Fae

There are a hundred different names for faeries in general and specific versions. Different names, different meanings, different impact, different tales. A thousand superstitions and a million mistakes we do not know we can make. But there are some things we do seem to know of them. First, cold iron does work against them. Second, their stories mean everything to them. And third, words and names carry power within them. Those of the fair folk know this very well, which is why so many of them wield their words with trickery. Not just as a weapon, meant to manipulate their victims, but also as a shield to keep themselves safe.   Let us address the stories of these creatures. There are so many possible origins, so many different kinds, but in the end they all carry power with them. A hag and a will-o'-the-wisp are both the embodiment of stories that carry belief with them. It is this belief that makes the wielders of these stories stronger. For these things of fate, their reputation, their name, their legacy, is what gives them strength. So walks and grows the Baba Yaga, the Yeti, the Vampire, the Werewolf, but also the Noir Detective, the Ditzy Influencer, the Actor, the Star. Some change their stories to the times, others stick to the classics. Some succeed, others fail. Some grow beyond our control, others fall short. Thus it is for the Fae.   We name these creatures, not because we think it lets us know and understand them, but so we can restrict their stories. So too do they restrict their own. Both do it for control, but we do it out of fear of what a rogue Fae may become, while they do it to grow stronger still. After all, to them, their story is everything. And a story that meanders everywhere, will oft be a weak one. That is what we both fear, them because it means they lose their strength, we because we fear how they might lash out in desperation. So the words that confine them, are in both our best interests. Thus we name them Fae.

— The Guide To All Things Fae