Fey

Elves
The most widespread of the fey races, elves are seven-foot tall humanoids, originating from what used to be Northern Europe. Usually fair-skinned or very pale, they can be distinguished by their lean, lanky forms and grotesquely warped physiques, which they frequently hide under masks and thick clothing. Females are only slightly smaller than males, and both sexes sport scarce but long hair that varies from light colors to a platinum blonde. At least they used to.

Elves are considered to be among the oldest races on U’rth, and there was a time they had the power to flaunt it. In the young ages of the world, while the other inhabitants struggled to find their place, the elves and their fey kin rapidly grew and expanded, reaching as of then unmatched levels of technology and skill with magic. With each new feat they grew in arrogance and pride, and soon their vast, sprawling capital embodied the most powerful empire U’rth had seen....but that was not to last. On what would be later referred to as the Allfallir (or simply The Fall), the forever-dreaded titan Grendel emerged from its slumber and unleashed its all-consuming wrath upon the elves. The destruction and death it brought was unspeakable, so much so, that even though the fey races scattered and managed to survive, neither was capable of ever recovering their former splendor, and the very name of the actual capital is forever lost to time. It was also from then on that future generations would be born deformed, their once said to be beautiful forms lost to the touch of magic

In modern times, while elves remain technologically advanced, they are but a shadow of their former glory, and are usually seen as a sort of under-class by other races, snobs full of hot air that got what they deserved, and the butt of a lot of jokes. Many live among the mixed populations of towns and cities, living existences that their ancestors would have found deeply insulting. Certain elf settlements even try to keep the old ways by having non-elves as second class citizens, with varying results. But the truth is, for the most part elves simply do not care about their ancient past, preferring to make a living their own way, if they’re not just used to their current life, or even know about the past to begin with. Some of the eldest ones, however, believe that perhaps it is for the best that they haven’t rebuilt their empire, for there is an unspoken fear that Grendel might return, and wipe the entire elven race out for good if they ever overstep their boundaries again.

Elven culture places importance on appearances and social status -if more out of tradition than anything else nowadays- and honorifics are a must between individuals, even family members. Typical elf suits, consequently, tend to look large and ominous, not just to hide their deformities but also to make themselves appear more imposing or menacing than they actually are. A lot of posturing and head-tilting features in their communication, and adding to that, a pair of glands on an elf’s forehead produce a variety of smelly secretions to further show their emotions. Thus the popular image that not only are elves stuck-up and weird, but they stink funny too.

Black Elves
Not all the elves that survived the Allfallir fled across U’rth. Some retreated underground, dug deep and far in their haste to escape the fury of Grendel. For generations they hid away, adapting to their dark environment as they replenished their numbers, until they saw fit to return to the surface, to try and rebuild the elven empire, if anything was left. But as the stories say, these elves were infuriated, humiliated, offended, to see that their kind, their once powerful and proud race, had been now reduced to deformed commoners, mere slaves among the lesser races, and that they had resigned to it. And so they went back to their underground lairs, shutting themselves off the world again, and prepare to set things right again. To do what their spineless kin couldn’t achieve. They would rebuild the elven empire. They would recover the glory they once had, set the elven race back to their rightful place in the world, at any cost. And to this day, their battle to achieve this continues.

Having spent so many generations beneath the earth, the Black Elves have developed into a subspecies of their own, adapting perfectly to their surroundings while at the same time retaining the original elf form. Their deep black eyes let them see in the dark clear as day, their monstrous ears catch even the slightest noise from any direction, and their long arms and legs end in hands and feet with calloused pads, preventing slips on running cave streams or the wet rock. Their purple skin is rather sensitive despite appearances, and they cover themselves with sun-shielding oils whenever they have to emerge to the surface, hence their popular name. Their extreme stealth and knowledge of poisons makes them extremely skilled assassins, but at the same time they suffer from a very negative image, given their massive egos, their shifty, ever-alert nature, and their constant skirmishes with the dwarves.

Fairies
Marginally more recent than elves, fairies are much smaller and frailer in appearance, with almost child-like proportions, long but thin ears and chemical glands growing out into stumped “antennae”. Their build and skin tone greatly varies, but the most distinguishable trait of a fairy is the large “wings” on his/her back, modified flaps of skin that actually let them fly through levitation and naturally light bodies. Scholars believe such remarkable features to be the product of magic, perhaps a common ancestor to elves changed by its overwhelming touch.

