GLOSSARY
CREATURES
Abominations – Mutants born of the plague. Their infected black blood is deadly, though not more so than their hideous deformities, which vary from person to person. As far as anyone knows, only red-blooded creatures are susceptible to the plague.
Bubblers – Abominations of the exploding, oozy slime variant. Harmless until you get up close.
Bean-nighe – Otherwise known as ‘night washerwomen,’ these fae are born from the spirits of women who died during childbirth. They haunt desolate streams and wash the shrouds of those about to die.
Note: It is said that stealing your shroud back may reverse your fate. It may also end with you washing that shroud for the rest of your days. Flip of a coin.
Changelings – The deformed, stunted, or sterile offspring of fairies substituted by them for a human infant. Reasons for a changeling substitution vary but can include strengthening fairy stock, love for the human infant, or malice towards its family for any perceived slight. A changeling may return to the fae if they please – all they have to do is abandon their human parents forever. Oh, and survive a series of grueling trials to prove themselves.
Note: While this transaction is seen as a gift of the highest order in Faelte, it is not well-received in Maul. Most changelings are put to the sword; yet another reason why the nation is so cursed.
Dullahan – A headless rider on a dark horse, this fairy is the masculine counterpart to the bean-nighe, both harbingers of death. It likes to crash festivals and creep everyone out by hollering the names of those about to expire. Unlike the bean-nighe, it sometimes does the killing itself.
Note: Weather dependent. If the fog suddenly shouts your name, run.
Elves – Characterized by tree-like skin and pointy ears, elves are oft referred to as ‘fairies gone wrong’ or ‘fairies who left the forest.’ As they are hated by most everyone in the South (they may have tried subjugating the humans way back when), their history isn’t particularly well-documented. They differ from changelings in that their ancestors chose to renounce the fairy realm, thus forfeiting their powers and immortality. Neither fairies nor elves bleed red, granting them a unique resistance to the plague.
Note: Tread with caution – elves are hated for a reason. To up and leave a life of near godhood requires a certain level of wrongness. Also, they chose back pain and wrinkles.
Also note: It’s not exactly taboo for them to fall in love with humans, but why would they want to? Humans are soft, pliable, and not long for this world. They make good playthings, though.
Fairies – Liminal beings with magical powers, known in many sizes and descriptions, and only found in the South because it lies directly between hemispheres. Contrary to popular belief, fairies are neither good nor evil. They’re as neutral as neutral gets. They exist where the veil between worlds is thinnest – in ‘thresholds’ both physical and abstract, such as doorways and the concept of divorce. There are strict rules one must abide when dealing with them, which include but are not limited to:
1.) Never give your real name
2.) Never tell a lie
3.) Never break a promise
4.) Never accept a gift
5.) Never steal an offering
6.) Never make demands
7.) Never trespass
8.) Never mess with their circles
9.) Never threaten them
10.) Don’t be a menace in general – it’s not too hard, is it?
Note: If you fail to follow the rules, it is entirely possible you will be transported to the fairy realm. I know it sounds nice, a land of eternal youth, whimsy, and splendor, but you do not want to go to the fairy realm.
Also note: Fairies don’t involve themselves in human life insomuch as they exist on its fringes, occasionally dipping a toe. It is taboo for a fairy and a human to share romantic love, and physically impossible for them to procreate.
Fairy Circles – While not technically ‘creatures,’ fairy circles are portals that protect fairy places from non-fairy entities. The circles are fickle things, always changing hands; they’ll spit you out wherever whichever fae is in control at the time thinks you might belong.
Hag – Hags are twisted, ancient fae that present as old women. They lurk in creepy, enchanted homes, waiting to tempt lost children with promises of warmth and care. As soon as a child crosses their threshold, a hag reveals her true nature, her hunger…yes, they eat the children. No, I don’t know what they get out of it, but it clearly isn’t eternal youth.
Kelpie – The kelpie, another fairy, often manifests as a beautiful stallion near lochs and rivers. Its favorite pastime is luring unsuspecting doofuses to mount its back so it can drown them. Its visage currently graces the sigil of King Kerr’s house (no accounting for taste).
Note: You probably shouldn’t mount a rogue horse, anyway. In a world where animals can supposedly talk, that’s a whole stranger.
Pixies — A common type of fae, pixies are capable of small illusion magic. They are spiteful creatures, delighting in cruel tricks and petty pranks. They do not necessarily intend harm but will often cause it…unless they like you. If they like you, they might offer a temporary blessing.
Note: A group of pixies is referred to as a ‘puddle,’ which is an unfortunate turn of phrase only in rare, extremely specific contexts.
Selkie – This term is used incorrectly by most Southerners, who will call just about any fairy with a human guise a ‘selkie.’ In actuality, it refers to a particular breed that can shift between the forms of human and seal.
PHRASES
Disclaimer: I usually manipulate older, archaic versions of languages in my writing. This is not an accurate representation of real life countries or their wonderful languages!
OLD FAE (AS SPOKEN IN THE SOUTH)
Lánúin mí-ádh – ‘Unlucky couple.’ A phrase used in the South to describe a poor or ill-fated match, usually between people with vastly opposing lifestyles or beliefs.
Glac na Nathraichean – ‘Glade of Serpents.’ Elven glades are well-kept and well-hidden; until recently, the elves were confined to them. For good reason. Looking at you, Hellebore.
