Faerie

The cult of the Elf kin

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History

Before Time

The Elf-Kin were one of the earliest races, only the Dragonewts claim to be older. They have always worshipped the unnamed god, (Faerie is a title pertaining to the Great Kingdom of Plants). The Goddess of Faerie was herself born of Matar. Faerie created all the plants, some she gave to mortal-man for his sustenance, but she also created the woods wherein man was not to go and there she placed her people, the Faeriekin to serve as shepherds to the plants.

The Faeriekin fought alongside the Dwarves and Men against Trolls in the defence of the Sun, for all plants needed the Light, but when Zorak Zoran slew Helios and was cast down, the Dwarves mistakenly hewed into their allies and the elves fell back dismayed and withdrew. Only the Copper Dwarves realised the error and they seemed to have protected the Faeriekin retreat. Thus was born the enmity between the elves and dwarves, which continues to this day. The elves retreated to their various woodland fastnesses and fought a guerrilla war verses darkness and later chaos alongside the other woodland cults of Blueface, Bullhead and Pan. It was during this period that the various elf races were born due to their isolation. The Faeriekin at last burst out from their remaining strongholds and were still fighting valiantly when the sun rose in the first dawn.

Since Time

The Faeriekin continue to defend the woods against the forces of darkness and chaos plus those that come plundering their wood's timber or otherwise trespass. They remain the protectors of the Woods and Forests.

Life After Death

Like the other Earth-Cults, the Faeriekin practice burial, believing that they will be reborn into the natural world as some inanimate plant after a time spent as a nature-spirit. As they view all plant life as kin, no faerie worshipper will knowingly harm a plant if they can avoid it. All faeriekin are most happy to return to the bosom of the Earth-Mother and will never opt for Resurrection or Death Divint, though they can opt to avoid death beforehand in order to continue their personal development. Cultists have used death Divints when their own deaths would harm the woods.

Runic Associations

Faerie is the embodiment of the Fertility Rune as Plant growing out of Earth. They are very dependent upon sunlight for their sustenance.

Nature of Cult

Faerie is the primal cult of the Elves, Dryads and Pixies, only psychotic faeriekin leave to join other cults. Faerie provides the vehicle for continued Faerie existence, its outward expression is the defence of the Elf woods, especially from chaos and Trolls.

Socio-Political Position and Power

Feelings towards the Faeriekin are mixed, for though they have often helped humans in the past, they have a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later and so many an innocent hunter in the woods has been killed before he ever realised he was invading an elf-wood. Elves also seem keen on the sport of "peasant-bagging". Within elf-woods, Faerie is respected and is the dominant political force. Elsewhere, feelings are neutral to hostile and it has no power beyond those individuals that venture forth.

Particular Likes and Dislikes

Faerie hates Trolls and all manifestations of Darkness. Chaos is not permitted to invade elf-woods, for chaos infects the ecosystem and can kill a large wood if not checked. Certain cults such as Bagog, Klute and Banuril are anathema and are hunted-down ruthlessly. Dwarves, (other than Copper Dwarves), are not liked and are at best tolerated. Faeriekin tend to look-down upon all other races save dragonewts and seem to care little for the lives of lone wanderers, peasants etc. often shooting them for sport.

Baboons are disdained for their appearance and behaviour but respected for the way they fight chaos. Over the years elves and baboons have often hunted Zadok and Banuril together and so are usually at least friendly.

The other two woodland cults of Bullhead and Pan are very close thanks to the alliances made in the Great Darkness. Faerie is grateful to the sun for its warmth and the life it gives and so is friendly to all Sun/Fire-Light cults but not to Heat cults for they merely destroy the woods. Moonlight is usually viewed with suspicion but there is no denying that moonlight is better than darkness and the purple plants actually use moonlight as other plants use sunlight. Finally relations remain good with the Earth-Mother despite the farmers who get shot occasionally!

Organisation

Organisation is loose but all Faeriekin are grouped together in small worshipping communities occupying a certain portion of a wood, several of these will be under the sway of a High Priest and one or more High Priests are in turn subject to the Prince of the Wood. Finally all Elf-woods defer to Oberon and Titania the Elf King and Queen who rule the Faeriekin with a wise and gentle authority. There are also wandering bands of elves and pixies that pass from wood-to-wood and serve as messengers/couriers between High Priests and Princes. The Priest is usually advised by a council of elders. This organisation is very fluid and much depends upon the size of the colony.

