fae lore  
centuries ago, before courts and councils and the politics that now divide the fae world, magic moved through the earth like a living current. it hummed beneath forests and oceans, curled through mountains, and lingered in places where the world was thin and strange things could take root. it was wild then, unpredictable, shaped as much by circumstance as by design.

when that magic collided with the world and the first humans already living in it, something new began to emerge.

in some places it altered bloodlines, turning humans into predators that needed the pulse of another heart to survive. elsewhere it fused with instinct and moonlight, creating creatures whose bones answered to the pull of the wild. in the depths of the sea it shaped voices that could charm sailors from their ships. in forests, deserts, and forgotten corners of the world it gave rise to beings made of trickery, hunger, beauty, or storm.

over centuries these beings multiplied and evolved into the species humans would one day try to name, each born from magic meeting the world in a different way. but in their own society, those differences matter far less. to humanity they are monsters, myths, fables, and legends. to each other they are simply fae, a blanket term for every magical species that walks the earth.

in order to stay safe, the fae elders created a mirror “otherworld” called aelthirae as the world began to take shape. aelthirae is a large realm where the very air hums with enchantment and magic is laced into ley lines of the land. there are three continents: vaelorwyn (to the north and west), nytherra (to the east), and gossamyr (to the south) each with unique offerings and strengths to the realm.

crossing between aelthirae and earth can be accomplished, but isn’t easy if you’re not privy to the hidden portals or timing that connects the realms for a brief period. even more rare are magical artifacts, imbued with ancient magic that allow a portal to open whenever the wearer chooses.

aelthirae thrives on artistry and invention: glass-singers who coax light into living sculptures, inkwrights who scribe stories that move on their own, and musicians whose chords can alter the mood of a whole market square. these artisans anchor the people with wonder, reminding all that magic is not only a weapon or a curse but a wellspring of beauty.

in the wild reaches (in vaelorwyn) and twilight wastes (in gossamyr), magic has warped reckless ilyrae into fearsome beasts; once recognizable, now predatory echoes of the power they sought to master. their territories shift like storms, haunting forests, ruins, and mountains where even seasoned adventurers tread lightly.

aelthirae and earth, therefore, live in a fragile harmony - part glory, part menace - its fate swaying with the choices of its council, its rulers, and the ever-restless magic that shapes its destiny.



  the fae courts  
for centuries the fae world has been governed by two rival powers. these factions are commonly called courts, though the term refers less to a physical throne room and more to an entire political philosophy. the divide is ancient, older than most species can remember. while humans might mistake it for a simple battle between good and evil, the truth is far more complicated. the two courts represent fundamentally different beliefs about what the fae are and what they should become.

the aurora court believes in balance, restraint, and careful coexistence with humanity. their ideology centers on control, stability, and preservation. they argue that the fae world survives only by remaining hidden and by regulating its own kind. ancient laws, magical contracts, and court oversight exist to prevent chaos that could expose the supernatural to human discovery. members of this court often embed themselves within human institutions such as medicine, law, academia, or government, not out of loyalty to humanity but because influence and information are the best tools for maintaining order. to them, the fae are stewards of an ancient equilibrium, and power must be used carefully if that balance is to survive. their leader is called the auriel and is elected once every seventy-five years.

the nocturne court rejects the idea that power should be restrained for the sake of humans. their philosophy values strength, ambition, and dominance. while they understand the practical need for secrecy, they believe the fae should not diminish themselves to maintain it. to them the supernatural world is one of predators and survival, and the strongest deserve to rise. members of this court tend to operate in places where influence moves quietly but decisively: influential companies, private networks of power, elite social circles, and empires that allow them to expand fae influence without asking permission. where the opposing court seeks stability and regulation, this one embraces evolution through power, believing the fae should shape the world rather than simply hide within it. their leader is called the umbrion and assumes power through combat or trials when the current umbrion dies.



  the choosing  
when a fae reaches maturity, they are required to make a formal declaration of allegiance in a rite known as the choosing. adulthood arrives at different points depending on the species; some mature within a few decades while others take far longer, but once their maturity occurs the law of the fae requires them to decide.

this is not a casual decision, nor is it optional. the structure of fae society depends on clear allegiance, and every adult fae must declare loyalty to one of the two courts. without that declaration they exist outside the protections and laws that govern the supernatural world, which can make survival difficult in a society built on alliances, debts, and power.

during the choosing, the fae formally pledge themselves before witnesses from the courts, often emissaries, magistrates, or other representatives authorized to accept the oath. the vow itself carries magical weight. once spoken, it binds the individual to that court’s authority, granting them its protection while also subjecting them to its laws, politics, and obligations.

