Fae

The Fae are supernatural creatures from another dimension, recognized as Underhill. Underhill is both more beautiful and more terrifying than the Earth realm and is different in almost every way possible, such as gravity, plant and animal life, the color spectrum, time, and even morality. Often adhering to rules and taboos that conflict with human nature and often contradict one another, this makes the Fae rather unpredictable for most.

Fae have been traveling back and forth between Underhill and the Human realm for centuries, working with and living among the mortals in secrecy. They come to Earth for many reasons, such as business, power, adventure, or even to escape persecution and the opportunity to begin a new life in a new world even if they have to return regularly.

More About Underhill

Demons, Angels, and Phouka? ..oh my!

Perhaps the best kept secret every Fae knows is that every angel, every demon, and every god.. They have all been creatures from Underhill. Though the great Archfae which once passed as gods and founded human religion for their own obscure aims are now gone, many Fae still continue to pose as various lesser celestial and infernal creatures, seeking to exploit human belief to their own aims.

No Fae will admit this as truth to any mortal, and go to great lengths to dance around the issue if it is ever brought up. No one wants to be the Fae that lets those of the mortal realm in on the greatest deception of all time, as a lot of angry individuals would likely wish them dead.

Fae Sub-races:

Fae can be broken up into three known subspecies: Arch-kin, Faeries, and Greenskins. Arch-kin are made up of Elves, Dwarves, and Gnomes. The Greenskins consist of Goblins, Orcs, and Trolls. Faeries are made up of Piskies (Pixies), Nymphs, and Phouka.

The Arch-kin:

When the Archfae were first created by the Wilde to serve as a force of balance and order in Underhill they realized the task was too big for even them to do alone. Working together to pool their power they drew aspects of themselves out, manifesting them into the Arch-kin: Less powerful races whose purpose in existence would be to serve as assistants.

Most Arch-kin were utterly devoted to the Archfae and their often strange century-spanning schemes against one another. The death of the Archfae was a devastating loss for the Arch-kin that even two millennia later they have not fully recovered from. Some Arch-kin still foster a deep hatred of the Beastkin, and a desire to exterminate them for their part in the uprising that lead to the fall of the Archfae. Others merely wish to see peace remain, and to maintain the roles they were once made to fulfill.

Arch-kin are city-builders that innately prefer a civilized lifestyle and are fond of logic, and order. To them, all things have a place, and accepting your lot in life is an important thing. The Arch-kin tend to see the Faeries as chaotic and undisciplined, always flitting from one idea to another and never accomplishing anything.

Elves are tall and lithe beings, impossibly graceful and regal with fluidity to their motions that it is deeply unnerving to most humans. Their skin tones are those you might find in a human, though some examples of bluish hues do exist. Their eye colors are all over the spectrum, and sometimes softly glow. Hair tones are typically those of a human.

They were created as administrators and excel at bringing order to their surroundings. They served primarily as a sort of lesser nobility, acting as local lords over regions of Underhill. During the Age of Strife they lost practically all control over the larger continent of Gyanth, but still retain a huge amount of prestige and importance in Underhill as a whole.

During the age of strife as they reconsolidated their power they built Reasala, a sprawling and magnificent city of glass and marble, as their new capital. All of the great Noble houses of Elf-kind have a manor in Reasala.

Elvish Heritage: Elves have the power to issue a one word non-harmful command to a single target they point at, which must be obeyed for a single post round. Doing so requires succeeding a competing roll to take effect, and may only be done once per day.

Variant: There are some clans of Elves who are born with a large set of feathered wings, and are able to fly. However, they also have far more delicate bodies as well to reduce their weight, and only have 45HP. This must be manually set on your HUD; note on your application if you are of this type of Elf.

Dwarves are short, by most standards. No Dwarf has ever been above five feet in height, with most being about four and a half feet. They are broad-shouldered and stocky people, however, known for their long and often intricately braided beards which and even sported by some females. Dwarven eye color, hair color, and skintones generally run the same ranges as humans.

Legend has it the Archfae formed the first Dwarves from the bedrock of Underhill itself, and it is said they still find kinship in all stone to this day. They were created as the builders and craftspeople of the Archfae, and constructed the citadels from which the various Archfae ruled over their part of Underhill, as well as various monuments and other structures.

After the Archfae were slain, the Dwarves suffered from a deep lethargy, for without direction they were unsure what to do with themselves. This came to an end when Every Dwarf had the same dream the same night. The next day every Dwarf migrated into the Thurum Mountains and began to carve out the Endless City, which today stretches the entire length of the mountain range and is still being expanded.

Dwarvish Heritage: Dwarves can transform their skin into stone, halving all physical damage from weapons other than firearms for three post rounds, once per day. They are additionally expert craftsmen, and things they craft have an innate protection from being reduced to dust upon a failed attempt to enchant them.

Gnomes are roughly the same height as the Dwarves, but unlike them have far more slender builds which lack their hardiness and strength. While their skin tones follow the range of a human, they are known to have eye colors across the spectrum. Likewise, their hair might be any color, and often grows in a chaotic, spiky manner.

