Fairies

**Fairies** are a group of sentient species belonging to the category of fey. They are one of the biggest subcategories of fey there is, with dozens of different species, so much so that is difficult to make a comprehensive list of them all. Most of these species live in the depths of the wilderness like Elfwood or the Dominion of the Bog Witch, though their numbers are generally small. The more numerous fairies are spread wildly, though most of them live in territories that used to belong to the Western Elven Empire.

## General Fairy Characteristics

Fairies usually share a physical appearance half humanoid and insectoid. The amount limbs and their shape can vary wildly, with some being more human-like and some tending towards a more insectoid appearance. They are a diminutive species, with the biggest examples of fairydom not being more than 30 cm of height, and with the smallest barely the size of a human thumb. Fairies are also some of the few sentient species with the ability to fly, though this has its limitations. Their small size and bug-like wings means that they can only fly relatively small distances before falling from exhaustion or overheat, which makes them try to save energy as much as possible. However, this ability still makes them excellent at traversing the forests, since their quick and nimble bodies and swift reflexes makes them great at moving through dense vegetation without issue. This is important for moving in groups as well, since fairies can move in big swarms, the smaller the species the bigger the swarm, and avoiding a mid-flight collision is important. While most fairies have some sort of carapace-like skin, damage to the wings is still a very serious wound, and can take plenty of time for them to recover from a wound to the wings.

Fairies tend to live somewhat short lives, though this depends on the type of fairy in question. In general, the bigger a fairy is, the longer its lifespan, with the oldest living 60 years at most, while the smallest tend to live around 20. The fairy lifecycle is very fast. Fairies’ gestation lasts around 3-6 months, depending on the size of the species. The newborns grow quickly, being able to use their wings to fly in little time. Most fairies have a slowed down perception of time, with them sensing the world around them at a much slower pace, which makes other species see them as nervous wrecks, constantly moving and twitching. This also makes communication between fairies and non-fairies somewhat complicated, but not impossible, as it only needs patience from both sides to establish some form of communication. Many interactions between fairies and non-fairies have ended up with fairies bored and tired of following up the slower non-fairies. Their hyperactive manners has garnered them an impish and mischievous nature.

## Main Fairy Species

### Common Fairies

Common Fairies is a catch-all term that includes the bulk of fairydom, in particular those that stick very close to the average characteristics of fairies. While there have been many attempts to categorize the different fairy species, the sheer diversity of this group, the sheer rarity of some of those species and the fairies’ general ability to reproduce with each other with little to not repercussion, has made this a rather futile task. Most of these fairies tend towards more humanoid shapes, with proportions similar to those of humans, though their hands have four digits instead of five. Depending of the subspecies, they have between two to four arms with a humanoid shape, while their legs have a more insectoid form. Their skin is composed of a very light carapace, similar to some species of insect, frequently with spikes on the legs and arms. Their eyes are also insectoid, being simple eyes with a singular lens, more akin to spider eyes rather than human eyes. Their eyes also completely black, without differentiation of their components. Common fairies usually have multiple sets of somewhat translucent eyes, as their pupil cannot retract when in contact with excess light. Fairies have a different number of eyes depending of the subspecies, varying between two to ten eyes, though in general they will have two main eyes, with the rest being around them for a better surround vision. Their mouths are usually similar to those of humans, with more animalistic teeth and, in some cases, a retractable proboscis. This disposition generally allows them the ability of speech, always in a very high pitch tone, which is useful when having to communicate with non-fairies.

Common fairies have two pairs of wings. Similar to a dragonfly, this allows them to fly at high speeds and with incredible precision. They are able to completely change directions near instantly, and they can even stay in the air in one place. These wings are often protected by a wing casing, keeping them save from getting wet or harmed. The shape of this casing depends on the subspecies, with them having unique patterns on them, in a similar way humans have unique fingerprints for each individual. Due to the generally bigger size of common fairies, measuring between 20-30 cm (with wings roughly 2/3rds of their size), they are fast and agile fliers, moving in coordinated groups when hunting or fighting others. The bigger they are, the more resilient they are as well, but this also makes them avoid higher speeds, as it becomes harder to avoid obstacles in the forest. Common fairies also tend to make a lot of noise when flying, making a distinctive buzzing sound when they are in the air, and as such, they prefer going on foot when they have to be stealthy. This is also helped by the fairies’ ability to cling to and crawl vertical surfaces, something they can do in near perfect silence.

