Fae (Fay)

Hailing from the Fae Realm, the Fae are a diverse and strange race. Immortal beings born from the Aether and tied to closely tied to nature and illusion magics, the Fae are a wholy unique form of life unlike anything seen in the Mortal Realm, and possess chaotic, alien minds that defy nearly any attempts at understanding them. While it's usually rare for a member of the Fae to cross over into the Mortal Realm, any interactions between them and mortals are treated with extreme caution, no matter how benevolent or malevolent they are.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Fae generally have a humanoid body shape, though a few nonhumanoid types are also known to exist. Beyond that, the Fae are highly diverse in their appearances, often being of various sizes, a number of highly variable physical traits (chitin for skin, animal-like traits, wings, plant-like traits, etc.).

Ecology and Habitats

While the Fae typically prefer to remain within the Fae Realm, they are also often drawn to places of unspoiled natural beauty, or a strong connection to nature and/or illusion-aligned magics.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Due to being creatures of pure magic, the Fae do not need to eat or drink, though some still do so simply for the enjoyment of it.

Behaviour

Regardless of individual morality, all Fae are described as having largely chaotic, incomprehensible minds, with values, behaviours, and rules that would seem bizarre to mortals.

Fae and Mortality

Being formed of pure magic and tied to aspects of nature and dreams, the Fae are completely immortal (any Fae that's "slain" in the Mortal Realm will eventually reform in the Fae Realm none the worse for wear). This, naturally, has given the Fae an almost nonexistant sense of risk aversion, and makes the concept of mortality incomprehensible to their minds. This can cause problems when interacting with the Mortal Races, particularly if a prank that would be harmless to a Fae turns out to be extremely hazardous or even lethal to a mortal.

Fae and Promises/Honesty

The Fae have a particularly strange view on promises and honesty. It's commonly understood that a Fae will never lie to anyone (in fact, they appear to be wholly incapable of doing so), however, some especially crafty Fae can work around this through the useage of ommisions, exact words, vague language, and double-talk. Additionally, a Fae is always as good as their word, and will always see any deal or promise made with it through to its end. However, the Fae are known for obeying only the letter of the agreement rather that the spirit of it, neccessitating that any agreements made with the Fae are very carefully worded, in order to avoid unfortunate interpretations on the Faes part.

Fae and Emotion

Being creatures born of wild, chaotic magics, and strongly tied to the more primal aspects of the universe, the Fae are considerably more emotional beings than any of the Mortal Races. To the Fae, any action that pleases them must be rewarded, while any that offend them must be punished, though given how varied the ideals and personalities of the Fae are, what might please one type of Fae could easily offend another, with there being a number of stories of individuals who've earned the ire of the Fae by complete accident. The highly emotional nature of the Fae is also responsible for their bizarre morality, with even largely benevolent types being guided by their emotions towards actions the Mortal Races would take issue with, with one notable example being Fae of the Light Court (often considered to be the most nurturing and benevolent of the Fae) kidnapping children from poor families under the belief that they're saving them from further hardship, and being rather confused about why anyone would want to .

Fae and the Rule of Three

While the Fae Realm is a highly chaotic place, the one consistant lawthat can be found there is the Rule of Three. This also extends to the Fae themselves, whose behaviour can be profoundly influenced by the Rule. Any things that come in threes are treated as omens of of great significance (be they good or ill), and it's said that a Fae that's promised something three times in a row is bound to honour their agreement, though the usual pitfalls of dealing with the Fae still apply.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The closest thing to a society among the Fae is the existence of the six Fae Courts. Each of these Courts represent the four seasons, light, and darkness, and are ruled over by the High Fae, with the various other Fae beings often pledging allegiance to at least one of these Courts.

Facial characteristics

Fae facial characteristics typically range from human-like, to animal-like, to insect-like, or even anything in between.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Fae are native to the Fae Realm, and those who venture into the Mortal World typically reside in places such as the Elderwood or the Silverlight Isles.

Average Intelligence

The Fae appear to be highly intelligent, and are innately skilled in the use of magic. In particular, they are the only beings in Creation that can reliably use Fae Magic without risk.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Fae are said to be adept at sensing magic in individuals and environments.

Civilization and Culture

History

The Fae, as well as the realm they call home, are believed to have existed almost as long as Creation itself. It's said that the Fae were born from the meeting between the lifegiving power that first created and shaped the universe, and the chaotic, formless Void the universe first emerged from. Due to their highly chaotic nature, it was decided by the Elari (the guardian spirits responsible for helping the Creator shape and order the universe) that the Fae would be kept separate from the Mortal Realm, with Virae, the Elari of Nature, volunteering to watch over them, in order to minimise their disruptive influence on the Mortal Realm. While the original Fae were far more alien and chaotic in nature, they would slowly evolve alongside the Mortal Realm and its inhabitants into the dream/nature-aligned beings they are now recognised as, though the original Fae are said to still exist within the furthest regions of the Fae Realm that border the Void.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Members of the Mortal Races are wary of any dealings with the Fae, due to their highly unpredictable nature, either avoiding them outright if they can help it, or otherwise appeasing them. The Fae, for their part, consider the Mortal Races to be just as strange to them as the Mortal Races consider them to be, with with many of their actions being driven by a desire to better understand them, or use them as a source of amusement, though the more malicious Fae are often known to try and subjugate any mortals that they can. Regardless of individual morality, every Fae is highly protective of their domains, and will move to protect them from any who would intrude upon them if they feel threatened.

Genetic Descendants

• Branchwarden

Lifespan

Immortal

Average Height

The Fae are highly variable in height, ranging from being just under a foot tall to the size of a large tree.

Average Physique

Physiques among the Fae range from small and slight to large and powerful.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Fae colouring commonly range from something similar to what's seen among humanoids in the Mortal Realm, to natural colours (like those found among plants and flowers).