FAERIES™ a Complete Handbook of the Seelle
FAERIES™ A Complete Handbook of the Seelle
Sampleby Sarah Link and John Snead file
WWW.ATLAS-GAMES.COM Credits
WrlUenbf Sarah Llnl!and Jahn Snead Storie.ltJ' Marl< Reln•Haven. LlsuStevens and Jonathan ,...., Addtlloa.Imaterlal, J.M. capenila, car1 Schnurrand Marl!Reln•Haven Dnelopmenl: J.M. Caparula, Marl!Reln•Ha�n and John Brnndt EdltlnfiLisa Stevens OrltllUllCoaceptl: Mari? 12eln•Haqen Production:Nicole Llndroos Cower Art: CherylMll ndus Tiiie LoQo• Rlchard Thomas InteriorArt: Charles Dou11heny, Erle Hotz, JeffMenfi6, RichardThomas, Marl!Reln•Hawen A r.U.U••ce peno11: StewanWlecR Anu._, .-..Creeled .,-, JonathanTweet and Marl! Re!n•Hagen
Special, Special Thanbs
Milfk "Sony about all thosesentence fra gments!' Reln•Hagen, for tl'arlng himself away from his cum>1lt project to dosome valuable development on this toog awaited supplement. Lisa"Keep thatmall man away from me!" Stevens, forgiving up onthe 24 hour-a-day \VC!rk ethic 111 favor of a healthierlifestyle (includinggroce ry shopping and otherfree time pursuits) . Jonathan"So Jong, Peoria."TwHt, for his original faerieco ntributi ons, and hlsappreciarion of the magical and the fanWtic. May your name always bein print. John "Yet another obnoxiouschart ." Brmdt, for spending the time to gently integrate all the separate influences which eventually� up this fine supplement. Nicole "Sony,Bllnky, gottago!" Lln droos,for limiting her indentured scn.'itude to Ot\esmall companyal 11time and delvingink! this p1ojeclwith lnzlhhand s. Cheryl "Those little peopleare hard todo!" Mandua, for her wonderfully evocative fame rover. Klchud "Well, If you'd saidso In the first place . . . " Thomu,for makingthing-s a little more curvy, the middle skinnier and the ends hang down a little farther. StfWut"Alpha Male" Wleck, for lceeping pace with t� restof lhepack. We're getting better! SampleDigital Edition Version 1.0 file Copyright 2016 Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without written permission from the publisher, except short excerpts for the purpose of reviews, is expressly prohibited. prcpc1 ly
Ars Magica, Mythic Europe, and Charting New Realms of Imagination are trademarks of Trident, Inc. Order of Hermes, Tremere, and Doissetep are trademarks or registered trademarks of CCP hf in the United States and other jurisdictions. and are used with permission. ChapterOne: lntrodudion 4 Rt-ligiun 52 Keepin Mind 4 MortalCreations 53 TheFaerie Entgma,The Fa y 5 Chapter Six: Bestiary 54 FaerieMagic, Faerie Realms 7 Seelie and Unseelie Courts,Wild erness Faeries 55 Arcadia 8 Forest Faeries,Leshiye, Satyr! 56 ChaplerTwo: Nature of the Fay 9 Fauni, Wind Faeries, The Alven, Dames Vertcs 58 TheLeguKfs 9 Dominae Albae,Water Faerics 59 True Nature: HermeticTheories 10 SeaFaeries, Skin-changer 60 FaerieEthics 13 Merfolk, Mcrrow5 61 Faerie Laws 14 Pond Faeries,Asrai, Dark WaterFaeries, Kelpies 62 ChapterThree: The Faerie Realm 18 Water Bogies,Ri ver and Lake Faeries,Rver God 64 Reglo,Regio in Play,Creating Regio 19 Earth Faeri�.Trolls 65 Noticing Regio, Enierlng Reglo 20 Spriggans 66 Leaving Reglo 21 Dwarfs,Gnomes 67 Modifiersfor Entering or laving Regto 22 Nymphae 68 Magic inReg:io, Time in Regio 23 High Faeril"'S,See llc Court 69 Festivals,Faeries andRcgio, Overview 23 Tuaiha de Danann 70 Faerie Woods,Faerie Fon'St 24 TheDaoine Sidhe, 1'he Tylwyth Teg 71 Faerie Po11ds,Faerie Mounds 25 Sprites n. Faerie v.. JJeys 26 The Unseel ie Court, Kla-Sidhc,Ogres, The Host 73 Faerieca.stl(.