The Tribes
Faeries
Last updated 8/15/2015.
Standing less than six inches tall makes life in the Eternal Forest very different for the faerie race. Their vast difference in size from any other civilized race has always made the faeries keep to themselves. Centuries ago, when the Lands of Order were first mapped, the faeries were one of the last races to join. And even after joining, the faeries continued to be seclusive. They harbor no ill will towards the larger races, but have very little in common with them. Life is simply very different when you’re more than ten times smaller than anyone else.
Though on a much smaller scale, the faeries have a similar body structure to the elves. They are slender and narrow with long, pointed ears. The most impressive feature of the faeries are their wings, which differ greatly between males and females. Male faeries sport four long, slender wings that are clear like a dragonfly. This makes male faeries swift, agile flyers, though they tire faster. Females have large, rounded wings like butterflies, not as quick and agile, but much quieter and better at covering long distances. Female wings are vibrantly colored, usually sporting a pattern of two different hues. Similarly, their hair is two-toned to match the look of their wings.
Faerie society is ruled by two matriarchal figureheads. Like the elves, the faeries have a high priestess. The high priestess oversees all matters of spiritual well-being in the tribe and presides over religious ceremonies. The supreme ruler of the faeries is their queen, known as The Rose. The Rose is the ultimate authority in the faerie world, higher even than the high priestess. The Rose is freely elected by the citizenry and, once elected, holds her position for life. For a woman to become the Rose, she must forsake all aspects of her former life. She can have no family, take no lover, bear no children, and have no close friends. She must be a leader/servant to all of the tribe equally, thus shunning any personal relationships that could sway her decisions to favor some over others.
The high priestess serves as the faerie representative to the Tri-leaf Council.
Windsong does not allow visitors from any other tribe. In fact, this provision nearly kept them out of the Tri-leaf Pact centuries ago. The Safe Road cuts through the faerie territory, but doesn’t reach the city itself. To the faeries, Windsong is more than a city; it’s a haven. It is meant to be a place where everything is sized for faeries and no one else. It enchants the mind like a spell, letting the faeries forget how big the world really is. The presence of the larger races breaks that spell, thus they are banned from visiting.
Faerie combat is greatly different from any other race. They are too small to do battle with any other creature in a normal contest of strength or technique. Because of this, faeries fight the larger races using a wide variety of poisons. Faeries are masters of poisons, able to craft toxins that cause everything from drowsiness and hallucinations to paralysis and instant death. To deliver these toxins to their targets, they use stealth, secrecy, and trickery. Those unfortunate enough to do battle with a faerie are usually defeated before they even know they’ve been attacked. Nowhere are these deadly techniques better demonstrated than with the Rose Thorns.
The Thorns are an old and infamous order of assassins who have protected the faerie tribe since the beginning of recorded time. They are the Rose’s personal army, acting under her command for the good of the tribe. To become a Rose Thorn is one of the highest honors a faerie can receive.
Though on a much smaller scale, the faeries have a similar body structure to the elves. They are slender and narrow with long, pointed ears. The most impressive feature of the faeries are their wings, which differ greatly between males and females. Male faeries sport four long, slender wings that are clear like a dragonfly. This makes male faeries swift, agile flyers, though they tire faster. Females have large, rounded wings like butterflies, not as quick and agile, but much quieter and better at covering long distances. Female wings are vibrantly colored, usually sporting a pattern of two different hues. Similarly, their hair is two-toned to match the look of their wings.
Faerie society is ruled by two matriarchal figureheads. Like the elves, the faeries have a high priestess. The high priestess oversees all matters of spiritual well-being in the tribe and presides over religious ceremonies. The supreme ruler of the faeries is their queen, known as The Rose. The Rose is the ultimate authority in the faerie world, higher even than the high priestess. The Rose is freely elected by the citizenry and, once elected, holds her position for life. For a woman to become the Rose, she must forsake all aspects of her former life. She can have no family, take no lover, bear no children, and have no close friends. She must be a leader/servant to all of the tribe equally, thus shunning any personal relationships that could sway her decisions to favor some over others.
The high priestess serves as the faerie representative to the Tri-leaf Council.
Windsong does not allow visitors from any other tribe. In fact, this provision nearly kept them out of the Tri-leaf Pact centuries ago. The Safe Road cuts through the faerie territory, but doesn’t reach the city itself. To the faeries, Windsong is more than a city; it’s a haven. It is meant to be a place where everything is sized for faeries and no one else. It enchants the mind like a spell, letting the faeries forget how big the world really is. The presence of the larger races breaks that spell, thus they are banned from visiting.
Faerie combat is greatly different from any other race. They are too small to do battle with any other creature in a normal contest of strength or technique. Because of this, faeries fight the larger races using a wide variety of poisons. Faeries are masters of poisons, able to craft toxins that cause everything from drowsiness and hallucinations to paralysis and instant death. To deliver these toxins to their targets, they use stealth, secrecy, and trickery. Those unfortunate enough to do battle with a faerie are usually defeated before they even know they’ve been attacked. Nowhere are these deadly techniques better demonstrated than with the Rose Thorns.
The Thorns are an old and infamous order of assassins who have protected the faerie tribe since the beginning of recorded time. They are the Rose’s personal army, acting under her command for the good of the tribe. To become a Rose Thorn is one of the highest honors a faerie can receive.