Common fairies tend to live between 40 and 60 years, becoming adults at 15 years of age. Their social structure tend to vary depending on the region where they live, and the level of contact with non-fairy species. Most fairies are mainly frugivorous, but they also complement their diet by hunting insects or small birds and rodents. Their protein consumption increases when a fairy is pregnant, as it needs the extra nutrients for the developing fetus. Their gestation period lasts between 3-6 months, and during those days, the female will avoid flying, as it spends too much energy and it can cause damages to the baby. It is the job of the male (or the community if they live in one) to provide for the female during this period.

### Chotë

The Chotë are diminutive fairies, some of the smaller that have been recorded in the world, around 4-7 cm of height. They are so small they are able to ride comfortably their war wasps around without impeding their flight. The chotë also have a pair of wings, but it is only able to keep them airborne for very short periods, and it takes a lot of energy, so they prefer using domesticated insects to move around the jungle. They are insect-like creatures with four pairs of arms, two legs and a head with antennae. They have four fingers on each hand, and they are quite adapted to grasp to any surfaces, to protect themselves from the rains and the wind that might sweep them away if they are not careful. Their eyes are compound eyes, and are able to see quite well in the dark, being able to pick up even the tiniest bit of light around. They also have no sense of smell as we might think of it. Instead, they are able to see smells and essences through their eyes, and thus are able to pinpoint and locate the sources of smell by just seeing the tracks.

Their small size gave them many problems to communicate with the human tribes of the west and the drunig colonists in the east. Chotëshi speak is, by the untrained ear, just a bunch of chirps and buzzes, but in reality is a very complex language, using both oral communication and wing buzzing to express themselves. The size difference between a human and a chotë, however, makes the former sometimes unable to pick up all of the details of the speech of the latter, so it can be difficult for chotës and humans to interact. The Chugaranni’s spiritual abilities compensated for this, but their contacts with the drunig were quite troublesome at first. The first drunig settlers recorded tales of dozens chotës bringing fruits, bird feathers and brilliant pebbles to the colonies to try to show they came in peace, but when trying to speak to the drunig, the strangers were mostly confused and could not understand them. Fortunately, the chotës were able to learn a crude version of the drunig’s language, enough to start diplomatic and commercial conversations.

Chotës live in tribes of around 100-200 individuals. They are hunter-gatherers, travelling the jungle searching for their prey or the natural growing mushrooms they feast upon. Some have also developed herding, moving hundreds of flying aphids, which they use for their meat and their milk. They are used to feed themselves and the war wasps, something possible due to the quick reproduction of the aphids. Chotë society is tribal, with a chief leading the group to the best feeding grounds, depending on the rains and the season. Chotës use small spears made out of wood and stone to hunt bigger prey and to defend themselves from the many predators the jungle has. Since the beginning of the trade with Drunigzar, the chotë tribes have developed bronze spears and swords, since iron rusts much easier in wet climates, and bronze is sufficiently powerful for their needs.

Chotë lifespans are very short, around 20-40 years, reaching adulthood at around 8 years of age. Once a chotë reaches maturity, they have to pass a series of trials to be truly considered an adult. Men chotë will have to go into the jungle and bring down a beast on their own (often a centipede, but it can also be a beetle or a spider), to then cook them for the tribe. It is said that the great Terrania bested a lynx in his coming of age ritual, using a poisonous barb directly in the beats’s inner eardrum. The pain of this act made the lynx mad of pain and rage, and after days of hunt and chase, Terrania then made the beast chase him to the tribe, since part of the ritual is bringing the prize back home. The lynx died of pain and exhaustion right at the doorstep of where the tribe had settled, and it is said that the carcass fed many local tribes for months. Women’s rituals consist of sneaking in the lair of a “great beast of the forest” and bring a prize from them, usually larvae rich in protein. Women can also choose to instead opt for the “ritual of needles”, which consists of covering the woman’s body with needles of a poisonous tree. The tree itself is not lethal, but it’s highly painful, and they have to resist the pain for an entire week without rest. This is said to make the woman strong enough to resist childbirth. After the rituals are complete, the young are immediately married, the elders picking a partner for them.

