Omniverse One

The denizens of Faerie are not a single race, but rather four distinct species, each as alien to one another as they all are to humans, dragons, vampires, or any other sentient race. Compunding this is the fact that all four races are somehow capable of breeding with humans, yet not with one another - stranger still, these so-called Changelings are not sterile, as are almost all other hybrids on Faerie and Terra Firma alike. Changelings are occasionally referred to as the "fifth race" of Faerie, but they have no real cultural or even physical likeness to one another, and are typically treated very poorly in Faerie, with the exception of the Dual Republics, and many face prejudice and even racial hatred on Terra Firma.

Each race of Faerie has a distinct evolutionary past, and it is not likely that the races were ever closely related in the last thirty thousand years ago (relative to Terran time, as Faerie is both much older than Terra Firma, and time passes much faster there). Many scientists and magicians, fae and human alike, have searched for a faeropological "missing link" for nearly a century, but as yet no remains of such a species have been uncovered.

Sidhe (Pronounced "Shee," "Shee-ah," or "Shee-ae")

Perhaps the most humanoid of the Faerie races, the Sidhe are certainly the most beautiful (at least to human eyes). They stand on average almost two meters tall, with skin that can run from icy blue to forest green to nut brown, long, flowing hair, and graceful limbs. Contrary to popular belief, the Sidhe do not actually have wings - such things are ornaments, often made of the most precious materials, which have been in fashion with the Sidhe for most than five centuries. Older Sidhe seem to glow from the inside, particularly noticeable in the eyes and at thinner areas of skin, such as the fingertips and parts of the face. Despite their usually thin appearance, many Sidhe are quite muscular, particularly those who have taken up a life of military service.

Within the realms of Summer, Winter, and Spring, the Sidhe are often considered as nobility, and have been for millions of years. This might have been the result of a faster evolution by the Sidhe, racing ahead of the other races and, rather than annihilating them as Neanderthal man annihilated Cro-Magnon man, they might have attempted to direct their evolution to their own benefit, through both magic and simple sociology. This would explain why many fae, though less in the modern enlightened age, still consider the Sidhe to be minor deities, a belief that many aristocratic fae have no problems propogating.

The Sidhe were the first to develop the High Magic of Faerie, and in the Kingdom of Springtime they still maintain a monopoly on its use. However, they are not particularly any better at magic than any of the other races, and many suspect that the Sluagh will, or perhaps have already, surpassed them as the predominant magician race of Faerie.

However, there is a predicament which has been facing the Sidhe for several centuries, one of a rapidly declining population. As of 1990, there were less than 500,000 Sidhe left in the entire Aurasphere. This might be the cause for why the Sidhe have been seeking out dalliances with humans which then produce Sidhe Changelings, who can then mate with full-blooded Sidhe. This plan hasn't been terribly successful, however, and many Sidhe Changelings have begun taking over the traditional role of the full-blooded fae in political and social standing.

There are three major ethnic groups of Sidhe, these being the Selkies, Brownies, and Pixies. Selkies are most in coastal regions, their skin typically of an pale earthy color, their hair and other chitin and cartiladge taking on blue or green. Selkies have slightly webbed hands and feet, making them excellent swimmers. It is believed that the Selkies invented the shapeshifting elements of High Magic, allowing them to take on the forms of sea-dwelling creatures. They are occasionally known as merefae, though this is not an accurate term, as unlike merefolk of Terra Firma, they do not actually breathe water, nor do they require it to regulate their body temperature. Brownies are the most common Sidhe found in urban environments, and they were probably the first Sidhe to create cities and farms. They tend to appear slightly less flamboyant than other Sidhe, with subdued, warm skin and hair tones, but they also begin to "glow" earlier in life. They are noticeably the most populous Sidhe ethnic group in the Autumnal Expanse. Pixies are the most common overall ethnic group, though it has been noted by faeropologists that almost all Pixies have noticeable traces of other ethnic groups, suggesting that they remained a nomadic people longer than the Selkies and Brownies, picking up genetic diversity by mating with these other groups. Their skin tones range from gold to yellow-green, their hair is typically blonde or red, and they tend to be somewhat shorter than most other Sidhe.

