Fae'Norai

Fast Facts

Height: 2'0"-9'8" Male, 1'8"-9'2" Female

Weight: 50-400 (lbs) Male, 50-300 (lbs) Female

Lifespan: Adult (18 years), Elder (150 years), Deathly (200 years)

Notable Features: Plant-Like Biology and Features, Highly Variable Carapaces, Fluctuating Physical Characteristics

Player Restrictions: While Fae are able to create copies of other plants' parts on their bodies, such as leaves or flowers, they can't mimic their inner chemistry. This effectively prevents them from creating poisonous, medicinal, psychoactive or other kinds of substances.

Racial Ability: The Carapace: As will be detailed below, the Fae have the ability to craft a Carapace, a useful tool for disguise and a variety of other things. This is the foundation of their race's presentation, and how they integrate into the world despite being - in essence - sentient plant-life.

Fae Biology: Fae are the only race to essentially have two racial abilities, though the Carapace serves as their true ability; 'Fae Biology' is simply the benefit of their unique forms. Fae are capable of regeneration; they will quite naturally regrow things that have been removed from them through time and proper nutrition. Additionally, they are immune to the vast majority of poisons that regularly affect the sentient races, requiring any such toxins be built specifically to target their unique immune system. This also applies to sickness and disease: Fae can carry such things, but not the same strains that humans do.

Population: 6,000,000

Distribution: Vendigad

History

The origins of the Fae are clouded with uncertainty. It is said that they were discovered by Veratelle in a grove, though not an ordinary one. This grove, surrounded by arcane waste and violent otherworldly beasts, was found near the heart of Daravin and behind the cluster of Fae seeds was an ominous portal that churned violently with the wind. Veratelle, even as an Elven God, feared for her life in this instance but felt a strong desire to gather those seeds. She took them into her form and fled from the invasive force, convening with the Hyr'Norai and the rest of the Elven Gods at what she had found: a race, like Elves and men, and one that she wished to call her own.

This is said - because it is true. The Fae do not appear to have been created upon Atharen's soil, but delivered. But fortunately for them, this did not stop them from being loved. While the Elven Gods are often grim beings, as terrifying as they are kind, Veratelle always considered herself nothing less than a mother to the Fae. It was Veratelle who truly gave them their form. As their seeds developed into shapely beings filled with life, she crafted them to resemble the only mortal shape she knew: that of the Elves, with wide, sharp ears and lean forms.

Veratelle taught the Fae how to live in the world they had been bequeathed to, and how to integrate into society. She taught them the ways of the Elves, who were dominant in Atharen at that time, and guided her followers to direct their new peers to prosperity. It is because of this that the two races always held a gentle companionship, one that still persists even until now.

But of course, time progressed from the initial integration of the Fae, and their close proximity to Elves meant that they suffered the same tribulations as their peers. While the Fae acted much as the Elves did during their rise into dominance and the eventual confederation into Silor, it was not by mere ambition or greed that they followed their proctors along in coming to dominate the mortal world. Their actions continued to stem from a sense of loyalty; all was to aide their mother, Veratelle, who claimed to seek what the Elves wanted, though not always convincingly. Eventually, the Kingdom that their sharp-eared peers had built collapsed beneath its own weight, and the millions of human slaves they had been recklessly integrating began to cull or exile Elves and Fae'Norai on sight.

Many of the Elves fled west to what is now Vendigad, to pursue 'tradition', or perhaps the continuation of their own lives. The Fae, instead, remained with Veratelle who was now actively being hunted by the mages of the rising Unbroken Empire. It was the purpose they had always known, and had they been allowed to, they would have followed their task to the end. But their mother did not wish for her flock to go extinct in defending her, as she believed that the Sil'Norai would. She was content to die in Sil-Elaine, surrounded by an endless grove, so long as she was allowed to make a final stand. Veratelle allowed only her dryads as her entourage, a select few Fae elite, largely comprised by their Nobility. The rest - much of the common Fae - were advised to join the rogue Ald'norai in fleeing to the west, to help them survive as they built a new realm to one day be their land.