Centres of Power and Holy Places

The elf woods are the Centres of Power, few other places show power, political or otherwise. The greatest elf wood is that of the Nertha-Vale and it is believed that the Elf King and Dryad Queen live here, though it is also believed that they wander the world passing from wood-to-wood. Certainly there is a great Earth Power in the Nertha River and it is a place of mystical Power to all the Earth cults.

Holy Days and High Holy Days

These are irregular and reflect the changing seasons. The first day of spring is Clayday, Disorder Week, Sea Season. Midsummer's Eve is on Wildday, Fertility Week, Fire Season, when a great festival starts at midnight and lasts all day. Last harvest day is on Clayday, Truth Week, Earth Season which celebrates the Harvest and prays for deliverance from the forthcoming winter; finally there is Thanksgiving when the faeriekin worship Faerie and the Sun for the end of winter on Fireday, Disorder Week, Storm Season. Midsummer may be regarded as the Faerie High Holy Day.

Lay Membership

All faeriekin are born into the cult as Laymen, others may join at CHA−10, but not Trolls, Dwarves or Chaots. Laymen must pay one point of POW every Clayday and two points on festivals. They must report any damage or sightings of intruders to their elders.

Laymen receive half price Hide in Cover, Camouflage, Move Quietly and Identify Plant. They will be taught Detect Life and Plant Healing III+ at half price. Young faeriekin are given basic training fitting them for their furtive lives.

When they come of age, all Faeriekin are expected to initiate but some leave to join other cults, they are regarded as deranged but do not lose their Lay Membership unless they join an anathema cult or gain a chaos feature!

Once of age, the Lay Faeriekin must pass a simple test of (INT+POW+DEX+CHA) ⁄ 4 ×7% , failure causes a 1 year wait before reapplying, a fumble means the applicant is cast-out from both cult and the Kingdom of Faerie, redemption is then rare.

Initiate Membership

Initiates are expected to defend all plants, all elf-woods and their own wood in ascending order of priority. In Faerie society all elves are warriors, responsible for military defence. Pixies are messengers but support the elves from the air and also conduct aerial reconnaissance. Dryads are generally non-combatants; their duties are passive for they tend all plants. An elf should consider himself more expendable than a pixie and a pixie more expendable than a dryad. All must sacrifice two points of POW on any Clayday and 4 points on a Holy Day. Only Faeriekin may Initiate. Benefits depend upon sex, as shown below.

Note: Dryads may select one weapon to be half price.

Runelord Membership - The Woodlords

The Woodlords are the military leaders of Faerie society and frequently form half the council of elders. Applicants must have been initiates for three years, have 15+ POW, 90% in 1 or 2-H Spear Attack and Parry, Camouflage, Hide in Cover, Move Quietly and one of R/W Faerie, Listen, Tracking or Spot/Set Ambush, the applicant additionally must know Bladesharp IV and Detection Blank IV.

A Woodlord's responsibilities include teaching skills, leading military expeditions, (especially in defence of the woods). They must sacrifice 3 points of POW on any Clayday and 6 points on a Holy Day. They may only purchase equipment from their cult.

Benefits include Runelord Divint and enhanced status. Elves are allergic to Iron and so attune Copper instead. Each Woodlord is normally given a spear and 24 arrows made of copper. Finally they gain an allied tree spirit in the heart of the colony that functions as an allied spirit and is in permanent Mindlink, no range limit provided that the Woodlord stays within 15m of some non-chaotic, (i.e. Faerie), vegetation. The tree can see through the Woodlord's eyes. Faerie maintains their Defensive Power.

A Woodlord is at his High Priest's disposal. He must make himself available for training initiates and other cult business for at least one season per year.

Runepriesthood - Woodpriests

Faerie Runepriests are called Woodpriests, it is they who administer Faerie Society in most non-military matters paying especial attention to the welfare of the plants within their jurisdiction, sentient or otherwise. Runepriests of a wood must get permission from a higher authority for a leave of absence. An applicant must have been an initiate for 5 years unless a dryad, in which case 2 years is the temporal stricture, they must have 90% in Plant Lore and Tend Plant; and 75% R/W Faerie and have 18+ POW.

