Fae
The Fae are spirits of nature and exist in many forms. They live under the rule of Entra, the Goddess of Life, and their own councils of each race. The home of most fae is the Maze of Dreams, but many make homes in the planes adjacent to the Material Plane and can both manifest and influence the material plane. Some types of fae congregate in specific regions and are only known there, but they may also follow people of a familiar ethnic group to new places as they migrate.
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Influence on the Material World
Most fae have a vested interest in maintaining natural areas and can be defensive of destructive incursion. Humans have long seen fae manifesting in their world as they tend to the natural world, and the relationship between humans and fae is complicated. On the one hand, many fae are outright disdainful of humans for their destructive tendencies, but on the other hand, fae also act as a conduit between humans and their environment.
The elemental races are often better regarded by the fae, even those that actively dislike humans. Most of the elemental races tend to live harmoniously in their environments, which pleases the fae. Nafod races and Fayl'Idayn are considered kin to the fae.
No fae can tolerate the touch of pure iron, as it causes excruciating pain and can be used to kill them. This is the reason why faeries steal human children and replace them with changelings, to study the effects of iron in the blood of humans. As iron is an inhibitor of magical energies, they hope to overcome this weakness with knowing how the human baby can live with iron in the blood and still control the fairy magics taught to it as it grows.
Among the races of fae, some are of a single gender. While most fae are functionally immortal, they still reproduce. Female-only fae races, such as faeries and nymphs, can bear children sired by mortals or other fae. Fairies in particular are guilty of this, and they are known to switch their shape-shifting babies (Changelings) with human babies.
Magic
The fae possess a unique form of magic that draws from their own spiritual power. Fae Magic can be learned by humans and other mortals who have built a relationship of trust with the local fae. Certain spells in witchcraft borrow from fae magic. Fayl'Idayn are naturally inclined to fae magic.
Fae magic is mostly illusion, employing lures, glamers, and shape-shifting. Not all fae use all techniques and there is no concrete school that unites all fae magic. For example, faeries rely primarily on glamers while nymphs are superior shape-shifters. Their magic can be used to ensnare, entertain, or escape--it depends on the need and the fae.
Elf
Elves are a higher form of Fae, nearing angels and demons in power. They have a small population and tend to have little dealings with humans in the modern age, but they have long been in the employ of the gods. Elves often move between the Maze of Dreams and Zephaer, and during earlier ages, sometimes appeared on the Material Plane acting as messengers of the gods alongside angels. They were known well enough by early humans that when they came to know the Idayn, they confused them with the elves that had served the gods. To this day, “elf” is common in the modern vernacular and used to identify any individual with tapered ears and an otherwise human body. “Half-elf” has become the accepted term to call many individuals of mixed blood between humans and the elemental races.
True elves look very much like the Idayn, aside from their ears. True elves have only pointed ears, while Idayn have long and tapered ears that stick out from the sides of their head. Otherwise, they do look alike, both being fair of skin, hair, and eyes. Unlike some other fae races, there are both male and female elves.
Faerie
Faeries are one of the most common fae and appear as small green females. Though they are wingless, they can fly. Like most fae, faeries are shape-shifters, though they rarely use it, instead relying on glamers to trick people, then disappearing as quickly as possible. They are known as mischievous tricksters, and are even malicious in their tricks. When interacting with humans, faeries are not to be trusted though they will not lie outright. Instead, they carefully word their statements to entrap humans.
They are usually not fond of humans due to their destructive tendencies, but some humans and other races have gained the trust of local faeries through mutual respect, offerings of gifts, and open channels of communication. Faeries enjoy singing and dancing, and if they are taught something new the teacher may be given a reward.
Faeries are known to lure victims (especially men, as they have no male members of their race) to a raucous party full of dancing, wine, and beautiful women, and when the dance is over, the man will emerge to find that days, months, or even years have passed. Men taken in by faeries often become unwitting fathers of their young, who may be switched with human babies and are known as changelings. Faeries often construct rings of mushrooms, flowers, and other plants in which they dance, and many humans are superstitious of these rings for good reason; stepping into or disturbing faerie rings risk incurring the wrath of vindictive faeries. They also travel along well-worn paths that, while are safe to cross, are unwise to build upon.
When Entra accepted the Fayl’Idayn as one of her peoples, she chose to incarnate them with the souls of faeries.
Nymph
Nymphs appear as incredibly beautiful women--and only women. A nymph’s glamers are less effective than other fae, but due to their alarming beauty and human stature, they don’t need as much glamer as other fae to maintain an air of normalcy. Their eyes, bewitching and wild, are their greatest lure, summoning young men (and sometimes women) to them. Despite their smoldering sexual good looks, Nymphs seek others they find attractive not for sex, but merely for love and companionship, even if only fleeting. They have been known to shape-shift into trees, shrubbery, and even animals to escape those they find repulsive.
