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| Denizens of Tuatha de Danaan; Faeries and Feykind | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 10 2008, 04:49 PM (499 Views) | |
| Director | Oct 10 2008, 04:49 PM Post #1 |
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Faeries and Feykind Feykind has been with humanity since the dawn of civilization, drawn to them by their natural curiosity and sense of kinship to these flawed, mortal creatures. They range in size and shape from the tiny pixies and brownies to the tall, elegant sidhe (pronounced “shee”) and the treelike dryads. Some are mischievous, like the pooka, while others are downright dangerous, like the redcaps. Even creatures like trolls, gremlins, goblins, and banshee are considered Fey folk, though they're not what most people would think of when they hear the word “fairy”. All Fey are weak against cold iron, and the very touch of it burns them like fire and makes them unable to cast their glamors. Nearly all Fey have a set of rules they must follow, either personal ones or ones set down for their particular race of Faerie. For example, knowing a Fey's true name gives you certain powers over him, and reciting it backwards three times may kill him. Faerie glamor consists of illusions (mostly used for disguising themselves as humans), and also enchantments. The less scrupulous ones will enchant mortals for entertainment or personal gain, though this is heavily frowned upon by the ESPers. These are some of the more common varieties of fey that the ESPers deal with on a regular basis, but there are also east Asian faeries, African faeries, and other types that aren't covered here. If you have a particular type of fey you wish to play here, and don't see it on the list, PM the Director with your concept for approval. ~*~ Pixies Tiny beings that represent what most people think of when you say “fairy”. They appear as human children when they walk among us, but in their true forms they can be even smaller, with iridescent wings. Like most feykind, they are eternal, and can be very old despite their childlike appearance. Pixies can only be trapped by cold iron or a rope woven of human baby hair, but are otherwise able to escape any prison. Sprites Fey lightning elementals. They are often bothersome creatures that have power over electricity, causing many short circuits and blackouts. They also delight in causing problems with electric devices, such as hair dryers, televisions, and other household devices. Often, their work is blamed on Gremlins (see below). They appear as little flashes of light, though if one chooses to take on a human form, it looks like a mischievous child that has wildly spiky hair and glittering eyes. A sprite can be rendered helpless if trapped in a room with no conductor materials. Sylphs Fey air elementals. They are creatures of wind and breath, from the softest baby's sigh to the most powerful gale. When you see a playful swirl of autumn leaves, or a dust demon, you're probably seeing the work of a sylph. They are usually invisible like the air they represent, but they can take on a humanoid form as well: slender, pale humans with laughing eyes and wild silver hair that is always moving as if in a breeze, even when there is no wind. These are rare in the cities, for the pollution in the air makes them ill, but they can sometimes be found in the fresher air of the country. Gnomes Fey earth elementals. Hard-working creatures, they live among the dirt and rocks, mining for precious metals and gems to create the finery for the vain Sidhe nobles. They appear as squat humanoids with earthy brown skin, dark hair, and gem-colored eyes--- though their appearances may vary, depending on what sorts of minerals they work with. Some can pass for human, though not many bother. They are unable to work in earth that is too saturated by water, so flooding a gnome tunnel is a sure way to hinder them. Undines Fey water elementals. They inhabit all bodies of water, fresh or salt, and are often mistaken for merfolk when they allow themselves to be seen. Usually invisible like the Sylphs, the Undines have power over currents and tides, and are usually the wicked creatures that cause things like undertow and waterspouts. It's all sport to them. In physical form, they appear to have fish or amphibian fins instead of wings, hands, or feet, and their skin is scaly and slippery. If they try to pass for human, they usually have a bluish tint to their clammy skin, blue or green eyes, and hair that always appears wet. They are highly susceptible to alcohol, and it weakens them greatly, for it dilutes their essence. Salamanders Fey fire elementals, not to be confused with the amphibians that share their name. They live in human hearths, or cigarette lighters, or frolic en masse in wildfires. Most have terrible tempers, but are otherwise capricious and fun-loving. In human form, they have dark skin, flaming red hair, and bright ember-like eyes. They tend to stand out in a crowd, so will use fey glamor to tone down their appearance. A salamander is