for some fae the decision follows family tradition or species alliances, with generations serving the same court. others approach the choosing as a deeply personal moment, weighing the philosophies of each side before deciding where their beliefs and ambitions align. either way, the declaration marks the end of childhood within fae society. from that moment forward they are considered a full political participant in the supernatural world, with all the alliances, responsibilities, and rivalries that come with it.

rarely a fae will attempt to remain neutral after maturity. doing so means stepping outside the formal structure that governs fae life. those who do are called outfaer and are viewed with suspicion by both the aurora and nocturne courts. alone, they must navigate a world where loyalty is the currency that holds everything together and their bank account sits empty.



  the fae  
fae is an umbrella term, convenient and political. under it gather the vampires who drink memory from blood, the werewolves who slip into predatory instinct, the sprites who linger near grief, the sirens who feast on attention, and fairies, luminous and challenging, who shape raw magic with bare hands and call it art. they are a full-on ancient power structure layered over modern society; secret courts, blood-bound contracts, political maneuvering, and old-world laws that feel medieval but operate in nightclubs and boardrooms.

unable to compromise how they interact with the mundane world, the fae divided. the fae aren’t split by “good” and “evil.” that’s a human oversimplification. instead they’re split by allegiance. light and dark are not moral distinctions, they are merely philosophies of control. the aurora (light) courts prize order, hierarchy, balance. they believe magic must be structured, regulated, contained. oaths are sacred, names are currency, tradition is law. the nocturne (dark) courts prize strength, autonomy, survival. they believe magic belongs to whoever can wield it, contracts are leverage, reputation is armor. power is proof. both claim necessity, both demand loyalty, and both insist the other is the greater threat.

  vampires  
vampires are not undead and they are not immortal by default. they are living beings whose bodies lack the ability to produce certain vital metaphysical compounds, specifically the memory-binding proteins that stabilize identity and keep the mind anchored to itself. to survive, they must ingest those compounds through blood.

but blood carries more than oxygen. it holds emotional imprint, fragments of trauma, love, fear, joy, and lingering echoes of memory. when vampires feed, they are reinforcing their own sense of self with those traces. without blood they begin to unravel: memories blur, senses fracture, identity erodes until they drift into a state of dissociation. overindulgence can also blur their own sense of self or tether them dangerously to the minds they consume. this also means they have a strong dependence on others’ emotional energy and vulnerability to psychic or emotional disruption,

the oldest vampires are feared not simply for their strength but for the layers of memory they carry, centuries of borrowed lives moving quietly inside them. they do not just remember history, they remember it from inside someone else’s bloodstream. sunlight itself does not destroy them, but prolonged exposure to harsh artificial light destabilizes the delicate compounds in their system, which is why most prefer to move through the world at night.

within fae society they are also known for their quiet, calculating politics, collecting and protecting rare bloodlines the way humans collect priceless works of art. they are simultaneously admired, envied, and feared by other fae for their layered experience, patient cunning, and the subtle, inescapable way they can influence those around them, making them among the most calculating and enduring players in fae society.



  werewolves/shapeshifters  
werewolves are shapeshifters, but the transformation is not simply flesh becoming fur. their bodies are built to shift between forms because their nervous systems can enter what fae scholars often call a liminal state: a predatory cognitive configuration where instinct, perception, and physical response sharpen dramatically. their nervous system is tied to ambient magical energy, allowing them to sense nearby fae, magical distortions, and feeding activity.

when they shift, their bones restructure, muscle density increases, and their senses explode into heightened awareness: scent carries miles, pain dulls, movement becomes fluid and lethal. the wolf form is real, but it is driven as much by neurological change as physical transformation. the longer a werewolf remains in this state, however, the more difficult it becomes to fully return to human empathy and restraint. instinct begins to override social cognition, and the mind risks drifting toward something more feral. full moons do not cause the transformation, but they amplify emotional and biological tides, making the shift easier to trigger and harder to control.

some werewolves have mastered the rare half-shift, a controlled state that taps into heightened senses, reflexes, and strength without fully surrendering to predator instinct. in this form, they can perceive subtle magical cues, detect hidden threats, and move with extraordinary precision, all while maintaining social awareness and emotional restraint. achieving it requires years of discipline, ritualized training, and perfect control over both mind and magic, and even then prolonged use strains the nervous system, slightly distorts time perception, and risks collapsing into a full, unpredictable state if emotion overwhelms control. half-shifters are often the pack’s tactical elite and while admired within their packs, other fae both fear and envy them, seeing them as powerful hybrids of instinct and strategy.