Nymphs utilize some small glamers, such as misdirection, to ward off people from finding their homes. Some, although very few, have gained unimaginable insight into mortal affairs that they become akin to sages wandering the wilds, learning what they will. Their lure spell, regardless of their bewitching beauty and eyes, is the production of pheromones, targeting specifically people they would find intriguing or attractive. A Nymph can recall these pheromones at a moment’s notice to avoid letting someone ever see them again, once they have let them see them once.
There are a few different sub-races of Nymph as well. The main Nymph race can be reincarnated into the mortal Ochae’nafod. Unlike the elemental spirits, Nymphs are fully reincarnated as Ochae’nafod, either after accidental deaths, or by willingly abandoning their bodies to experience a new life. Many of the Nymphs who chose to abandon their true bodies are consistently reincarnated in Ochae’nafod life after life.
Dryad
Dryads are tree nymphs. They are tied to deciduous trees in the material plane, they exist slipping between the Material Plane and Maze of Dreams. Their abilities are akin to their Nymph cousins, but their focus on shape-shifting is merging with their bound tree to hide. In the same manner as Nymphs, Dryads reincarnate into Dra’nafod, which are practically a mortal version of their race.
Naiad
Naiad are water Nymphs that inhabit bodies of fresh water in Aserra. They share allegiance with Maris and Entra, moving between the Deep Ocean of Welis, Maze of Dreams, and Material Plane where they are bound to specific bodies of water. They are encountered near streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. They do not incarnate into any Nafod races.
Nereid
Nereid are water Nymphs that inhabit oceans and seas of Aserra. They share an allegiance with Maris and Entra, moving between the Deep Ocean of Welis, Maze of Dreams, and Material Plane where they are bound to certain regions of the ocean, appearing on shores and islands to lure potential companions. Nereid provide the souls of Marfod in the same manner as Nymphs and Dryads.
Pixie
Pixies are spirits of nature that are much kinder than faeries. Pixies appear slightly larger than faeries, feminine in form, and winged with insect wings. They can be mischievous, but are playful rather than malicious. They enjoy dancing and playing with children, and sometimes even help people. Pixies and faeries often butt heads over their involvement with humans, leading to conflicts in some regions. In the aftermath of these conflicts, some regions are dominated by pixies and others by faeries.
Pixies have the same abilities as their smaller and more agile cousins, the faeries. They are notorious tricksters and even more notorious for leading people astray. Unlike other fae, however, they are relatively harmless. The jokes they play are for their own amusement and they hardly ever hurt anyone in their games.
Their glamers are stronger than the faeries’, though their ability to shape-shift is limited only to insects, their close friends. The do not have a lure for people; their natural curiosity usually lands them near people, rather than the other way around.
Assorted Other Fae
There are many, many kinds of fae, some of which we haven’t included. A sampling of fae is included below;
- Boggart – (aka Bogart, Boggle, Bogle, etc.) Boggarts are household fae that pester humans from time to time. They cause things to disappear, milk to sour, and disturb sleep. They may follow families even if they move to a new home. An exorcism and warding will remove a boggart from a home.
- Brownie – Brownies are household fae that are rather the opposite of Boggarts. Instead of troubling the families whose homes they reside in, they assist in household tasks, sometimes taking to cleaning and tidying up the home, but only at night, when they can’t be seen. If a family believes they have a brownie, they often leave it gifts of food (preferably porridge and honey) out to reward it.
- Dwarf – A race of fae closely related to elves, dwarves are a short race standing around three to four feet tall with big heads and beards, sometimes noted to be deformed. They are known as master craftsmen and are aligned with the earth element, sharing residence between the Maze of Dreams and Rock Kingdom of Enos. They have little interactions with humans, but bear a close resemblance to the Brech’mar though the Brech’mar take the souls of gnomes.
- Faun – Fauns are a pleasant nature spirit. They are of child height, standing on the haunches of a goat, with the features of an adult man and a pair of small horns on their brows. They enjoy parties and are known for playing the pipes.
- Goblin – Goblins are mischievous, even malicious fae that pester humans from time to time. They are known to be small and ugly. They lurk around the Maze of Dreams and Rock Kingdom of Enos, but sometimes drift into Malbolge when they are of a darker character than their peers.
- Leprechaun – A fae which takes the form of an old bearded man, often wearing a red or green coat. They are known to spend much of their time making shoes and horde away gold. If ever caught by a human, a leprechaun has the power to grant three wishes in exchange for their release.
- Satyr – A nature spirit. They appear as middle-aged men with dark hair and receding hairlines, long beards, large pointed and almost horse-like ears, and horse tails. They are known for high libidos and lust for Nymphs, which they obsess over by can never obtain.
