Fai

Fai are woodland creatures transformed into terrifying magical beings by filtered mana secreted from the Yaga Trees of Eldritch Forests. They are one of the main reasons no race except the Forest Elves can sustainably live in the deepest Eldritch Forests.

Origin¶

Fai are not a single natural species. They begin as ordinary woodland creatures and are altered over time by the dense, filtered mana of the forest. The process can change body, mind, lifespan, and magical capacity, producing a wide range of beings that outsiders often group together under one name.

The connection between Fai and Eldritch mana also makes them vulnerable to continental-scale magical disruption. During The Incident in 670 LC, the Timeline notes that the Eldritch Forests' mana weakened, allowing raids and invasions into the World's Lungs. When mana levels returned to normal in 698 LC, pressure on Elven forest territories lessened.

Biology¶

Depending on a creature's size and vitality, transformation may occur near the middle or end of its natural lifespan, allowing the original animal populations to reproduce and maintain the forest ecosystem. The mana that seeps into them grants many Fai increased sentience, longer lives, and strange abilities.

The same abundance of mana also drives many Fai insane. This is why they are remembered less as wise forest spirits and more as bloodthirsty nightmares. The oldest and strongest Fai may be effectively immortal; some accounts of powerful individuals seem to overlap with stories reaching back toward the Mythic Age.

Behavior¶

Fai hate bright light and fade easily into shadow. Their presence makes the Eldritch Forests hostile to permanent settlement, especially for peoples without Forest Elven knowledge, magic, or protection. Even raiding parties that survive the trees and terrain can be hunted by creatures that know the forest better than any invader.

Because Fai emerge from many different species, behavior varies widely. Some act like territorial beasts. Others show malicious intelligence. The rarest forms, such as Wendaghan, blur the line between transformed creature, cursed person, and forest horror.

Known Species¶

• Sauhir - a recorded Fai type, though current wiki sources preserve little detail.
• Zhon - a recorded Fai type, also awaiting fuller source material.
• Wendaghan - rare transformed humans associated with the deepest Eldritch Forests.

See also: Eldritch Forest, Forest Elves, Wendaghan, Melodias, and The Incident.