Faeries

Also called fairies, elves, alfar, trow, dwarfs, and a host of other names. This is a class of beings from a nearby plane of existence called Faerie or the Bright World. They cannot come to Aarthus on their own power, but have planar portals (often called Faerie rings) scattered around the material world to arrive and leave by. It has been theorized that Faeries are associated with the world of the dead, or perhaps are air elementals of some sort, or perhaps even demonic, but no one knows. Religious authorities and the Universal Church labels Faeries as demonic. Nature   Faeries often play the role of tricksters, and lure away humans to either drink their life force, mate with them, or kidnap them for use as domestic servants.   Faeries are immortal, closely associated with the natural world as well as a barely remembered Ancient world, and some associate them with Pagan beliefs and religion. Faerie magic is called glamour, and it involves tricking the senses, subterfuge and mind control. Faeries are repelled by cold iron—it will burn them on contact, and this metal in a door or window will bar these entities from entering that residence. Most Faeries are shape-changers. Many have one or more forms (each valid and real) which they can switch between at will and instantly, even between eye blinks. They possess a strange, flickering grace, and their native language sounds similar to bird chattering. Faeries don’t share human morality. They lack empathy, and they will lie outrageously without shame. These beings are physical to their own worlds, but immaterial or unmanifested on Aarthus. They can manifest, but they remain invisible in their unmanifest state. No matter how humanlike Faeries may present themselves, there is a distinct non-humanness, or an ineffable “otherness” about them.

 

Fairie/Human Relations

Most Faeries see mortals as a lower life form, to be used, hunted, or killed without remorse. These beings regard humans much as humans do farm animals. Yet, Faeries are all fascinated with humans and human reproduction, and some conjecture that elfs may need to interbreed with mortals to help maintain the viability of their own otherworldly species. Faeries remain guarded around humans, and these beings know how to hide, through magik, skill or disguise. Some Faeries grow very fond of their pet humans. Faeries will happily kill or maim to keep their secrets. In modern Aorlis, there are those humans who may claim to have Faeries in their genealogy.  

The Bright World

Time moves more rapidly in the realm of Faerie, the so-called Bright World, and humans who have traveled there and returned have come back hundreds of years after they departed, or even have turned to dust because of rapid aging upon returning. If a human eats food in the Bright World, they can not return to Aarthus.  

Lifespans

Faeries virtually are immortal. They grow at the standard human rate until they reach about 18 or 19 years old, then they cease aging, forever preserved in the bloom of youth. They are not true immortals, for they can die by violence, or by their own hand. Fairy paganism holds that Faerie spirits are reborn as swans.  

Fertility

Faeries have low fertility rates. Faerie maids’ milk is weak, so they have sometimes kidnapped human mothers to use them as nursemaids for their Faerie children. Sometimes, to shore up weak or dying Faerie bloodlines, Faeries will kidnap human babies and raise them as Faeries. These humans are called foundlings, but they grow up as full Faeries.  

Description

Faeries are graceful, radiantly enchanting, and hauntingly beautiful. They also are fast, strong, and wiry like cats, and supremely dangerous. They slightly are taller than humans, at about six feet for both genders, with light, willowy frames (about 140 pounds for males, 100 pounds for females). These folk have slender faces with high cheekbones; long, arched noses; puckish, quizzical expressions; and delicate necks. Their ears are sharply pointed, slightly upturned, and lobeless. Faerie hair may be of any color, but they often are blond or silver, and their complexions are perfect and alabaster. These being’s eyes most often are amber, silver or gold, and they flash like cats’ eyes and possess similar night vision abilities. Faeries have no facial or body hair. They have graceful limbs with long, delicate fingers. Female Faeries are maddeningly beautiful, and male Faeries have an androgynous allure few can resist. Females of the species have small breasts, slim hips, and long, slender legs. Faeries have clear, ringing voices that make them marvelous singers.  

Variations

Faeries are a quirky lot, and, while they all share certain features, are far from homogenous. Sometimes, Faeries are semi-translucent; beautiful in front, but ugly behind; perpetually invisible; gaseous by nature and in form, rarely fully materializing; hollow in back; or glowing with a perpetual, glittering nimbus. Other times, the Faerie may have extra appendages, such as a tail, fangs or butterfly wings. Still yet, they might have animal feet, ears, skin or teeth; blue or black skin; hairy bodies; spindly legs; webbed digits; long, drooping breasts; or misshapen limbs or bodies. All these variations come Faerie by Faerie, not by family or clan.  

Clothing

Faerie apparel apes current human fashions, but with outlandish, extravagant interpretations. These beings love jeweled, glittering garb, and prefer spider silk, gossamer and dew drop pearls. Green is the Faerie color, but they never wear blue. Sometimes they wear white, striped, or multicolored clothing, but usually incorporating green.  