### Bog Fairies

**Bog fairies** are one of the many fairy species living in the world. The bog fairies encompass a wide variety of fairies that have adapted to living in the dark bogs of northern Giantstep, and have been altered by the harsh reality of living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. As such, these fairies tend to be much more aggressive and malicious than other fairies. Bog fairies are much more insectoid than humanoid, with a thicker carapace and three to four limbs, with the distribution of legs/arms depending on the type of bog fairy. They are around 5-12 cm of height, and are highly proficient at swarming. They have multiple pairs of compound eyes, and their facial features are somewhat goblinoid. They also have a mouth full of poisonous teeth and saliva. Though this poison is not particularly lethal in one bite (at worst it can cause massive inflammation), if left unchecked in the swamps it can easily rot into necrosis. And of course, the bog fairies usually attack in swarms, and thus a single victim can receive dozens of bites after an encounter, making them very dangerous. However, this is only a threat for soft-skinned species like humans, elves or goblins, as anything with a thicker skin will be too much for the mandibles of the bog fairies to penetrate. In those cases, they will go straight to the eyes or mouth of their opponent.

Bog fairies are very animalistic in terms of behavior, though they are still capable enough to organize in a society of sorts. Their way of life resembles somewhat to that of wasps. A dominant male will find multiple bog fairy females and set up a nest. The swarm will begin growing with both the spawn of the original founders, and the new arrivals that are accepted into the nest. They will then spend most of their time foraging and hunting, to feed the newborns and themselves. While most of the clan feeds off the nectar of the many plants in the bogs, the alpha fairy, the pregnant females and the newborn need a bigger nutritional intake. Thus, the spoils of the hunt and the nectar gathered is mixed in a concoction known as bog fairy honey, used to feed the previously mentioned groups. If ingested by someone who’s not a bog fairy, it can induce vivid hallucinations, seeing invisible things and nausea. The alpha bog fairy has the right of first pickings, and becomes much bigger than the rest of the clan, in some cases becoming unable to fly due to weight.

While the alpha also counts as having the monopoly of the females in one big harem, in reality only around half of the females in a bog fairy nest are actually part of the alpha’s harem, with the rest just bonding with the rest of the males that came from the outside, to avoid consanguinity problems. These tend to form couples of a male and one or two females, and if the upstart male begins gaining the favor of more bog fairy females than that, then he’ll either challenge the alpha bog fairy for dominance of the nest or, the most probable, leave to set up his own nest somewhere else. Despite this kind of behavior, bog fairies are not eusocial hive creatures. Each individual is fully independent, and there is no tie between them beyond familiar bonds or alliances of convenience. Thus, there can be a lot of infighting within a bog fairy nest. Bog fairies live around 25-35 years, having a gestation period of around six months, and reaching maturity around 7 years of age. Bog fairies are unable to fly until they become adults, relying completely on the clan to feed themselves until that point.

Bog fairy’s wings are usually jagged and scratched, to the point they should not be able to fly, and yet they do. This has led to the discovery that the bog fairies produce a special dust that induces levitation, and while they produce it in small quantities, it is enough to keep their light bodies on the air. This dust is a coveted ingredient in levitation potions and will temporarily reduce the weight of any object sprinkled with it.

### Wisp fairies

**Wisp fairies** are a group of fairy species that live in the world of Giantstep. They tend towards the more humanoid appearance, with a size around three to six cm of length. Their more humanoid form actually makes them have smooth skin instead of a carapace, though its function and texture is markedly differently from human or elven skin. Their limbs are also more humanoid, with five digits on each hand and actual feet rather than insectoid tarsus. This makes them less capable of clinging to surfaces, but helps them actually walking around. Their eyes are very elven in both shape and proportions. Instead of dragonfly-like wings, the wisp fairies have two pairs of butterfly-like wings, making them slower flyers, but capable of staying in the air for longer distances. These wings are translucent, usually having flashy and colorful tones, and are very reflecting of light. This, and the fact that they can generate their own light, makes people frequently mistake them with will-o-wisps, even though will-o-wisps are not considered sentient.