Woodpriests gain allied trees, just like Runelords, they may attune Copper but are not given any. They are in deep communication with the woods and when in any natural wood, even a chaotic one, they defend against spells and spirit attacks at half-again their current POW.

Elven society has a very high ratio of Runelevels to initiates, (some observers put it as high as 1:3 or even 1:2). Because of this, Runelevels tend to be fairly unrestricted compared to other cults, and there are many higher ranks in the cult hierarchy.

Pixies and Elves gain an enhanced POW gain from 25 rather than 21. Dryads normally make their POW gains from 28 anyway and instead they make their Priestly raise rolls on the accompanying table.

This allows the Dryads to sacrifice for the 4 pt Runemagics listed under cult specials, it is rare for anyone-else to gain these Runespells other than Dryad-Priests.

The Ranks Above Basic Runelevel

In Faerie, the Woodlord is called Woodgrave, if he gains 120% in 6 skills then he attains the title of Markgrave, the cult gives him a full suit of Copper armour. His responsibilities are more onerous as he now leads his "March" and is responsible for any incursion within his jurisdiction, he may not have leave of absence and never leaves his wood except on cult business. Above Markgrave is the rank of Pfalzgrave or Prince which is attained upon reaching 150% in all 8 of the Runelord skills and if there is a vacancy or if he leads an expedition to colonise or reclaim a new or lost wood. Pfalzgrave usually have ancient artefact belonging to the wood upon their person.

If a Woodpriests gains 120% in the skills of Plant Lore, Tend Plant and R/W Faerie, has been a Priest for 5 years and knows the spells of Divination, Plant Eye, Spell Teaching and Warrior of Wood then he may qualify for Chief-Priest. As with Markgrave, their responsibilities become much more onerous and leave of absence is practically impossible. Above Chief-Priest another 10 years of experience in the new rank is necessary before rising in rank. They must have at least 5 points of Divination and the Runespell Consecrate Wood, all Runepriest skills must be known at 150%. If these requirements are met, then the Priest becomes a High-Priest and is responsible for the Spiritual Welfare of all Faeriekin in a very wide jurisdiction.

Runespell Compatibility

Faerie Runepriests gain access to all Standard Runemagics. They use Small Gnomes as Elementals and have access to the following Cult Special Runemagics.

One Point Spells

Plant Eye Range: Touch; Duration: 15 mins; Stackable - no limit; Reusable
A special plant, (called an Eye-Plant), has this spell cast upon it when planted on the Spring Holy Day and is ready on the Autumn Holy Day. A cutting is taken from it and may be grown anywhere else. When the Runepriest with the original plant activates the spell, he can view the area around the cutting by examining the leaves of the original. Although the spell is cast upon viewing, it is sacrificed into the plant, which then becomes a living "magical item". If a cutting is destroyed then that is one locale lost to the viewer until a new cutting can be emplaced. If the original plant is destroyed then all its cuttings become useless save as seedlings for new plants. One new cutting can be grown every year by casting new uses of the spell into the old plant in Spring and taking a cutting in Autumn. Cuttings are ready for viewing as soon as they are planted provided a successful Tend Plant is rolled. These plants are quite distinctive with broad pointed leaves and seed-cases that look like dried eyeballs, and can be recognised by a successful Plant Lore.

Soundfree Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Prevents any sound from passing a perimeter of 1 metre radius around the recipient. Confers total silence and confounds Trollish Sonar-Sense. Most favoured by Pixies to quieten their wings when flying.

Sunripen Range: 160m; Duration: 12 hrs; Non-Stackable; Reusable Once per Year
Cast on a Spring Holy-Day during a Day-long rite. Allows the new-growth to draw upon the sun's rays to help it grow free from disease and infestation. It considerably increases growth and yields nuts, berries and fruits.

Sureshaft Range: Touch; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Cast on a single arrow shaft, it confers +20% to hit and doubles the damage. It is stackable with Speedart, but not Firearrow and Multimissile.

