The Origin of the Fae (2024)

Faerie is the home of all Fae, yet they’ve managed to infiltrate the Mortal Realm and make it their home. They’ve even forged bonds of friendship with human magic users. Here’s a list of everything magical and monstrous. Click on a button to learn more about these fae. If the button is still black (not purple/blue/pink), then the link isn’t yet active, but as soon as the content is created, it will be linked.

You can read this page in Afrikaans here.

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Benign Fae

Grogoch

There are no female Grogochs.
The Grogoch lives in either a cave, a cleft in the landscape or a hollow he evicted a fox or rabbit from.
He resembles a short, old man covered in coarse red fur. He’s really grody – his hygiene leaves much to be desired. Spare twigs and leaves can always be found on his person (though this could be a good thing while he gardens?).
Thanks to the thick fur covering his body, the Grogoch is quite impervious to extreme temperatures of either end of the spectrum.
Once they bond with a magic user (Druid, Witch, Warlock, what-have-you), they are extremely loyal.
It is unclear what kind of magic they practice.

Galno

Short, warrior Fae who embody the Scottish medieval way of life. Though there are a few rebels who’ve kept up with modern technology and fashion.
Each clan has their own shade of purple to wear. This is mostly shown through the tartan claimed by each clan. Each clan has their own shade of blue eyes.
Most all Galno have black hair, but some who embody summer have golden hair.
All the clans live in Kregora on a heath covered with heather. Kregora is a broch built out of special glowing stone. Kregora is situated in a part of Faerie located in the Highlands of Scotland. Humans know enough to stay away from this different realm located in their own world.
The Galno were Seelie once upon a time, but are now Solitary Fae. This means that they have to pay a Tithe to live on Court Land (all of Faerie belong to the two Courts).
They believe in honour, bravery, courtesy and gallantry toward women.
The Clans are led by three of the strongest Lairds: the MacKeltar, the MacGregor and the MacKinnion.

Cù Sìth

“Cù Sìth” is sometimes interchangeable with “Faery Dog”.
The Cù Sìth is a Faery dog in Scottish Mythology that is usually in the form of a big black-and-tan dog (Rottweiler).
They have amber coloured eyes that burn brightly as they do magic.
They protect those of the Mist – humans with magical ability who are important to the Fae Monarchs and children of both worlds (half Fae and half mortal).
They use mindspeak (a form of telepathy) to communicate and all of them speak without contractions – except modern-day Saphira (and those who have gone rogue).
The Cù Sìth are the most powerful of all Fae. They control the very fabric of time and space. They create the Faery circles that are the most powerful and accurate of all magical teleportation. They can go anywhere in Time to correct or interfere in someone’s life.
Whenever the Cù Sìth protect someone, all who know about them know that the person who is protected is something special.

Brownies

Brownies are the servants of the High Fae (from any Court).
They’re androgynous. They’re the size of a two litre soft drink bottle. Brownies wear whatever their masters require them to – whether it be the fashion of the time or servant garb from medieval times. They’re obsessed with technology and like the kitchens they work in to be stocked with the best and newest gadgets. They’re excellent cooks. Brownies are tireless helpers to those they deem worthy. They’re obsessed with cleaning and cleanliness. They don’t like it when others try to do their duties.

Tooth Faeries

They are dependent on the milk teeth of human children as much as the children need their magic to ensure the growth of their teeth.
Tooth Faeries cannot choose their own outfits: they wear whatever the Tooth Faery Princess wants them to.
They can flit between dimensions and prefer to do so when the walls between Realms are thin.
They are especially sensitive to iron.
They work with the tooth mice who are immune to iron, though there aren’t as many mice as fae.

Season Fae

Tiny fae in charge of changing the seasons in the mortal realm. They dress in flowers and other plants.
They paint flowers, plant bushes, teach birds to sing, etc. for all seasons. The Cailleach determines overall Winter temperatures.
They return to Avenir Hollow when done with their job in the human realm and elsewhere.
They are ruled by Oonagh. She is absolutely beautiful with long golden hair sweeping the ground, gowns of made glittery silver gossamer, and wings that match her beauty.

Jengu

Singular: Jengu. Plural: Miengu.
Water Fae who are extremely loyal to Mami Wata.
They have a strong influence on African Folklore and are usually associated with Mami Wata.
They resemble mermaids, with yellow and green hair. Their fish tails are mostly silver, reflecting the colours found in the water they swim in.
They smile a lot. They have gaps between their front teeth. They also like to giggle.
Mostly they talk in their own language that involves a lot of clicking noises, like the noise made by crab claws or insects.
They have power over water. They can make it move in whatever way they wish.
They will ally themselves with anyone who protects Nature – and especially those who go up against the Obayifo.

Imps

Imps are the caretakers of the forests.
They can easily be mistaken for leaves or twigs. They have big glowing eyes that are as light green as plant sap; sharp, pointy teeth; pointy ears. The older they get, the more bark grows on them. While they’re young, they look more like green leaves. You can tell their relative age by their colouring: the greener the younger, and how browner they get the older they are. They live in trees.
They tend the Faery Rings growing in the forests. Faery Rings are made up of rocks, moss and white flowers. The Imps use these to change the size of their guests.
Imps have powerful magic. Not only do they use the Faery Rings to change the size of their guests in the forest, they also have the power to change Summoning Spells in such a way that not even Faery Dogs can break it.
Imps also have power over the forest itself. They can make ferns move in such a way that it’s almost like riding on waves. Tree branches move to accommodate them. They even have houses inside plants without harming the host.
Imps travel all over the forest every day, taking care of every plant. It’s what they do.
Being the caretakers of the forests, they have their own greenhouses to grow new trees and other plants. That allows them to plant new trees and other plants in the forest faster. They have various creatures of the forest work for them. Slugs help seeds germinate by keeping them moist. Spiders make sure that the saplings aren’t eaten by hungry critters. Earthworms do all the composting. And in the Knysna forest, the Imps have trained the Knysna louries to fly them wherever they wish to go.
Imps are extremely happy. When they wish to show support, they’ll cheer loudly. They love mischief like most Fae. They enjoy their lives, their work and see only the good in the world. Even when humans destroy their forest, they do not become dark and vindictive. They leave revenge to the other Fae living there while they regrow the forest.
Unfortunately, being plant Faeries, they get eaten by animals by mistake. A lot.
Though they have an elder who leads their group, they take the words of the oldest tree inhabited by a Tree Nymph in their forest very seriously. They believe that this old Tree Nymph isn’t just wise, but knows a lot about the past and the future.
Imps are the size of an adult’s thumb. Though they can be any size they need to be to protect their forest.
Part of keeping the forest clean is to eat whatever dies there. Imps only eat what’s already dead. Whether animal or plant doesn’t really matter to them. They’ll even eat the corpses of other Fae or humans.

Elementals

They are tiny fae in charge of the four elements: fire, air, water, earth.
Elementals have light, changeable bodies, like condensed cloud, and best seen at twilight – just as Robert Kirk described them. They move as easily through their elements as humans through air.
Salamanders of fire. Sylphs of air. Undines of water. Gnomes of earth.
Each faction has its own ruler. Diju of the Salamanders. Paralda of the Sylphs. Necksa of the Undines. Gob of the Gnomes.
They all reside in Avenir Hollow, which they share with the Season Fae. Their kingdoms: Salamanders to the South, Sylphs to the East, Undines to the West, and Gnomes to the North.

Dryads

Also known as Tree Nymphs or Hamadryads. Most often, Dryads refer to those Tree Nymphs who reside in Oak trees, but “Dryad” has come to be interchangeable with “Tree Nymph”.
Though they are bound to their tree (if the tree dies, they die), they are free to move about in their grove, forest, garden, etc.
Dryads residing in Faerie can live for many centuries. Dryads living in the mortal realm are prey to mortal whims (cutting down trees for silly things like building fires instead of gathering fallen limbs).
Dryads are the most revered among nature fae (Imps, Pixies, etc.) who know the worth of their accumulated knowledge.

Sea Nymphs

These Fae are the embodiment of everything beautiful and kind about the sea. They love to sing and dance, causing happiness and serenity throughout the sea. Sea Nymphs are always at the height of fashion, though they prefer being barefoot. They appear frivolous, but they are actually extremely powerful and loyal.
They protect the sea, those who live in it and those who travel over it. Which naturally makes them clash with the Sea Witches from time-to-time.
Some live with the king of the ocean in his golden palace, but most prefer travelling the depths and discovering new things.
On occasion they’ll take part in parades and ride on the backs of dolphins or hippocampi.

Elves

Though they can look like the High Fae – tall, good-looking and irresistible to humans – their form in Faerie is that of pointy-eared, pale creatures, with ordinary looks and half the size they like to be in the mortal realm.
As with most Fae (that do not in any way resemble High Fae, but seen as creatures), they serve the High Fae. Usually they are bodyguards, but they have been relegated to the lowest ranks of servitude in many abodes. Just like other servants of the High Fae, they have magic that sometimes exceed that of those they serve.
In the Onyx Labyrinth only elves have power over the living stone that make their home. Everyone else, even High Fae, have to live by the Labyrinth’s whims.

Dwarfs

Dwarfs are diminutive in size compared to humans and high fae, and prefer it that way. They are shorter than the Galno, if only by a bit. In some clans, anyone too tall, is thrown out. They live in mountains and dig their own mines – far below that of humans. There are ways to travel between Mines – which includes the treacherous Labyrinth. Their children play with uncut gems. Their skin is tough enough to withstand fire, lava and molten gems. Having shiny things from the earth around them is a way of life. They do make marvellous trinkets that they sell to other fae. They take on the ethnicity of the local humans.

Oreads

These mountain nymphs are just as pretty as their forest counterparts, just more muscular. They protect the mountains, caves, ravines and more from human destruction as much as they can. They also protect those who live in their domain: animals, insects, plants, etc. As followers of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, they are also more aggressive than other nymphs.

Nymphs

Nymphs are fascinating Fae – they can have the power of almost anything found in nature.
They are nearly immortal, but can be killed like any other fae. Certain nymphs are bound to their trees, springs, etc. and will die when their source of life dies.
Not all nymphs like to be classified as anything specific, as they feel they should be protecting all of Nature. Nymphs, no matter their association, can all breathe underwater, in the places between realms, and within the earth. They can also open portals between realms, fly without wings, and reverse any spell wrought upon the earth.
In my own writing, I like to use the different kind of nymphs as Solitary Fae (and bound to the land) who can act as ambivalent guides to my heroines.

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Dark Fae and Monsters

Vampires

There are various types of vampires, but they all have some things in common.

They are dead, or rather, undead. Burn in the sun despite protective amulets. Turn others by giving them their blood and killing them. Their blood has healing powers, though rarely used because of the little side-effect of accidentally turning someone if they were to die with the blood in their system. Row of pointed fangs behind regular teeth – like needles more than teeth, though it can be hidden. Red-brown eyes, though can look human. Turn instantly to ash in sun without protective amulets.

Sleep in nests they make in sand (underground). Though some have retained more humanity and live among humans, taking protective measures to stay safe from the sun.

Uncontrollable bloodlust. When bloodlust overtakes them, they shed all semblance of humanity, with a gaping maw showing off their unnatural teeth, glowing yellow eyes searching for prey, screeching instead of regular voice, nails extending to claws, and skin mottling like a corpse. If starving, they’ll desiccate and mummify – blood will revive them. Need at least two litres of human blood a day. Cannot eat anything else. Not even animal blood. Travel in packs – easier to survive being hunted. Even those who prefer living among humans stay in covens for protection.

Unnatural speed, strength and senses (can hear and see better than their prey). And they are attractive to their prey.

They have an uncomfortable alliance with witches.

Ghouls

Demons that eat corpses. Love to eat Vampires.
Red-brown slimy creature with vague humanoid form and glowing yellow orbs for eyes – orange slit for pupil.
Fear of fire and the sun. Live underground like moles.
Hunt vampires and search for human corpses.
Mortal enemies: None known.

Werewolves

Two kinds.
The first kind fully turn into wolves. They hunt and destroy Vampires. Their venom is toxic to the undead. They cannot turn others into wolves – they are born with the gene. Witches cursed several bloodlines to be wolves if they kill any living being. They also instantly get a mortal enemy in Vampires. They turn on the full moon.
The second kind of werewolf can turn at any time. They get claws and furry faces and bright eyes. Emotion triggers the transformation. So does the full moon. They turn others by biting humans. Not all survive the bite. They are constantly fighting other packs over territory.
Both kinds are susceptible to injury by silver.
Mortal enemies:
Type 1 – Vampires.
Type 2 – Hunters from the Council (sees them as evil rats that need to be exterminated)

Kishi

Singular: Kishi. Plural: Makishi.
Extremely handsome men, they look like airbrushed models.
They have long hair, like in centuries gone by. Their luscious locks hide their hyena faces at the back.
Their hair hides hideous faces with sharp teeth that can rip your arm off.
They prefer to live in the mountains and hills. Their caves smell awful and is filled with the skeletons of previous meals.
They have a Stone of Power that gives them their magic and has the ability to block or absorb the powers of other magic users.
They enjoy the fear they provoke and feed off it as much as the flesh of their victims. Though there are only male kishi, they mate with humans to bring forth more offspring. The women are eaten by the pack after she’s given birth.

