Creatures: Faerie

Faerie: Brownies

Known as domovoi in Russia and lares in Rome, these shy, tiny sprites may live in hearth, field, or forest. One must never speak of a brownie by name. Rather, call them “the good people,” “the gentle folk”, “grandfather”, or “himself/herself”. Brownies love singing and dancing. While they are almost always invisible to human eyes, they may be heard faintly, as if through a long distance. Their singing and dancing can be heard as groans, creaks, or a very soft conversation.

Domestic brownies often wear brown; their wild cousins green. In groups they may sing forth fog, rain, and flood. One brownie may fog up a house. Two brownies may call a short (d20 minutes) rain over a single house. More brownies may call stronger, wider, and longer rain. Each additional brownie may double the duration, the size, or the strength (five brownies may call a tiny thunderstorm). A dance of sixteen brownies may call a great thunderstorm that lasts for a week.

Instead of a storm, the brownies may instead call forth a river. A dance of twenty brownies may call a flash flood of sufficient force to destroy a house. The flood arrives 2d10 minutes after called.

Brownies may also prevent or ameliorate rain and flood for the same period of time, reducing by equivalent strength.

Brownies are not so much invisible as elsewhere. Brownies live in a world adjacent to our own, and which shares many of the places of our world. Thus they may be here and not here at the same time. They may not attack while elsewhere, and must come fully here to attack. This they rarely do. While here, brownies may take the form of small animals such as cats, rats, puppies, and foxes.

Brownies may move from elsewhere to here or back, or shift shape, at will. They take little notice of humans though they live in the same house or farm. They will use food, livestock, and household objects without regard to ownership, and may even clean up after themselves and the other inhabitants of the house. They will take offense to being called thieves or to attempts to block them from using these things. But they are just as likely to take offense at direct attempts to appease them or to thank them for something they’ve done. If one wishes to leave food or rewards for brownies, they must be placed in such a manner as to have reasonably been accidentally left and be accidentally found.

Brownies are especially fond of fireplaces and campfires. They will keep such fires going as long as they need them, and they are also mindful of the need to extinguish fires when they are no longer needed. (They are not mindful of the desires of those who actually started the fire.)

Brownies keep tiny treated darts and blowguns. The sleep poison of a brownie’s elf-shot is an ailment with a one round action time, and a strength of zero; its effect is to immediately put the victim to sleep.

Brownies rarely acknowledge the presence of humans, and speak to them even less often. They may over time view one reasonably friendly, non-threatening human with favor, and perhaps even speak with them.

Faerie: Centaurs

The origin of the centaur is obscured behind the gauze curtains of prehistory. In the past they involved themselves far more in the affairs of Elves and Men than they do today. Now, they frequent only the out-of-the-way forests where Nymphs and Pixies live.

With its six limbs, the Centaur is an odd hybrid. It has two humanoid arms and four horse-like legs. The male may mate, horse-like, with other Centaurs, or humanoid-like with Nymphs, Elves, or humans. From their torso up, they resemble an extremely muscular Elf or Half-Elf. From the waist down and back they resemble a warhorse or strong pony. They have limited night vision, at a penalty of 4.

Often loud and boisterous, like the Dwarves Centaurs tend to love their drink and their socializing. The celebrations of the Centaurs of old are renowned even among the gods. Centaur society also values medicine, music, and hunting. The Centaur warrior’s knowledge of the art of war is unparalleled. While Centaurs tend towards the Chaotic moral code, they might also be Good, or more rarely, Evil.

Centaur warriors are masters of the bow, and gain a bonus of 2 to attack when using one. Centaurs usually fight with swords and short bows, though they may also fight with their powerful feet. When fighting with short swords, they may use their feet in addition to their sword, for two attacks per round.

Centaurs live about four times as long as a human.

Faerie: Dryads

These are red-cheeked, fair-haired, beautiful, green-clad, female faerie. They live inside of special trees, and wane to death if they leave their tree for any appreciable length of time, or if their tree is destroyed.