Despite their strange looks fairies are never to be underestimated, for they are among the most magically inclined races in all of U’rth. From the moment a fairy is born he or she is able to manipulate ambient magic by mere instinct, and said ability only grows with age. An average adult fairy has enough knowledge to be tricky to handle -depending on one’s own ability, as well- but an intensely educated and trained individual can make a seriously powerful threat. Because of this fairies have fared comparatively better than elves after the destruction of the fey empire, and even in the modern world they make one of the more influential kingdoms.

Fairies are also notorious for their unusual trains of thought. Though it depends on the upbringing, they can be said to be naturally fickle, displaying ways of thinking that can come off as odd or nonsensical to other races. The rules they follow often make sense to none but themselves, and may easily take actions or decisions that come off as morally warped or even completely amoral at times. Thus a local saying goes that one must watch his or her own back when dealing with fairies, for they may come off as mischievous or inquisitive at best, or downright dangerous at worst.

A curious flaw in the genetic makeup of fairies renders the majority of them violently allergic to iron, leading fairy constructs to be usually made from stone, marble, bronze, copper, wood and other organic materials. Famously, they hold a bitter enmity towards the race of sentient arthropods known as pixies, having competed with them for territory and resources since the early ages of U’rth.

Nymphs
Perhaps the most infamous of the fey races, nymphs are a remarkable oddity in that they’re an entirely female species, requiring genetic material from the males of other races in order to reproduce. Their curvaceous and alluring figures, which are considered universally attractive, and the “pleasant” smell they give are believed to be an adaptation to seduce humanoids, but the truth is nymphs can mate and produce offspring with males of any sentient species, even those that aren’t humanoid or even bipedal at all. The resulting children -also always female- will be either pure-blood daughters or hybrids combining traits of both parents. These, in turn, will only give birth to pure-bloods, a genetic quirk that prevents the bloodline from becoming too diluted.

Unfortunately, the nymph race is one under constant ostracism. Despite their great magical potential and often motherly natures, elves and fairies openly despise them for their “chaotic” and “basal” tendencies, and in fact are said to have forced them out of their own lands in the ancient ages. Further demonization from their part seeped into the rest of civilization, and as of present time nymphs suffer a negative stereotype of being an entire race of prostitutes, teases and depraved fetishists. The fact many nymphs indeed end up working in brothels hasn’t certainly helped their image. Most nymphs, regardless, simply try to mingle and fit in whatever society they find themselves in, trying to make a honest living, while others gather together in towns and work together with neighbouring communities in exchange of protection and a steady supply of genetic stock.

Male nymphs are known to exist, but their birth is extremely rare, and only ever come to be in hybrid form. Paradoxically, these tend to be looked down by “regular” nymphs, for they don’t get nearly as much flak about the associated stigma of being an nymph.

Sprites
The ancestors of the sprites are believed to have migrated towards the south, into harsher, more unwelcoming lands than what fey are used to. In order to survive, they gave up their magic talent in favor of adapting to life on those dangerous lands. As a result of this, while almost completely unable to use magic, sprites are stockier, physically stronger and overall much hardier than any other fey race, thriving anywhere elves, fairies or nymphs can not.

Such capacity of adaptation, along with other details such as muscular forms, elongated canines and a bigger presence of meat on their diets, make sprites to come out as more orcoid than fey in the eyes of many. The most probable theory is that sprites are merely a result of convergent evolution, leading to such common names as “imps” or “fey orcs”, or the mistaken belief that sprites are hybrids of orc and elf. Elves consider sprites to be backwards and barbaric, and in societies where these two species mix the sprites are usually left as a working class. Orcoids, on the other hand, are more welcoming, and are known to happily co-exist with them.

Sprites, self-reliant and individualistic as they are, prefer to not cause trouble and keep to themselves. Skilled hunters and trackers, they have developed their own method of communication across long distances, loudly gnashing their teeth in specific patterns to carry messages and observations to each other.

Brownies
Degenerate, mutant off-shoots of the fey race, brownies are nothing more than mindless and ravenous parasites, clinging to much larger creatures with a surprising iron-grip to feed on their blood. Tearing into flesh with sharp, slicing front teeth, they will not dislodge from their hosts unless killed or forcefully removed, or they manage to catch the scent of a mate, in which case they’ll gather into a filthy, writhing pile of copulating bodies only to then leave and look for the closest creature to parasitize.

Most races consider them to be disgusting vermin. Elves and fairies, on the other hand, insist on their elegance and simplicity of form,and often keep them as novelty pets. Whether this is because of deeply-rooted denial over shared genes or just a matter of differing aesthetics is anyone’s guess.