Dullahan

A terrifying creature. The only thing equally as scary is the steed he rides: a black horse which snorts sparks and has glowing eyes (colour differs from one steed to the next).
Dullahans are headless. They’re usually horsem*n, though on occasion they will ride out in their carriages of death. The black coach has skulls all over lighted with candles from within. The wheels’ spokes are made of the femurs of humans and Fae alike. Six black horses swiftly and silently draw the carriage, creating fires in its wake.
Whether riding coach or steed, nothing can keep the Dullahan out. All locks unlock, doors and gates fly open whenever he wishes to enter. No-one is safe from the attentions of this Dark Fae.
The Dullahan’s head can either look like mouldy cheese, stale dough or some weird combination thereof with the distinct form of a skull. A terrifying, hideous, idiotic grin splits the face – broadening the closer the creature is to calling a soul to ride with him to the realm of the dead. The entire head glows phosphorescent, the strength of the light varying for stealth. Sometimes the Dullahan will use his own head as a lantern to see by…
The Dullahan likes blood. He carries with him a basin full of it, throwing it at the inquisitive who look upon him and sometimes on his victims to subdue them.
Probably the most macabre aspect of this Faery is the human spine he uses as a whip. Legend has it that the spine belongs to someone he cared for in a previous life.
Dullahans are created by the Unseelie Court as part of some weird ritual to appease the dead. Dullahans can either be made from humans (they don’t last really long) or from Fae who were chosen for this sacrifice. Always the one chosen to become a Dullahan is beheaded by a gold axe.
They have a strong allegiance to the Unseelie Court.
Dullahans don’t like speaking all that much. Mostly because the head settled on the saddle-brow can be dislodged by too much talking. A myth had arisen that this Faery has a limited power of speech because the disembodied head mostly only calls out the name of the soul he came to collect.
Though there’s no true defence against this herald of Death, the Dullahan seems to have an irrational fear of gold. (Probably due to it being a golden axe that killed him in a previous life.) Only gold weapons have any effect on them. Gold gathered from the ground with magic and then thrown at them works like shrapnel and is quite effective at chasing them off.

Ly Erg

Short, red palmed Fae who wear the uniforms of English soldiers from the war against Napoleon.
Their red palms absorb blood. They prefer human blood, but the Compact limits the amount they can get.
They are restricted to living in the Unseelie Realm.
There are many, many of them.

Goblin

Shorter than Dwarfs but taller than Galno, Goblins resemble deformed humans with animal feet (some have the feet of goats, ducks, lizards, et cetera). They are different hues of brown and wear the clothes of their fallen enemies or prey.
they carry iron weapons (mace, axe, et cetera) and lock-picks (they like to steal).
They are said to have no homes, being wanderers, dwelling temporarily in mossy cracks in rocks and tree roots. Usually in the human realm, goblins can be found in sewers or abandoned houses and forts.
They have chaotic behaviour and will only behave orderly if ordered so by a more powerful creature. usually a witch, for they adore the company of the human magic-users who want to rule the world.

The Hunt (Wild Hunt)

Hounds.
Females are rare. They’re more vicious than the males. (They get into more fights and die.)
Ferocious creatures with claws and sharp teeth. Particularly strong glamour to hide their true selves even from other fae.
When the Hunt is around, every living creature feels primordial fear. They remember the worst moments of their lives. The Hunt causes people to feel extra anger and violence as well – leads to lots of fights filled with fear and anger whenever the Hunt is near.
Only certain fae are immune to their effect: the monarchs of the Courts, the Cù Sìth and Caìt Sìth, and particularly strong fae like the Assassin.
Their allegiance is to the Dark Court even though they are technically a law unto themselves like the Cù Sìth and Caìt Sìth.
Pack loyalty is everything.
They take part in seasonal ritualistic hunts/kills to feed the magic of the earth(the place magic comes from).
Mortal enemies: none known.

The Cailleach

AKA Cailleach Bheur AKA Beira, Queen of Winter
Sacred tree: holly and Gorse bush.
Storm Hags accompany her.
All turn to stone (standing stones) from Beltane to Samhain. According to myth – turning to stone only happens when they do not fulfil their duty to the land, the Dark Court and the Dark King.
The Cailleach has a staff that freezes the earth with each tap. She is also guardian of the animals during winter.
The Cailleach is aligned with the Unseelie (Dark Court) since the Rift for protection and power. Though the Storm Hags accompany her wherever she goes, it is more for their entertainment than her protection.
She holds the power of winter. She can appear as an old woman (thus her name) or at any stage of life; whatever suits her purpose.
She lives in Tir na nÓg – a realm all of her own filled with snow, various fae that either come willingly to her realm or accidentally or by force, a castle that sometimes appears as a cottage, and various animals from the mortal realm that find their way to her for comfort and safety. She sends the cold from her realm to Faerie and the mortal realm as needed.
Storm Hags
They are an ugly veined blue. They are truly hags.
They cause storms wherever they go. Their cackling can be heard in the wind.
They follow the Cailleach around because they are drawn to her strength and cold. They obey her every command – as long as it is in line with the wishes of the Unseelie King.

Yuki Onna and Tsurara Onna

Two sides of the same fae.
Yuki Onna: white hair, white skin, white kimono, violet eyes. Snow fuels her glamour. She lives off human life-energy. Usually she preys on lost travellers during snowstorms.
Tsurara Onna: black hair, white skin, blue kimono, blue eyes. Icicles fuel her glamour. She lives off regular food and affection. She finds a human to adore her through winter. She bonds with this person emotionally, but has to leave in the spring. If she returns the following winter and the human stayed true, they can be happy once more; if not, the human gets skewered by an icicle.
This winter fae usually only appears in Japan, but they have been known to travel widely – keeping their appearance the same.
They appear to be young, beautiful Japanese women, taking on the glamour of either Yuki Onna or Tsurara Onna depending on their mood that winter. They serve the Cailleach and aren’t affiliated with any Court.

Leannan Sìth

This Dark Muse has beautiful red hair to go with her strikingly good looks.
There are only female Leannan Sìth.
She offers inspiration to an artist in exchange for his love and complete devotion. Lovers of the Leannan Sìth live brief, though highly inspired, lives. This union always ends in madness, despair and death.
If her advances are spurned, she’ll take action against the human with unpleasant results. (Better to devote oneself to this Faery and die young than go against her and have her cause a fate worse than death for all you know.)
She drains the sanity and life-force from the men she inspires to greatness.
She drains the blood from those she deems unworthy of her love (which is a gift and a curse of itself). She drinks their blood from a huge cauldron in which she gathers their very essence and vitality along with their blood – this is the source of her power and good looks. (This technically makes her a vampire.)
With one kiss from her, a man is her slave even beyond death (she takes possession of his heart and soul).
She only goes after young, handsome men.

Banshee

The Banshee is a wailing wraith usually clad in green. she can have either red or blonde hair which floats around her. she is strikingly beautiful despite her incessant bawling.
Once she is banished (usually by a stronger Faery) her body puffs out to resemble a cloud of smoke and her face becomes truly ghastly and terrifying, still framed by her reddish-blonde hair. she disappears in a puff of smoke.
The Banshee always tries to trick people or Faeries into thinking that they’re dying. She’ll wail until the person she haunts dies. (Running away from her can be dangerous – cliffs, trucks, various sharp objects, etc.)
Though the Banshee is thought to be a harbinger of Death, she usually causes it.

Red Caps

Red Caps are creepy little buggers. Not only do they have talon-like claws, but they have eyes that glow in the dark. And that’s just the tip of the scary iceberg.
There are only male Red Caps due to a curse placed upon them when they breeched the Compact between Man and Fae.
Red Caps haunt the Borderlands between England and Scotland because their legend is strongest there, but any old castle will do. Once they pick a place to live, they protect it fiercely. Their favourite way to do this is to push boulders from up high onto their unsuspecting victims.
Due to poor nutrition, they look slightly emaciated. They have almost no hair and a scraggly beards which gives them the appearance of little old men.
Their appearance isn’t the only consequence of them breaking the Compact between Man and Fae. They are no longer able to use Fae Glamour. This lack of Fae magic they bypass by practicing black magic – which, of course, is forbidden. They are also forced to wear iron-tipped shoes as punishment for their many crimes.
The only way for them to maintain their immortality is to consume the flesh of humans and Fae alike. They prefer to only hunt humans for sport, but they’ll eat them if no Fae prey are around.
Red Caps get their name from the red caps they wear. These caps are dyed in human blood. They have to do this continuously to survive.
The only way to escape these cannibals is to outsmart them.

Siren

Young Sirens can choose a mortal life – live among humans, age like humans and even have magic like human sorceresses. Only their magic can work on Sirens. But if, at any point, her nails start to glitter silver, she has to return to her own kind (this usually happens if she’d used too much magic).
Sirens only feed on human men. They lure them into the water – either with their seductive appearances or by enthralling them with song – then they drown them, escort their souls to the Otherworld and then return to feast on the flesh before taking the bones to the roots of the tree that gives life to their kind.
Before drowning their victims, they are beauty incarnate dressed in glittering gold or silver. During the drowning, they turn into dark creatures dressed in black with a multi-coloured coiffure. After the drowning, they turn into a barely recognised female form of skinless red oozing around stray feathers and claws. After feasting on the flesh of their victims and placing the bones beneath the tree, they return to their perfect forms.
They sing from the moment they start drowning their victims, through the meal, until they’ve returned to their perfect forms.
The curse upon them is to be half-bird, half woman creatures unless they use enough magic to conceal their true nature. It takes a lot of sacrifice (the men drowned and eaten) to keep their magic strong. The bones at the roots of their tree feeds their magic.
They live in a beautiful ocean with an underwater waterfall. They have a meadow above ground that they sometimes call home. No matter where they live, they always look the same – it’s only during the feeding ceremony that they go to extremes. Most Sirens stay in their perfect form, though some like to stay in the dark creature transformation, multi-colour hair and all, to conserve magic.
Young Sirens of age have to go through a rite of passage: drowning their first victim. They have to perform perfectly or be punished by the older Sirens.
Sirens promise truth and knowledge only to deliver death. But if someone can come away enlightened instead of enthralled by the song of the Siren, the human will go free and the Siren will dissolve into the water she stands in, becoming one with the magic of the world. It is thought that if a Siren died like this during initiation, she’d live in the cool waters that the rest could only dream of.
Sirens really do know all – the past, present and future. They have the gift of telepathy and can read the thoughts of humans. It is this knowledge that got them cursed in the first place…
There is no known way to kill a Siren.

Werehyena

Two kinds.
The first kind is hyenas that can turn into men. They have Vampiric tendencies. They can mimic any voice. They are physically more powerful than any creature. They can mesmerise people to do their bidding. In their human guise they are quite hairy, have glowing eyes and they grin all the time.
The second kind is a curse that turn men into hyenas that can walk like men, fight like hyenas and are as bloodthirsty as Vampires. They are immune to the magic of most Fae.
Mortal enemies:
Type 1: Druids and Nature Fae.
Type 2: Only the sangoma that cursed them can kill them. (And return them to their un-cursed state.)

Krampus

Krampus is the son of Hel, Goddess of the Underworld. He goes to the Mortal Realm during Yuletide to whip naughty children with a bundle of birch twigs or to give them a lump of coal. He works with the gift-giving witches Befana and Bertha.
He loses his power during the Winter Solstice and leaves the mortal realm soon after.
He has dark fur, twisted horns, reddish eyes and a forked tongue. His claws can rip through anything. His cloven hoofs can be heard in the dark, as can the chains he is covered with.
When no offerings are left during Samhain to appease him, he will abduct and even eat the naughty children instead of whipping them into shape. The Yule Riders will be released to find him when this happens. Sometimes he will weave baskets to keep the children in, other times he’ll throw them in a bag.
Krampus, like the Yule Riders, knows exactly what is in the hearts of mortals.

Ogre

Ogres are immensely strong creatures. They are taller than most humans, but well-muscled to the point of looking out of proportion. They don’t have any hair because of the toughness of their skin. Most are great cooks and are employed as such by the fae who can afford to and who can deal with the strength and hunger of these creatures.
Ogres don’t usually mix with other fae. They do live in clans, though, for protection from those who would hunt them for sport. Killing an ogre is akin to medieval knights slaying a dragon among young fae nobility.
Some have made their homes in the mortal realm, though these are usually truly solitary creatures who do not live in clans. Though some of them are exiled, not all ogres in the mortal realm are.
Not only do they enjoy the flesh of any mortal being or fae creature, they also on occasion eat their young (or anyone killed in a brawl). It’s rare for them to eat anything but meat.
They are great warriors and would accomplish much if not for the infighting among clans.