What Gnomes lack in strength and height, they make up for with their brilliant and inventive minds—They were created as the planners and engineers of the Archfae, tasked with bringing their grand ambitions for Underhill and beyond into concrete plans of action. Early on, the clever Gnomes discovered a crystalline material called Songstone, a uniquely pure, solidified manifestation of the Wilde often called “Crystalized Potential”. Using it to create Songstone power cores, the gnomes created magitech devices such as flying machines and even seemingly self aware clockwork servants. The very heart of Gnomish ingenuity was the city of Hyveria. Set upon an isle of the same name in the north of Underhill, it eventually grew to be the vast city of soaring towers, dwarfing even an earthly city as large as Tokyo or New York by at least four times. They were arguably the most powerful Fae race when the Archfae fell, and could very well have taken Underhill over without much effort.

Sadly, their deep loyalty to the Archfae and compulsion to think their way out of a situation proved to be their undoing. When the Archfae were slain the leader of Hyveria at the time, Administrator Temku, ordered the city’s brightest minds to devise a means of bringing the Archfae back. No one is entirely sure where they went wrong, but the end result was accidentally touching the very core of the Wilde. The chaotic energies that were released dwarfed any nuclear bomb, and shook all of Underhill. Hyveria was leveled, the reality on the isle warped in strange ways which have left it uninhabitable, save by terrifying mutant creatures, aberrations, and malfunctioning clockwork automatons. Much of Gnomish culture was lost, with only roughly 1 in 10 gnomes left alive. Worse still, their magitech became seen as dangerous by other Fae, and their overall standing in Underhill politics were permanently diminished.

After the tragedy the Gnomes became a migrant people, linked together by an organization known as the Tinkerer’s Guild and can be found all over in small bands known as chapters.

Gnomish Heritage: Gnomes have the ability to create a small clockwork creature no bigger than a house cat, to act as an assistant and companion. This companion follows the rules of and has the abilities of a Gifted's familiar, save if it is killed it simply breaks. Gnomish clockwork assistants must be recharged once a week, by returning to Underhill.

Additionally, Gnomes may craft non-electronic devices which innately mimic a Gifted's spell, except it may have complex triggers and be directed in unusual ways. Songstone cores rapidly lose power like a battery outside of Underhill. On earth you must use your daily wish to charge up such a device for the day, rolling as normal.

Faeries:

The Faeries were created by the Wilde itself, and represent aspects of its basic nature. They are the most prominent survivors of the many races dreamed up by it during the Age of Chaos and are, as might of been expected, chaotic and ever changing. Faeries live for new experiences and tend to like to try anything, at least once. The Faeries have historically clashed with the Arch-kin, as they have often found them to be a bit… stodgy, and set in their ways.

Most Faeries call the vast Shimmerwoods of Gyanth home, and have as far back as any of them can remember. As cities represent a sort of structure they find alien, no Faerie cities exist, and those from the era of the Archfae lay abandoned and crumbling. Numerous Faerie villages dot the Shimmerwoods, however. The only will that they obey generally is that of the Wilde itself, and only grudgingly obey those it appoints as leadership of Underhill. Control of the Shimmerwoods has always been a rather tenuous thing for any leader, be it the Archfae of the past or the modern Seelie and Unseelie Monarchs.

Nymphs were basically the elves from before there were elves; it is a fact which Nymphs find quite amusing and Elves find equally annoying. They move with grace and typically have more delicate features; even the males are quite androgenous in appearance. Innately beautiful beings, Nymphs have skin tones similar to humans but can also be tinted with the color associated with the element they are connected with. Nymphs frequently have unconscious manifestations of their glamour matching their elemental association, such as flaming eyes for fire Nymphs or wings for Air Nymphs.

Nymphs are fickle beings, but are the most reasonable of the Faeries and have served as a sort of pseudo-royalty, for as much as that means to the structure loathing Faeries. Nymph clans are oriented around their elemental tie, and Nymphs only give birth to Nymphs of the same elemental type. Nymph villages, while small, are incredibly graceful in architecture and the closest thing to true civilization a human would recognize one can find on the Gyanth mainland outside of the Greenskin city of Gagul.

Nymph Heritage: Nymphs can manipulate a single element (earth/air/water/fire). What they manipulate must be within 20m of them and already exist. What is manipulated must fit within a 1.5 cubic meter space (Air & Fire) or not weigh more than their own body (Earth & Water).

Phouka are shapeshifters whose true form is a sheet-white androgenous, hairless humanoid lacking any distinguishing features. Very few people ever see this form, however, as it is a very intimate thing for them. Phouka have a low place in the larger Fae political structure, as they are considered incredibly untrustworthy by many. For their part they embrace their lot in Underhill with a gleeful abandon, and tend to see themselves as those who tell truths others will not (and often get punished for it).

From Loki to Coyote practically every trickster god in every human mythology was based upon the antics of the Phouka. The most infamous example of a Phouka tricking humans (which Phoukas love retelling) was in convincing a small tribe in Finland into worshipping the corpse of a beached whale as a God, an act that angered the local Gifted so much they banished the offending Phouka from earth for two centuries.

