Fae Groupies

We are not groupies!

— Order of the Exalted Mist, a cult of Fae Groupies

Fae groupies is a derogatory term used by magi when describing the mortal dupes of the Fae. A taste of glory is all it takes for some to swear their souls to the Fae, founding cults that worship one or several particular Fae in hopes of recognition, reward, or out of simple desperation. Most are egged on by bored Fae, building towards an inevitable end where they are either harvested by their master, or simply forgotten as their attention drift to something else. No matter what, it never ends the way they thought it would.
Like any occult gathering, Fae cults are well-springs of power and easy marks, often exploited by more than just the Fae.

Fae Fever

If there's a bad decision to make, some people are gonna make it.

— Amelia Korp, Walker

Most Fae Groupie cults start the same - a single magi, driven beyond reason, begins to worship a Fae, a group of them, or some other aspect of the Faelands. Some do it for power, or even as part of a Pacts, many in response to trauma. Whatever the reason, such obsession soon attracts mortal followers, drawn like moths to a brilliant flame and trapped by displays of petty magic or visions of the Fae. Desperation feeds on desperation, trapping them there.

As for the Fae, the act of submission that comes with such worship is immensely entertaining - at least for a while.

by Pixabay

Even as the Veil draw close around the cult's followers and they forget exactly what it was they saw, they don't forget the feeling. To some, chasing that high once again becomes an all-consuming mania that locks them into the cult.

And as they forget, again and again, that first rush is never lost.

Most cults are no larger than a dozen to a few dozen, rarely roping in more than a couple of Magi. A few join into a cult of groupies just to wring it dry of whatever they can before its inevitable demise. Some find they like the power that comes with it, and stick around until it's too late for them to realize they've been caught, too.

For those mortals who see the true glory of the Fae, escape becomes nearly impossible.

The exact structure of the Groupies varies. Some dress themselves up after hedonistic societies, chasing pleasure and driving away boredom much like they think a Fae would, hoping that the heights of decadence will meet their patron's approval. Others go for a more traditional lodge or secret society, feasting on secrets and obsession, all while safe and secure in their own sense of superiority. More often than not however, the groupies dress and act outlandishly. They don costumes, feast, and party, murder, and worship, all acts made as eye-catching as possible to try and please whatever Fae they worship. Almost invariably, this behavior only gets worse and worse.

Many Fae don't even realize there's a cult dedicated to them.

All things that paint a big target on the cult. Even the most peaceful Fae cult is a hair-trigger away from imploding in on itself and taking everyone with it, so magi and Spooks will always find it in their interest to shut them down whenever they can.
No matter what form it takes, actual interactions with the Fae are limited. Some groupies-cults consist entirely of mortals and the half-aware, standing at the cusp of understanding but unable to grasp true magic. Even in cults who have a magi in it, travel into the Beyond is difficult and dangerous. Anyone going into the Faelands expecting a warm welcome is soon to be fatally disappointed.

A lucky few are kept around as Changelings, though it's debatable exactly how lucky that is.

Things don't get much better if the Fae is actually paying attention. Those who do communicate with their cultists do so through visions while in the throes of powerful drugs or visit them in dreams. Very rarely, when the moon is full and the wall between worlds grow thin, the Fae might even step through to bask in the adoration of their groupies.
Patient Fae might even shepherd their flock, grooming it to provide them with a steady flow of sacrifice and Changelings, but such Fae are fortunately rare. Most who try give into destructive whims long before, exulting the groupies to greater and greater heights of madness. So long as they are amused, the Fae don't care much what happens next. Few cultists think that far ahead, either.

by http://www.tribalartasia.com/

In the end, Fae groupies have few friends and many enemies. Spooks and Walkers alike will go out of their way to stamp them out before they can do real harm, while their masters use them as pawns and playthings. No matter how many times it ends in tears, there always seems to be another one right around the corner, lured to worship by a pretty face and a voice from the Faelands.

by Unsplash (Sebastiaan Stam)

Faelands

Fae lives in the part of the Beyond called the Faelands, a kingdom of wonder and nightmare they've carved from magic and dying gods.
It is a realm of horror and magic, of majestic wonder and terrors not found anywhere else. Within primordial woods and industrial nightmares of pipes and choking gas, the Fae hold court and drown their boredom. Cultists who manage to make their way there seldom return.

Changelings

Stolen from the mortal world and changed to something else, Changelings are one of the favorite playthings of the Fae. From the moment they are bound to the Faelands, the mortal begins to change into something else, a creature not quite human and not quite fae, but oh so full of delights for their masters.
To the Fae, mortals are endlessly fascinating and able to satisfy such a range of unholy cravings for an inventive Fae. Once too far changed, once spark of mortality goes out forever, the Fae tend to lose interest, and so another mortal must be snatched from the Prime and another changeling made.

Like cats, the Fae are never as interested in the toys that come to them as the ones they have to chase.

Spooks

Magic is nice and all, but doesn't always put food on the table. Sometimes, a wizard's got to take whatever work they can get. Sometimes, that means working for 'The Man'.
A catch-all term for any witch or warlock who cashes a paycheck from either a government or corporation, even if their patron doesn't really know what they do. For some, it's a convenience. For others, it's a power structure right there and ready to be manipulated to suit whatever ambition they happen to have.

by Unsplash (Mark Tegethoff)