Giants

Giants prefer to live in their own realm within Faerie where they cannot be bothered by silly humans seeking to steal their treasures – or certain fae who want to fight them for the chance to brag that they’ve beaten a giant.
Giants are excellent shape-shifters and can come in any size and form. When they have to be in the mortal realm for some reason or another, some appear as tornados or hurricanes, while others are fine by going unnoticed in the form of birds.
Though they are Solitary Fae, they have carved out a home in Faerie free from the Courts.

Trolls

Trolls are made up of various minerals – and depending on exactly what, they can turn to stone or into glass, by either the sun or the full moon. Trolls live in the mountains, usually in a cave system of some sort. Not all live in family groupings, as their society is as complex as that of humans. They don’t kidnap mortals or fae, keeping to themselves. They have a cultural feud with dwarfs, as these creatures are always digging and creating cave-ins.
Trolls are strong magic-users, but even among them there are those who excel. They can turn themselves invisible, change their shape, foresee the future, and give good advice.

Empousa

Singular: Empousa. Plural: Empousai.

Daughters and attendants of the goddess Hecate, these shape-shifting monsters are usually alluring to their prey – until their true nature is revealed. Fanged, clawed, sharp features, red hair, violet slit-pupiled eyes, a donkey leg and a brass leg that doesn’t slow them down at all, these vampiric monsters are fast, strong and cunning. They possess almost as much magic as their mother and know how to use it. They can easily shift from flesh to spirit form to move through the realms. Though they enjoy tormenting travellers on lonely roads, it is usually to send these humans or fae fleeing to a crossroads for an encounter with Hecate. They can transform into any creature, though they prefer to look mortal as they are always hungry and on the prowl. They do not, however, seduce humans as some folklore say – they aren’t succubi – they just enjoy their blood at a certain temperature. And though they are thin skinned – insults sting easily – they do not flee: they fight.

Incubus/Succubus

Though the term can be applied to any fae who seduce mortals, this is a specific type of faery who feeds solely on sexual energy. They are sexually attractive to their prey – humans – and haunt traditional hunting grounds: clubs, bars and parties.

Once a human gets a taste of the pheromones secreted by this fae, they are hooked. They become obsessed to the point of wanting nothing more than to be with their fae lover. It only ends in one way: madness, despair, and eventually, death.

Much the way that humans shouldn’t eat faery food as mortal food would taste like ashes and they’ll pine away, the sexual intimacy shared with an incubus or succubus will dull every other experience until the human has no interest in life without their lover. There is no cure.

Sluagh

The Sluagh consist of fae who had behaved so badly, that they don’t deserve any peace. They lose their bodies and become part of the Host. They don’t have much choice but to do what the Dark King orders. They devour souls. They are seen as a dark cloud moving across the night sky. They can sense the thoughts and feelings of mortals and fae. As servants of Baba Yaga, they can gather information and they can cause specific nightmares. When they move through the sky, it sounds like screeching from a large crowd. They can shape-shift into corpse-like creatures with wings, talons and an assortment of weapons upon their person.

Tokoloshe

The tokoloshe is a type of goblin created by a witch or other magic user with dark intentions. Though it exists in the Dark Realm, it doesn’t walk freely in the mortal realm. Though it isn’t clear how they are created, they do resemble goblins as they are short with pointed ears, and supposedly hairy. They can be invisible at will to everyone except the one who summoned/created them. Though they are usually connected to nightmares and the way to protect oneself from that is to raise your bed on bricks, they are also the henchman of the one who summoned them and thus can do any mischief or malicious deed the magic user wants them to. The only way to protect yourself against the haunting of the tokoloshe is to plant lavender outside your windows and doors, bury iron outside your house, and to burn sage in the room your wish to sleep in. Only a powerful magic user can banish the tokoloshe to the realm it came from.

Wraith

There are two kinds of wraiths: the cloaked type made of roiling shadows that floats, feeding off human emotion, and the ones with seemingly moral bodies, resembling those about to die.

The first type never take physical form, preferring their shadowy existence. They are jealous of the living, longing for the lives they’d lost. They feed off the emotions and life-force of the living – especially humans. These wraiths are born from suffering and, at times, a death so sudden and violent that they are in need of revenge before moving on. Unfortunately, these spirits never find rest and are used by more powerful dark fae for their own purposes.

The second type keep a physical form even though they can take on the smoky shape of the first type of wraith, though their appearances are constantly shifting to that of the closest person about to die. They are formidable fighters, have glowing red eyes once their true nature is discovered, and are employed by the Dark Court as spies and assassins. Though they do sometimes warn of coming misfortune and death, their roles have been so twisted by others, that they don’t even know who they are anymore. Born from unnatural dalliances in the Dark Court, their allegiance is to the Dark King.

Harpy

Half-woman, half-bird creatures with eagle claws for feet, strong wings and sharp taloned hands. They can screech like an eagle, a terrifying sound coming from a supposedly human mouth. They could be beautiful, if not for the perpetual glare and puckered mouth that mars their faces. They are ferocious and fierce. Once set on a path by the Dark King, it is impossible to sway them. They are usually sent to abduct troublesome fae. They enjoy toying with their prey before swallowing them whole (except when the Dark King wished no harm to befall the fae they were sent to retrieve).

Manticore

A predator. Fierce. Unforgiving. The manticore has the head of a human, the body of a lion, tiger or other large cat, the tail of a scorpion, and on occasion has horns. It can change its colour to bright scarlet to intimidate an enemy. It has beautiful blue eyes that can mesmerise its prey. The poison from its stinger has no cure. Once it starts hunting someone specific, it never stops. Just as folklore says, it can devour any beast, yet it has a preference for human flesh. It also somehow has the ability to shoot poisonous stingers from its tail at its prey. There is no way to evade a manticore. They are the ultimate hunters, even smelling alluring to their prey.

Minotaur

Though Asterion the minotaur from Crete is the most infamous of its kind, it isn’t the only one of its kind. Minotaurs roam labyrinths, mazes and other places not easily navigated – like catacombs and sewers. They can take on human form, though they retain their aggression. Minotaurs have furry human bodies and the heads of bulls. They are muscled and strong. There are males and females. Once they start hunting someone, they never stop. They have superior tracking skill and use scent to hunt by. They enjoy feasting on the flesh of humans and fae alike.

Zombie

Three distinct types of zombies: revenants, draugr and zombies.
Revenants are created by throwing a bone, lock of hair or blood of the deceased into a magical lake, cauldron, etc. endowed with the power to bring back the dead. These revenants are bloodthirsty creatures and will create more of their own – either by infecting humans or by killing them and then bringing them back the same way they were. A plague. They look exactly the way they did when they were alive, but they have no memories of the person they once were.
Draugr specifically guard graves. Whether actual treasure (gold, diamonds, etc.) or knowledge, they will kill to protect it. They have memories of the life they left behind, but as they cannot feel or taste or smell anything and find joy in the things they once did, they now find joy in murder.
Zombies, the slow-moving and even the fast-paced ones, are specifically created as soldiers. The slow-moving ones bring decay in their wake. The fast-paced ones kill all in their sight.
No matter the type of zombie, they can all be destroyed with fire. Their source of “life” lies with the dark fae or sorcerer who animated them. If you kill the source, you kill the zombie.

Gargoyle

Gargoyles are protectors, set on the roofs of buildings to keep guard from airborne attacks. They swallow intruders whole. They are nearly invincible with their tough stone skin. They can camouflage themselves to fit their surroundings. They can crawl and climb any wall. Their teeth and claws are sharp and deadly. They can fly if they need to, as they all have wings that can burst forth from their backs even if they don’t appear to have any. They come in various shapes and sizes. If not set a specific task – a specific building to guard – they roam until they find a building they like and then infest it. There’s not much one can do to get rid of gargoyles as they are immune to iron and salt. They do obey the Dark King without pause.

Bogeyman

Belief in them makes them stronger. They can move as shadows or be corporeal – or something in-between. Some intentionally hunt people through their connections with others, playing mind games before killing their prey. They feed on the fear they incite. For most, fear is enough to sustain them, but others need to kill. They live in the dark spaces in a dwelling: under the bed, beneath the sofa, in the closet, in the dark corner of a cupboard, etc. They don’t like light or laughter. They take on the appearance of that which would terrify their victim the most.

Djinn

With fire running through their veins, these shapeshifting creatures can survive almost anywhere – even inside bottles and lamps as folklore suggests. Though capturing a djinn and stuffing it into a bottle is a very bad idea as the magic needed to do so and the consequences of that far outweighs any benefit from having a djinn at your beck and call.

Djinn enjoy terrifying humans and fae alike, so they go for the scariest, most grotesque features they can think up when appearing before others. Though they don’t mind handing out magical gifts, they like handing out curses more. A gift to protect can turn out to be a poisonous touch.

They have the power to turn into any creature or into a puff of smoke. Their main mission in life is to cause mayhem. Helpful djinn are as rare as a four-leaf clover. They are charismatic, charming, and chaotic.

Changeling

For the most part, changelings are only left when the faery child is too ill to survive. Because the faery parents don’t want to deal with the loss, they use and enchantment on the mortal child they’ve stolen away to look like their own so they won’t feel the loss too much. Only the humans will truly suffer. To get the human child back, the parents need to make the changeling reveal itself or have another faery help them retrieve their child.

There are times when changelings are left for the child’s own protection – usually the court fae and their life-threatening politics being at play. The changeling is left to be raised as a human, not knowing who or what they truly are. The human parents are usually oblivious to the swap as the changeling doesn’t act any differently than the mortal child had.

The only time a stock is left, an animated doll that will soon lose its glamour seemingly being a dead infant, is when a halfling is returned to Faerie without the consent of the human parent. This is usually done to protect the secrets of Faerie, as the child is too magically powerful to be kept among mortals.

Ghost

Ghosts are only in the mortal realm when they’ve escaped from the Land of the Dead. Grimms go around dragging them back to where they belong. Those with the need to go back to the Land of the Living are usually the victims of a violent death – murder, most likely – and have unfinished business. Once they have been avenged or whatever it was they needed to finish is done, they no longer have this need to go where they don’t belong.

They have the form they had before they died, only with the colour leeched from them. They are intangible and can become invisible. They have the power to move objects, create haunting sounds, and inspire terror by their mere presence. Some ghosts are malevolent and out to murder those they believe are in their way.

Dogs can see ghosts, no matter human or fae in origin. Having lilies and orchids in the home can diffuse a ghost’s powers. The only way to banish a ghost is to have a Grimm take it away.

Lamia

Singular: lamia. Plural: lamiae.

Lamiae are beautiful women when they are on the prowl. Men cannot help but feel protective towards them. Even when evidence stacks up that children have gone missing since this mysterious woman had arrived, the men won’t hear a wrong word against the lamia. Though they enjoy eating the pure flesh of children, they drain the life-force from men with a single kiss. They can turn into serpentine monsters while hunting. There is no way to save the victims of a lamia.

Boggart

It is, usually, the dark side of a brownie that had been angered. Though there are boggarts that don’t have the good side as a brownie, just the malicious side that wishes to torment the family it is tied to. Boggarts are excellent shape-shifters, turning into whatever will frighten their prey the most. They feed on fear. Their natural form is that of a small humanoid creature with long fingers, big eyes, and sharp ears. They are usually dark brown to easily blend into the shadows. They thrive on destruction. Like most fae, iron and salt will keep them away.

Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin is the name of one of many faery gangs who deal in child trafficking. Horrible as it is, they facilitate changelings, tithes that need the blood of babes, and other things even the most hard-hearted of fae steer clear of. They enjoy making deals with hapless mortals who should know better, but ignore the teachings of their elders to keep steel on them and steer clear of strange creatures. They are tricksters of the worst kind. This gang, as most of their kind, are made up of outcasts (goblins too pretty, red caps too tall, etc.). One of their favourite haunts is a crossroads, as many mortals know that they can “make a deal with the devil” in such a place. They are rarely caught and their victims cannot get out of their deal by merely knowing the gang’s name, as each deal has its own fine print.

Mummy

Mummies, the undead ones who feature in the nightmares of mortals, were cursed to live forever in this in-between state. Some were cursed to protect, others to never find rest. Those who have to protect, usually can look mortal when needed to blend in. As it is their job to protect (a pyramid, a tomb, a bloodline), they have supernatural powers to aid them (speed, strength, awesome bandage tricks to tie up enemies or use it as a whip, they can cause sandstorms and whatever natural phenomena from their homeland, and they have magic at their disposal). Those who have been cursed, are usually buried deep beneath a tomb of someone important or just so far beneath the actual pyramid that no-one would ever find them by accident. If awoken, these mummies are usually released from whatever curse had been keeping them in place, and they go on a rampage in revenge for whatever slights were brought on them in life. There is no way to stop a mummy physically. As they aren’t true corpses – they’re desiccated beyond biltong even – ghouls won’t eat them when there are tastier recently-dead and vampires to consume. Magic is your only protection, and then only if your magic is stronger than that of the mummy you wish to wield it against.

