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Races / Faerie
Alignment : good History:The very first Faerie was an alluring petite creature by the name of Drenaar. Although her ways were new to the world, the very essence of magic was woven into the fabric of her being and she was immediately drawn to the bookish intrigue of Savants and pressed herself to protect magic. With the emergence of this faerie Drenaar, strange and grave occurrences soon began happening in the lands. Young children were said to shout unheard of obscenities. Dark clouds rolled in from the horizon and the seas slowly heated to a boil. As fiery meteors set fields of crops ablaze, all fingers pointed towards Drenaar. Try as she might to convince the people that this was not her sorcery, prophets and clerics began to rant and rave about how the heavens were angered. After about a week of this madness, Drenaar herself was captured by a small band of Chaos Demons to be carried away into the planar prison of Crypticant. What happened to Drenaar after this abduction remains to this day unknown, what is certain however, is that now different groups of faeries inhabit Aabahran. The most vicious group are the Kaddar fae, who have settled to the southeast of Val Miran. Preferring thick jungle or swamplands where non-flying competitors have little chance against their surprise attacks, they have been the death of many an unwary traveller. Kaddar are known for their short temper as well as their tendency to kill first and ask questions later. They alone among the fae are followers of the dark path in life. Most Kaddar stay in their homeland, fortunately, however in rare cases they also have proven very competent at carving out a place for themselves among foreigners. A prime example of such a Kaddar would be Piva, also called the "Tiny Fury", who showed such viciousness coupled with deadly skill that she was hired as an instructor by the Institute. While the Kaddar are very aggressive, the Ylsae faeries usually exhibit a more defensive nature. Located between the Kaddar tribes and the forest south of Val Miran, they often have a buffer effect, keeping the other races from more serious harm. The Kaddar mostly tolerate them, as the Ylsae are their only means to trade with the rest of Aabahran. The most famous trader of the race is Fransiz, who's managed to sell things to the unwary traveller he'll never in his life will have a use for. Another reason for the truce between Kaddar and Ylsae is the Ylsae's famous midwife Mab. Skilled beyond any other, she has saved countless young faeries, both Ylsae and Kaddar. Just as the Ylsae stand in between their darker cousins and the Bastion of Light, most also choose to follow the way of balance, ever mediating between the more extreme views in life. The third group of faeries is the most commonly seen as they are most wont to travel. Their cheerfulness, love of life and playfulness generally makes them good travelling companions and so over time the term faerie has become to mainly indicate this group. Many of these faeries have made their homes in the city of Val Miran, a few also in Maelbrim, what few outsiders become aware of however, is that the majority of these light-walking faeries, who decide to stay at their reclusive home settlement Gualorum, are not open towards foreigners at all. The fact that Gualorum can only be reached through a magical portal suits them well and if those traditionalists would have their way, no outsiders at all would be welcome in this save haven where the young faeries - the faerline - whose wings are not fully formed yet, are raised. This rift in faerie society has become so grave over time, that nowadays any faeries disagreeing with the policy of separation often just leave their home, travelling the lands of Aabahran instead. One exception to this trend is the faerie trader Milikin, (un-)famous for his imported foods from all over Aabraham, who has not given up yet on the venture to educate his fellow citizens to become more cosmopolitan. While the reason for the self chosen seclusion of the majority of the faerie race is not readily apparent, the faeries themselves tell dark tales of a brutal war fought long ago, the details now lost in the mist of history. What most faeries agree on is the fact that in this war faeries were fighting on both sides, and it is only through the sacrifice of three great faerie heroes by the names of Kremenian, Driaka and Mualore that their home was saved from oblivion. It is said that the essence of these three heroes still lingers in Gualorium, forever trying to educate their people and to protect them from harm. Some faeries argue that those of their race fighting on the "other" side, became corrupted and thus the Kaddar came into existence. Whether this is really true however will probably never be fully determined. Fact is, that the Gualorium faeries