Fairy

"It's hard to explain, but... there's just something about fairies. If dragons weren't my first choice, fairies would be my favorite. They have a kind of limitless freedom that the rest of us just aren't allowed to have."
-DM

Fairies are a race of tiny winged humanoids. They are a playful race, and there are many types of them. Usually they are small enough to fit in the hand of a human. For a queen of the Fae however, this is not the case, and they can stand six feet tall with wings much larger. Fairies are not quite as inclined to magic as the elves, but still surpass humans with a natural talent for it. The Fae are mischievous, and while they are generally good, they can't help but trick and confuse those less prepared. The Fae are famous for having the fastest-changing language, with hundreds of thousands of words.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Fairies are essentially miniature humans with wings. They can either have pointed or regular ears.

Biological Traits

Fairies do not age, and if nothing were to threaten them, they could potentially live forever. They are prey of larger animals, however, such as cats, birds, drakes, snakes, goblins, slimes, hellhounds, and dipsas. Luckily, they're smart enough to avoid most predators, and the life expectancy of a typical fairy is anywhere from one hundred to three hundred years.

Genetics and Reproduction

The birth of a fairy is still a process not quite understood. When the atmosphere around a location is thick enough with magic, thick enough that it would generally be deadly to other species, fairies will most likely be born, surrounded by a glowing light. This is why so many fairies can often be found in areas with toxic concentrations of magic.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Fairies are omnivores, but greatly prefer fruits and vegetables, as they don't like harming other creatures. If absolutely desperate, they will hunt smaller creatures like mice or small birds.
As an aside, there are several foods and drinks which have a significant impact on either a fairy's psychology or their magical abilities.

• Tea, of any kind, is essentially a powerful sedative or hypnotic for a fairy, lulling them into a deep sleep with just a few mouthfuls. Chamomile tea is enough to put them into a slumber that lasts weeks.
• Processed sugars, such as those found in candy or chocolate, have a bizarre effect on a fairy's decision making skills and magical ability. More details can be found further on in this article.
• Coffee, or any caffeine, is a potent psychedelic and hallucinogenic substance for fairies, sending them on "trips" that can be very intense and possibly cause the fairy short-term or even permanent psychological trauma. Giving a fairy caffeine is therefore not advised.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Global

Average Intelligence

Human or lower

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

• Magic Detection: Fairies are third-best at detecting magic, surpassed by only angels and dragons. The trouble is, given their nature, they are unhelpful in actually warning someone about potential magical threats. Even if they can see that a dangerous spell or trap is about to activate, they will give no hints about having seen it.
• Inhibition Release and Sugar Empowerment: When given processed sugars, like those found in candy or chocolate, it causes fairies to lose their inhibitions and become more excitable. This results in impaired decision-making skills and general lack of better judgement. Additionally, these processed sugars can multiply a fairy's magical ability by up to ten times what they are normally capable of. The effect is multiplicative, so the more sweets a fairy has, the more dangerous they become.
• Weak Magic: Fairies are capable of magic, but only to a certain extent. They cannot perform large, complex, or powerful spells individually.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Fae is the main language of the fairies. It is a constantly changing and evolving language, with an incredibly wide vocabulary. Fae see language as nothing more than a game, and as such, have hundreds of different words for their own species, often flitting from one to another in the middle of their conversation. They have fifty words for human sweets, seventy for king/queen, ten for wings (their own), and thousands for all the different races that inhabit the world. And that's just the tip of the iceberg for Fae. As a matter of fact, words die on an almost daily basis in the Fae language, quickly replaced with new ones.

Common Taboos

Using magic to greatly harm someone is generally frowned upon in the fairy community. It's one thing to trick someone into tripping or going the wrong way in a forest, but if the person's life is in danger, other fairies will generally step in and guide them away.
Also, giving a fairy processed sugar of any kind is forbidden by most other races. When a fairy eats something sugary like chocolate, their magical power increases up to ten times what they're originally capable of, and their sense of good judgement is greatly impaired. A fairy on a sugar high could do some serious damage.

Scientific Name

Volantum magicae lux

Lifespan

N/A

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Average Height

3-4 inches (7.6-10 cm). Royalty are 5-6 feet (152-183 cm).

Average Weight

2-3 ounces (56.6-85 grams). Royalty are 140-160 lbs (63.5-72.5 kg).