Post by KayKay on Aug 11, 2019 13:03:23 GMT
Because I can't feasibly fit all this in every single fey bio.
Note, although this should go without saying, that this ONLY applies to my own fey: the fey from the world of Myythar. This guide need not necessarily apply to any fey characters of other members, as they might come from different worlds with their own rules.
Table of Contents:
- What is a Fey?
- Nymphs and Sprites
- Seelie vs Unseelie
- Monstrous Mortals
- Fey Magic
- Immortality
- Weakness to Iron
- Cold Iron
- Salt & Milk
- "The Fair Folk"
- Fey Bargains
- Archfey
- Court Bargains
- Children and Changelings
- The Wild Hunt
WHAT IS A FEY? – A fey, sometimes known as a fae, fairy, nature spirit, Sidhe, fair folk, or a good neighbor, is a sapient being who's life is tied to the intangible force known as the World Root. They are beings of magic, and while there is some debate as to their origin, it is obvious that they were not the product of evolution. The fey come in endless shapes and sizes, and can produce fertile offspring with virtually any species they can physically mate with, making any form of scientific taxonomy difficult at best. They are eternal and everlasting immortals, their bodies immune to the passage of time and resurrecting from physical death. Even the weakest fey radiates with magic drawn from the World Tree, and they are often subjected to strange magical bonds that mortals are not.
NYMPHS AND SPRITES – When classifying fey, two of the most common subgroups are the nymphs and sprites. Nymphs are unique fey: they are closely tied to a single aspect of nature, such as a tree, an ocean, a freshwater lake or pond, a mountain, a cloud, or a flower. Nymphs are entirely female, and thus can not reproduce with others of their own species. They are born instead from the significant magical surges of the World Roots themselves, which gives them their close bond with a certain aspect of nature. Often, a nymph cannot travel far from their aspect, lest they risk separating their life force from the World Roots and falling into a fatal illness.
Sprites are a race of very small fey, ranging from four feet to four inches in height, that share a common lineage. They come in a wide variety of shapes. They are perhaps the most common of all fey, and males and females are equally common in their species.
Examples of Nymphs include:
Naiads (Freshwater nymphs)
Nereids (Sea nymphs)
Dryads (Tree nymphs)
Anthousai (Flower nymphs)
Leimakides (Meadow nymphs)
Oreads (Mountain nymphs)
Nephele (Cloud nymphs)
Examples of Sprites include:
Pixies
Brownies
Grigs
Nixies
Murklings
Willo Wisps
Spriggans
Redcaps
SEELIE VS UNSEELIE – It is well known that the fey can be divided into two primary groups: the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Perhaps the most common assumption people make about the fair folk is that the Seelie Court represents the “good” or beneficial fey, and the Unseelie Court represents the “bad” or malicious fey. The truth is more complicated, and neither court can be described as truly good or evil.
The Seelie fey are, to their knowledge, the first sapient race in Myythar, older than even dragons and celestials; only the gods, to their knowledge, are older. The Seelie fey are often convinced of their superiority, believing themselves to be the true owners of the world, and that they merely allow mortals to share their soil. The Seelie are easily offended, and are often known to respond with extremely harsh retribution for perceived slights against them; even simply calling them “fey” can sometimes result in a swift decapitation. Many Seelie view mortals as little more than vermin, worthy only of avoidance and disgust. A few are known to steal mortal children (replacing them with changelings) to raise them as slaves. Fey of the Seelie Court thankfully live far from civilization, living in grand palaces deep within enchanted forests. They are very few in number: the Seelie Court is strict about laying only with others of their same species, so that their bloodlines will remain pure. The average Seelie are thus extremely old compared to the average Unseelie fey, as it is rare for the Seelie to reproduce.
The Unseelie fey share one common distinction from their Seelie counterparts: they do not share the same concerns about pure bloodlines, nor the extreme assumptions of superiority. An Unseelie fey is a title given by the Seelie Court themselves and happily adopted by the Unseelie, a title used to describe any fey that lays with a mortal or a fey of a different species, and their resulting descendants. The Unseelie Court comprises of a much larger population, and one that’s far more genetically diverse. Entire species of fey have been created by the inter-species flings of the Unseelie Court: satyrs, selkies, shadow fairies, merfolk, brownies, glaistig, kelpies and many others of mixed blood that are not among the original fey species of the Seelie Court. They are also the ancestors of demons, elves, gnomes, trolls, goblins and many magical creatures of Mytharr. Many, though not all Unseelie fey are happy to breed with any creature that catches their interest, regardless of species. Strange and often magical mutations are common, such as the Blind Queen’s tail and magical aura. Most Unseelie do not demand the same levels of respect as the Seelie Court; they are often quite playful and love pranks, and many Unseelie can grow to be loyal friends or even lovers of mortals. Their genetic diversity and wider arrange of beliefs, morals and diets makes the Unseelie court more unpredictable than the Seelie Court, however, and several species are known to be quite monstrous in appearance and/or mannerism. Man-eating, for instance, is quite common across many Unseelie races, and it is a well-known fact among mystical scholars in Myythar that demons are practically a sub-class of Unseelie fey themselves.