despise the Kaddar, though most of them never have met and never will meet one of their dark cousins. The Kaddar are only to happy to reciprocate this feeling, and so the rare faerie who finds itself walking through their territory often gets killed on sight. Usual Height:The Fae are the tiniest of Aabahran's major races. Even the most aberrant of Fae are no taller than 2 feet. Meanwhile, the smallest of their kind have been known to measure in the centimeters. Hometown:Many faeries make their homes in the city states Val Miran or Maelbrim, though the more reclusive ones never leave their home settlements. Religion:Being that their origins lie in magic itself, Faeries are known for their devotion to arcane arts. Their connection and manipulation of the Vortex is second to none. Even those that do not directly worship the religion still pay their respects to the ways of the Mystic. Physical Features:The most prominent and recognizable feature of the Fae are the auras that are produced naturally from their body. Scholars have theorized that these diminutive creatures are in constant connection with the Vortex -- the source of all magic in Aahbaran -- and literally emanate said power. Each Faerie's glow is distinctive in luminosity as well as color. The variations are, of course, only detectable by the Fae and those who have excessive knowledge of their kind; to an outsider most Faeries look the same. The only time a Faerie will not produce this light is during extreme duress or in death. Their spellcasting talents are therefore marred only by their inability to use the spells of faerie fire and faerie fog which are disrupted by the faerie's own magical aura. For the same reasons they are also immune to those spells allowing a faerie to become quite an accomplished thief. With their superb dexterity and natural flying ability faeries are able to travel the realms with great speed as they glide silently through out the areas. They are extremely intelligent and extremely fast. The weakness of the faerie lies only in their lack of strength and stamina. Their appearance tends to be quite elvish. They have pointy ears and slightly tilted almond shaped eyes. This has led some to theorize that elven stock was used in the creation of the first Faerie. Adding to their insectoid appearance, most breeds of Faeries have a pair of antennae sprouting atop their heads. All Fae have wings protruding from their upper backs. Only three classifications of wings have been discovered on the Fae. They are, listed in order of common to least common: Clear dragonfly wings, Colorful Butterfly wings, and the rare wings of pure magical energy. While the Kaddar usually sport dark translucent wings, their skin color varies from a pale, sickly white to grey to a deep ebony. Most Kaddar faeries are red haired and have sharp teeth, some let their fingernails grow and sharpen them to points, gaining an additional advantage in battle. The Kaddar share the feature of pointed ears with all other faeries. The Ylsae are usually dark haired and look less vicious than the Kaddar by far. Their features are less sharp than the Kaddars', their eyes usually a deep blue; thick lashes and full lips give them a less sinister and more mischievous look than their darker cousins. The Gualorium faeries are the most beautiful of the faerie races. Even features, often called beautiful even by other races' standards, graceful limbs and translucent wings sparkling in the full spectrum of a rainbow give them an otherworldly appeal. Those faeries sporting butterfly wings or wings of pure magical energy are solely found amongst the Fae deriving from Gualorium. Society:Due to their energy, Faerie society is very fast paced. Faeries, even the Gualorium born ones, are quite easily offended. Some of the most egregious insult is to call them a firefly or a bug. Faeries that are born with wings of pure magical energy are considered to be the highest class of Faerie. Those with Dragonfly wings, while the most common, are considered to be low class. This is because they are the most insectoid in appearance. Their connection to the Vortex is called into question. Faeries often live in birdhouse-like containers which have been attached to a tree-trunk. Relationship With Other Races:Most other races find Faeries to be quite bothersome. Their insect appearance and constant light have caused some to treat them like pests instead of sentient beings. Humans have been specifically known to believe that faeries are evil. Due to the events surrounding the appearance of the very first Faerie, many legends have sprung up in Human lore in regards to faeries - most of them not positive. Tribal races, such as Ogres, Werebeasts, and Minotaurs are also wary of Faeries for the same reason. The Faeries, however, have historically resented this misrepresentation, feeling that they have been improperly portrayed. |