Species and Races > Fae
The Fae
The immortal spirits of emotion and wilds, the fae are a patroned race, the children of Lith. They are both chaotic and orderly, a divided and powerful race, from tiny tricksters and mischievous sprites to near god-like entities, lead by ancient children of the realm and of their Goddess. The fae have long loved interacting with mortals, having the opportunity to display their powers and abilities, growing obsessed with the way that other races view them, an air of mysticism and fear around their actions as well as a strange allure. Inspiring such feelings is a point of pride for a fae, and the more emotions they cause, the more powerful they have the potential to become. Faetongue is one of the few languages that can carry such potent magics. They take on features of animals like antlers, wings, fur, sharp teeth, or even hooves, often using super-human abilities and resilience to get their way.
Daily Life
Bound by Ancient Laws
The fae are a people obsessed with symbolism and freedom, and thus very few rules can define them, and the few that do are enforced by the Courts and the will of Lith herself to ensure the fae cannot become all powerful.
The first of these rules is the Rule of Iron, no fae may touch the implements of civilization; oils, unnatural salts, and especially iron and steel are like bane to the fae, for without these they do not have the means to stray too far from nature and other metals are too rare or too weak to build great mechanisms from, and thus the fae can grow closer to magic.
The second is the Rule of Names where the true name of a fae, when spoken aloud, has power not just over them, but can cause magical effects. The more powerful a fae, the more dangerous it is to attempt to speak their true name. This rule ensures that the fae are not too swift to trust, thus avoiding becoming subservient, and that their leaders can maintain order over their subjects and thus the entire realm.
The third and most powerful is the Rule of Three, for with this rule it gave the fae a blessing and a curse; any promise made to a fae or by a fae when sworn thrice is unbreakable on a punishment worse than death. A third answer given cannot be spoken falsely, else your words lose some of their power, and a curse laid thrice upon another is a blight that is nearly impossible to erase. Thus fae became clever, twisting words and using these powers in conversation, and mortals who encountered them were able to grow too.
The fourth and final rule is the Rule of Masks a rule that states that Archfae or those who claim their status must indicate it in their attire when appearing before lesser fae. This rule is to distinguish the mightiest of the fae, and to become one with their reputation, a mask is an extension of a fae’s soul, some fae manifest this rule in a different way, for example, the Lord of Roses is the only fae who can wear a crown of entirely red roses, and Baba Yaga cannot remove her iron teeth.
Training
Education
Fae learn through reading books they can find, oral history, as many Fae have been around long enough to recount history to younger faeries, and also through dreaming, as their strange, almost scrying sleep allows them to learn of the happenings of far away places.
The most important rite of passage for any fae is learning their own true name. While most fae have an innate sense of its nature, they rarely know it outright. Once a Fae knows their true name, they are able to fully master their own power for the first time.
Combat
Different courts of fae have different specialties in terms of combat, though most share common weaponry. Hunting implements, such as hand axes, spears, bows, and crossbows of different makes are present in all courts. Some courts focus more on the use of magic— such as the Seelie and the Gloaming courts— while others are more martial, like the Royal Court and Wild Fae.
Medicine
Fae have little to no need for medicine, as their immortality also renders them largely invulnerable to mortal ailments. Physical wounds heal quite fast as well. However, Seasonal Fae Essence and sap from the World Tree— Yggdrasil— are both powerful healing agents coveted by many.
Imitators of the Gods
The strongest fae are often drawn into groups known as Courts in order to protect their influence over the lesser creatures of the Wilds, much like the God’s courts. The two major courts are the Seelie and Unseelie Court, separated by the sorts of emotions they draw on. Within these two there are a total of two major Unseelie Factions and one major Seelie Faction, which are listed below.
The Great Courts
Wild
(None)Those who walk unfettered by beliefs and unswayed by others are the wild fae. The wild fae are the weakest but the most diverse of the groups within the wilds for they are not truly a court, they are a court’s absence. They are the fae who cannot or do not grasp at power, but rather life a life where it’s unknown what the next day will bring. Though the courts view them as little better than beasts, the wild fae care nothing for the labels of others, they go wherever and do whatever they choose, even if they might face consequences for such actions.
