A Word on Faerys Mentioned in This Story

Several characters in this story are not human. They are beings which fall into the category of creatures known as Faerys, or fey. In this prologue, I will explain the various tribes mentioned, namely selkies, Sidhe, phoukas, and halflings, as many readers may not have heard of them before.

The selkies are sealfolk. They spend most of their time in the cold Irish Sea, like mortal seals, only selkies are able to shed their skins and take human form. Their human forms are always beautiful, and they have sad, dark eyes whether in seal form or out. They are typically dark haired, but it’s not completely unheard of for one of them to be born with blond hair, though it’s extremely rare. A selkie is at its weakest when it sheds its sealskin, for if a human should chance upon the empty skin and claim it, the selkie whose skin it is must become the human’s mate. They make very good parents, but are generally quiet and spend a good deal of time at the shore, watching the water and wishing to return. If the selkie finds their skin, they are free to return to their kindred. They are gentle and playful in general, but are slow to forgive a slight and are completely devoted to their queen.

The Sidhe are the lords and ladies of Faery. The High Queen is one of them, as is most of her retinue. In ancient Ireland they were known as the Tuatha De Danan, “sidhe” simply meaning one of their court. Throughout history they have been the bringers of wisdom to humanity, and in many places were worshipped as gods. They are strong in magic, and their mages are considered the best in Faery. They tend to be solemn and wise, though they are fond of parties and dancing on the proper occasions. They always hold great feasts on Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (May 1), Lughnassa (August 1), and Samhain (November 1), as well as Midsummer and Midwinter. At these times, humans are often invited into Faery, sometimes returning home and sometimes not, but always changed in some way by their time among the fey. Faery mead, the magical honey wine served on such occasions, is extremely potent, and should not be overindulged in, lest one finds one’s self cold and wet on the ground, with an unrivalled headache and a bad case of amnesia. The Sidhe have only a passing interest in humanity, mostly confining themselves to governing their kingdom of unruly subjects.

Phoukas are the tricksters of the Faery tribes. They are fond of humans, and are generally found in areas with people. Their pranks can be annoying, but they are rarely malevolent in nature. Phoukas come in various shapes and sizes, but most have both an animal and human form. Favourite animal shapes are that of a dog, horse, cat, donkey, fox, squirrel, or frog, although there are always phoukas who choose other shapes. Their human shapes are generally of human height or slightly smaller, with slanted eyes that change color and usually pointed ears. Skin and hair color vary widely, but generally follow that of humans. A phouka’s human form will almost always resemble their animal form in some way. Their magic is that of the prankster, specialties being lockpicking without lockpicks, heightened smell and hearing, lowering body temperature at will (if you’ve ever felt someone’s icy fingers on your neck, but can’t see anyone, you’ll know what I mean), and the ability to slip through a crowd unnoticed. This last ability is not true invisibility, since the phouka is visible, but so unremarkable that no one notices him. They are almost always male, and breed with the other faery tribes with varying results. They rarely form groups among themselves, but will join forces with other faerys, or occasionally humans.

A halfling is a creature that, for whatever reason, is neither human nor faery. Many have one fey parent and one human parent, but if a full-blooded fey is exiled and/or a lock placed on his or her magic, they are counted as a halfling. Halflings are ill-welcomed among the fey, who treat them as misbegotten mistakes in the case of half-humans, or as criminals in the case of those who are unable to use their magic. To call someone a halfling is one of the worst insults one faery can make to another.