Fae Lost

Foods grown in the Fae Wildlands naturally become imbued with the magic of the fae. Any of these foods ingested by humans magically locks them to the Fae Wildlands.

Most foods that have been hybridized through the fertilization of Sprites and grow in the Fae Wildlands have been infused with Fae Magic, therefore they are the most likely to be the transmission vectors.

Food and beverages made with these hybridized foods grown within the Fae Wildlands are the cause of the condition Fae Lost. The same hybridized foods grown outside the Wildlands do not have this effect as they are not grown with the ever present fae magic. Unhybridized foods grown in the Fae Wildlands also do not cause this condition. Cooking does not affect the magic infused in these items either.

Those affected by this condition neither realise it has happened, nor do they wish for the effects to end. They become enamoured with the Fae Wildlands and do not wish to leave. Most choose to "settle down" and become farmers. They will choose a fae spouse and live out the rest of their lives in the Fae Wildlands.

There is no known cure for being Fae Lost. This has not prevented Fae physicians from attempting to find one.

The best way to prevent this condition is to avoid the Fae Wildlands. If avoidance in not possible, then avoid eating any food grown in the Fae Wildlands.

The condition of being Fae Lost was discovered the first time a human entered the Fae Wildlands. She entered without enough supplies to make it through to her exit. When she had been out of food for a week, she panicked and began looking for something, anything to eat. On the edge of the pathway she noticed odd fruit growing, in her hungered state she stuffed her face with the fruit. After eating her fill, she went on her way. By the end of the week she no longer cared if she returned to her own realm. She settled in the next town and began farming the odd fruit.

The Fae, once they realized what had happened, began warning visitors not to eat anything grown in the Wildlands. This went hand in hand with the warning to never leave the path. The Fae wished to know where travelers were at all times since the paths have a habit of shifting from where they were. Those who travel through the Fae realm do not have the knowledge to leave the path and return to the same path, even if they returned to the exact location they left the path.