Fey (or Fae)
Commonly know as The Fair Folk or Fairies (or Faerie), (though fairies is technically incorrect as a Fairy is a specific type of minor fey.) Fey is the correct blanket term that covers a large set of creatures such as Fairies, Pixies, Gnomes, Sidhe, and much more. Note: the term Fey does not cover any of the Draconis Species.
Sidhe
Pronouced Shee. The Sidhe are the most powerful of the Fey. They are humanoid, have powerful glamour and are vulnerable to iron. Without their glamour their skin shines softly, their laughter tinkles like bells in the winds, and their scent is like a half forgotten childhood memory. It makes them extremely susceptible to being worshipped by humans. The Sidhe are traditionally run in a monarchy of sorts (See: The Court System)
Draconis
The Draconis species are humanoid though scaled, sometimes horned and or winged. They were one of the first species that the Fae interacted with on the mortal plane (Though tales of whether it was purposeful or not differs between tellings). They were once more closely related to crocodiles and dinosaurs, but were made to look more like their creators. The Sidhe tell the tale that they created the first Draconis, though this is unlikely as the Sidhe are a naturally uncurious people. It was more likely a minor noble fey. The term Drake is used by the Sidhe, it’s an offensive term. They prefer the term Dragon although it’s again a slang term or blanket term that covers a large number of the Draconis Subspecies.
Psychopomps
A race generally inclined towards the Unseelie Court. They feed off dreams and nightmares. They are often found in hospitals, and nursing homes. They prey on the weak and vulnerable. They have strong glamour and rolling magicks. They appear human, often frail. Inside their mouths is a proboscis similar to a butterfly that they use to pierce their victims minds with.
Gnomes
These are a diminutive fey that generally live underground. As such they are inclined towards the Unseelie court. They are considered great warriors and have been used as cannon fodder in intra fae wars as they are one of the few species capable of using iron. Gnomes have little magics that can be used on another being or themselves but they have great abilities to imbue forged creations.
The Court System
Before their lands fell the Sidhe ran a dual monarchy, two courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie Court. Near every member of the Sidhe was a member of either court and had a title. The court is served by many lesser fey, this is for protection and in an effort to gain rank within the court. Lesser fey who show exceptional skill can be elevated in rank to noble status, though it is uncommon for them to gain a title or lands. Note: Though one court is nocturnal and the other diurnal not every member of the court is bound by this.
Seelie Court
The Seelie Court is the Court of Light or the Daylight Court, members are known as The Shining Ones or The Glittering Throng. The Sidhe of this court pride themselves on being seen and being glamorous. The Fey of this court are traditionally diurnal. These Fey include the traditional Winged Fairies of common myth, Elves, Efreet, and Sylphs (commonly referred to as Angels in christian theology) to name a few.
The Unseelie Court
The Midnight Court, or The Court of Shadows. Members are known as The Hidden Ones. The members of this court pride themselves on being unseen and are usually nocturnal. Beings of this court include Sirens, Gnomes, Dryads, Psychopomps, Succubi, and Goblins.
Sluagh
The Sluagh is the name for the consortium of Fae separate from the court system. They deny any form of government but are much harsher with punishment. Their Creedence is live and let live or suffer the consequences.
Glamour
This is a magick inherent within most fey, it enables them to change how things appear. Minor glamours involve changing ones appearance, major glamours involve changing how another creature perceives the world. Glamour isn’t physical, it doesn’t change whats physically there, but a major glamour could change what someone feels when they touch another being or thing. Glamours are ineffective against Dragons.
Rolling
A magick also inherent to many of the fey. It affects emotions of most beings escalating or deescalating them. Dragons are especially susceptible to this form of magick, though to use it on one is a grave insult worthy of battle. The Sidhe used this magic to keep the Draconis people subjugated.
Pix
A drug that has hit the streets hard only in the last few years. It has no hangover, it can last days, and it’s expensive. It’s manufactured exclusively by the Fey and few know what it’s made of. It doesn’t seem to affect humans adversely but its extremely addictive. With the rise in Pix addiction a series of knock offs and cut Pix has hit the market with disastrous consequences.
Herd
The term for a group of travelling Fae.
The Consummate
Humans taken by the Fae to live within their realm become known as The Consummate. This time away from the mortal realm granted the humans longer lives, fraying their humanity. They were often chosen for their exceptional abilities, sometimes dance, singing, theatre. Famous Consummate include: Rip Van Winkle, Rasputin, and Harold Holt. A Consummate is often assigned to be the lover of a specific Fae Lord. It would be unusual for anyone less than a Lord to anoint a new Consummate.
