High Fae
The High Fae, otherwise known as Elves, are the most predominant Fae Species in the Fae Realm. The name High Fae stems from their high resemblance to their ancestors, the Primordial Fae. The moniker however, stems from purely aesthetic reasons. The High Fae are genetically no closer to the Primordial Fae than the Low Fae.
The Elves all share many personality and physical traits despite the 4 courts being differentiated in culture, mentalities and appearance. This is includes pointed ears, incredible potential for magic or combat, the ability to casts glamours and a dulled emotional range. The Elves do feel emotion but they are felt superficially at best.
The only emotions the High Fae do feel deeply are those steeped in passion; rage, lust, love etc. All others are shallow and fleeting. Because of this the Elves are a very egocentric and tricky species. They enjoy pranks and self-gratification because it grants them a brief period of feeling. After the emotion wears off they seek it again.
There are exceptions to this; the Forest Folk that prefer peace over trickery and the Fable Elves that control their needs with rigid control. However these are not cases of High Fae not wanting to feel but rather controlling the urge to do so and forcing feelings from elsewhere.
Because it is so rare to feel a strong emotion, when felt the High Fae will react intensely to these feelings.
The Fae specialise in deals and barters. Once a deal is brokered the Fae is incapable of breaking it. This is why they, as a species, have become so skilled in bargaining and dealing in their own favour. A Fae never does anything for free; something is always taken or given in return. In the same line a Fae is unable to break a vow or promise they make. This is never more true than for a vow made on their true name. This is why wedding ceremonies are private and the mating is permanent. The process of being wed for the High Fae is merely to it upon the Fae's true name. This can never be undone.
The High Fae rarely leave the Fae Realm. If ever they do, it is to steal humans to play with, to star in mortal myths as the Fable Folk like to do or to swap or recover a changeling child. If ever they do travel to the human world, they must do so with the use of what the humans call Fairy or pixie circles. These circles act as gateways between the world.
The High Fae typically do not like humans. To them they are nothing more than entertainment, or even sometimes food. They look down on their small lifespans and find amusement in how deep they feel emotions. They use this to their advantage and scare and torment them for fun.
The Elves all share many personality and physical traits despite the 4 courts being differentiated in culture, mentalities and appearance. This is includes pointed ears, incredible potential for magic or combat, the ability to casts glamours and a dulled emotional range. The Elves do feel emotion but they are felt superficially at best.
The only emotions the High Fae do feel deeply are those steeped in passion; rage, lust, love etc. All others are shallow and fleeting. Because of this the Elves are a very egocentric and tricky species. They enjoy pranks and self-gratification because it grants them a brief period of feeling. After the emotion wears off they seek it again.
There are exceptions to this; the Forest Folk that prefer peace over trickery and the Fable Elves that control their needs with rigid control. However these are not cases of High Fae not wanting to feel but rather controlling the urge to do so and forcing feelings from elsewhere.
Because it is so rare to feel a strong emotion, when felt the High Fae will react intensely to these feelings.
The Fae specialise in deals and barters. Once a deal is brokered the Fae is incapable of breaking it. This is why they, as a species, have become so skilled in bargaining and dealing in their own favour. A Fae never does anything for free; something is always taken or given in return. In the same line a Fae is unable to break a vow or promise they make. This is never more true than for a vow made on their true name. This is why wedding ceremonies are private and the mating is permanent. The process of being wed for the High Fae is merely to it upon the Fae's true name. This can never be undone.
The High Fae rarely leave the Fae Realm. If ever they do, it is to steal humans to play with, to star in mortal myths as the Fable Folk like to do or to swap or recover a changeling child. If ever they do travel to the human world, they must do so with the use of what the humans call Fairy or pixie circles. These circles act as gateways between the world.
The High Fae typically do not like humans. To them they are nothing more than entertainment, or even sometimes food. They look down on their small lifespans and find amusement in how deep they feel emotions. They use this to their advantage and scare and torment them for fun.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
A glamour is a magic skill possess by all Fae in the Fae Realm. It allows a Fae to cast an illusion over an object or person or to entrance a person. The glamours have no effect when cast on another Fae however and are typically reserved for toying with humans.
The glamours can be cancelled out with iron as all Fae have an intense averse reaction to the metal. When iron comes in contact with a glamoured object, the magic dissipates and glamours cast on humans wearing iron have no effect. All of the Elven courts have personalised magics that can be cancelled by specific trees and plants woven into circlets that can be worn but what may work on one courts magic can have no effect on anothers. Iron is the only thing that nullifies all.