Tanglethicket Range: 160m; Duration: Instant; Stackable - no limit, Reusable
Causes shrubs, undergrowth, grass and weeds to grow into an impossible barrier 1m thick, 3m high and 3m long in 15 mins, (7 melee rounds with "Mature Plant", 1 strike rank with "Power of Primal Growth"). It cannot be cut and takes 40 pts of fire damage per metre length. Anyone attempting to push-through or climbing-over the thicket will suffer 1D6 attacks per round from 1D10+1 sized thorns at a percentage of POW ×5% of the casting Priest. The Tanglethicket must be "tended" daily with 1 point of Battlemagic POW. This can come from any Plant or Earth Rune initiate.

Warrior of Wood Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Stackable - no limit; Reusable
When cast upon a tree, turns it into the equivalent of a Great-Troll armed with a maul, (1D6 + 4 branches, but only one can be used at a time). It will attack and parry at DEX ×5%. Extra points stacked allow simultaneous creations of Warriors or double the duration, e.g. III points for 1 hour. Warriors are immobile, but can attack any person under the branches up to the limit of the branches. Sprawling oak trees are best. Locations have doubled hit points, and armour is SIZ ⁄ 6. There are no vital locations, such as head or Chest, but a specific trunk location must be destroyed completely, (i.e. taken to -6), with an edged weapon.

Two Point Spells

Chameleon Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Confers 100% Camouflage when not moving. Blend-in is total. Works only in the natural environment where there is natural cover.

Heal Plant Range: Touch; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Causes the recipient plant to commence regenerating all damage at 1 HP per turn until healed. Can be used non-reusably to regrow a lost limb. Faeriekin, like all plants, show great powers of regeneration compared with animals.

Speak to Plants Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Allows the recipient to talk with any plant of at least the size of a small-bush, 1 plant per round. Oratory can be used to influence them. This spell must be used to give orders to a Warrior of Wood or an Awakened Tree. Sentience is irrelevant.

Three Point Spells

Awaken Range: Touch; Duration: Permanent (15 mins); Non-Stackable; Reusable
The caster selects a tree upon sacrificing which then "awakens" into dormancy. Casting the spell brings the awakened tree into activity with STR = SIZ, 3D6 DEX, 2D6+12 POW and 4D6 INT, movement rate is 2, 4 at a sprint. Armour is equal to SIZ ⁄ 6 with maul attacks much like a Warrior of Wood. The tree actually "wades" through the earth and can be defeated by solid rock or deep water. If the tree is destroyed, then the spell is lost. Usually, after use, the tree will be displaced from its original site. Most priests will usually recast the spell a few days later to return it to its home. Typical sizes of trees are: Oak 2D100, Birch/Beach 2D60, Rowan 2D20, etc.

Cure Plant Range: Touch; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This spell has two uses:

1. When cast upon a field or copse, it confers to the recipient plants 90% protection against infection by Plant-Diseases for 1 year, and
2. Can be used to completely cure a single plant or Faeriekin of any disease and commence regrowing the affected trait at 1 point per week. Requires a successful POW ×5% by the recipient or does not function at all! Faeriekin must stand with their feet in soil!

Woodward Range: Touch; Duration: Permanent; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable
This is not the same as the Neibelung spell! Though it too is a warding. It must be cast upon a tree at the heart of the wood, thereafter it counts as Warding I, but covers the full boundary of the Elf-wood. Since virtually unlimited Earthpower is available, no amount of Detection Blank can prevent it functioning. If the tree is destroyed, the spell is lost. The wood must be consecrated.

Four Point Spells

Consecrate Wood Range: Immediate: Duration: 1 Year; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Cast upon the Midsummer Festival, converts an ordinary wood into a Faerie Haven. Faerie creatures will come there and the Faeriekin can grow there. To the Faeriekin, such a wood is both Holy Temple and Home. The effects of all bad weather save drought are ameliorated.

Power of Primal Growth Range: 160m radius; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable
This is an extremely powerful and dangerous spell that involves Faerie's most powerful ability to outgrow any threat. It can be used to instantly bring any plant, field or Faeriekin to full maturity from seed, provided it survives a CON x 5% test, or it can be used to cause the vegetation to grow into any form the caster desires practically instantaneously. This can be used offensively of course to kill, maim or entrap anyone within the radius of effect. However, it has certain restriction, as follows.

