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Fair Folk
From Exalted Wiki
A term used to describe the beings who dwell beyond the elemental poles in the Wyld. The unshaped Fair Folk who remain beyond the edges of Creation are hostile to all things of constant shape and form; they are Creatures of Darkness. A great number of Fair Folk, however, have entered the world and taken on shape; they are no longer Creatures of Darkness by default. The vast majority of these beings are inimical to the beings of Creation—hunting down humans and feeding on their hopes and dreams—but a few do live among men as either lords or simple citizens. During the Great Contagion, the Host of Faerie rode out in a great crusade to bring an end to the blasphemy of shaped existence. It might well have even won had the Scarlet Empress not succeeded in bringing the Realm's magical defenses to bear against them.
Fair Folk nature is heavily influenced by the four Virtues and four corresponding Graces: the Cup (Compassion), the Ring (Temperance), the Staff (Conviction), and the Sword (Valor). A fifth Grace, Heart, is associated with Willpower; but it tends to play a somewhat more subdued - yet fundamentally more important - role in a Fair Folk's life. Other Graces may exist, and can be harnessed by skilled Fair Folk.
This four-fold division is also found in their choice of philosophies, hearkening back to the leaders of the Balorian Crusade: the Church of Balor fight for the annihilation of Creation (Valor); the Glittering Train feast on the dreams of the Creation-born (Compassion); the Duchy of Mirrors are those Raksha who have moderated their excesses and become attached to Creation, and who now find themselves seeking its preservation (Temperance); and the Hungry Wolves are utterly dedicated to their own passions above all else (Conviction).
They call themselves the Raksha and their name for the Wyld is Rakshastan. They are a fractious lot, and are quite divided. Nonetheless, they often gather under the banners of their five Great Courts, currently the Jet Court in the Northern Wyld (Temperance), the Lapis Court in the Southern Wyld (Compassion), the Pearl Court in the Western Wyld (Willpower), the Opal Court in the Eastern Wyld (Valor), and the Ruby Court in the Southeastern Wyld (Conviction).
Castes
Fair Folk come in two classes: the ruling Nobles, and the subservient Commoners.
Common Fair Folk have four Castes, based on which Virtue they feed on:
- Diplomat (feeds on Conviction)
- Entertainer (feeds on Compassion)
- Warrior (feeds on Valor)
- Worker (feeds on Temperance)
Noble Fair Folk extrapolate more nuanced Castes from these, claiming two Castes (one Ascendant, one Shadowed):
- Diplomat Ascendant:
- Imperial Raksha (Shadowed Warrior)
- Scribe (Shadowed Worker)
- Courtier (Shadowed Entertainer)
- Entertainer Ascendant:
- Luminary (Shadowed Diplomat)
- Eshu (Shadowed Warrior)
- Ornamental Raksha (Shadowed Worker)
- Warrior Ascendant:
- Cataphract (Shadowed Worker)
- Xia (Shadowed Entertainer)
- Anarch (Shadowed Diplomat)
- Worker Ascendant:
- Artisan (Shadowed Entertainer)
- Panjandrum (Shadowed Diplomat)
- Strategos (Shadowed Warrior)
Nobles sometimes reverse the emphasis of their twin Castes; the conditions under which they do so depend on the Shadowed Caste.
Magics
Fair Folk use three major types of magic; these three are natural to all of the raksha, but some of them can be harnessed by other types of beings.
The most basic technique used by the Fair Folk is known as Shaping. Through this method, the raksha control the shape and stories of the Wyld, forging whatever tales entertain them. When two raksha come into conflict, it is typically resolved through Shaping combat. Shaping can be learned by other beings whose Graces are created by the raksha.
The Fair Folk can also marshall many Charms. These Charms function much like the Charms of any other being of Creation, except that many of them have different effects when used in the Wyld than when used against the Creation-Born.
Finally, the Fair Folk have access to Grace Magic. These powerful techniques forge 'artifacts' from the Graces of the Fair Folk, whose natures are dependent on the Grace being forged.