this is why werewolves organize themselves into packs; contrary to human myths, packs are not built purely on dominance hierarchies but on stability. each member acts as an anchor for the others, helping them return from the edge of predatory instinct. a lone werewolf can become dangerously unstable over time, but a pack moves with terrifying coordination; balanced, controlled, and capable of unleashing the full power of the hunt.



  fairies  
fairies are not tied to elements like fire, wind, or water, nor are they defined by hunger the way many other fae species are. instead, fairies are beings who channel magic itself. where vampires feed on blood or other creatures draw power from emotion, instinct, or devotion, fairies draw from raw magical potential. magic, to them, is not an element but possibility, and they are born fluent in shaping it.

their power is fluid rather than specialized. an fairy might heal or curse with a touch, bend perception, influence dreams, enchant objects, or subtly warp probability. their abilities are defined less by domain and more by creativity and mastery. younger fairies often produce unpredictable magic such as accidental glamour or spontaneous enchantments, while older ones refine their talents into disciplines like oathbinding, dreamweaving, glamourcraft, fortune-bending, and memory altering.

within fae society, fairies are often regarded as a kind of nobility, not because they rule by force but because their relationship to magic is so direct. their politics revolve around reputation, artistry, favors owed, and the careful maintenance of ancient social rules. but their power carries a cost. fairies are living conduits for magic, and strong emotion can destabilize that connection. grief can twist their spells, love can entangle them in dangerous ways, and rage can warp their glamour into something monstrous. too much magic moving through a single body can fracture the self entirely, leaving some fairies deceased or becoming malformed, wild beings (noxwyn).

when an fairies channels magic fully, the world around them subtly shifts. light bends, the air hums, colors deepen, and shadows behave just a little incorrectly. they appear beautiful in a way that feels almost dangerous, radiant yet unsettling.

other fae often view fairies with a mixture of awe and resentment. because they draw from ambient magic rather than a single feeding source, they have historically been less desperate than many other species. that freedom allows them to be whimsical, unpredictable, and politically influential. they are playful and cunning, capable of immense charm and menace alike, and their presence in any court or city can quietly shift balances of power without overt action. but in recent years the flow of magic in the world has begun to thin, and even fairies are beginning to feel the strain. for creatures so deeply bound to magic itself, that change may prove more dangerous than any rival court.



  sirens  
sirens have long served as the quiet architects behind greater powers, shaping events from the shadows rather than seeking dominance for themselves. they do not feed on blood, raw magic, or elemental energy like other fae; instead, their strength lies in perception, attention, and the subtle currents of belief. they thrive by observing and interpreting the desires, fears, and intentions of others, guiding decisions, amplifying emotions, and weaving influence so that human and fae alike act in ways that benefit those they support. rather than overt control, their power is in orchestrating outcomes and ensuring that the strategies of other species succeed.

their abilities are psychological and precise. sirens can highlight or suppress thoughts, nudge decisions, manipulate social currents, or subtly adjust the emotional tone of a room. younger sirens often produce unpredictable traces of influence, while experienced elders have perfected arts like rumor weaving, dream persuasion, and strategic emotional manipulation, allowing them to reinforce alliances, strengthen allies, and stabilize courts without drawing attention to themselves. they are not fighters or rulers; their role is to enhance, guide, and protect the plans of others, bending perception without ever revealing the hand behind it.

within fae society, sirens occupy a vital supporting position. they rarely claim territory or assert magical dominance, but their presence is sought in negotiation, diplomacy, and political strategy. they ensure that the ambitions of liminal packs, hemavores, or aethryn are reinforced and that social structures hold together. maintaining this influence requires care: overextending their reach, feeding too broadly on attention or belief, or attempting to guide events too forcefully can leave a siren disoriented, emotionally strained, or vulnerable to feedback from the strong-willed.

other fae regard them with respect, caution, and occasional envy. they appreciate their stabilizing influence but remain wary of subtle manipulations; value their intelligence but recognize that sirens shift power without ever taking it. though they rarely stand in the spotlight, sirens’ guidance has historically shaped courts, conflicts, and alliances alike, making them indispensable even if unnoticed.



  other species (unplayable)  
dragons are not simply enormous beasts but ancient beings whose bodies generate and regulate immense magical pressure. their hoards are not greed but stabilizers, collections of powerful objects that help anchor their minds and prevent their magic from tearing the surrounding world apart. most sleep for decades at a time, waking only when disturbances in magic become too loud to ignore.

gleamfolk are goblin-esque creatures who, in their natural form, have bulbous eyes, seafoam green skin, long and pointed rabbit-like ears, and are the size of guinea pigs when fully grown. they act as familiars, transforming into animals and bonding with those who have magic, which sustains them. like familiars, if their master dies, so do they.