The Seelie and Unseelie Courts are mortal enemies. The Seelie view the Unseelie as abominations of blood mixing to be captured and culled, and the Unseelie view their Seelie ancestors as haughty tyrants to be avoided, pranked, or destroyed in turn. Despite their advantage of sheer numbers the Unseelie are far too disorganized to rally any major attack against the Seelie Court, and more often find themselves on the defensive from the smaller but more organized and experienced force.
If forced to deal with a Seelie fey, it is of vital importance for a mortal to remain respectful, above all else. It is of equal importance to be wary of potential bargains, as the Seelie are quick to take advantage of mortals for their own purposes. They are extremely rare on Lemuria, perhaps even non-existent.
Though an encounter with an Unseelie fey can be a much safer ordeal, it is wise to keep in mind the vast range of species and behaviors the Unseelie exhibit. Taken as a whole, they are an unpredictable people, and not even the behavioral or even physical norms of a particular race can be taken as certainty when it comes to individuals. There might exist dryads with wings; herbivorous kelpies; selkies that hunt humans; and satyrs with four legs and a second rib cage. It is wise to expect and prepare for the unexpected.
MONSTROUS MORTALS – The fear that mortals have of the fey is not a one-sided affair. Mortals are strange and alien to most fey, and many mortals have proven just as vile as the worst of the fair folk. Many fey have been attacked by mortals without provocation, or kidnapped and dragged from their forest home to meet an unspeakable fate.
Even in the Brume, a safe haven from mortals, the fey have often grown up on the stories of mortals and their incomprehensible alienness: their ability to spread across great stretches of land, obliterating entire forests, enslaving other creatures to breed them for food and wielding weapons of iron and fire to be used for wars of unimaginable scale. Many have witnessed the brutality of the war between the Ku’Vari and Du’Vani elves first hand.
As such, many fey such as anthousai, dryads, selkies and shadow fairies are quite shy and prefer to avoid mortals when they can. Those that prey on humans, such as kelpies, powerful individuals like the Blind Queen, and those that are used to the company of humans such as Siar are less intimidated by mortals and their strange habits.
Under most circumstances, only the Unseelie fey show fear of humans; the Seelie are far too confident of their own abilities and magic, no matter their age or power.
FEY MAGIC – The fey of Myythar draw their power and their life-force from an intangible force from which the world of Myythar grew that anchors the world into the fabric of space. This force, known as the World Roots, the an ancient and primordial magic tied closely to nature that can allow users to manipulate the world around them. Although they have been transported to Lemuria, the fey are still able to access the World Roots; they would die if their connection was severed. Fey can teach mortals how to access the magic of the World Roots; these magic scholars are commonly known as druids, and are generally individuals who greatly appreciate the natural world.
IMMORTALITY – Fey are immortal, as their souls and life-force are connected to the World Roots rather than their physical bodies, and simply resurrect if their body is destroyed. Depending on the age and strength of the fey, it may take a period of time for their body to reform. A weak fey such as an anthousai, or a young fey such as Alba may take as long as several months to resurrect. An extremely powerful or extremely old fey, such as the Blind Queen, can reform in only a few hours. Most fey require a few days or weeks, however.
Quarter fey, such as fauns, do not experience the downsides of physical age, and may live forever. Unlike other fey, however, they may be permanently killed through mundane means.
WEAKNESS TO IRON – Fey dislike iron, and its touch can burn the skin of weaker fey like a red-hot poker. This is because iron can cause small disruptions in the connection between a fey’s body and the World Roots, resulting in physical harm. The older or more powerful a fey becomes, the less mere iron affects them. Stronger fey such as dryads and shadow fey can withstand iron’s touch, though attacks with iron weapons stand a better chance of breaching their defenses. Particularly powerful fey or old fey, such as Siar or the Blind Queen, are nearly unaffected by iron.
COLD IRON – Cold iron can bring great harm to any fey, regardless of their power. This rare metal can disrupt the flow of magic between the material plane and the World Roots, entirely cutting off a fey’s tie to the force which they draw life from. Thus, cold iron is one of the few known forces that can permanently kill a fey; a fey slain by cold iron will have its life-force extinguished forever. Even powerful fey fear cold iron immensely; to an eternal creature, the power of cold iron is nothing more than a terrifying monstrosity. Cold iron is created by the smelting of iron ore using druidic “cold fire”. Individuals or groups that can create cold iron include druids such as Nyvanna, the Kuu’Vari and Du’Vani elves, the Deva, and the fey themselves – and Trila Boddy carries stocks of cold iron materials.
CANNOT TELL A LIE – Fey are incapable of knowingly and explicitly telling a lie – not even magic can change this. A malicious fey can still be dangerously deceptive, however, as they are not obligated to give straight truths, and love to omit important information. Quarter fey such as fauns do not have such restrictions.
