Fairy
Table of contents
A beacon of hope and optimism,
for lost souls in dire straits.
Overview
Average Height: Varies by age
Average Weight: Varies by age
Life span: Unknown (potentially infinite)
(Mature in 5-10 years;
Hylian-sized in 100-200 years;
Great Fairy in 300-500 years)
Skin colors: Alabaster to Umber
Eye colors: Any
Hair colors: Any
Vulnerability: Dark
Bonuses:
- You can fly and glide under your own power, and are a Natural Flyer. However, walking is strange to you; you are not a Natural Walker.
- You glow with light. You may control the size of this light, from a Burst (Fortitude) down to a Burst 0 (illuminating only yourself and nothing around you). You may also control its Brightness (between Fair, Dim, or shut it off entirely). Changing your glow’s size or brightness is a Minor Action.
- You may speak with, and understand, Natural creatures of Limited intelligence (like cats, dogs, and horses). This does not mean they automatically want to speak with you, or that they will tell you the truth.
- You gain one of the following Spells for free: Bubble’s Touch, Fairy’s Light, Rauru’s Shield, or Vanish.
Play a Fairy if you want…
- …To be a tiny thorn in a foe’s side.
- …To be magical and mysterious.
- …To be a stranger to civilization, and at home in the wilderness.
- …To bring ironic retribution to those who harm the helpless.
Description
Adventurers from all sorts of places tell tales of Fairies – small beings, the size of a person’s hand or forearm, able to heal wounds with a flick of a wand. Others tell of even more powerful Great Fairies, giants who grant powerful boons to those who fulfill their quests. Between those, however, are another kind of Fairy: the Fairy Hero.
Fairies (of all sizes) have gossamer, insectesque wings on their back. They appear much like Hylians at a glance, but their hair and eyes might be any color one can dream of; on closer inspection, one might find that Fairies have lighter, more lithe builds than most Hylians do. Their most distinguishing feature is their glow: Fairies glow with natural magic, and while they can dampen this glow with a little mental effort, they can just as easily forget and let it slip out.
Fairies live in the hidden places of the world, where good magic seems to coalesce: at natural, crystal-clear springs; in sparkling grottos; or in consecrated, holy places. They do not build houses or towns, preferring to indulge in exploring the natural world: playing under bushes and darting through the trees, dancing on flowers and getting into trouble with local wildlife.
Fairies begin life quite small, just the size of a person’s thumb, but grow steadily through the course of decades. After a century or three, they reach the size of other Humanoid races, leaving their hidden homes to seek out adventure, or to complete a quest given them by a powerful patron, like a Great Fairy or Deku Tree.
After another few centuries (if a Fairy survives that long), they will have reached the size of a small house, becoming a Great Fairy; they then seek out a hidden place of their own to claim and bless, making it a home for all Fairies. Some scholars theorize that Great Fairies eventually transform into a horde of pint-sized Fairies, though no one has ever seen such an event occur naturally.
Playing a Fairy
Fairies are typically conscientious, caring, and eager to help a kind soul in need. They feel a kinship to the natural world, and while Fairy Heroes might find company in cities or towns, they will feel most at home in the untouched wild.
Most Fairies believe strongly in retribution and karma: good begets good, evil begets evil, and they will often be glad to step in and participate in the consequences of someone else’s actions. They might do so in a mischievous way, inflicting ironic punishments on ne’er-do-wells, rather than harsh retribution or bloody vengeance.
Thanks to their ability to speak with animals, many Fairies see them as equals. They might find that a household pet is more interesting to talk to than anyone else in the room, or they might be concerned (or even furious!) at how a farm-mule is treated, asking the donkey its opinions.
Fairies are classically seen as healers of the sick and battle-weary, and healing-minded Fairy Heroes are no exception. Their ability to fly, and their natural spellcasting abilities, make them valuable as nimble mages, delivering spells (helpful or harmful) where they are needed most.
Characteristics: Caring, Emotional, Magical, Playful, Puckish, Vindictive
Fairy Names tend to be short (2-3 syllables) forms of verbs or objects.
Female Names: Ciela, Felicia, Miff, Neri, Proxi, Ribbon, Spryte, Tatl
Male Names: Hearth, Leaf, Tael, Venture
Fairies and Size
Fairy Heroes may either be “person-sized”, or the typical “fairy size”. This should be a decision made in concert with the GM.
Person-sized Fairies are larger than the small Fairies one might find at a Fairy Spring, but much smaller than the Great Fairies that might lord over those same places. They tend to be between the size of a child and an adult Hylian. Because they are sized properly to wield weapons, wear armor, and use items, they cannot magically shrink items to ‘typical fairy’ size.
If a Fairy Hero would be ‘fairy-sized’, then they are about 1-2 hands high – the size of a typical healing Fairy found at a Fairy Spring, or perhaps a little bit bigger. They can still pick up and use items and equipment, magically shrinking any itemsthey pick up. If they drop or lose possession of a shrunken object, it returns to its normal size. (Items cannot be dropped if they would expand to larger than the area the Fairy currently occupies).