Character

Faeries are amoral, petty, vindictive, and humans find their moods ineffable. At first encounter, they seem childlike, innocent and guileless. Soon it becomes apparent that the Faeries are petty, impetuous, and mercurial. They can be light and ebullient one moment, then moody and dour the next. Faeries are secretive, evasive, and purposely ambiguous. When dealing with mortals, it should be noted that Faeries hate greedy mortals. They disproportionately will reward generous mortals, punish or curse disrespectful mortals, and look kindly on lovers. Faerie women are terrible housekeepers.  

Sexuality

Faeries are licentious, free with sexual favors, and quite wanton, with no taboo about same-sex contact and no real concept of single partner relationships. Faeries are sexual creatures, and some are obsessed with the novelty of finding human lovers. Sex and death are intricately tied together for Faeries, and some kill their human lovers.  

Quirks

Many Faeries will not carry money, cannot count and refuse to learn. They never know the day, date, month or time of year, and they will not reveal their ages. They value cleanliness, order and politeness.  

Skills

This species excels in riding, sword fighting, and archery. Faerie shot is an important skill for them, and these are hand-thrown arrows or darts. They are skilled in singing, dancing, music instruments and hunting. Their culture is as proper and sophisticated as it is unhinged and lawless.  

Languages

Besides their native language of Faerie (which sounds like bird song to mortal ears), these beings also speak the most prominent human tongues, such as Aenglik.  

Disadvantages

Being magical, elemental creatures, Faeries suffer some disadvantages that humans do not. For example, Faeries can use ferrous metal weapons and armor, despite rumors to the contrary; but they prefer not to, given a choice, and will use glimmersmelt (The Faerie metal that only they can produce, which is smelt from moonbeams, sunbeams, glimmers on lakes, etc.) gear if given the option. They are not banished by exorcisms or burned by holy water. Salt is not poisonous to them, but it is offensive to their pallets. Contrary to folk tales, they are not barred from passing any threshold in which cold iron or ferrous metal has been set. While they dislike crossing running water, such as in rivers or streams, they do not become dizzy and disorientated while so doing, and do not lose all their Faerie powers while in transit. A Faerie will never harm a swan. While it is not true that noble Faeries grow weaker the deeper underground they travel, but they hate enclosed spaces and will seek to avoid such an expedition.Faeries to do not turn to stone or burn up when exposed to direct sunlight.  

Advantages

Faeries have some definite advantages. Faerie sight, which is conferred on them at birth or later with special oil applied to their eyes, allows them to see past illusions and see invisible things. They are immune to age-based attacks, for they never age; and they are highly immune to all mortal diseases and illness. But, perhaps their greatest benefit is access to the magic of glamour, the Faeries’ own arcane school, which gives them access to powerful spells (See “glamour”).    

Hybrids

Legends hold that once many Faeries lived on Aarthus, but those days are long forgotten and the Faeries have returned to their otherworldly realm of Faerie. Faerie exists on a more subtle material plane, or a higher vibrational plane, but its denizens may still use Faerie Circles to visit Aarthus. While the reasoning isn’t clear, Faeries were obsessed with human reproduction and creating human/Faeries hybrids. Most people with Faerie ancestry have no abilities or traits to show for it. Every now and again, the Faerie blood manifests, for the good or ill. An elf/human raised in Faerie grows into a full elf, so only on Aarthus will one find partial elves or humans with elfin traits.

Social

Faerie hybrids may be well liked or popular, but there is always a hint of “otherness” about them.  

Personality

These hybrids have free will and may choose to be good or evil. Their Faerie blood may tempt them to be inscrutable, amoral, superior, arrogant, vindictive, or cruel (all traditional Faire traits), but the hybrid has the power to deny his nature too.  

Physical

Hybrid Faeries height is dictated by the human parents, plus 0” to 2”. The hybrid’s body frame is light. He may be above average in beauty, or have wide-set eyes, or lightly pointed ears. While half elves may inherit some of their elfin parent’s gifts, they are prone to one or more of the following traits: extra-digitation, one eye of different color, unsightly tufts of hair, a humped back, or a minor deformity.  

Powers

Hybrid Faeries have the Cat’s Eyes advantage, the ability to locate and open Faerie Circles and their otherworldly gates.

Weaknesses

Growing up in the mortal world, these hybrids do not share the typical Faerie weaknesses surrounding silver, cold iron, or running water.    

Aging

Faerie hybrids enjoy greater longevity than the standard human, sometimes living up to a hundred-and-twenty-years old.  

Skills

They have an aptitude for music, dancing, forestry, archery, and sleight of hand.

Magic Tradition

Glamour  

Languages

Faerie hybrids learn the Faerie language in immersion situations with magical rapidity  

Membership

A known hybrid elf will always be an “other” to humans, and Faeries will treat the hybrid disdainfully, as less than an elf, a sort of sub-elf caste. Some hybrid elves have conquered this stigma and risen to positions of power among the Faerie. Hybrid elves raised in Faerie are effectively full elves.