Sluagh (pronounced "Sloo-ah," or "Shloo-ah")

The so-called Dark Fae are in some ways the most notorious of the fae races, with their gaunt, emaciated-looking bodies, dark and pale body coloration, pitch-black hair, sharp teeth and claws, and bat-like wings, they certainly appear to be nocturnal predators, a cross between a panther and a spider. Sluagh rarely show any coloration on their bodies, except in some cases for bright red or yellow markings along the spinal column or across the lips or eyelids, a kind of natural warning that proto-Sluagh probably used to fend off predators. Their eyes reflect light much like felines, allowing them excellent night vision, and their wings are large enough that they can glide for short periods on them, though they cannot attain true flight. All of these animalistic traits certainly lend credit to human myths that the Sluagh are inherently demonic, or the fae equivalent of vampires, or deceptive creatures capable of twisting the minds of others to their will.

However, the Sluagh are considered in fae society to be some of the most neutral and moderate of all the races. While they do subsist off an entirely carnivorous diet, they are not a terribly aggressive people, at least no more than any other civilized race of the local Aurasphere. In fae society they have taken on the position of the middlemen, standing between the Sidhe and Goblins, as likely to be farm-toiling peasants or key ministers of power (except, of course, in the Kingdom of Springtime). They have been known to excel as statesmen, soldiers, artists, diplomats, and philosophers, and are often considered by faerologists to be just as, if not more influental, to modern fae society as the aristocratic sidhe.

Fitting to their median nature, Sluagh do not, as a whole, excel at either High or Low Magic particularly, with most magicians preferring a mix of the two. They are also the most likely of fae to branch out and experiment with magical school developed on Terra Firma or other regions of the local Aurasphere.

Since the 1960s, the number of Sluagh imigrating to Terra Firma has risen sharply - it is now believed that there are more than seven million full-blooded Sluagh and perhaps as many as 30,000 Sluagh Changelings living among humans, most as citizens of human nations. Many of these planar expatriates come from the Tsarate of Winter and the Kingdom of Springtime, both likely seeking emancipation from the oligarchal societies of those two realms. It is not uncommon at all to see a Sluagh walking the streets of Russia or western Europe, though they are still relatively rare in most other parts of Terra Firma.

There are five major ethnic groups of Sluagh, the Wisps, Glints, Pucks, Zips, and Drips. Wisps tend to be even thinner and lankier than most other Sluagh, and their skin and the membranes of their wings have a translucent, almost ghostly appearance. Their eyes appear somewhat sunken in, and the bright warning patterns are much paler, and usually dark brown rather than red or yellow. They are most populous in central and western Asia analogue. Glints, on the other hand, are perhaps the brightest in coloration of the Sluagh, with a slight bluish or silver look to their skin, rather than straight white. They have the most pronounced teeth of any Sluagh ethnic group, which makes their speech sound somewhat slurred. They are the dominant ethnic group in the lands of the Sultunate of Summer. Pucks are shorter and somewhat more muscular than other Sluagh, and they also have the smallest wings, many of them incapable of even gliding on them. However, they are typically more athletically inclined than other Sluagh, partially out of a cultural expectation. They are native to Australia and Oceania, though they have spread north to mainland Asia and Japan in recent centuries as well. Zips have the smallest population of the major ethnic groups, but are also considered some of the most beautiful of the Sluagh. They are the only ethnic group with color in their hair, manifesting as a raven-feather-like sheen of blue, violet and green against the normal black of their hair. They are native to sub-Saharan Africa, and are rarely seen elsewhere in Faerie or Terra Firma. Drips are known for having the largest wings of all Sluagh, as well as for having bright markings on their wings. They are the most widespread of the Sluagh people, with ancient settlements having been found in as distant places as Japan, Scandinavia, and Madagascar, though they are believed to have originated in North or Central America.