Gremlin

Tiny faeries with sharp claws, big pointy ears, big bulbous eyes, and sharp teeth. They can get into anything as they aren’t limited to the physical plane, but can turn themselves into a form of electricity to inhabit even small things like smart phones. They love mischief for mischief’s sake. They enjoy messing with technology and machines. They eat metal, glass, microchips… Anything, really, that shouldn’t be eaten. Lost your homework? A gremlin probably ate it. They find humans and their reliance on technology fascinating and will inhabit – infest! – homes and buildings with lots of technology and machinery in it. Among the fae, no-one really knows what to do with them. Brownies, technology-loving creatures, eat any gremlins they come across before they destroy their kitchen toys.

Cyclops

Singular: Cyclops. Plural: Cyclopes

Flesh eating monsters with a single eye in its forehead, more brawn than brain, and huge compared to humans and most fae. Though some enjoy being craftsmen, making weapons, cutlery, glass work, and even statues, others prefer herding sheep and goats. They do not tolerate interruptions to whatever they are busy with and lash out violently. Though they do not participate in agricultural pursuits outside of their herds of goats and sheep, they do enjoy the occasional side dish of fruit, vegetable or grain. They make sure there is always enough meat to eat, but if human or fae encroach on their territory – even accidentally – they will become part of the menu. Cyclopes live in small tribes and detest too much noise and activity. Their limbs seem to move differently than that of a human, almost like their joints go together in other ways than one would assume.

Leshi

Singular: Leshi. Plural: Leshies.

This forest spirit protects the forest it lives in at any cost. Though it can move through the forest in an ethereal form, it prefers its corporeal form of bark, leaves and flesh. It’s a shapeshifter, an accomplished mimic, and far too smart to get entangled in the affairs of mortals or fae.

Despite folklore saying it likes to tickle and scare its victims to death, it is actually much more straightforward with true villains: it uses its powers to impale and dispatch those who pollute, etc. the forest and bury them wherever the forest needs nourishment most. Sometimes the leshi eats its kills.

Though it does like to play tricks on those entering its forest unbidden, it is usually younger leshies who mimic loved-ones in shape and sound for their own entertainment.

When attending a Tithe ceremony, they can appear as the traditional wild man with a human-like body, long beard and hair covering their body; or they can conform to expectations of others, appearing as a humanoid creature made of the forest (leaves, bark, etc.). They are loyal to the Dark Court, though prefer to dwell in the human realm if they can.

Gorgon

The gorgon is a beautiful creature with snakes for hair that will turn anyone who looks upon them to stone. If it is an accident on the part of the gorgon, they can reverse the spell. There are male and female gorgons. The only difference between humans and gorgons, on the surface, is the snakes for hair. Thanks to Euryale, Stheno and Medusa, they got a bad reputation for having gardens filled with stone statues. Gorgons prefer solitude and staying in the Dark Lands under the Dark King’s protection. Too many humans have the wrong idea about gorgons and like to trophy hunt their heads.

Obayifo

Two kinds.
First is the known kind.
They were once Witches or Warlocks who made an alliance with the Unseelie King for more power and longevity. They became Vampires who drained the life from the earth and blood from small children (under seven years old). They retained all their witchy powers and then some.
The earth dies wherever they go as they suck the very life from it.
Their mission is to completely destroy all life.
Their magic lies in a bone pendant around their necks. The pendant is made from the bone of any powerful witch or warlock they have killed.
They are usually attractive, powerful, with a hunger for power and blood that cannot be met.
The second kind are victims of the first kind who played vampire and tried to make more Obayifos from normal, non-magical humans. Rarely does it take. They have to bite so deeply with their fangs that they pierce all the major vessels and arteries in the throat/neck in one bite to transfer a bit of their own powers. The bite also kills and then brings the victim back to life.
The second kind of Obayifo cannot make more of their own kind – only the first kind of Obayifo can make more in this way. This second kind is more Vampire than Witch. They can drink any blood to sustain life. They can also eat food. They do not burn in the sun. A stake to the heart cannot kill them; starvation can.
Mortal enemies:
Type one: Nature Faeries and Druids.
Type two: None Known (they usually die via suicide – starving themselves).

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

The Most Powerful Fae

Morrígan

The Crow Faery. The Raven Faery. War. The Triple Goddess. She goes by many names. And answers to no-one.
She has power over battles – turning cowards brave, striking fear into the hearts of the brave, making fights go the way she wants (and causing them at a whim).
Crows are drawn to her. They are carrion birds and are well-fed wherever she is.
She can turn into a flock of crows. She always wears black.
Once, Morrígan and Dagda were romantically involved.
Only Faery Dogs (Cù Sìth) can withstand her powers and neutralise its effects on others if need be.
During the time of the Rift, the Cù Sìth Alpha – Amber – bound Morrígan’s powers for stepping out of line and causing her mother’s death. She has been plotting her revenge ever since.

The Keeper of the Veil

Mistress of the Veil. The Gatekeeper. The Ferryman. She is known by many names in many cultures.
Her job is to keep the Veil between the living and the dead intact, no matter their species.
She resents necromancers as they always chip away at her Veil, making it easier for those who shouldn’t to pass through.
Grimms work for her and act as her protectors and companions.
Though she is affiliated with death, she doesn’t obey anyone and is ruled by none (though Ankou believes she works for him).
Her job also includes making sure that humans hold up their part of the Compact by observing the rites of Samhain, Yule and other festivals.

Cian: The Assassin

No-one knows where he came from. Everyone knows that he isn’t born from either Court. He is as powerful as the Dark King, the Faery Queen, and the King of the Dead. He walks unhindered between Realms. He is a powerful warrior. He silences those who oppose the monarchs. He prefers spending time in the Seelie Court. He is feared by everyone.
He lives by his own code of honour: when fae are in trouble, he does what is necessary to save them. And when Faerie is in trouble, he does what he thinks is right to keep her safe.

The Dark King

The Dark King. The Unseelie King. The Faerie King. Ciarán.
He rules the dark fae, the Dark Lands and his own castle within. Even the Unseen Unseelie answer to him.
He prefers to look like the modern depiction of a gorgeous vampire in a paranormal romance novel for reasons unknown.
He likes to sow chaos, especially when it will serve his greater goal of more power.
He follows his own rules and doesn’t care what others think of him.
He prefers to rule with fear.
He is just as powerful as the Faery Queen.
He has moments of kindness, though they are far outweighed by his propensity for cruelty.

The Faery Queen

Formal name: Queen Andromeda (used to seal compacts, curses, etc. There’s power in a name.).
Known as: Mae.
Known love-interest: Jamie MacKinnion, leader of the Galno, laird of clan Kinnion.
Weaknesses: none known.
Mae is the all-powerful queen of the fae. Though she shares the responsibility of Faerie and all fae with the Dark King, it is on her mercy fae (and others) fall when they have transgressed. She makes the rules; she enforces the rules (sending the Assassin or the Seelie Knights after the perpetrators).
Only the Assassin, the Dark King and the Cù Sìth can rival her powers. Even Ankou, King of the Dead, defers to her.
She can be volatile, merciful, caring and careless depending on her mood. The Rift was caused during one of her careless moments.
She is Faerie. Everything lives and dies by her whim. Everything comes into being or disappears at her command. After the Rift that divided Faerie, she no longer has such power over the Dark Lands belonging to the Unseelie Court and the Dark King.
When she decides to interfere in the Mortal Realm it is rarely a whim: she had foreseen something in her waterfall that is the Eye of Time, and it had most likely been confirmed by one of her Seers or even the Fates.
Mae is a powerful, independent woman in charge of a whole race of beings. It is her job to make sure that peace prevails between Man and Fae, to make sure the Dark King doesn’t do more damage than he already did by creating the Rift and the Labyrinth, and that everyone survives the unexpected.

Ankou

Ankou can appear as a skeletal being with a scythe and wearing a cloak – just as folklore claims. But he usually dresses smartly, especially when visiting the Faery Queen. He stays bone white, though. He likes the fact that all fae fear him, or are at least uncomfortable with his presence – even those who work for him.
He sometimes collects the souls of the dead in his black cart/carriage. Depending on his mood and the circ*mstances, he can be quite gentle with the recently dead and take them to his realm himself instead of leaving them to the tender mercies of the dullahans and others in his service.
It is his duty to maintain order between the Otherworld and the land of the living (Faerie and Mortal Realm alike). He has various servants (dullahans, banshees, sirens, etc.) with specific duties to maintain this order. His most trusted lieutenants are the Keeper of the Veil and Dagda, ruler of the Underworld.
During Samhain, when the Veil between Worlds are at its thinnest, he leads a procession of dead fae and some of his servants through the world of the living. When they come across living beings, they are to be appeased with baked goods or dessert. Or they will play cruel tricks on the individual. That is why it is best to stay indoors, hidden in the dark, during Samhain lest you attract the attention of Ankou and his subjects.

Dagda

Dagda is king of the Underworld. He has four castles – all spectacular – in the four corners of the world. He is perfectly toned with tattoos all over.
He possesses powerful magic.
He controls the growth of wheat and grass topside. Even in droughts he can make it grow so people won’t starve.
He is able to grant wishes – that is why he’s known as the Wishmaster. Wishes don’t come cheap: something has to be bargained.
Dagda was once a powerful figure in Faerie, but he overstepped his bounds and the Dark King punished him by making him the king of the Underworld: a place where souls from the Mortal Realm and Faerie have to wait for judgement once Dullahans have delivered them there.

The Moon

As a celestial orb, the moon radiates power that magic-users can draw upon to enhance their spells.
As a deity, the Moon is known as Cynthia.
Cynthia is the Guardian of Earth. She doesn’t belong to either Faery Court, and she stays out of Faery politics. She does have dealings with various Nature Fae and others who are condemned to live on Earth, though it is difficult for those on Earth to have direct contact with her. There is a portal that connects the moon (celestial orb) to Earth which Cynthia uses to travel and allows others to meet her on the moon.
Technically, Cynthia is the moon and the moon is Cynthia. Her thoughts, feelings, well-being is directly connected to the celestial orb earth dwellers view at night.
A Black Moon, when the Moon is completely absent, is a bad omen for the workers of Death – especially Valkyries.
A Blood Moon, when the Moon is seen tinged with red, is a good omen for Vampires.

Capricious Fae

Muse

The Muses are powerful goddesses of all the arts, literature and science. Even if writers, artists and scientists don’t know or believe it. They are also the protectors of creativity, inspiration, thinking and memory. They have the power to possess humans and bring forth these things even in those who have none of it when it is needed by society. The Muses prefer living in the Grove of Muses at the foot of Mount Marandali, though they inhabit Museums and Libraries, too. They are known to create reality TV shows where people sing and dance. They also occasionally own bookstores, publishing companies, record companies and film studios. They can appear in any way they wish. Though they sometimes listen to the appeals of humans, they only grant inspiration if they think the human is worthy.

Leprechaun

Leprechauns have luck magic, meaning they can change the luck of someone by just being there. They can change their size and appearance at will. They are obsessed with gold and keep it buried in crocks inside hollow trees. They also live in hollow trees. Leprechauns prefer to live down to expectations, running around drunk in miniature size in green outfits playing pranks on anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.
In secret, they run the fashion footwear business. Yes, they control what is designed, made and wore by humans and fae alike. That is why they are so rich: selling shoes is a lucrative business.
Red is their favourite colour, besides gold.
These solitary fae prefer to stay out of Court business. They live in the mortal realm wherever they can – they are in the shoe business, after all, and living in basem*nts of shoe factories, closets of fashion designers, or storage rooms of shoe shops is a small price to pay to run the footwear world. Though getting out into nature is part of their vacation plans. Leprechauns believe in working hard and taking well-deserved vacations.
They love horses, though unlike what folklore suggests, they aren’t distracted by them in the least. Except when they wear shoes…

Farralis

“Farralis” is the codename for those who work for queen Aibheaeg of the Well of Fire. These fae are known to take fire where it is needed most, like how Prometheus and Maui gave fire to mortals. Some of these fae live in Avenir Hollow with the Salamanders, while others live openly among other fae as summer fae who are immune to the dangers of fire.

Water Nymphs

Water nymphs can be male or female. They are attractive to their prey: humans. But when in their natural habitat, they can appear in any way they wish. They live in all the freshwater of the earth. They can travel from one source of water to the next, using the special waterways that connects all water.
Inquisitive creatures, they enjoy to watch humans go about their daily lives. Like most water fay, though, they enjoy the taste of human flesh. They also take human lovers on occasion, just as Greek myths say.
Water nymphs are extraordinary musicians and are sought-after to perform at most fae gatherings.

Nixies

Nixies are water fae who prefer living in lakes and rivers. They are shapeshifters – they can turn into any animal, look like any monster, be perfectly alluring to humans. Despite what folklore says, they do not abduct humans – either children replacing them with changelings, or women, keeping them as wives. Nixies do keep human souls captive, but only as a kind of purgatory for those who didn’t live life with any kind of conviction: they weren’t particularly good or bad. Those humans invited to banquets are the loved-ones of the captive souls, brought to torment the dead. Also, they eat human flesh, which is why they are alluring to their prey. The palace of nixies is one place accessed through the water ways of the Otherworld and is where they keep the souls and hold their banquets. Nixies don’t live in the palace, preferring the wilds of their rivers and lakes. Their mission is to keep their home clean – which means if a human pollutes their river or lake, they will torment their soul until Ankou, king of the dead, absolves the soul and allows it to continue to its destined afterlife.