>9, Megaliths Z7 Hags. Imps, Low Faeries 74 Chapter Pour. Arcadia 28 Watcher Faeries,Bans�s 75 fsS<'ntial Nature 2R Morac, Brollachan, Fatae 76 InhabitanlS, Faerie Cities 29 Black Dogs, Redcaps,Padfoots, Oackcrs 77 TheFaerie Courts 30 HouseholdFaeries, Brownie5 78 TheSee lie and lillse<'lieCourts, The Six Lands 31 HouseBaslliscs, Cobalts 79 Somniare 32 Workplace Faeries,Goblins BO Atlantium,Antrum, Caelum 33 Weaver Faeries, Field Faeries 81 Barathrum.Ta rtarus, Entering Arcadia 34 City Faeries, Roustabouts,Church Faeries 82 Guardians 36 Un�1poople 82 Tnivcl m Arcadia 37 Wild Faerie Animahi,Whi� Hart, ChilliT'lghams 83 Cw1cspondcnces,Universal Sites 39 Domestic Faerie Animals, Les Chevaux d'Ys 84 Faerie Trods 40 Faerie Plants,Tmffles 84 Storiesin Arcadia 41 DestroyingATigel. Earthstar, Faerie Rings 85 ChapterFive; Faerie Attributes "4 Stinkhoms 85 Cyp , Mistletoe,Mandrake Borrowing 44 re55eS 86 Trade, FaerieKidnappings, Changlings 45 SeaFoam, fT'lkyCaps, Tuad Stools, Dodder 87 fa('riesAmong Mortals 46 &got 88 Faerie Gifts, FaerieAbilities 47 Chapter Seven: Faerie Characters 89 Brew Faerie Potions, Change Size, Chann 47 Rol"playing Faeries, TheF aerie C.ompantonPC 89 Communicare withAnirnals/Planls 48 Creatinga Fal'riePC. lnnate Abilities,Limitations 90 91 Control Animals, Control Ft>Ji!lity,Concrol Person 4!1 Virtues and FlaYrrs, Unavailable Virtues andFlaws Create Invisible Barrier, Cul'SI!,Elfshot 49 FaeriePowl'r.> \11 Elementa:I Control, EnchantingMusic-/Voice 49 CharactersWith FaerieBlood 92 Enchant Objects,Faerie Sight, Flight..Glamour 49 Weaponsand Armor,Faerie Virtues and Aaws 93 musion.Infatuation, Jnvlsibtlicy, Prophesy so Chapter Eight: The Pool of Nyla•aira 97 InsuSamplebstantial Form,Shapechange to Animal SO ChaprerNine: Night offilethe Faeries 105 Shapcchange to Object,Shap<.>ehange Others 50 Chapter Ten: The Shortest Day 118 Faerie Weakne--es 50 Chapter Eleven: The Golden Ship 135 lron 51 Appendix: How Magi See Arcadia 142
TAB.LE" OP CoNT£NTS 3 p - -� ,/ � Ji! Chapter One: Introduction
Faeries are one of the most intriguing aspects of the A.rs MagicaT" s.ctting in Mythic Europe'™, for they reflect much of the sou! and spirit of the age. They are the dark, repres:;ed, highly supcrstitious side of the ml'Clicval folk - a pag11n past which has never been fully put a.side. The faerie folk are the mysterious, somewhat bizarre, and intensely magical beings that live beyond the reach of mort To lhink of them in modem tenns, faeries werethe pcrson1iica tion of i.'Verything mysterious to tlie medieval pcr.;on. They are the embodiment of nature's power, of unseen forces, of the paganism that once ro\ed theland and has no\v bcc-npushed b.:ick into the hidden comers of the world. But they aremore than fan,iful sym bols�they are quite re.iland 'an wield lremenduu�power OV('Tthe 1\l"orld of the mortal�. Thisbook is a guide toincor porating the world of faeries into an ArsMagica �aga. In tact, ll isu�lul lor any mea1eva1or tantasy setting that acknowleclgesthe existence of faeries. This supplement is intended to provide you with more insight into who and what the faeries are, allowing you toinclude them fully in your Saga. The bulk of the book isbackground on the nature of faeries, where they ca11 b SampleKeep In Mind••. file It is important1o dispel manyof themodem notions about faeries, They are much more than thefantasy notion of �high elves," which is simply a rnod"m interpre tation of the �lie Court. They are a loo more than the simple ''fairyta!,•'' folk - gossa- • fAERIES: A Complete Handbooliof the Seelle Illl'r-wingedlittle people thatfllttcr about in� mortal rea11ntmd tongerISO recreate themselvesanWJ l!l.