Fae

Otherworldly creatures hidden away in the forests of Lasair, the fae are magical beings bridging between the everyday mundane world and a hidden realm of magic, mischief, and a fierce and deadly nature belied by their fair and bright appearance. The four fae thrones have been here for millennia - almost as long as the titans - existing both within and outside of the slow turning of time.

Beings of Magic and Emotion

Found deep within three of Lasair's forests are immense magical workings that distort space and time, creating a pocket within reality that covers a lot more ground than is represented on a map (a Mage once described it as "bigger on the inside"). Within and around these spaces live the fae, beings of nearly pure magic that came into being uncountable years in the past, during the early days of the world itself. Where the Giants were a manifestation of primordial elemental magic given form, the fae are instead the condensed essence of emotion. From the earliest days, magic is driven by thought and feeling, and those powerful emotions can create the most powerful of magics. The fae are that kind of magic given form and born into life.

Their nature and appearance has changed over time. When they first came to be, they were nothing more than shimmering balls of light. As the world changed from its early chaotic state and life began to take on form, the fae followed suit. Imitating animals or plants or, later, intelligent life gave them joy of fitting into the world. Using those forms as a disguise to explore and manipulate the lives of other beings became second nature to them. Feeding off of emotions of all kinds, the fae draw strength and happiness from being around strong feelings, and will find extra enjoyment if they were responsible for making those emotions happen.
In today's world, the fae maintain many forms, reaching back throughout the time they've existed. A given fae creature may take on any number of forms in its life, and it can easily change between them at will. It can learn a new form with some effort and learning - or it can do so instantly if given permission by the creature it is wishing to copy. The most visible are those who take a human-like shape, but they can appear in almost any shape or form.

Mortal Souls and the Fae

As discussed in "On the Origin of Mortals", mortal souls tend to dissipate into the background magical energy of the world upon their passing. One exception to this rule is when a mortal lived with such a strong connection to something that their soul instead is drawn into a new being - such as Virtueborn. The same can occur with relation to the fae, but rather than through a devotion or long experience with them, this can occur through the fae's favorite pastime: bargaining.
Thanks to their limited lifespan, mortals very commonly find themselves in a position of great desire. Whether for fame, power, or a simple escape from desperation, mortals can be susceptible to trading away something of importance in exchange for help. In most cases, fae will seek out mortals in such positions to make small bargains, such as giving the inspiration for a poem in exchange for a night together, or a gift of coin for use of their face for a fortnight.
Sometimes, though, such bargains can be much more impactful. Mortals can be drawn into giving years or even decades of their lives in service to the fae in exchange for power or fortune. Above all, though, is the soul bargain: when a mortal dedicates their very being to the fae in exchange for a boon of immense benefit during their lifetimes. When such a bargain is completed, the mortal receives everything they could imagine - but upon their deaths the energy within their soul will be drawn into The Fae Realm rather than fading away into the magic of the world. Once there, their soul will be mingled with others and will be used for powerful fae magics, or perhaps even used to birth a new fae being into the world. Such new fae will not have any memory of their prior existence, but their personalities and desires will often hew closely to the mortal(s) they were drawn from and the bargain from which they were captured.

Outside of Space and Time

[Main Article] - The distorted space that exists around the homes of the fae within their forests does not merely exist there. These "pockets" within the forests are themselves each connected by a unique space: The Fae Realm. Each of the faes' homelands include a sort of a portal connecting to this central space, allowing them to visit and communicate. Within this space, time simply does not exist, and physical laws are almost entirely mutable. Traveling through it - for a mortal - is nearly incomprehensible, and outside of a few Mages none has ever been able to move between two fae thrones without being explicity guided by the fae themselves.
The Realm is full of strange sights. Existing like nothing more than an enormous optical illusion, nothing is ever quite as it seems. Trees grow with their roots in the air, waterfalls flow upwards, stairwells lead nowhere except back onto themselves. The realm tends to take on the character of the throne you are closest to, with odd blendings occurring where the domains overlap. In some ways this can help navigation but will also mislead - and the realm may have an intelligence of its own, choosing to draw those it finds unworthy astray into the depths, lost to all time.

The Fae Thrones

As the fae became more numerous and spread across Lasair, they began to find themselves drawn to places that fit their favorite emotions and experiences. As this happened, and the fae became concentrated, they naturally organized themselves into loose hierarchies. Fae become more powerful over the centuries as they draw magic into their beings, so the oldest naturally carry a great deal of influence upon younger fae. Four main concentrations of fae, each drawn to a major forest, would appear over time. Some are stricter about their hierachies, with the most strict having elaborately drawn out traditions to which they adhere - and which they take great joy in enforcing upon mortals that they interact with as well.

Fae of the North

The cruel and frozen north of Lasair is a harsh environment. Mortals rarely tread here, but when they do they must be hardy and fierce and willing to show strength to survive. Within the Forest of Il'yria can be found the cruelest and fiercest of all faekind. These cold and icebound fae are particularly fond of tasting the emotions of fear - and in the satisfaction of a well-hunted kill. They frequently take the shape of wolves and other predators of the northern forest, but will also imitate the ancient forms of the Elves that migrated to the deepest parts of Il'yria after the Dragonscourge. The northern fae delight in bargaining with lost mortals, with those of have retreated to the north to escape mistakes, or most especially those who heard of a hidden power in the ancient forest.

