#fae lore

[starcurtain]

Genshin's Six Types of Fae

I'm seeing a lot of speculation about the "six common types" of Snowland Fae that Linnea mentions, but I think it's too early to call what the actual categories will be based on what we currently know. The issue is that--because "sub-categories" have already been introduced with the three different types of Volkodlak--we have no idea whether any given fae we currently know about falls under a main category or a sub-category.

Currently, in terms of "major" categories, we know only one for certain: the Volkodlak.

The Volkodlak

Blood-drinking animal shifters. They come in three varieties (at least that we've seen so far!): wolf, bull, and bear. It's unclear if they have a specific elemental alignment. It's likely they qualify as one of the "six common types" of fae because they cover multiple sub-categories already, and clearly had a large group of different clans/tribes under their banner.

The readable "A Brief History of the Pale Starborn" mentions several other possible types of fae, but each is complicated by a lack of detail:

The Vila

The readable states that this group of fae had many different fiefs, indicating there is likely a large collection of them. This lends itself to the idea that "the Vila" qualify as one of the "six common types," though we still can't confirm that currently. Vila are traditionally nature spirits associated with air; however, there's a lot of variety in Vila legends, with them sometimes being benevolent and sometimes violent. They also have connections to nature and woodland areas, so there could be a connection to dendro? Harry Potter fans will recognize the "Veela."

The Domovoy

Mentioned only very briefly in the readable, with one character (Grand Duke Alvis). The way this is stated, though, suggests there is a whole group of Domovoy, ruled over by one grand duke. This lends some support to the idea that "Domovoy" may be one of the six common categories of fae, though again, we don't have enough info to confirm currently. Domovoy are household spirits who in-dwell objects in human homes to serve as family guardians. They're associated with the element of earth through the creation of clay golems.

The Nixie/Waterborn

Water imps or spirits. Whether they count as one of the "common" types of fae is complicated by the historical situation in the readable--Miscislav was a Volkodlak but had control over the fiefdoms of the Vila. The Waterborn were already aligned with Miscislav from the start of the readable, so we have no way of confirming whether Nixie/Waterborn count as their own separate group or whether they were considered a sub-category of one of the other groups (Volkodlak or Vila, etc.).

The Aarnivalkea

Flins's type of fae. These are will-o-wisps or sentient flames, obviously elementally aligned to fire/pyro. We have no way right now of knowing whether they count as one of the six major categories or if they're a "sub-type" of another category. (For example, if Domovoy inhabit household items to guard human families, would a fae inhabiting a lantern to guide humans fall under that category?) I'm inclined to think the Aarnivalkea are a separate type, but there is a lot of overlap in folklore!

What's Up With the Elements?

Linnea's drip marketing makes a big deal out of aligning the six common types of fae with the seven nations of Teyvat and the seven hues of the rainbow, which, thanks to Natlan, we know is a reference to the power of the Light Realm/Phlogistion splitting into the seven elements.

This suggests to me that the "six common types" of fae probably have at least some sort of alignment to six of the seven elements of Teyvat, with one element missing--possibly for plot-related reasons. It wouldn't really make much sense to bring up the seven elements in conjunction with the six types of fae if there wasn't some connection there, right?

If Waterborn cover hydro, Aarnivalkea cover pyro, Domovoy cover geo, and Vila cover anemo, that leaves us with cryo, dendro, and electro.

Theoretically, the Belyi Tsar was from the type of fae aligned to cryo. There's overlap with the Tsar and the Tsaritsa to the Morozko and Snegurochka legends, but (also theoretically) those are completely different characters from a completely different part of Genshin's history, so rather than the Belyi Tsar being Ded Moroz himself, there should be a general type of fae that are aligned with cryo, for whom we're currently just missing the group name.

Complicating this is the Belyi Tsar's claim that he came from a "sacred bloodline" that made him different/better than other fae. The readable suggests this is just propaganda, but we have no way of knowing right now. If the Belyi Tsar's bloodline really was unique, it may actually be that cryo is the element not included in the "six common types" of fae. (There's a tiny bit of evidence for this idea in the fact that Miscislav's armies were defeated by an "unexpected icy fog," with the readable clearly stating that no one knew where the icy fog came from. This suggests that none of Miscislav's forces were expecting/knew of a fae who could control snow or ice...)

Anyway, cryo should be covered by whatever the Belyi Tsar was. That just leaves us with dendro and electro. It's unclear what (if any) element the Volkodlak might have been associated with (although they were all animals, so I guess there's at least some nature connection?), so it's difficult to say whether they fit the bill for either dendro or electro currently, and which (if either) element is missing and for what reason one element is missing from the fae.