SALT & MILK – Many fey, though not all, have a love of the taste of salt and milk. Salt and milk can serve as an easily accessible bargaining chip for more reasonable fey; less than reasonable ones are just as likely to steal it or feed on the traveler instead. Fey of the ocean have no love for salt – after all they live in it most of their lives, but milk to them is still considered a delicacy. Since they have arrived on Lemuria, whispered rumors have spread through the Brume of a strange new mortal delicacy in the distant lands of the south, a mythical substance known as “ice cream”.
“THE FAIR FOLK” – Many fey take being called a “fey”, “sprite”, or a “fairy” to be extremely insulting. It is to them as calling someone “an ape” is to a human. Depending on the disposition of the fey, this can be a deadly mistake that can provoke lethal violence or worse. This is more common with the proud Seelie fey than the Unseelie fey, who are more likely to answer with an insult of their own or even, in extreme cases, refer to themselves as such. As good practice, most who deal with the fey will call them “the Fair Folk”, a name that praises their beauty and avoids the risk of angering the fey. “The Good Neighbors” is another common name meant to appease and compliment them.
FEY BARGAINS – Fey culture is governed by a complex system of powerful supernatural bargains – a fey in need of goods or a favor may trade something deemed as equal in value with another fey, or a mortal. The fey bargain can be anything, but must involve an exchange of goods or services seen as equal in value.
If either party does not hold up its end of the bargain or refuses payment after accepting a gift or service, a dangerous fey curse can fall upon them. The power of the curse is equal to the value of the bargain: a breaking a minor bargain, such as refusing payment after a small favor or gift is offered by the fey, results in minor consequences, such as illness.
A bargain concerning matters of great value, such as the trade of important information, extended periods of servitude, or a powerful artifact, can result in a more powerful and near crippling illness, or a bout of terrible bad luck.
The most powerful fey bargains, equal in value to the mortal’s life, can have fatal consequences should the mortal refuse to pay their debt. Death can occur within two weeks. A creature cannot be resurrected from death in this fashion, not even with powerful magic. Malicious fey might offer to save a mortal from certain death, and in doing so can demand something equal in value to their life in return, often attempting to claim their lives or the lives of one of their loved ones as their property.
Fey are more vulnerable to the curse; no matter the value of the debt, if a fey breaks its end of the bargain or refuses payment after receiving a gift or service, the curse always results in the permanent death of the fey within two weeks.
The terms of the bargain are usually defined by the one that first initiates it. For example, the one that first offers a gift, favor, or service is considered the initiator, though the bargain in most cases only takes effect if the other creature accepts to gift or service. There is one exception to this rule: a fey or a savvy mortal may offer to create a bargain before any gift or service is offered – in this case, both parties can come to a mutual agreement to the terms of the bargain.
Because fey bargains can be dangerous, the safest practice for an intelligent or savvy individual is to refuse any gift or service freely offered by a fey, to avoid finding themselves locked into a bargain with a fey who carries malicious intentions. The bargain, and the curse itself, only takes effect should the other party consciously accept the offer. The fey cannot, for example, save the life of an unconscious individual and force a contract upon awakening; they must first ask the creature in peril if they wish to be saved. If one must make a bargain with a fey, creating a mutual agreement is the safest option – fey themselves are usually savvy enough to refuse freely offered services and gifts unless they hold great trust in the other party.
Should a mortal find themselves trapped in a bargain with a malicious fey, there are some options that may allow them to escape. Just as a fey cannot knowingly tell a lie, but can tell a deceptive truth or omit information, the magic of the fey bargain itself is built upon the exact wording of the bargain, rather than the spirit of the wording. Thus, it is vulnerable to loopholes that can be exploited by either party, for better or worse. A fey can swear an oath to “never harm a farmer’s family”… but this would not rule out the fey enslaving the family, an act that would not by a literal definition harm them. A mortal can exploit these same loopholes; a musician who has been tasked by a nixie to bring their wife to them as food in exchange for rescuing them from drowning may escape their predicament by having a marriage ceremony with a goat, then bring the goat to the nixies.
The curse can also be negated by engaging in a second fey bargain with another (hopefully more benevolent) fey, by offering the fey a gift or service equal in value to the previous contract in which the curse was built upon. Fulfilling this second contract will allow the fey enough power to end the curse of the first contract for the unfortunate creature, though the other party of the first contract becomes immediately aware and may seek vengeance. A fey trapped in a bargain by another fey cannot make use of this tactic.
The third, and obviously least desirable option to end the curse is with the death of either party. Temporarily destroying a fey’s body won’t work; the fey must be slain by a cold iron weapon.
Any fey can and will forge a fey bargain, and any sapient creature can forge a bargain with a fey. Benevolent fey, such as Siar, will usually only make small, easily fulfilled bargains, and usually ones mutually agreed upon by both parties. Malicious fey enjoy seeking opportunities to twist these bargains into their favor. A non-fey can attempt to out-wit a fey with a bargain of their own, but extreme caution must be taken attempting this: the fey are crafty and difficult to trick in this fashion, as they must contend with each other daily.
