The Fae
There are two main types of fae, although they all are slightly different in appearance and temperament. Their societies are all interconnected however, by a pair of Courts.
Magic/Religion: All off these species use magic (the traditional kind, not cards...) as naturally as we breathe, and do not have any sort of religion. Leprechauns and Redcaps do not like cards and therefore anyone who uses the cards. All other fae tolerate card users, and some even like it, but most do not use them because it would be a step down from their natural magics.
Homeland: All of these live in the Jungle Continent, and have been there since before humans and Korat. Some say they are nearly as old as the land itself. Some of the fae live in cities of their own, others with humans, and still others prefer the wildlands.
Society: All of the fae watch over their children like hawks and they are valued above almost everything else. Fae are very vain and family oriented, and politics are a big part of their life, with complex hierarchies saying who has power over whom.
Most of the fae do not send their children to a traditional school after the age of 35, when they finish their basic schooling. After that, a fairy child may learn whatever he or she wishes by finding someone knowledgeable in the area and learning until they become interested in something else. Most fairy children are easily distracted and learn a little bit about everything. Others focus on one or two things and know everything there is to know about it.
The fae have two courts that rule over them, and each Court has a set of rules that their members must follow. The first time the rules are broken, the fae is punished severely. The second time they are killed. The Courts have an uneasy peace between them, and the Gray Lords, the ruling fae, are the main driving force behind everyone getting along. Without these immensely powerful beings, the fairy world would be thrown into chaos.
(note: Fir Darrig and Leprechauns may be aligned with either court. They are listed with where the majority lie)
The Seelie CourtThe Seelie Court is the court for all the good fae. However, just because they are good does not mean they are lenient in any way. This merely means that their motives are generally towards the good or harmless and unless provoked they are benevolent. The Seelie Court is ruled over by a council of lords that are never seen. Their spokesperson is Puck, or Robin Goodfellow. Robin is one of the oldest fae and is the last of his kind. He is fairly good-natured and loves jokes, but can be very vicious when provoked. He appears as a tall, handsome human or a pan.
Members of the Seelie Court are in BlueRules for Members of the Seelie Court:
1. Do not intentionally kill another rational creature
without due cause.2. Non-fae are not allowed to know details about how fairy magic works or specifics about either Court
3. Members of the Court must tell the truth if asked a question by a Gray Lord, a ruling member, or a spokesperson. (like Puck)
4. Oaths must be honored completely.
5. Magic duels are not allowed.
6. Unbreakable curses must not be cast
for any reason.7. When cursing someone, they must be told how it can be broken.
8. If a non-fae saves the life of a fae, he or she is beholden to them until the favor is repaid.
9. Humans are not to be taught the Old Magic.
(This is the traditional kind of magic, that does not require cards. Very powerful magic, but requires lots of energy to cast. Some humans know it, but not very many. For more information, send me a PM or ask in the Questions thread.)
The Unseelie CourtThe Unseelie Court is the court for all the evil fae. They are maleolovent and quick to anger. It is unwise for anyone to mess with a member of the Unseelie Court unless necessary, and they must be very careful. The Unseelie Court spokeperson is Mab, dark queen of the fairies. She is very powerful, old sprite. She appears as a beautiful black-haired woman, and is one of the few sprites that takes a human form.
Members of the Unseelie Court are in red.Rules for Members of the Unseelie Court:
1. Do not kill a member of the Seelie Court without reason.
2. Do not speak of Court matters with anyone
3. Duels are allowed within the Court only
4. All orders from the Gray Lords must be followed.
5. If there is a way to break a curse, the recipient must be told
6. If the life of a member of the Unseelie Court is saved, the debt must be repaid before the member can go on their way.
