In recent times, the land of Faerie has suffered much turmoil. The Courts of the Seelie and Unseelie fell, Atlantis rose from the oceans drowning the mainland under a deluge of sea and rain. Torn by endless wars as its people squabbled amongst themselves, consequently Faerie's history is long and bloody.
The Ard-Ri
Following the union of the Shards into a single world, the Faerie people have done what they can to resolve their differences or at least put in place a structure which leaves room for talk and negotiation rather than immediate open and bloody warfare. This process was started in the years preceeding the forging of the new world by a sidhe named Finnlay, who approached the Forest Sidhe and the Water Sidhe offering to be their voice on Faerie as they had none and so those who wished it might return.
Those Fomorii who were not followers of Domnu heard of this meeting and turned up in order to offer their support. Each of these three races gave Finnlay a task to complete to prove his worth and promised him a year and a day to act as their voice and to prove himself. Finnlay succeeded in these tasks and after a year and a day, the three races agreed to give him full backing as the Ard-Ri of Faerie.
Thus, the Court of Faerie was formed and the long exiled races of the Forest and Water Sidhe returned to Faerie. Under Finnlay's rule there has been peace since the time of the Joining of the Shards.
The Unicorns
King Finnlay's clan is known as the Silver Unicorns and uses the symbol of the Unicorn as it's totem. What became of Finnlay's original clan and where he came from is lost to the annals of history, but it is known that since Finnlay emerged from the forests of Frontier, he has gained many friends and those who are closest to him have been adopted as part of his clan. Therefore, all members of the Silver Unicorns are close associates of King Finnlay, a relationship that must be established in game through roleplay.
In recent years it has emerged that the Silver Unicorns have an ancient enemy, known only as the Dark Unicorns. The Dark Unicorns live in the dark places on Faerie and keep to the shadows, only emerging to strike at their enemies. Trickery and subtefuge are their main weapons; their mages specialising in the dark arts to cast shadows over the minds of others. What their aims are, other than to destroy the Silver Unicorns, no one knows as they've resisted all attempts at diplomacy, so for now remain the sworn enemy of King Finnlay and his people. Player characters may not start play as Dark Unicorns.
The Sidhe
Forest Sidhe prefer to dwell in the wild places, where they may commune with nature; the animals, plants, insects and birds which dwell there. They make good trackers, are well versed in herbal and plant lore and are skilled with the bow and spear. They are hunters and consider the forest to be their home, frequently leading a nomadic existance and living in family groupings, called clans. As befits a people adapted to living in the forest, these Sidhes' skin is normally pale with possibly a hint of green. They dress simply, preferring to wear leather armour, camouflaged in browns and greens so they might move through their home lands without notice.
The Water Sidhe are suited to a life on the waves. They have adapted their hearing and eyesight so they can see beneath the waters, are strong swimmers and frequent the company of marine mammals. They make excellent sailors being immune to the poisonous salt which may keep other fae folk from the seas. Water Sidhe are governed by their own King and Queen, and generally prefer to keep their own company, building huge floating fortresses (or atolls) as their homes. Water Sidhe have pale skin with possibly a hint of blue, a colour they favour in their choice of garments, mixing various shades together with hues of green in layered but lightweight clothes which will not hinder their movements if they take to the water.
The Courts
The Age of the Young, began less than seven thousand years ago with the Fae as most would recognise them coming together to form The Courts of the Seelie and Unseelie. Now as the surviving Elders amongst the Faerie population could explain, seven thousand years is but the blinking of an eye in the history of Faerie and all things change. So it was that the Courts as they were fell and were replaced by a united Courts of Night and Day, controlled by two Queens, one who rules from dawn until dusk and another who precides over her subjects from dusk until dawn. The Courts are preoccupied with The Dance, an intricate set of rules and ettiquete governed by way of a Hive mind, with all Fae who form part of the Courts linked to it and under the thrall of their Queens. The majority of Faeries that you will meet on the Shards are part of the Courts and when others talk of the Fae, it is these people to whom they usually refer.
When thinking about playing the Fae, you should remember that these are the fantasy elves. For preference they like to dress in bright colours, with the nobility choosing light, airy fabrics. Women wear long gowns and skirts, decorated with beads and leaves or anything pretty and sparkly. Hair may be similarly dressed. Men favour tunics, shirts and waistcoats and a dashing cloak. Of course, practicality may act to curtail the Fae's natural tendency for high fashion, with more practical clothing being worn as required. Characterised by pointy ears - unless they choose to disguise them - the Fae love anything shiney. Weapons are typified by bows, broadswords and shields. Fae never use black power weapons and some of them are very much opposed to them being brought onto Faerie.
Photos below left to right: Knight, Archer
And below: Faerie Ladies
Photos below left to right: Hunter and Huntress, Spell caster, Fae Noble
The Fomorii
Originally the outcasts and those who had fallen from favour with the Courts, the Fomorii banded together for their own protection against their common enemy. Finding support from the Goddess Domnu, many followed her lead and were long the sworn enemy and scourge of Faerie. That all changed following the union of the Shards, as faced with the loss of Domnu, the remaining Fomor listened to the words of King Finnlay and began working towards a more peaceable life. The Fomorii are now led by their queen, Madb - once reputed to be the most beautiful enchantress in her time - and are enamoured with technology, pushing Faerie to the forefront of progress, mixing magic with science.