1. The caster must make a Plant Lore test every round, this test is at full inside his own elf-wood, −20 in another elf-wood, half percentage in a non-elf-wood and reduced to a fifth in any chaos wood.
2. He must make the same test for each effect he desires to take effect. To immobilise an opponent that's stationary is a normal test. If he moves at all, the test is at −10 or else −5 per movement rate point, whichever the greater. If caught the victim is immobilised unless he rolls his STR as a percentage, in which case he can move a distance equal to his roll and STR. An individual immobilised can be killed or maimed or disarmed the following round.

NOTE: This spell does not allow plants to move, merely grow, and it does damage the plants. Use is very sparing. In the past, it has been used to enlarge Woodlords to Giant size. It has numerous other uses! Loss of control is disastrous; fumbles kill the caster!

Summon Demonic Nature Spirit Range: 60m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable
This spell summons up a subservient spirit to faerie which is a demonic embodiment of the Faerie Realm. The Demon manifests as a humanoid figure of writhing green foliage. SIZ and INT = 4D6, STR = SIZ, CON = 3D6, POW = 3D6+6, DEX = 3D6+3, Move = 12. The demon may have bark-like armour to a thickness at the discretion of the caster, but each point of armour subtracts 5% from its DEX based skills and 1 from its DEX and Movement, (armour selected before rolling for DEX).

At the time of casting, the caster can sacrifice permanent POW to the creature, which boosts its own POW to a maximum of 28 on a 1 for 1 basis. This is important for its skills all function at POW×5%. His control over the creature is much the same as a elemental, it must be given instructions using Speak to Plant; without instructions, it will set about attacking all non-plants especially those attached to Darkness. The creature attacks up to twice a round with its "arms", if it hits it does 1D8+2+d.b. damage, if any gets through or if the victim fails a POW×5% then tiny spores are implanted in the wound or on the skin of the victim. These germinate and kill the victim over the next round, (1D4 rounds if no open wound), in a most colourful fashion. Being demonic, the creature has several natural abilities.

1. Permanent Chameleon - the caster himself does not know where it is until he commands it to move,
2. Regenerative powers - 1D10 per round,
3. Powers of Generation - wherever it treads it leaves flowers of an unearthly type - often with unusual properties themselves, and
4. It must have its "chest" area destroyed on total hits to get to its heartwood or else powerful Death Magics are the only way to destroy it.

Subservient Cults

Spirit of Reprisal

There are three Spirits of Reprisal at the disposal of Faerie, plus one from an associate cult.

Wood's Ire
This spirit punishes those initiates or better who leave the cult, it will attack them in any moment of stress, (e.g. Combat), with a POW of 28, it will break-off once its victim is no longer stressed or has POW of under 3. This spirit can only be assuaged by rejoining Faerie.

Yellowing
A minor spirit that afflicts initiates who break Faerie's strictures or disobey the Priests. It turns the skin to a sickly yellow and the victim loses 1D4 CON points over the course of a week. It can be assuaged by a suitable penance.

Hornéd Woodland Demon
This is the Pan Spirit of Reprisal, (q.v.), and it visits those initiates that maliciously harm woodland animals, usually he scares miscreants.

Rottenheart
This is the most fearful Spirit of Reprisal that visits Faeriekin if they maliciously harm an Elfwood. It attacks their heartwood, rotting away their bodies from the inside. Victims look and feel perfectly healthy but have only 2 HP in each locations and cannot be healed, only repaired. They are extremely vulnerable to fire!

Associate Cults

Blueface

Faerie and Blueface often collaborate on anti-chaos raids and make a formidable combination. Blueface teaches Faerie Detect Chaos at half price provided the Faeriekin can find a Blueface Priest.

Bullhead

Closely associated to Faerie in Godtime when the Elf Woods were besieged islands in a sea of chaos. Bullhead offers the following spell.

Speak to Beasts Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 1 pt
Allows the recipient to converse with mammalian creatures with 3 or less INT, 1 type per round. Oratory can be used to influence them.

Helios

Faerie has always considered the sun virtually as her second element and offers much worship to the Sun God. He in turn is magnanimous with his gifts and offers the following.

