, you have disadvantage on Culture checks regarding cultures you have not directly interacted with.

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign Common and Sylvan.