harmed by many of the same materials that will put out a fire, like an extinguisher, baking soda, or even ordinary water. Djinn A type of fey elemental, related distantly to Salamanders, that can grant three wishes to whomever captures it. For this reason, a lot of them are shoved into bottles and lamps, and they usually wind up pretty cranky by the time they're let out and just kill whoever frees them. Some, however, honor their pacts and will grant the wishes, though they might take liberties with the interpretation of said wishes. Djinn look mostly humanoid, but change color depending on their temperament. Blue Djinn are generally benevolent, and are the least likely to screw someone over on a wish. Green Djinn are a little cranky, and will take the wording of any wish VERY literally, so it's a good idea to be careful around one when making a wish. Red Djinn are usually the type that will either kill a person outright for freeing them, or grant the wishes in such a way that they are guaranteed to make the wisher miserable. Djinn enjoy wearing flashy jewelry and prefer brightly-colored clothing that isn't restrictive. Will-o'-the-Wisps These mysterious faeries are called by many names: Jack o' Lanterns, Corpse Candles, Fox Fire, Faerie Lights, and more modernly "Swamp Gas" or "Ball Lightning". They are all these things, yet none of them. Will-o'-the-Wisps range in size and appearance, but as they spend a good deal of their time invisible, it doesn't seem to matter what they look like. They can generate a glowing ball of light which they control, traditionally using these lights to lead unwary travelers into marshes. Though not really malicious, their pranks have caused numerous fatalities, and they generally don't carry much guilt about that fact. The Wisps seem to devote themselves to leading humans (and other beings) astray, whether it be by obvious means like the faerie lights, or by using their natural fey charm to convince a human to indulge in misbehavior. They are masters of misdirection, and it is unsurprising that they share a friendly rivalry with the Pookas (see below). Brownies Helpful little beings that are sometimes called “house spirits” or “house elves”, these fey have such an affectionate fascination with humans that they sometimes perform little chores around a human household at night. They don't like to be seen, but they do appreciate gifts of food and trinkets in exchange for their hard work. In modern times, brownies have banded together to form housekeeping businesses and the like. They pass for just slightly-shorter-than-average humans, with brown hair, brown or hazel eyes, tanned skin, and a preference for brown clothing (thus, “brownies”). Though very helpful by nature, a brownie needs to have its work appreciated, or it will move on to a new household. Pookas Highly mischievous, but mostly harmless shape-changing fey that normally take the shape of a black-furred animal with large yellow eyes. They appear as goats, horses, dogs, rabbits, or as ordinary humans. In horse form, they may entice an unsuspecting human to ride upon its back, but though the ride itself may be terrifying and swift, it seldom brings any harm to the unlucky human. A pooka may be known to give warnings or advice to humans, but it should be understood that a pooka tells two lies for every truth. If one decides to take human form, it retains the dark hair and yellow eyes of its species, as well as its trickster nature. Banshees (or Bean Sidhe) Helpful, but very misunderstood fey, a banshee appears as a beautiful fair-haired woman with a powerful voice. They are heralds of death, and will often appear near a home (or in more modern times, usually hospitals or the scenes of violent crimes or accidents) to wail a lament. Whether humans in the area notice the banshee or not depends on whether or not they can see supernatural creatures at all, but even those that don't see the banshee will have the unmistakable feeling that death is nearby. Note: These would be extremely challenging to play, so please PM the Director if you wish to make a banshee character. Redcaps Wicked creatures that traditionally inhabited Europe and parts of Russia, redcaps will silently stalk a chosen victim, sapping their strength, until the unlucky human takes shelter in an abandoned building. There, the redcap strikes, using wicked pointed weapons to kill the human and soak its cap in fresh blood. Redcaps have to kill often, for if the blood dries completely, the creature is banished back to Tuatha de Danaan, and is usually put to death by the Seelie Courts. These squat, buck-toothed humanoids resemble some kind of mutant hillbilly more than any faerie, but they are still harmed by cold iron and hail from the fey realms. Note: These would be extremely challenging to play, so please PM the Director if you wish to make a redcap character. Trolls Tall, brutish, ugly humanoids with large ears and noses, they're basically like every club-swinging, pea-brained troll you've ever read about in fairytales. Still, they're not as dangerous as they look, and can be