Sidhe

More than any other so-called 'mythical' creature, there is a wealth of lore regarding the Faerie. Stories, parameters, countermeasures, and warnings. Never enter a faerie ring. Only call them the 'Fair Folk' or the like. They can never lie. Iron repels them.
Like most such lore, it's all nonsense - but usually, it all comes down to hatred, or misunderstanding, or something as prosaic as the stains of time. For the Sidhe, however? These are nothing more than comforting lies. They don't care what we call them. They don't care how many rules we follow. To them, our existence is but a passing fad, the 'rules' a game they play for their own amusement. The truth of the matter is simple - they are no more bound by these laws than any other human invention. Except for one.

Squad Commander Ethan Hunter, USPEOIU-AEAC 'Winterguard'.

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The Sidhe, also known as Faerie, Dai-Yokai, Fair Folk, or Unchained Ones are strange, Aetheric beings hailing from deep within that space-between-spaces, and with no apparent relationship to conventional biocosmology. Though they can appear relatively ordinary physically, they are utterly alien, unpredictable, and extremely dangerous. Though soulless, they are peculiarly immortal, moving through 'courts' in a periodic cycle.

Basic Information

Anatomy and Morphology

Sidhe are not bound by conventional morphology, and can change their form quite fluidly and broadly. They can take the form of not only Cytan races and animals, but also objects and even distortions in space. Often these forms have an peculiar or uncanny quality, as though there were some fundamental omission in their creation. Individuals seem to prefer particular forms, as well as possessing particular 'flaws', though this may change with Court. Anatomically, they are most similar to Minor Transcendent or perhaps Elementals, as they seemingly consist of a thought-form manipulating space itself, a vast alien pattern folded onto itself within the aether. That said, their projected anatomy seems more complete or 'realistic' than typical transcendent, having distinct organs and a kind of metabolism - though like their morphology this is generally flawed, with a physiology distinct from whatever they are imitating, and in some cases which should not function at all.
Though described as 'shapeshifters', when shifting from one form to another, the transition is remarkably sudden, and is believed to consist of the Sidhe rapidly demanifesting and manifesting again, their physical body being essentially an extension of their Aetheric form. Despite this ability, sufficient injury to the body cause a lasting disruption, not only preventing remanifestation but also damaging the Aetheric form such that it is forced to regenerate - though it should be noted mundane threats will struggle to do sufficient damage rapidly enough to trigger this effect.
Whatever damage they may suffer, Sidhe cannot be permanently destroyed, and, interestingly, lack a soul - a distinctive 'self' separate from the spiritual body. This is true of Minor Transcendent as well, which exist solely as a spirit-form, but Sidhe exhibit a greater intelligence than such entities. While it is sometimes theorized that they are essentially a soul writ large, they do not interact with magic as a soul - or a mind, for that matter, would be expected to. They also exhibit - though they can learn and recall facts - a lack of ability to change or introspect, which leads to the generally accepted view that their soulless nature makes them essentially 'Philosophical Zombies', extremely complex imitators of sapience lacking any actual self awareness, a trait shared by certain other similarly 'intelligent' creatures without souls, or indeed expert programs.

