Pixie Lore

Pixie Lore | Shimmerlings:

"Pixies dwell in the twilight, between day and night, between the heavens and the earth, between the conscious and the unconscious... where all things are possible, where our past and future meet, where we meet ourselves coming back. When we dance with the pixies, we dance with the reflections of our true selves and the true nature of the world."

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Some Sylvaeon Pixie Folklore:

Pixies are universally known to be mischievous and to have the power of invisibility.
Their jokes may seem cruel at times, but as with all Fey creatures, Pixies have an agenda and ethic that is inscrutable to the humans and others that they perpetrate pranks upon. Their power to turn invisible serves Pixies well in pulling off such stunts. Leading travelers astray or stealing/misplacing small objects from villagers is a favorite pastime of these wee folk. However, Pixies sometimes have a soft spot for the larger folk and may go from pranking them to helping them, to make up for their jesting.

Pixies are said to be anywhere from a few inches in height to up to two feet in height. This may be due to magical adaptations to different environments and lifestyles of the Pixies or for mistaking other fairy-beings for Pixies. Whatever the case, Pixies are small by human standards.

Pixies in Sylvaeon generally live in mounds or among flora that can conceal their existence. A Pixie is usually seen only when it wants to be! When they are seen, it has been reported that most Pixies dress in bright colors, often mimicking the general style of clothing of the nearest non-Pixie population to them.

[EDIT:

Pixies can live in communities, but some are solitary. When encountered, they can also be solitary or perhaps up to half a dozen (unless something VERY strange is going on, when there could be more!)

Pixie communities are sequestered away and protected by Pixie magic.]

Travel Tips if a Pixie is Encountered in Sylvaeon:

• Do not taunt back or grow angry with a Pixie that pranks you - it only encourages them.
• Sometimes Pixies can be bribed to desist in their tricks with food, shiny objects or other valuables.
• If a Pixie is amiable to a traveler, they generally enjoy tales or conversation and will possibly exchange such pleasantries for a bit of information about the surrounding area.
• If a Pixie is harmed in anyway, it will hold a grudge against the one that harmed it for the rest of its days (which may be centuries!)

The Darker Side of the Fey

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The Darker Side of the Fey

When it comes to the magical Fey, there is rarely a type one could call truly "good" or "bad". The creatures of Faerie, from which Sylvaeon sprang, are guided by their own ethics and customs, which seem strange to mortal men.

Humans are the late-comers to Sylvaeon and are often at best seen as a nuisance to the Fey - or at worst the target of faerie ire and malevolent pranks of retribution. Humans are loud, they and their animals trod upon Fey dwellings and sacred sites, they cut Fairy trees down without a care and many other offences against Faekind. These things and more make most humans seem foolish to the Fey and to be pitied by those that know better.

Fairy ire against a humans or livestock may be fatal! "Elf-shot" are magical flint darts or arrows that are fired against the worst offenders. If struck, a creature must save vs. magic and poison seperately or slowly lose their strength at 1 point per week (A fail of either saving roll causes the curse to go into effect, otherwise the shot does .5 Damage).  Death is the ultimate result of this, unless the wrath of the fairies is appeased. This is just one reason why the Folk try to stay on the good side of the Fey. If the fairy(s) are not appeased, the only way to lift the magical strength-sapping curse is to perform a Curse Disease ritual on a night of the full Silver Moon.

Goblins, Hobgoblins, Kelpie, Phooka, Brownies, Orculli and Trolls are perhaps some of the most vicious Fey creatures. Even these are shunned by most others of Faekind. Any human that encounters these is surely in for trouble!

Several  "dark" tactics of Sylvaeon's fairy creatures include:

• luring travelers to an unsafe area, such as a cliff or river, etc. to meet their demise. Lorelei and Merrow are examples of those that do such things.
  
• Elf shot, as previously described.
  
• theft of valuables perceived as precious to humans. This can be annoying or even fatal!
  
• "fairy terror", which is a kind of mental attack causing confusion and panic. A humanoid that does not save vs. Charm (note: elves are immune to this) is struck confused, may lose time or be overcome with maddening fright. A frightened person will flee in any random direction away from the faerie being.

In game terms, the Fey are simultaneously revered, feared and misunderstood - or perhaps even disbelieved in by some, especially city-dwellers. While there are innumerable kinds of Fey, some appear again and again in various guises and names. They tend to take on the language, customs and culture of those they live near, which has baffled many sages.

Some are benevolent, some are tricksterish, but all are driven by their own particular behaviors. Either way, one should never underestimate the wrath of a disgruntled fairy!