Fae of the West

Ensconsed within the Altwood Forest within the City-States Region, the western fae are those most commonly around Humans, and take great pleasure in experiencing the wide-ranging emotions that humans living in such concentrations can create. They are the most likely to actually leave The Fae Realm to walk among mortals, sometimes just walking through cities and feeling everything, sometimes seeking out specific individuals with which to bargain power.
Thanks to this exposure the fae of the west are often considered the most human-like, and spend the most time in mortal-like forms. They also live in the smallest forest of their kind, with the Altwood having been harvested significantly over the centuries since humans came to the coast. The forest is no longer shrinking, however, as it has gained a reputation for being "weird". As the cutting actually began to get close to their relm within the woods, they began to take a more active role in interfering with humans venturing into the forest.
In addition to this more active "defense", the Western Princess - the second eldest of all of the western fae - seduced the owner of the largest lumber mill in Altor. The bargain they came to saw that lumber magnate granted rights to a swath of forest which suddenly began see its trees grow back from cutting at an incredibly fast rate. As such the ship-building industry within Altor is sustained by a section of the woods which never needs be exceeded.

Fae of the South

"Endless Delights of Summer" is a famous poem written by a prominent Centaur of the Korth'an Conclave a century ago. In the poem, they describe pleasures of all sorts - food, drink, light, love, and even more. While the Southeastern coast of Lasair, around the Korth'an Forest is certainly a wonderful and peaceful place to live, the poet had also spent a decade within The Fae Realm reveling with the Southern Fae who among all faekind exist so happily within the deepest passions of mortals.
The fae of the south have created a slice of permanent summer within their part of the Korth'an Forest, drawing in magical sunlight or moonlight, with wisps of light floating through the woods. They collect fruits of all kinds from around the woods, and constantly make small bargains for food and drink and other substances of pleasure. They live in a state of near-constant revel, inviting mortals to join them for a night or a lifetime, and find exquisite joy in the small and large. They are also the least likely to rely upon seduction of mortals, and would rather experience all of the emotions that come from a true connection on whatever level.
Consistent with the diversity within the Korth'an Conclave and the surrounding area, the southern fae are also the most diverse in appearance. They will take on the form of centaurs, goblins, humans, and woodland creatures small and large. They are the most openly present of all faekind, allowing others into their realm more often than any others. Where the western fae will walk secretly among mortals, the southern fae will open their doors and invite them in. To them there is no better way to share the pleasures of life and love.

Fae of the East

Long ago, there was a large fourth forest upon Lasair. Nestled within the curve of a mountain range, within sight of the tallest towers of the capital of the ancient empire, this forest was home to the most orderly of fae. Finding excitement from the comfort and safety of laws and understanding, these fae enjoyed the emotions of satisfaction. They would watch craftspeople assembling furniture, a mathametician solving a problem, a child learning to walk. These fae thoroughly enjoyed living around the orderly imperial lands, watching the people there and occasionally even helping them by solving a problem or granting an insight to who they saw as a potential great thinker.
And then the storm of the Dragonscourge swept over the land. The war shattered the empire, not just figuratively but in a very literal sense. The land itself was broken and destroyed, sunk below the ocean and left in a thousand shards. The ending spasms of that conflict wiped out the very world that the fae of the east existed within.

But the fae did not die with the land. They persisted, beings of magic who were not destroyed in that outpouring of power that had not been seen since the days of the Giants. But they were changed. Where once they were beings of order and satisfaction and quiet happiness, they were now creatures of despair and loss and death. Where once they carried a regal bearing suitable for an imperial court, now they take on the mien of devastation. Where once they watched the halls of laws and builders, they now drift endlessly through the shattered lands of the east, haunting the sea, The Desolation, and The Glow.
Even their portion of The Fae Realm took on the new character. It used to be made up of stone steps and spiraled trees, now it is simply hot ash and boiling water. It carries nothing and few journey into it, not even their fellow fae. The fae of the east exist apart from the others, their existence barely acknowledged except by those fae who find strength in sadness and other such emotions. For the depths of sadness within the fae of the east cannot be charted.

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Who Knows This?

An Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) skill check will bring to mind the following depending on the character's roll:

• DC 5 (Common knowledge):
   one should never venture deep into strange woods, for there are devious creatures within who will take you away
• DC 10 (Could hear it from travelers):
  some forests just have monsters, but a few of them have wickedly intelligent beings of magic that will steal you away
• DC 15 (Education covered it):
  certain wild places on Lasair host fae creatures, imbued with magic and who delight in making bargains with mortals
• DC 20 (Learned Historian):
  there are a few different types of fae, which seem to resemble the nature of the forests in which they reside
• DC 25 (Subject Matter Expert):
  the space within the forests in which the fae reside is a lot bigger on the inside than it is on the outside - time and space are different within the bounds of their realm
• DC 30 (Directly Acquired Knowledge):
   magical gateways exist between the different fae realms, allowing users to traverse huge distances across the continent, but these are extremely dangerous for non-faeries to use.

Bonuses

• +5: character has spent significant time living near one of the forests in which a fae throne lives
• +5: character has directly encountered a fae creature (and knows it)