Gloaming
(Unseelie)Known for their cold logic and harsh disposition, the shadow fae are the darkest of the faerie peoples and are those who draw on fear, for its power is undeniable. Under the leadership of Lith’s eldest child, the ruthless Mabuka, Queen of Air and Darkness. These fae are willing to do anything necessary to gain greater power, a highly organized society where worth is determined by strength, loyalty, and favor. Those who are stronger are to be respected, those who are loyal are to be relied upon, and those who are favored are to be envied. They dress in blacks and feathers, often wearing things that inspire fear, like skull-like makeup.
Seasonal
(Seelie)As moods change so does the world, and the season fae are masters of change and of expression. They wear their emotions openly, and enjoy the adoration, entertainment, and enchantment of others. They are artists of the faerie world, ruled over by the daughter of the World Tree, Queen Titania, whose mood changes not just her own appearance but the weather of the world around her. These fae love to draw admirers and are quite charismatic. They take on more natural aspects such as flowers, emotions, or even moonlight as their powers.
Royal
(Unseelie)The splinter group under Oberon, King of Shadows— eldest son of Mabuka and husband of Titania— the Royal fae are those Unseelie who disagreed with Mabuka’s war against the Seelie Court, or supported Oberon’s ideology of awe before fear. Feats of strength and competitions are common, as is a duality of being yourself and improving yourself. The Royal court is associated with hunting, drinking, racing, and fighting prowess. Many wild fae have made the choice to cross over into this new court in order to enjoy the benefits of Oberon’s influence. Though it is growing, this court is currently the weakest, although it is still the only one of the three not to choose a side in the war.
Religion & Holidays
Fae worship the Fae Court Royals, and Lith herself, their creator and patron goddess. Although few Fae are openly religious, almost all are immensely respectful of their leaders and all respect the power Lith holds, and often her judgement. Their Goddess is very much real, and often walks among them.
The Festival of Roses
Celebrations of life and all its wonders are common among the fae, but all pale in comparison to the Festival of Roses. The Festival of Roses is a festival overseen by the Seelie Lord Floriash under the blessing of Lith herself, to spread the mischief, wonder, and magic of the Fae. The festival draws powerful Archfae who in turn draw others, and in turn the sheer amount of magic draws in mortals, turning this annual blessed event into quite a colossal revel at times. Outside of the annual event, the festival itself travels easily between realms and worlds, drawing in mortal and magical folk alike.
Architecture
Common buildings revolve around stone carving as well as magically warping wood and the forest to create large structures or even castles using fine control over the trees to create details. Fae also enjoy colorful glass, and grand arching renaissance style architecture. Fae also sometimes construct simple cabins or huts with wood and grass, and still others just dig hollows into the earth. A fae’s home tends to represent them and their personality on a more fundamental level.
Additional Info
Kerian Fae
While these courts extend across multiple planes thanks to the far reach of the Faewilds and Lith herself, there are a select few fae whom have been largely cut off from the rest of their brethren, trapped on Kerios and forced to adjust their courts accordingly. They have each split into three sets of smaller courts, called “Circles” to help govern until they can fully reconnect with the main Courts.
The Seelie of Kerios draw largely on celestial bodies such as the stars and planets for their powers. They split into the Planetary, Cosmic, and Celestial circles. Their shrines and places of power are mostly found in Norbrim, where the sky is clear and cold, and dancing lights decorate the cosmos above. However, something has changed them since Kerios was lost; they don’t seem quite right anymore, and neither do Kerios’s sun, moons, and stars. Travellers in Norbrim tell grim tales of mad, aggressive fae-like creatures who lure unsuspecting folk with illusions across the frosty wastes, only to drain their energy and drive them to insanity.
The Unseelie of Kerios have both unified and fractured themselves after both the splitting of the court, and the rift, drawing in multitudes of wild fae with the offer of security and safety in numbers, which formed their own Wild Circle. However, they struggle to agree with the Blooming Circle’s more relaxed ideals of leaving the mortal races to their whims. The third Unseelie circle has used this conflict as an opportunity to gain control— the Blood Circle stands as the most powerful circle of Fae in Kerios, and is led by the infamous first hag, and member of the Gloaming Court: Baba Yaga.
