 |
|
| Species | Poskakushka |
| Order | Faerie |
| Classification | Vaettir |
| Court | Summer |
| Sphere | Fire |
| Origin | All faeries are born Nameless and must be given a True Name; poskakushkas have fiery Names |
| Lifespan | 2,000 years |
| Habitat | Subarctic forests, mines, mountains |
| Food | Wood, coal, honey, fruit, milk |
| Description | Poskakushkas appear to be 6" tall, red-haired, human-like feminine dolls with blue sarafans (dresses) and kerchiefs. Their teeth shine. |
| Procreation | Poskakushkas reproduce by taking a piece of gold and melting it, then leaving drops of the melted gold in a hole in a tree. Within a year, a new poskakushka will come out of it. |
| Esoterica | Poskakushkas are beings of rubedian aether, Beltane aether, poioumenon, and dream energy. Like all faeries, they are users of The Tradition, a form of poioumenonic lore empowered by dream energies. They also use white tiger aether, solar aether, winds aether, greenlight aether, spring aether, summer aether, viridian aether, Damaskian powers, dumaqu, some forms of heavenly light, euphotonia, radiance, curacion, spirits, yahas, fortune, infernum, sin, gossamer light, fate, some humors, mijjit, euphony, mystery, and mana. |
| The Tradition | Poskakuskhas have the following basic fey powers:
Poskakushkas can transport themselves through fires (hopping). If they step into one fire, they can reappear in another fire within 30 miles radius. They have a blue sarafan and kerchief. The sarafan protects them from the bitter cold; the kerchief allows them to control fire. If they are near gold, they can sense it; if they dance near gold, it will be found soon. Their dance is mesmerizing. A poskakushka can make a spade point the way out of a forest if they heat it up and breath sweetly on it. If they sit on a birch branch, they can ward off eagle-owls and summon snakes. A large group of poskakushkas can bring the season of Beltane with their dance. |
| Glamour | Poskakushkas can glamour themselves using certain ancient rhymes, making themselves hard for people to remember, though children often seen through it. |
| Weaknesses | If they do not speak their True Name backwards into that same mirror in half a minute, poskakushkas lose their True Names. They have a fortnight to recover it or they become targets of the Wild Hunt, corrupted into another kind of fey, or turn into a hag or boggin. Iron or steel will bind a poskakushka into powerlessness. An iron horseshoe nailed over a door will bar a poskakushka from entering a house. Most poskakushkas detest tobacco smoke, and it can be used to stave them off. This is just a preference, however, and not a weakness. Brumal aether or brown aether harms them. Eagle-owls kill and eat them. |
| National Culture | Poskakushkas live in small communities led by groups of three women called troitsas. A troitsa is made up of the three most powerful poskakushkas in the community. They live in deep, cold forests, where they dance, sing, and play merrily, gathering for their food and living near fresh water. They travel their vast territories from fire to fire, visiting other nations and beings in their area. If miners come to their area, they make deals with them to lead them to gold, which they then trade for goods they need. Property is shared communally. Children are raised by their mothers (the ones who melted and placed the gold); sometimes multiple poskakushkas help with the melting and placing. They are usually bonded couples or thruples who wish to have a child together. Gender is ignored, though most identify femininely. By the time children are 10, they have been taught the dances, rhymes, and traditions of their community. By the time they are 25, they are adults and can be part of the ved'ma, which is the group of poskakushkas who train to be in a troitsa one day. Each Beltane, poskakushkas gather many communities together for a great dance to ensure the arrival of the season. The snow melts, the flowers bloom, the trees come back, and the poskakushkas make love in the deep woods. Near the end of summer, they take a path called the Great Snake, which leads them through their territory, so they can sense where all of the gold is. They mark these spots for their allies and spend the colder months guiding them. Poskakushkas love children of other nations, fey or mortal, and will play with them and lead them to secrets. |
| Summer Culture | As members of the Summer Court, the poskakushkas swore fealty to the Summer Queen after many years of being raided and enslaved by those seeking to use them to find gold. They pay tribute to the Queen so that they may remain mostly free to live their national culture. Some integrate into the Court culture more thoroughly, however, and form the Queen's tantsor ognya, or firedancers. There are also many who simply live as part of the servant class. |
| Other Courts | Poskakushkas are killed on sight in the Winter Court. They are enslaved in the Unseelie and Unkindly Courts, used for their gold-finding powers. In the Seelie Court, they are part of the exploited servant class, and in the Kindly Court, they are welcomed and protected. |
| Mortal Interactions | Poskakushkas will lead miners and prospectors to gold in exchange for goods they need or on a whim. |
| Notables | Sornai-Nai, Poskakushka Manifest |
| Special Classes | Ved'ma, Troitsa, Tantsor Ognya, Sborshchik (gatherer), Tkachikha (weaver) |
| Sample Stats | PRO 8 ATH 8 STR 4 AWA 9 Gold Sense 14 WIL 9 ROG 8 Sneak/Hide 11 Vanish (30 seconds) Glamour 8 Whistle 4 Hopping 11 Sarafan 11 Kerchief Dance 11 Beltane Dance 11 |
GrandGuignol
Copyright © by the contributing authors. All material on this collaboration platform is the property of the contributing authors. Ideas, requests, problems regarding Foswiki? Send feedback