Fae

The fae are characters of primal magic who, long ago, departed the Earth to live in Faërie.

* *Looking for a list of fae characters? Check Here.*

# Varieties

There are many different kinds of fairies.

## High Sidhe

* **Play status:** *Not available.*

The High Sidhe are the nobility of the courts of Faerie. These include the Fairy Queens, the various noble lords and ladies, and their retainers. At present they are restricted to plot use only. They are known to take human servants, however, such as in the case of the Summer and Winter Knights; these concepts are open to play.

## Changelings

* **Play status:** *Available.*

A Changeling is a child who was stolen by the Fae and raised in Faërie, replaced by a doppelganger and often heavily transformed by the experience, becoming infused inseparably with fairy magic. It is often difficult for such a creature to return to human life.

## Fae Scions

* **Play status:** *Available.*

Sometimes mistaken for Changelings, a fae Scion is a child born of mixed fairy and human parentage. The resulting hybrid is generally less powerful than a pure fae counterpart in terms of fae magic and traits, but they may gain some advantages from their human side as well.

## Mythical Fae

* **Play status:** *Varies by concept.*

Apart from Changelings and the Sidhe, there are many varieties of fairy. These range from pixies and other wee folk to hulking trolls and ogres, including most variations in between. The more powerful sort can usually disguise themselves in a human form, even if they are secretly ogres or the like. They are often roughly equivalent to other supernatural creatures in terms of physical and/or magical ability. For the purposes of the game, all player character fae must be able to take a human-like form that enables them to "pass" to some degree within society in some way, even if they seldom do so.

# Courts

*Main article: Fairy Courts*
There are four fairy courts, one for each season, though humankind has not always realized this. As such, many think of the fae as "Light" and "Dark" or "Seelie" and "Unseelie" courts. In general, The Spring and Summer Courts may be considered "Light" or "Seelie," while the Autumn and Winter Courts may be considered "Dark" or "Unseelie." However, it would be both foolish and incorrect to assume that "Light" is good and "Dark" is evil, as the fairy courts all serve a greater balance, and none are so simple as mere "good" and "evil." It is said that once, in antiquity, the courts struggled for overt power, passing leadership between them based on the seasons. That may have once been true, but in the modern era the courts each operate within their own individual purview, and each controls its own lands within Faërie.

## Summer Court

*Main article: Summer Court*
**Ruled by:** Queen Titania and King Oberon

**Resource:** Summer Court

* The Summer Court gains its greatest power around Midsummer and holds its least power near Midwinter.
* The Summer Court's primary duties seem to pertain to ordering magical balance on Earth and the natural world. The exact nature of this duty is little known or understood by outsiders.
* It is widely rumored that Titania's relationship to the Summer King, Oberon, reflects the current state of the world. Oberon has not been seen at court in some time.

## Winter Court

*Main article: Winter Court*
**Ruled by:** Queen Mab

**Resource:** Winter Court

* The Winter Court gains its greatest power around Midwinter and holds its least power near Midsummer.
* The Winter Court is responsible for guarding the Outer Gates against the Outsiders.
* Unlike most Fairy Queens, Mab is not known to have a particular consort. At present, there is no Winter King.

## Spring Court

*Main article: Spring Court*
**Ruled by:** King Nuada Silverhand and Queen Gloriana

* The Spring Court gains its greatest power around Beltane and holds its least power near Samhain.
* The Spring Court is associated with bringing magic and new magical beings forth from the Otherworld. Theirs are mystic inception, inspiration, and creation.

## Autumn Court

*Main article: Autumn Court*
**Ruled by:** The Erlking

* The Autumn Court gains its greatest power around Samhain and holds its least power near Beltane.
* The Autumn Court sees to maintaining and patrolling The Ways through the Otherworld.

## Wyldfae

*Main article: Goblin Court*
**Ruled by:** The Erlking (Unofficially)

**Resource:** Wyldfae

The Wyldfae owe their direct allegiance to no one, but they tend to choose a court to support in time of war. There *is* a court of sorts among the Wyldfae: The Goblin Court, which does not officially exist, is ruled over by The Erlking.

# General Characteristics

## Powers

The powers of the fae vary widely. They may have physical abilities, much like other supernatural creatures, and many of them know some type of magic or another. Their abilities can range from Basic level to Supernatural level.

## Weaknesses

### Cold Iron

* Forged iron burns some fae when it touches them. It causes them excruciating pain, and in the case of vulnerable lesser fae may be quickly fatal. More powerful fae are more likely to survive and recover from such wounds, but wounding one with iron will often cause them to quickly withdraw. Even fae who are not especially vulnerable to iron tend to dislike it, and even the mere smell of the stuff may be enough to cause many fae to avoid a situation.

### Oaths and the Truth

* Promises and oaths bind fairies to keeping them, as well as ensuring that humans keep up their ends of any bargains made. If a fairy makes a promise thrice, it is as closely bound as they can be.

* Asking a fairy a question three times compels them to answer, but they are not bound to give helpful information--only not to lie. They can refuse to disclose what the asker wishes to know but they cannot lie.

* Fairies are bound to speak only the literal truth. This does not mean they cannot mislead or manipulate, and indeed many fairies are tremendously adept at leading those who would treat with them astray while never speaking a false word.

### Wards

* Fairies, as highly magical beings, are heavily affected by wards or other contrivances designed to protect against sorcery and mystical powers.