Their homes have no entrance: a dryad may enter her own home magically, and may take one medium-sized creature if desired. While alive, their trees are larger inside than outside. Dryads are initially shy, but may be friendly to individuals. Their shyness increases in proportion to the number of non-dryads. A party of adventurers is likely to send dryads scurrying to their trees, where an individual may well find himself befriended. Dryads are often happy to hear well-told tales of great doings in other forests.

Dryads may tree-walk, entering one tree and exiting another within one hundred yards. They speak with plants as if plants were young children.

Dryads can cast Fast Friend three times per day, and will do so if threatened or to capture a handsome or powerful male. Targets have a penalty of three to their reaction roll. Once “befriended” in this way and brought into a dryad’s home, a target must make an endurance roll or never return; on a successful roll they will return 2d20 months later.

Faerie: Dwarves

Dwarves live in caverns and mines under mountains. They are short, stout, and long-lived, and competitive. Dwarves are resistant to certain magicks, and are very hardy. They gain a bonus of two on health rolls, and a bonus of 3 to reactions against magical items and spells.

Faerie: Elves

Elves live in out-of-the way, usually heavily forested, places, with bodies of water nearby. Elves are very long-lived, perhaps the most long-lived civilizing species. They tend to be thin, with swept-back ears and keen vision. Elves are difficult to mind control or surprise, and gain a bonus of 3 on reactions against sleep and mind control effects, and a bonus of 2 on perception rolls. When traveling unarmored, Elves’ opponents have a penalty of 3 on surprise rolls.

Half-Elves have +1 to perception and against sleep or mind control.

Faerie: Gnome

Gnomes are very short, and live in remote wooded and hilly areas. They are difficult to surprise, hide from, and misdirect, and gain a bonus of 3 to all perception rolls. They can make a perception roll to know if an item is cursed.

Faerie: Goblins

Goblins are tiny, pale creatures with ugly but elflike features. They tend to live in dark forests or shallow caves. When traveling unarmored Goblins’ opponents have a penalty of 2 to surprise. Goblins are hardy creatures, and gain +3 to reactions against disease, sickness, and poison.

Faerie: Halfling

Halflings are small, human-like creatures who live in small huts or long houses in hills, in wooded areas, though they will often farm as well. Halflings have some immunity to magicks and gain a bonus of 3 on reactions any magical effects. They are hardy, and gain a bonus of 1 to health rolls. When traveling unarmored, Halfling opponents have a penalty of three to surprise rolls)

Faerie: Naiads

These shyly playful, beautiful, sea-weed-clad, female faerie live within bodies of water, usually springs, small rivers, or remote lakes. They wane to death if they leave their water for any appreciable length of time, or if their water source dies out. Naiads like to eat lilies, roses, and other flowers. Their hair is the green, yellow, red, and orange of the flowers they eat.

The Naiad lives underwater, often in giant shells, undersea caverns, or sunken ships. Like other nymphs they are shy, but may be friendly to individuals. They are more playful than other nymphs, and more likely to travel out of sight of their home. They are very suspicious of non-playful strangers, and will hide (preferably underwater) at the first opportunity. Larger bodies of water may hold larger numbers of Naiads, who will usually be on friendly terms with each other.

Naiads can breathe water, and can grant the ability to breathe water to anyone they’ve charmed. They can speak with fish as if the fish were young children.

Naiads can cast fast friend once per day, and will do so if threatened or to capture a handsome or powerful male. Targets have a penalty of three to their reaction roll. Usually the Naiad will send the new friend on a hastily-made quest, however, prized specimens may be brought into their underwater home. Once befriended in this way, a target must make an endurance roll or never return; on a successful roll the victim will return 2d20 months later.

Faerie: Nymphs

There are currently three known types of nymph: the dryad, the petraiad, and the naiad. Nymphs are all female. They generally mate with satyrs, occasionally with centaurs or other faerie. The offspring of a nymph and a faerie is either another nymph of the same kind (if a girl) or a faerie of the father’s type (if a boy). Nymphs will also sometimes try to charm a human (and sometimes a human will try to charm a nymph). The offspring of a human and a nymph is a nymph (if a girl) or a unique monstrosity (if a male).

