Faerie (creatures)

Faeries are a group of magical beings, residing in the Nevernever, specifically the land Faerie, and in our world. Their nobility, comprising the most powerful of them, is known as the Sidhe.

Description
Faeries are magical beings residing in the Nevernever. They are a very heterogeneous group, as there are many different kinds of faerie. Some of them are humanoid in their form, some like animals, and others like various monsters. For a list of Faerie kinds, see the list below.

Many of the faeries belong to one of the two Faerie Courts of the Nevernever, the Summer Court and the Winter Court. Those that do not belong to either are the Wyldfae.

The concept of a debt and obligation is a huge factor in how they behave. The Sidhe are unable to give anything away for free. There must always be balance. Never take anything without giving something of equal value in return. Never give a favor without getting one in kind. All of Reality depends on it.

It is generally tricky and dangerous to ask the Sidhe direct questions. Questions that deal with conflict especially may receive obscure and maliciously misleading answers. They are, however, "fanatical gatherers of information and guard their information as ferociously as a dragon guards his gold". Information is more valuable than gold.

Faeries are often insane, mischievous, and very dangerous, but they are also good to their word. It is possible for faeries and humans to produce offspring, who are called changelings. Sidhe cannot speak an outright lie. They are, however, very adept at word plays and the twisting of meaning and literal speech.

As part of their magic, they can use glamour to change their appearance. They'll try to put a mortal off balance with their beauty.

Faeries are vulnerable to cold iron, which is deadly to them. Running water and also can disrupt faerie magic and glamour.

Bargains, oaths and promises
Built in Faeries' nature, they try to entrap mortals with bargain and deals or accept anything offered by a mortal, since this opens a pipeline for magic; anything other than an equal exchange can be either enticing or insulting. A mortal, therefore, should not accept nor offer anything in trade.

Promises and oaths are binding to the faeries, and they will make sure that a human does the same. Their abilities with words often allows them to snare an unsuspecting mortal to their advantage. A promise thrice made is as close to absolute thruth as a faerie can give; asking a question three times binds the third answer as the truth.

Oaths put mutual obligation on both parties, such as an oath of fealty to a Faerie Queen puts an obligation on the Queen to carry out the obligations of the one who is sworn to her if he is not able to for whatever reason, even death.

Politics
The faeries are grouped in two great political entities, the Faerie Courts; Summer, and Winter. Both Courts have their territories in the land Faerie within the Nevernever. Each Court is governed by three queens, the Mother, the Queen, and the Lady, with the Queen being the ruling sovereign.

Most of the faeries belong to one of the two Faerie Courts. Those faeries that do not belong to either are the Wyldfae.

List of Faeries

 * Canal Nereid
 * Centaurs
 * Cobbs/cobbler elves
 * Dryads
 * Elves
 * Fetches
 * Gnomes
 * Goblins
 * Gruffs
 * Hobs
 * Malks
 * Miksani
 * Nixie
 * Nymphs
 * Ogres
 * Sidhe
 * Rawhead
 * Redcap (also a character)
 * Satyrs
 * Svartalves
 * Sylphs
 * Trolls
 * Tylwyth Teg
 * Unicorns
 * Wyldfae
 * Wee Folk

External references

 * Fairy - Wikipedia
 * Classifications of fairies - Wikipedia
 * Types of Faeries
 * FAERY LORE
 * All About Types of Fairies
 * The Faerie Courts - Faeriepedia
 * Seelie Court and the Urseelie Court
 * Types of Sidhe Kin
 * Celtic Folklore: The People of the Mounds
 * Daoine Sidhe - Encyclopedia Mythica