Fae Curses

You'll be whatever I want you to be

  The Fae were a deeply magical people, even the most common peasant among their kind was capable of simple tricks they called Glamours. These could take the form of little prestidigitation, lights, gusts of wind, Fairie dust, and flickers of flame. Others who were suffused with even more magic were said to be able to turn invisible, cause plants to grow, and turn aside the spells of non-fae with ease. These are but a few of the Glamours that the many Primary Fae Races could muster. Yet, it doesn't come close to capturing the feats capable of their great members - the archfae nobility.   Such power was often found only in the hands of true Arcadians, one of the many primary face races and the ones who occupied the noble houses of their homeworld before its destruction. Their ancient bloodlines were imbued with power to change reality, bending it to their whimsical or wicked desire. The fae people believe so profoundly in these ancestral peerages that it grants power similar to how the faithful grant power to gods. The dreams, emotions, and chaotic energies within the fae soul help to rewrite the world around them and if that power of belief is funneled into an archfae than they can rise to the levels of granduer equivalent to members of the Shadow Court or the The Autumn Queen.   While certainly the equal of any mortal wizard when it comes to spellcasting, the most infamous of abilities possessed by these elite creatures was their curses. Through ritual, blood, or sacrifice, they were able to harness reality-altering effects that could leave a lasting impact on all whom they targeted. Often, these curses would be levied as punishment upon followers or dissenters, using the victim as an opportunity to demonstrate their imperious authority. Death is a rather banal and uninteresting punishment, but a poetic agony is an art unto itself and so much more enjoyable to carry out. The nature of these curses always included artistic flair as well, which includes some means of breaking the curse through a fulfillment of duty or an impossible course of action. Hopelessness makes for a drab punishment; a means of breaking or fulfilling a curse makes the victim predictable and, in some cases, loyal.   Some curses are so commonly used that they've become part of Arcadian culture and have been frequently deployed across the ages. Some of the most notable include:   Curse of Wasting - Victims of this hideous ritual will wither slowly before their own eyes. It can take the form of accelerated aging, weight loss to the point of starvation, the inability to sleep, or the manifestation of painful lesions or tumors. Whatever form it takes, it will be slow acting, incurable, excruciating, and ultimately fatal. A variant of this curse is the Sleeping version, where the victim is trapped in eternal slumber.   Curse of the Woodlands - Often considered the least terrible of such common curses, this ritual will cause the victim to painfully contort and reshape itself as it slowly transforms into a woodland creature of some kind. Some particularly powerful archfae can choose the shape their victims take on - wild pigs, deer, and vermin are humiliating and frequent choices. More often than not, the ritual itself will transform the victim into a form that mirrors some aspect of their true self. An armored knight might become a thick-shelled turtle, a bard may become a songbird, a raging barbarian might transform into something irritable and territorial like a skunk or possum.   Curse of the Mirror Realm- Many strange dimensions are known to the fae, and their high lords are often able to access them. One such place is what they call the Mirror Realm. They can force a victim into a mirror, and within that mirror is an unsettling duplicate of our reality, a pocket prison made to torment the victim. And, this victim's only means of return or interacting with their home reality is via the mirror they've been forced into. In this place, time doesn't pass, but fear, misery, and madness are ever-present. Fae lords are happy enough to trap victims within this place, but they are loath to interact with it. Mirror Space is believed to be part of The Black Road and somewhere the old gods dwell.   Curse of the Swan Maiden - Fae are creatures who are obsessed with beauty in all forms, and the archfae often take this egomaniacal heights. This curse is used to transform objects of obsession into a beautiful and harmless form - that of a swan. They are bound to an object or place, often a lake or pool of some kind, and when near this object, the victim of the curse retains their original form. However, should they stray too far, they will shift into a swan and lose all access to any skills or powers they may have possessed. These victims are immune to aging, but this is a gift of little value to the victims. Ponds and pools belonging to these archfae often become gorgeous prisons filled with an undying collection of beautiful slaves.   Curse of the Minotaur - One of the most gruesome curses an archfae can burden a victim with is the curse of the minotaur. This ritual inflicts a torturous transformation upon the target, causing their body to grow, twist, and deform into that of a horned beast known as a minotaur. This powerful, bipedal, bull-like creature possesses immense strength and destructive power, often becoming a valued weapon in the archfae's arsenal. What makes this so wretched a curse is that the only thing that can slow the mind-searing pain and agonizing transformation is flesh, specifically, the flesh of loved ones. The minotaur is very literally built upon the old life of the victim as they hunt down and consume those they cared about most. Once the last of the victim's loved ones are eaten, the transformation is complete and the mind of the accursed is forever lost, recoiling from the horror its hunger committed.