Sasabonsam

Ogres, guardians of the forest.
They sing in the language of trees; usually melancholy songs.
They are usually peaceful, though when provoked they won’t hesitate to kill.
They keep to themselves.
They do not do things in haste. Like it takes time for a forest to grow, they take time to do what they must.
They can be found in all the forests in all of the world, though they have a special connection to forests in Africa.

Sea Witch

Two Kinds.
The first kind only live in the sea. They sometimes appear as phantoms or even ghosts of the dead to help seafarers safely across the sea– or to lead them to their deaths. The first kind of sea witch is actually Fae. They look like they are one with the sea: usually black, green or purple in appearance with something scary about them like tentacles or electric eel tails. Their main form of creating balance is to make a blood sacrifice: sailors or Selkies are their favourites.
The second kinduse the moon to control the tides and the weather.This second kind of sea witch is human with Fae ancestry. They usually perform their magic on the seashore, though a basin of salt water oreven a bathtub filled with briny water will do in a pinch.
Both kinds of sea witches work with the chaotic forces of nature. Some believe them to be evil. But being one with the sea means that they are chaotic of themselves. They neither use magic associated with the Seelie (light) nor the Unseelie (dark) Court, but rather the grey magic of chaos to create balance between light and dark. Though they are chaos, they bring balance to the sea– something extremely difficult to manage. Some think that they are evil, not just their magic but also their duty to the sea, which keeps sea witches solitary.

Caìt Sìth

Faery Cat in Scottish Mythology that usually presents as a black cat with gem colour eyes.
They have no true allegiance, though rarely they do form a strong bond with another Faery.
They use Mindspeak to communicate and are usually cheeky. They speak as they wish.
Normally they bring misfortune on all humans who see them. They are mischievous in nature. Some do have ill-will towards humans.
They can make themselves invisible at will – even to other Fae.
The only known alliance between the Cù Sìth and the Caìt Sìth is that of the Cù Sìth Saphira and the Caìt Sìth Jade.

Kappa

This creature loves cucumbers. It also enjoys cabbages. Little known fact: it just likes green vegetables and will eat whatever is in season.
Kappas are known to cause mischief. Those who know of their local Kappa, will offer it something to appease it (usually a cucumber) and the Kappa will leave that person alone for whatever timeframe was negotiated.
Kappas can be helpful. For a price. Offer it enough green vegetables and it will do whatever needs to be done.
A Kappa can be identified by its turtle shell, green skin, child-like body and the basin on its head which should always be filled with water (it’s the source of its power).

Sprites

Tiny, green, winged faeries who live in Mag Mell on the same heath as the Galno.
They can change size at will.
They embody the style and mannerisms of the court of Henry the eighth of England.
When they feel hate they turn black, when they feel bloodlust they turn red, when they are happy they turn golden. They struggle to feel more than one emotion at a time.
They have always been solitary Fae.
They are led by their Lady – Juno, the strongest of their kind.
They also have power over the four elements: fire, water, wind and earth.

Yumboes

They are small, with deathly white skin and silver hair. They look sweet and kind.
They’re obsessed with food.
They don’t mind setting out elaborate feasts on long tables properly set with silver and fine china in the middle of forests. They even share their meals with travellers. Especially meals of plum wine, fish and corn.
They have invisible servants – these are guests who had overstayed their welcome and are now silently enslaved to them.
So be warned: do not eat with Faeries or you’ll belong to them.

Mermaids

Mermaids appear in two forms: the first is attractive to their human prey, the other their true form which is usually with gills, sharp teeth, scales all over, webbing between their fingers, and an all-together otherworldly look that would scare humans off if they ever saw it, but gives them lots more power, protects them from the depths of the ocean (cold, pressure, darkness), and boosts their speed.
Just like Merrows and Sirens, they work for the Otherworld and make sure that those lost at sea – human or fae – go to a proper afterlife. They also find human flesh a delicacy and ignore all rules about interacting with humans that the Faerie monarchs might have in place.
They’re not a fan of Mami Wata or the Jengu, seeing them as overstepping their place as merfolk with their interactions with other fae – and their war with the Obayifo.
Just as folklore warns, they are beautiful, deadly, and capricious.

Mami Wata

She’s the Queen of the Water Fae. She can appear as a mermaid or a human – she can breathe air or water in either form.
She’s a renowned figure of African Folklore, and stories of her went with African slaves to their new homes in the Atlantic islands and southern North America. Mortals cry out to her for justice and guidance – which she supplies at a price: devotion. The power of mortal belief fuels her glamour (magical powers).
Mami Wata is a beautiful Black woman who is usually associated with snakes, mirrors and jewellery. If one wanted to contact her, thinking about her while staring at any of these objects will usually call her to you.
The Jengu do whatever she wishes. They are extremely loyal to her. All water fae show fealty to her, but she is only their ruler through might.
As with all mermaids, she is shrouded in mysticism, attractiveness and, of course, vengeance. Her magical powers rival (and can surpass) that of any High Fae.
She is the biggest opposition to the Obayifo (as they destroy all life and the basis of her powers lie within human life).
She has an underwater palace, though none who have gone there have any recollection of its location or what it looks like, just a feeling of opulence.

Pixies

Usually the size of a human thumb, they can change size and appearance at will just like all fae. It takes a lot of magic, though.
They love ribbons. Their clothes are usually made of ribbons – in any colour. Some clans may have a preference in style or colour.
They always live in thorn trees, including fruit trees that have thorns (apple and lemon trees, for instance).
Pixies love mushrooms. They will plant them anywhere. When they have revels, mushrooms will grow in a circle around the place of the revel – sometimes growing huge overnight. It is unlucky to remove or harm these mushrooms: pixies will cause mischief in various forms. In some occasions, they will live in mushrooms: special faery trees that happen to be thorn trees will be guarded by pixies who live in mushrooms at the base of the tree.
Pixies also have a love of growing tulips, cannas and other bulb flowers. They will encourage the growth of these plants wherever they live.
They love to have fun. They are mischievous creatures who enjoy riddles. They also like playing games. Pixies usually don’t harm others, but when it is a choice between their own survival and that of another creature, they will always choose themselves.
Pixies are great at creating glamour. As a group, they can create illusions so strong that even other fae cannot see through it. Some might even do it as a favour…

Selkies

They are able to shape-shift between their seal and human forms.
Selkies mostly live in the human realm.
The biggest taboo of their kind is to mix with other Fae (through marriage, etc.).
Though they do occasionally marry their own kind, it is more common for them to seek a human mate. They entrap an unmarried human by leaving their Other-Skin (the seal pelt) for the human to find. The human is unable to give the Other-Skin away, allow the Selkie to reclaim it, or otherwise harm it. They are bound to their Selkie-mate through this pelt. It is thought that someone powerful had cursed Selkies (and thus humans) to always fall prey to the magic of the Other-Skin.
It does happen that during the Tithe freedom from this curse can be bought from either the Faery Queen or the Dark King (usually the Tithe happens every seven years…). Though some have found the price for freedom to be too steep.
Selkies are known as the good folk to some. They help fishermen to gather enough food from the sea in times of need by singing in the language of the ocean. They are gentle creatures. Though they are known to cause storms and avenge the indiscriminate murder of seals and selkies.
Their homes are usually deep in the ocean, most often a natural vault made of pearls or coral.

The Will-o’-the-Wisp

As big as a human thumb, blue fire faeries with indistinguishable features. Chirp and crackle to communicate. Can understand all language and can make themselves understood using Glamour.
Mischievous. Obey Dryads and other Tree Nymphs. Love to cause trouble and see what happens. Thrive on discord.
Solitary Fae – no allegiance to any Court. Love living in the mortal realm. Can be found in Avalon, The Dark Lands, Isle of the Blest, Tir na nÓg, The Wild Wood, and even The In-Between (so everywhere in Faerie).
Cannot be trusted. They do whatever they please and keep no promises – except to the Tree Nymphs. (So if a Tree Nymph instructed them to lead you to safety, you can follow.)

Domovoi

The Domovoi are invisible servants. They do not clean or cook, but they do take care of the animals of whatever dwelling they’ve claimed as their home. They even live with humans. Most importantly, they protect the home from invaders – whether supernatural or human.
They act as a sort of oracle: if the Domovoi become visible, it foretells of catastrophe approaching. If they extinguish candles (lights) trouble is imminent.
If one sees the Domovoi, they have little horns, tails, and long, grey beards. They are waif-thin and wear grey suits (they act much like butlers; the suits matching the era they live in).
Domovoi are patient, with high tolerance for neglect.
They only consume bread and milk.
If they are not regularly fed and given the proper respect on occasion, they turn feral and attack: the inhabitants of the dwelling they protect, usually by pinching or worse; the animals on the property, mostly by scaring them and chasing them off; and even the land itself, making plants wither and die. You can tell that they’ve turned feral before they attack: they have nasty sneers and their eyes are red. The longer the problem is left untreated (feeding them and telling them how awesome they are), the more malicious they become until they need to be removed by other Fae.

Vila

Vilas are captivatingly beautiful Fae who live in both the Otherworld and the world of the living.
They have beautiful singing voices and are mesmerising to watch when they dance – which they love to do.
They are excellent archers and usually display this skill when mortals interrupt their revels. They have their revels beneath cherry trees.
Vilas have long flowing hair and typically wear white, though they are partial to shades of blue. They are the Keepers of the Blue Festival where all Fae who are blue can enjoy a revel designed to pay their Tithes and build their glamour.
They do not particularly like humans, though they know that it is necessary to enthral them to take part in their revels as sacrifice. They’ll do what they must to lure humans to their special revels. A thick ring of grass, a type of faery ring, remains after such a revel and those who are wise know not to pass, for their life-force will immediately be drained and they will become part of the forest.
They are the peacekeepers of the forest. Any animal or Fae with a problem can go their sacred Ash trees and have the Vila waiting there decide judgement. Though they love all animals, they are partial to dogs.
They delight in creating storms just for the fun of it. Though they’ll heal the injured and sometimes use their prophetic powers to avert tragedy.
Vilas are shape-shifters, a trait they share with most Fae.

Gancanagh

Male Faery in Irish and Scottish Mythology that is known for seducing human women.
Personated by love, idleness and hedonism.
This faery heartthrob has an intoxicating substance in skin – contact makes him addictive. Once bedded by him, human women cannot think of anything but the next fix of him and they usually wither away since he deplores anything resembling commitment.
Suave and charming, he exudes pheromones to both sexes that make them want to be near him and please him. Sometimes to the extent of violence among each other to do so.
Nocturnal, social creature. Loves parties and human companionship.
His spell on humans can be broken if they consume a tincture of liquorice, vanilla and rooibos (can be mixed in a drink). He can be chased off by the presence of strong human magic users showing that they are a viable threat.

Duergar

“Duergar” is interchangeable with “Dwarves” (not Dwarfs), depending who in the Faerie realm you are talking to. For most, Duergar means that huge Dwarves have arrived, ready to conquer.
Though not part of either the Seelie or Unseelie Courts, they are feared nonetheless by most Fae.
Duergar are as tall as short humans. They have rough beards, big muscles, sturdy bodies, and hands that can crush skulls and create intricate metal designs in equal measure. Depending on from where they hail, Duergar have skin tones ranging from snowy white to ebony brown.
Most Duergar generally keep to themselves, playing with gems and metal yielded by the earth, though there are those who have excessive greed. It had led them to dig extremely deep into the earth, nearly to the dungeon Tartarus where evil immortal creatures are kept prisoner.
Some Duergar have gone to work for Dagda in the Underworld. Here they have unlimited access to the treasures the earth holds. They work as bodyguards and general servants to Dagda.
All Duergar are extremely gifted where it comes to working with gems and metal. The objects they create thereof is renowned. They’re also known for their strength and magical powers.
Those who prefer to conquer (give in to their greed), do not have qualms about augmenting their powers with dark objects. They are the worst of their race. Those who cross the Dark King through their greed (by, say almost opening Tartarus), become part of the Unseen Unseelie and lose all they had as Duergar (their culture, homes, personality. Etc.) – it’s a fate worse than death.

Merrow

Merrows keep the souls of the drowned in cages until they can be collected by Black Dogs (usually Grims or Barguests) to go to their final resting place in the Underworld.
They live in the in-between world Tir fo Thoinn (the Land beneath the Waves) just like most other Fae who fall within the Water Fae Classification (e.g. Selkies, Sirens, Jengu, etc.).
Just like all Fae, they are able to change their appearance at will. When not in their mermaid-like form, fish tails and all, they wear warmer coats resembling sealskin to survive icy waters. The webbing between their fingers and toes makes it easier to swim.
All their magic is kept in their red caps without which they do not dare go near other Merrows for fear of enslavement. Better to wait out the human who stole it and pretend to be captured than face true torment at the hands of their own for eternity.
Merrows, like all Fae, enjoy toying with humans. And though they’ll warn against storms, chances are they were the ones who created it.
Some even hunt humans to eat them and keep their souls in cages as pets.