This is a result of the Fae being incredibly allergic to the metal. Not only does it cancel their magics but contact with iron is any form can cause intense pain, burning and blistering where contact is made. Prolonged exposure can even lead to iron poisoning; one of the only illnesses capable of killing an Elf.
The only exception to this rule are the Blood Fae who have a natural immunity against iron. They are still leery of the metal however and tend to avoid it just as other the Fae Folk do.
All of the 4 courts have an immunity against a common undesirable trait of the Fae.
The glamours can be cancelled out with iron as all Fae have an intense averse reaction to the metal. When iron comes in contact with a glamoured object, the magic dissipates and glamours cast on humans wearing iron have no effect. All of the Elven courts have personalised magics that can be cancelled by specific trees and plants woven into circlets that can be worn but what may work on one courts magic can have no effect on anothers. Iron is the only thing that nullifies all.
This is a result of the Fae being incredibly allergic to the metal. Not only does it cancel their magics but contact with iron is any form can cause intense pain, burning and blistering where contact is made. Prolonged exposure can even lead to iron poisoning; one of the only illnesses capable of killing an Elf.
The only exception to this rule are the Blood Fae who have a natural immunity against iron. They are still leery of the metal however and tend to avoid it just as other the Fae Folk do.
All of the 4 courts have an immunity against a common undesirable trait of the Fae.
- The Blood Folk are immune to the Iron Allergy of the Fae.
- The Ash Elves can lie where all other Fae are incapable.
- The Forest Fae can travel between worlds without the use of a Pixie circle.
- The Plains Elves are not bound by the control of a true name.
Genetics and Reproduction
The Elves reproduce very rarely. In a species that lives for centuries, low reproductive rates is nature's way of population control. Any more than two offspring per elf is extremely rare and most commonly those children are spaced centuries apart. Children that are born closer together in age tend to have a tighter bond than other fae children of shared parentage and the mothers that do have children closer together are said to be more likely to have more children.
And elven pregnancy lasts between 2 and a half to 3 years.
And elven pregnancy lasts between 2 and a half to 3 years.
Growth Rate & Stages
An Elven child ages extremely slowly. It takes roughly 100 years for them to reach maturity at which point their aging stops completely. This extended childhood is the reason for elven children born close together having a stronger bond than that of children born centuries apart.
High Fae will not age again until they reach 500 at which point their aging restarts. From that point they will age the human equivalent of 1 year for every 5 years that pass.
The only exceptions to these rules are changeling children. These children are swapped with human children and left in the human world for any multitude of reasons including the child being sickly, neither parent wanting to raise the babe, ill prophesies of the child's outcomes etc. They are given a glamour to age them at the rate of a human child and cover their Fae appearance. Once the changeling reaches maturity (between the ages of 20-25) the glamour wears off and the child is recovered and returned home as a mature elf adult.
High Fae will not age again until they reach 500 at which point their aging restarts. From that point they will age the human equivalent of 1 year for every 5 years that pass.
The only exceptions to these rules are changeling children. These children are swapped with human children and left in the human world for any multitude of reasons including the child being sickly, neither parent wanting to raise the babe, ill prophesies of the child's outcomes etc. They are given a glamour to age them at the rate of a human child and cover their Fae appearance. Once the changeling reaches maturity (between the ages of 20-25) the glamour wears off and the child is recovered and returned home as a mature elf adult.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The 4 High Fae Nations all have very different social structures.
The Forest Elves live by a matriarchal system wherein the three eldest Female Fae (Low Fae included) form a triad that govern the Nation and its people.
The Blood Folk live in both small and large tribal scattered across the Swamps and in port cities along the coast. Each town is led by the strongest Fae present. These Chiefs can be High or Low Fae but are most commonly Elves. All the chiefs answer to the Warlord, the strongest chief in the land who makes decisions for all the tribes and mediates conflicts between them.
The Plains Fae are led by a council of Priests and Paladins, all Elves who govern Ryren Thalor according to their religious tenements and beliefs. They are known for being rigorous and harsh in their strict regime of order and justice.
The Ash Folk live under an absolute monarchy system where the Ash King and the royal family run the country. All the nobles under them are Ash Elves.
The Forest Elves live by a matriarchal system wherein the three eldest Female Fae (Low Fae included) form a triad that govern the Nation and its people.
