FAERIE






The Fae are probably the most unique race gracing our lands. Not only for their lack of social complexities, but also for the way they hold themselves in the lands of the taller races.
Fairies, come from the land of  dreams and spill over more often than not upon our  realm by sheer accident. Not to say they do not enjoy their stay, but getting them to conform to the ways of it is often more work then it seems. One could say it is part of their charm.
There are four types of fairies, each one are birthed from the four main elements of the earth.
Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Each clan, as they call them, has it’s own particular look and advantages. But fairies can be positively tiny in their smaller forms, and can be very large in their bigger forms.
The Fae are even more varied than humans in possibilities of shapes sizes and appearance.
Whether by magic, or maybe the chaotic tendencies of their gods and Goddesses, they can adapt themselves to the world without losing their unique characteristics.
They can adapt to the world, growing larger to better fit into it. The transformation requires room to grow though, any sort of object impeding that growth stopping the process entirely. Once in their larger forms their magic’s are capable of being used to help and hinder:

Sadly when in their larger form those with wings become nothing more than ornamentation, losing their ability to fly. If they have wings , they can look like a butterflies or dragonflies, bird or lizard like. Though rumor is  they secrete a powerful hallucinogenic to mortals and elves and the visions you imagine when you lick fairy wings are made real by fae magic, This has neither been proven or disproven. which would explain a lot of the things that happen when a mortal crosses a faerie's path!
This has never actually been confirmed by a reliable source. The Fae of course won't divulge their secrets.

The shifting of one size to another is not the dramatic effect, as one would see a Pixie do. Given these beings are very skittish by nature, the shift from one size to another is usually only a soft glow of light about their bodies. This ‘low key’ change helps them attempt to avoid ones who would abuse them.
 Many fae are also shape shifters and can shift to various animals in alignment to their chosen element. So that salamander you saw by the cave? Might just be a fire fairy!



Society and Beliefs

The people known as "The Sidhe" or people of the mounds, or "The Lordly Ones" are descended from the "Tuatha de Danann" and "The Fomorians" after the war the old ones retreated are believed to be living"Tír na nÓg" a mythical island off our coast.
It is they Faerie who are the closest kin to the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians.
The Fomorians represent the gods who represent the harmful or destructive powers of nature; personifications of chaos, darkness, death, blight and drought.
The Tuath Dé, in contrast, represent the gods of growth, light, and civilization.

There are good and evil Faeries, called the Seelie Court and Unseelie Court, respectively.
 The members of the Seelie Court can be dangerous if offended, but the primary difference between these two groups is that the Unseelie Court is never under any circumstance favorable to humans. Its chief pleasure is to harm or distress people, and while its members can have a sense of gratitude, it can be just as dangerous to befriend them as offend them. They are wholly hostile to mankind, and the best way to deal with them is to avoid them altogether. In Irish legends and folktales, the Unseelie Court is composed chiefly of the Sluagh Sídhe, the evil  offspring of the Fomorians.

The members of the Seelie Court, on the hand, are kindly disposed, or at least neutral, towards humans who obey their laws. They are not without kindly impulses, and are capable of gratitude: they readily reward any kindness done to them, no matter how small, and show their approval of any conduct they deem admirable. Typical rewards include gifts of food, inexhaustible supplies of grain or flour, perpetual good health and fortune, or even being saved from danger or death. For the most part, people expect good Faeries to be helpful and fair, to return what they borrow, to patronize true love, to enjoy music and dancing, and to take a keen interest in fertility, neatness, order, and beauty. Even the members of the Unseelie Court do not lie, they just equivocate.

Suggested Sites

Wiki

Fact Monster

Fairies A-Z

Advantages

Elementally Aligned:
Each Fae is tied to a specific element. This allows them to absorb a portion of that same element if attacked by a like-element. Many fae choose to make their homes close to their born element, Salamanders will often find comfort in the eaves of a blazing hearth, or Will O'Wisp will frolic in the frothy ocean waves or turbulent rivers. Many a flower picking Maid has happened upon a sleeping Pixie, curled up in the petals of their favorite flower or plant.
OOC note: When the Fae chooses an element, the Fae can ONLY choose one natural element.
If a Fae chooses to shape shift, going from big to small  does not count toward the  limit of  your 3 form max including your main. It is a change in size and still counts as your main form.
EX: You own a Petite avatar and prefer it but sometimes want to go to the village as a normal sized person, - you still have two other forms you may choose to shift in to.

Elemental Submersion:
Fae do occasionally get injured, but being so strongly tied to their element makes it possible for them to recover from all but lethal injuries by submersing themselves inside their respective elements. An example would be Salamander crawling into a fire or hearth, Gnomes burying themselves, a Dryad would have to rest atop a very large tree or cliff to expose themselves to the open air and a Will O' Whisp would need to go  to water. While within their elements, injuries would begin to heal within a  few hours spent recouping, minor scrapes and bruises healing overnight while more serious injuries might take days. This does not stave the life threatening damage of a mortal wound due to the time needed, or regenerate lost limbs or wings that would need a more powerful healer to tend to.

Disadvantages

Elementally Aligned:
Just as each Fae is tied to an element and the amount of damage it takes from same-element spells and items would be minimal; those spells/items of opposing nature will harm the Fae more than any normal attack could.

Room to Grow:
Fae have a marvelous coping mechanism when in the mortal world, to go from small to large, and back again, the ability to fly; however, the Fae are restricted even with these generous gifts. Fae require room to change their size, so if a foolish Fae happens to get caught within a glass jar or cage, the ability to shift and flee is impossible until they can get free. Also, though quite fast in their smaller frames, once in a larger state those beautiful wings become useless, too weak to carry this new heavier weight, and thus is flight restricted as well.

Pretty Wings:
A big draw back to those with wings is that while they get to keep them in their bigger form, they are useless for anything other then decoration. They retain movement, but the magic’s that make them work for flight is rendered useless. The wings are also very sensitive to touch, almost as if the sensations are amplified slightly. Fae wings offer no protection of any kind. Though rumor is  they secrete a powerful hallucinogenic to mortals and elves and the visions you imagine when you lick fairy wings are made real by fae magic,  this has neither been proven or disproven.
Like a butterflies wings, faeries wings are very fragile. Because of the rumors some of the darker races and less than trust worthy humans often hunt the fae. for their wings and "pixie dust".