All Fey Folk

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The Cunning

The Cunning

The last innate wielders of mana.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: TheFolk

• Alignment: Poioumenonic

• Energy: Mana

• Lifespan: 1,000 years

• Diet: Magical mortal fare

• Habitat: Fey hills and forests

Origins

The cunning formed from the remnants of mana as legends of its use revived on Third Shem.

Description

The cunning appear to be blue-skinned folk with dark green whorls all over their skin. They stand between 2’ and 4’ tall with diaphanous, insect-like wings. Their eyes are deep black, and their hands have sharp claws. Their hair always grows plants in it, though what kind of plants vary.

Procreation

The cunning reproduce with one another sexually. They can reproduce with some other spirit folk, and their offspring will follow the species of the birthing mother. They cannot reproduce with other species without supernatural intervention.

Powers

The cunning are the last species with the ability to wield mana innately, without ritual or spell, directed only by their will.

Magic

The wielding of magic without any channel or ritual means that the energy goes through the bodies of the cunning, and that means that their bodies are at risk when they do it. It comes from all four aspects of their Names, and it burns them from within. They can therefore only use it in small doses, but they can wield it with the mastery almost none can match.

A cunning uses magic much like it was wielded on old Shem, drawing from their inner being, fusing it with other energies, and directing it solely by will and gesture. They are born with this power and have mana in their very Names, so they do not need to seek out sources of it like mages and wizards do. They do have to find other sources of other energies if they wish to do much more outside the domain of basic magic that is stronger than basic cantrips.

Weaknesses

Void will harm the cunning severely.

Nations

There is but one nation of the cunning, and they are synonymous with the species.

Culture

The cunning dwell in Lyrilla in tiny communities, hiding among the edges of towns and cities, in farming regions and forests, hiding in plain sight, dwelling amongst every nation of fey folk. They have their own communities and traditions, but they mask this in order to keep from being exploited for their powers.

The number eleven is magical. Every cunning community is led by a circle of eleven powerful elders. The elders select eleven members of the community to be teachers, eleven to be warriors, eleven to be healers, and eleven to be caretakers of the young and old. Another eleven are selected by the community to be secret keepers, eleven to be planters of food, eleven to be hunters, eleven to be weavers, eleven to be spell scholars, and eleven to be collectors of the strange and unusual. These 121 rotate roles with others in the community as needed or wanted.

Children are raised by the caretakers, but they spend time with everyone in the community, learning as much as possible. Play always includes use of (safe) magic. Learning always includes deep lessons as well as practical ones. When they reach the age of eleven, they are selected into a circle of eleven to begin more direct training under one of the eleven teachers. For the next eleven years, they switch between each teacher. After that, they stick with just one teacher for the next eleven years, coming of age at 33.

At age 33, they are taken by the ten cunning closest in age to them (while still older) into the deep woods, where they are tested. They are tested on their knowledge, skill, and power in magic, and at the end, they are brought back to the community and given a special name. They are then feasted and celebrated. The next day, they are expected to take up a non-training role in the community.

Food among the cunning folk is always rich with magic. There are many magical plants, animals, and fungi in the regions where they dwell, but if they consume something that is not magical, they will use their powers to make it magical first. Those who grow the food for the community use every magical art to make sure the foods they produce are potent. Foods often include mushrooms, fruits, and seeds, and meat is rarer.

Arts among the cunning are focused on song, stories, and wordplay - they love puns and jokes. Visual arts are much rarer, as they think it will draw too much attention to them. Sculptures and ceramic materials are only used for special purposes.

Rituals are very important to the cunning. They perform eleven rituals per day, and every eleven days, they gather for a group ritual. These rituals always involve standing in a circle and chanting, dried out fungi, flowers, and dancing. The rituals are said to keep their magical power up. Each community has their own chants and dances, which always involve use of their wings.

Esoterica

As beings of mana, the cunning can wield it innately, much as the original magic users on First Shem did. They can command it via every aspect of their being and channel it through their entire being. They can wield any other esoteric energy except for void, but they almost never do.

Religion

The cunning worship the Triple Goddess, Mother, Maiden, and Crone. They practice witchcraft, spirit communion, and ancient rituals and rites in worshiping them, but they have no special roles within their communities. It is embedded in their entire culture and world view - the Three created magic, which suffused the world and preserved them when magic died on Second Shem.

Gender

The cunning recognize eleven genders, each matched to a shade of blue. Though some correspond roughly to male (royal blue) and female (azure), most are completely unrelated to patriarchal conceptions of gender.

Economy

The cunning practice a mixture of their own communal, unclassed system, and the feudal system common amongst the fey they live beside.

Military

The warriors among the cunning use a mixture of magic and guerrilla warfare tactics.