The Blood Folk live in both small and large tribal scattered across the Swamps and in port cities along the coast. Each town is led by the strongest Fae present. These Chiefs can be High or Low Fae but are most commonly Elves. All the chiefs answer to the Warlord, the strongest chief in the land who makes decisions for all the tribes and mediates conflicts between them.
The Plains Fae are led by a council of Priests and Paladins, all Elves who govern Ryren Thalor according to their religious tenements and beliefs. They are known for being rigorous and harsh in their strict regime of order and justice.
The Ash Folk live under an absolute monarchy system where the Ash King and the royal family run the country. All the nobles under them are Ash Elves.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
The Elves are spread across the 4 continents of the Fae Realm. The Ash Folk inhabit the South, where they make up the royal family, the nobility and upper class of society. The Blood Fae live in the Swamplands, living in several tribes and port cities in conjuncture with the Blood Low Fae where they all follow the strongest warrior regardless of their species. The Forest Elves inhabit and tend the forests of Eldemur and their mountain range, Irm Anore, living in co-dependant communities dedicated to being in harmony with their forest. The Plains Fae also known as the Fable Folk, built their meadows into a sprawling megacity of gold where they run their society with religious fervour.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
High Fae will have 3 or more given names as a defence against having their full true name uncovered. The 1st is given by their parent at birth, feminine given by mothers, masculine by fathers. This name is sometimes replaced once the young Fae is old enough to choose their own name at which point the new chosen name is added to the full name. The 2nd name is given by the gods at the child's baptism under their respective faith. This name is never revealed to anyone and is subconsciously known to the child without being told. The final name is the Familial surname. This can be a name passed down through generations or an addition of the parents name with a suffix meaning 'Son or Daughter of'.
In order to control a High Fae, one would have to know and speak all the names before a command.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
In the Fae realm it is tradition to cover the face of the deceased with a mask. It's supposed to prevent the spirit of the deceased from trying to return. All High Fae have their own personal death mask.
Upon the commencement of their teaching at Nasrelts Academy, young Elves will paint/craft their masks. From there some will carry it will them always and others will place it in a safe location. The masks become symbolic to a soul to each fae, losing it or having it destroyed or stolen can deal huge emotional damage to a Fae, a species that lacks emotional range as a rule.
Each of the 4 High Fae courts observe festivals and traditions centring around the Solstices. They are sacred and joyful times for all the Fae; Low and High alike.
As a general rule, the Unseelie High Fae burn their dead and the Seelie bury them. All four courts have different customs and methods of funerary rights.
Upon the commencement of their teaching at Nasrelts Academy, young Elves will paint/craft their masks. From there some will carry it will them always and others will place it in a safe location. The masks become symbolic to a soul to each fae, losing it or having it destroyed or stolen can deal huge emotional damage to a Fae, a species that lacks emotional range as a rule.
Each of the 4 High Fae courts observe festivals and traditions centring around the Solstices. They are sacred and joyful times for all the Fae; Low and High alike.
As a general rule, the Unseelie High Fae burn their dead and the Seelie bury them. All four courts have different customs and methods of funerary rights.
History
In ancient times the Fae were all one species. These Primordial Fae all lived on a landmass without borders or countries. Their ruler however was a cruel creature who wanted to be a god rather than a king. He began experiments on his people, to create new species. His tyranny continued until the only remaining Primordials left were his two daughters.
He classified these new species he created under two designations; those who bore a high resemblance to the original Fae forms and those with a low resemblance. These designations were shortened over the years of his cruelty to Low and High Fae. Despite the designations, neither new species managed to fully retain their Primordial original form. Both species still held the same Fae makeup; the names categorised only their appearances. Eventually all the new Fae, High and Low, adopted other names, The High Fae taking Elves as their species name.
Finally the Fae had had enough and, led by the King's daughters, overthrew and killed the tyrant. The shockwave from the death of the one tied to the Realm as Ruler, tore the land apart.
The Two Daughters became Queens in their own rights, one of the Darker Species of Fae, the other of the lighter.
Given that the Low Fae species all had low populations and each had differing skills and abilities they decided to teach their own young. The Elves however had such high populations and were spread across each continent of the Realm. The elven representatives pleaded with their queens for schools to teach their young and the two sister queens made a decision. They would vacate the castle fortress they had been calling home, the one built by their father and the birthplace of all Fae species, and it would become a place for all High Fae to learn what they could be.
But it was this separation of the two queens that created a rift. Now living in two castles at opposite ends of the Realm and both ruling in very different ways, they both grew leery of the other.
Eventually the Seelie Queen snapped.