Wisp fairies tend to be female, as only one out of twelve wisp fairies are born male. Wisp fairy males are usually taller and with an extra pair of wings, which becomes a bright red when entering mating season. Unlike many sentient species, wisp fairies can only mate during certain seasons (usually the end of winter), as they are completely inert during the rest of the year. Because of the rarity of the males, females can become quite aggressive for access to a male wisp fairy, which can cause strong fights within the clan, and even death. This is because each male can only reproduce a limited number of times per season, and can die if they surpass this threshold. Wisp fairies have been known to organize attacks to other wisp fairy clans in order to kidnap their males. Wisp fairies have a gestation period of 4-6 months, reaching maturity at the age of seven and reaching old age at 30.

Wisp fairies have big communities, usually as nomadic hunter-gatherers, moving across the swamps or even the surrounding areas. Their social structure revolves around the oldest members of the tribe, who decide where to go during the summer or the winter. Wisp fairies tend to stay sedentary during spring and summer. It is also common for wisp fairies to seek non-fairy populations, making themselves at home in areas relatively protected by humans or other fey. In general they maintain nice relations with the populations of non-fairies, often seeking to trade for food or other goods. Wisp fairies are also somewhat mischievous, and tend to have an easy laugh, which can unnerve some onlookers. Wisp fairies are known for their sense of fashion. Each wisp fairy has to elaborate their own clothing, something they have to do by obtaining many natural elements from nature, from animal hides to vegetal leaves.

### Wisplings

**Wisplings** are a species of fairy that live in the world of Giantstep. Believed to be a direct descendent of wisp fairies, they are the smallest fairies around, measuring around 3-5 cm of length, diminutive even for fairydom. They have the unique ability to shape their appearance in a limited way, which both depends on their current diet and the diet of their mothers during pregnancy. The general frailty of wisplings makes them need a great deal to camouflage to survive in their swamps and marshes, and as such, this kind of adaptation is essential for their survival. During pregnancy, the female wispling will focus on eating certain elements of the forest (either animal or vegetal), which will grant the newborn a physiognomy similar to that eaten. This appearance will vary depending on the proportions of the diet, with the more they eat of a certain element the more the offspring will be able to mimic it. However, this camouflage is deactivated most of the time, making them normally look like fairies with animalistic or vegetal features. It is only when they focus that they are able to draw upon the genetic memory and camouflage themselves fully with the environment. This also only works during the first generation, as the mother doesn’t pass on the genetic memory of whatever her grandmother ate, only what she consumed.

This kind of memory also grants them other abilities, originated from whatever they mother feasted upon back then, though these are much more muted than the original’s source. A wispling that was reared for plant-like camouflage will be able to grow some leaves on its body and even smell like a flower, whereas a wispling reared for a lizard-like camouflage will be able to grow scales for better defense. The only things that isn’t affected by this ability are their pair of wings, similar to those of a butterfly. However, their colors are muted and dark done to quickly dissipate the wisplings’ figure in the environment to hide from predators. They are very silent fliers, and they use this to both hunt and to run away from possible predators.

Wisplings have a complicated relation to non-fairy species. While one might expect wisplings to get close to humans and other bigger species for protection, the truth is that their assimilative properties also work with them. When a pregnant wispling eats a human or any other bigger species, the offspring will be able to grow many times the size of a normal wispling, with the biggest wispling registered being 15 cm. While it doesn’t grant them any further ability and no camouflage to speak of, this makes human eating a very tantalizing proposition for many expecting mothers, as such a big body can deter most of their common predators, not to mention turning the offspring into a dominant member of the wispling clan. However, this is easier said than done, as humans absolutely hate creatures eating the bodies of their deceased, not to mention human hunting is pretty much out of the question if they don’t want swift retribution. Many wisplings also see human eating as somewhat sacrilegious, not to mention incredibly dangerous to the mother in question (as the growth of the baby can literally tore the mother apart while still in the womb, dooming them both). Due to their size, they are generally unable to speak normally with bigger species, having to communicate with each other through buzzing of different tones.

Wisplings are more individualistic than other types of fairies, often living in familiar groups of six to ten individuals. These groups keep in contact with each other for trade, information and sometimes hunt, but in general, they will tend to keep to themselves. When a wispling reaches adulthood, they will search for a mate in one of the different groups they kept contact with, though they will tend to avoid consanguinity problems as much as possible. Both males and females are very active in the process of finding a mate, and they are highly monogamous, with the pairs never breaking up until one of the members dies.