Quarter-fey or less, such as fauns, cannot make fey bargains.
Examples of Existing Fey Bargains:
– The Blind Queen is cursed to forever protect the Starlight Stone of Purity with lethal force against whoever tries to remove it.
– Selkies are often enslaved by cruel mortals that steal their seal skins, who attempt to impose a bargain on the desperate selkie to serve them as wives or husbands in exchange for their skin.
– Alba the dryad is happy to hunt for travelers in need of food, in return for learning new information about the world.
– A brownie will clean and do chores around a house in exchange for a bowl of warm milk.
ARCHFEY – Archfey include any fey that prove to be much more powerful than others of their own kind. Examples include the Blind Queen, who holds far more power than other naiads, and Siar, who is much older, wiser, and has more magical experience than other selkies. The title of Archfey does not always guarantee a leadership position in the fey courts, though most court members are indeed Archfey.
COURT BARGAINS – Similar to, but more powerful than fey bargains, the ruler of a fey court, such as the Blind Queen, has the power to grant extremely powerful boons to those that would make a bargain with them, usually with equally steep prices. These boons can include nearly divine acts that would ordinarily be beyond their power, and a typical court ruler can only grant one such bargain once every fifty years. The power of the bargain in practice is similar in power to a wish granted by a djinni, but the fey can only use this bargain to benefit another individual, not itself; and that individual must be a mortal. The benefit, however, comes with a steep price that the individual must pay. A fey cannot trick a mortal into accepting such a bargain, and indeed they rarely enjoy using such power; the agreement must be mutual, and the mortal must convince the fey to expend this ancient power.
The sole example in Lemuria, so far, is the deal made between the Blind Queen and the Du’Vani. The Blind Queen used this powerful bargain to give the Du’Vani males the strength and bodies of powerful beasts upon reaching a certain age, in exchange for the Du’Vani joining the Shadow Court and giving themselves as loyal subjects to the fey kingdom of the Brume.
CHILDREN AND CHANGELINGS – With the exception of a very small number of fey (the most infamous being the flesh-eating kelpie) the fey as a general rule do not harm children. The Seelie fey recognize any offense to be due to the child’s naivety of the world, and many Unseelie simply enjoy the passion and unique outlooks on the world that children have that can often align with their own. Some Unseelie fey can make for extremely caring parents, though they are prone to spoiling their adopted children.
However, the fey view children as adults much earlier than mortals, especially humans of the modern era, where adulthood is considered to be the age of 18 in human years. The fey consider children to be grown adults around the same time mortal races would consider them teenagers. This age, naturally, differs depending on the growth rate of a particular species (in humans, the fey consider children to be adults at 13). The protection that children enjoy from many fey can fade away in an instant at this time, as the fey treat them as they would treat an adult.
It should also be noted that a fey’s unwillingness to physically harm a child does not exclude committing other crimes against them. Kidnapping is extremely common in both the Seelie and Unseelie fey; the Unseelie see no harm in this as they are often simply looking for a friend to play with. They can have much darker motivations, however, ranging from taking revenge on a family to the vile intentions of the unicorns. The Seelie fey are no better in this regard, taking advantage of the easy conditioning of children to raise them as slaves. These enslaved children do not usually last long upon entering “adulthood”; the rebelliousness of teenagers and the ease of which Seelie fey lash out towards insults with bloodshed make for a poor combination.
Unless the kidnapping is the result of revenge or a previous fey bargain, the child abducted is usually replaced by a changeling – usually a fey or half-fey child, though occasionally infant trolls and goblins are used. The changeling, if fey or half-fey, are often outcasts in their society. If raised properly however, it becomes clear that the nature of the fey, both Seelie and Unseelie, is the result of nurture rather than nature. While they may still have fey-like personality quirks, mortal-raised changelings are much closer to their adopted parents in their morals and beliefs.
THE WILD HUNT – During a blood moon in the middle of the winter months, the magical bond between the fey and the world roots weakens, and for a single night the fey become mortal. In this vulnerable state, they may destroy them permanently, without the use of cold iron.
The Seelie Court will plan ahead to capitalize on this rare event to wage genocide on the Unseelie fey. In the weeks leading up to the winter’s blood moon, the Seelie Court will mobilize an army of fey mounted upon specially bred, magical steeds. Known as the Wild Hunt, this army will sweep across the land, capturing any and all Unseelie fey in their path and holding them prisoner in their palace, so that the Unseelie fey may be quickly and efficiently culled en masse on the night of the blood moon. The Wild Hunt is merciless and known to target mortals as well, using enchantments to enslave mortals as soldiers to bolster their numbers against the Unseelie fey.
If there is one positive, the fear among mortals and Unseelie fey, neither wishing to be taken by the Wild Hunt, commonly leads to the two groups to make brief alliances to fend off the Wild Hunt. On Lemuria, due to the near non-existence of the Seelie, the Wild Hunt is thankfully an impossibility.
