faechilde

Faechildren are sapient mortals who have some aspect of the fae ingrained in their soul. Such individuals often display traits and personalities associated heavily with the fae, such as a penchant for mischief, resistance to enchantment magic, or be able to create illusions. While most faechildren are the result of couplings between mortals and fae spirits, it is possible for them to be created through other methods.

Origin

While fae are mostly known for their mischief, many of them covet marriages to mortals, believing that doing so will provide them with mortal souls. Many of these couplings produce mortal children, most of whom display some indication of their fae parentage. Often this indication is obvious from birth, though some do not show signs until adolescence or puberty. Unlike many other spirit hybrids, faechildren rarely, if ever, appear after several generations. At times, the children of faechildren will be faechildren themselves, but this rarely persists beyond a generation or two.
Additionally, there are no other mechanisms to create faechildren. Those who have spent extensive periods within fae realms or regularly exposed to fae magic do not seem to produce faechildren. Theoretically, powerful magic could be used to create a faechild artificially, but no concrete proof of this happening has ever been produced.

Description

Faechildren often take heavily after their fae parent, though they retain the same basic shape and anatomy as their mortal parents. Their fae traits can be physical or mental; frequently they display both. Physical traits include oddly coloration of skin, eyes, scales, or other features; insect wings, chitin, or antennae; unusually shaped facial features or limbs; or plant-like growths. Many of these traits are considered attractive to most members of the mortal parent's species; rarely are they considered outright unattractive. Mental traits include an intense sense of wanderlust, the strong urge to break societal norms, an extreme love of pranks and trickery, an inability to focus, or obsessive concern with highly specific topics. Physical traits are often considered more accurate predictors of a faechild, however, as the mental traits can be present in those with absolutely no fae heritage in the slightest.
In addition to these superficial traits, faechildren sometimes manifest supernatural abilities such as flight, the ability to perceive or create illusions or enchantments, perception of ethereal or invisible things, the ability to turn invisible or ethereal, and many other fae-like powers. Many of these abilities are present at birth, with the faechild utilizing them instinctively to play, protect themselves, or otherwise accomplish some goal. This can lead to chaotic situations, where a baby turns invisible or a toddler begins to create illusory playmates.

Societal Perception

For the most part, faechildren are treated as unusual people, but rarely are they treated poorly at large. Many find their atypical behaviors to be distressing or troublesome, but the vast majority of faechildren are no more extreme than any free spirit. Those rare few with off putting physical features may find themselves mistreated because of them, while those who have attractive traits may find themselves the target of unwanted attention and affection.
The abilities manifested by faechildren can cause them problems, depending on their nature. Those with a natural affinity to enchant, charm, or create illusions can find themselves feared or mistrusted. While some faechildren do use their powers for ill, they do this with no greater frequency than any mage who possesses similar abilities. Most civilizations who regularly travel the Sora have encountered creatures with far more worrying powers than those possessed by faechildren, so they tend to hold few biases against them for their abilities.