The Fae Court

The Fae Court is the name given to the religion surrounding the powerful Fae who live in the Selva. The most powerful Fae are called ‘regents’ and can act like gods to give power and prestige to those they wish to reward.

Religious Origins
The Fae have been a part of the Selva for as long as the jungle has existed. Manifestations of nature combined with mortal emotions, in the past individuals waxed and waned depending on the nature of the mortals currently living in the jungle, and any worship went directly to individual Fae rather than through any formal structure.

This changed around the same time the Sylvans began to emerge as a race, closely monitored by Mercier and the other Fae regents of the time. With their instruction, the early Sylvans created the Court as it exists today.

Modern Practice
The Court is essentially a formalised way to send petitions, offerings and prayers to the Fae and receive blessings and favours back. At any one time, the Court has a set number of regents, chosen based on personal power, favour in the mortal world, and skill at manipulating the complex political system of the Court itself. The process of electing regents is arcane and almost impossible for mortals to understand, but it’s known it involves various rounds of voting from the lesser Fae as well as a counting of mortal prayers and offerings.

In practice, worship of the Fae is done through hundreds of small rituals and offerings that vary depending on season, location, race, and the identity or mood of the specific Fae. Examples include lighting coloured candles at sunset for Mercier, burying the heart of a slaughtered animal for the Great Stag, and collecting and keeping safe any yellow stones you find for Degato. There are also certain things you must do in certain situations - for example, if you see a butterfly wild in the jungle you should sing to it so it carries your voice to Mercier, and you must never pick a flower under the light of a full moon.

Instructions on what to do when are never written down, and are instead passed from parent to child through story and song. This makes the Court particularly impenetrable to outsiders and any non-Sylvan worshippers usually had a Fae or Sylvan friend to explain the rules to them. Every so often an outsider will do something (usually accidentally) that either greatly pleases or angers a Fae regent, which is another way non-Sylvans get drawn into the world of the Court. The Fae place no importance on whether you follow their religion or any other - if you are in the jungle they consider you within their domain. The only exception is within the walls of Amaroth, and the Fae refuse to discuss why this is. Among the Sylvans, there are those who devote their lives to understanding all the rituals of the Fae and acting as an intermediary between mortals and Fae. They call themselves ‘Fairui’ and they are always present at the birth of a Sylvan child to convey their true name to them. As by the nature of their jobs Fairui know the true names of many Sylvans, they command a great deal of respect among their communities and even have some standing among the Fae themselves.

In addition to the rules governing the day to day life of followers of the Fae Court, there are also multiple festivals celebrating either some annual event or a specific regent. The end of the dry season is marked by Lucerna Night, a celebration of the coming of the rainy season and a thanks to Mercier for creating and husbanding the Sylvan people. It is celebrated by lighting multi-coloured candles in windows and in doorways, and setting off colourful fireworks and enchanted paper butterflies. Mercier is said to visit houses on Lucerna, and couples wishing to conceive will make a special bed for her to bless and create a special doll made of butterfly wings. Wax from the burnt candles is then kept and used in fertility and protection magics. At the height of the rainy season is Gratissima, a 24 hour period where lesser Fae are welcomed into the town to dance and celebrate with the mortals. It is a time when the veil between the Faewild and the mortal world is thin, and it is considered a blessed time for divinations and making deals. Most Fae-type Sylvans are born on or around this day, but any children born on Gratissima are considered to be blessed by the Fae and more likely to be protected.

Religious Structure
Outside of the Sylvan settlements, there is very little formal structure for the Court. The main structures are as much a part of Sylvan culture as they are a strictly religious organisation. As a people, Sylvans tend to be led by charismatic local leaders or heroes and there may be great variation in local myths between different settlements. Keeping the people unified is the great web of the Fairui who are able to communicate through the Faewild, making physical distance no object.

While Fairui are rarely the actual leaders of a settlement, they are always consulted before any major decisions are taken and they are often the power behind the throne as they are seen as the voice of the Fae. In day to day life, Fairui act as historians and advisors, and they often have some level of medical skill, alchemical knowledge and hedge magic. Due to the level of responsibility associated with the role, training is a multi-stage process that begins in childhood and can continue for over 100 years. Fairui aspirants are known as Fairui-hin, and while most are Sylvans the Fae refuse no-one on race alone.

In the outside world, Fairui are regarded as priests or clerics of the Court, and are usually treated respectfully but with great caution. Fairui of all kinds cannot enter the city of Amaroth.