Note, although this should go without saying, that this ONLY applies to my own fey: the fey from the world of Myythar. This guide need not necessarily apply to any fey characters of other members, as they might come from different worlds with their own rules.
Table of Contents:
- What is a Fey?
- Nymphs and Sprites
- Seelie vs Unseelie
- Monstrous Mortals
- Fey Magic
- Immortality
- Weakness to Iron
- Cold Iron
- Salt & Milk
- "The Fair Folk"
- Fey Bargains
- Archfey
- Court Bargains
- Children and Changelings
- The Wild Hunt
WHAT IS A FEY? – A fey, sometimes known as a fae, fairy, nature spirit, Sidhe, fair folk, or a good neighbor, is a sapient being who's life is tied to the intangible force known as the World Root. They are beings of magic, and while there is some debate as to their origin, it is obvious that they were not the product of evolution. The fey come in endless shapes and sizes, and can produce fertile offspring with virtually any species they can physically mate with, making any form of scientific taxonomy difficult at best. They are eternal and everlasting immortals, their bodies immune to the passage of time and resurrecting from physical death. Even the weakest fey radiates with magic drawn from the World Tree, and they are often subjected to strange magical bonds that mortals are not.
NYMPHS AND SPRITES – When classifying fey, two of the most common subgroups are the nymphs and sprites. Nymphs are unique fey: they are closely tied to a single aspect of nature, such as a tree, an ocean, a freshwater lake or pond, a mountain, a cloud, or a flower. Nymphs are entirely female, and thus can not reproduce with others of their own species. They are born instead from the significant magical surges of the World Roots themselves, which gives them their close bond with a certain aspect of nature. Often, a nymph cannot travel far from their aspect, lest they risk separating their life force from the World Roots and falling into a fatal illness.
Sprites are a race of very small fey, ranging from four feet to four inches in height, that share a common lineage. They come in a wide variety of shapes. They are perhaps the most common of all fey, and males and females are equally common in their species.
Examples of Nymphs include:
Naiads (Freshwater nymphs)
Nereids (Sea nymphs)
Dryads (Tree nymphs)
Anthousai (Flower nymphs)
Leimakides (Meadow nymphs)
Oreads (Mountain nymphs)
Nephele (Cloud nymphs)
Examples of Sprites include:
Pixies
Brownies
Grigs
Nixies
Murklings
Willo Wisps
Spriggans
Redcaps
SEELIE VS UNSEELIE – It is well known that the fey can be divided into two primary groups: the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Perhaps the most common assumption people make about the fair folk is that the Seelie Court represents the “good” or beneficial fey, and the Unseelie Court represents the “bad” or malicious fey. The truth is more complicated, and neither court can be described as truly good or evil.
The Seelie fey are, to their knowledge, the first sapient race in Myythar, older than even dragons and celestials; only the gods, to their knowledge, are older. The Seelie fey are often convinced of their superiority, believing themselves to be the true owners of the world, and that they merely allow mortals to share their soil. The Seelie are easily offended, and are often known to respond with extremely harsh retribution for perceived slights against them; even simply calling them “fey” can sometimes result in a swift decapitation. Many Seelie view mortals as little more than vermin, worthy only of avoidance and disgust. A few are known to steal mortal children (replacing them with changelings) to raise them as slaves. Fey of the Seelie Court thankfully live far from civilization, living in grand palaces deep within enchanted forests. They are very few in number: the Seelie Court is strict about laying only with others of their same species, so that their bloodlines will remain pure. The average Seelie are thus extremely old compared to the average Unseelie fey, as it is rare for the Seelie to reproduce.
The Unseelie fey share one common distinction from their Seelie counterparts: they do not share the same concerns about pure bloodlines, nor the extreme assumptions of superiority. An Unseelie fey is a title given by the Seelie Court themselves and happily adopted by the Unseelie, a title used to describe any fey that lays with a mortal or a fey of a different species, and their resulting descendants. The Unseelie Court comprises of a much larger population, and one that’s far more genetically diverse. Entire species of fey have been created by the inter-species flings of the Unseelie Court: satyrs, selkies, shadow fairies, merfolk, brownies, glaistig, kelpies and many others of mixed blood that are not among the original fey species of the Seelie Court. They are also the ancestors of demons, elves, gnomes, trolls, goblins and many magical creatures of Mytharr. Many, though not all Unseelie fey are happy to breed with any creature that catches their interest, regardless of species. Strange and often magical mutations are common, such as the Blind Queen’s tail and magical aura. Most Unseelie do not demand the same levels of respect as the Seelie Court; they are often quite playful and love pranks, and many Unseelie can grow to be loyal friends or even lovers of mortals. Their genetic diversity and wider arrange of beliefs, morals and diets makes the Unseelie court more unpredictable than the Seelie Court, however, and several species are known to be quite monstrous in appearance and/or mannerism. Man-eating, for instance, is quite common across many Unseelie races, and it is a well-known fact among mystical scholars in Myythar that demons are practically a sub-class of Unseelie fey themselves.