She thought her sister and her people were evil incarnate, darkness personified and believed it was her duty to wipe out the darkness. She sanctioned the first attack and the war began.
The Seelie and Unseelie war raged for generations and both queens watched their Fae people, high and low alike, fall in waves. Eventually the two sisters could handle the grief no more. They met on the battlefield alone and fought.
Neither left that battlefield alive.
After the loss of their respective queen, both courts splintered based on their geographical separation, to be led by the faction leaders that had once for them to their queens.
Despite time having passed since the Seelie and Unseelie queens' deaths, all Fae but most especially the High Fae still maintain the animosity of their centuries long conflict and the alliances of their former courts; Blood with Ash and Plains with Forest.
He classified these new species he created under two designations; those who bore a high resemblance to the original Fae forms and those with a low resemblance. These designations were shortened over the years of his cruelty to Low and High Fae. Despite the designations, neither new species managed to fully retain their Primordial original form. Both species still held the same Fae makeup; the names categorised only their appearances. Eventually all the new Fae, High and Low, adopted other names, The High Fae taking Elves as their species name.
Finally the Fae had had enough and, led by the King's daughters, overthrew and killed the tyrant. The shockwave from the death of the one tied to the Realm as Ruler, tore the land apart.
The Two Daughters became Queens in their own rights, one of the Darker Species of Fae, the other of the lighter.
Given that the Low Fae species all had low populations and each had differing skills and abilities they decided to teach their own young. The Elves however had such high populations and were spread across each continent of the Realm. The elven representatives pleaded with their queens for schools to teach their young and the two sister queens made a decision. They would vacate the castle fortress they had been calling home, the one built by their father and the birthplace of all Fae species, and it would become a place for all High Fae to learn what they could be.
But it was this separation of the two queens that created a rift. Now living in two castles at opposite ends of the Realm and both ruling in very different ways, they both grew leery of the other.
Eventually the Seelie Queen snapped.
She thought her sister and her people were evil incarnate, darkness personified and believed it was her duty to wipe out the darkness. She sanctioned the first attack and the war began.
The Seelie and Unseelie war raged for generations and both queens watched their Fae people, high and low alike, fall in waves. Eventually the two sisters could handle the grief no more. They met on the battlefield alone and fought.
Neither left that battlefield alive.
After the loss of their respective queen, both courts splintered based on their geographical separation, to be led by the faction leaders that had once for them to their queens.
Despite time having passed since the Seelie and Unseelie queens' deaths, all Fae but most especially the High Fae still maintain the animosity of their centuries long conflict and the alliances of their former courts; Blood with Ash and Plains with Forest.
Historical Figures
The Unseelie Queen, Queen Una was the monarch of the Unseelie Court. She ruled the Unseelie for millenia and always championed the darker urges of the Faekind. She died in battle against the Seelie Queen. With her death, the Unseelie court tore apart into the Blood Fae and the Ash Fae. Among the Unseelie she is regarded with awe and a continuing grief despite millennia having passed since her death. Likewise the Seelie still regard her as evil incarnate, and use stories of her to scare their young.
Queen Titania, the Seelie Queen was the ruling monarch of the Seelie Fae. Contrary to the belief of some, it was actually she who began the war between the Seelie and Unseelie. She championed the good and true and believed it was her duty to wipe out the darkness of the Faekind. She too died in combat against the Unseelie queen. After her death the Seelie court split in two; the Plains Fae and the Forest Fae. Since her death the Plains Elves have placed her upon a pedestal as a paragon of truth, justice and honour. The Forest Fae chose to remember her more honestly, choosing not to glorify her and loving her good and bad.
Queen Titania, the Seelie Queen was the ruling monarch of the Seelie Fae. Contrary to the belief of some, it was actually she who began the war between the Seelie and Unseelie. She championed the good and true and believed it was her duty to wipe out the darkness of the Faekind. She too died in combat against the Unseelie queen. After her death the Seelie court split in two; the Plains Fae and the Forest Fae. Since her death the Plains Elves have placed her upon a pedestal as a paragon of truth, justice and honour. The Forest Fae chose to remember her more honestly, choosing not to glorify her and loving her good and bad.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
High Fae only ever have relations with other High Fae. They are incapable of interspecies relations with Low Fae or Humans. It is not unheard of for High Fae of differing ethnicities to have relationships together but very rarely do the High Fae of the Seelie and Unseelie courts mix well.
Origin/Ancestry
Primordial Fae
Lifespan
850 years
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
Related Technologies
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments