Faerie Long ago, those of the Fae decided to leave the mortal realm behind. Banding together, all of the Fae made a collective decision to call the Wild Magic and ask for a place to dwell where the humans could never find them. Where they could be safe, and live the way they thought was best. Thus, the Faerie Realm was born. Vast and beautiful, Faerie is ever growing and yet rarely changing. It plays host to the countless beings which came together to help create it. The Land understands the nature of the magic used to make it better than the Fae, for the Land is the magic, and the magic is the Land. If any specific group of Fae dwelling in the Land ever goes extinct, Faerie will thus begin to die. While there are no true borders in Faerie, most of the peoples have their own seats of power - and the Mirror Courts have their own specific halves of Faerie as well. The Mirror Courts are labeled 'Seelie' and 'Unseelie'. Most people of the Fae fall under one of the two categories (with the exception of the Dwarves, who do not belong to the Mirror Courts at all). There are a few types who are seen to be all in one or the other, though most of the peoples can be found in both. The following description lists the differences of the Courts. Seelie; 'The Glittering Ones', 'The Sunshine Court', 'The Court of Light', are all terms applied to those who find themselves of the Seelie Kin. While the Seelie make up the typical image one would apply to modern folklore - the soft, gentle, sunny, sparkling ideals - they are not without their darkness as well. However, the Seelie do represent the positive side of their nature more openly and frequently, therefore a lot of Seelie are very much about appearances. If something looks like it could be evil by nature, just on appearance alone - the Seelie would never allow it in to be part of their Court. Therefore, many races of the Fae have been rejected from this Court. Unseelie; 'The Darklings', 'The Orphan Court', 'The Court of Dusk', are all terms applied to those of the Unseelie Kin. In the understanding that the Unseelie represent not only the 'true face of Nature under the glittering veil', but also that which Seelie just did not want, this side of the spectrum is much larger and far more varied than the other face of the Mirror. Despite this, they also shelter many of the weaker or less organized of the races, those labeled 'just not good enough' to be on the other side. While the Unseelie do not rely so much upon the standing of their appearances, they are still a deeply proud type. They are not, however, inherently evil to their core - even if some of them may look like they would be. One thing to remember with the Mirror Courts - appearances and magic bases can be deceiving. There are sayings in Faerie which relate to the Mirror Courts: 'There is always Light in the Darkness, and always Darkness in the Light'. 'The Sun may light the way, but the Sun also scorches.' 'The Darkness brings both the shrouds of sorrow and that of haven from trouble.' At the moment, the two Courts are at peace with one another. Those within the two Courts are at liberty to intermingle with one another, and to visit the spaces of land which each Court claims as their own. Despite this, there are still predominant tensions which will never go away, even in times of peace. Among both Courts there are commoners as well as the nobility. While it is the nobility's job to make sure Faerie remains protected, as well as to deal in the political aspects of the Mirror Courts; it is the commoner's job to make sure that Faerie remains beautiful and alive with culture. Commoners are often seen in occupations which range from merchants to artisans and from farmers to tailors. While the Brownies have most household tasks under their thumb for the nobility, the rest of the Fae commons have their own purposes to uphold - all while enjoying daily mischief and adventure like any other soul would wish to find in life. Generally, Faerie is a very lovely, comfortable place to live - unless there is a time of War between the Mirror Courts. Generally, Faerie society and culture is a very open minded thing. Notions such as homophobia and misogyny are unheard of in Faerie. Gender equality is predominant throughout all of Faerie, (aside from within Dwarven culture - which is predominantly male driven on whole) and most to all people of the Fae have never used terms like 'whore', or 'slut', as such does not exist within the vocabularies of the Faerie Realm. Those of the Land are sexually open, with little shame being attached to nudity, public displays of affection or even sex in public. Orgies are not unheard of, nor or they uncommon to come across while the peoples of Faerie are not currently in task with their given occupations. As long as one's partner(s) are of the age and ability to consent, and are indeed consenting, sex is thought to be pleasurable, natural and available to and by all. While there is such an open attitude towards sex on a whole, marriage is still something which is held sacred to the multitude of those of the Faerie Realm. Marriages are more common among the Fae who have lifespans, but it is not just confined to these types of peoples. Indeed, Marriage can be found in all society of Fae, and is open to all couples - regardless of their gender matches. While it is not always necessary for this pact to be made, True Love is often the reason why couples do wed. Due to this, citizens of Fae do indeed take Marriage very seriously on whole. True Love is rare, sacred and deeply treasured by the people of the Fae. Adultery, therefore, is a serious taboo in Faerie, for it is known to be harmful to the heart and spirit of the jilted partner. Further notes on the Faerie Realm are as follows: * There is no technology outside of the Dwarven Kingdom, and even that is powered by steam and magic. Things like electronics and the internet are not possible to have in Faerie. After all, they have magic. * Clothing is typically ornate among the nobility, while less so in the commoners - though it is more due to practicality in the commoners than it is to do with riches or lack there of. Clothing is often androgynous, though some enjoy styles which resemble more 'old world' fashions found in Europe and Asia. * Modern clothing is rarely seen, and a mark of someone who likes to venture among the humans. Furthermore, while tattooing is possible and does happen among the peoples of the Fae, it is mostly seen outside of the nobility of all the different peoples. It is more or less tribal in fashion. Modern tattoos and piercings are also things which are rarely seen, and will mark someone who likes to venture among the humans. This isn't exactly frowned on, but it is sometimes seen as being 'abnormal'.

The Mortal Realm While there are many portals throughout the world, the one right outside of the fictional town of Greenbrier, New York will be the center of our mortal realm focus. Greenbrier is surrounded in forested area which is home and sometimes hunting grounds to the mystical creatures which still find themselves comfortable enough to live among the mortals. This town is small, as well as relatively secluded. There aren't many differences in Greenbrier and most 'normal' towns of its ilk. The citizens live in modern homes, with modern technology at their fingertips. There's very little to set it apart from the rest of the contemporary world - much like any other place which plays host to a Faerie Portal. While most humans aren't aware that there are fantastical creatures among them, there are a select few souls who have been made very much aware. There is an ongoing agreement between the witches/warlocks of the area and those of Faerie who use the portal. While the roots of this agreement aren't often touched on, it was established long ago in order to help those Fae seeking to visit the mortal realm adjust to the cultural differences they would find once outside of Faerie. In return for this help, the Fae have agreed to offer protection and sometimes magical assistance/boosting to those human spell-casters whom work on such friendly levels with them. After all, most of the older Sidhe in both Courts know that their race is the most responsible for these human magic users in the first place. Currently, there is a young man by the name of Felix Song who has inherited the responsibility of 'guardianship' over the Faerie Portal, as far as the human side of things are concerned. His family has held the reigns of human-fae relations for just over a century, since first arriving in Greenbrier. Along with the store, 'The Web of Magick', that they opened in the mid-90's, Felix's family has maintained a hostel which is open only to citizens of the Faerie Realm. This hostel is found deep in the woods, near the portal between Faerie and the mortal realm. It is a sprawling mansion with plenty of room for housing of traveling Fae. While many locals are aware of its presence, no mundane human has ever stayed there. There's never any vacancies, it seems, whenever one tries to book a room.