Sunbright Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 2 pt
Confers the effect of full daylight in a 60m radius of the recipient. Effects Trollkin and Cave Trolls; demoralises Shades, ghouls and Vampires. Improves defense by 10%.

Lucifer

The Light Healer recognises a kindred spirit in Faerie and teaches her children First Aid and Find Healing Plants at half price.

Matar

The Earth Mother has always been close and some say Faerie was her favourite daughter. Matar offers her the following spell.

Mature Plant Range: 80m; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 1 pt
Causes one plant to mature in a tenth of the normal time or else one field of crops or orchard to come to full ripeness one week form the day of casting.

Mordrake

The Dragonewts and Faeriekin both hold similar views, (immortality, reincarnation, etc.); thus the Dragonewts will teach Diplomacy to any faeriekin that visit a Mordrake shrine. Both skills are taught at half price.

Pan

The other close associate to Faerie from Godtime. The Disorder Fertility God teaches Winemaking and Play Panpipes to the Faeriekin at half price so that they may more fully join in the orgies.

Miscellaneous Notes

Cult Battlemagics

Plant Healing Range: Touch; Duration: Instant; Stackable
This variable-no limit Battlemagic functions just like Healing save that it heals any plants, including all Faeriekin.

Cult Skills

Tend Plant Base 00; Perception; 200/400/800/1600
Combined diagnosis and plant care.

Plant Lore /I.D. Plant Base 00; Knowledge; 500/1000/2000/4000
General knowledge of plants, enables the user to identify a plant and confers knowledge of its nature, uses, legends, value, etc. This skill is sometimes known as I.D. Plant.

Find Healing Plants Base 00; Perception; 400/800/1600/3200
The ability to find plants with medicinal uses at any time of year. The skill functions at a reduced level according to the multipliers shown.

These modifiers can bring a skill down to less than 5% success! The type of plant is dependant upon the season, roll 1D100.

The effectiveness of the plants depend upon their type and the season picked.

The effectiveness refers to their potency verses specific symptoms in infusion. Find Healing Plants does not produce specific herbs to remedy certain maladies. Instead it finds herbal remedies to alleviate symptoms or produce a certain mild effect. The skill works best when in combination with Diagnosis and Treatment skills.

Specials and criticals can reduce time of search, increase the potency or amount of substance found or in combination with Plant Lore can be used to find a specific herb.

Herbs picked at their best season can be refined and preserved by apothecaries and of course form the basis of most medicines.

Copper

This is the cult Runemetal pertaining to the element of Earth. It can be fashioned into armour and attuned, upon which it will not affect the Hide in Cover of the wearer though it still detracts from Hide in Shadows. Move Quietly negatives are halved, for it is a soft metal and does not clank like Iron or Bronze.

Faerie Society

The Hierarchy
Because of the longevity of the Faeriekin, there are many Runelevels in elven society, indeed some observers have stated that the most common type of individual is the Runelord. Others say more objectively that the Runelevels number between 30 to 50% of Faeriekin populations. It might be expected that this might cause their culture to stagnate, but this is not so for the Faeriekin attach precedence to youth and value "new growth" specifically for its freshness. It was long thought that the Faeriekin were truly immortal, but calculations by Helen de Montmorency in Heliopolis, indicated that some mechanism must be removing old Faeriekin, or else their culture would be swamped with thousand year old Runelevels. Her later investigations found that there were two aging mechanisms. The first is a fairly straightforward deterioration in the heartwood, this is the main cause of death in Pixies in which it takes affect quickly so that few Pixies live past the age of 50. Elves and Dryads are subject to the same mechanism, but much more slowly and can expect a lifespan of several centuries depending upon the race. The second effects only Elves and Dryads and while not lethal, it tends to remove them from active membership in society. This is Woodification whereby their skins thicken and becomes woody making them slower and less active. Initially it can give them an edge in battle for they are very hardy, but eventually they slow down so much that they take root near-enough permanently and eventually become indistinguishable from trees. Apparently, some embark upon this process voluntarily, but it catches up with all sooner or later!

The Sexes
Sages have pondered long the fact that the Faeriekin society always involved three main types:- Elves, Dryads and pixies. It quickly became obvious that Elves and Dryads were equivalent to males and females respectively, Pixies then were assumed to be an allied race until Helen de Montmorency's observations became widely known, revealing the complexity of Faerie sexuality.

