Post by Admin on Dec 19, 2013 3:30:51 GMT
The fey, also known as fairies, are mischievous visitors from another realm who can live for hundreds of years. They seem to have a mysterious connection with the Irish and, upon arriving here, prefer to take on Irish names. In their natural state, they have pointed ears and are famously short of stature, but they also have the ability to cast a glamour, creating an illusion to disguise their appearance. A glamour affects all visual and tactile aspects of perception, though it cannot alter their naturally quicker heartbeats. To the very perceptive, they seem to produce the slightest hint of a strange, otherworldy scent, almost like the smell that fills the air before a heavy rain.
Although they are capricious and enjoy playing tricks on humans, the fey adhere to a (somewhat) orderly system of fairy courts, each governed by a single ruler -- usually the strongest or cleverest of the bunch. Due to their long lifespans, no clear line of succession or designation of heirs is in place. Usually, the fairy courts go by names related to seasons or times, such as the Seelie Court of Summer, the Unseelie Court of Winter, and the Oriens Court of Morning.
Unlike vampires, fairies don't hurt people for survival -- just entertainment. Their antics range from mischievous to vile, usually taking the form of deception and trickery, but the form of chicanery they're most known for is kidnapping human children, sometimes leaving a fairy child -- known as a changeling -- in their place.
Fairies of all types can produce a small amount of fairy dust daily. This dust does nothing to fairies, and most in their own realm don't think anything of it, but to any other species it acts as a hallucinogen. Most hallucinate about the things they desire most, whatever those may be, but some people have the unfortunate experience of seeing part of the fairy's memories, which usually aren't all that pleasant. Fairies can make a pretty penny selling this dust to members of other races and there is an active -- and barely legal -- market.
All fairies possess an innate aversion to metals such as iron and steel -- despite the fact that they are attracted to shiny objects -- because metal is known to leave burns on their skin. They will also be repelled by the wood of a rowan tree, which must first be enchanted by a dryad in order to be effective.
Thus far, only three types of fey have revealed themselves in Mossy Hollow.
Pixies, the first type, are green-skinned creatures with wings that enable them to glide short distances. They also possess the wisdom and magical talent necessary to talk to plants, an ability known to incite the jealousy of dryads. Rumor has it they make pretty good musicians, though their dancing is nothing to write home about.
Goblins, the second type, have an affinity for stone and prefer being underground. Like the vampires of jewels, goblins are able to sense the presence of precious stones and discover their source. Their connection to stone also allows them, with the right skill and experience (that is, with a modification), to place an enchantment on gemstones that makes them extra valuable to nymphs.
Kelpies, the most recent to make themselves known, are dappled horses, technically -- though they often glamour themselves to appear human in form. They haunt the swamps and streams around Mossy Hollow, as agile as a naiad in the water, and can make their skin and fur act as an adhesive stickier than glue. While most fairy pranks are reversible to some degree, it's the inclination of the kelpies to go a step further, luring their victims onto their backs and then taking them into the water to drown them.
Strengths:
ability to cast a glamor
Weaknesses:
iron and steel (bothersome)
shiny objects (attractant)
Although they are capricious and enjoy playing tricks on humans, the fey adhere to a (somewhat) orderly system of fairy courts, each governed by a single ruler -- usually the strongest or cleverest of the bunch. Due to their long lifespans, no clear line of succession or designation of heirs is in place. Usually, the fairy courts go by names related to seasons or times, such as the Seelie Court of Summer, the Unseelie Court of Winter, and the Oriens Court of Morning.
Unlike vampires, fairies don't hurt people for survival -- just entertainment. Their antics range from mischievous to vile, usually taking the form of deception and trickery, but the form of chicanery they're most known for is kidnapping human children, sometimes leaving a fairy child -- known as a changeling -- in their place.
Fairies of all types can produce a small amount of fairy dust daily. This dust does nothing to fairies, and most in their own realm don't think anything of it, but to any other species it acts as a hallucinogen. Most hallucinate about the things they desire most, whatever those may be, but some people have the unfortunate experience of seeing part of the fairy's memories, which usually aren't all that pleasant. Fairies can make a pretty penny selling this dust to members of other races and there is an active -- and barely legal -- market.
All fairies possess an innate aversion to metals such as iron and steel -- despite the fact that they are attracted to shiny objects -- because metal is known to leave burns on their skin. They will also be repelled by the wood of a rowan tree, which must first be enchanted by a dryad in order to be effective.
Thus far, only three types of fey have revealed themselves in Mossy Hollow.
Pixies, the first type, are green-skinned creatures with wings that enable them to glide short distances. They also possess the wisdom and magical talent necessary to talk to plants, an ability known to incite the jealousy of dryads. Rumor has it they make pretty good musicians, though their dancing is nothing to write home about.
Goblins, the second type, have an affinity for stone and prefer being underground. Like the vampires of jewels, goblins are able to sense the presence of precious stones and discover their source. Their connection to stone also allows them, with the right skill and experience (that is, with a modification), to place an enchantment on gemstones that makes them extra valuable to nymphs.
Kelpies, the most recent to make themselves known, are dappled horses, technically -- though they often glamour themselves to appear human in form. They haunt the swamps and streams around Mossy Hollow, as agile as a naiad in the water, and can make their skin and fur act as an adhesive stickier than glue. While most fairy pranks are reversible to some degree, it's the inclination of the kelpies to go a step further, luring their victims onto their backs and then taking them into the water to drown them.
Strengths:
ability to cast a glamor
Weaknesses:
iron and steel (bothersome)
shiny objects (attractant)