Occupations

Common roles among the cunning include the following:

• Caretaker

• Collector

• Elder

• Healer

• Hunter

• Planter

• Secret Keeper

• Spell Scholar

• Teacher

• Warrior

• Weaver

Outside View

The cunning are viewed as evil sorcerers and witches by most who know of them, but this is an excuse to capture and exploit them for their mana.

Notables

• Quaequallaeum, Cunning Manifest, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Main: 11,011

• Other: 11,011

Sample Stats

PRO 8
ATH 8 Flight 10
STR 5
AWA 9
WIL 11
PRS 8
STH 9

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Dvergars

Dvergars are the species most closely related to faeries, mystic little folk who are the precursors to both gnomes and dwarves.

Alom-begwi-no-sis (change)
Barbegazi (travel)
Dvergar (mischief)
Eloko (slavery)
Haltija (order)
Krasnoludek (harvest)
Maa-alused (contradiction)
Menehune (island)
Nimerigar (skill)
Nirumbee (wisdom)
Nisse (ice)
Pech (might)
Ruebezahl (earth)
Sheka (misfortune)
Sihirtia (creation)
Sindri (value)
Tikoloshe (water)
Trauco (love)
Yehasuri (wood)

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Elves

Elves are shapers of life, nature, & creation. Any place ruled by elves will reflect their nature, as all life in the area will bend to their will.

Elf (life)

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Fairies

Fairies are empowered by fey energy, which is practiced via The Tradition, a form of poioumenonic craft drawn from the collective narrative of the world.

All fairies start as fairies. Shortly after birth, the parents of the child will find a Name and give it to their child. This name will determine what kin the child becomes. As the child ages, if it is not careful, or if it doesn't become more powerful, it will lose its Name and lose its kin. A fey without a Name becomes a boggin, which is the fey word for a miro.

So fairies are split into kin (determined by Name, assigned after Naming); nation (determined by the culture they are raised in); courts (determined by their personal allegiances and temperament); and queendoms (determined by geopolitics - essentially, the country they belong to).

There are five Courts:

• Seelie Court: orderly but still dangerous fey, ruled by Belphoebe, the Queen of All Fairies, most powerful of fairies
• Unseelie Court: disorderly and very dangerous fey, ruled by the unseelie queens, who struggle for power, Bahee, Oonagh, and Morgaine.
• Kindly Court: benevolent fey, ruled by Fionnuala, the Mother of Ancients, benevolent bringer of kindness
• Unkindly Court: unruly and less predictable fey, ruled by Nicnevin, the Queen of Dread, Belphoebe's evil sister, and Aibell, the Queen of Turmoil, cruel wailing bean sith.
• The Four Courts: nature's fey, determined by the four seasons, ruled by four queens - Mab, the Queen of Summer; Cliodhna, the Queen of Winter; Surata, the Queen of Spring; and Jevgeņija, the Queen of Autumn. A subset of these is the fairy court of the Green Moon, ruled by Queen Diaga. There are also underwater (ruled by Gennet), sky (ruled by Penney), and underground courts (ruled by Gwenhidw).

Individual fairies can belong to any court, depending on their disposition, though depending on their Name (and thus the energies they are attuned to), they might be more likely to be in one court or another. For instance, most fairies with celestial essences are in the Kindly Court. There are many Queens within a Court, though some Queens are more dominant than others. Queens rule Queendoms, which are countries.

Aetherial Fey Kin:

• Askafroa, those with lunar names (lunar aether)
• Atomy, those with aerial names (kiiric yihi)
• Avalonian, those with vibrant names (ashar)
• Bean Nighe, those with deathly names (poarta)
• Coblynau, those with creative names (genesis)
• Daoine Coinnle, those with names of light (the bright)
• Faun, those with natural names (viridian aether)
• Fenodyree, those with harvest names (tmakikan)
• Frosky, those with wintry or snowy names (hvittdogg)
• Green Child, those with botanical names (prasinofos)
• Knocker, those with earthy names (kazaddarean)
• Lauma, those with autumnal names (tykva vlast)
• Macalla, those with sonic names (sonic aether)
• Mari-Morgan, those with primordial names (anumun)
• Mooinjer Veggey, those with names bound to islands (ikehua lyua pele)
• Nixie, those with watery names (conflueverant)
• Poskakushka, those with fiery names (lahab al'qalb)
• Psiludzie, those with bestial names (nzwara murazvo)
• Sanziana, those with vernal or flowery names (hasken fure)
• Scath Tire, those with shadowy names (true shadow)
• Sprite, those with summery or solar names (ma'dhahabi)
• Taranis, those with stormy names (bijalee)
• Tire Realta, those with starry names (qeernariji)

Ambrosial Fey Kin:

• Changeling, those with mortal names (mortal will)
• Spiorad, those with spiritual names (spirit energy)

Celestial Fey Kin:

• Anjana, those with virtuous names (holy virtue)
• Bannik, those with communal names (yahas)
• Bonaghjente, those with musical names (euphony)
• Brabarn, those with joyful names (euphoria)
• Brownie, those with names that smack of hearth and home (hegnh)
• Bugul Noz, those with ugly names (dumaqu)
• Chead Bhean, those with matrilineal names (aemoa)
• Daoine Saor, those with free names (liberation power)
• Glaistig, those with hopeful names (Elysian essence)
• Heldig, those with serendipitous names (serendipity)
• Kith, those with familial names (banaru)
• Klogen, those with experienced names (euskepsia)
• Mikroslaos, those with peaceful names (iremia)
• Nuosirdis, those with honest names (waarheid)
• Pienikansa, those with brave names (tenyocan)
• Prowder, those with protective names (juaih)
• Rdecaoseba, those with healing names (curacion)
• Tire Ildaite, those with colorful names (radiance)
• Trow, those with working names (euergasia)
• Tylwyth Teg, those with just names (lhair)
• Xana, those with inspirational names (euphotonia)

Infernal Fey Kin:

• Alp-luachra, those with unjust names (fusei)
• Bananach, those with names of power and dominion (corrogatio)
• Bean Sith those with cacophonic names (cacophony)
• Bodach, those with infernal names (infernum)
• Bohoken, those with sorrowful names (mollesse)
• Corrigan, those with names never born (pravum)
• Daoine Crualach, those with ambitious names (razdavit')
• Dusios, those with vain names (peccatum)
• Fear Gorta, those with hungry names (sterisi)
• Fear Liath, those with inhumane names (gossamer light)
• Ftitnies, those with powerful, abusive names (hollow energy)
• Fuath, those with hateful names (feirua)
• Gan Ainm, those with unmentionable names (uafas)
• Gent Petita, those with foul names (brown aether)
• Jende Ona, those with patriarchal names (tandh)
• Kilmoulis, those with greedy names (drenante)
• Mincinosi, those with False Names (bedrog)
• Redcap, those with chaotic names (ibbissu)
• Sleigh Beggey, those with destructive names (slitna)
• Smamennesker, those with eldritch names (Eldritch energy)
• Spriggan, those with oppressive names (imperium)
• Trasfu, those with unlucky names (misfortune)
• Vermehla, those with angry names (baleblood)
• Vila, those with envious names (thorn energy)
• Vodnik, those with vile names (vile energy)
• Wrede, those with painful names (arnum)
• Xuclador, those with exploitative names (quaestus)
• Zaboraveni, those with forgetful names (stravomenos)

Nommic Fey Kin:

• Boaxente, those with emotional names (emotional resonance)
• Fear Dearg, those with bloody names (blood energy)
• Suddig, those with psionic names (psionic energy)
• Vemeesst, those whose names bare their souls (soul energy)

Paradoxical Fey Kin:

• Colt-Pixie, those with swift names (momentum)
• Daoine Maithe, those with complex names (complexity)
• Inimised, those with paradoxical names (paradox)
• Pixie, those with ever-changing names (flux)
• Psotnik, those with systemic names (vonzot)

Poiomenonic Fey Kin:

• Adhene, those with magical names (mana)
• Aos Si, those with fey names, the most powerful fey (fey energy)
• Bluecap, those with connected names (ethereal essence)
• Bocanach, those with catalytic names (ayase)
• Cogar, those with secret names (arcane shadow)
• Fay, those with fey names, the lesser fey (dream energy)
• Groac'h, those with names of perspective (aura)
• Habetrot, those whose names are spun from fate (fate)
• Kornandon, those with liminal names (kutsegula)
• Leprechaun, those with lucky names (fortune)
• Puca, those with mischievous names (unfugl)
• Satyr, those with happy names (stagma)
• Scealai, those with legendary names (poioumenon)
• Tuath, those with historical names (kor)
• Urisk, those with wandering names (tahalana)
• Vadleany, those with symbolic names (symbolism)
• Yalley, those with communicative names (ginginyuneti)

Shebvic Fey Kin:

• Behendig, those with criminal names (gemtkhereg)
• Fadas, those with orderly names (shavev mashkalran)
• Firbolg, those with belligerent names (d'qiarsea)
• Hocserelo, those with valuable names (mashoaab)
• Kleine Leute, those with neutral names (shebv heya)
• Saor Dumha, those with structural names, the mound builders, (cu'ucuch'ik)
• Shkathet, those with skilled names (kakraohy)
• Vindingrijk, those with resourceful names (menab'e)
• Vough, those with mighty names (oalkhaylaoataa)

The Wild Hunt are related, but a separate species than fairies.