>ery woodlands. ArsMagi ca fileries arc basedreal on faerie moment lhst !heylive. Q,1/y when faeriesare a productof tales, not modem fantasy novels or Victorian children's II/story, fl!ld wot"�to theworld if this wcrrto occur, will wr stories.faeries The in An �lea descendthe from tflnhave lhe fainle>l grasp of who 1111dwhat lheytruly arr, medieval,not theTolkien, tradition, so they are very andevm thm,when wefinally do have:this tionapp••'Cia and different fromfaeries inother roleplayingga mes. It is undmtmzding,we shaU be wrong.'' very important for the Storyguide (and the players) to � Quenda1on, Primus of HouseMerin!ta keep in mind theseconcepls: • This is not typical fantasy roleplayingmaterial. Dwarfs areno t littleScand inavians with long beards Thefaerie Ent11ma and skdgehammcrswho like to drink,get rich, and kill bad guys. Dwarfs are earth faeries. Thlnk of There are many dangers in the world, many creatures and beasts of the wildernes , lhemas s pirits of everythingin the ground and eve s and (l( course are rythingthat comeso ut of theground. Anything there always the 03norn. Generally thesedanger� nl('lrtalsdo with the productsof E.arth, Ibeycan do are predictable, and thewi Sll'rmguscan fol"<'ll«' their better. actions and attempt to prote • threats. What nsettl es everithe most knowledgeable High Faeries are not Elves.Elves are a ncientGreeks u mag! is the worl d lies beyond the limits of civiliza with pointy ears who to dance and drink wine that like tion and rationality, the realm the Fay. coolers..High Faeriesare the living memories of of gods, heroes, and whateverStranger.; were here Faeriesare all the beingsthat are intimalely before us. Thesame f ascination modempeople have connectedto nature, which configuresitself as the Faerlr with archeology, mythology, and UFOstories, aura.Indeed, they may be tl'le spiritual manifestation of medievaJpeoplt> had for faeries. natureitself, Their true potence lies in their inherent • magical nature, not in their muscle.. Somehave Low Faeriesare not Halflings. H.illlingsare glorified super natura1 strength, but mostrely upon illusion. dcreption and patronizedsimple counlry folk. They like to and other fonns of trickery to pm tea themselVl.'S and tu plant thcir gardens and serve thetr betters.Low carry out their myst erious desir es. Faeriesaren't cute, they can bedangerous, and manydon't look humanat a\1. They are not the An exact picture of the faeries is nearly impos Sk!pinFetchits of theHigh Faeries; HighFaeries sible tocompose, becaUS(' of the amount of folk Jore thdt scornmortal5, while LDw Faeries bring oul the has grown up around lhl'!l\ some of it true,most of ii magic in ail mo rtal practireL High and Low faeril!S false. Sometimes what in legend is a most malicious usually aren't found in the same places. faerie, isin fact a kind, gen Ile and severely misunder • stoodbeing. When a character uses leg<>nd lore togain Asa lways, youm ust remember that An Maglca infonnation about a faerie, do nol hesiiate to lell them takesplace in theTwelfth Century.Black knights in the mo�t mi:.lcadingof the such Outed plateannot' and diminutive pubescent ]{-gends about the faerie; of folk lore. Always children with buttmfly wing:i arc the inventions and Is. the naturl;l mix the truth with sheer fallacy. Even when a character a Faerie legends of people from the SeV<'nteenthCentury and makes you might 'Nilnl mix some later.Those