Kelpie

Kelpies use the connection they have to the water they live in to find out everything that goes on in the world around them.
Kelpies can live in any lake, river or stream. Even a murky pool will do if there’s enough glamour to fuel the Kelpie. Part of their magic is to make themselves irresistible – humans and Faewantto touch them, no matter the cost.
Mist surrounds a Kelpie as it shifts form. They have the power to change their appearance at will. Kelpies prefer the form of a horse when on land. Though they can turn into pine martens, stoats, goats, etc. They can even take on a human form.
Kelpies will eat any human or Fae it wants to. They especially like to play with their prey. Though, there are a few who stick to eating fish.
Kelpies only appear outside water when they are summoned, hungry or have to go to a mandatory Fae gathering (like the Tithe every seven years). It usually shape-shifts from an underwater monster to something alluring – like a horse – before enticing humans/Fae to touch it, at which point its skin will become adhesive and it will take its prey down to a watery grave (and the Kelpie will have lunch).
Though it is said that only the liver or entrails are left over from a Kelpie’s meal (seen floating on the surface), that’s just the personal preference of some. Not all Kelpies have the same taste in food (just like everyone else).
Kelpies have power over the water they live in: they can cause floods to hinder or drown pursuers/victims.
They have an odd sense of humour (e.g. laughing when someone nearly dies in a bog).
Kelpies are good in a fight. They change into water as soon as an opponent tries to punch/curse/suck the life out of them.
Kelpies do whatever they wish, whatever whim takes them. Even the supposedly bad ones who feast on humans and Fae can be a trusted ally – just like the supposedly good Kelpies who only eat fish can be your worst enemy.
Kelpies are always dripping wet. Once they start to dry out, they need to return to the water or risk death from dehydration.
How to summon Kelpies:
–A rhyme (if you know the right one) will call the Kelpie from the depths.
–A Cù Sìth can summon one by simply barking.
–A blood offering – a bit of blood on a leaf placed on the water – along with calling: ‘Kelpie, I bid thee forth.’ will summon the Kelpie to your presence.
Though, beware: the Kelpie will demand more, depending on what you want from it.
Like all capricious Fae, it depends on the individual Kelpie whether it will be friend or foe.

Valkyrie

Valkyries choose warriors to fight at the end of time – when good and evil will battle until only one side survives.
New Valkyries are chosen during battle the same way warriors are chosen for the final battle: some see it as a blessing while others see it as a curse. Warriors are treated like they’re something special, Valkyries have to work and serve until the end of time.
They train mercilessly. They are true warriors adept at all types of fighting.
There are different types of Valkyries: those who prefer to fight in ancient skirt armour, those who prefer medieval armour and others who like full-body leather outfits fitted with matching armour. All of them have their strengths and weaknesses – those who prefer leather aren’t all that into being subservient and are usually a lot stronger (mentally, physically, emotionally, magically) than the others.
They have a commander and they follow her orders to the letter – Valkyries aren’t supposed to have opinions of their own (which is why those who prefer leather – and have the strength that goes with it – are so rare).
Valkyries are all women. They were brave in their mortal lives and are even braver as immortals. They fight the Furies for possession of human souls to fight at the final battle (Ragnarok).

Fury

Furies are legion. They collect the souls of the fallen to do battle at the end of time.
They also punish the wicked, avenge the innocent and interfere in the lives of mortals and fae.
They wear clothes of ash, cinders falling in their wake. They have wings resembling that of bats.
Furies are excellent in battle. They can wield any weapon and can decimate their enemies in close-quarter combat (with or without weapons).
They live in the Underworld. They answer to Dagda, the Keeper of the Veil and Ankou – the King of the Dead. Like all creatures associated with Death, the rules of Faerie do not apply to them. They can be classified as deathfae.

Fates

The Fates rule the destinies of all Fae and Mankind. They also decide the fate of those not so easily classified. Even the Cù Sìth are wary of them.
They can take on any form. Sometimes they like to be seen as old crones sharing a single eye. Other times they are seen in the passing seasons of life: a young woman, a middle-aged woman and an old woman. They can also appear as formless, hooded entities. Whatever their appearance, they are to be feared and revered.
They have spools of thread made up of Time, Life, Disease, etc. that they use to weave tapestries.
For fun, they watch the reactions of those who believe that they have more power than others (like the Valkyries and the Furies).

Phoukas

Two kinds.
The first kind roams free as horses and loves being mischievous. They are deft shape-shifters, capable of assuming any form – terrifying or pleasing. Their human form, like those of the second kind of Phouka, is marked by fur ears and sometimes a tail. No matter the form they take, their fur is always dark.
Even in animal form, they have the power of human speech. They enjoy confusing and helping humans in equal measure, even terrifying them on occasion. They like to embellish the truth and see the reactions of others. They’re puckish (like their names suggest) and quick-witted.
Their favourite trick is to suddenly appear out of the ground between the legs of an unwary human and carry the person off. After a wild night of galloping everywhere, the Phouka will throw the rider off at daybreak (in mud, if possible) and disappear.
The only time they appear to be wrathful is when the farmer forgets to leave a couple of stalks after harvesting for the Phouka to enjoy. Everyone knows that they should leave the Phouka’s share…
The Second Kind belong to the High Fae. They were somehow enslaved by them and can only occasionally shape-shift. They have to stay in their human form, fur ears and all, to serve the High Fae. Mostly they live in the human realm. They are absolutely terrified of everything.
They are known to be great chefs, which is the position they usually have in the High Fae household.
Stories abound that this second kind of Phouka are bloodthirsty creatures with Vampiric tendencies. In these stories they are known to hunt down, kill and eat their victims – usually humans. Unfortunately this is true. Because these Phoukas are unable to roam free and be mischievous as is their nature, something inside breaks and they become monsters. But only for a while. They will return to being the frightened slaves of the High Fae, unable to shape-shift once the magic is burned up.
All Phoukas have the ability to give humans the power to understand the language of animals.
All Phoukas love drama, mischief and leading others on a merry chase.

Grindylow

The grindylow is a flesh-eating faery – they eat fish, but prefer human flesh, especially children. Though there are rumours that they can change their form to more easily lure their prey, it is actually a glamour cast through the water to lure children in closer for them to seize them and pull them below the surface. They live in swamps, ponds and marshes, preferring to take cover beneath algae and other water plants to keep an eye on the land and potential prey. They are very humanoid in their physiology, but with light green or blue skin (depending on the natural colour of water where they live), webbed hands and feet, and some even have a fin on their heads to make swimming easier. Their limbs are also longer and thinner than a human’s, thus the folklore surrounding them. They also have sharp teeth like a fish.

The Nuckelavee

The Nuckelavee is a terrifying sight. An equine-human hybrid akin to centaurs, but with the horse head firmly in the centre with toxic fumes coming from its huge open mouth and a single fiery eye staring ahead, skinless, raw red flesh and flexing muscles clearly seen as black blood flows through yellow veins, long arms dragging on the ground, and a huge head looming over it all.
Even when underwater, they keep this appearance, but with fins in the place of hands and hooves. They subsist on a diet of predatory sea creatures (e.g. sharks).
And though some do go around spreading disease and mayhem, since the Industrial Age, most are out to protect natural bodies of water and avenge against polluters. The Nuckelavee has power over the weather, just as folklore indicates. But though some had fun with droughts and floods, after the Industrial Age began, most use it to cleanse the land and waters.
They have power over disease (plagues, blights, common cold, etc.) and can use it to harm and to set the balance (e.g. too many people to be sustained by the local ecosystem will kill the natural order, so the nuckelavee takes out the excess population).
Though solitary in nature and Solitary Fae, they do prefer the Dark Court and will align themselves with the Dark King in times of turmoil.

Telkhines

Telkhines are ocean-dwelling creatures with the heads of dogs and bodies similar to other ocean-dwelling creatures: some have the bodies of crustaceans, some of fish, some of seals. They always have human-like arms to perform their metalsmithing and other artistic works. Though they were able to shape-shift at some point, they were cursed by sea witches to remain in one form so all could recognise them. They have strong magic, but stuck in the ocean they are only a threat to other water fae, ocean-dwellers, and humans unfortunate enough to encounter them on a deep sea dive.

Glaistig

The Glaistig are shapeshifters who can easily be small enough to wrap themselves in bubbles to travel in the river or be a beautiful woman to ensnare her (usually) male victims. The Glaistig need blood to fuel their glamour or they’ll be nothing more than wispy spirits. Even as a beautiful woman, she has greenish-grey skin and the lower body of a goat. Most Glaistig have long, lustrous hair that they take great care of – much like mermaids, sirens and other predatory water fae.
Hailed as protectors – or as plagues – the Glaistig takes care of her environment and the animals who live there. They are tied to the earth and the water, wielding great power. They are easily stirred to anger and can do great harm in their rage. Even her cry can bring about disaster for her enemies.
Solitary in nature and fond of children – they are usually the ones ending up taking care of changelings when other fae tire of them

River Hag

River Hags are shapeshifters. They prefer to look like hags as it produces more fear in their victims – and they need that fear to fuel their glamour. Some of them do eat children, but any human flesh would do. Though they are Solitary Fae, they align themselves with the Dark Court every Tithe. Most have green skin, long, green hair, and webbing between their long fingers. Their magic is tied to the water they live in, though some do live in the trees, forests and caves around their water source.

Storm Hags

They are an ugly veined blue. They are truly hags.
They cause storms wherever they go. Their cackling can be heard in the wind.
They follow the Cailleach around because they are drawn to her strength and cold. They obey her every command – as long as it is in line with the wishes of the Unseelie King.

Hags

There are several hags: the Cailleach, Goddess of Winter; River Hags; the Furies; Carlin – the Keeper of the Veil in her hag form; and others who go through various stages including being hags from time-to-time such as the Fates.
Each group has their own distinctive traits and appearance.

Davy Jones

Once known as the Celtic sea god Shoney, Davy Jones has moved from just terrorising those on the ocean to wherever he is needed. Bringing moral judgement on mortals and half-fae alike, Davy Jones and his skeleton crew that mans the Flying Dutchman roams the mortal realm, bringing madness, despair and death to those deserving of it through their dishonest, cruel or criminal ways. He usually looks like a bearded sea captain from the seventeenth century, but can appear as he wishes. His victims go to a part of the Otherworld ruled by water fae who specialise in torturing souls.

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Magical Places

Tir fo Thoinn

Tir fo Thoinn, the Land beneath the Waves, is the home realm of most water fae. On the surface there is nothing, as is usual on lakes and other places of entrance in the mortal realm and Faerie, but below the waves is an entire kingdom. Palaces, houses and more inhabited by water fae and aquatic faery creatures who farm, herd and otherwise labour the same as in any other kingdom. It’s a prosperous land with pockets that specifically belong to certain races.
Some bodies of water are sacred: the lake of Avalon where the Lady of the Lake resides, giving guidance and help to Arthur and his knights; Mimir’s Well that nourishes the World Tree Yggdrasil; and a couple of non-descript lakes, springs and wells that move place and through time to help those in need.
As fluid sentient beings, oceans, rivers and lakes find form in the nine daughters of Ran who are the waves, the river Styx who is a goddess, and other ways that water itself comes to life without losing itself in a form that will bind it – such as human, animal or fae.

The In-Between

The In-Between is a shadow world, a prison.
Only powerful Fae can move easily between it and the other Realms (only the Faerie Queen, the Dark King and the Assassin can accomplish this – even Ankou stays away, but only because death doesn’t exist there). Others need special ingredients that come at a price: the first fire given to man by Dragons – Eternal Flame; water from a sacred spring carried in a special crystal chalice; wood from the heart of an oak tree – only a Dryad’s tree will work.
The In-Between takes the life-essence from those trapped there, though it doesn’t kill them. It sloughs away their body and soul.
Those who are powerful – or in great need – can communicate with someone close to them on the outside. But it takes even more of their life-essence to do so. The In-Between is a cruel place.
Fae – led by the Caìt Sìth – have to take light to the In-Between to keep balance between darkness and light or all the Realms will fall to the all-consuming darkness of the In-Between.

The Wild Wood

The Wild Wood was formed after the Rift that tore Faerie to pieces.
It is a place neither in the Mortal Realm nor Faerie, yet is filled with magic and wonder. Wild Fae live there – they have changed over time in ways that other Fae hadn’t.
It is the easiest way to travel between Realms – but it is extremely dangerous. Wild Magic runs through the Wild Wood. But if you can find a copse of trees that connect to the Wild Wood, you can safely travel to where you need to go – especially if travelling out in the open is too dangerous.