7. Changelings must not be returned to their homeland until after their fae counterparts are grown.
8. Oaths must be honored, but wording is open to interpretation.
Types of FaeIt is important to note that a fae will age one year for every 5 human years. So at the age of 35, the fairy is the equalivent of 7. Fairies live to be several centuries old in fae years (which is VERY old in human years), and are not really considered to be adults until they are 80 or 85. At about 500, they are generally considered to be 'old' by fairy standards and generally quit traveling (even among fae communities) at 250 or 300, when they start to settle down.
Brownies/Gnomes/leprechauns/Redcaps/Trows/Tylwyth Teg
Appearance: The only characteristic these fae share is a lack of wings. Brownies and Leprechauns are small and generally human shaped, coming up to roughly the knee of your average human, although they can change their form to appear larger if they wish. Gnomes and Redcaps come up to about the waist of an average human, and are squat and usually rather round. Gnomes are usually depicted with a long beard, but it is not required. Trows are roughly human size, with skin like stone and very slow movements.
History: Brownies: Brownies are a race of fae that are named for their appearance. They have brown hair and generally wear brown clothes and like to help out around the house. If you leave them milk at night, they are known to make chores easier, and may even do them for you completely. Brownies are very loyal to the house they serve, and may even follow a family around from place to place if treated right. However, once presented with clothes, they tend to disappear and never return.
Gnomes: Gnomes always live near people, although they have their own towns and usually their own societies. They love trading, and like tinkering with mechanical things and inventing things. Gnomes are good with metals and cats love them.
Leprechauns: Leprechauns, in contrast, do not live in houses, but prefer the outdoors. They are very mischievous and tend to play pranks on anyone who happens to be nearby. They love shiny things and are known for stealing anything interesting that isn't actually nailed down. They can be helpful, but their words should be taken with a grain of salt, as they like to speak in riddles and occasionally outright lies. If caught, they have to answer one question honestly, and it can be about anything.
Redcaps: Redcaps are vicious little fairies, who dye their hats (or sometimes heads) with the blood of humans and other creatures. They generally live on battlefields or in old ruins where lots of blood has been spilt. They are wicked and very dangerous, although tend to shy away from large groups. Their history is very bloody overall.
Trows: Trows are among the oldest of the fae, and they are very slow, emerging only at night. If a trow is caught in the daylight, they are turned to stone until the sun sets. They are a very neutral race, with some of them completely evil and others basically good. The race as a whole has a bad reputation, however. There are rumors of half-trow beings running around, but if they are smart they do not advertise the fact for fear of being shunned. Full trow have very blocky bodies and wide features, and half-trow tend to favor their fae side. Legends have them doing everything from eating children to minding their own business and talking to the stones of the earth.
Tylwyth Teg: The Tylwyth Teg are small fairies that are generally found in valleys and near sources of water, like springs. They are generally friendly and are famous for their rituals, most of which involve dancing in the moonlight. They speed up and slow down time regularly when they get bored. Tylwyth Teg also like to steal children with golden hair. These children are always treated well and showered with fairy gifts. When these gifts are spoken of to another non fae, they disappear and the child is abandoned. The Tylwyth Teg are shy but can be very helpful when they wish. They are beautiful beings that like to trade with humans and nearby cities, and although their natural form is slightly different from humans, they take on human shape when they trade their wonderous wares. Fairy-made trinkets are usually made by them.
Sprites/Pixies/Dryads/Undines/Slyphs/Fir DarrigAppearance: Sprites, Pixies, and Slyphs all have wings that can be any color. Some wings are shaped like a butterfly, while others have four dragonfly wings. There are even rumors of a six-winged race of pixies, but they are rarely seen. Pixies and Sprites are small, about 6 inches tall, but can shift their shape to be normal sized. Slyphs are roughly human-shaped, but are insubstantial, like mist. They can make themselves solid, but it takes effort and most choose not to.