Phouka Heritage: Phouka may take on the general form of animals and people they have seen in person (glamour/illusions not counting), within the limits of their body mass. As they are flesh and blood creatures their body must remain physiologically viable (no making yourself hollow, must have all the needed vital organs). Phouka cannot mix traits of creatures, nor can they perfectly mimic the look of another person. Phouka lack the ability to create more than an aura masking glamour and must rely almost solely on their shape shifting ability for disguise.

Jelly Phouka are shapeshifters whose true form is an amorphous, gelatinous goo. As with normal Phouka, however, few people ever see this form, as it is a sensitive topic for many of them that they go to great lengths to hide. Jelly Phouka normally have perhaps the lowest position in the larger Fae political structure—They are seen as monstrous aberrations which devour even other Fae. Their minds are an alien place, even to other Fae, and the motivations which drive them are strange and seldom trusted by anyone.

Most Jelly Phouka believe in “The Cycle” in regards to taking other life, sentient or not. If the death feeds something else or has a purpose in dying, then the killing is considered moral. To kill without use or reason is considered immoral and, by their standards, taboo.

The first Jelly Phouka are recorded to come into being much later than ‘normal’ Phouka, and are inexorably linked to the tragedy of Hyveria. The intense magical energies released during the city’s destruction warped everything on the isle, and out of this chaotic energy came the Jelly Phouka, some directly, and others indirectly as the children of the few survivors of the disaster. The language they naturally speak is an ancient version of Gnomish.

In the roughly two thousand years since they first appeared, it has become tradition to send any Jelly Phouka born outside of Hyveria to the isle, publicly because the island and its irradiated ruins are known to help them survive their early life. However, everyone knows it is more that Hyveria is seen as a sort of dumping ground for things you do not wish to think of again, and the parents of Jelly Phouka see birthing one as a great misfortune they hope to distance themselves from.

Jelly Phouka Heritage: Like their flesh and blood cousins, Jelly Phouka can take on the forms of others they have seen in person, additionally having the ability to mix and match body parts, sometimes in ways that make one wonder what the creature originally was. Their shifted body does not need to remain physiologically viable and may be hollowed out to get bigger, or compacted down to become smaller than their original mass and they harbor the gruesome ability to “absorb” personas with their inherent acidic nature.

By engulfing and completely absorbing (dissolving) a person or creature, they gain all knowledge, memories, personality traits, and the physical appearance of the creature or person and can perfectly replicate them in their own form and actions, thus, becoming them. Some prefer to keep their personas separate while other jelly phouka mix and match to find something that feels more right to them. They can also turn themselves into objects and things of equal size and or mass, similar to another creature, though they are aware of what is going on around them, they cannot “see” in the same sense.

Should any part of a phouka be cut from the main trunk of the body, that amount of mass is lost and must be replenished over time and eating. At the core of every Jelly Phouka is a single, soft, pearl like orb, usually translucent, that is all that they are. As long as the pearl remains intact, the Jelly Phouka can, over a usually lengthy amount of time, reform itself.

A jelly Phouka that is reduced down to less than 1/4th its body mass is considered unable to continue as a character and must be retired back to Underhill, to the nursery cliffs of Hyveria to replenish themselves over the following century.

Unfortunately, due to how close they are to the Wilde, Jelly phouka are twice as susceptible to iron attacks and take double damage each time.

Piskies are diminutive winged creatures resembling elves with hair, skin, and eye colors spanning the full spectrum. Many also have glowing eyes, and bioluminescent wings and skin patches. There are several subspecies of Piskie: Those with insect wings, those with bird wings, and those with bat wings. No matter the subspecies both Males and Females tend to be exceedingly androgenous, and it can at times be hard to tell which is which.

Despite how disarmingly adorable they might seem, they can be quite dangerous. Their mouths contain piranha like teeth and many have a known fondness for both calcium and raw flesh; a swarm of angered piskies can strip a human sized creature down to their bones in minutes, and then consume even those not long after.

Piskies live typically in deep forests, in the where the trees are tallest. Up in the canopy they construct elaborate structures quite akin to a weaver bird’s nest, usually in small villages. They are mischievous in nature and they are known to enjoy playing pranks on ‘grounders’, though depending on the nature of the piskie these might be harmless fun, or downright cruel and/or deadly.

Piskie Heritage: The glamour of a Piskie is basically unrivaled, and can exert roughly five points of pressure as an object, or when in the form of a person surrounding them equal to that of a typical adult human. As a Piskie in a sense is their glamour, they gain a sense of touch from it, but also become wounded if it is attacked with cold iron.

Greenskins:

Thousands of years back, the first Greenskins were once Arch-kin, but were punished for various failures by the Archfae and when cast out they were twisted to show everyone the shame of their disservice and the high cost of failure. Though scattered across the vast nothingness of Gyanth’s Great Wastes as part of their exile the various Greenskins eventually gathered together and formed loose tribes which by Arch-kin standards are quite primitive and savage.