storiC!S arc closerto us, but the Twelfth Lore roll, ta misinfunnation in with thereal cont t of what you are saying. Th.cfay Century was closet to Celtic,Germanic, and animist en magicand bl'liefs.People in Baltic landswon't even are simply tooexotic a nd foreign togel consistentlyclNr and acrurate them They .lrc the strang· nominaDyaccept Christianity for anotherhundred informationon est and enigmatic of all the creatures known to years. Vikings arcstiD kicking around here and most thl' Order of In fact, many wizards usethe tcnn there. Onthe Isle of Man, they'll still bejumping Hermes. i to ve bonfires and sacrificing chickens untilQueen Secl e describea nything o rly strange or exotic, e.g. "11 was a Seclicexperience." Elizabl'lhromes along. The Mongols rule Russia. Latin scholarsthink that precious stones come In male and female; put lwo sapphires Ina boxand you gt"Imom, dad, and a bunch of bouncingbaby Tbefay sapphires.Thii Twelfthis Centulj' scientific Physically, fal'licsareincredibly diverse. Not thoughL Explore theseide;is; they are rewarding. only do faeriescome in a multilude of shapesand size5, enriching and exciting. but some faeries can vary lhcir own shapes and sizes. Being nature spirits, they are as varied as the whole of Sampleo�e, creatures of the natural world. The powersfile and lev l of ''ThtftwUs andaJways�hA/l bl:, IXJwer e mysteryand kgen4. lf wer arewe 11bkto fullyundasland faeriesis also highly variable, though inv<1riably they are them, it wiH only� b«o- thefaerits haw fin1illy left this highly magical. Some faeriescan perftmn minor b'icks and illusions,others can do the work of k'n mortals in a C11APTER ONE: Introduction s single night, whtle a few are of such truly awesome 'rhcy might copy the courtly gTace of the nobility.or powerthat they weTe worshipped as gods ln pre they may play act lhal they are serfs. Faeries may Christian times. play a gameof nobilily which they learnedthe from However, in spite of the vast physiciil and mortals;even theconflict betwee n the Seelic and Unseelie courts can be !i('(!nas kind of game. There magical diversity of faeries, there are somesimilarities a have even been faeries encountered who pretend among all of them, Important .similaritiesfor allwho that are lhe of would deal with lhi'm. 1lleSeconsistencies arede they inhabitants a oovenanl. One SOUJ'Ce evenstatesthat the faeries who were pro scnDed below: tending they were wizards were able to cast spells • Faeries are Immortal and ageless. Unless klllt!d, similar to Hermeticones. Once facrl!'.'S get Into a which i.susually quite difficult, faeries willbe as role, they are able toachil"ve wide and varying they are forever. Oneoonsequence of theirimmortal· powers,even thoughthey have no similar powerin ity is theirlack of an rtal soul. Faeries have no immo their nonnal fonn. This only parlly explains why Heaven forwhich to hope for and no Hell about faeries are so dangerous and enigmatic. which to worry. theirbody dies, they are When • Themain desire of faeries isto have fun, which may whollyextinguishc.