Fey

Physical Traits
Fey are sapient supernatural creatures most closely described as dual-natured spirits, though they are not quite spirits. Many fey are immortal, but many can be permanently slain by physical violence.

They frequently resemble mammals.

Most fey need to breathe, eat and sleep. Many do not.

Most fey have a negative reaction to cold iron, though their reactions differ by subspecies of fey and by individuals. Some seem to experience mild discomfort akin to hearing an annoying noise. Others die from a minor scratch from the substance.

Many fey have negative reaction to certain kinds of wood or herbs.

Fey typically take on characteristics from the part of the physical world they dwell in. The rare fey that dwell in cities will appear comfortable and natural in the city, with perhaps some elements of brick or cut glass in their attire. Aquatic fey will take on characteristics of sealife or water, mountain fey are frequently stony or excessively tall.

The only consistent rule with fey is high variability, and that variability and uniqueness usually increases as they individual fey increases in age and power.

Subspecies
Though fey are highly variable, there many groups of fey with similar enough traits to call them subspecies.
 * Brownies
 * Dryads
 * Gremlins
 * Grigs
 * Huldra
 * Kelpies
 * Korreds
 * Leprechauns
 * Nereid
 * Nixie
 * Norns
 * Nymphs
 * Pechs
 * Pooka
 * Quicklings
 * Redcaps
 * Rusalki
 * Satyr
 * Sidhe
 * Spriggans
 * Sprites

History
The fey maintain that the first of their kind awoke when the world was created. No native species disputes this claim, and extraplanar entities such as are tight lipped about the subject.

Culture
Fey culture is a celebration of paradox. They prize individualism and personal initiative, but maintain rigid hierarchies and caste systems.

Courts of the Fey
Seelie

Mistakenly thought of as "the good faeries" by many mortals

Unseelie

Fairly accurately thought of as "the cruel faeries" by many mortals

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

War
Though the mortal stereotype of fey is that of a lithe and mischievous trickster, the fey had mastered the arts of war long before the mortal races first drew breath.

Most fey have battle experience, and older fey are likely to be veterans of hundreds of battles. Most fey courts and culture base an individuals honor and esteem at least partially on their past performance in battle.

Unseelie Court

 * 17000 lesser fey. In game terms, these are fey creatures of Force 3 or less.
 * Several dozen of them can pile on a large enemy (such as an elf knight) and rip it to shreds. Sending them at the dragon would be akin to lobbing thousands of rolls of dental floss at a modern tank: The enemy would be briefly confused, then curious, and then just go back to what it was doing with a slightly higher level of annoyance. Kinds are Mites, Alpluachra, Gathlain, Chaneques, Gremlins, Forlarren and Pechs.
 * 400 medium strength fey. In game terms, these are fey creatures of Force 4-5.
 * They tend to be smarter than their more flimsy cousins in addition to being more competent in battle. Kinds are: Quicklings, Twigjacks, Huldra, Korred, and Lampads.
 * 80 strong fey of force 6-7.
 * Kinds are: Redcaps, Satyrs, Nymphs and Sidhe and Spriggans.
 * 10 powerful fey of force 8 or more.
 * These are mostly unique creatures, though some, like Lamorak are just very powerful Sidhe.

Seelie Court

 * 11000 lesser fey for Force 3 or less.
 * Kinds are: Sprites, Brownies, Fauns, Grigs and Pechs.
 * 800 medium strength fey of Force 4-5.
 * Kinds are: Leprechauns, Dryads, Huldra, and Pixies. So goddamn many pixies.
 * 120 strong fey of force 6-7.
 * These are Swanmays, Satyrs, Nymphs and Sidhe.
 * 8 powerful fey of force 8 or more.
 * These are mostly unique creatures, though some, like Sorcha are just very powerful Sidhe.