The Clearing/ The Principium
The official announcement of the coming of the Fae and Draconis to the human lands. The Clearing was a summit that occurred between the Sidhe representatives of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts and the US Government officials. The Sidhe represented themselves to humanity as envoys of the Draconis without consultation with the Draconis. As part of The Principium the Sidhe set up a set of laws that they would be governed by. The US government would not recognise them as a separate nation to be self governed, and the Sidhe would not accept that they were newcomers to the lands that they had lived beneath for millennia. A treaty was enacted that created DERM.
DERM
Department of ExtraSpecial (pronounced speesh — e — al) Relationship Management. All DERM employees, whether field or desk are paired. A Human and a member of the Fae make up every partnership on official business, this was recommended by the Sidhe as part of The Principium. DERM manages all law enforcement for the Fae. DERM employees are given much more latitude than normal law enforcement, but serious breaches of Fae law that would jeopardise the Fae are referred to what remains of the monarchies. Despite the monarchies being in shambles since the fall of the Sidhe homeland DERM still leaves all final judgement and sentences to the rulers of Unseelie and Seelie Courts.
Antumnos
The fallen land of the Fae. Antumnos exists both everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It lies deep beneath the crust of the earth, but in the same way that the earth moves around the sun, Antumnos moves within the magma core of the earth, using the earths immense energy to power itself. It is both a place and being. Antumnos has a moon and a sun, it has seasons, it is a pocket dimension of sorts within the earths crust.
Three portals exist within Antumnos that connect to the mortal realm. Each gate is guarded, one by the Seelie, one by the Unseelie, and one by the Sluagh.
The Sidhe don’t have a worship system, they respect power, Antumnos has always been a source of power that lends itself to the Fae. They respect Antumnos as a powerful impartial being. Antumnos is reticent to communicate generally, and when they do it is in a form that is difficult to interpret.
Sithen
Antumnos had two Sithens within it. One for each court. A Sithen is a smaller independent form of Antumnos, some believe them to be offspring of Antumnos. These Sithens serve as homes to the Courts and respond to the emotional whims of the Sidhe, often respecting the monarchy. Similar to pocket dimensions they are larger on the inside than the outside. When Antumnos fractured and left the access to those Sithens closed but suddenly other Sithens made themselves known. One for the Draconis, One for the Sluagh, and a new one for the Sidhe, although it reacted to the whims of the Fey not just the Sidhe
Historical Context
The Draco Enslavement
The Fae are a much older people than the Draconis, and it is theorised that the Draconis exist as result of Fae magicks on earth creatures, namely the reptilian line that spawned creatures such as dinosaurs and crocodiles. As such they were kept as pets within Antumnos. At some stage they developed consciousness and self awareness, and were relegated from more than pets to servants. They grew and changed and became more powerful but were ever relegated to an otherness, with out freedom. Over the centuries they formed their own societies though always within the bounds that were set upon them. Their cultural leaders beseeched the Sidhe for their freedom and equality but it was never granted.
Draco-Fey War / The Draco Rebellion / The Scaled Dawn
The Draconis people worked within every major household throughout Antumnos. Because the Seelie Court is Diurnal and the Unseelie Court Nocturnal they couldn’t organise a night and instead organised a time. At Dawn on the final day in Antumnos the Dragons struck. It was a time that both Courts would be weakest, thousands of Sidhe lords, ladies, and offspring were slain. Many of the Demifey, namely the Sluagh, unaffiliated with the courts sided with the Draconis and helped sneak in reinforcements, and ensured that the Dragons would be armed.
The Sidhe have great battle Magicks, which kept them in power over many of the Fey, but the Draconis are immune to them. These dragons would have been rolled were it not for their iron weapons and protections provided by the Sluagh. Many Drakes died in this event, the gnomish people especially fighting hard against them. The Sluagh casualties were fewest as they supported the rebellion but did not participate in the actual battles.
The Fall of Antumnos:
No one is sure what happened to Antumnos, whether it was destroyed or whether the Fey were evicted.
After The Scaled Dawn the Sidhe drew heavily on the magicks within Antumnos, and it became unstable. The land cracked and broke, the moon burned red and the sun dwindled ashen in the sky. As the land broke thousands of portals opened and the Fae became refugees in the mortal realm.