The fall of the Archfae was a huge boon to the Greenskins, and during the Age of Strife that came afterwards this loose collection of disgraced and shunned individual tribes embraced their natures and instead of mourning what was long ago lost gathered a significant force and seized control over the Great Wastes which they retain to this day. The various Greenskin tribes still stalk the wastes, but founded Gagul, a chaotic and hodge podge construction of timber and stone buildings, as their major meeting spot. Due to its very loose rules Gagul quickly grew and became the major trade hub and only large city for all of the Gyanth mainland.

Goblins are diminutive and of distant Gnomish heritage, with greenish skin and famously large hooked noses. Goblin hair tends to run through shades of black, brown, and dark blues. Their eyes are yellow, or otherwise red. Goblins tend to be fairly stocky compared to their ancient Gnome ancestors; many are downright portly due to their love of excess.

They are as clever as they are ruthless. Goblins make trade and the accumulation of wealth the core of their culture. On earth this might take the form of material possessions, but in Underhill this tends to take the form of secrets, favors, and contracts. While Gagul might in theory be a city run by all the Greenskin races, it is the Goblins who have seized most of the actual positions of authority, generally with the backing of a goblin trade syndicate.

Goblin Heritage: Goblins have a remarkable affinity for luck and once per day may roll twice and take the better roll. Additionally they have a way with contracts, and can at will forge contracts with others with magical repercussions should they be voided. While a character does not need to understand what they are agreeing to IC, communication OOC needs to be made to make sure both parties agree before the RP completes.

Orcs are a race of Greenskin with ancient Elven descent. They are roughly human height, but generally quite muscle-bound, with rapid metabolisms to burn off fat and bodies that simply develop muscle without much effort. Orcish skin tones are shades of green, with hair running through browns, black, whites, and blues. Orcs are known for their tusks, and their eyes run shades of red, yellow, or brown.

They are by far the most militant of the Greenskin species. Orcish culture can in many ways be reflected upon that of ancient Sparta. From a young age all Orcish children are put through brutal military training which emphasizes obedience, endurance, courage and glory in combat. They are trained that obedience to the tribe elders comes first, over even one’s family. Orcish culture prizes death in battle as the final ending all should aspire too, and as such no Orc is older than roughly fifteen hundred years old; growing old without a glorious death is considered dishonorable.

Orcs do not do the menial labor required to upkeep a culture. This is done by the Gru’thai (Orcish for “Captives”) gained from raids. These individuals are slaves, once largely Beastkin but with magical oaths prohibiting that now they are more likely to be humans; shifters are particularly prized as slaves for their strength. The Gru’thai are often treated brutally and oppressively in an effort to prevent uprisings, though there are some Orcish tribes which break with this tradition—They treat their Gru’thai far better and even allow them to earn a degree of freedom if they happen to have desirable skill sets.

Orcish Heritage: Orcs have An ability known as Throm’gar (Orcish for “The Anger”), which can be triggered once per day. While active an Orc has strength rivaling that of a shifter, can ignore all attempts to dissuade them from attacking (magical or otherwise), and can ignore pain. It is not uncommon for old Orcs to go into a final Throm’gar against a foe they know they likely cannot defeat, to make their death as glorious as possible.

Trolls are about as different from the Dwarves they descended from as possible. Trolls often are seven to ten feet in height, with incredibly muscular forms. Their skin tends to run in dark greyish-green tones. Most are bald, but those who are not have hair running in blacks and browns. Some Trolls are known to grow horns, and to even have one eye instead of two. Many have jagged, sharp teeth and as a species they are exclusively carnivorous, with most plant-based foods making them quite ill.

They are not known for their intelligence, and without outside direction tend to live solitary lives in caverns focused around base survival actions. They are, however, often drawn into large society by the Goblins, who bind their dim witted cousins up in extensive contracts and use them as enforcers and otherwise hired muscle for menial tasks.

Trollish Heritage: Trolls are remarkably regenerative, and once per day may roll their dice, healing that amount. Outside of combat they also heal at roughly three times human speed and can even regrow lost limbs (unless the wound is cauterized). This accelerated healing is negated by cold iron wounds, as well as fire. Troll strength is roughly twice that of a human, though inferior to that of races like Minotars, Vampires, or Shifters.

Fae Aura:

This is more of a characteristic of all fae, regardless of subspecies. Some Fae consider the Aura as a strength, others may view it as a pesky inconvenience. All Fae emanate a semi-translucent, multicolored, shimmering energy field that when not glamored is visible to mortals and develops at a Fae’s puberty.

Mortal minds are not yet developed or strong enough to process the phenomenon, causing those who see the aura to experience mental shock and possibly sending them into a mental meltdown of sorts. This can be avoided and/or corrected by feeding the mortal food from the Underhill realm. The food alters the mind and acclimates the mortal to the Fae’s otherworldly physical appearance.
Supernaturals are more resistant but not completely unaffected by the Aura. (Deciding Roll.)

Basic Abilities:

Glamour -

Fae have an innate power to create glamour, which might be best thought of as a trick played on reality itself. Glamour both exists, and does not exist. It is phantom, and illusory. All Fae outside of Underhill instinctively apply a base level of glamour to hide their otherworldly aura, so as to not harm others. A glamour effect cannot be larger than twice the Fae themselves. A Fae can create no more than one glamour effect at any one time.

Glamour is most often used to disguise a Fae as something else, and can make one seem to be anything, though exact duplication of someone by glamour is not quite possible. While you can glamour yourself to seem like something, you gain no new properties. If you Glamour yourself to seem like a housecat your true body is invisible but still there, and quite solid. The cat, however, is not.

Glamour can also be used in other creative manners to trick others. Glamour can be applied to objects and people a Fae can see or is touching, but fades one post round after they look away and/or let go. Glamour can fool every sense, but cannot cause actual harm (exception below). While a glamour sword might SEEM very real, and you might feel being slashed by it, but in the end.. It isn't real. Once the Fae looks away you will find you are perfectly fine.

Unfortunately, Fae were not created equal, and ability in glamour varies with a few notable outliers:

Piskies are by far the best at glamour, and have the unique ability to make glamour which is solid, as well as larger than themselves. The part of a glamour which is truly solid must be no larger than a typical human, and becomes phantom if it is beyond a 2m radius from the piskie.
Greenskins have weaker glamour skills, and outside themselves can only glamour objects and people they are continuously touching.
Phouka and Jelly Phouka are born with practically no ability to glamour. While they can hide their aura, and perhaps make a few colorful sparks, they are otherwise inept. This is counterbalanced by the fact that they physically shapeshift (within the confines of Phouka rules, as described above).

Fae Dust -

If a Fae rubs their hands together the surface layer of skin can produce a fine powder which can then be blown at a target; this is known as “Dusting” someone. This takes two post rounds to do, and can only be done once per day. This is treated like an attack, and a target may roll to see if they can dodge out of the way. To understand the exact effects Dusting will have please read “What is Dust”.

NOTE: Dust only remains viable for 24 hours, before becoming inactive.

Dusting someone is illegal, and will get you arrested and fined up to $300. Repeat offenders become subject to prison sentences, beginning at 72 hours and eventually ending in 1+ year sentences (forced retirement of your character). If someone who is dusted becomes injured or worse the Fae is considered to blame, and proper charges will be drawn.

What is Dust?

Dust contains what is known to human scientists as UHC, short for “Underhill Hallucinogenic Compound”. UHC is a substance produced naturally in the body of a Fae, which has powerful intoxicating and hallucinogenic properties for races not native to Underhill. UHC is in every part of a Fae’s body, but usually in concentrations too low to cause any reactions. The skin of a Fae’s hands, however, contain a much higher concentration level.

Various races react to UHC in various ways:

Humans are highly susceptible to UHC, which may linger in their system for a number of hours equal to their failed defense roll.
Gifted are more resistant to UHC, which may linger in their system for a number of hours equal to half of their failed defense roll (round down).
Shifters and Merkin, due to their supernatural metabolism, UHC lingers in their system for a limited period of time. If your failed roll was ten or more away from the Fae’s roll to dust, it lingers for two hours, otherwise it lingers for only one..
Vampires, as they do not breathe/inhale, are immune to Dust. If they feed on the blood of someone affected by dust they will have up to a half hour “contact high”.
Fae and Beastkin are, again, immune to UHC. Merkin are excluded as noted above.

Wilde’s Gift -

Once per day (twice for the Unseelie and/or Seelie Monarch) a Fae may make a request of the Wilde to warp reality. If it is something possible using the spells of a Witch normally costing four or fewer ley charges it may be done without administration approval (to keep things fair and balanced).

Once per month, you can make a request outside this template. Doing so requires admin approval of your wish. Note the more you ask for, the more likely it is the Wilde will take something from you as payment, and it might not be something you’d want to give up.

To see if your request is fulfilled, roll your dice, if it is 11 or higher it succeeds, if it is 10 or lower nothing happens and your request is used up. Keep in mind that the Wilde answers requests in an often totally unexpected manner. Use this chaos to your advantage, as an RP tool!

Objects wished into existence cannot be electronics, are of inferior quality to handmade ones, and disappear after 24 hours. Additionally, the Wilde has six general rules for wishes:

You cannot wish someone dead, directly or indirectly.
You cannot wish harm upon a fellow Fae or Beastkin, directly or indirectly.
You cannot wish for dominion over your fellow Fae.
You cannot wish to control another.
You cannot wish to bring back the dead.
You cannot wish for more wishes.

Disobeying these guidelines comes with harsh penalties.

NOTE: If a Fae is within Underhill they may freely use this ability as much as they want, and the roll is considered a success. Admin permission is still required for custom effects, however.

The Wilde:

This primordial extra-dimensional force is one of three self aware prime forces in the Myserie setting, and the only one you are likely to ever interact with IC. The Wilde created the plane Underhill is located in, and is known by many names—Some magical scholars among the Gifted know it as the Prime, and claim it to be the source of the power which flows through the ley lines (though some dispute this).

Fae legends say it was there before anything else, and it will remain after all else is gone. The entirety of Underhill is a creation of the Wilde, including the Fae that call it home. Given its fundamental nature to their existence a not insignificant number of Fae worship the Wilde as a divinity of a sort, a terrible irony given their habit of fooling humanity into believing they are themselves gods.

The Wilde is a confusing force embodying ‘creative chaos’ and freedom from the absolute rules of its counterpart which created the plane within which Earth sits. Its influence in the “Plane of Law” as the Fae know the human world is limited, but it is the root of all magic and magical creatures—Including Vampires and Shifters.

Exchange - All Fae have the ability to not only siphon emotional energy from other beings, but to instill their own emotional energy on the hosts as well. This is done through skin to skin contact and is a pleasant, euphoric experience for the Fae, regardless of the emotional energies being exchanged. Emotional energy is likened to a drug or decadent dessert to Fae. It can also be pleasurable for the host, pending the targeted emotion, but it can also be downright terrifying. A Fae can enhance or lessen any emotion to intensify their high, manipulate a situation, or as a defensive mechanism in order to distract or a way to temporarily subdue or incapacitate a threat.

For those seeking the high, proceed with caution. If a Fae loses control of the Exchange and does not release the host, both can be sent into a dizzying tailspin and eventually have a mental breakdown, emotionally and mentally incapacitating them both for several hours, possibly longer, making them both vulnerable. (Deciding Rolls)
An Exchange can be done with other Supernaturals, however, an involuntary exchange is much more difficult with older and more powerful Supernaturals. (Competing Rolls)

Base Health Points: 60HP

Doubled Healing - This ability allows Fae to heal most wounds twice as fast as a human (10HP/Day) and three times a human rate (15HP/Day) when they return to Underhill and spend at least 24 hours there.

Fae cannot survive decapitation or regrow severed limbs (unless otherwise stated) and Supernaturally caused wounds such as a Vampire bite, Shifter bite, or a Gifted’s magical attack reduce your unaided healing per day to 7HP/Day.
Fae will heal at human speed (5HP/Day) if subjected to any cold iron caused injuries, until their health is restored fully.

Immunity and life longevity - Fae are immune to non-magical diseases, but become ill if they contract a magical sickness such as vampirism or the shifter virus. A fae who catches these either overcomes them, or dies.

As a rule of thumb, multiply a human age by 10 to get a rough cultural age for Fae. A Fae under 180 years of age is considered a minor by other Fae. (Fae age physically like a human, for Linden Labs reasons.)
- Note: Fae are not allowed to grow up on Earth, as the comparably weak magical energies are known to negatively affect their growth. Few Fae come to earth before they reach 180 years of age.
As Fae age, they require increasing amounts of magical energy to overcome the Earthly plane’s rejection of them. They can live and explore the mortal realm only during the first thousand years of their life before the amount of energy they require to exist becomes more than the Ley Lines of earth can sustain, causing them to quickly wither and die should they not return forever to Underhill.
Time in Underhill still weighs upon a Fae, even if they are physically immortal there. Centuries begin to blur, and everything eventually becomes an endless torment. Within 5000 years all fae ask the Wilde to set them free. These Fae simply vanish, and most think the Wilde reclaims the energy it put into that Fae to create a new one, as a sort of reincarnation.

Low-Light Vision - the ability to see fully in low light up to 10 meters.

Weaknesses:

Food from the Underhill - While Fae eat human food, they must eat food from their home dimension to maintain their tie to it via the Ley Lines.

Fae must eat food from the Underhill realm at least once a week to sustain themselves. Food from Underhill can exist in the Earth realm, but will spoil—losing its properties—within a few short hours.

Cold Iron - This material is defined as iron which is not hot forged during its production (cast iron, mostly). Cold iron unravels the magic which makes up a Fae, normally manifesting as burns.

Touching it to a Fae’s skin causes burns. Causes 5HP in damage per post round it remains in contact.
In combat, being harmed with cold iron adds 5HP in damage to any successful attack..
A Fae trapped in a cold iron cage sickens rapidly, suffering 5HP in damage per day even if they avoid touching the bars.

The three rules of the Wilde: The Wilde mandates three rules upon the Fae. Why? Well.. no one truly knows, as the Wilde acts in often illogical ways. Those who breach these laws suffer a punishment.

The truth binds: No Fae can tell an outright lie. They can sidestep, misdirect, and otherwise twist the truth, however. Agreeing to a contract is also considered under this rule, as once a deal is struck a fae cannot disobey the rules of the contract without implicitly lying.
A gift demands a gift: Fae are required to return a gift of at least equal value if they accept one. This is why you will never hear a Fae say “Thank you”, as this implies a gift was given.
The Wilde’s name commands: Upon birth every Fae is born with a name they implicitly know, given to it by the Wilde itself. This is known as their true name, and if it is used on a Fae to give a command they cannot disobey it (ooc permission required).

Bells of Silver - Silver Bells are akin to nails on chalkboard to Fae. A loud, obnoxious symphony of chiming silver bells is excruciating torture.

St. John’s Wort - This plant or shrub with distinctive yellow five-petaled flowers. St. John’s Wort has been used by mankind over the centuries - primarily in herbal remedies, however, the plant is highly toxic to Fae. Contact with the herb can cause a nasty rash, likened to poison oak or ivy. Ingestion can make a Fae severely ill, and may possibly be fatal depending on the dose.

Addictive Blood - Fae blood is known to be addictive to Vampires. It creates a euphoric sensation for the Vampires, which can result in a feeding frenzy, draining the Fae completely if not careful. After multiple feedings, a Vampire can become addicted to Fae Blood and will stop at nothing to acquire more. Older and more powerful vampires may be less susceptible to the Fae blood lust and addiction.

Addicted vampires who attempt to go without Fae blood will experience withdrawal. Typical withdrawal symptoms include stomach pain, vomiting, blood red eyes, extreme hunger, and need for more Fae blood.

Relations

Below is a general reaction a typical member of a racial group might have to other occupants of Underhill. It of course does not reflect every Fae, but is reflective of what a general member of that group would have.

Archkin see...

Faeries: “They are lazy, and so unreliable! They flit from idea to idea, never finishing anything and showing no ability to plan for their futures.”
Greenskins: “They are crude and savage, I am quite embarrassed to be related honestly. Most of them are quite daft too, aside from goblins.. and no one trusts a goblin.”
Beastkin: “They are bestial as the name suggests, unable to even grasp such a basic concept as clothing. They destroyed the proper order of things, and for what? Such a paltry thing as freedom.”

Faeries see…

Archkin: “The Archkin are so stodgy and boring. They drone on about culture and heritage, and never bother having any fun!”
Greenskins: “They smell a bit, but they are alright. Better yet, they know how to party! Trolls sure can hold their liquor. Never trust a Goblin, though.”
Beastkin: “They broke a system most of us never liked, as the Archfae were real pricks, honestly. They throw good parties and take a prank well, plus it is sure fun to see them prance into a prim and proper elven hall buck naked!”

Greenskins see…

Archkin: “They think they are so mighty, that their brains are so big. Pah! Take them out of their pretty cities and they are helpless.”
Faeries: “They take their tricks too far, and make us mad sometimes. Most times? They are good drinking friends, and tell the best stories.”
Beastkin: “Some of our best trading partners! They broke the old order we suffered under as much as they did. You can always trust a Beastkin way more than one of the Archkin”

The Court of the Seasons: Seelie and Unseelie

Before the Age of Strife there were no Seelie or Unseelie, though the basic dualistic philosophical framework of the two factions existed as long as there have been Fae. It was only in the wake of the Archfae perishing that they coalesced fully in the centuries of power vacuum that followed.

Within the Myserie Universe Seelie and Unseelie are not intrinsic aspects of a Fae, and rather are more like a mixture of a political faction, philosophical position, and lifestyle choice that all Fae make. Over the centuries a Fae might drift between the two Factions, or be kicked out of one, only to be welcomed into the other, and later kicked out to rejoin the first. It is all a delicate dance for the Fae, a grand play within which they are each an actor, orchestrated by the Wilde itself, seemingly for its own amusement.

Ruling from the minor domain of Arcadia there are three courts. At times there is a Seelie leading the Summer Court, and an Unseelie leading the Winter Court. Other times the Two courts are in recess for a time without suitable monarchs and a single Minister rules from the court of Autumn or Spring, until such a time that suitable Kings or Queens can claim the thrones in the Court of Seasons.

In all cases it is known that proclamations must be spoken by both monarchs touching their court’s stone of power. If a

NOTE: It is an unspoken but presumed truth that when dealing with outsiders Fae come before Faction. The two sides might bicker bitterly, but will stand side by side when faced with an outsider.

Seelie (The Summer Court)

The Seelie are associated with the season of summer, and value decorum above all else. It is the Seelie who are best known for grand balls and more civilized hobbies. They are often noted to be the court that is less prone to getting violent or angry without some insult being tossed at them. Do not mistake this for being pacifistic or some such however—If anything it could be said that the Seelie are the most dangerous court, as they will smile warmly and invite you to tea, making friendly small talk as all along they plot how best to murder you.

The Seelie are marked with a love of making deals in which they can trick people into giving more than they get, or with impossible terms to fill. As priorly mentioned they do not usually fly off the handle at random, but also they do not take well to people abusing their hospitality or to rudeness... And they will remember, sometimes for generations in the case of humans.

The summer court is best thought of as a delicate game of chess. The players that are involved usually work through subtle mechanizations to get enemies executed, or worse yet exiled to live in shame. In Seelie culture it isn't that you did a crime that matters, it's that you were caught (or framed for) doing it.

The Seelie are known for being exceptionally vain, often taking great care of their personal appearances. On the same note it is wise to never question the beauty of a Seelie unless you wish to die. As an extension of this it is known that the Seelie value racial purity highly, and are known to look down upon half breeds and other ‘unsavory types’. Those with less than pure Fae blood, of Greenskin heritage, or a phouka are known to take rather extraordinary measures to hide the fact, if they wish to gather power and prestige to themselves.