Fomorii can be identified by their markings, a broad black stripe painted across their eyes, they normally dress in drab washed out colours and spend little time on their appearance. Garments are often unfinished and cobbled together from whatever they have been able to lay their hands on. In a fight they will happily use whatever weapons they can lay their hands on, from satchel charges to swords... They have no issues with black power weapons and specialise in coming up with innovative designs for such.
Photos below left to right: Archer, Sapper, Engineer
The Dwarves
The Iron Delve Mountains have long been the home range of the Dwarves of Faerie. A quiet and frequently overlooked people, the Iron Delve dwarves prefer a life of seclusion and many spend the majority of their lives beneath ground in the halls, tunnels and mines that honeycomb this mountain range. Following the floods and downpour that became known as The Deluge, the Dwarves were persuaded to open their halls to refugees from the lands now under water and now enjoy a close working relationship with the Courts, under the guidance of King Finnlay. The Dwarves are known to have a King but are a private people so details about how they are organised are scant. In appearance, the Dwarves of the Iron Delves are stout and stocky, short by human standards but very broad and strong.
The McUens
Another group often associated with the Courts, but in truth independent are the Clan McUen. The McUen are a mostly human group governed by their Laird, a non-hereditary position allocated to the McUen warrior who doesn't duck responsibility quickly enough and is therefore deemed to 'be in charge'. This warlike clan, reminiscent of the Celtic peoples of Earth, prefer to spend as much time as they can having fun which normally involves partying, heavy drinking and fighting. McUens are not known for their deep thinking, but when they are done fighting, the elder womenfolk of the Clan take their men in hand and tell them what to do as is right and proper.
Traditionally, the McUens have long been the enemy of the Fomorii, due to the rivalry between their godess (Danu) and that of the Fomorii (Domnu). However, with the demise of Domnu and Danu choosing to give up her godhood for the love of their Laird, Caffrey, this animosity has waned to the point where the McUens have formed an uneasy alliance with the Fomor, sealed by the marriage of one of their menfolk to the daughter of Queen Madb.
McUens dress simply, with tartan being the prevalent fashion worn either as a kilt, sash or trews. When entering into battle, they prefer to fight bare chested sporting intricate Celtic designs in woad on their flesh. They have an eye for big weapons, be that great axes, hammers or swords. They rarely carry shields since defence is for the weak and they are more likely to attack first and ask questions later.
Photos below left to right: Warrior, Smisher
Photos below left to right: Grandma, Priest, Warrior with the Ogron bloodline
And below: McUens fighting Formorii
Dragons
The Dragons are an ancient and wise race of winged, reptilian people who can normally be found on Faerie. Dragons live apart from the other races of Faerie, are skilled in the use of magics and (as with the other reptilian races found in the Shards world) are capable shape changers; talents which enable them to move amongst the people of the Shards unnoticed. Consequently, little is known about the Dragons - who sometimes prefer to be known as Draken - other than they are powerful and hold the other peoples of the Shards in a very low regard. Player characters may not start play as Dragons.
The Atlanteans
The continent of Atlantis lies far out to sea, to the east of the Faerie mainland. For many thousands of years it lay hidden deep beneath the oceans, trapping its people and isolating them from the rest of the Shards. When it rose from the seabed, a devastating tidal wave washed over the Faerie mainland, flooding the land while ceaseless rain poured from the skies and Faerie drowned. In the wake of so much death, the rulers of Atlantis, known as The Monarchs marched across the Shards intent on reclaiming the lands they had held prior to their land being sunk. War raged across the Shards, but in the days following the forging of the Shards into a single world, the Monarchs were defeated and their armies destroyed.
Today, the land of Atlantis is now in ruins and no longer a power to be reckoned with. It's people are broken and lacking leadership, having been long subjugated to the wills of their masters, the Monarchs. What the future holds for this shattered people no one can tell.
Strangehaven
Strangehaven is the name given to a tiny island which exists on the edge of the continental shelf of Atlantis. It has never been part of the Monarch empire, nor the former Faerie mainland; instead this tiny island has enjoyed a relatively independent history, having been overlooked by the peoples of Faerie down through the ages. It is home to a little known community and much of it's fauna and flora have developed in isolation, remaining unknown to modern Faerie even to this day.
The seas which surround this island are known to the local seafaring folk as treacherous waters, which have defeated all attempts to chart them. The currents and weather are erratic, following no set pattern that any sailor or fisherman from these waters recognise. Navigation is near impossible and mists can descend without warning, concealing sharp reefs and rocks beneath the blackened waves. It is a dangerous place, where time has no meaning and the unwary can sail for all eternity and never escape, or so the Atlantean sailors will tell you. Even worse, monsters and unseen horrors are said to lurk beneath the waves capable of swallowing any ship whole. So it is, that only the insane or foolhardy would deliberately sail here.
Player characters who start play as a resident of Strangehaven will find it difficult to leave the island and as such, are only suitable for play at Strangehaven based events.
This document is intended as a guide and a starting point only, to help inspire you to create your own character's look.
For more photographs of character costume, past and present please visit the Shards wiki.
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