The Seelie and Unseelie Courts are mortal enemies. The Seelie view the Unseelie as abominations of blood mixing to be captured and culled, and the Unseelie view their Seelie ancestors as haughty tyrants to be avoided, pranked, or destroyed in turn. Despite their advantage of sheer numbers the Unseelie are far too disorganized to rally any major attack against the Seelie Court, and more often find themselves on the defensive from the smaller but more organized and experienced force.
If forced to deal with a Seelie fey, it is of vital importance for a mortal to remain respectful, above all else. It is of equal importance to be wary of potential bargains, as the Seelie are quick to take advantage of mortals for their own purposes. They are extremely rare on Lemuria, perhaps even non-existent.
Though an encounter with an Unseelie fey can be a much safer ordeal, it is wise to keep in mind the vast range of species and behaviors the Unseelie exhibit. Taken as a whole, they are an unpredictable people, and not even the behavioral or even physical norms of a particular race can be taken as certainty when it comes to individuals. There might exist dryads with wings; herbivorous kelpies; selkies that hunt humans; and satyrs with four legs and a second rib cage. It is wise to expect and prepare for the unexpected.
MONSTROUS MORTALS – The fear that mortals have of the fey is not a one-sided affair. Mortals are strange and alien to most fey, and many mortals have proven just as vile as the worst of the fair folk. Many fey have been attacked by mortals without provocation, or kidnapped and dragged from their forest home to meet an unspeakable fate.
Even in the Brume, a safe haven from mortals, the fey have often grown up on the stories of mortals and their incomprehensible alienness: their ability to spread across great stretches of land, obliterating entire forests, enslaving other creatures to breed them for food and wielding weapons of iron and fire to be used for wars of unimaginable scale. Many have witnessed the brutality of the war between the Ku’Vari and Du’Vani elves first hand.
As such, many fey such as anthousai, dryads, selkies and shadow fairies are quite shy and prefer to avoid mortals when they can. Those that prey on humans, such as kelpies, powerful individuals like the Blind Queen, and those that are used to the company of humans such as Siar are less intimidated by mortals and their strange habits.
Under most circumstances, only the Unseelie fey show fear of humans; the Seelie are far too confident of their own abilities and magic, no matter their age or power.
FEY MAGIC – The fey of Myythar draw their power and their life-force from an intangible force from which the world of Myythar grew that anchors the world into the fabric of space. This force, known as the World Roots, the an ancient and primordial magic tied closely to nature that can allow users to manipulate the world around them. Although they have been transported to Lemuria, the fey are still able to access the World Roots; they would die if their connection was severed. Fey can teach mortals how to access the magic of the World Roots; these magic scholars are commonly known as druids, and are generally individuals who greatly appreciate the natural world.
IMMORTALITY – Fey are immortal, as their souls and life-force are connected to the World Roots rather than their physical bodies, and simply resurrect if their body is destroyed. Depending on the age and strength of the fey, it may take a period of time for their body to reform. A weak fey such as an anthousai, or a young fey such as Alba may take as long as several months to resurrect. An extremely powerful or extremely old fey, such as the Blind Queen, can reform in only a few hours. Most fey require a few days or weeks, however.
Quarter fey, such as fauns, do not experience the downsides of physical age, and may live forever. Unlike other fey, however, they may be permanently killed through mundane means.
WEAKNESS TO IRON – Fey dislike iron, and its touch can burn the skin of weaker fey like a red-hot poker. This is because iron can cause small disruptions in the connection between a fey’s body and the World Roots, resulting in physical harm. The older or more powerful a fey becomes, the less mere iron affects them. Stronger fey such as dryads and shadow fey can withstand iron’s touch, though attacks with iron weapons stand a better chance of breaching their defenses. Particularly powerful fey or old fey, such as Siar or the Blind Queen, are nearly unaffected by iron.
COLD IRON – Cold iron can bring great harm to any fey, regardless of their power. This rare metal can disrupt the flow of magic between the material plane and the World Roots, entirely cutting off a fey’s tie to the force which they draw life from. Thus, cold iron is one of the few known forces that can permanently kill a fey; a fey slain by cold iron will have its life-force extinguished forever. Even powerful fey fear cold iron immensely; to an eternal creature, the power of cold iron is nothing more than a terrifying monstrosity. Cold iron is created by the smelting of iron ore using druidic “cold fire”. Individuals or groups that can create cold iron include druids such as Nyvanna, the Kuu’Vari and Du’Vani elves, the Deva, and the fey themselves – and Trila Boddy carries stocks of cold iron materials.
CANNOT TELL A LIE – Fey are incapable of knowingly and explicitly telling a lie – not even magic can change this. A malicious fey can still be dangerously deceptive, however, as they are not obligated to give straight truths, and love to omit important information. Quarter fey such as fauns do not have such restrictions.