Painfully, they parted. The brunt of the Fae would never see Veratelle again, even though she lived for nearly a thousand years after, until the Bleeding razed her form. Most of them believed she died long before that, and her true death was only confirmed by a sickening feeling at the end of the Third Age.

Regardless, they needed to find a new purpose without the will to protect their mother, and without her to consult. Truthfully, and broadly, the Fae'Norai never did. They continue even now to act only in proximity with others, blindly following the will of the Hyr'norai crown so long as they maintain their own ancient lifestyle. The story of the Fae is one of dependence, as they were never properly given the instincts to think and desire for their own. While this has led to thousands of years of gentle cooperation, it has left many of them feeling hollow in their aims today, and if contemporary Fae history is anything... it is a story of dispersing out into the world, the young leaving Vendigad to the tune of tens of thousands every year, seeking something new among the societies they were either taught little of, or taught to fear.

Biology and Psychology

Despite their name, which literally translates to 'Elden Fae,' or 'Fae Elves', the Fae'Norai are not an Elven race. They are not, to any extent, related to the Elves though many of them believe that they are. This name itself is a sort of disguise; a forced connection to a race they feel drawn to by history and faith, yet one they share no true resemblance with, save for one that might be crafted deceptively by a Carapace.

The body of a Fae'Norai is variable. The far majority of them tend to develop to be of similar size and stature to most humanoid races, standing from six to seven feet. Their weight is often proportional to their height, but differences in the tissues that make up their Carapace might result in significant weight variations. Many Fae do, however, vary from this standard and can develop to be much taller or much smaller than the norm. It is not uncommon to see a Fae standing nearly ten feet in height, as well as an adult Fae smaller than a human child. These exceptionally small Fae are often called Fae'Loti by their peers, meaning something akin to 'sprout'; while not an incredibly respectful term, the Fae'Loti are generally as respected as any in their society.

The Fae generally derive from several 'classes' of plant, and these classes often determine their size and other characteristics about them. Fae that resemble small bush plants like ferns, or even grass or leaves, are often smaller and tend to fall into the category of Fae'Loti. The median Fae tend to have characteristics resembling particular flowers, such as a mantle of roses around their shoulders along with thorny vines on certain parts of their body. Some may have blue hydrangea growing from their hair, or sunflower petals adorning their neck, or a variety of other things. Often, these Fae tend to smell like the fresh flowers they are adorned with, giving them a natural charm that others find soothing.

Though there are many more variations of Fae coinciding with a plethora of different flora, the last standard category of them tends to be occupied by Fae with tree-like traits. These Fae often have branches growing along their forms, perhaps even a bark-like texture to their face with indents or elevation across their skin that looks like chipped wood. Some of them do grow leaves on parts of their body and may have wood-like talons in place of fingers. These tend to be the larger Fae, more intimidating and more often employed in combat. They are given no special name or moniker; when people outside of the Elven nations think of the Fae, their mind often immediately relates to these larger arboreal Fae, as most stories and renditions of them abroad tend to refer to giant tree-like warriors defending forests and groves.

In general, Fae are humanoid in shape. They also often have humanoid characteristics, and can easily relate to the mortal races despite being something of an outlier. Fae biology is innately similar to that of humans and Elves; they have similar muscles and bodily structures, and on the surface their anatomy and physiology appears nearly identical, though when outside of a Carapace their texture and appearance attends to be somewhat leaf-like and unique. Fae hair, outside of a Carapace, is often made up of leaves and branches and the way their hair is styled is different as a result.

Generally, their hairstyles are embellished by the sort of plant they resemble. Most Fae tend to have their hair made up of large leaves that they can alter and manage in order to style their appearance, though some can look quite strange. A rose-like Fae may have beautiful red embellishments across their 'hair', while a cypress tree may simply look odd and almost laughable. For this reason, Fae that choose to present as their natural selves while also dwelling in more common society tend to blend their hair, by itself, with a partial Carapace; they can effectively make their hair appear human-like in this way, indistinguishable from a member of a more common race.