Abilities

The abilities exhibited by Sidhe are many and varied. The aforementioned 'shapeshifting' is the first of these capabilities, with the ability to take a wide variety of forms, exhibiting all the characteristics of those forms. Their shifting is not truly unlimited, as they generally - but not always - lack the ability to emulate specific individuals and seem to have a limited selection of forms, though these need not have anything to do with each other. In certain cases, this shapeshifting extends to the abstract, with the Sidhe being able to take the form of a place, or in certain reports, an idea. In many cases shapeshifting is used to emulate the beings the Sidhe is interacting with, or to manifest a specific 'role'. A Sidhe's shapeshifting may or may not be bounded by certain extrinsic principles, such that it can be influenced by others (e.g., only taking a certain form at night). Whether this is inherent or deliberate, and if there is a meaningful difference, is unclear.
Almost all Sidhe also possess terrifying innate magical abilities, using their aetheric pattern as a kind of casting channel. Exactly what abilities an individual Sidhe possesses, and when they can use them, is highly variable. Common abilities include mental manipulation including disorientation, lethargy, and compulsion, more holographic illusions including invisibility and making one thing seem to be another, and basic elemental manipulation with a strange overlap with weather manipulation, though a given Sidhe may have greatly diverse powers, and may have particular conditions or capabilities to using any of them.
Whether it is a magical power or something else - including a possible means of reproduction - is not entirely clear, but another notable ability Sidhe possess is in the transformation of mortal beings into Changelings. This is not typically used offensively and seemingly requires the subject to have fulfilled conditions or a pact, and is generally expressed as being a gift or a punishment. There are numerous open questions, including whether this can be done freely, and whether it can be done by all Sidhe or only a subset.
Finally, the Sidhe believe themselves the greatest of all beings - wiser, faster, and stronger than any other. This is not really true, but their raw capabilities should not be underestimated, frequently possessing high intelligence, supernatural physical ability (even beyond their shapeshifting) and exceptionally high skill in a variety of fields.

Cyclic Phases and Development

The Sidhe are immortal and do not seem to reproduce, at least not regularly. They cannot be killed and their lack of anything discernable as a soul is little hindrance. Despite this, they have a life-cycle, of sorts. Every 100 years, or whenever their physical body is 'destroyed' by outside forces, their aetheric pattern undergoes an abrupt metamorphosis. This metamorphosis lasts for up to several months of inactivity, after which they lose the majority of their memories and reform as the next Phase, or season, drastically transforming their behavior. Whether this equates to a true capability for change over time is dubious.
In event, each phase is represented by a season, sometimes known as a 'Court'. Why the Sidhe use this terminology, and whether it was their invention, is not entirely clear. Different phases have a distinct difference in appearance and attitude.
Spring Court - As the aspect of possibility, the Spring Court are champions of all that is yet to be, and are perhaps - after Winter - most likely to seek out humans, as the unchanging Sidhe courts leave them little of interest. They are advocates of dynamism, and happily endorse any improvement or adventure. They particularly favor youth, granting them the boons they need to follow their dreams and more, whatever that may be. However, this support is often transactional and usually comes with a catch or two - or at least, doesn't have your best interests at heart - and they have absolutely no concern or seemingly concept of things like 'changing your mind later'. As a result of this, the Spring Court creates more changelings than even Autumn, and claim it as their particular gift.
Summer Court - The Summer Court are - to hear them tell it - the pinnacle of creation, the perfect eternal beings, celebrating their own greatness evermore. They largely keep to themselves and the Aether, but occasionally they will visit the material world to grace the dregs of humanity with their revels. These intrusions may or may not be dangerous, occasionally being merely strange, beautiful, and brief. At other times (it is difficult to know ahead of time), they are much more dangerous, being mesmerizing, arduous, and lethal. The Sidhe seem to make a point of demonstrating their superior capacity by surpassing human limits, and compelling passerby to futilely attempt to follow, often to their injury, death, or cursement. Supernatural limits seem to both annoy and entrance them and provoke a stronger response, negative or positive. Conversely, the Summer Court has been known to give great rewards (with relatively few strings attached) to those who manage to impress them, though what the criteria are is, of course, unknown.
Autumn Court - The Autumn Court represent the declining transition between Fortune and Misfortune, according to the Sidhe. They are fond of tricks, traps, and schemes, which they enact with little regard for those caught in them. They often travel the world, passing judgment in various forms, as well as setting 'tests' for those they deem worthy, or interesting, or wicked. They are particularly fond of employing their abilities to arrange 'ironic punishments' for those who offend them (it is very difficult to guess what might offend a Sidhe). They seem to enjoy turning people against each other and challenging them to their limit, as well as bringing down social arrangments of all sizes, at times apparently trying to topple governments for the sheer fun of it. They seem to enjoy creating changelings more than normal.
Winter Court - The most aggressive of the Courts, and therefore the most likely to encounter humans, which usually goes poorly for the humans. The Winter Court Sidhe's favorite pastime is killing, though they are fortunately limited in their ability to manifest, and they prefer 'fair' fights - in as much as warning makes a battle between a human and a magical immortal 'fair'. They are generally unpredictable, at times going on a brief killing spree before disappearing, sometimes stalking a single individual for months or years. Once per year, near Halloween (whether the holiday reflects this or vice versa is unknown), a large number of Winter Court Sidhe will appear in a certain area and raid nearby settlements, killing anyone they find - sometimes only those in the open, sometimes destroying entire cities without a trace. It was one of these 'Wild Hunts' that accidentally encountered Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment and revealed the resurgent age of magic.

