Fae

See also: Sidhe

Faerie creatures are those that dwell within the Shadow Realms, in an area of it commonly called the Fae Lands. Like the Divine Realms or Infernal Realms, the Shadow Realms are divided and splintered. The Fae Lands are those areas closest to the Mortal Plane.

By far the vast majority of the fae in the Fae Lands never manifest a font a power outside themselves. These are the wee folk like sprites, brownies, fae gnomes, cobblersprits, and many others. Creatures such as these can travel freely between the Fae Lands and the Mortal world, but only at night and only in places associated with their kind (i.e. a showmaker's shop for a cobblersprit, a meadow for a sprite, etc.).

Wee Folk is a reflection of their relative power - not their actual size; although wee folk are commonly small.

When they travel into the mortal realms they create a body from ectoplasm. If this body is destroyed nothing is left behind. They can be bound or bargained into service.

This is when a fae has a True Name.

A more powerful fae like a nerid, nixie, elv, or sylph will manifest their own internalized font. A very minor percentage of smaller fae also reach this “naming”, but it is a more slippery thing to control them with as their nature is so chaotic - some may even forget their name.

This is the seed of individuality, the first formation of their true name. They can be summoned by this name and controlled or bound into service. Like the Wee Folk they can travel between the realms in places associated with them. Unlike the wee folk they can craft a body from ectoplasm that can survive the passing of the sun.

The most powerful of the fae are those that have manifested their power outside of themselves and laid claim to lands within the Fae Realm. These holdings will grow as their power grows and must be defended from other fae. Those with lands will often begin to attract vassals. All of the Faerie Queen have a sizable realm, some far more vast than any land in the mortal realm. Many times these larger holdings are subject to subinfeudation into smaller holdings by various nobles.

The difference between Sidhe and Fae is mostly argued over by scholars and the Sidhe themselves. In practical terms both creatures were born in the Shadow Realms closest to the Mortal Lands; however, some Sidhe will take great offense at being referred to as fae or faeries.

The Fae, being the closest to the Mortal Lands tend to be molded and shaped by the beliefs of mortals. These beings of spirit reflect the mortal world around them and the mortals they interact with. Dark places will find dark faeries, while bright places will find happy faeries. All faeriest have almost no recollection beyond the now, but instead find themselves drawn to places that seem “right” for them.

Scholars disagree whether a fae that manifests a small expressions of self are simply lesser Sidhe or in fact are becoming Sidhe themselves.

Where the Fae Lands strongly intertwine with the Mortal Lands a Genius Loci is formed. These locations are often associated with a “spiritual” feeling due to the nature of the fae that dwells within the place.

Traditionally the fae are drawn to a place by the belief of those in the mortal lands. Thus, the fae that live within the loci are those most closely linked to the spiritual belief of the mortals.

A sentience is when the fae within a Genius Loci stop being individuals and instead become a single entity. This entity was formed from the spirits of the fae and thus manifests itself as their common will. Once formed the sentient will act as a single, and typically very powerful, spirit capable of forming a physical body.

While it has a body, it is still limited to the area around where it was formed. It can still only act as was the nature of the fae who formed it, but on a scale that was impossible before sentience occurred. It does not have “free will,” but it does have a great deal of choice.