We just don't have enough info yet. Linnea's character stories and voicelines, we are all counting on you!

But What About Changelings?

Linnea's drip marketing suggests she might count among another group called "Changelings"; however, I'm hesitant to suggest that "Changeling" is a specific type of fae in and of itself without the game giving us more evidence of that.

As I mentioned in the last post, in real world folklore, Changelings aren't one specific type of supernatural creature, but the umbrella name applied to a wide variety of fae who disguise themselves (or their own children) as human children, then swap out the actual human child, allowing themselves (or their fae children) to instead be raised by humans. Changelings can come from any variety of fae--this term applies just to the act of "changing out" a human child for a fae.

Linnea's drip marketing might hint that she experienced this herself:

But again, even the idea that she may have been raised by/among humans hasn't been confirmed.

I know others have suggested that Filipov, the fae who's best known for shapeshifting, might be a "Changeling," but I think it's just the case that many different types of fae can shapeshift, and Filipov just happens to be super good at it. I don't think the current lore out there is enough to say he belongs to any specific type of fae yet, given that being able to change forms is a key feature we've heard about in numerous types of fae already. Filipov is also a "let's wait and see" from me!

Wahhhhh, I want Linnea's voicelines now! Give me the forbidden fairy lore, girl, please!

[azwachaudharysblog]

Twisted Wonderland (Diasomnia)

A MOST UNFORTUNATE DISCOVERY----'Human tears also have iron traces' (Part 3)

THE NIGHT THEY REALIZED EVEN YOUR TEARS WERE WRONG

No one notices at first.

That’s the worst part.

It’s late—far too late for students to still be awake—but NRC has never respected sensible schedules. The fallout from the cafeteria incident is still rippling through the school. Wards are being recalibrated. Professors are arguing. Crowley has locked himself in his office with three grimoires and a bottle of headache medicine.

You’re sitting alone in one of the unused common rooms near Diasomnia.

You didn’t mean to cry.

You really didn’t.

But it’s been a day.

You stare at your bandaged hands, at the faint metallic scent that never quite leaves anymore, and the weight of it finally hits you.

“I just wanted to go home,” you whisper.

Your chest tightens.

Your vision blurs.

And then—

A tear slips free.

It lands on the stone floor.

Ping.

Not a splash.

A sound.

Like a drop of rain hitting metal.

I. The First Witness (Silver)

Silver is the one who hears it.

He pauses mid-step, brow furrowing.

“…That wasn’t water.”

He looks up.

You’re sitting there, shoulders shaking, another tear trailing down your cheek.

It falls.

Ping.

The light around the room flickers.

Silver’s breath catches.

“No,” he says quietly. “No, no, no—”

He moves closer, carefully, like approaching something wounded and dangerous at the same time.

“Yuu,” he says gently. “Please look at me.”

You do.

Your eyes are red, glassy, human.

But the tears clinging to your lashes—

They gleam.

Not like magic.

Like metal.

Silver feels sick.

II. Confirmation (Lilia)

Lilia appears without warning, because of course he does.

“Well, this ward just shorted itself out again—oh.”

He stops.

Really stops.

His smile vanishes.

“That,” he says slowly, crouching to your level, “is not supposed to happen.”

You wipe your face hastily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

Another tear escapes.

It hits Lilia’s glove.

The fabric smokes.

Just a little.

Enough.

Lilia sucks in a sharp breath.

“…Oh. Oh that’s bad.”

Your voice breaks. “Please don’t look at me like that.”

He does anyway.

Not with fear.

With awe.

And something dangerously close to grief.

III. Malleus Arrives (The World Responds)

The moment your tears hit the ground again—

The castle feels it.

Ancient stone hums.

Dragon wards recoil.

Malleus appears in a crack of lightning and shadow, eyes blazing.

“What has happened,” he demands—

Then he sees you.

Sees the tears.

Feels the magic die around them.

His knees hit the floor.

Not because he’s weak.

Because his body forces him to kneel.

Iron does that to dragons.

“…Your sorrow,” he whispers, “is poisonous to us.”

Your breath stutters. “I don’t want it to be.”

“I know,” he says hoarsely.

The stone beneath your tears has begun to pit—tiny marks, like corrosion.

Nothing dramatic.

Nothing violent.

Just enough to prove it’s real.

IV. The Horrifying Truth

Lilia straightens slowly.

“Blood carries iron,” he says. “That we knew.”

