Fey

Fey are a mysterious and powerful sort of being. Not quite on the level of power of a spirit, they nevertheless have the ability to greatly shape and influence the world around them, even going so far as to bend space and time as they wish. They are not omnipotent, however. For one, they cannot lie. They can certainly twist words and they can leave out information, but a Fey is physically incapable of speaking a falsehood.
There are three things the Fey avoid:

• Salt, because of its purity
• Cold Iron, because it will burn the flesh of any fair folk
• Solasigh, because of the treaty made with Sola Nightingale

It is nigh impossible to outsmart a Fey and anyone who thinks they can is considered dangerously foolish. While Luminese Fey are particularly nasty in temperament, all Fey are known for being mischievous at best and downright malicious at worst. Individuals thought to be particularly susceptible to Fey tricks are colloquially known as "Fey bait". Such people may include small children or people who are easily distracted or bad at reading social cues.
There are no defined "races" of Fey, rather they all seem to exist unique to each other save for the occasional similarity between varieties. There are three main categories of Fey:

1. Beast Fey: these Fey appear more like animals than humans. Sometimes they will attempt to replicate a specific animal, though always wrong in some way that might only be noticeable from a certain angle or in hindsight. Some will adopt human attributes alongside the more animalistic ones.
2. Human-Adjacent Fey: they will more closely resemble humans, or other human-folk. They may adopt some animal attributes, but are mostly humanoid as a whole. The most human-looking among these tend to possess some ethereal level of beauty that the Luminese have learned to mistrust. It is not uncommon for these glamours to slip during emotional spikes, however, as mimicking humanity is rather difficult.
3. Eldritch Fey: those in this category throw away all pretense of being something familiar and instead take on forms that most mortals cannot quite comprehend. Fey nobility and royalty tend to fall under this category, though they are not the only Fey to do so.

Basic Information

Ecology and Habitats

Fey tend to favour forests, in some mountainous areas. They like places with plenty of hiding spots where it's easy for a person to get turned around and not realize they've stepped out of the physical world as they are familiar with it.

Dietary Needs and Habits

There’s not a whole lot known for sure about the Fey’s eating habits, though humans who have existed alongside the Fey for generations have noticed that they have a certain fondness for honey, milk/cream, and undercooked meat.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Some believe that Fey blood is a potent magical ingredient. Pieces and blood of most mythfolk prove to be inherently magical, however Fey are another sort of creature altogether, so the belief is little more than theory. Whether or not it is true, however, remains a mystery to this day. Many a band of adventurers has been called together in the effort to gather some Fey blood, and all have either gone missing or perished in the effort.

Facial characteristics

A Fey that chooses to have a human face will always have something that's just a bit off about it. They'll seem to have too many teeth when they smile, or their eyes will be oddly bright, or their hair flows unnaturally. Vanity is a trait shared amongst all Fey, so one will never find a Fey with visible scars. In a way, it is their perfection that most often makes folks suspicious of them.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Fey are almost completely unique to northern Othanan, the highest concentrations being found in Lumin, though a fair number also populate certain areas of Yvesland. Rarely, Fey can be found near the mountains of Finnaden, probably brought over my immigrants from the northern continent. They will almost never be found near the ocean, due to the salt water that is picked up on the wind. As such, they are rarely seen on smaller islands. They also avoid areas with large amounts of exposed iron deposits.
The Fey that live in Lumin are said to be unable to leave the country. This is likely due to the rich deposits of cold iron beneath the ground that surround the territory.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Fey as a rule have exceptional hearing and an uncanny ability to suss out the changes and sources of various magics. In fact, all their senses seem to be heightened well beyond mortal levels. This can vary still between individuals; one may be functionally blind but still have a very sharp nose.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Prior to human colonization, the Luminese Territory was inhabited solely by the Fey Courts. These courts seem to run in a manner similar to human kingdoms, though the machinations of the courts are complete mystery.
There are four Fey Courts, one for each season. Functionally, the four courts are the same, however there are differences. These courts are mostly peaceful towards each other, though bloody skirmishes between them are not unheard of.
Subjects of the Spring Court seem to favour bright, almost gaudy colours and tend to smell overwhelmingly floral.
The air surrounding subjects of the Summer Court tends to feel very warm and oppressive, like a sticky summer day. It's not uncommon for them to be heralded by the sounds of cicadas or too bright flashes of light from fireflies.
Those in the Autumn Court are most commonly seen clothed in warm, cozy shades of red yellow, and orange. They also tend to leave behind the scent of petrichor.
Winter Court Fey tend to be the most visible of the fey, simply due to the fact that they are the most likely to be draped in gold and silver and little if any foliage adequately camouflages such things. Unlike most fey, which are fairly quiet when moving, Winter Court Fey are completely silent.
There are also Fey unaligned to any particular court. These are known as Wild Fey. Bound to no one, Wild Fey are fiercely protective of one another. They also have a tendency to move around a lot, unlike the Fey aligned to a court.

Beauty Ideals

The Fey are notoriously vain. They notably have no physical flaws, at least none that can be seen by normal folk. If one were to, for example, have a scar across their face, it would be covered up by a glamour.

Genetic Descendants

• Polsok Feya

Lifespan

Unknown