Among the more primitive or remote, nymphs may be worshipped as goddesses, more for their beauty and capriciousness than any wisdom or power. They often collect items powerful enough to serve as gifts to the appropriate culture hero.

Nymphs are dangerous creatures to cross. Immortal or practically so, they are also charismatic and know everyone. The gods themselves are often counted among a Nymph’s allies. The unfortunate who harms a Nymph usually finds that they have made more enemies than they can handle.

Faerie: Petraiads

These are hauntingly beautiful, pale, female faerie, like tree dryads, but who live in huge geodes or hidden caves. Petraiads wane to death if they leave their rock home for any appreciable length of time, or if their home is destroyed.

Their homes have no entrance: a petraiad may enter her own home magically, and may take one medium-sized creature if desired. While intact, their homes appear larger inside than outside. Petraiads are shy and non-violent, but very suspicious of strangers.

A petraiad can cast mud to rock or rock to mud up to four times per day, and can cast fast friend once per week (with a penalty of three to the reaction roll), usually sending the charmed person away unless it is a particularly handsome human or Elven male with great musical ability.

A petraiad can bestow a phase through rocks ability, which lasts one day, upon any person they have charmed.

Faerie: Pixies

Pixies tend to live far from civilization, in forests, mountains, or swamps. Pixies are Elvish in appearance, with swept-back ears and keen vision. They are known for their emerald green eyes, and their gossamer wings which flutter constantly, even twitching in their rare sleep.

Pixies sleep only for short periods when they feel like it, usually about an hour or two in half hour increments throughout any twenty-four hour period. Pixies tend to be difficult to mind control or surprise. They gain a bonus of 3 to reactions against sleep and mind control, and a bonus of 1 to perception rolls. When they walk, their opponents have a penalty of three to their surprise rolls.

Pixies tend to live as high off of the ground as they can, in treetops, or on mountains or plateaus. They have short lives, perhaps thirty years is a good average, and their social structure reflects this. Pixies prize experiences of all kinds and rarely tie themselves down to one place or one situation.

Some Christians believe Pixies to be fallen angels diminished in stature along with their morals, but not quite as evil as the angels fallen to hell. Most of the faerie races believe them to be related to Elves.

Faerie: Satyrs

Satyr are known by many names in many languages (faun in Latin, ljeschi in Slavic). They are licentious and lecherous, half-man, half goat creatures. Their horns are sharp and deadly. They are fond of wine, revelry, and mischief. They will turn angry and violent if their jokes are not taken in good nature. They will always welcome a friendly face with a jug of wine, especially if accompanied by good fruit and other foods.

When satyrs play music on their pipes, everyone wants to join in on the revelry. Anyone within six yards, plus one yard per satyr, must make a willpower roll or fall into the revelry along with the satyrs. There is a penalty of one to the roll for two satyrs pipe, a penalty of two if four satyrs pipe, a penalty of three if eight satyrs pipe, and so on. The revelry generally lasts until the “victim” falls asleep from exhaustion. When the victim awakes late the following afternoon, the satyrs will be gone (along with, perhaps, any items or people the satyrs wanted to bring along with them).

Satyrs are not easily surprised. They gain a bonus of two to perception rolls to avoid any kind of surprise. They may also hide and move silently on a roll of 15 or less, with a bonus of two in the forest.

Satyrs especially enjoy frolicking with nymphs, and with female humans.

Satyrs will often fight with spears as well as their horns.

Faerie: Xolome

Xolome are tiny, misshapen humanoids who live in caves and deep warrens. Xolome will often herd and ride small animals such as dogs, raccoons, or weasels. Xolome dislike light but are not adversely affected by it.

Xolome are known for playing tricks on miners, and are hated by Dwarves. Xolome can transform good ore into bad: gold ore into fool’s gold, or silver ore into cobalt, for example. They can also cause rock-falls and cave-ins by merely slapping against loose or cracked stone.

To appease them, human miners will sometimes call them “the good men” or “the good men of the mountains”.