Nathair – ‘Snake of poison.’
Carraig – ‘Rock.’
THE GOLDEN TONGUE (AS SPOKEN IN ENORE)
Baise-moi à mort – ‘Fuck me to death.’
Ça me fait chier – ‘This makes me shit.’
Est-ce qu’une femme violette est passée par ici? – ‘Did a purple woman come through here?’
Gentille alouette – ‘Little lark.’ From a children’s song commonly sung in Enore about plucking the feathers from a lark.
Il était une fois un chevalier errant qui sauvait le monde — ‘Once upon a time, a knight errant saved the world.’
Langue d’or – ‘Golden tongue.’
Petite âme—’Little soul.’
PEOPLE & PLACE INFO
An Tairseach – The South’s largest fairy wood, An Tairseach (old fae for ‘threshold’) sits on the threshold between two kingdoms, the border between Maul and Faelte. Though largely protected from the plague by a network of fairy circles, it is not safe for humans to enter. Think ‘Bermuda Triangle.’
Balg – Otherwise known as ‘the Blister,’ Balg (Farraige Balg in full) is a poorly developed archipelago at the very bottom of the South, populated by reavers. Though it sits on the heel of Maul’s half, it is not considered a part of the nation, and instead remains independent. Recently, the king of Maul has enlisted its help in fighting off the Faeltan threat.
Balla Cloiche – The capital city of Faelte, its name means ‘stone wall.’ Sitting right on the coast, it is kept safe behind a massive stone gate and a natural mote created by the sea. It is known for its superficial beauty, intricate sewer systems, and rotten underbelly. Inspired by Mont-Saint Michel.
Enore – The North. Inspired by France, Enore is a Northern country spanning the western coastline above Faelte. It is known for its wealth, fashion, and picturesque landscapes. Its name is derivative of en or, meaning in gold, and its people speak the golden tongue. They also call themselves ‘Enoreates,’ after the word ‘aureate,’ which is both silly and redundant. Their capital, Ivresse, is said to be the one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Shame about the rampant drug problem, though.
Note: Enoreates are incredibly toxic when it comes to magic. Human children with green eyes and born gifts, sure signs of magical aptitude, are placed on pedestals while those without are cast aside.
Also note: As with most places, their appearance varies. An awful lot of shuffling around went on before the borders were established. Still, Enoreates from the coastal side tend to be olive-skinned and of longer, more elegant builds than most.
Faelte – Formed in the early ages to deal with the threat of the elves, Faelte (old fae for ‘welcome’) is a thriving kingdom that sits on the western half of the South. Its symbol is a wise old tree, and its people worship the fairies that inhabit the forests. It’s not uncommon to find a changeling or two in every village – in fact, having your newborn stolen away in the dead of night is seen as an honor. Prosperous, whimsical, and lush. Due to Maul’s frequent attacks, its cities are heavily fortified. This does not protect from infection within.
Fort Faellen – A neutral port city that sits at the bottom of the South, on the border between Maul and Faelte. Despite the raging war, Fort Faellen maintains its neutrality. It is common to see soldiers, weary from battle, from opposing sides breaking bread at the Lonely Whale tavern by the docks.
Kintsugi – The far overseas city of Kintsugi (meaning golden joinery) on the island of Hokko experiences violent earthquakes. When a building suffers damage, it is not knocked down; the cracks are filled with molten gold, and its brokenness becomes its beauty.
Malmuir – The active capital of Maul that serves as home to its royalty. A gigantic, opulent stronghold palace sitting in the heart of the nation. When the plague first struck, King Kerr sealed its gates indefinitely. It is rumored that they still hold elaborate parties and banquets, and routinely burn the bodies of the smallfolk as they pile up at the gates.
Maul – The ‘rotten’ half of the South, on the losing side of the war. Its symbol is a kelpie with a seaweed mane. Brutal, barren, and impoverished, its inhabitants do not share Faelte’s vision of a unified South, nor do they idolize fairies and fae magic. Because it has been used against them so frequently by enemy forces, they bear a hatred for any sort of magic at all, and care not for ‘whimsy.’ Maul was ruled by the late King Kerr; it is now under the golden heel of his daughter, Hellebore.
Sculpin – A small and unassuming fishing village at the very tippy top of Maul, nestled in a cove right up against the northern border. It is named after the sculpin fish, an ugly and spiny thing. Current home to the Savior of Sculpin, who transformed it into one of Maul’s first havens from the plague.
Southern Calendar – Both Maulians and Faeltans follow a (really silly) ‘Gaelicized’ version of the Anglo-Saxon calendar. The months are as below:
January – Mac tire (Wolf Month)
February – Bleáin (Milking Month)
March – Treise (Month of Loudness)
April – Oster (stop I need to change this we don’t got easter here)
May – Foiseach (Month of Overgrowth)
June – Roimhe (Before Midsummer)
July – Tar éis (After Midsummer
August – Fiailí (Weed Month)
September – Naofa (Holy Month)
October – Fola (Blood Month)
November – Samhain (Darker Half)
December – Fuar (Midwinter)
Starbent — Another Northern country, not much is known about it apart from it being the epicenter of magic in the North. It is characterized by rocky mountains, tall mage towers, and cold, unforgiving weather.
Vallée Tournesols — A beautiful, hilly hamlet in the Northern country Enore. It is known for its affluent families, grand manses, and abundant sunflower fields.