Nations are more complex, but they tend to feature a large number of fairies of the same kin, but since there is a cultural and generational aspect, different kin are not uncommon within a nation.

Queendoms are the countries of Lyrilla. Queendoms have land and borders. Courts are political alliances. All Queendoms are ruled by a Queen, but not all Queens rule a Court. A Queen of a Court has dominion over other Queens in her Court and over any fairy in her Court, even if they are not in her Queendom.

Any other type of faerie you wanna try out, tell me and we'll say you got a rare name! Suggestions include brunaidh, bwbach, bwbachod, bwcas/buccas, couril, crion, deuadai, dunter, frau welts, goayr heddagh, goric, grigs, gruagach, gwragedd annwn, gwyllion, hechiceras del ebro, hob, ijanas del valle de aras, kabouter, kielkropft, klokers, korrig, lesiy, lutins, max glashtyn, moras de carmona, mozas del aqua, nozigan, ozigan, paotred ar sabad, pay(n) (Armenian), plentyn cael, poulpikan, se irim, silkie, slau si, teuz, tomtes, torrigan, uisce, uruisg, viejuca de vispieres, viltans, wassermenn, wechselbalg, and wechselkind.

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Old Fairies Page

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Gnomes

In the beginning, gnomes and dwarfs were dvergars, tricksters living deep beneath the earth. Some bonded to the stones and earth itself and became dwarfs, or earth elementals, and others took up the crafts and skills of their people and developed an almost obsessive devotion to the rules and systems they created. These became gnomes.

All gnomes have to follow a set of rules, thought those rules might not make sense. A rogue gnome is one that has lost their set of rules. To most people, including most gnomes, any gnomes is just a gnome. Their specific nation is really only relevant to them and the rules they follow.

Gnomes are universally subject to major discrimination around the world for their wild and unstable inventions, which are in part a result of the fact that they do not suffer harm from failed inventions, which pushes them to certain risks.

They once were categorized more speciically, but on Third Shem, they have become classified by the colors they prefer for their hats. Gnomes can change nations by changing their engineering specialty and their hat color (and often do). They all speak the same language, or at least, dialects thereof.

Gnome Template

Black Gnome (science) - used to be chemical gnome - chemical engineers
Blue Gnome (sound) - audio engineers
Brown Gnomes (earth) - used to be spelunker gnome - geotechnical engineers
Green Gnome (wood) - environmental engineers
Grey Gnome (metal) - mining engineers
Pink Gnome (structure) - structural engineers
Purple Gnome (creation) - used to be maker gnome - construction, mechanical, and architectural engineers
Red Gnome (systems) - used to be integral gnome - systems engineers
White Gnome (void) - used to be irritonic gnome - void engineers
Yellow Gnome (storm) - used to be circuit gnome - electrical engineers

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Goblins

Goblins are small, troublesome beings who once were related to fairies; they are the nightmarish counterparts thereof.

Goblin Template

Alux (harvest)
Bauchan (war)
Bugbear (chaos)
Chaneque (death)
Douen (fauna)
Dunnie (crime)
Duende (hatred)
Ettin (famine)
Farfadet (home)
Goblin (nightmare)
Gudrobonga (exploitation)
Hobgoblin (mischief)
Iratxo (metal)
Kobold (earth)
Lutin (nature)
Menninkainen (luck)
Muki (value)
Nuno sa punso (misfortune)
Ponaturi (doom)
Pukwudgie (fire)
Shishiga (ice)

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Wearga

Based on urban legends and English underworld lore, rhyming slang. Wearga - plural, wearg - singular

Wearg (gemtkehereg)

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Wild Hunt

Wild Hunt:
Karnon, the horned men, those with counterpoint names, children of Cerunnos (kutsegula)
Dyn Corniog, the black hunt, those with nightmarish names, children of Gwyn ap Nudd (uafas)
Herlething, those with fateful names, children of Herla (fate)
Hulda, those with wise names, daughters of Holda (euskepsia)
Lussiferda, those with painful names, daughters of Lussi (arnum)
Manannan, those with silent names (arcane shadow)
Perchtaine, those with equalizing names, daughters of Perchta (ujjval aatma)
Santa Compagna, those with holy names (celeste water)
Veitha, those with mighty names, one-eyed hunters, children of Waur (oalkhaylaoataa)
Volcji Pastir, those lunar names, wolf folk (lunar aether)
Wild Huntsman, those with hunting names (fuinneamh)

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Zitelli

Zitelli (sing. zitellu) are "children" of the Fortunate Isles who never seem to age and seem to fade from view when perceived.

Feito (luck)
Irreale (misfortune)
Senza Esse (serendipity)