Fey

The Fey, called “Aos Si” or “Sidhe” are a strange folk, being creatures of great beauty and power, but what they do with such power is hard to discern. They are chaotic creatures, sometimes helpful and benevolent, others are possessive and wicked. Many believed the Children of Dana were Aos Si, seen nearly as gods. Many lived in the hills of Ireland, often being buried in great mounds and reawakening in times of great need.
However, not all fey are equal. While the Tuatha were god-like, some others were lesser creatures. Banshees, for example, were sidhe that screamed bloody murder into the night as an omen. Or the leprechaun, a tricky short sidhe with obsessions with gold.
With the Christianization of Ireland, the Fey were forced to stay near their hills or the forests, and the Irish refused to disturb them further. However, the fey were not always afraid, and some would come to mess with the inhabitants of Ireland. One great example was the Aos Si: Macha (part of The Morrigan), who would influence great heroes in the ancient days of Ireland.
Sometimes, the powers of the Fey extended towards to humans. The power of the Morrigan influenced the men of Ossory, who were gifted with wolf pelts to turn them into werewolves. There was also Cuchullain, a hero of Ireland who could shift his flesh inside-out to become a monster of war. But these influences faded away in history, as many were hunted down as witches in the Irish countryside.

Civilization and Culture

History

It is said that the fey were once humans, coming from a mother named Dana and a father named the Dagda. These two were the King and Queen of the First Folk. Long ago, they settled in the lands of Britain against the forces of the giant Fir Bolg. When the Fir Bolg were defeated, the Children of Dana and Dagda became great rulers over the inhabitants of the islands, living lives far beyond normal mortal bounds and becoming fairer than any other beings. In particular, the fey that settled in what is now Ireland became known as the Aos Si, and named their realm Eire.
Their rule, however, was opposed by men of the underworld who stole their magic, the Fomorians. One of the fey, Eochu Bres, betrayed his brothers and sided with the Fomorians, seeking the throne of Eire for himself. It was the efforts of Nuada Silverarm and Lugh Longarm that the Fomorians were defeated at Mag Tuired. The Fomorian king, Balor, was slain, but Nuada Silverarm also fell in the battle. Lugh became the new High King of Eire, and forced the traitorous prince Eochu Bres to restore the destroyed lands.
In order to control their courts, those who were loyal to Lugh and the court of the Children of Dana were called the Seelie. Those who opposed their rule, and thus were more dangerous and preferred to wander as dangerous beings, were called the Unseelie. The inhabitants of Eire began to understand this difference, as the Seelie often remained in the safety of their palace, Tir na Nog, while the Unseelie wandered the forests and hills.
Evidently, the fey folk began to lose their power as the celts arrived in the lands of Eire, setting themselves up as kings and inhabiting the restored lands. They found themselves at odds with the Unseelie and thus resorted power to the magicians of their tribes. These magicians, called Druids, stole secrets of the fey magic and began to use it against them. As humans drove the Unseelie away, the Seelie stayed their distance while the Celtic Hibernians, soon to be called the Irish, created many kingdoms over the land.
The seat of High King would be taken by a warrior named Conn Hundred-Battles, his kingship chosen by the other petty kings at the rock of Tara. This cemented Ireland under the rule of mortal men, with the fey remaining in deep obscurity, only rarely tampering in the affairs of men.

Genetic Descendants

• Dragons
• Merfolk

Origin/Ancestry

Enchanted Humans

Lifespan

Unknown, many have been said to live thousands of years.