In addition, there are a set of Primal Spirits from Kerios who— after losing a war with the Fae— are bound by the same Faerie rules. They form the Elemental Court, which split into the Burning, Enduring, and Flowing Circles. This court is less a “court” and more a loose collection of individuals ranked by power and ambition, only associated with their circles by the elements of nature they embody.
Types of Fae
The identities and forms of many fae are fluid, but most fall into one or two subtypes and categories.
Bestial Fae
Bestial fae are those that take on more animalistic aspects than humanoid ones. These include Harpies, Centaurs, and fae that choose to take on animal forms like Rith-Scáth. They are most common among Wild Fae.
Dryads
Dryads are those fae that take on more plant-like aspects than humanoid ones. These include Rose Fae, Thorn Fae, and Tree Fae (as dryads traditionally appear). They are most common among Sprites, and are largely part of the Rose Circle of the Seelie Court— though there are many within the Gloaming Court as well.
Elvish Fae
Elvish fae are those that take on mostly humanoid aspects, always with elven features, like pointed ears, due to their patronage under Lith. They are the most common among the Archfae. They often distinguish themselves from their elven kin with shimmering markings across their face and skin, and display unmatched grace and physicality.
Formori
Those male fae who follow the path of the hags, delving into darker magics and hexcraft are twisted differently. They grow into gangly hulking creatures, they grow faces resembling deer or wolf skulls, massive racks of horns and antlers, and even some down their back. These creatures are known as the formori, or hag sons, and are dangerous entities. Malevolent and cruel, when they are trained by a hag, they often stay loyal to their “mothers”, but those that break away from their hags, or is turned from its own efforts, they become calculating and brooding creatures, often preferring to move in small groups, answering to the most powerful among them. Wild formori are considered a serious danger, especially to non-fae, and those who aren’t strong enough to fight them would best steer clear.
Hags
Hags are exclusively female fae that have been twisted by their evil deeds or horrific heartbreak and betrayal. Many take pleasure in suffering— especially causing horrific trauma. Hags will go out of their way to entrap mortals in hellish deals in order to torture them and twist them to their own ends, as they desire to further their own ends above all others. The more ancient a hag is, the more powerful she becomes, going from a daughter, to a sister, to an auntie to a grandmother, and finally Baba Yaga alone reigns supreme as the Great Grandmother— and the most fearsome and deceitful of all hags.
Seasonal Fae
Seasonal fae’s appearance and demeanor change with their emotions. Melancholy or moody fae take on wintry aspects, becoming frigid and stoic, often rejecting social interaction in favor of solitude. Cheery or enamored fae take on aspects of spring, becoming bubbly, excitable, and charismatic, eagerly seeking out others. Passionate or angry fae take on aspects of summer, becoming impulsive, stubborn, and quick to lash out, often pursuing a goal of some sort. Relaxed or indifferent fae take on aspects of autumn, becoming thoughtful, level headed, and practical, meditating or practicing a hobby.
These fae almost exclusively reside in the Seelie Court, due to their similarities with Queen Titania and propensity for crafts and social events.
Shadow Fae
Shadow fae are those that take on more fearful aspects, often appealing to the shadows and omens of death. They almost exclusively reside within the Gloaming Court, and often have a natural ambition for power and inclination for stealth. The shadow fae are regarded with respect even by their enemies, as their ruthlessness has bred a royal line that contains many of the most powerful fae in the wilds, and their assassins and spies are legendary.
Sprites
Sprites are the most common fae, many only residing within a single plant or appearing as mischievous pixies that lure people into the Faewilds. They do not have much power, and can only cast simple magics, but they tend to cluster in Sprite Circles. The more sprites there are, the more power they can collectively generate. Many Sprites take on aspects of other fae in an attempt to imitate them, and often try to suck up to more powerful fae. Sprites are beings of essence and a singular emotion, often incapable of feeling others unless they grow stronger.