To be a Fey (Updated March 9th, 2010)

[Svv Mrk'ss]

All information below is need-to-know basis of every single player of the board.

(( About the Fey ))

What they are:

To put it simply, Fey is the term used to describe the beings that preside over the Immortal World. Humanoid in nature, Fey can vary in looks and can be ugly or pretty, hairy or sparkly, and have mermaid tails or *Wings. They are as diverse as the world they live within, and are deeply connected with it.

The Fey within Courts are very respectful of the land they are within. Fey consider the land or sea a spirit that protects them (referring to it as "Mother Fire" or "Mother Earth"), that feeds them and that even amounts to their magical ability. This is not untrue, as with the Fissure of Woe, with the land being destroyed, and the genocide of the last of the Human race shows - there is no more magic there save that with saturates it - Death. Fissure of Woe represents the essence of what every Fey fears most of all: the twisting of their mother spirit.

The Fey are, especially in high society, still rather vain creatures. For to be considered of a high class or a part of the Inner Courts - one must have Wings. This is an unspoken rule that seems to seldom give way to any exceptions and even a few scandals. The more beautiful, awe-inspiring or even strange the Wings, the more likely one will be respected. The emphasis put on Wings is that they are the soul of the person they are attached to, and a physical reflection of the personality of the being.

With the same concept, if these Wings are damaged, or in extreme circumstances even pulled off - the soul is damaged or completely removed from the person. This creates a monster-effect of the fey, whether psychological or real - it is said the light will leave the eyes of the fey and their features will become less beautiful. Fey with Wings removed are "monsters" of society, cast out and not allowed to join any court. Whether a Fey really loses their soul or not, it is unsure, but with the importance set upon by society, the abuse done to the mind will most certainly make one believe they are soulless.

_{(As a reminder, this only applies to Fey that have Wings. Many, in fact, don't have Wings at all. But if you are known to have them in the first place, it is quite a different story. Similar concepts revolve around Fey with Horns or with Tails, for these are extensions of the soul as well, though it seems society doesn't quite put such features on a pedestal like Wings which are the epitome of a perfect fey.)}

Fey are immortal, so for the most part age matters little in society. Most fey, especially older fey, like to keep their age a secret in order to not appear dangerous to others, as with many years of being alive, so does experience and threat level. One can be any age and look another, such as children can be hundreds or years old, or gray haired men can be only a few, so thus appearance reflects little. When one reaches their three-hundredth birthday, however, they are labeled as an "Elder" and can be called as such as a title of respect. Also it is to be noted that the three hundred and first birthday is the only birthday ever celebrated, as few fey actually ever live to be that old for one reason or another and much ominous superstition suspects that 301 is the Death Fey's favorite number (thus living through your three hundredth year is pretty awesome). Thousandth year (or more) old fey are called "Methuselah." There are no public Methuselahs in the Immortal World known to date, for if they do exist, they stay in the shadows, for their powers, knowledge and experience is highly sought by others.

The Neutrality after the Fissure of Woe has existed for 113 years (a blink of an eye to most fey, though just enough time for Inner Courts to change, Fey to mature, and the world to change for the worst in the mean time). Any Fey younger will not have known the world before the Fissure of Woe.




The religion of the Fey:

There are many variations and rituals practiced across the Immortal World to herald all sorts of spiritual rights. Spells cast to change destiny, potions made to make one happy, curses made to kill foes. Though with all the diversity, there is one thing that all fey seem to agree upon: that despite being immortal, the day will come when the Mother Spirits reclaim their bodies and one hopes they do not go to the Underworld.

Typically, the death ritual is a means to keep the Death Fey at bay, and to be sure that the loved one has a happy afterlife away from the Underworld where their spirit will be forever lost. To be burned is the cleansing practice of destroying the body, placing two stones of the earth where that person lived (such as volcanic rock for a dweller of the volcanoes, a river stone for a river fey and so on) this will rejoin the fey with their mother spirit and "Ascension" as it is called. It is said that Fey that die in battle, away from home, are the most likely to fall victim to the Death Fey as they had hard lives, and away from their Mother Spirit puts them in great danger. Those that die safe in their homes and in their beds are protected.

The Death Fey are the devils of the Fey's religion, the horror surrounding them is made Legend as many claim them tangible. Death Fey are seen by the advanced classes of Fey, and even those that are not all-powerful claim that in the shadows, or dreams, they are being watched.

