When it comes to the interaction between Fae and technology, Fae have always been inventors and creators. While some fae may take a stance on overdoing progress and choose older ways of doing things, many fae enjoy delight in growth and progress. Fae have been around for far longer than humans, and were the original ones to develop many technologies. Over time some, like Prometheus, have shared some of their innovations or subtly tried to help humans along.
However, fae are beings of magic, and magic does not typically play well with human technology or materials. The more powerful the fae, in fact, the less they tend to get along with human tech. While anything humanity might have come up with may have originated among the fae the item should always use natural materials and environmental friendly options.
Human Tech
Human technology is defined as:
- Being powered by electricity
- Containing synthetic materials (Plastics for example) or mortal based metals
- Creating or containing pollutants
A non exhaustive list of Human tech that does not work with the fae might include:
- Tvs, dvd players, videogame consoles
- Cars, motorcycles etc
- Cell phones
Places Human technology does not work:
- Anywhere in the four fae realms
- In the hands of powerful fae
The Great Market is a slight exception to all of this. As neutral ground, some human tech may work, but a cell phone might have terrible reception, or spontaneously turn off. While human tech can work there, it is not reliable.
Fae Tech
Now, Fae technology is a different matter. Just because fae cannot interact with electricity or cold iron and metal, does not mean they do not have their own advanced means of travel or communication.
Fae technology does have some defining characteristics to enable it to function.
Fae tech is defined as:
- Being powered by magic, whether that is spells, crystals, or other magical means
- Containing natural materials (Wood, leather, fabric, plantlife)
- Should never be powered by trapped spirits or familiars (And if its ‘living’ please talk to us so we can help hash that out)
Popular fae tech you’ve already seen in game are, for example, the portals between realms and the magic mirrors for communication. The portals are maintained by mages who train in this field of magic, and sometimes crystals, for a concrete example of how this works.
Places Fae tech does not work:
- Places overpowered by mortal ‘energy’ such as dense urban spaces, or near metal structures (including places with recycled air and no plants, such as a bank vault or airplane)
- Places thoroughly polluted by damaging chemicals that are not naturally occurring
- Places laced with Void
Autumn in particular is a bastion of fae seeking to push the boundaries of what’s possible with fae technology, unafraid to try new things, though this is the reason the experimental laboratories given to this work tend to be remote and heavily warded.
Common Uses for Fae Tech
Fae will use keyed spells, wards, crystals and gems to power some things, though there is a certain artisan approach and appreciation for the skill of those who spend their lives refining abilities. There are ways to mechanize bridges, vehicles and more but in high faerie space it’s more common to see fae using air, earth or telekinetic powers to move heavy objects, work in concert with various creatures towards shared goals and other more natural approaches.
For example, Autumn is more likely to have a trolly system in a city running off crystal power, while Spring is more likely to have a transport system tied to traveling by flower circles.
There are many things that do not require constant tending though in faerie, like for example the undying embers sourced from the volcanos in the Summer Realm serve as the power source for most ovens and stoves in the faerie realms; while chill boxes are enchanted by artificers and water fae to hold cold for an extended period of time. If humans have it, it’s likely the fae have had it for longer, and with far less damage to their environment. There is general upkeep for these things, but it is typically a century between maintenance servicing if not longer.
