Fairies

Fairies are humanoid creatures found on many magic-rich worlds. They are easily identified by a pair of insect wings growing on their back where the shoulder blades are located, accompanied by a pair of thin, insect-like antennae growing from their forehead. Their frame is lithe and slender, and both their hair and eyes are often of bright colors. Some fairies also posses pointed ears.

Biological Traits

Fairies share an uncanny number of traits in common with elves. Aside from having a similar physical appearance, their bones are just as light and ill-suited for physical combat as elves are. Furthermore, both races age much slower than other humanoids and possess a natural affinity for magic. It's interesting to note that many worlds boasting a sizable elf population also host an environment where fairies thrive. Being a world saturated with magic, it's no surprise that a large population of both elves and fairies live in Felarya. All of these facts have led some researchers to theorize that they may have once shared a common ancestor that split off long ago into the two different species we now know today.

Magic is as natural to fairies as breathing and they are almost all born with magical powers. They learn to cast simple spells at a very young age, ranging from illusions all the way to enchantments, elemental magic, and possibly more. As they grow older, fairies often develop an affinity toward a specific type of magic, not unlike how a human develops a talent or interest in a certain field with age. Like elves, they have an innate talent and understanding toward more complex magic arts like rule-based and primordial magic, and are naturally more resistant against spells than other humanoids. Combined with their swiftness in flight, surprisingly good reflexes and craftiness, fairies often stand as far deadlier opponents than their cute exterior would make people think. Many species of Felaryan insects, however, are feared by fairies, as they typically possess very strong magic resistance. Tonorions in particular are among the most dangerous creatures a fairy could possibly face, and some people believe they are their natural predator.

A fairy's magic is stored in their wings, meaning that if damaged, their magic power would decrease drastically or stop working altogether. Fairies are well aware of this crippling weakness and so make full use of their ability to sense the magical signature of other creatures both as a hunting tool and as a way to detect potential danger. Interestingly, dragonfly and butterfly wings seem to be the most common wing type among fairies, though the shape and type of wings have no effect on their magic. Fairy wings are highly sought after by mages, especially alchemists, and can fetch a ridiculously high price on some markets. Quite a few overzealous fairy hunters come to Felarya in the hopes of making their fortune there. Unsurprisingly, they very rarely last long in this perilous world because they tend to bring horribly inadequate fairy hunting equipment with them. It is commonly believed that a fairy's antennae are feelers designed to detect magic, but there isn't enough evidence to support that theory."

Size-Shifting Magic

The most feared ability of Felaryan fairies is their size-shifting magic. They are able to change their size at will, from 3 inches to about 100 feet within mere seconds, although this range varies from one fairy to another, and in some very rare cases, a fairy may be unable to change their size at all, effectively leaving them stuck in one size. Fairies usually prefer to stay tiny as it gives them more room to maneuver and a plethora of hiding places. Like with their other magic powers, a fairy with damaged or broken wings is unable to change their size. A disabled fairy can quickly get in a world of trouble and fall dramatically in the food chain order until their wings heal again.

Almost all fairies also possess the innate ability to temporarily alter the size of another creature in a similar fashion. This power is however not without drawbacks. In order to effectively alter a creature's size, a fairy must be relatively close to their target and have to concentrate for a few seconds. A careless fairy trying to shrink an armed human right in the open would find themselves wide open for a counterattack. As such, fairies rarely use this ability as a weapon unless they know for certain they can safely get away with it, and prefer to neutralize dangerous preys with other spells first. It is possible for a fairy to affect multiple targets at once if they are powerful enough, but all of their preys must be close to each other.

Naturally, fairies cannot effectively shrink something if its magic resistance is too strong, however the same holds true if the creature's original size is too big. The ceiling on what is considered too big varies widely from fairy to fairy, but suffice to say, shrinking something like a giant naga or even a Kensha Beast to the size of a human would normally be an impossible feat unless the fairy is abnormally powerful. The reverse is also true as fairies are usually unable to enlarge a creature past this same threshold.

A creature who has had its size changed by a fairy usually returns to its normal size within a time lapse varying depending on the fairy's power. However, unlike a typical size-altering spell whose effect end as soon as the magic runs out, the effects of a fairy's size-shifting spell last indefinitely as long as the affected item stay withing a certain range of the fairy who cast it. As such, an adventurer who has been swallowed by a fairy won't ever revert to his or her normal size while it remains trapped inside the fairy's stomach. Oddly, when a fairy shrinks or grow, whatever shrunken creature held in their stomach grows and shrinks along with them. Some clever fairies have trained to enlarge preys in their belly, either to get the most out of their catch or to compensate for a poor hunt. Similarly, mundane items worn or carried by a fairy also changes size alongside them. Some items such has fairy glass have been crafted specifically to keep preys shrunk indefinitely while the fairy is away. People speculate whether or not this is unique to a fairy's magic, or if the presence of strong fairy magic would also affect a size-altering spell cast by other creatures. Nobody is in a hurry to find out for obvious reasons.

Obviously, shrinking or enlarging an inanimate object is much easier as they are completely devoid of magic resistance. The ceiling on how big an object can be enlarged is substantially more lenient and it's not too difficult for a fairy to keep inanimate items at their new size with dedicated training. Most magic items are a different story, as their mystical nature lends them an inherent magic resistance like other living creatures. The more powerful the magic, the more difficult it is for a typical fairy to affect them. It's important to note that a fairy's magical power do not increase or decrease with their size the same way physical strength does. A fairy's illusions, charms or enchantment would be no more believable or powerful if cast while giant than if cast while tiny and casting a giant fireball or a shower of lightning bolts is just as difficult and taxing whether the fairy is big or small, hence why fairies also prefer to rely on stealth and stay at a small size."

On Felarya, fairies are widely feared and considered dangerous predators. They are voracious, they can fly, and they are often efficient spell casters. They love to snack on adventurers in the jungle, usually after shrinking them. They pose such a threat that a popular -but erroneous- belief is that being eaten by a fairy is the primary cause of death for humans on Felarya.