Meet Tinker Bell’s naughtier cousins—the fairies flitting about in the woodlands near Lita’s castle.
Today, Lita talks about the worldly fairies that go with Kadmeion on his wizard-for-hire adventures. These wee magicians fly in, lavish their wizard with effervescent pixie dust, and give him spicy relationship advice. Despite the frivolity, these pretty spell casters harbor a deep magical sorrow.
This post is the first of two with tips for Gentle Reader on how to care for a fey-folk fairy. Today we focus on practical matters. Next time, we will talk about a fairy’s magical concerns.
Let’s Straighten This Out
First of all, why are they called fey-folk, instead of fay, faie, fee, or fae? The wizard’s Bestiarum Vocabulum describes fairy magic as flighty, fanciful, fragile, fantastical, fickle, and foolish. To reduce the tongue twisting, Lita calls them fey.
Beautiful Ones
Fey-folk fairies are classic lovelies. They stand no taller than a hand length when measured from wrist to the longest fingertip. They weigh little more than a happy thought.
Fairies have elongated pointed ears similar to elf-kind, curvy attractive bodies, and beautiful faces. The boy-fey are just as comely as the girl-fey.
They use their multi-lobed gorgeous wings to soar like hawks on updrafts or hover like hummingbirds kissing flowers for nectar. Wizards, elf mages, and certain sorceresses hear the tinkling of tiny bells in a fairy’s thrumming flight. The jingling is a sure sign that all is well with the fairy’s magic.
Habitat
Fairies take their coloring from where they live. There are four types of fey-folk:
- Highland fairies have wings the color of sunshine, and sound like the whisper of shushing snow during flight.
- When water fey-folk flutter their turquoise wings, they sound like murmuring rills.
- Woodland fairies gather in emerald or jade fairy clans, and their nighttime play is often mistaken for fireflies.
- Fire fairies love volcanos, have flame-colored wings, and leap about as if they were sizzling lava sparks.
The tiny fairy magicians build their communal homes from materials rich in latent magic. Predators that hunger for an easy magical snack are a constant danger to fairies. To protect themselves, fey-folk often befriend elf mages and live in their sheltered gardens.
Next time, Lita covers the peculiarities of fairy enchantments.
