Fairies

General notes:

Fairies are born from shards of crystals that have too little magic to be used by other races. Since they are so small, they take a much smaller amount of magic to maintain their life than other creatures would.

Their magic involves the use of "fairy dust", which is effectively dust created as the crystal that powers them crumbles over time. When a fairy dies, their crystal has crumbled to nothing and it returns to the earth. The only known way to extend a fairy's life is to use pure magic, which is only found in a handful of places in Casimira, including the Dagdan forest.

A fairy's personality is often affected by both where their crystal came from and where they make their home. There are no good or evil fairies, only a spectrum of how much they like to trick others versus prank them and how trusting they are of other races. As an example, a shard from a crystal used by an "evil" mage might create a fairy that doesn't trust humans and prefers to play real pranks on them. But if they were born in the Dagdan forest and surrounded by loving, nurturing magic, they might instead prefer to be around humans and help them by doing the things they ask for, not what they actually want.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Fairies are among the smallest creatures in Casimira, averaging around 2-3 inches in height and a wingspan of 3 inches. They are humanoid in shape with two pairs of wings that are translucent and brittle like an insect's wings. They can be tucked behind the back safely when on the ground, but fairies are rarely seen anywhere but in the sky.

Around the center of a fairy's chest is the crystal that maintains their life and it glows brighter the more power it has left.

Genetics and Reproduction

Fairies reproduce by taking a portion of their own lives to spark life into another crystal shard. Traditionally, they use their last spark to fuel another, so a fairy is often born just as another dies. However, they can create this spark at any time and some fairies feel it is their life's work to bring more fairies into the world.

Growth Rate & Stages

Fairies are born with a crystal embedded in their chest and it glows brightly when they are very young, as there is a great deal of magical power still contained in the crystal. Over time, this glow will dim as a fairy uses their magic, so it is possible to tell their age by how much they glow. Otherwise, they do not appear to age at all from the moment they are born.

Ecology and Habitats

Fairies inhabit all areas of Casimira, although they are notably difficult to find in the north. They prefer to make their home in areas where magic abounds and is celebrated, so the forests of Ismena and the caves and forests belonging to the dragon clans are the most common areas to actually see a fairy. They particularly enjoy spending time with the Dagdan trees and one might say that the Blossom Festival is their favorite time of year for interacting with the other races.

Biological Cycle

To humans, it may appear that fairies change color with the seasons and never disappear, but any mage that has studied them for long discovers quite quickly that there are four separate species of fairy, one for each season of the year.

During their season, fairies are out and about, going wherever they please. Outside of that, they go into hibernation to conserve their energy and magic. The only exception to this is within the forests of Ismena, where fairies of all kinds come together for the Blossom Festival every year and those that live in the forest don't appear to hibernate except on the solstices.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They have the ability to perform small magicks, often to hide themselves or play tricks on others.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

It is not currently known if fairies have their own language, they naturally speak the same language as the species they are talking to. It is believed that this is a function of their magic, similar to how Fauna dragons are able to speak any language once they hear a few words.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Fairies generally treat other species with more respect based on how smart they percieve them to be. Most fairies believe they can easily trick humans, who don't have the superior senses needed to see through the illusions.

Lifespan

A few months to 20 years, dependent on the use of their magic

Average Height

2-3 inches