While there are many animal spirits that roam the Feywild, some stand proud above the rest. They are the great spirits, primal beings older than even the elves. They were the first to walk that plane, and it is said that their avatars still roam deep in the untouched wilderness of the Feywild.
The magic of the great spirits is infused into the land itself, and is the source of the Feywild's magic. All fey creatures are descended from and influenced by their magic, including the elves.
Primal Fey
The great spirits were each spawned by one of the vanir gods, to walk the Feywild and embody their ideals and qualities. The first to emerge was Arcturion, the great bear, delivered by Aegir to give life to the oceans of grass that dominated the young and empty Feywild.
In the forests, Loki and Heimdall made a bet to see whose ideals were the most powerful. Loki fathered Fenrir, the great wolf, whose pack hunts and howls in the woods. At the same time, Heimdall spawned Pansilla, the great ape, and gifted her the use of tools. While Pansilla's apes are no match for the wolves on the forest floor, they utilize tools and weapons, and can avoid the wolves by spending most of their time among the tree-tops. Thus, the bet remained unresolved.
The Skadi, not wishing to be outdone in her own domain by Loki, sired Shentara, the great tiger. Where she stalks, no animal is safe. For a time, the Feywild was a savage battlefield, where the spirits and their offspring battled each other for superiority. With no winner in sight, the conflict was set to spread to other planes, or even to Vanaheim itself.
To bring peace among the spirits, Freya and Odin intervened. Freya hatched Equilax, the great eagle, to keep an ever watchful eye over the Feywild from its dusky skies for any skirmishes in order to break them up. For a time, this guardian was enough to keep hostilities to a minimum.
To create a more lasting solution, Odin raised Hugin and Munin, the twin raven spirits. Odin granted them the gift of speech and taught them the Sylvan language. Together, they mediated between the spirits, brokering peace between the children of Fenrir and Pansilla, and the bet between Skadi and Heimdall was considered a draw. Hugin and Munin taught all the spirits the Sylvan language, which to this day unites their descendants.
Mortal Descendants
Ever since the peace was brokered, the children of the great spirits have lived in relative harmony with each other. The people descended from the spirits are called Sylvanites. Over the ages, some sylvanites have found their way from the Feywild to the Material Plane. Some have joined societies of elves or humans, and other have even become rulers over small colonies of the beasts they descend from.
The largest society of Sylvanites is the city of Ancalos in the Feywild. Non-sylvanites are welcome in Ancalos, as long as they do not cause any trouble. Ancalos is ruled by a council, with one representative descended from each spirit.
In the Estian Islands, the Sylvan Sanctuary on Cottenhorn is home to many Ursinians and their distant relatives, the Smallkin.
The elves, while not direct ancestors of the spirits, have been shaped over eons by the primal magic of the Feywild, and some have learned the Sylvan language.
Avatars
While the great spirits themselves have ascended and become part of the magic of the Feywild itself, some claim to have seen their avatars roam the deepest parts of that plane. They are said to appear in translucent glowing forms, many times larger than a regular animal. Second only to the gods themselves, these spirits might the wisest and most experienced creatures in existence.
Each of the great spirits are represented by a constellation of stars in the sky, and some even believe the spirits migrated to the heavens in order to always watch over the Feywild where stars are always visible from the eternal twilit sky.
Blessed with foresight, Odin has prophesized that during the Ragnarok, the end of times, the spirits will fight on the side of the gods against the dark forces of Surtur.
The Great Spirits
These spirits were spawned in the early days of the world by the Vanir gods.
Fenrir the Packleader
At the head of his pack, the great wolf Fenrir leaps through the dark forest. His howl can be heard for many miles, and the pack is strong enough to fell any quarry it comes across.
When peace was brokered among the spirits, everyone but Fenrir accepted it. Together with part of his pack, he went to the Shadowfell to continue his eternal hunt, where he still roams the deepest parts of that plane.
He was spawned by Loki, and now roams the Shadowfell. It is foretold that during Ragnarok, Fenrir will fight on the side of the Jotnar in the final battle.
The caniores are descended from those of Fenrir's pack that did not follow him into the Shadowfell. Caniores are stoic and fiercely loyal to their family and those who manage to earn their friendship.
Shentara the Gladestalker
Shentara the great tiger roams the eternal jungles, always prowling for her next kill. The huntress supreme, she embodies the stealth and speed required of an ambush predator.
She is the progenitor of the tabaxi and the leonin. The tabaxi are the most numerous Sylvanite race on the Material Plane, and not an uncommon sight in many human and elven settlements.
See: Hide of Lenthora
Arcturion the Wanderer
Alone on the sweeping plains, the great bear Arcturion treks ever forward. His goal is uncertain, but he embodies the grit and determination needed to reach it.
The ursinians are offspring of Arcturion. While they are slow to anger, the ire of a great ursinian is ferocious to behold. The smallkin are smaller relatives of the ursinians, and they often live in shared societies.
Pansilla the Treesoul
The great ape Pansilla is said to live in the boughs of the great trees of the Feywild. She was granted her skill with tools from Heimdall himself, and has passed that on to her offspring.
Her children eventually became the simians. Swinging from tree to tree, they are curious beings, always eager to learn something new.
Equilax the Skywatcher
From his perch among the clouds, the great eagle Equilax observes the world. Wisest of the great spirits, his word is deeply respected by all who hear it.
Hatched over the eons, the aarakocra, owlin and the aquilon are his children. Long-lived and always watchful, the aquilon prefer to gather all available information before taking action, which sometimes can appear as inaction to outsiders.
One of Freya's most treasured possesions is a cloak made from feathers from Equilax.
Hugin and Munin
The twin ravens Hugin and Munin now serve Odin as his messengers, carrying tidings and intelligence to and from Valhalla. The kenku are their offspring, who have kept their knack for languages.
The Lesser Spirits
Some of the Aesir gods also desired animals in their image to roam the world. These are still very powerful beings, but are not as powerful as the Great Spirits.
Alcesides the Swiftfooted
Ever running, the great elk Alcesides roams the grass seas of the Feywild. Gifted his silver tounge by Balder, Alcesides is the most graceful and well-spoken of the spirits.
His progeny survives to this day as the centaurs and the faunkin. The faunkin keep the oral histories of the Sylvanites to this day, and perform their theatrics at the great elven courts of the Feywild.
Deluina the Springstep
The rabbit spirit Deluina was born of Idun's grace and imbued with her luck. Her offspring multiplied quickly, and are today known as the harengon.