The Fae

The Known World of Felominar is home to many creatures and a countless number of flora and fauna. It is also inhabited by many different species of sapient beings or “man-kin” as they are sometimes called. However, there are a number of things that defy all description and any attempt to properly categorize them. These beings are called “fae” and have time and time again been encountered, bargained with or fought by men since time immemorial.

Despite their similarities with people such as being able to communicate effectively and form very large societies, fae are clearly not of this world and some lack a physical form altogether. Occasionally, there are fae that prove benevolent or engage in benign acts such as curing sicknesses, healing injuries or bringing food in times of hardship. That said, fae are a fickle lot and are capable of anything so speaking, let alone dealing with them, is always ill-advised. While one cannot really call them “evil”, it is best not to get embroiled in their affairs which are difficult to understand and all too often lead to confusion, trouble or worse.

Fae are extremely powerful beings who can wield potent magic. It is said that fae are capable of anything from healing to causing dangerous diseases or fatal injuries, crafting magnificent artifacts to calling down calamities on people. Many in the modern age are skeptical of the existence of fae, there is plenty of evidence to support their activities in Felominar.

History

Many are skeptical and prefer not to believe in the tales of fae but they have, more than once, influenced the Known World on numerous occasions. Still, these events are often guarded secrets as they can lead to delicate and awkward situations. All in all, while contact with the fae have indeed yielded benefits, these often come at great cost either metaphorically or literally.

King Altair, the first king of Delmaron, was said to have wielded Exaldor, a mighty sword forged by dwarves. While it is often questioned whether or not it was actually dwarves that made the sword, there is no doubt to the sword’s quality and composition. It can very easily cut metal and stone with little effort but is no heavier than a short wooden stick. In all the centuries it has been kept in the Eastonian Museum in Delmaron, it has neither rusted nor shown any sign of corrosion.

Queen Cheng, one of the oldest rulers of Kithiya is said to have had an elf for a lover. Said lover was named Belfren and could take the form of a handsome fox. Sadly, nothing became of their relationship and Belfren fled back to his world when Cheng was crowned queen of Kithiya. Still, the queen remembered him fondly and had a statue built in his image which remains in the Basalt Square of Chong-ku.

It has been recorded in ancient texts that a great feud between two great bear clans Macintosh and Jobs was settled when Clan Jobs called upon the aid of a great orc army. While the defenses of Clan Macintosh were certainly strong, they were no match for the hordes of orcs that were sent against them. It was all too bad though that the orcs turned against those who called upon them as they had no one else left to fight. The fight was settled when both bear clans, or what was left of them by then, called for a truce with one another in order to join forces and send the rampaging orcs back to their dimension. Clans Macintosh and Job have been on friendly terms since and have even helped put together a guild that produces abacuses which they named Tiny Soft.

While no pig, toad or mouse will admit it, it is said that the first coins were actually made by goblins. It was said that during ancient times, when men struggled with coming up with a more efficient means of trading, Queen Innana of Tyrac sought help from beyond. Her pleas were answered when goblins came forth and taught men how to work the ingots of electrum into the first coins. While it did have the benefit of accelerating and expanding economics, it had the disadvantage of also accelerating and expanding avarice in the common man. Some of the said coins are currently kept in the Museum of the Ancients in Tyrac and, should one find even just a single piece just lying around somewhere, it is more than enough to buy oneself his or her own small fiefdom.   

Nature

Fae, as already mentioned, are extremely strange and fickle. Some are even ethereal, possessing no bodies of their own. It is very hard to relate to them although it is possible to communicate with them. However, one can liken speaking to them similar to ants asking a man at his doorstep for sugar.

Fae are not really evil in the same sense that demons and the most wicked of men are evil. Instead, they can best be described as indifferent to the plight of men which somewhat makes them worse. They may take amusement in the suffering of people, but they do not really understand the magnitude of their actions. Particularly mean-spirited fae can be likened to that of children tormenting insects out of malicious curiosity.

