CASTLE FALKENSTEIN RACIAL PACKAGE DEALS

Faerie are immortal beings who originated in another dimension called the Faerie Veil. Originally creatures of pure energy, they took on physical form soon after entering the human world. Once extremely powerful beings, their power has dwindled over the centuries.

Faerie are immortal. They do not age, nor do they suffer from disease or extreme temperatures. They do not need to eat, drink, sleep, excrete, or even breathe. However, most of them have gotten used to the sensation of doing these things. Furthermore, if they are slain, they re-materialize inside the Faerie Veil and eventually return to the mortal world. However, they have two weaknesses that will kill them permanently.

One is Star Metal. Faerie are vulnerable to iron and steel; weapons made from these substances injure Faerie much more than they do humans. But their greatest weakness is Star Metal, a meteoric iron that has properties capable of permanently destroying a Faerie. Just being near the substance injures the Faerie. Fortunately, Star Metal is extremely rare in the Castle Falkenstein world.

The other is breaking an oath. For this reason Faerie are reluctant to make promises or sign contracts. They are bound to stick to the exact wording (but not necessarily the actual intent) of the promise. Phrases like “to the best of my abilities” or “unless prevented” will keep a Faerie from the True Death when making a promise.

Faerie have many repulsions. They are also repulsed by church bells, prayers, and holy symbols. Some Faerie are repulsed by salt, the sight of clothes worn inversely, and certain plants – ash, thorn wood, holly, oak, sage, and sweet-grass. Faerie suffering from these repulsions act as if they are the targets of a Presence Attack.

Faerie have other limitations. They have no imagination. They can copy anything they have previously seen, but they cannot invent or create anything. Many of the various forms of the Faerie originate from their memories of creatures they have seen. Their memory is not perfect, however, which is why they seem like fantastic versions of mundane creatures. The main reason most Faerie stay in the mortal world is because they crave new experiences, which cannot be done in the Faerie Veil.

Faerie are incapable of using human Magick. They do have several powers of their own, however. Glamour is an illusion they cast to make an object appear as something else. Etherealness allows Faerie to become insubstantial enough to pass through solid objects or fly. Shapeshift allows Faerie to alter their forms to something they have previously seen personally (photographs are not enough to give a true likeness). The different types of Faerie also have their own Kindred Powers.

Faerie can be brave warriors. They cannot use iron or steel weapons, but they can enchant gold and steel weapons to become as strong as steel. The enchantment does not work on firearms as gunpowder makes the enchantment brittle. They also fire elfshot from their bows, which causes mortals to sicken and die unless cured in time.

Faerie are divided into two different factions. The Seelie Court is led by Auberon, who is one of the original Faerie Lords. The Seelie may not necessarily be benevolent to humans, but they want to preserve humanity and enjoy the mortal world.

The Unseelie Court is led by The Adversary, another original Faerie Lord. The Unseelie enjoy wanton destruction. They want to destroy humanity. Since they are bound by a promise not to do so directly, they attempt to get humanity to destroy itself.

It is recommended that Players be limited to playing Seelie Characters.

All Faerie have the following Package Deal, which is part of another, more specific Package Deal.

The Daoine Sidhe (pronounced Thee-na Shee) are the lords of Faerie. They are the descendants of powerful Faerie Lords, but their bloodline has been diluted from centuries of breeding with humans. They look like J. R. R. Tolkien’s Elves (but they will be offended if you refer to them as such) and are always treated as nobility, even if they have no formal titles. They tend to make fine warriors, but the increased use of iron and steel among mortals has largely driven them from the battlefield. Their Kindred Power is Enchantment, which makes a target like or even love the caster.

The Unseelie counterparts of the Daoine Sidhe are the Dark Lords. They use the same Package Deal except their Kindred Power is Terrifying Apparition. This works just like Enchantment, but it makes the target flee in terror from the Dark Lord.

Brownies are small creature, reaching a height of 10 inches or less. They are homely by mortal standards, appearing as short, hairy humans with pointed ears, slanted eyes, and misshapen noses. However, they are popular with humans because they make themselves useful, performing tasks around the house or in the field. Their Kindred Power is Perform a Great Task. This allows them to perform a task that would normally take ten men to perform. However, they do not like being observed or criticized and will be driven off by gifts or payment other than a bowl of milk.

Also known as elves or sprites, these creatures are the most numerous of the Faerie. Pixies stand about three inches tall and have delicate features and gossamer wings. They are playful by nature and are incurable romantics. However, they react badly to failure and are vengeful when crossed. Their Kindred Power is a powerful Love Charm, which causes their target to fall in love with another person. The target will not go against his or her natural preferences and will not act in a manner contrary to his or her beliefs.

Dwarfs were once Faerie, but they renounced most of their powers and their immortality just so they could work iron and even Star Metal. They appear as archetypal fantasy dwarfs, short with broad features and long beards. However, their feet resemble those of ducks and chickens. Dwarfs are embarrassed by their feet and hide them inside heavy shoes and boots. They also get very angry when asked about their feet.

All dwarfs are male. They must marry female Faerie in order to reproduce. The male children are dwarfs; the females are the same species as their mother.

Dwarfs cannot use Magick, but they are highly resistant to it. They are also immune to fire and extreme heat. A dwarf can survive being pushed into a lava pit and woe to the man who pushed him when he gets out! They are mortal but can live twice as long as humans.

Dwarfs are organized into Dwarf-holds, which are usually located under high mountains. Dwarf-holds are run like factories, with the kings acting as the general managers of their holds.

Dwarfs are obsessed with making a name for themselves, especially since their mothers tend to give them silly first names. Gaining a prestigious Second Name is therefore important to them. Being expert miners and mechanics, those names usually reflect their work in those areas. But some dwarfs, especially kings, earn Second Names related to military or diplomatic accomplishments. The way a dwarf earns a Second Name is to accomplish a difficult task or create a unique item and show it to his king, who will proclaim the dwarf’s new Second Name to the entire Dwarf-hold.

Dwarfs have a special ability called Metal Sense. It allows them to detect and identify any kind of metal, even a small quantity, up to a mile away. Detection works by smell, so it will not work in a vacuum or if the metal lies under tons of rock.

Dragons are ancient creatures, descended from pterosaurs. They have learned how to take human shape and interact with humans. However, their draconic form is not concealable. Even in human form, they are unusually tall (7 feet or more) and lanky. Their eyes appear like that of a cat, even in human form. They are awkward on the ground, and they have hollow bones.

Dragons can cast any known spell, but they only have a limited amount of power to cast it. They all know how to cast a spell they call Firecast. The spell allows them to create a jet of flame starting just in front of their mouth, giving the illusion of them breathing fire. They can only do this thrice a day, and casting the spell is physically exhausting.

Dragons are obsessive collectors. They have at least one collection, which can be any object they fancy: gold, clocks, swords, etc. They take great pains to expand their collections.

Being an ancient race, dragons are proud. They interact with humans and sometimes take them for mates (dragon-human pairings are usually a dragon male and a human female), but to many them, humans are inferior creatures, barely rating above livestock.