Society & History

Sidhe do not possess a true society, as their peculiar nature makes them peculiarly unchanging and uninfluenced - each Sidhe is an island, incapable of adaptation to the actions of others, even other Sidhe. For that matter, they generally have a relatively small interest in each other - though some are tightly bound in small social arrangements, usually of three, they rarely extend beyond this.
Likewise, Sidhe have no history - they learn on only the most elementary of levels and do not change. There is little evidence of Sidhe ever being different in the distant past, though at a certain point reports become unclear. They are eternally static, and their cyclical nature does nothing to change that.
Instead, it is more apt to speak of patterns of behavior, of typical actions and attitudes expressed by individuals. While the best way to learn about most sapient races is to talk to them, in the case of the Sidhe this is a near-futile effort. They closely guard their own secrets and rarely speak of others, and refuse to give clear answers - or answers at all - on most subjects regarding themselves. Attempting to extract such information via magical force is equally futile and also extremely dangerous.

Attitude to Others

The first distinguishing characteristic of the Sidhe is arrogance. This may be extremely blatant or subtle, but every Sidhe treats everything else with a characteristic casual contempt. Others exist to be taught their place, and refusing to back down when challenged is a reliable way to provoke them - though it should be noted backing down when challenged is not a reliable way to placate them. Sidhe do not interact with other races for any reason other than to prove their superiority. They do not trade, they do not mingle, they do not war. Each of the courts has a different means of proving their superiority, from offering gifts to cold-blooded murder, but the fundamental motivation is the same.
Sidhe do not care for the efforts of lesser beings and barely notice them, though they seem to have a model of how mortal society works - or should work - that may or may not have anything to do with reality. They also have a similarly peculiar sense of morality, with their own interpretations of how mortals should act that may or may not have much to do with actual ethics, and is generally enforced severely - though note, they will rarely even pretend to follow these morals themselves. Attempting to persuade a Sidhe of almost anything is all but impossible, though bargaining is feasible, provided one does so on their own terms. Even then, Sidhe are perhaps the worst race to make a bargain with.
Seemingly regardless of Phase, Sidhe take particular enjoyment in putting on a mysterious air, of acting in ways that are unclear to mortals but, they claim, extremely obvious to superior beings. They will often give unclear or contradictory answers to questions, when they bother answering at all. They frequently claim to know all things, and are not pleased to be proven wrong. This professed omniscience masks - or at least coexists with - a profound incuriosity. They do not care to learn things, and respond to questions of hypocrisy or inconsistency - or indeed any reference to past or future events - with blithe dismissal or anger.
There is no such a thing as a non-Sidhe being that a Sidhe respects, and they consider kings and peasants equally worthless, dragons and ants simple beasts alike. This applies regardless of situation or the fact that said being is actually quite capable of harming them. They will make the same accusations of inferiority to an Archmagister, or a supremacy demon, or a god, and are of course incapable of learning anything from the results. This easy attitude extends to a refusal to make any sort of tactical consideration, and more modest individuals who actually are at a significant disadvantage can potentially exploit this.