Firstly a Dryad mates with one or more elves, after which she shortly begins to bear fruit. These are planted in the Spring and grow into a carpet-like thallus several yards across with a central "bud". In the Autumn, this bud opens and out comes a Pixie, small and wingless, the thallus remains for another year. The Pixie grows and reaches maturity in about 10-12 years during which it usually grows two petals on its back which become wings. As a Pixie haphazardly flies-about, it produces spores and should these happen to fall on a thallus from a Dryad-fruit then they will germinate and produce buds that take 2 years to grow and eventually open to reveal young Elves and Dryads. There is no family structure as we know it, instead the Dryads raise the young in communal créches. Elves and Dryads take much longer to develope, only reaching maturity in 30-50 years.

The Races
The Faeriekin vary considerably according to the habitat that they are associated with. These differences occurred in the Godtime when the Faeriekin became sundered from each other. Evidently some Faerie Woods in Godtime were overwhelmed by chaos and other intruders for some such as the Red Elves and the Black Elves no longer worship Faerie. Some races, (notably the Black Elves), have a reduced cycle, in others the Pixies are highly modified for swimming rather than flight, in these the Dryad plant their fruits in water and the thallus is entirely aquatic. Such Pixies are called Nixies and are found only in the Moss Elves and the Marsh Elves. There are probably many races of elves as yet unknown, but these are the commonest races found around the Middle-Sea.

Green Elves	The standard archetype found in typically mixed deciduous woodland.
Dark Elves	Not to be compared with Black Elves, these live in coniferous woodland, they tend to be taller and stronger than green elves, but are extremely vulnerable to fire.
Thorn Elves	These are found in scrubland, often within woods of Green Elves.
Fern Elves	Much like Green Elves only preferring ferns - a paler green than those above.
Moss Elves	These live beside slower moving rivers and pools and have a very close relationship with water. Unsurprisingly they get on well with Beavers associating to Sawtooth rather than Blueface, Sawtooth give them half price Extinguish. All swim well and the "Pixies" are of course Nixies. There is no obvious physical difference between Moss Elves and Moss Dryads. Both are very small compared with other Faeriekin.
Cactus Elves	These are found in desert regions to the south of the Middle Sea. They are very different to most Faeriekin, being plump and covered in spines, but are still definitely children of Faerie and worship her with passion.

All the races above are pure Green Faeriekin and worship Faerie exclusively. The following races, however, are not so pure.

Purple Elves	These Faeriekin are found wherever the Purple Flora grows. These plants show a strong link with the Lunar element and are common near Moonguard and other such places. The Faeriekin and the vegetation have a purple colouration overlying their Green, though they worship Faerie, there is a strong Lunar element and many initiate into Selene. Purple elves utilise moonlight in the way that normal faeriekin, (and plants), utilise sunlight. They associate to Selene instead of Helios and receive the Runespell Image. They are themselves much more tolerant of chaos than normal Faeriekin, but still strive to keep their woods clear and clean for the most part. The races above regard them as peculiar, but still look on them as sisters. Purple Woods are not found deep in Chaos Zones!
Marsh Elves	Larger than the Moss Elves, these degenerates have forsaken Faerie and gone-over to chaos. They dwell in marshes and have a life cycle similar to Moss Elves, Nixies replacing Pixies. Most worship Primal Chaos though some aspire to a more advanced religion. A few form enclaves in swamps within Z&B woods. They often associate to Natterjack and Engariel.
Red Elves	These elves are only found in the Vampire Woodlands of Transylvania and one or two other isolated locales. Like the vegetation that they are associated with, they have forsaken sunlight and instead suck the blood of the forest creatures. Most usually a handful of trees and elves are found in otherwise normal Chaos Woods. These elves are a deep blood-red when healthy and if not fed they fade and turn brown, beige and finally white before dying. It is common for these creatures to join Christos Farlae which is anathema to most Faeriekin. Instead of Pixies, the dryads of this race place their fruit in living people; the "Pixie" being a worm-like thing that passes from them after maturing by slaying them and consuming their bodies, thereafter emerging usually as Elves, Dryads only appearing from the bodies of normal Faerie Elves. These are thankfully rare.
Black Elves	Degenerate Elves that have forsaken sunlight completely and gone underground. They are believed to be cult-less. Despite constant winnowing by the Dwarves, they must be fecund to maintain their numbers. Not overtly chaotic, populations frequently become infested with it without a cult vehicle to resist its inroads, unlike the Marsh and Red Elves they are to be pitied rather than hated. They do not seem to have Dryads and Pixies in their numbers. Individuals produce spores from mushroom-like outgrowths and these can infect animal or plant tissues, producing new Black Elves from white maggots that consume the flesh. Despite their name, Black Elves are actually pale-grey, some have coloured growths and warts on their skins. They are clearly allied to fungi as Green Elves are to normal plants.

