About Faeries.

[Woodrow]

What are Seelie/Unseelie Faeries?

I’m not an expert, so this is just what I’ve picked up from my research and listening to a few good friends.

Seelie is what is typically depicted as “good” faeries. Their powers are typically warmth and spring/summer themed and they are often more comfortable outside in warmer climates. They’re often more kind, or rather neutral, towards humans, though as they are fey they definitely can be vicious and frightening. They’re typically more lighthearted and sweet and prone to emotion. If I know you at all, I know you’ve read Shakespeare, and Queen Titania and her court are Seelie fey. The Seelie court/land is called Avalon.

Unseelie is what is typically depicted as “bad faeries.” Their powers are typically cold and winter/fall themed (making plant-life die or wither, the ability to produce snow and icicles, etc.) They’re more often than not hateful towards humans and their kind and they’re more likely than a Seelie faery to react to them violently (though all Fey are not typically fond of humans, “human” or “mortal” are insults to Fey.) They tend to have more negative characteristics, such as indifference to emotion and generally being angry beings. Again, with Shakespeare, Queen Mab is Unseelie. The Unseelie court/land is called Tir Na Nog.

Also, their powers aren’t necessarily limited to manipulation of elements and whatnot. It’s based in a magic called glamour, which can change their appearance and manipulate people’s perceptions, emotions and thoughts.

[Aneira]

General Fey Information:

Faeries are typically referred to as “the fair folk”, the “fey”, “wee folk”, “good folk”, or “people of peace”. Regardless of their name, it’s a typical assumption that the fey are very beautiful. In their faces, fey typically have very sharp, aristocratic features. Their eyes may seem a bit too large for their face, and they’ll typically look a bit otherworldly. Seelie/Summer fey typically have a warmer coloring, with somewhat tanned skin and blonde/red hair, while Unseelie/Winter fey have paler skin and darker hair. All fey have pointed ears unless they glamour them otherwise. Generally, fey are tall. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule.

Fey are vegetarians. They live off of nature and do not enjoy processed foods. They drink a lot of milk and eat fruits and vegetables. The fey also hate salt, so any food given to a fey should be non-processed and salt-free. Fey foods are different from humans, and a human should never accept any kind of food from a fey. Fey food can cause a human to have mood swings, inebriation, memory loss, shape changing, obsession, coma, and even death. In some cases, eating fey food may mean a human cannot return to human civilization.
Iron is deadly to the fey. The touch of iron burns and weakens a faery. It’s hard for fey to use glamour in the presence of iron, and when they do so it’s considerably more draining. Iron can also cause glamour to be weaker. If touched, iron generally starts to slowly burn the skin and cause a blackened appearance to the skin. Even the smell of iron can make a fey sick. Tools such as swords and knives are affective against a fey, but pure iron – such as a spike from a fence – is more preferable as it would have a more direct impact on fey. Also, the affect of iron depends on the strength of the faery. All fey are allergic to iron, but the more powerful you are, the more you can tolerate it. Nobles, of course, would be the strongest, while fey creatures such as goblins, phoukas, or pixies would be easiest to kill or harm.

There are of course, exceptions to this rule. Half-breeds – or those with fey and human blood – are generally not allergic to iron. Some half-breeds are able to call and use glamour, while others are not. It varies based on the amount of fey blood they have and how strong their parents were. Half-breeds of noble birth, for example, would be the most powerful, while the child of a rather average fey and a human would be less powerful. Still, a half-breed will nearly always inherit the fey parents’ beauty and typical fey appearance.

Fey do not typically act kind towards humans. However, they do enjoy their interactions with them. Fey are always polite. Discourtesy is a deep insult to fey. However, do not be deceived by politeness of fey. Fey act solely for their own good, meaning that while a fey may seem like they’re doing you a kindness, there are always loopholes. To a faery, there is no “free”. Accept no gifts from a fey, even if you think there are no strings attached. There will nearly always be loopholes. And never, unless absolutely necessary, enter into a contract with the fey. They’re masters with words – and often trick each other into contracts in exchange for good deeds. Humans and fey alike are bound to fey contracts. Also, never say any form of thanks to a fey, as they will take it along the same context of you owing them. Fey will never do anything without a promise in return. They love to collect favors – such as a memory, a first-born child, or sometimes merely a favor. If you are bound by a fey to a favor, they have a process called ‘summoning’ which will force your body to bring you to them. Fey also do not have the ability to lie or break a promise. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t deceive.