Goblins (Sometimes pronounced "Gob-uh-leenz")

A first glance at a Goblin might cause a human to mistake them for a very small species of Terran troll, what with their large noses, patchy fur, and muscular body. However, Goblins are just as intelligent as any faerie (or human, for that matter), and evolved on an entirely different world. Goblins rarely stand more than a meter tall, and often have pronounced ears, foreheads, and, as stated, noses. They are a widely ethnically diverse race, and are by far the most populous of all the races of Faerie - there are more than 8 billion goblins living there, not counting the tens of thousands living on Terra Firma.

Goblins have long been the bullied children of Faerie society, despite their wicked intelligence and large numbers. For millennia, the Goblins were held under the rule of the Sidhe and, long ago and to a lesser extent, the Firbulg, forced into the role of peasants and serfs as the feudal system took hold in Faerie. While only in Winter and Springtime are they still considered to be second-class citizens, it is still common to find racial animosity between Goblins and Sidhe in the so-called "free realms" of Summer, Autumn, and Solstice/Equinox.

The Goblins invented Low Magic as a direct rebellion against the monopoly of magic created by the Sidhe. As a point of cultural pride, almost every Goblin is proficient in some sub-school of Low Magic, even within Winter and Springtime. They may not be especially powerful magic users, but their wide range of skills mean that a group of Goblin magicians is just as adept and powerful as a single Sidhe or Sluagh wizard.

There is a strong social and political movement that calls for Goblins all over Faerie to rise up and free their brethren in Winter and Springtime, but no one can really tell how likely such an uprising is, or how successful it would be. Goblins have been widely acclaimed as inventors and soldiers alike (it was a Goblin who first successfully refined steinkristal), though many stereotypes also make them seem disproportionately likely to be criminals and rebels. Their vitriolic nature does nothing to help this.

The ethnic groups of the Goblin race number seven in total, the Hobgoblins, Rockgoblins, Hedgegoblins, Eexu, Taoti, Akvan, and Redcaps, and are divided into three groups - the Pedigreed, the Free, and the Redcaps, which are alone in their group.

The Pedigreed contain the Hobgoblins, Rockgoblins, and Hedgegoblins, each race of which was bred by the Sidhe for a specific purpose and role. Pedigreed Goblins are mostly native to Europe, North America, and Russia. Hobgoblins are brown-skinned, light-sensitive Goblins who prefer to live indoors or underground, and who have particularly nimble bodies. They were bred to be housekeepers, errand-runners, and caretakers. Rockgoblins are the most muscular and tallest of all Goblins, some reaching normal human height and weight, with dull gray or white skin. They were bred as miners, soldiers, and rugged colonists. Hedgegoblins have pale green skin with flecks of brown and white, and are the only Goblins with prominent cranial hair, which is usually white or red. They were bred as gardeners, hunters, and builders.

The Free are the ethnic groups which evolved without influence from the Sidhe or Firbulg, and include the Eexu, Taoti, and Akvan. The Eexu are black-skinned natives of the Caribbean islands and the tropical areas of eastern North America and northern South America, though they have begun expanding deeper into the mainland. The Taoti are the dominant Goblin group from Khazakstan to China, with skin ranging from pale copper to goldish-yellow, and are relatively hairless for Goblins. The Akvan of the Middle East are dark brown-skinned, and are known for being the leaders of the "Free Fae" movement in the Sultanate of Summer.

The Redcaps are an oddity among the Goblins. Bred by the Firbulg almost purely as soldiers and colonists, this entire ethnic group was transplanted from Faerie to Terra Firma when the Firbulg conducted their invasion of Terran Ireland. When the reign of Firbulg came to an end with the arrival of the Tuatha de Denaan, the Redcaps were almost wiped out as a race, but some managed to escape to the other British Isles and, later, mainland Europe. Today, there are less than a hundred Redcaps living in Faerie, and the Redcaps are the most populous Goblin group on Terra Firma, though they rarely travel outside western Europe, and almost none live in Ireland any longer.

You might want to correct your sentence where you mention their population, because you call them trolls. That's not really appropriate for the noble goblins brothers!

You're absolutely right! Thanks for catching that.

Sídhe is only pronounced as 'shee', as a nitpicky-note from someone who's studied a bit on the Celtic languages, and particularly in areas of the mythology.