Silver nods faintly. “But tears…”

Lilia’s voice goes quiet. “Tears come from the soul.”

The room goes still.

“…In fae lore,” Lilia continues, “tears are a gift. They’re pure emotion. Unfiltered magic.”

Malleus looks at you like he’s seeing a prophecy unfold.

“And yours,” he says, voice reverent and terrified, “carry anchoring metal.”

You laugh weakly through tears. “Of course they do.”

Another tear falls.

The air warps.

A nearby enchantment collapses entirely.

Silver reaches for you—and stops inches away, afraid to touch.

“…If you cried hard enough,” he whispers, “you could strip magic from a room.”

Lilia nods. “From a realm.”

You cover your face.

“I don’t want this,” you sob. “I don’t want to hurt anyone just by existing.”

Your tears fall faster now.

Each one rings softly against the stone.

Ping. Ping. Ping.

Like a countdown.

V. The Fae Reaction (Collective Panic)

By morning:

It is officially documented that Yuu must not cry near spellwork

Emotional distress protocols are established (Crowley invents “mandatory comfort”)

Fae students are instructed not to offer tear-collecting rituals near you

One ancient spirit flees NRC entirely

Rumors explode.

“I heard their grief can kill enchantments.” “I heard their tears rust blessings.” “I heard dragons bow when they cry.”

That last one isn’t entirely wrong.

VI. The Final Moment (Quiet, Devastating)

Later, you sit with Malleus beneath the night sky.

You’ve stopped crying.

The world has stabilized.

“I’m sorry,” you say again.

Malleus shakes his head slowly.

“Do you know what iron symbolizes to fae?” he asks.

You sniff. “Death?”

“Reality,” he corrects. “Finality. Truth that cannot be rewritten.”

He looks at you, eyes soft.

“Your blood binds you to life,” he says. “Your tears bind you to truth.”

Lilia watches from afar, unusually silent.

Silver sits close enough to protect you—but not close enough to burn.

“You are not a curse,” Malleus says firmly.

“You are a reminder.”

You look up at him.

“Of what?”

“That even magic must answer to something,” he says.

Above you, the stars shine.

And for the first time, the fae understand:

If you ever truly broke—

The world would feel it.

[azuresphinxart]

Why do you want me to drink your water so bad but in color. Love me some faelight. Anyway work is making me wanna pull my hair out

[briarfall]

An Invitation to the World of the Fae

There are worlds that open if you look at them the right way. Enough to take a glimpse inside. The world of the Fae is one of them.

It offers no warmth. It gives no explanations. It makes no promises. And yet, if you stand at the edge, quiet and attentive, you may feel it: a shift in the air, a sense that something ancient is watching, measuring, deciding whether you are worth noticing.

This is a world you do not enter to take!

That is the first and most important truth.

You cannot approach the Fae with hunger. No wish to gain beauty, power, knowledge, or transformation. The moment you reach, you have already offered something in return, whether you meant to or not. In their world, desire is a term.

And terms are binding.

The Fae move beyond human deception. They have no need for it… They speak precisely, and they listen even more precisely. Every word matters. A name becomes a thread that can be followed. A gift forms a structure of exchange. A simple acceptance, a careless “anything,” a moment of curiosity without restraint—these are openings. And once opened, they do not close easily.

There are rules, if you want to stand near that threshold without losing yourself.

* Do not give your full name.

* Do not accept what you cannot immediately balance.

* Do not eat or drink what is offered.

* Do not step where you do not understand the boundary.

* Do not agree quickly.

* Do not exaggerate what you are willing to give.

The danger of the Fae lives in permission.

They allow you to participate. To step closer. To say yes. And once you do, the world rearranges itself around that agreement, perfectly and without mercy.

And still, the invitation remains. The Fae are something you need not turn away from completely. They are the shape of a deeper kind of beauty. One that carries edges, consequence, precision. They belong to a world where everything has weight, where nothing is casual, where presence matters. If you are drawn to that, you are not wrong… But you must approach differently. Not as a seeker, or a supplicant. Not as someone hoping to be changed by them.

You stand at the edge as yourself. Observing. Learning the patterns. Respecting the boundaries.

And in doing so, something interesting happens.

You begin to carry that same quality within your own world. The precision, the restraint, the quiet power. The sense that words matter, that actions shape reality, that beauty does not need to beg to be seen.

That is the true gift of the Fae. Not what they “give you.” But what they force you to become, if you refuse to be taken.

[tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors]

Not remotely the main point of that fic but the passing reference to a fairybridge made me realise I’d not know the rules around running water in this world. Can fey cross rivers on just any bridge or is there some specific requirement?

a fairy cant cross running water by swimming. they can cross over a stone metal or wooden bridge as long as the bridge is constructed in such a way that its between them and the water continuously. They can cross over in a vehicle, including skateboards and bikes and other person-powered devices (this is how logan gets around town in the rain)

the can also cross over fairybridges, which are any natural branch or log arranged to cross a river, but the fae cant deliberately place it themselves. it has to be either a naturally fallen branch, or the fae has to trick trade or otherwise get a human to do it for them. Roman put a log over the creek that borders the back so Remus and Io dont have to go the long way round

[dept-of-monster-affairs]

What is known about the fey courts? Have any people managed to come back from being trapped in the fey lands? Have there ever been reports of humans or monsters being subjugated as servants to the fey—has anyone ever escaped this? I have so many questions.

Thank you for contacting the Department of Monster Affairs. There are no known Fey Courts in the Federation of American States, though there are some across the Veil in woods aligning with our country. Therefore, most of our knowledge at DOMA comes from across the Veil and our sister agencies in Europe.

Across the Veil in the Federal States there are two known large Fey Courts, they call themselves the Court of Renewal and the Court of Old Growth. As far as we know these two courts are fairly new by the standards of Fey Courts as they were created as European settlers colonized North America, bringing with them their stories and thus their associated monsters. Fey Courts themselves are the ruling bodies of Fey and preside over elements of nature, often associated with the seasons such as the famous Court of Summer and Court of Winter. Thus, the Court of Old Growth presides over the old growth forests of the Northeast and Appalachian mountains and the Court of Renewal focuses on new growth and reclaiming land.

The elves and other monsters of these Courts do come to our realm though the ruling elves of the Court themselves do not. With the Court of Old Growth the elves and monsters there are more dangerous to humans and are what in common parlance people would call unseelie. The elves and monsters of the Court of Renewal are much friendlier, though can still be dangerous if you upset them; they have even worked alongside the Forest Amelioration Engineers (FAE) to help rebuild forests in the Federal States. However, friendly or not, do remember that the Federation of American States does not have any treaties with either of these Courts to aid an individual who becomes trapped in their lands.

Along those lines there are known stories of people being trapped or tricked by Fey in the area currently known as the Federal States. In fact, the historic story of Rip Van Winkle does seem to align with a real event from early colonial days where recently imported Fey tricked a man into slumbering for decades. More recently there have been reports of people who disappeared in the northern woods during the Great Incursion returning the same age and claiming to have been trapped by beautiful creatures on the other side. These individuals were either treated like amusing pets or servants but managed to bargain or trick their captors into releasing them. However, it is believed that most people who do fall into the Courts' grasp, if they do escape, maybe still stuck in the realm of myth.

It should be noted that if you come across elves or other fae creatures in the Federal States the vast majority are safe to interact and engage with. Elves from both Courts and other places across the Veil are known to bind their powers to walk and learn among the mortal races. Creatures like fauns, brownies, kobolds, goblins, and other friendly fae creatures are also known to willingly interact with mortals and integrate into our daily lives. For example, you may be familiar with the indie music artist Puck, who is a faun that performs regularly across the Federal States and Great Lakes Union.

Hopefully, this answered some of your questions, if you have any more please contact us again. Thank you for contacting the Department of Monster Affairs.

[unfriendly-local-mahou-seinen]

I think the fae's usual aversion / inability to lie is why I'm so damn pleased that I personally am able to do so.

Does that make me rude? Oh definitely. But it's really fun to do.

[monstersholygrail]

Went to a Japanese Tea Garden yesterday and it was so breathtakingly beautiful and majestic. My mind started to wander as I was looking around and I couldn’t help but imagine how many monsters would be scurrying about if they were real.

Little fairies playing in the plants and playing amusing tricks on the people that pass by. Lighting up the sky once it gets darks and makes the garden look even more lovely.

Trolls hiding under all the bridges and just waiting to squirm out and force the visitors to answer their riddles if they wish to continue over the bridge.

Water dragons gliding through the shimmering waters of the garden. A protective monster who looks out for the wellbeing of the garden and wants to keep it looking pretty. May splash some water in your face if it’s feeling playful.

All sorts of forest entity monsters from all walks of life. Drawn in by the garden’s beauty and the people who come there to see it.

A mix of monsters where even if they don’t always get along there’s a peaceful sense of harmony within the space.