Fey are very very superstitious, and any sign of a Death Fey in their life is typically a bad omen. Anything associated with Death Fey is considered tainted, and not to be reckoned with, such as death magic, or plagues and so on (unless of course you are a Fey that does not mind being damned). The Death Fey command great respect and fear in the Immortal World as well as a needed balance between the life-loving Fey.

Spirits, however, are much the opposite of the Death Fey. While the Death Fey play on the fears and paranoia of the Immortal World, Spirits represent life, faith, protection of the Fey. While stated before, there are the Mother Spirits, it is believed that every living thing possesses one. Every tree is a great elder to be respected, and nature itself, if one listens hard enough, is able to give advice, input and even have emotions (it is said some trees will talk to those if they find them worthy). The spirituality is everywhere and can be felt by everyone. It is said the day that the Fey lose touch with the nature spirits, it will be the day that their world will fall.

Powers of the Fey:

Most Fey, for the most part, have small powers that set them apart from others. These powers are passed on by blood, but that does not mean that they are represented in every generation. Some powers awaken every third generation, can be changed by the genetic code of a mate, or even become more powerful with age and experience. These powers are what set Fey apart from the Humans that once dwelled.

It is to be noted that if you are a Air Fey and you happen to be able to breathe fire, it is likely you have are descendant of a Fire Fey in your family tree. You are still considered an Air Fey so long as Air Fey blood dominates in your body. Before the Fissure of Woe, few would think little of a cross-breeding in a family tree, but after, one might get a few looks, or if you are in an inner council, be completely made untrustworthy upon discovery.

If one is a half-breed, they can choose their allegiance, however, it is up to society to decide whether they are accepted or not.

• Level Zero: 20% A power that is unnoticed, or has little use. Such as eyes changing color due to weather.
  
  
• Level One: 43% Most fey fall under this category. Typically their powers are small and useful. It pertains to powers that affect only themselves for the most part, such as advanced smell, sight, able to fly faster than most, cry tears of lava, etc.
  
  
• Level Two: 30% These are powers that can affect the environment to a degree. Conjuring any element falls under this category, such as summoning of heat, moisture, moving of sand or air flow. This category Level Twos is the stage when Fey start to see Death Fey more often.
  
  
• Level Three: 6.5% When powers affect not only the physical realm, but the realm of the mind, or intentions and others to some degree. One that is able to affect a wider radius of people falls under the Level Three category as well, such as raining of fire, the changing of weather, earth quakes, etc. Death Fey are completely apparent to Level Threes.
  
  
• Level Four: .05% When powers affect the world as a whole, the privacy of people's thoughts, and even the changing of worlds. When the power affects the balance of nature in general. Beings that are in Level Four are the most feared and typically the hardest to track. Level Fours typically don't have a lot of control of their powers and are considered a threat. Level Fours can actually affect a Death Fey.
  
  Most Untouchables are of the Level 3 or 4 status.
  Divines are typically proficient magic weavers or Level 2+ powers or even both.
  

Magic:

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Magic, unlike powers, can be learned and not be born with. Magic can summon Death Fey, can help gardens grow, can enchant objects, etc. Magic is a talent, and one can either be prone to it or not. One that is a Level Zero can be a Master Sorcerer if needs be. Most Magic, however, is used for practical use and is more like electricity in the Immortal World.

All technology is powered by magic (much like Steampunk is powered by Steam, this is more.. uh.. Magicpunk?). Magic can be conjured from a magnitude of sources, such as the Underworld (Death Magic) from a volcano (Fire Magic) and so on, typically by means of nature and spirits. To be a mage is a position of respect, though made with quite difficulty. Mages can often come out on top of strong leveled Fey due to their versatility in magic, as powers are always few, spells can be many.



_{*Wings, Horns, Tails, Etc. all are capitalized to show the importance as being considered "souls". Such as a persons name, or any pronoun. They are not simply objects and are not treated even in sentence structure as so.}


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[Sylvias]

Culture information of the elemental Feys. Use these ideas to come up with characters/history information.

The Light Kingdom[/u]

Type of Fey: Any, although Fire/Ice/Wind Fey have difficulties living in the Light Kingdom, they usually are appointed jobs/tasks that no other Fey are willing to take. To be a half-blood, or of any kind is looked down upon, but not shunned.
Appearances: Clothing choice usually consists of lighter colors, representing purity. Fey are known for having gentle eye colors: white-gray, gold, light blue, etc. They are described as being angelic, mysterious and eerily loyal.