put to use as security guards, bouncers, and the like. They have no glamor of their own, and must be disguised through outside magic or mundane means. Some are cleverer than they look and can do more complex tasks... but not many. Gremlins Mischievous creatures that delight in taking apart mechanical devices and putting them back together... usually the wrong way. Often blamed (and rightly so) for breakdowns and glitches in machinery. They have very pointed features and glittering black eyes. A gremlin is drawn to mechanical things like a moth to flame, so it takes a great deal of willpower for them to avoid getting distracted every time they pass a toaster or a watch. Goblins Wicked fey creatures that share some relation to brownies, but generally with the opposite intention. They team up with gremlins to wreak havoc in human society, though their tinkering is rarely fatal to humans--- just very inconvenient, and sometimes dangerous. They are also known to steal human babies and leave goblin children (also known as “changelings”) in their places. The have dark, lightless eyes, grayish skin, pointed ears, and sharp-looking teeth. Drow Also known as “dark elves”, both for their forge-blackened skin and tendency to keep to darkness, bear little resemblance to their popular D&D counterparts. They are not necessarily evil, though they are ill-tempered and are very abhorrent of rudeness. They work closely with Gnomes, forging the precious metals the Gnomes mine into magically-imbued weapons and jewelry. All drow have coal-black skin, presumably from working the forges for centuries, though they usually have fair hair and light-colored eyes like other elves. A drow is blinded by direct sunlight, though artificial lights don't seem to have the same effect. Elves These creatures bear more of a resemblance to Tolkien elves than the shoe-making variety (which were probably Brownies, anyway). Tall, slim, and fair, the elves generally make their homes in forests and protect nature. They work closely with dryads and other forest fey to prevent the destruction of their ancient homes. They resemble humans very closely, though their ears come to a point, and some have even been known to breed with humans. Such couplings are rare, but the resulting offspring inevitably has strong ties to the faerie world. Sidhe The nobility of Tuatha de Danaan. They look like elves, but are often even taller than their wingless cousins. With long, pointed ears and translucent wings, they are arguably the most beautiful of feykind. They are also noble, very dignified, and graceful. The Sidhe keep the Seelie courts, which are the closest to “organized” that faeries get, and they maintain the treaties with the ESPers. Most fey Ambassadors are Sidhe for this reason. Selkie Fey that are often mistaken for a type of Shifter, these creatures take the forms of seals in water and humans on land. They must keep their sealskins safe while in human form, however, for anyone who takes possession of a selkie's skin takes possession of its soul, and the selkie must do that person's bidding. Selkies have dark, liquid eyes and seal-brown hair. Nixies Water nymphs that mostly stick to fresh water, unlike their cousins the Undines which exist in both salt and fresh water. Nixies aren't very powerful, and have only limited control over water. They mostly inhabit lakes and ponds and other still bodies, protecting their territories from intruders and those that might pollute their pristine waters. They cannot go far from the waters of their birth, and will die if the pond or lake is too polluted or dries up. They resemble Undines somewhat in their human forms, and are usually female. Dryads Tree nymphs that, like their Nixy cousins, never leave the trees of their birth. They can go a certain distance from said tree, but only the most ancient may go very far (it has to do with how deep and far the roots of the tree extend). If the tree dies or is cut down, the Dryad dies with it. For this reason, Dryad trees are remarkably long-lived and healthy. They appear as human females with very plant-like features, such as nut-brown skin, vines for hair, and so forth. Nymphs Female nature fey that are not connected to any particular land feature like their Dryad and Nixy cousins. They are fun-loving, wild, and free, and though they are capricious, they all share a desire to protect nature like the Elves. They tend to change in appearance with the seasons, though that varies from Nymph to Nymph. Many have the ability to heal with their hands, and commonly use this power to heal animals that are harmed by humans. Satyrs The male counterparts to Nymphs, with goat or deer-like features. The most common appear to have goat legs and horns, though they range from the almost centaur-like stag-bodied Satyrs to the sort that can almost pass for human without any sort of glamor. All have pointed ears and wild curling hair, and a special gift for music, which is how they cast their glamors. Edited by Director, Nov 8 2008, 01:58 PM.
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9:47 AM Jul 11