Fae muscular development is a somewhat unique process. Generally, it entirely depends on their nutrients. A Fae who is given adequate nutrients can build mass on their body and distribute this mass how they wish, redirecting it to particular muscles. If not - and this is most often the case - they will be distributed evenly and Fae muscles will develop gradually, in a balanced way. Their physiques tend to look very balanced and healthy for this reason, and only some Fae who are either somehow deprived of nutrients or possess irregular tendencies can be considered under or overweight.

As a source of their health, sunlight is important to them. While there are some plants on Atharen that thrive in colder or darker conditions, the Fae tend to be summery and greatly prefer warm climates with a lot of light. They thrive in the outdoors and their homes often reflect this desire; there are many windows and open areas, and Fae towns often carry virtually no truly closed spaces, buildings blending into themselves beautifully. Any closed, rigid opulence (as is often the case with Fae Nobility) tends to be built from a desire to relate to Elven regality, though these estates often have sun rooms and small or large botanical gardens.

Culturally, there are two different archetypal Fae, though unlike other races they are not divided by name and in many cases the Fae tend to fluctuate between these two categorizations.

There are Fae who wish to remain Fae, embracing their own culture and way of life, wearing their plant-like form at all times and for the world to see. These Fae often live in Vendigad, with large populations in Dalquia and with some in the interior recesses of Sil-Elaine. They tend to be somewhat traditional and conservatively-minded, much like the Hyr'norai they often dwell in proximity to. To them, Fae identity is something to be proud of, and though the Carapace exists it only exists as a tool of survival; many of the Fae wore a Carapace at the end of the Third Age to survive the fall of Silor, as they were seen as equally repressive by the humans as their Elven masters. And they were.

Many other Fae - those commonly known to the societies of men - embrace the Carapace, and wear other forms in order to integrate with others around them. These Fae will scarcely ever discard their Carapace, wearing it as their primary skin. Often, they look like Elves, not only because they tend to integrate with Elven communities but also due to their cultural conceptions. Many Fae express a strange uneasiness at the thought of wearing human skin, looking like a human, carrying human qualities. This same feeling applies to the other races, as well, though some who were born into societies with little Elven or Fae presence tend to wear Carapaces perfectly well.

Even if a Fae is wearing a Carapace, they remain visibly different from others of their supposed race. Their plant-like qualities persist, and so while a Fae may look like an Ithur-Dratori they will still have leaves growing from their shoulders, bristles, flowers, other qualities that resemble their original form. They are also noticeable in that their Carapaces are rarely perfect representations of the races they wish to mimic. For example, a Fae may wish to appear like an Ithur, but they are not literally copying Ithur traits; they are crafting renditions based on memory and desire. Ultimately, this results in an imperfect replica, and their Ithur form may have skin significantly lighter than regular Ithur, perhaps with shorter ears that more closely resemble Sil'norai, and perhaps they may have golden eyes like a Sil'norai or Hyr'norai despite the Dra'norai not possessing the genetic ability to bear such colors.

There are many mechanics to the Carapace and how it works, which will be detailed below. Additionally, for more information regarding the biology of the Fae, refer to their section on reproduction.

Fae Appearance

While not wearing a Carapace, the Fae are considered to be 'presenting' as Fae, or wearing their innate biology. Fae who present this way make up a slim majority of all Fae, but this is certainly not the case outside of Vendigad. There are a few key features that make up the Fae as they are, without alterations.

Fae skin is textured, generally, like that of smooth leaves though with a thickness similar to that of humans and Elves. Their skin is generally a light-colored green, with plant-like growth in certain places across their form. Most often, the waist, neck and back of a Fae will have some form of plant-like adornment, which could range from a growth of flowers to sharp thorns, to a branch covered with leaves. Their pupils are always black, with a mono-color filling the rest of their eyes, vastly ranging in shades.

Fae 'hair' is actually called 'petals' among them, even though it is comprised of long leaf-like organic growth. Due to the nature of how their petals grow, their hair tends to be somewhat spiky and their hairstyles limited. Fae petals are almost always a similar or identical shade of green to their skin tone, making them appear blended with their skin. Their ears are unique in that they look something like true petals, though shaped something like Elven ears and often with plant-like qualities along with a more colorful, generally pinker texture.