From the beginning, the Light relies on their purist ways. Sticking to their true form, they rely on their abilities to weave and to artistically create architecture. While they are diverse in their culture, allowing Fey of any kind to live within their grounds; they must have belief in the Mother Light. Mother Light is a choice of lifestyle: follow the ruler without question, if a rule is broken it is immediate death -- be kind to yourself and to your neighbors -- offer assistance to your allegiance. Other rules imply that Fey who are with child must be married, must graduate from their magical training whether they are proficient or not, and all males at the age of 100 must serve to the Light, to train in battle and warfare.
Ruler status is only obtained by noble blood.

The Water Kingdom[/u]

Type of Fey: Water Fey (being the only ones to live under such intense pressure of the sea), some Earth Fey who have the ability to turn into sea creatures.
Appearances: Usually pale, gray skin types. Their eyes and hair can be anything that relate to the sea. (Teal eyes, shark-like eyes, etc)

Rumors imply that Water Fey are the true form of Ice Fey: A Queen of water who had the ability to transpire grief had been banished from the Water Kingdom, to stray endlessly in her own tragedies; thus becoming the essence of Ice, taking any Water Fey who had hated the water-locked living, and sharing her powers of frigid despair. In return, the labeled Ice Queen had turned her powers upon the Water, submerging their city into the waters, forcing the Water Fey to adapt to living eternally beneath their own powers.
Whether the legend is true or not, Water tend to be very secretive about their life-style. However, when they are on land they adapt to their surroundings and are wise enough to take in the land dweller’s rules. While they have no real belief in any political system, they attempt to bestow the idea that Water is the source of Life. Those who are not Water tend to be looked down upon, but not cast away, finding it easier to have an open mind. Feigning innocence to the best that they can; they are also ruthless creatures when it comes to taking Fey back to the waters to drown them, simply as a test to see if Life will ever prevail over Water -- which it usually never does.
Ruler status is obtained by noble blood.

The Earth Kingdom[/u]

Type of Fey: Has to be some Earth to be a true one, but they do allow other Fey to dwell there as long they follow the naked form of life. They are not practically fond of Ice or Fire Fey, considering both strenuous amount of heat and cold can kill living things.
Appearances: Most do not believe in shaving, but some do, claiming that ‘the hair disrupts their work’. They come in all types of colors, relating to Earth’s true nature, some even wear white paint on their face to represent their culture.

An aura of mystery surrounds the Earth culture. Most of their teachings have no use for paper, for killing the trees are a horrific act; their practices are done through oral form. They do not welcome items into their area that will potentially pollute the air, the trees, or the water. While in the old days, they had no desire to hide their forms with clothing; they felt compelled to take up some moderation. The silkworm is their source for clothing -- very much appealed by the natural way the worm’s can be used for silk material. Earth Fey are the true reason Fey follow Mother Spirit and the belief in accession, for they were the first to instill the cleaning practices with their abilities to heal. Their practices are serving positions: priest, healer, and scholar.
The ability to turn one self into the form of animal, must require the sacrifice of either Fey or Animal -- most Earth Fey choose Animal, finding it to be the most pure of forms to obtain the ability to shape-shift. Their culture is very tribal, believing strongly in the spirits of every living thing, and thus continue to use very organic methods. It is in their nature to assist others, but that doesn’t mean they do not harbor disliking on other Fey who destroy living things for power.
Ruler status is obtained by exchange -- the Ruler choosing the next one, whether it’s a family or friend.

The Dark Kingdom[/u]

Type of Fey: Can be born or pledged to the darkness.
Appearances: Once taking a pledge to the darkness, appearances start to change: the hair becomes a darker shade, irises lose color.

The first Dark Fey was a dweller of night, and had a strong belief in seeing the world as shades of grays instead of black and white. While the Dark Fey had attempted to live with other Fey, they had found it difficult considering everyone always slept during the day. Feeling detached from everyone else, the Dark Fey slipped away from the others during the night. The fleeing from unity was the very foundation of the Dark, now consisting of Fey who were exiled, misunderstood or horribly disfigured from their previous courts. By pledging to the Dark nation, it is said to share unity with the Moon, bestowing the Dark Fey with powers that blossom from their original talents. Such as, an exiled Light Fey to be able to create light in dark places may be able to create dark in light places.
Culture in the Dark Kingdom is usually disorganized, each individual Fey has a belief of their own, and that leans toward selfishness. However, some force of nature allows them to tolerate each other and assist each other in their goals. They tend to be nocturnal with the darkness, often creating paranoia around the Kingdom when it’s day. Every other full moon, the Dark Kingdom celebrates, to symbolize that they can overcome any turmoil with sheer will power.
Ruler status is achieved by trustworthiness.