trolls are dense, earth-blooded fae whose bodies slowly absorb minerals and stone over time. their immense strength comes from this gradual geological bonding, making older trolls partially indistinguishable from the landscape itself. many serve as living guardians of ancient places because their bodies naturally anchor and stabilize the magic around them.

phoenix are rare living conduits of renewal magic whose bodies cyclically burn away accumulated energy. their rebirth is not death but a controlled reset, allowing them to shed memories, emotions, and magical excess before beginning again. each cycle leaves faint echoes behind, meaning older phoenixes carry fragments of many lives layered within them.

noxwyn are what remain of fairies who pushed magic far beyond what their bodies or minds could withstand. they drew too deeply from raw magical currents, the excess power eventually shattered their sense of self, twisting both their forms and their minds into something monstrous. their bodies become warped and uneven, leaving them half-ling creatures driven only by instinct. they are mindless, cruel, and dangerously greedy for magic, drawn to enchanted places and powerful objects the way starving beasts are drawn to food. where they gather, magic grows unstable and wild, and most fae try to destroy them on sight before their hunger can spread, but killing them is difficult and often times takes years of practice to master.

underlings are fae whose forms cannot successfully mimic humanity, their bodies shaped too strongly by their original nature to pass among mortals. many appear monstrous, distorted, or overtly animalistic, with features that no glamour can fully conceal. because fae society places enormous value on blending into the human world, underlings are often pushed to the margins, treated as lesser citizens, laborers, or nuisances depending on the court and the species involved. some live quietly in hidden enclaves beneath cities or in forgotten places where humans rarely go, while others are considered pests and eliminated without consequence.

veyrwarden are ancient, faceless entities created from the darkest magic, which are neither living nor dead. they are bound to the prison's soul, and they enforce order, carry out punishments, and detect truth or intent in prisoners.

  locations and businesses  
these locations and businesses are owned and operated by fae, hidden from morties. most restaurants and shops are found in gloam quarter, which looks like nothing more than an empty alleyway to the naked eye, but is an entire sprawling hub of activity.

the spyre is a hidden courtroom where fae disputes are judged according to ancient laws.

dreadhollow is the prison where misbehaving fae go, kept there by the veyrwarden. it is protected from humans by magical wards and located on meighen island, canada.

the shatterglass bazaar is a black market that appears only inside mirrors and reflective surfaces after dark. vendors sell illegal magic, rare bloodlines, enchanted artifacts, and information better left buried.

moonfall infirmary is a discreet clinic hidden behind a mundane medical practice where supernatural injuries are treated and magical toxins removed.

the whisper archive is a secret library tucked behind the stacks of an old university where magical texts, bottled memories, and ancient fae contracts are kept.

the crossroads faire is a traveling market that appears at certain intersections under the right moon where bargains are magically binding.

the iron reliquary is a heavily warded underground vault where magical artifacts and dangerous relics are stored.

the bone market is a dangerous underground bazaar where cursed objects and illegal magic are traded.

the fox & thistle is a candlelit tavern popular with older fae. the owner remembers everyone who has ever walked through the door, which makes it a dangerous place to lie.

the amber room is a luxurious cocktail lounge frequented by powerful fae who prefer subtle displays of wealth.

the starling table is a hidden supper club where seats are invitation-only and the menu changes with the lunar cycle.

the ivy lantern is a romantic garden restaurant covered in enchanted vines that bloom year-round.

the seventh stitch is a tailor that weaves subtle glamour and protective enchantments into clothing.

the ink & sigil is a tattoo studio where magical sigils can be permanently bound to the skin.

thorn & mortar is an apothecary specializing in rare herbs, potions, and supernatural remedies.

the velvet cage is an exclusive club where supernatural entertainment is performed.

the black ledger is a shadowy office that manages magical debts and favors.

the sapphire cellar is an underground club where glamours distort perception and time.

the elder archive is a sacred library containing ancient fae history that predates human civilization.

the moonstone ridge is a rocky clearing used by werewolf packs during important pack rituals.

the glasswood is a strange forest where trees have crystallized from ancient magic.

the prism garden is a hidden garden where sunlight refracts into constant rainbows.

the lantern court is a stone plaza where ancient lanterns burn with magic that prevents violence and is considered a sacred, neutral space.

obscura is a rare, supernatural bookstore in gloam quarter. part archive, part oddity shop, it has been open for nearly a thousand years with brief periods of time where it has been listed as invite only, for reasons that have never been disclosed to the public. currently: open for business.