The bodies of the Fae are shaped like other humanoid races, and as stated earlier, they have virtually identical muscles across their body. Fae often tend to be lean, though their body is shaped in a variety of ways depending on the quantity and quality of nutrients they consume from sunlight, water and their version of 'food', which is effectively fertilizer. They drink and eat through their mouths like other humanoid races, though their digestive system is not the same. Internally, they have a system of roots that act similarly to intestines, with a digestive 'pod' of sorts at their base, similar to a stomach.

The Carapace

The Carapace is often called an external layer, but this cannot be considered accurate. It is, by all intents and purposes, not a deception by the Fae. Rather than a mantle, it is a true second skin, worn perfectly neatly over their more inherent features. The Carapace is native to Fae biology. It appears to many Fae that they were intended to present otherwise -- perhaps that they were intended to be something different than what they are, with the Carapace either left in their biology as a forgetful accident or as the prototype to something more.

The Carapace is constructed over a period of days. This biological material, which feels identical to the skin of whichever race they are duplicating, will begin to grow across their form as the Fae willfully emits a hormone that appears to enable its growth. As it grows they will alter the pigment of the Carapace to determine the color of the skin, with a combination of four separate hormones enabling this change in pigmentation. They will also begin to grow hair that appears identical to mammalian hair, though it is actually constructed entirely of plant fibers.

In tandem they will begin to craft and alter certain aspects of their body, usually their face, to fit with this new form. A Fae will painstakingly sculpt every detail of their face to match their ideal visual representation of whichever race they are meant to duplicate. They may elongate and sharpen their ears, or plump up their lips (which are normally quite thin); they will alter their cheeks, the shape of their eyes and their lids, and so on.

The crafting of a Carapace is a long and arduous process. It tends to take nearly a week to complete, and by the time it is fully constructed a Fae will generally be so exhausted as to spend days afterwards resting. For this reason, a Fae is not even a close match to a Doppelganger, and they do not transition between forms lightly or frequently. Instead, Fae generally have one form they take, and in the rare case that they discard it so as to present their more normative plant-Fae appearance, they will generally return to one Carapace as a default.

As stated previously, this is almost always an Elven-like appearance, but even while intending to appear like Elves, the Fae still look like another race entirely. They do not have the same characteristics as specific Elven races, and often appear like a strange blend. Overcome by flowers, branches, thistle, leaves and other such flora, they are clearly distinguishable from the race they intend to appear like.

For this reason, others often distinguish between Fae-Elves and Fae, considering these Elven-presenting Fae to be their own race or category separate from other things. As they are clearly distinct enough to appear as their own race, it is commonly believed that they are their own race. Fae that present as humans, on the other hand, tend to be treated with suspicion and fear -- outsiders attempting to feign human likeness, a source of paranoia that often results in mob violence.

A Carapace can be discarded much more easily than it is grown. Fae have a unique substance known as 'hylas'shal' that they grow within 'hylas' plants. A thick material, amber in color, the Fae will bathe in it and it will effectively melt their Carapace within a matter of minutes, without adversely affecting the rest of their body. A Fae Carapace will regenerate on its own if only partially damaged or destroyed, and so if a Fae wishes to truly discard it, hylas'shal is the most convenient option to do so. There is another option, one that involves forcefully shriveling the Carapace and then shedding it, but this can take days to do. It is, however, a natural biological function of the Fae - allowing them to shed their Carapace without relying on the hylas.

As an interesting note, there are some Fae who overly produce the hormone that constructs their Carapace, and these Fae appear greatly deformed if untreated. In order to prevent themselves from appearing disfigured, they frequently bathe in hylas'shal, but even despite this they are often covered in strange skin-like growth that most tend to find grotesque. On the inverse, there are also some Fae who seem unable to produce this hormone, and cannot construct a Carapace at all.

As a final note, Fae do not defecate or urinate unless they consume something that is inedible, such as stone or glass.

Psychological Trends

Elaborating further on Fae psychology, the Fae tend to be a peaceful race with little interest in warmongering, expansion or conquest. They believe in the preservation of nature, and in balance, and seem psychologically geared to protect nature far more than other races. While other humanoid races may reel in shock and horror to seeing an animal needlessly harmed or killed, the Fae react similarly to witnessing such things among plants.