Fae can occasionally be traded or reasoned with but this is often a bad idea as fae do not think in the same sense as ordinary people. They might misunderstand the value of one thing or even one person and say wildly inaccurate things since, most of the time, they don’t fully grasp the weight of the terms they use. Fae can indeed be reasonable but one must be very precise with their wording and present a good description of what they want or what they want to happen rather than just giving abstract answers which fae can all but rarely comprehend.

However, there are those fae that do understand the culture and values of man-kin and exploit them for all their worth. These are the beings that are best avoided as they cause only misery in their wake. Unfortunately, these are often the fae that actively antagonize people such as stealing their children or slaughtering their livestock in the night.

Place of Origin

Fae are thought to come from the Fairlands, a world that is separate from Felominar. There is little information on what the Fairlands are like save for the fact that they are inhabited by fae and make little sense for any man-kin that manage to make it there. The few people who have returned from the Fairlands are usually too insane to give a proper description of what they witnessed.

Types of Fae

There are actually many types of fae but these are by far the most commonly encountered by people:

DWARVES

Habitat: caves and tunnels

Season: winter

Likes: mechanical devices like clocks or guns

Dislikes: forests and sunlight

Appearance: short and stocky heavily-armored men resembling pigs or wolverines with thick beards

ELVES

Habitat: forests and jungles

Season: spring

Likes: beautiful men and women

Dislikes: ugly people

Appearance: tall and slender beings that move like cats or foxes and have pointed ears

ORCS

Habitat: deserts and tundra

Season: summer

Likes: fighting and killing

Dislikes: peace and boredom

Appearance: powerful and large men that sort of resemble crocodiles with their scales but have the heads of gorillas and the tusks of pigs

GOBLINS

Habitat: cities and abandoned buildings

Season: autumn

Likes: money/coins

Dislikes: loud noises

Appearance: short and thin creatures that resemble rats and mice but are hairless and have skin similar to that of toads

PIXIES

Habitat: anywhere

Season: dry season

Likes: excitement

Dislikes: sleeping

Appearance: tiny glowing women that look like insects

MERFOLK

Habitat: oceans, rivers and lakes

Season: wet season

Likes: water

Dislikes: fire

Appearance: gigantic anglerfish the size of houses with lures that can change their shape into alluring forms to attract prey

Factions of Fae

There are two large factions of fae but not all of them belong to one or the other. There are also many neutral fae but even these lean either way. Again, considering these factions to be good or evil is a mistake as their agendas rarely account for man-kin. They might seem “good” at first glance but the effects of their actions may have “bad” consequences later on.

SEELIE COURT

Fae who believe they should communicate with man-kin. While generally benevolent, these fae have a poor grasp of man-kin culture. This results in a lot of awkward interactions that lead to a lot of trouble. That said, there are also members of the Seelie who just want to exploit people and care little for their welfare.

UNSEELIE COURT

These are the fae who believe that they should stay away from man-kin altogether. They are the most mysterious of fae and are all too willing to kill persistent people. That said, they can also be quite benign as they will warn or even protect people from fae who seek to take advantage of man-kin. Still, they can be quite frightening and rarely take into account people’s thoughts and opinions.

Weakness to Cold Iron

All fae naturally fear cold iron. It is the one thing their magic can’t affect and iron weapons will either kill them instantly or slowly poison them in an agonizing fashion. As a matter of fact, Duke Albrecht of Halreich once fought against an army of fae wearing iron armor and wielding an iron dagger and somehow won unaided.

Relationship with Religion

Fae are not naturally evil but they do fear the power of God. As such, particularly powerful fae can be challenged and defeated by potent clergymen. That said though, there are fae who openly recognize and respect matters of religion in ways only understood to them. These last are usually the fae most likely to understand man-kin and treat them fairly if not benevolently. 

Association with the Gods of Death

The Gods of Death of Pyril are sometimes associated with the fae but there is little actual evidence to support this. While they do indeed share some similarities, it should be pointed out that there are indeed fae who are purely benign and mean man-kin no harm while the Gods of Death bring only disaster and anguish in their wake. That said though, it is thought that there are fae that work with the Gods of Death or perhaps even the Nemesis.