Attitude to Each Other

Sidhe do not typically interact with each other, at least not where any mortals can see it, and certainly make little reference to their own interactions. It is generally believed that Sidhe do not commonly interact with each other, and seem to be uninterested in doing so. They make little comment on other's actions, and rarely have allies or enemies.
There are exceptions of a group of individuals who are tightly - perhaps conceptually - linked, working together or in opposition to each other. Typically these come in a group of three, and act in concert (even if they are theoretically opposed). Whether this is an example of socialization, family ties, or effectively a single entity in multiple parts is perplexing. It is theorized this type of arrangement may form when multiple Sidhe phase-reform at the same time and place.
Despite what one might expect, Sidhe do not exhibit any particular animosity between their Courts, seeing them as another aspect of their inherent brilliance, and one can hardly expect sympathy - but there does not seem to be any particular cooperation either, as - while it may be accidental - Sidhe of different courts can come into opposition with no apparent reluctance or animosity.
Likewise, while in another race the Sidhe's cyclical life might have fascinating social and psychological effects, Sidhe do not seem to give it any particular regard, though there seems to be a small matter of contradiction regarding identity - some Sidhe claim to be a different individual every cycle, other the same individual at all times, others as, intriguingly, four individuals in a cyclical pattern. But they regard this with total disinterest, and never express regret, anxiety, or seemingly any emotion on the subject.

The Great Game

Sidhe have apparently been a threat for a long time, and a wide variety of countermeasures have emerged, purportedly exploiting some weakness in the Sidhe's nature to protect oneself from their depredations. These have frequently evolved to a great network of interlinking rules that must be followed to avoid their wrath or best them. Most characteristic are an aversion to speaking their 'true name' ('Sidhe', for the record, is simply an arbitrary selection among various human terminology and they have no actual name for themselves), avoiding certain sites, and making a fastidious effort at politeness.
While these countermeasures may have some degree of truth, they are largely specific and arbitrary, and will not work on all Sidhe - a particular individual may be subject to a certain restriction, or take offense to a particular action, but that does not mean all will. The only truly effective countermeasures are thoroughly magical in nature - a horseshoe won't deter Sidhe, but an [Astral Barrier] will. Likewise, their vulnerability to the magical mineral cold iron (not merely iron that is cold, or cold-forged, or magnetic, or...) is real and significant, as it further destablizes their pattern. Most protective methods that do not involve actual spellcasting, however, are at best situationally effective, and as such can create a false sense of security. As an overall pattern this does not seem to be deliberate, but instead seems to be a consequence of individual Sidhe proclivity for mysteriousness and complex 'games'.
Whether the prevalence for arbitrary rules among the Sidhe actually constitutes a 'game' is debatable - they do not seem to particularly enjoy anything, but the one exception would be 'seeming better than mortals' and a set of rules that allows a mortal to seemingly challenge them - but always has a catch allowing them to win - would fit well in this. It should be emphasized, however, that the rules of the game are arbitrary and subject to change.

Relatedly, another famous 'weakness' as yet mentioned is the inability to lie. Sidhe will almost universally claim to never lie, and occasionally even say they are incapable of lying. However, not only are they masters of massaging the truth into saying exactly what they want, they will, if pressed, just lie - and defer to an interpretation of 'truth' so broad as to include almost anything, including such things as 'it hadn't happened yet, but I made it happen', 'it was a possible occurrence if something different happened three hundred years ago', or even 'As a superior being, I am definitionally incapable of lying'. Whether they're consciously doing this to save face or this is their actual understanding of what constitutes truth is unclear, but while it is unlikely that anything Sidhe says is complete nonsense - as a general rule they are far more satisfied deceiving with true statements - if cornered they will not hesitate to resort to high arcane definitions of 'truth', and it cannot be assumed that a Sidhe's statements are tautologically factual.

USPEOIU Classification

EXTRAPLANAR - Direct Threat: SEVERE, General Threat: SEVERE. Phylocode: Genius Aether Faerie

Green College Classification

Forbidden, Aptus Non, 

Hierarchy Classification

Monstrum Aetherica, Unchained Sprites

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CAPACITIES

• Ethereal Nature
• Utterly Immortal
• Different Powers Depending on Phase
• Supernatural Resilience & Strength
• Resistant to attack (other than Cold Iron)
• Shapeshifting/Alternate Manifestations
• Mental Influence
• Elemental Manipulation
• Various unpredictable capabilities.

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Superclassification

Not Applicable

Ancestry

Not Applicable

Lifespan

Immortal

Bodyplan

Variable

Appearance

Variable, 'Uncanny'

Dimensions

Variable, typically larger than interlocuto