The Wind Kingdom[/u]

Type of Fey: Only welcome those who have the ability of Wind; however, they are known to migrate to other Kingdoms to raise families from their wandering.
Appearances: Usually a lethargic look comes from them, but they tend to have unnatural appearances, such as blinding white hair to an intense purple. Woman usually like to keep their hair long to show the movements of their power, or wear clothing that flows -- while some choose to keep it short, annoyed by the consistent fluttering of hair and fabric.

Like the unpredictable Wind, Fey of Air often cause problems without meaning to. They are like birds and have no desire to be tied down and caged. While they tend to be soft hearted creatures, those who impose on their free-spirited nature will be met with trickery and curses. Wind Fey usually stick in one nation, to avoid causing ruckus for other Kingdoms around them; yet they are known to try and pass themselves as other type of Fey because of wanderlust. They are fickle creatures and often identified as being masters of illusion, for an Wind fey could stand next to heat and move it as though flames, just by using a breeze. Their clothing is usually made up from layers, minimizing the bite from the high altitudes that they live in.
Even if they are the flightiest of all Fey, they don’t welcome strangers very easily. There is said to be a curse to those who enter their land -- the Curse of Wind, usually prone to making thoughts to change from one thing to the next, often causing issues with attention spans.
With all the abstract things going on in the Wind Kingdom, they are truly known for their harmony. The Wind Fey believe that their souls are all linked in a way, and if they had ever came together, could really cause unspeakable disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes.
Ruler status is obtained my the strength of wind/power.

The Ice Kingdom[/u]

Type of Fey: Generally some water, but mostly Ice.
Appearance: They are referenced to albinos, having hardly any pigments to their hair or skin; however, some are sometimes blessed with an olive complexion and different colored eyes.

Such coldness spawns from the idea that Water was disowned by her own kind. Out of agony, the exiled Water Fey vowed to show no more emotions; a theory that power would stem. While other Kingdoms like to joke about the Ice Kingdom being a nation of corpses, they are unlike any Living or Dead thing around. Their wits are extremely sharp, and they have the ability to see through lies. They are one of the few Fey who rely on sports for entertainment, allowing their bodies and work of ice to be their way of expressing themselves. Despite their cold shoulders to the other nations, they have a good sense of sportsmanship, being able to define what is fair and unfair. They were the first to come up with the bow and arrow technique in fighting, creating arrows made of ice to impale their enemies.
While they are partial to water as a source of dehydration; they do rely on a lot of protein to stay alive. As a way to keep their Kingdom alive; they often host ice fishing events, to make the labor of getting food more entertaining. No other type of Fey can live in these climates, finding the negative temperatures to be miserable and inducing hypothermia. Ice Fey are not forced to stay in their freezing habitat, because it’s more of a choice of life; however, if an Ice Fey lives away from the Ice Kingdom for a long period of time, they cannot return for they will lose their protective shield and die from the cold temperatures.
Ruler status is by noble blood.

The Fire Kingdom[/u]

Type of Fey: Fire, and some Light who are accustom to heat. Half-bloods.
Appearances: Dark skinned (tan, olive) [PALE IS NOT ALLOWED! If you use it, you better have a good reason!] To live in such extreme temperatures and live under the sun, brings a tan to the skin. Usually known to have brunette hair and eyes, they tend to change because of mingling with other courts.

Fire’s powers revolve around the sun, the heat, and generally their teamwork. They are the most unified of the Kingdoms, thriving on their pride. In the center of their Kingdom lies an eternal flame, in which the Fire Fey worship as a way to achieve nirvana. To be apart of the Fire Kingdom, one must follow their naming system (this system is usually reference to Asian names/added with fantasy). It is not uncommon for people in the Fire Kingdom to share more than one last name. Their clothing usually consists of light material, usually decorated in their colors: red, black or gold.
During the first day of Summer, the Fire Kingdom celebrates their day of strength. The Ruler is known to host extravagant events where parades, circuses and extreme dancing ensues. It is not uncommon for the Ruler to extend the celebration to their alliances.
Ruler status is obtained by challenge: challenging the ruler to a duel.