History:Sprites: Sprites are your traditional fairy. They are small, probably no more than a handspan high, and wear clothes made out of odds and ends, like leaves and bits of cloth. They have shimmery wings, usually either dragonfly or butterfly shaped. The wings are patterned after these insect wings, generally. Sprites can make themselves appear larger, although they are generally without wings when in their human form (as they would be very hard to hide) Some fae accentuate their wings when they shift, but it is rare, as most try to blend in. Sprites are mischievous, but generally don't do much harm. They usually live in cities with humans, or in their own cities.
Pixies: Pixies are very similiar in apperance to Sprites (see above for description). However, they do not generally make themselves appear larger as they have no interest in blending in with the human race. Their features are sometimes more accentuated (with larger eyes, ears, etc). Their mischief is generally more angled towards ill, and can occasionally bring great harm. However, they can be bribed to work in a house occasionally, and are great servants as they always keep their word. Mages and clever bards have been known to trick a pixie into service for them, although their mischief may or may not be worth the help. They sometimes appear as small balls of light with vaguely human shapes in the middle. (think the Legend of Zelda games)
Dryads: Dryads are beautiful tree fae that are tied to old trees. They are usually very shy and can be very dangerous if their tree is threatened. If a dryad's tree is cut down or killed, the dryad will die as well. Likewise, if a dryad is killed or is away from their tree too long, the tree will die slowly. Dryads, being tied to a tree, cannot leave it, although they can travel along the ground where the roots are. Most dryads are found in woods, and most are tied to oaks. A dryad's skin and hair are generally colored like a tree, in shades of green and brown. When out of their tree, they are slender and small, with long stick-like fingers, and come up to the chest of an average sized human. Most will not reveal themselves to anyone unless they have something very important to say, or if their tree is threatened. Even so, they will likely appear as a woman (or man) melded with a tree--half in, half out--or just as a talking tree. Their magic is strong, although they rarely use it for anything not related to nature. However, they often curse people who foolishly mess with their trees. Some of the older dryads preside over more than one tree.
Undines: Undines are water fae that appear as beautiful women caught in the water that lure men into help them, only to drag the unfortunate soul down to their realm under the water. There, the man will be forced to mate with an undine (as they have no males in their race). Once there, they never leave. Once down there, they live for several years before being allowed to die. The undine world is a series of dark cities deep in the water, and their structure is very complex. (If you wish to know more, PM me.) Undines are basically evil, and are tied to water, although unlike their cousins the Dryads, they are not required to stay near it. Undines may travel over land as long as they consume lots of water and are careful not to get caught in the sun. The body of an undine is made of water and can evaporate and dry out. They appear as human women, with blue eyes. Undines do not wear clothes unless some clothes are given to them, as in their realm clothing is not used. It would not even occur to an undine to cover herself unless someone told her to. Undines are very well endowed, which is crucial to their luring of men.
Slyphs: Slyphs are evil air fae that do not really have a form. They can be seen as clouds or misty shapes in a wood, but can also take corporeal forms as well. They do not have wings, but rather float with magic. These beings are basically made of magic, and they are very arrogant. They do not believe that humans are worth anything, even ones with magic, and have been known to seduce men just for the fun of it. This never ends well for the men, who are found dead several days later, usually with a dreamy look on their faces. It is said they can spin dream worlds for people to get lost in. They are usually female.
Fir Darrig: Fir Darrig are similar to leprechauns, although they are slightly taller and have wings like that of a dragonfly. Fir Darrig are very willing to help strangers lost and are quick to offer advice. However, their advice should be taken with caution as they have a malevolent streak. However, there is always some grain of truth in their well-spun tales. Fir Darrig treasure shiny objects, but are not obligated to tell the truth if caught. They love irony and matching of wits, and are excellent at puzzles and riddles. Some of the more mischievous ones are known to speak entirely in rhyme. Their magic is not as powerful as other fae, but they specialize in illusions. Coupled with a quick tongue, the Fir Darrig can be very dangerous and should be treated with caution. Angering them is a bad idea, as they can be very spiteful.