However, that is not to say that the Fae are innately more kind or enlightened than other races. Many humans with little exposure to Fae, upon meeting one, often note surprise at the vanity of the Fae -- how obsessed they are with beauty and their appearance. They often wear extremely fanciful, quality attire well beyond their income, and very often with jewels and other such adornments. Fae are often haughty, cold and reserved, and too often judgmental. While this is assumed to be a cultural thing, it has been noted that even among Fae born and raised in non-Fae communities, that these behaviors continue.

Fae -- like Elves -- often believe themselves to be superior to other races, and are often detached from the suffering and gripes of other mortals, especially considering they do not truly need to eat, do not commonly suffer disease, and so do not genuinely suffer from poverty or such similar things. Their empathy is therefore less tuned than other races, ignorant of the pain of others. Fae do not generally feel much in terms of physical pain, and this also appears to contribute to their apathy.

But, this is also not to say that Fae are inherently psychopathic or antisocial in nature. While they do carry a level of reserved distance, they are known for their nurturing behaviors to those they care for. If a Fae does empathize with someone -- often resulting from an emotional connection to them -- they tend to treat them with more care and dignity than most non-Fae can possibly imagine, devoting hours of their day to ensuring the mental and physical well-being of those in their close inner circle.

Culture

Fae culture is one centered on balance, peace with nature, and tradition. They are uniquely obsessed with ancient stories and myths, much as the Hyr'norai are, though much of Fae storytelling involves some deep character or moral advice meant to be found within. Modern Fae culture is considered by scholars to be a post-religion belief system, as while they are still deeply religious, they have had to learn how to exist knowing that their God has long since died, and have continued to worship her regardless to maintain their old ways.

The Fae are very community oriented, and often tend to treat the members of their community like extended family. While immediate family matters greatly, cousins and other distant relatives tend to blend within the community fold, and their neighbors are often deeply close with them. For this reason, Fae culture is often one that is very trusting and intimate, which can lead to their exploitation in other realms or even outside of their corner of Vendigad. Within Fae communities however, this often leads to frequent events; there is always something occurring at the square of every town or locale, with festivities hardly considered such due to their persistent occurrences in everyday life.

Fae culture is also one of preservation. They believe that plant life - and animal life, as they rely on natural habitats - are sacred, upholding the world as it was intended to be, in a way that supplies joy and fulfillment to others. They are stark opponents to industrialization, scowling at Lorien and the Grisith Empire, who they believe exist in opposition to nature rather than accordance with it. As a result of their nonviolence, however, they are powerless to stem the tide of this change, and instead many of them wish to either insulate themselves from it (within Vendigad) or to advocate for the old ways within foreign realms.

The Fae are, generally, tolerant individuals though their lexicon of morals and virtues is different from the other races. As they are quite literally not from Atharen, and are at least somewhat aware of this fact, they do not believe themselves to be the judges of natural behaviors or instincts. As such, they tend to take strange and even volatile behaviors with as much stride as any others, and do not often condemn others for their beliefs.

Clothing and Grooming

Fae clothing can be seen as primitive and almost entirely constructed of plant fibers and leaves, or occasionally, the bones of small animals native to their forests. Due to the biodiversity around them, Fae attire can vary much as human clothing can; they may wear a thistle dress or a rose-adorned suit, crafted with leaves of multiple colors or even gradient, glossy shades. Many Fae who do not wear a Carapace do not tend to wear particularly extravagant clothing. They will generally wear something akin to large leaf fabrics that act as simple coverings, concealing their body from others but with no interest in being particularly extravagant or fashionable. The Fae Nobility, on the other hand, are much more privy to exquisite flora tailoring techniques and adding adornments to their clothes, as well as incorporating armor, jewelry and minerals into their everyday attire, which they view as a sign of prestige.

The Carapace-wearing Fae tend to dress with clothing common to the race or culture they are seeking to replicate, though many of them do wear Fae clothing if they wish to further clarify their original heritage. Either way, they tend to present more extravagantly than others, as these Fae are often far more focused on presentation and beauty. Due to the botanical nature of their attire, many people find Fae garments very beautiful, though due to their limited duration before wilting or otherwise beginning to decay, few people outside of the Fae themselves can maintain such a wardrobe.

