Faeries with attitude

[Cheka Man]

I want to take the traditional faeries-diaphanous wings, small bodies, seemingly harmless creatures that a cruel human could crush to death in his or her hand, and make them less like butterflies and more like large hornets. I don't see them as an *evil* race (although as with any race there are evil ones amongst them) and I certainly don't want them to be uberpowerful.

But I  want them to be able to defend themselves if attacked, and to be able to punish bigger races who think that slaughtering them would be easy and fun.

What can one do with such faeries to make them dangerous, at least to those out to hurt/kill/capture them, whilst keeping their cute faerie appearence? Thank you, anyone who offers help with this.

[valadaar]

Faeries of legend are quite often capable of rather dangerous magic, and are capricious.  Many game systems have portrayed them as serious threats - dragging people into slavery, stealing children, etc.

Even some D&D faeries have powerful sleep spells which of course can be fatal - once asleep, a summoned wolf can complete the job.

So the answer is easy - add magic.

[Scrasamax]

Also poison and toxins work well, add in that faeries can fly and hide easily.

A faerie with a poisoned dart (sleep, death, instant diarrhea) can zip up and give a little prick and the poison is off and running.

In addition to sneaking, and flying, a group of faeries could run interference and distract a target with illusions, taunts and whatnot while the poisoner struck from behind.

[MoonHunter]

The best equalizer?  Telepathic/ Mental  Hypnosis.  The little buggers catch your eye (and they are bright shiny and fly) and you are enslaved. Sure you can make a will check/ save or use your ego to avoid the worst of it. They will never just kill you, though they could do that by having you jump off something or go hit your friend. Nothing makes for respect or fear like the inability to trust your own senses or mind.

If they are smart they go for embarassment jump into a river and pretend you are a duck or subtle, "your friend made another smart ass remark about your momma after you threatened him with death if he did it again AND he did it right now behind your back."  They could also tell you, "you see a Giant Demon heading towards you". 

The effects are the same.


If you want something fun...
Transformational bite. They bit you, you turn into...
Well normally you would turn into a fairy, but sometimes they have other ideas... so you become a statue, you turn into a donkey.. or so on.


I also might suggest reading a few Urban Fantasy Books
Charles de Lint (who is good), Terri Windling (which is appropriate) , Linda Hamilton's faires are not nice, and Some of the Serrate Edge books show Modern Elves and give you an idea of modern and violent fairies.

[Level]

Maybe going a little off topic but perhaps it may help to expand on the fairy theme, here are a couple of ideas that are from popular myths and legends about fairies.

The whole thing with faeries is that they can be wonderfully varied, the pretty little winged butterfly tinkerbell type is but one of the more family freindly images that we may have and faeries or, "the Fey" as they are known in western european myths and legends could encompass everything and anything mysterious and unexplained from the causes of socks that go missing to that well known and malicious little dwarf from the fairy tale "Rumplestiltskin" that tricked the king into almost giving up his beautiful daughter if nobody could guess his name. There are heaps of stories out there that we I'm sure all know from when we were growing up that can be used for inspiration.

fairies could be cute little butterfly people that transform into nasty little winged monsters as the get angry, Illusions are one of their favourite tricks, stunted little people, long thin wispy people, part animal, part plant, let your imaginations run wild.

Traditionally the Fey were feared because of their charms and trickery rather than because of any physical danger they may pose (although in enough numbers anything can be dangerous), and they were always trying to steal babies or take people away from the realworld to live with them forever with only the completion of some obscure task that would save you or your lost one. here are a couple of examples of fairy situations from tales that I can remember:

 Aloof and beautiful faerie queens would lure you into a clearing where a monumental feast would be occuring only to claim that you now belonged to her because you ate a mouthful of food or drank her wine, when you protest she sends you on a quest to squirt the juice of a rare fruit into the chalice of the king or some such in order to save yourself, and thus putting the king under her spell so that he loves her etc

a tricky little dwarf may meet lost travellers on the road and give them directions to a place where they will have no choice but to kill something or fetch an item for him in order to get out alive. or he will promise them treasure if they bring something (or someone) to him. then he will disapear and leave them to clean up the mess or chase him down etc.

a beautiful woman will be in great distress and promise any one who helps her a wealth in gold or her hand in marriage, and once the quest is complete she turms out to be a cackling hag.

Word plays, riddles, tricks and illusions are the main weapons of the fairies of myth. But there is a reason that people don't mess with them or disobey them as they can be extremely powerful.

hope it helps

[Cheka Man]

I will post these fairies in a few days, I hope.

[Kassy]

Hmm, i'll see what i can come up with