Unseelie (The Winter Court)

The Unseelie are associated with the season of winter, and are best thought of in terms of everything the Seelie are not. They are far more wild and untamed, scoffing at the Seelie pretenses at overbearing civility as a prelude to their actual desires. If an Unseelie wants something they just take it. They tend to have short tempers and overall be much more overtly chaotic. If an Unseelie is mad at you, you'll know—They are likely trying to either maim, maul, murder, or eat you for the slight they are upset over, imagined or not. Likewise, however, if they feel fond of you, you will know.

The Unseelie are prone to make deals only when it serves their interests. When they do they are usually quite clever and silver tongued at first, though if you refuse their terms they usually will try to get them anyways through coercion.

The winter court is usually best thought of as controlled chaos. Unseelie value power and force highly, and their politics reflects this. Monarchs of the winter court reign as long as they can prevent being murdered or coerced out of power by a rival.

Unless forced out of fear of a greater power the Unseelie place their own desires above all else. If they want to do something they just do it—Asking (IC) permission and the layers of permission that the Seelie like to make a game of are both alien and tiresome to the Unseelie.

Fae Governance

Underhill is the size of earth, and as such has a complex governing structure to manage so much territory and so many people. It can be split between the governance of the Fae on Earth, and those in Underhill.

In Underhill, governance is more personal for the Fae, and goes as such:

The Shades (NPC): The shades are a terrifying manifestation of the Wilde, and carry out its judgments directly. Though they rarely intervene, all Fae must yield to the judgement of a Shade; their word is effectively absolute.

The Senate (NPC): A body consisting of representatives from each race’s internal governments. It serves as a fae UN of sorts which takes care of day-to-day trade and other general legislation within Underhill. Legislative power largely rests with the Senate, as does mobilizing the full military might of Underhill. All Senators are at least 1000 years old, with many being 2-4k.

Regional Leadership (NPC): Underhill’s major races have claimed sovereign territories around the world of Underhill, and control it through their own internal systems.

On Earth, the focus is on management of the Fae as a people rather than territorial control per se. At the top is the Magister. This being has, per the wishes of the Wilde, divided Earth into hundreds of territories of influence. The Fae living in these territories are managed by a mechanism known as the Court of the Seasons. Each territory is controlled by a co-equal Seelie and Unseelie monarch.

In the event a territorial court does not have both leaders a continuance of governance system kicks in and power goes to the Minister, whose only duty is to make sure the territory survives and suitable leadership is discovered so that the courts may resume.

For our sim the territory we are within is territory six, and consists of the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Due to a conflux of five powerful ley lines over Myserie City providing an exceptionally rare two stable portals to Underhill the city serves as the Fae capital of the region despite being out of the way by human standards.

The Magister (Grand Council NPC): A strange entity created by the Wilde which sits on the Grand Council of earthly races, serving as Underhill’s representative. The Magister is cloaked and hooded in elaborate and bejeweled garments; no one has ever seen its form, or even it HAS one under there. What is known, however, is that the entity is pragmatic, ruthlessly so when it comes to seeing that Underhill is best served.

The Minister: The Minister is assigned to a territory by the Magister. The only duty of the minister is to make sure the territory survives and suitable leadership is discovered when there is a void so that the courts may resume. Once the courts are in session the only power the minister retains is the ability to request that the Magister depose a ruling monarch of their assigned kingdom. (The Autumn or Spring Court/King/Queen, Twilight Court, Shifting Court.)

The Court of Seasons: The Monarchs (King or Queen) are the chosen leaders of an Earthly territory. There may be only one Monarch for the Winter and Summer courts, respectively. The Monarchs reign over the (Un)Seelie within their territory as appropriate, and are always under 1000 years old. They are bound by an obligation to hold court and hear the grievances of the court-loyal Fae of their territory, though frequently they delegate some of this authority to their Seneschal. Uniquely, they have the power of Judgement and may summon forth a Shade into their Court to this end.

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The Court Positions Are:

The Monarch (of Summer/Winter) - The Monarchs reign over the (Un)Seelie within their territory as appropriate, and are always under 1000 years old. They are bound by an obligation to hold court and hear the grievances of the court-loyal Fae of their territory, though frequently they delegate some of this authority to their Seneschal. Uniquely, they have the power of Judgement and may summon forth a Shade into their Court to this end.
- Seneschal (of Summer/Winter) - Second in command. The Seneschal advises and supports their Monarch in all matters and often is tasked to act as a representative for the Court citizens.
  - The General (of Summer/Winter) - Third in command. This position, under the orders of their court’s Monarch, has power over their court’s military and is responsible for ensuring the security and protection of the Court’s Citizens. Excessive and/or unjustified use of force on Earth may result in the Magister punishing the offending court.
    - Lords and Ladies - These are Fae who have earned the favor of their court through deeds of heroism and community growth. They often serve various specialized functions in the court, as dictated by their respective Monarch
    - Knights of the Court - These are Fae who have pledged their lives to the defense of their territorial court and its citizens. Knights serve under the General of their territorial court.
      - Citizens - These are Fae who have pledged themselves to a territorial court.

Solitary Fae - Those who have chosen not to pledge themselves to the territorial court, Seelie or Unseelie.
- Note: Solitary Fae will not have protection from the courts, nor will the Court of Seasons hear any pleas from them.