Technology and Intellectual Pursuits

Fae have no interest in technology, and truly they have no need for it. The food they consume is highly accessible to them and they do not even tend to live in closed spaces; further, they have little interest in war and tend to be innately drawn to personal magics. As a result, one can name almost no technologies that have been developed by the Fae. In terms of intellectual pursuits, they do tend to enjoy writing, and their lack of technological development is not for lack of knowledge. Fae tend to be extremely well-studied on biology, both plant and animal, and in sciences concerning geography, climatology and other similar things.

They also enjoy studying psychology, if only due to their innate curiosity regarding other races, and their interest in relating to and reconstructing their behaviors.

Arts and Crafts

Not unexpectedly, much of Fae arts and crafts involve plants; flowers, leaves, trees, so on and so forth. Almost all of their culture is representative of how they individually craft different objects and structures with flora; their homes are quite literally planted and grown, shaped as they go, and so are much of the objects they use in daily life. Fae are particularly drawn to crafting objects of wood and unique fungal assortments. They are known to carry near-everything in baskets, and they weave them painstakingly with individual fibers, much like their clothes.

Religion and Worship

The vast majority of Fae worship the Elven Gods, though significant numbers of them also worship the Living Gods, particularly Malek and Azunath. Considering the Fae were shepherded by Veratelle and effectively owe their existence to her, they continue to worship her somewhat mournfully despite her death hundreds of years ago. Veratelle is almost seen as a monotheistic deity among the Fae, and while they regard the other Elven Gods as deities worthy of worship, it is Veratelle that they pray to and many of their processions begin and end in wishing the dead Elven God health, or more accurately, a return to life.

Reproduction

As Fae biology is vastly different to that of the other races, so too is their reproduction. To put it simply, the Fae'Norai do not necessarily have a fixed sex. However, they do have gender roles, though they tend to be somewhat less rigid than with other races. There is certainly a conception of 'male Fae' and 'female Fae', and the shape a Fae is born in (as they tend to be born into either shape) will almost certainly determine how they live. It will also, most likely, determine their genitals and reproductive structure. However, like with a Carapace, these things can change over time, and some may actually transition closer towards the middle of these two gendered representations. These Fae are described with the term 'Kaelahn,' which is a word in Eldhan that describes dualism, balance and mutuality.

It is well known that the Fae have the ability to sculpt their bodies, externally and internally to some extent. While they may be born with a masculine or feminine shape and the genital structure to match, Fae are capable of changing both of these aspects. Like most plants, the Fae are sexually hermaphroditic and are capable of transitioning between their reproductive organs by means of morphing their bodies, which can be done at-will over a period of days.

As such, all Fae can effectively reproduce with all Fae, so long as they are within their age of fertility. Typically, Fae are fertile from early adulthood until around a hundred years of age, at which point they will often lose their ability to reproduce. When a Fae reproduces with another Fae, the one carrying the seed will - after a period of two to three weeks - physically produce what is effectively a fruit from their body, before planting it into healthy soil that will foster the upcoming young.

After three months of time, the fruit will grow from the soil and the child will be ready to be released from their botanical womb once it is clear that the fruit is obviously ripe. These young Fae are called saplings until adulthood.

When reproducing with other sentient races, it is a similar process if the Fae is the one carrying the child, or reproducing with a male of another race. However, a Fae has a choice as to whether they wish to produce a child of the father's race or of their own. If they choose to produce a child of another race, rather than a simple fruit the Fae constructs a womb with their Carapace that is capable of providing the child with more human-like biological structure. The Carapace utilizes the genetic material of the father to build the non-Fae biology, though they still plant the Carapace-womb into the soil and the remainder of the process follows similarly.

With women of other races, the process does not differ from regular reproduction. From this point, it is a fifty-fifty chance as to whether or not the child will be Fae or human. If the child is a Fae, it will be surrounded by a weave of plant-like growth from within the womb, forging conditions necessary to foster the child's development despite its irregular environment.