Faery Rings

The only safe rings to use are those with white flowers, white stones and white mushrooms. These rings will take you safely to wherever they end up. Pairs of faery rings work together, creating a portal from one location to another.
The grass inside a faery ring will always be different than the grass outside of the ring – something to do with their portal quality and where they lead to.
Pixie rings are technically faery rings, but they do not have stones and always have tulips among the mushrooms. These rings shouldn’t be trusted: pixies are fond of pranks.
Never destroy the mushrooms of a faery ring, as it will cause great tragedy to you. If a faery ring needs to be dismantled before it can be finished (the mushrooms sprout first), carefully remove the mushrooms without breaking them, put them in a plastic bag, seal the bag and dispose of in the garbage – it will end up somewhere safe for the fae to create a new ring.

Faery Circles

Their only defining characteristic: a different grass type growing in a circle within another type of grass. Sometimes it is obvious: kikuyu growing in veld grass. But the true faery circle, the one created by the Cù Sìth, usually has a type of lily in the circle that still looks like grass to fool the eye.
Faery circles can take you wherever you wish to go and do not need another faery circle to deliver you safely at your destination. Faery circles are rare – the Cù Sìth do not believe in allowing great power to be accessible to just anyone.
A dead faery circle will have nothing growing inside: it will be a circle of barren soil surrounded by grass. This can mean various things, but usually it means that all the magic in the area is depleted by a great battle. Or that the Cù Sìth who had created it was dead and had been the last of their bloodline.

Magic Portals

Momentary. Created by human magic-users (warlocks, witches, druids, etc.). Something strong has to be channelled to create these portals: standing stones, meteoroids, the full moon, the blood, bones and scales of dragons, etc.

Caves and Tunnels

Thanks to the dwarves and duergar, what happens within the earth can be in either Faerie or the mortal realm. Caves and tunnels can lead anywhere… even dangerous places no-one should ever go.

Caledonian Forest

Home of the Dragon of the Caledonian Forest who hoards books and is an advisor to many druids and halflings who seek his help – in exchange for books, of course.
The forest is old, dangerous and very much alive. For the most part it is filled with oaks, birch, rowan, aspen, juniper, other hardy trees and ferns, mosses and lichens.
Caution: only go there with a Cù Sìth as your guide.

Faerie

Before the Rift (a millennium or so ago), Faerie was one, whole.
Now there’s theSeelie Realm(Avalon),Borderlandswithin the human world (though humans are smart enough to stay away from what belongs to the Fae) where Solitary Fae live at a price (a Tithe is paid every seven years to either the Seelie Queen or the Unseelie King), theUnseelie Realmwith the Dark King’s castle in the middle of it all, theWildwoodthat connects everything and where magic is unpredictable, and theSea of Discordwhich divides all realms.
Though Faery Circles and Faery Rings are quite capable of taking the user to where they wish to go within the realms, some still use the old passages between realms (though only the foolish or desperate do so). The old passages were created before the Rift and are no longer uninhabited or reliable.
Balance no longer exists in Faerie. After the Rift, the light no longer tempers the darkness in the Unseelie Fae and the Seelie no longer appreciates the light, for there is no darkness in their world (they no longer realise when they are being cruel or callous).
Some Fae have escaped to magical parts of the human realm – places touched by Faerie during the Rift – and made homes there. Usually this dwelling is disguised as a small hill or something uninteresting and best avoided (like a burial mound).
Though scattered, all Fae are still ruled by the Seelie Queen (Faery Queen) and the Unseelie King (Dark King). Whether that’s by doing the Court’s bidding outside of the seat of power (Seelie Realm/Unseelie Realm) or by paying a Tithe for Court privileges (like living on Court land, under the protection of that Court).
The Fae who choose to have nothing to do with the Courts have a hard life. They either live in the untamed wilderness (the Wildwood or the Sea of Discord) and go mad, or on Court land as prey, or in the Mortal Realm, cut off from their magic. (Only the two Fae monarchs, the Assassin, the King of the Dead and Cù Sìth can command the Mist. Everyone else have to draw and store Glamour from the Mist for their own use – and they can only do that in places where magic is strong.)
Time runs differently in Faerie than in the Mortal Realm. Hours there can be weeks in the human world.
Humans shouldn’t eat food from Faerie: once they do, they belong to the Fae. Only the one who offered the food can break the spell. And usually they don’t: Fae love mortal playthings. Also, Faerie food holds an enchantment that makes food from the Mortal Realm unpalatable to humans, causing an addiction to Faerie food. (You’ve been warned: don’t take sweets/fruits/cakes/drinks or anything else a stranger offers you.)
Making deals with the fair folk from Faerie invariably leads to trouble. Rumpelstiltskin isn’t the only Fae who collects debts, he’s just the most notorious.
Faerie changes to suit the will of the Faery Queen. Her power is strongest in Avalon.
The Dark King prefers to toy with perception and light/dark (illumination or lack thereof) around him.
To enter the land of the Fae (Faerie) is to give up all power of where you are and what you see/hear/feel/smell/taste.

Thin Places

At crossroads, graveyards and other places of change and choice, the Veil between Realms are extremely thin. (Realms in this context: Land of the Dead and Land of the Living.)
The Living can easily cross over. As long as their bodies stay intact, they can return to their lives.
The deadwantto cross over to the Land of the Living and will be hunted down by Grims/Barguest to return to the Other Side.
Thin Places are to be avoided on Samhain.

Other Side

Reference to the to the Realm on the other side of the Veil between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead.

Otherworld

Realm of deathfae and the dead. Encompasses Tir fo Thoinn (the Land beneath the Waves, home of Merrows, Sirens, etc.) the Underworld and other grey areas in-between (Valhalla, Hades, Castle of the Keeper of the Veil, etc.).

Underworld

Where souls of mortals and fae go to be judged and find their final rest.
Rulers: Dagda and Hel (respectively).
There are many layers to the Underworld and many denizens of Faerie who happily live in this in-between place in Otherworld.

Isle of the Blest

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Faery Animals

Pegasus

Related to the original Pegasus, the pegasi are magical winged horses. Pegasus = singular. Pegasi = plural.
Much like unicorns, horses and others related to them, the pegasi live in herds. They are matriarchal. Though some come in rainbow colours, most resemble the colouring of regular horses.
Their wings can be used for different magical things. Different parts, different uses. Crushed feather tips = cure for all poisons. Wings can be attached to someone = they can fly.
They become very attached to certain humans. This attachment helps them to harness their powers. Like transformation. Some pegasi can change colour (e.g. from black to white), grow a horn like a unicorn’s and have fiery red eyes – all which magnifies their power over lightning, storms and nature itself.
They are fierce warriors when called for, but they prefer a simple life of grazing.

Faery-Hybrids

All Faery-Hybrids were once other types of Fae. They became whatever Faery-rat, Faery-bat, Faery-baboon or other creature by living a good life and going against whatever their Fae-nature was. Some see this as a reward – after all, Faery-Hybrids are as close to mortal as Fae can get. Others see it as an abomination. Tree Nymphs usually become Faery-Hybrid plants.

Faery-Hybrid Bats

Furry. Black. Some skinny, some fat. Big eyes – blue, green, red, orange, yellow, or purple.
Were Red Caps or other type of Goblin-Faery in past life – becoming a bat is a reward for a life well-lived. They know all the magic of their previous kind and are immune to it. They try to help others against their previous kind.
They are a little comical – try to do magic they once had; think they’re stronger than they are; bit off-balance while flying.
Do have new magic: can hypnotise enemies; have excellent hearing.

Faery Hybrid Monkeys

They can look like any type of monkey, depending on the region they live in.
They adore living in the mortal world where they can play tricks on man and fae.
They like a good laugh, though they can push things too far.
They are not malicious in nature and have a healthy respect for the more powerful fae.

Raven/Crow Hybrids

These beautiful black birds have the longevity of the fae, the freedom, cunning and grace of the mortal birds, and are revered across the realms.
They bring guidance, protection and change to those they deem to grace with their presence.
Though they aren’t aligned with any Court, they do favour the Morrígan (more about this faery in a later post).

Faery Hybrid Rabbits and Hares

For the most part, these creatures are blue. Their shade of blue determines their power (magical and otherwise). They can easily go between all worlds (the land of the living and that of the dead). For the most part they keep to themselves, grazing where magic is strong and stealing offerings to other Fae on special occasions (Samhain, etc.).

Grim

The Grim is a black dog that looks a lot like a wolf. It has brown markings on its legs, a lot like that of a Cù Sìth. They can become shadows to stay invisible to mortal eyes.
They live in the Otherworld, guarding the Mistress of the Veil between worlds. Their job is making sure that all festivities that have to do with the mortal world and theirs go smoothly (Samhain, Solstice, etc.). Sometimes they have to hunt Faery-Hybrids, magical lakes and other things that threaten their Mistress or the festivities they safeguard. They also occasionally hunt down escaped spirits of the dead.
You know you are close to the Veil if you spot a Grim.
Like all black dogs, they are fierce protectors and loyal.

Dragon

Not strictly Fae, they do belong to the same Realm.
Dragons are the most magical and wondrous of all the creatures found in any Realm.
They have four legs, large wings with thorns on the tips, huge head with horns and thorns, massive teeth – all sharp like a shark’s.
Each Dragon is the colour of a gemstone. Their eyes, though, are the same amber as the Cù Sìth’s.
Their blood, scales and even meat have powerful magical uses. Though it is an atrocity to kill a Dragon for any reason.
All Dragons collect different things that they keep in their hoard. Some collect glassware, others stained glass windows, even shoes are collected. The Dragon of Caledonian Forest collects books.
Dragons know things – the past, the present and the future. If they deem someone worthy, they will share their knowledge. At a price; usually an addition to their collection.

Faery Frogs

Faery Frogs are frog-like creatures found in the mortal realm and Faerie alike. Some have wings, some have sharp teeth, some secrete pheromones, some come in psychedelic colours. Whatever is needed for magic, change or positivity, they can provide. Some do hunt humans and their livestock, but that has more to do with how they were treated than how they naturally are.

Birds of Faerie

There are several birds from Faerie that have made their way into the mortal realm.
More than once goose with the ability to lay golden eggs have been captured by ignorant mortals. Most of them had been retrieved by the protectors of Faerie and taken to fae sanctuaries.
The Strix, lovers of blood and meat, have found their way into the forests of the mortal realm and have feasted on unwary mortals since before the Rift. Most owls ignore them completely for their taste for human flesh.
Known to the Scottish as the boobrie, a certain shape-shifting bird has developed a taste for cattle and sheep, though it prefers otters – if only Selkies weren’t wont to turn into these creatures and smite them for their tastes.
The birds of Rhiannon have changed shape and have taken refuge as pet birds across the globe in the form of budgies. They rarely use their powers anymore, though those who keep them do have better health than those without pet birds.
The White Merle had returned to Faerie after its abuse at mortal hands.
Nemglan was taken back to Faerie in disgrace after falling in love with a mortal woman and begetting a son.
Only the hyter sprites and Alicanto have been active as described in folklore without end.

Questing Beast

The Questing Beast, or theBeast Glatisant(Barking Beast), has the head and neck of a rinkhals, body and speed of a cheetah, and the sound that comes from them is closer to the laughter and groaning of spotted hyenas than the fabled braying hounds.
It can spit its venom at its quarry which then burns through them without a cure, death following swiftly. Its bite is also deadly.
The Questing Beast only appears when things are out of balance, whether Nature or Magic. It cannot be killed. It is there to bring back balance by killing the source of the imbalance.

Aspis

Aspises are only found in the deepest forests, near caves – either natural or created by them – where they protect trees that grow golden fruit. These fruit are only meant for consumption by fae, but mortals often challenge each other to acquire the forbidden fruit.
The Aspis is small, the size of a foal, and moves quickly through the forest with its two legs. Its wings, shaped like that of a bat’s, can take it high above the treetops. Aspises vary in colour from the deepest green to black. Its breath is poisonous to mortals. Its bite is instantly fatal to all creatures. Touching it will systematically paralyse you until your breathing stops.
Just as folklore suggests, music is its one weakness. For some, music puts them to sleep, while for others it brings it under the thrall of the one wielding the music.

Black Shuck

There is, of course, more than one dog called Black Shuck: it is more a classification within black dogs than the actual name of the creature. And most all of them prefer looking like a black Dobermann because of its pointy ears and silhouette meant to scare those with evil intent.
Black Shuck is partial to coastland and marshy areas as it is a protector to the portals these places hold to other realms. It always seems to be on patrol, because it is. It keeps the fae in their realm and the mortals in theirs… For the most part.
As a worker of death, it marks those who don’t respect its boundaries for death.
In its spectre form, Black Shuck looks like black smoke in the form of a dog with one fiery red eye in the middle of its head. It can also look like a ball of fire as it moves through realms to do its duty.

Aufhocker

Singular: Aufhocker. Plural: Aufhöcker.
Aufhöcker are black dogs that guard crossroads. They sometimes wander off and patrol nearby roads. As crossroads are places where faery bargains can be struck and where, on occasion, mortals can move through realms, the Aufhocker needs to make sure that the balance of the realms are kept – no-one wants a repeat of the Rumpelstiltskin disaster.
This black dog usually appears as a Giant Schnauzer as to not terrify anyone until needed. It does rip out throats and drinks blood, but it is only to fuel its glamour and the protections around the crossroads, not out of gluttony. It usually hunts criminals of all sorts, leaving the innocent unharmed. Unlike what folklore suggests, sunlight doesn’t harm Aufhöcker.

