Friday, January 1, 2016

Non-Human Characters: Feys


The fey are a bizarre group of beings, most easily identifiable by their prominent bone-like horns, which protrude from their forehead. Though appearing offensive in nature, the true purpose of these horns is to protect the fleshy organs which lay within them. These antennae grant the fey a natural sixth sense, allowing them to be more attuned to universal and spiritual energies. This is of course the key to their intuitive ability to detect magic and cast spells, however has led to high rates of murder against their people, as their horns are prized possessions amongst many cultist societies. Feys are a widely diverse species, with different variations in their physiology, including the development of armored bone plates and even wings in some cases, resulting in a naturally gifted group of peoples.

In ancient times, before the reforging of the Seely Court, a group of deadly fey warriors known as the Immuli existed. It was from these epic knights and vandals that the majority of feyish traditions and technologies evolved. The Immuli were known for using obsidian weapons, however unlike normal volcanic glass which  was extremely brittle, Immuli glass could be reforged after it was shaped to create a strong blade which was not only razor sharp but was also as strong and flexible as steel.

Falsely named "Goblin Glass" by the gremmish explorers who originally purchased the material from goblin traders, today it is still most well-known by that name. Though rarely manufactured in the modern era, goblin glass ages slowly compared to steel and swords a thousand years old are often still used in combat today. According to legend, it was illegal for an Immuli to leave his house without his weapon as their vow included a passage about total service at all times. Today those who pretend to follow these ancient traditions, often romanticize this aspect of the warrior lifestyle, keeping a goblin glass blade on their person at all times.

The Immuli utilized the most advanced technology of their day in order to gain advantage over their enemies.  Besides their obsidian weaponry, the Immuli were most renowned for their spider-silk body armor. Harvested from ardathian spiders, living deep within the caves of the Drunin Mountains, this armor is crafted from layers of densely woven fabric referred to as mirkveil. Mirkveil can only be constructed in the cool temperatures of Duhkur and its surrounding territories, by skilled fey tailors who use a technique known as feyweave. Any other type of silk armor is not considered mirkveil and does not carry the same price or quality. Counterfeit mirkveil became so numerous at one point, that a law within the Drunnish Empire was created, allowing law officials to cut off the right hand of a convicted counterfeiter. The Immuli are said to have worn this armor at all times, most of them even bathing in it. 

[In the game of Golden Oceans. fey characters have access to Cultural Confidences not obtainable by human characters, granting them access to rare forms of mysticism. Below is an excerpt from Golden Oceans: Book One, featuring "Puckish Magic" also referred to as "glamour".  Besides the wide variety of Cultural Confidences available to humans, the first book of Golden Oceans includes rules for Dwarvish and Elvish magic, as well as, a wide variety of unique social customs, religious traditions, and long-standing laws for the feyish peoples.]


 (Featured above are two feys; a "Dokka Herrim" on the left and a "Mirkling" on the right.)

Copyright [Tucker Weston] 2015

No comments:

Post a Comment