Children of Fae and other races will often be called 'seedlings', regardless of which race they develop as. To state it clearly, there are no half-Fae. They end up being either one race, or the other.

Aging

For the most part, Fae age similarly to other humanoid races. The only two significant differences come from their lifespan and their plant-like biology. Like most humanoid races, the Fae reach adulthood at eighteen years of age. From this point they will generally hold the same appearance until around eighty years of age, where they will begin to show physical aging in the form of color deterioration. Their vibrant, healthy green skin will begin to tint with either a pale white tint or a subtle yellowish brown, as if they are slowly spoiling.

This begins very subtly in the beginning, though by a hundred fifty years of age they will change from generally light green to a nearly deathly white shade or a withered, unhealthy looking brown. By this point they tend to truly look somewhat spoiled. In addition, they will begin to grow more blade-like leaves across their face and body, giving them a more eminent but aged appearance.

The Carapace does appear to be a useful tool for concealing age, as it does not display these color variations. However, the skin of the Carapace crafted by an elderly Fae will still look somewhat withered and less healthy versus one crafted by a young Fae, so obvious tells remain.

Death

At around a hundred eighty years into the life of a Fae, many of them begin to feel death nearing, as if it is some distant malignant entity that seeks to devour them. Many even describe it in a way similar to this; as a hungry, looming specter, a dangerous force that seeks after them. This strange, supernatural premonition of death has been innate to the Fae since their conception, and it is part of why they tend towards extreme religiosity. As many of their origins remain mysterious, they do not truly know what this feeling or force could be, and they fear it greatly. Long before the feeling even comes.

Some of the Fae, the elder and more devout, root themselves into the soil and begin to grow a plant-like body around themselves as they die. While they decompose, their nutrients are used to foster new life, a tree or bush tending to grow around them. These plants are treated as the gravesites of the Fae who died, and also as monuments to their lives. Often, Fae commit themselves to this fate not only because of the beauty of creating new life around their form, but also because they consider the plants that grow around them a ward against the darkly forces that linger around their mind. Many times, these Fae are considered to be spiritual confidants of Veratelle's, and are called 'dryads' by some. Their graveyards are seen as sacred forests, with their forms small relics of divinity.

Though in actuality, these Fae are often simply elders with little more to do with their time. They will gather in these rooted formations with other elderly Fae, often those that have grown up with them and who they have known for a long time, and they will chatter and tell old stories as elders often do. They gossip and whisper and laugh deep into the night, often teasing younger Fae who come to visit them. When one dies, the other rooted Fae around them silently mourn, but also wish them well and remark on the beauty of the plant that grew around them as they died.

Of course, not all Fae go into death this way. Many like to remain active and mobile in their final years, as much as their withering forms can. They tend to take up gardens in their last years alive, and many of them often plant these gardens around their rooted peers, turning graveyards into massive botanical constructs filled with unique flowers and vines that span across the forms of their dead peers. All Fae begin to shrivel as they die, and near death their features sometimes appear almost unrecognizable. Whatever the case, they tend to prefer to be surrounded by family and friends in their final days, perhaps out of fear of what comes after. Considering the death of Veratelle, many believe they are going to meet her in death. Though of course, even to them, this is unknown.

Language

Like the Hyr'norai, the Fae'Norai tend to speak Kyriac. However, their primary language of course varies based on where they live, and they do not have their 'own' language. Fae Nobility is known for speaking Eldhan, but this is rare and even many of the Nobles are not truly fluent in Eldhan, instead using it for certain proclamations or religious ceremonies.

Fae names are often Elven-like, but they also often borrow from other races and cultures. Fae surnames do have their own caste-depicting titles, like with Elves. The surnames of the Nobility often begin with Cor', such as Cor'Aleirin, with Aleirin being the surname of the Fae royals. Commoners do not have a precursor name like Cor, unlike with the Elven races.

With Fae naming conventions often rather lax, they tend to name their children whatever they wish for them to be named; this can be a sound or series of sounds that they like, or even a name from another culture that they find beautiful. Lieralywyn Viserai is not incredibly more likely than Vincent Flowers. Of course, most do tend towards Elven names, but it is not greatly unusual to find a deviation from this.