Barguest

The Barguest is a black dog who usually looks like a German Shepherd with reddish eyes. But a mirror can reveal its true nature and looks: a spectral creature with fire for eyes.
They live in the Underworld, keeping souls from escaping back to the world of the living. And if souls were to escape, they go on the hunt in the human realm and forcibly take them back to where they belong.
Barguests ensure that all deals made with creatures from the Underworld are upheld. Usually it entails keeping the foolish mortal safe.
They are great companions and loyal. They have a strong sense of duty.

Steeds

Vicious hunters that will eat anything they can kill. They roam freely in Faerie and rarely venture into the Mortal Real – especially after the Compact.
They’re shape-shifters (cars, animals, etc.)
They’re immune to iron.
Rarely, they’ll bond with a Faery. This bond allows a telepathic connection between Steed and Faery. Though lower Fae such as Brownies and Phoukas can easily understand them without any such bond.
Mortal enemies: none known.

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Miscellaneous

Solitary Fae

When the Rift happened, many fae were displaced into the mortal realm – along with pockets of Faerie. Some fae decided to leave Court affiliations behind and became Solitary. After the great battle caused by Morrígan that led to the Tithe, these Solitary Fae had to choose a Court to pay their tithes to in return for protection and the right to live on Court lands (all of the mortal realm was divided between the two Courts).
Solitary Fae come in many forms and sizes. And though interfering in the lives of mortals isn’t advisable (the Compact makes things tricky), some enjoy toying with humans.

Mountain

Mountains are the eternal landmarks of the realms. Various pathways exist within them to connect the realms. Mountains are also the homes of various fae and it is connected to the life-force of the realms and those who reside in them.
Various fae are manifestations of the mountains. They are bound to them. Oreads (mountain nymphs) are one example. Their job is to keep their mountains safe (from excavation, modernisation, pollution, etc.). These fae have the power to cause avalanches, storms and other natural phenomena.

Black Sun

The solar eclipse can power various magical beings and magic spells if harnessed correctly. Depending on the type of eclipse (full or partial) and the duration, its magical properties can be weaker or stronger.
The Sun gives life to all on Earth (and in some other realms). It can also be fickle in what it wants to do and who it wants to help. Summer Fae and Fire Elementals have a stronger connection to the Sun and can intervene on behalf of various other fae.

High Fae

They look eerily like humans. They hold a perfectness of appearance that no human can ever obtain.
They are the ruling class of the Courts. All Fae that do not as closely resemble humans are of the serving class of the Courts.
Though not all of them can boast of titles or lands, they still outclass all the lower Fae and will always be in charge of them. (Even in the Mortal Realm.)
All Faery Knights are High Fae.
The High Fae are also known to be the cruellest of their kind.

Half-Mortals

This term refers to anyone who has one fae parent, whether it be a seal with a Selkie parent or a human with a High Fae parent.
These halflings possess many of their fae parent’s gifts, but also their failings. Most importantly: they’ve inherited their mortality from their mortal parent. They might be faster, smarter, more attractive than their mortal counterparts, but they can still die the same way.
Halflings usually reside in the mortal realm as they are looked down on in Faerie. In the mortal realm, though, they are usually revered among the mortals and achieve cult status in whatever way they choose (beauty, brains, brawn – whatever they choose to pursue). Mortals will follow them to the ends of the Earth.

Necromancy

Dark magic concerned with raising the dead, calling upon spirits to do the bidding of the necromancer, and all-around bad, unnatural magic.
Ankou, King of the Dead, isn’t fond of necromancers, though he tolerates and even humours them on occasion.
Carnelian is a powerful stone for them to draw their powers from. They also use solar eclipses and other astral events to power their magic.

Iron and Fae

Fae are allergic to iron. Some more than others. Iron drains them of their magic and then their life-force.
The mortal realm reeks of iron. Only the most desperate fae still reside in the mortal realm.
Some fae, such as the Court monarchs and the Assassin are immune to iron.

Magic

The Mist is what we call the all-consuming, all-powerful magic that runs raw through Druids and Cù Sìth. Other humans with magic need talismans to tap into the Mist. Normal Fae can fashion Glamour – weaker magic than that of the Cù Sìth – out of their connection with the Mist. All Fae can store Glamour in plants, crystals and wind-orbs/light-orbs for later use.
Humans can use magic in various forms: harnessing it from Nature; storing it in amulets, crystals and talismans for later use; siphoning it from other beings (usually other witches and wizards); or using incantations along with talismans to use The Mist in its rawest form.
Magic must be earned or inherited for humans to wield it. Some go on quests to earn the right to use magic while others are born with it in their blood.

Immortality

There are different ways to gain immortality. It, of course, means different things to different beings.

The first is being cursed with immortality. This usually happens among human magic-users. It can take on many forms, from being stuck at the same age forever and never changing to living until a certain age and being hunted down by the enemy and then born again just for the painful cycle to continue forever.
The second is stealing immortality – or being granted the gift of immortality. Both requires the Elixir of Life to be consumed. The elixir is kept safe in Avalon, though there are always those stealthily enough to steal from the Fae. Some mortals are granted the gift for services rendered (like saving an entire race of Fae).
The third is striking a deal with the Unseelie Court, mostly with the king himself. But this usually results in the seeker becoming more monstrous the longer he/she lives. Which, of course, suits the needs of the Dark Court. An example is the Obayifo.
The last way to be immortal is being born with it. All Fae are born immortal. Though, certain things can change their state. Being immortal doesn’t mean being indestructible. Fae kill Fae all the time over silly disputes – the King of the Dead, Ankou, wouldn’t have a realm otherwise. And curses can influence even what immortality means: the Fae living in the Labyrinth suffer for perpetuity over something none of them were involved in, though they all die very young (even to mortal standards).
The Fae, and made immortals, can live for thousands of years if not killed off. They are patient with their plans: it doesn’t matter if a plan has to take twenty – or two hundred – years to come to pass, they have the time to wait. Living forever also means that most of them are never in a hurry to do anything: time is their friend.

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Humans Who Interact With Faerie

Paladin

They are knights in the mortal realm who use magic to protect their own. Though they do not care for fae much, they do align themselves with those they deem worthy allies in the fight against darkness.
Paladins are warriors of light. Sunlight gives them their power.

Witches

Familiars are usually Caìt Sìth who enjoy spending time in the mortal realm in the company of witches. Other familiars from Faerie include various faery-hybrids: monkeys, bats, rats, ravens, roosters, etc.
As with the Fae, human magic-users are classified under their own gifts as well. Some control fire, some water, some air (wind), some earth, and some even control soul (powers of the mind, powers of others, the dead, etc.). Some even have power over that which dwells within their element of control. Rarely, a witch will have equal power over all elements.
Witches use grimoires to extend their knowledge and power. Some have bonded with Familiars (see the types of Fae above) who advise them. They are also big on rituals, schooling and belonging to groups. Though they view individual witches to be suspicious, that is in no way an indicator of villainy.
Just like any other type of being, witches can be good or evil, old or young, etc.
Only Druids seem to naturally have power over everything.
Certain bloodlines of witches and warlocks have found the power of Runes and thus power like Druids through branding their skin with various Runes; a dangerous and possibly fatal endeavour.

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Non-Fae Immortals

Odin

Odin is the ruler of what mortals know as the Norse Pantheon. He holds more knowledge than any of the other deities, and continuously gathers more through his two ravens who travel the worlds. His Realm runs parallel to Faerie. For the longest time he has been bored with life.

Anubis

Anubis is a death deity. He is part of what mortals know as the Egyptian Pantheon. His Realm runs parallel to Faerie. Whereas Ankou deals with the death of fae, Anubis deals with the death of humans.
Whereas others of his kind have been forgotten, he is still very busy with his line of work.
He likes to attend funerals, guide mortal souls to their afterlife and hang out with other death deities.

Athena

Athena is the goddess of battle strategy, mathematics, weaving and more. She enjoys a good game of Rummikub or chess. She hasn’t been as active as other immortals in the mortal realm, rather spending her time at the various rest homes for immortals sharpening her board game strategies.

Demeter

Demeter is the goddess of all growing things. And though she likes animals well-enough, it is plants that really matter to her. She can shape-shift into any form she chooses, though she prefers looking matronly to keep the lustful gaze of Zeus and his ilk away from her – for obvious reasons. She has no issue going to the Underworld to visit her daughter, though she still dislikes Hades for the way he took her girl as his queen. Unlike a lot of other immortals who have decided to retire, she is still running amok among humans who think to abuse the earth.

Apophis

Apophis is a giant snake most of the time, though he can have a mortal form if he so wishes. Immortal just like the rest of the Egyptian pantheon, he waits for the chance to destroy the world. Though he would like nothing more than to swallow Ra whole, the indigestion of swallowing the sun and everyone else on Ra’s barque is just too much to handle, and so he is constantly on the lookout for other ways to meet his goals. He revels in chaos and darkness. Apophis can be found in the darkest, deepest recesses of the Duat.

Thoth

Thoth is the god of magic, medicine, wisdom, writing and knowledge. His sacred bird is the ibis, though he loves all birds. He only likes the baboon, though, which is his sacred animal. He is the librarian of the gods and makes sure that the great library is kept in good order. He can appear in the form ancient Egyptians worshipped him as, though he prefers to appear in his human form while in his library. Unlike most other immortals, he has never gotten bored as there is always something new to learn and to invent.

Hades

Hades likes to stay out of the drama the other Olympians like to embroil themselves in. He prefers his own realm, however dark and dreary. He loves his wife, Persephone, his dog, Cerberus, and his horses, Abatos, Abaster, A’eton and Nonios. And he even tolerates the furies, Charon, Hecate, and his mother-in-law, Demeter, who all have a place in his life. Most of the Olympians stay clear of him. Even the Titans keep their distance. As for the wailing dead… He has enough riches to pay the ferryman on their behalf just for the peace and quiet it brings.
He enjoys writing and playing music, gardening with his wife – growing the plants that only grow in their garden, taking care of his horses and Cerberus, and talking magic with Hecate.

Lethe

Lethe is the goddess of forgetfulness. She is also sometimes a river. She can take a human form to mingle with other gods and with humans. A few drops from her is enough to make a couple of hours’ memory disappear. Quenching your thirst on the water of the river Lethe can give you a clean slate – if you so dare. She is sometimes blamed for everything from forgetting where one had put one’s keys to dementia. She’s not very sociable because of these accusations, instead favouring the company of her fellow infernal rivers.

Hera

Hera is the goddess of the heavens, wife of Zeus, mother of few, adversary of many, and worshipped by thousands – especially women needing her aid. She doesn’t tolerate fools, those who don’t respect marriage, or anyone who abuses women and children. She is fond of peaco*cks and have many living in her private garden. She’s still faithful to her irascible husband, though she prefers distance between them – time has made her think of murder plenty of times.

Sphinx

There are several sphinxes – male and female. They have feline bodies – usually lion – and human heads. Most have eagle wings. They love riddles and puzzles – and have no tolerance for stupidity, eating those who cannot solve their riddles. They reside in the Underworld after the Fae made their Compact with Humankind.

Hecate

Hecate is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, spells and magical plants. She has nymphs who follow her around, as well as black dogs. She keeps to herself as other gods and goddesses tend to take everything she says literally: not all crossroads as actual roads, but choices. She’s fond of Artemis and Persephone as they treasure nature as much as she does.

Artemis

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt, wild animals, and wild places. Nymphs of all kinds adore and follow her, but she prefers the company of the Oreads who are able to keep up with her when she hunts in the mountains. She only ever loved one man – Orion – and has vowed to never love another after his untimely demise. She adores her dogs and always adopts new ones whenever one needs her most. She is a firm believer in “Adopt, Don’t Shop”. Though she is proficient with many weapons, the bow and arrow stays her favourite. She is still revered among rural people.

Ares

Ares is the Greek god of war. He isn’t fond of the tedious battle strategy games his sister Athena enjoys, but he isn’t blind to the benefits of strategy instead of rushing in blindly either. He enjoys going to dive bars – especially the kind with live music with angry vibes. Whenever he is near mortals, they cannot help but be influenced by the violence radiating from him. He dresses in leather and rides on a motorcycle, preferring the mortal realm to anything crowded by immortals. Ares broke off his affair with Aphrodite a while back when he realised that she was never going to divorce Hephaestus, be true to him, or care about anything but herself.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus is the Greek god of fire, volcanoes and craftsmanship. He can make anything – and experiments a lot. He got divorced from Aphrodite a long time ago and married the youngest of the Graces and is quite happy. Despite the way his family treats him because of his disability, he still loves them and makes some trinkets for them from time-to-time. He prefers living beneath a volcano that shall not be named with his wife and Cyclopes – and any apprentices brave and strong enough to entreat him.

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.