Indigo-blue illustration of a slender woman with pale skin and long hair standing in a grassy field looking up at the stars. She is shown from the back, wearing a long, flowing dress. Trailing lines of tiny, sparkling lights wrap around her body and float off into the air, like streamers gently blowing in the breeze. This art piece was created by Larisa-K.
Overview: Fairies are the physical embodiment of dreams, giving many fairies enchanting and monstrous forms, an urge to revel in emotion and imagination, and a willingness to embrace fluidity and change. They often have wings and their sizes vary widely, ranging from tiny to large. In addition, while each fairy is different, most look like humans that have several animal or plant traits.
Physical Description: Their connection to dreams means that most fairies have an enchanting form that is evocative of good dreams, a monstrous form that is evocative of nightmares, or both. An enchanting form is appealing in some way, but it doesn’t have to be conventionally beautiful. For example, it could be vibrant, adorable, compelling, or fascinating. Similarly, a monstrous form is off-putting in some way, but it doesn’t have be conventionally ugly. In fact, a monstrous form can be extremely beautiful, as long as there is something unpleasant, frightening, or disturbing about it.
Most fairies have enchanting and monstrous forms that look like humans with two or three animal features, such as rabbit ears, antelope horns, spider eyes, cat teeth, heron beaks, lamprey mouths, lizard crests, butterfly wings, porcupine quills, jellyfish tentacles, hawk talons, deer hooves, koi scales, peacock feathers, hagfish slime, and squirrel tails.
Some fairies have plant traits in addition to, or instead of, animal ones. For example, they could have heads crested with leaves, hair that grows flowers, backs covered in thorns, skin patterned like variegated leaves, shoulders that grow mushroom frills, lichen-spotted arms, and bark-covered legs. In addition to these animal and plant traits, fairies can also have hair, eyes, or skin of any color found in nature.
Fairy sizes are even more diverse that the rest of their appearance, ranging from tiny fairies a few inches to large fairies seven feet tall. Another important type of diversity is wings—while many fairies do have wings, quite a few don’t.
A fairy’s magical nature is usually evident in their form in some way. For example, those with enchanting forms may have an iridescent shimmer, be surrounded by dancing lights, sound like tinkling bells when they move, or constantly smell of baking bread. Meanwhile, those with monstrous forms may be wreathed in smoke, have shadows clinging to their skin, sound like scraping leaves when they move, or constantly smell of rot and mold. The exact form the magic takes depends on the individual fairy.
Senses: Fairies’ senses vary based on their individual traits, but most are human-like.
Gender: Fairies can be any gender. Because dreams are so fluid, fairies are more inclined toward different types of gender fluidity, such as fluctuating between different genders or flowing through a range of different gender expressions.
Diet: Most fairies are omnivores.
Common Mental Characteristics: Most fairies feel the urge to revel in emotion and imagination, an urge that can be expressed a myriad of ways. Most often, fairies channel this urge into the arts, especially the performing arts. Music and dance are particularly popular, as is art made from living things, like flower arrangements, gardens, and magically sculpted plants. Anything that is ephemeral or constantly changing has a particular appeal to these beings that embody the fluid and changing nature of dreams.
In fact, embracing fluidity and change is a strength most fairies have—a strength that other people who struggle with change are frequently uncomfortable with. The way many fairies are willing to delve into intense emotion and deep truths can also make others uncomfortable, as can many fairies’ extravagant, and sometimes disturbing, flights of imagination.
Magical Affinities:
- Emotion Magic
- Shapeshifting Magic
- Plant Magic
- Illusion Magic
- Less Frequent: Air Magic, Animal Magic, Enhancement Magic, Sensing Magic, Summoning Magic, Attention Magic, Communication Magic
Common Species Traits:
- Enchanting and Monstrous Forms
- Skill Aptitude for Diplomacy or Intimidation
- Flight
- Magical Nature
- Plant Talker
- Animal Talker
- Less Frequent: Tiny Form, Huge Form, Limited Shapeshifting, Fascinating Characteristic, Enchanting Song
Common Vulnerabilities:
- Character Flaw: Careless, Impatient, Self-absorbed, Selfish, Spiteful
- Intense Curiosity, especially about other people
- Permanent Glow and Noisy Form
- Emotionally Reactive Magic
- Intense Sleepiness
Origins: The Three Rulers of the Other Realm shaped fairies to be the embodiment of dreams. Like dreams, fairies embody emotion, imagination, fluidity, and change. Like dreams, fairies can be kind or cruel, enchanting or monstrous.
Prominent Cultures: Most fairies are drawn to cultural spaces that value art, creativity, and imagination, often forming large communities around performance spaces. Over the years, many long-term, fairy-dominated communities of artists and creators have formed, one of which is responsible for the developments of the first fairy circle fungi.
Respectful Portrayal Note: Oppression, especially sizeism, sexism, racism, and ableism, strongly affects the mainstream view of what is enchanting and monstrous. When choosing enchanting or monstrous traits for your character, please take a moment to think about the messages and identities are associated with each trait and do what you can to avoid reinforcing harmful messages. In addition, be aware that Jekyll and Hyde type dual personalities are associated with stigmatizing stereotypes of Dissociative Identity Disorder and are best avoided.
Another issue to be aware of is fairies that are the same size as real-world little people will be associated with them and have some of the same height-based access needs. This makes it important to avoid reinforcing myths and stereotypes about little people and to portray access needs respectfully. When doing this, it can help to work with the game manager to figure out what accommodations are a standard part of your game’s setting.
Fairies are part of the Crossroads Setting for the tabletop role-playing game, Magic Goes Awry. Click here to go to the list of vibrant and unique magical people from the Land of Crossroads.