SALT & MILK – Many fey, though not all, have a love of the taste of salt and milk. Salt and milk can serve as an easily accessible bargaining chip for more reasonable fey; less than reasonable ones are just as likely to steal it or feed on the traveler instead. Fey of the ocean have no love for salt – after all they live in it most of their lives, but milk to them is still considered a delicacy. Since they have arrived on Lemuria, whispered rumors have spread through the Brume of a strange new mortal delicacy in the distant lands of the south, a mythical substance known as “ice cream”.
“THE FAIR FOLK” – Many fey take being called a “fey”, “sprite”, or a “fairy” to be extremely insulting. It is to them as calling someone “an ape” is to a human. Depending on the disposition of the fey, this can be a deadly mistake that can provoke lethal violence or worse. This is more common with the proud Seelie fey than the Unseelie fey, who are more likely to answer with an insult of their own or even, in extreme cases, refer to themselves as such. As good practice, most who deal with the fey will call them “the Fair Folk”, a name that praises their beauty and avoids the risk of angering the fey. “The Good Neighbors” is another common name meant to appease and compliment them.
FEY BARGAINS – Fey culture is governed by a complex system of powerful supernatural bargains – a fey in need of goods or a favor may trade something deemed as equal in value with another fey, or a mortal. The fey bargain can be anything, but must involve an exchange of goods or services seen as equal in value.
If either party does not hold up its end of the bargain or refuses payment after accepting a gift or service, a dangerous fey curse can fall upon them. The power of the curse is equal to the value of the bargain: a breaking a minor bargain, such as refusing payment after a small favor or gift is offered by the fey, results in minor consequences, such as illness.
A bargain concerning matters of great value, such as the trade of important information, extended periods of servitude, or a powerful artifact, can result in a more powerful and near crippling illness, or a bout of terrible bad luck.
The most powerful fey bargains, equal in value to the mortal’s life, can have fatal consequences should the mortal refuse to pay their debt. Death can occur within two weeks. A creature cannot be resurrected from death in this fashion, not even with powerful magic. Malicious fey might offer to save a mortal from certain death, and in doing so can demand something equal in value to their life in return, often attempting to claim their lives or the lives of one of their loved ones as their property.
Fey are more vulnerable to the curse; no matter the value of the debt, if a fey breaks its end of the bargain or refuses payment after receiving a gift or service, the curse always results in the permanent death of the fey within two weeks.
The terms of the bargain are usually defined by the one that first initiates it. For example, the one that first offers a gift, favor, or service is considered the initiator, though the bargain in most cases only takes effect if the other creature accepts to gift or service. There is one exception to this rule: a fey or a savvy mortal may offer to create a bargain before any gift or service is offered – in this case, both parties can come to a mutual agreement to the terms of the bargain.
Because fey bargains can be dangerous, the safest practice for an intelligent or savvy individual is to refuse any gift or service freely offered by a fey, to avoid finding themselves locked into a bargain with a fey who carries malicious intentions. The bargain, and the curse itself, only takes effect should the other party consciously accept the offer. The fey cannot, for example, save the life of an unconscious individual and force a contract upon awakening; they must first ask the creature in peril if they wish to be saved. If one must make a bargain with a fey, creating a mutual agreement is the safest option – fey themselves are usually savvy enough to refuse freely offered services and gifts unless they hold great trust in the other party.
Should a mortal find themselves trapped in a bargain with a malicious fey, there are some options that may allow them to escape. Just as a fey cannot knowingly tell a lie, but can tell a deceptive truth or omit information, the magic of the fey bargain itself is built upon the exact wording of the bargain, rather than the spirit of the wording. Thus, it is vulnerable to loopholes that can be exploited by either party, for better or worse. A fey can swear an oath to “never harm a farmer’s family”… but this would not rule out the fey enslaving the family, an act that would not by a literal definition harm them. A mortal can exploit these same loopholes; a musician who has been tasked by a nixie to bring their wife to them as food in exchange for rescuing them from drowning may escape their predicament by having a marriage ceremony with a goat, then bring the goat to the nixies.
The curse can also be negated by engaging in a second fey bargain with another (hopefully more benevolent) fey, by offering the fey a gift or service equal in value to the previous contract in which the curse was built upon. Fulfilling this second contract will allow the fey enough power to end the curse of the first contract for the unfortunate creature, though the other party of the first contract becomes immediately aware and may seek vengeance. A fey trapped in a bargain by another fey cannot make use of this tactic.
The third, and obviously least desirable option to end the curse is with the death of either party. Temporarily destroying a fey’s body won’t work; the fey must be slain by a cold iron weapon.
Any fey can and will forge a fey bargain, and any sapient creature can forge a bargain with a fey. Benevolent fey, such as Siar, will usually only make small, easily fulfilled bargains, and usually ones mutually agreed upon by both parties. Malicious fey enjoy seeking opportunities to twist these bargains into their favor. A non-fey can attempt to out-wit a fey with a bargain of their own, but extreme caution must be taken attempting this: the fey are crafty and difficult to trick in this fashion, as they must contend with each other daily.