The racial occurrence is dependant upon terrain-type.

Race	Deciduous Forests	Coniferous Forests	Moors / Scrubland	Purple Woods	Chaos Woods	Vampire Woods
Green	01-75	01-10	01-10	01-05	01-30	01-15
Dark	76-80	11-85	11-15	06-10	31-40	16-30
Thorn	81-95	86-95	16-75	11-20	41-55	31-45
Fern	96-98	96-98	76-98	21-30	56-60	46-50
Moss	99	99	99	31	-	-
Purple	100	100	100	32-98	61-95	51-85
Red	-	-	-	99	96	86-95
Marsh	-	-	-	100	97-100	96-00

Spells:
Elves and Pixies are taught Plant Healing II, Disruption and Detect Life. Dryads learn Plant Healing II, Mindspeech I, Dispel Magic I and Detect Life.

Weapon Skills:
Elves and Pixies get a Missile Weapon at 50% plus bonuses, all other cult weapons at 30% plus bonuses. Dryads get one cult weapon of choice at 30% plus bonuses, may be a missile weapon.

Skills:
Pixies get Flying at 70% plus bonuses; Hide in Cover, Listen and Spot Hidden at 50% plus bonuses; all other cult skills at 25% plus bonuses.

Elves get Camouflage, Hide in Cover, Move Quietly and one other Laymen skill at 50% plus bonuses; all other cult skills at 25% plus bonuses.

Dryads get R/W Faerietongue, Plant Lore, Tend Plant and Hide in Cover at 50% plus bonuses; all other cult skills at 30% plus bonuses.

All Faeriekin learn the local Manspeech at 30% plus bonuses. Nixies replace Flying with swimming. Elven races with Nixies teach swimming to Elves and Dryads to 50% plus bonuses. Pixies also know Dive Bomb at 25% plus bonuses.

Armour: Elves gain light infantry armour, Dryads and Pixies do not.

Marsh Faeriekin learn Faerie weapons and skills, but learn Hide in Water rather than Camouflage. They do not learn R/W, Plant Lore, Tend Plant, First Aid or Find Healing Plants and instead learn Brew Chaos Slime. Dryads tend to learn Elf-skills including weapons.

They get no armour, but have POW×7 chance of a chaos feature, POW×4 chance of 2 chaos features and POW×1 chance of 3 chaos features. They get the spells of Speedart and Disrupt.

Red Elves learn skills just as Faerie Elves do, but their preferred weapon is shortsword. They gain the spells of Speedart, Befuddle, Detect Life and Detect Undead.

For Black Elves see Neibelung.

Purple Elves may learn Longsword rather than Shortsword, if strong enough, and frequently join Selene; in Purple Woods, there is no stigma in this.

Aging

All Pixies and Nixies must roll for aging each year over 30, the average of POW and CON, failure means the loss of 1 CON, a fumble halves CON. This affects racial maximum. Faeriekin losing CON this way remain active until 1 CON is reached and die at 0 CON. Elves and Dryads must follow the same procedure, but roll once per 50 years over 250.

Woodification

These rules apply to Elves and Dryads in those races subject to woodification.

Roll once at 50 and thereafter at intervals of 30 years minus Thickening. The chance is (POW−Thickening)×5 of not increasing thickening. Thickening causes +¹⁄₃ SIZ, +¹⁄₃ STR, +1 Armour, −1 DEX and −third move. Any elf or dryad can deliberately assume woodification by sacrificing 1 point of POW per degree of Thickening.