>d, then rebo rnas anotherfaerie mean frivolityor it maymean playing an eons old of the sametype, some even retain memories of their The most import thing to a faerie is having former lives. However,if they are lucky, they need game. fun and being amused- It is th('ir primaryconsid· never wony about death at all. For this reason, eration. Theylive so long and have lived for SCI faeries have no godsand no religion. The whole long. that they spend their time in the purniit of concept of worshipping a deity is foreign tothem. A pleasure,and have grown bored, They look fl1r priest pr g to faeries would only confusesome any eachin way they can lo escapethis trap, this web of tedium and amuse others. Thisis not tosay that faeries arc Faeries no food, but often ertjoyeating for ii ls wilhout WDrality,They have quite sbict roles of nCt.'d something to do-they have !rimtlar feelingsabout morality and behaviorwhich maynot makesenSt:" lo �- mortals. Only those monals who know tha;erules can deal favorably with the faeries. • Many faerie� do not have a setform, but can appear In any form concurrent with the asiwct of nature • Over time,faeries may change their forms, or !hey which they rep1esc11I Nymphs of io.tn?ams,springs may evendie, but always they come back in a new itnd lakes,spirits of animal5, plants and growing fonn and return to the realm of fay. Faeries live crops.and Dryads for every kind of lTeein the forest long lives; many are immortal. If a faerie is killed, lt are someexamples. They constantly recreate will usually rea , sprung from the womb of ppear t lves Into new fonns new powers. The nature a S?'SOn or two later. Therefore, deathdoes hem.se and llws of naturefound in particularfaerie realms not have the sameimpact that it doeson rmrtals; change through time; asthe get boredwith the o!d they certainlydo not fear it as the humans do. way of things, they crea.tea new way. However, faerie&donot have a soul and ii they die • outsideof thel'ffl lm ofthe faerie, they die forever. A faerie is nol entlmly a creature of this world, ilnd needs that Their spiritsare partof the spirit of nature- it doesnot have correspond to monal flesh. could bel!aicl that faeries as a whole arc the anim.tt· A faerie doesnot need lo eat (though they ""'Y well ing spirit of nature. It certainly would explain their enjoy a feast} and a faerie does not need to sleep,bul seeming lack of Individuation. they maydo soif they find it interesting, Whatever a faerie does,they do out of pure fancy and whimsi • Faeriesare thought to be able topeiceive theworld cal desire. A Satyr does not hunt becausethey need outside faerie h0llle5, They seem to have a their a meal, they hunt for the thrill of it. On the other strange ability sometimes lo know the secrets of the hand,a mystical beast is an animal, an animal with mortalswhom theymeet. This seems to indicate a the taintof magic,yet an animal nonetheless. A strange, tenuousconnection with the mortal world, mysticalbeast is mundanein the scose that itsneeds even that which is found inside the Dominion. They and motivations are usually based, ultimately, rm its seemto know about most of the things that happen, reaJ desires. and ko11 tohaw knowledge that they should not corpo • �liines evenknowledge aboutthe future (which Faeriescannot truly be evil, for even the most theyhave a �rd time5Cpil11itlng from the pasior malldoU!iof faeriesdo their hann1'1\0re out of t11 love present). Jt is thought that this is because they can of mischief than out of a will to do evil. True evil Is seethe reflection of our world within theirs, lhe something which just doesn't seem to apply to ni.almSample of Arcadia. (aeries,true evil is a thing of filehumanity and of ns. Mysticalbeasts, on the other hand ca" • Thefayaremlmlcsof5Clrtsand wm oftencopy the Demo , Indeedbe evil, especially ifthey are smart enough lo mortal societywhich they perceive from Arcadia. know what they are doing- such as a dragon, A • PAE121Es: A Complete Handboobof the Seelie