Quarter-fey or less, such as fauns, cannot make fey bargains.
Examples of Existing Fey Bargains:
– The Blind Queen is cursed to forever protect the Starlight Stone of Purity with lethal force against whoever tries to remove it.
– Selkies are often enslaved by cruel mortals that steal their seal skins, who attempt to impose a bargain on the desperate selkie to serve them as wives or husbands in exchange for their skin.
– Alba the dryad is happy to hunt for travelers in need of food, in return for learning new information about the world.
– A brownie will clean and do chores around a house in exchange for a bowl of warm milk.
ARCHFEY – Archfey include any fey that prove to be much more powerful than others of their own kind. Examples include the Blind Queen, who holds far more power than other naiads, and Siar, who is much older, wiser, and has more magical experience than other selkies. The title of Archfey does not always guarantee a leadership position in the fey courts, though most court members are indeed Archfey.
COURT BARGAINS – Similar to, but more powerful than fey bargains, the ruler of a fey court, such as the Blind Queen, has the power to grant extremely powerful boons to those that would make a bargain with them, usually with equally steep prices. These boons can include nearly divine acts that would ordinarily be beyond their power, and a typical court ruler can only grant one such bargain once every fifty years. The power of the bargain in practice is similar in power to a wish granted by a djinni, but the fey can only use this bargain to benefit another individual, not itself; and that individual must be a mortal. The benefit, however, comes with a steep price that the individual must pay. A fey cannot trick a mortal into accepting such a bargain, and indeed they rarely enjoy using such power; the agreement must be mutual, and the mortal must convince the fey to expend this ancient power.
The sole example in Lemuria, so far, is the deal made between the Blind Queen and the Du’Vani. The Blind Queen used this powerful bargain to give the Du’Vani males the strength and bodies of powerful beasts upon reaching a certain age, in exchange for the Du’Vani joining the Shadow Court and giving themselves as loyal subjects to the fey kingdom of the Brume.
CHILDREN AND CHANGELINGS – With the exception of a very small number of fey (the most infamous being the flesh-eating kelpie) the fey as a general rule do not harm children. The Seelie fey recognize any offense to be due to the child’s naivety of the world, and many Unseelie simply enjoy the passion and unique outlooks on the world that children have that can often align with their own. Some Unseelie fey can make for extremely caring parents, though they are prone to spoiling their adopted children.
However, the fey view children as adults much earlier than mortals, especially humans of the modern era, where adulthood is considered to be the age of 18 in human years. The fey consider children to be grown adults around the same time mortal races would consider them teenagers. This age, naturally, differs depending on the growth rate of a particular species (in humans, the fey consider children to be adults at 13). The protection that children enjoy from many fey can fade away in an instant at this time, as the fey treat them as they would treat an adult.
It should also be noted that a fey’s unwillingness to physically harm a child does not exclude committing other crimes against them. Kidnapping is extremely common in both the Seelie and Unseelie fey; the Unseelie see no harm in this as they are often simply looking for a friend to play with. They can have much darker motivations, however, ranging from taking revenge on a family to the vile intentions of the unicorns. The Seelie fey are no better in this regard, taking advantage of the easy conditioning of children to raise them as slaves. These enslaved children do not usually last long upon entering “adulthood”; the rebelliousness of teenagers and the ease of which Seelie fey lash out towards insults with bloodshed make for a poor combination.
Unless the kidnapping is the result of revenge or a previous fey bargain, the child abducted is usually replaced by a changeling – usually a fey or half-fey child, though occasionally infant trolls and goblins are used. The changeling, if fey or half-fey, are often outcasts in their society. If raised properly however, it becomes clear that the nature of the fey, both Seelie and Unseelie, is the result of nurture rather than nature. While they may still have fey-like personality quirks, mortal-raised changelings are much closer to their adopted parents in their morals and beliefs.
THE WILD HUNT – During a blood moon in the middle of the winter months, the magical bond between the fey and the world roots weakens, and for a single night the fey become mortal. In this vulnerable state, they may destroy them permanently, without the use of cold iron.
The Seelie Court will plan ahead to capitalize on this rare event to wage genocide on the Unseelie fey. In the weeks leading up to the winter’s blood moon, the Seelie Court will mobilize an army of fey mounted upon specially bred, magical steeds. Known as the Wild Hunt, this army will sweep across the land, capturing any and all Unseelie fey in their path and holding them prisoner in their palace, so that the Unseelie fey may be quickly and efficiently culled en masse on the night of the blood moon. The Wild Hunt is merciless and known to target mortals as well, using enchantments to enslave mortals as soldiers to bolster their numbers against the Unseelie fey.
If there is one positive, the fear among mortals and Unseelie fey, neither wishing to be taken by the Wild Hunt, commonly leads to the two groups to make brief alliances to fend off the Wild Hunt. On Lemuria, due to the near non-existence of the Seelie, the Wild Hunt is thankfully an impossibility.