\chapter[Fae]{The Fae Folk}

\begin{firstpar}
    The \textsc{fae}, the fair folk, the elves, pixies, gnomes, faeries -- their names are as numerous as the people themselves are diverse. Their diversity stems from the origin: each fae was sung into being from a tree by another of their kind. This is also why, as a rule, they prefer to abide close to trees.
\end{firstpar}

\begin{multicols}{2}
    Many fae will continue to live close to where they were sung, while others move on to a different village, a large city, or they set off into the wilderness.

    Fae communities are fairly loosely knit. Members come and go as their life's path takes them. Of course, form the view of other peoples, the long-lived fae can be a pillar around which a community is built -- a fae may end up living in the same place for a generation before moving on.

    In cities fae integrate fairly closely with other peoples. While their nature sets them somewhat apart from others, their longevity tends to place them at the center of communities. Their constancy also ensures others come to rely on them.

    It might seem such a people would be inherently peaceful, but it's only a matter of time before someone cuts down someone else's birth tree. Fae have frequently been at war among themselves and with other peoples.
\end{multicols}

\section*{The Song}

Fae have sung wood and other natural materials for as long as historical records exist. Many tools and useful items can be made by singing them out of the trunk of a living tree.

There is one song that is considered sacred above all others: the Song used to sing new fae into being.

\begin{multicols}{2}
    The core of the Song -- the main melody and structure -- has, through the millennia, been revised and perfected into a form that ensures a healthy and complete individual is sung out of a tree. This main sequence must not be deviated from, or else the singer risks creating a being of unsound body or mind.

    Around the core of the song, the singer weaves variations that determine the unique shape and soul of the fae being sung. The possible varieties are infinite; for a start, fae don't really subscribe to the concept of sex or gender. They arbitrarily combine what some other peoples might consider gender-specific characteristics. They also vary in physical size from tiny fluttering pixies, to brownies and gnomes, to human-sized elves, to -- if the stories are to be believed -- giants the size of towering redwoods.

    Before an elf is allowed to sing a new fae, they must prove that they know the Song in all its intricacies. They do this by singing the Song to their forebears -- at least two older generations -- in a ceremony. The elders then confirm if the song has been learned correctly, or if more practice is required.

    While trees are the main focus of fae Singing, other plants can be sung too, although to less useful results. Fae sung from smaller plants tend to be close to insects, both in size and nature. Thus, plants are reserved for making tools and other useful items, such as rope.

    Many elves throughout the ages have tried singing stones. The consensus is that rocks are stubborn and ``the crystals sing right back at you.'' Some singers have managed to sing small features, like divots or even small bas-reliefs, but nothing close to a living creature has ever been sung.

    Artificial materials, such as glass or refined metal, are completely unresponsive. They cannot be shaped through song and some elves eschew them in favor of materials they find easier to work.
\end{multicols}

\subsection*{How to sing a fae}

\begin{multicols}{2}
    Before a fae can start singing, they must find an appropriate tree. The kind of tree used has an effect on the fae being sung: for a would-be warrior a strong oak is preferred, while for a pixie, a softwood or balsa wood is used. Above all, the tree should be healthy, strong, and large enough to produce an elf of the desired size.

    Often, the selected tree is marked in some way, to show that a new fae is being sung there. This can be a simple ribbon, tied around the trunk, or a mark cut into the bark. If the singing is particularly important, a community might post a permanent guard to ensure there is no tempering.

    The singing can take months or even years to complete. A well coordinated group of singers can work quite fast, while a single singer working on their magnum opus could take a very long time to complete their work. The choice is never made on speed alone. A group tends to produce average, some say boring, fae, who conform to societal expectations. One elf with a strong vision, on the other hand, can produce a truly unique individual. Fae appreciate individuality, so one or two singers are usually preferred, while group singing is reserved for specific situations. In times of war, groups often work to hastily create new warriors. When a disease ravages a village, new fae are quickly sung to replenish the numbers.

    Once begun, the singing need not be completed in a single session. This is another reason why the process might take a long time: some fae add to their `project' as ideas occur to them. The only critical part is at the end, where the sung wood must be taken from a mostly inanimate shape, to an opening in the tree trunk where the new fae exits, fully formed. This process is arduous process for the singer, not unlike a human birth.

    Once the newly sung individual exits the tree, they leave behind an impression -- a hole in the tree in the exact shape of their body. Over time, the tree regrows the bark around the hole and even fills in some of it, but the impression remains. Beyond that, there is no more physical or metaphysical connection between the fae and the tree they emerged from. While most retain a sentimental connection to the tree, live close to it, or at least visit it often, some happily move on and away.
\end{multicols}

\section*{A Society of Individuals}

\begin{multicols}{2}
    The process of singing leave no lasting connection to either the singers or the tree. This means that all fae are individualistic by nature. They are encouraged to spend some time with the community they were sung into, not least to learn the basics of existing in the world -- while a newly-sung fae is physically an adult, they have no knowledge of any kind. It is, however, not uncommon for newly sung fae to soon set out to explore the world, which quickly washes any remaining naïveté out of the individual.

    Those who survive the experience, usually return to where they were sung, or join a different fae community, and share what they have learned of the world, of themselves and of other peoples. It is also common, at that point, for the fae to want to put what they have learned about other societies and peoples into practice, and sing a fae.

    This is when most fae learn the Song, either from the elders who sung them, or from the elders of another community. A fae will know some of the Song from their time with their original community, but actual learning -- one that could pass testing by the elders -- doesn't take place until later in life. This also means that fae who join a different community cross-pollinate the Songs, creating interesting new variations.

    Fae hermits are also common. The fair folk are in tune with nature and can photosynthesize to some degree, which means they can easily survive on their own, away from civilization. Some have been known to get lost for decades, before returning to their village.
\end{multicols}

\section*{The Eternal Ones}

\begin{multicols}{2}
    Once a fae is sung, they remain more or less unchanging for the rest of their life. The most obvious sign if this is that they do not age. While that means they do not die of old age, there are plenty of other causes of death to choose from. War, disease, starvation -- there are many reasons why a fae might not reach an old age; the smaller members may even succumb to predation. Young fae are especially vulnerable, as they are easily taken advantage of by more experienced people.

    Fae who have been injured can sometimes be healed with song. The process is even more complicated than singing a fae anew, and only extremely skilled singers would attempt it. Simple wounds and minor diseases are normally left to heal on their own. A missing arm, on the other hand, might prompt the fae to attempt a regrowing. Even if they find someone to sing them new limbs, they try to reproduce the original shape, as trying to make a change might risk producing an incompatible body.

    This unchanging nature has another effect: to call fae, ``set in their ways,'' would be an understatement. They may acquire knowledge, but their temperament remains the same. This makes fae relationships either extremely short-lived, or lifelong. That is not to say that all fae are intransigent -- some are even pathologically compliant -- but their behavior does not change.

    While most fae die sooner or later, some manage to survive for centuries. As noted before, they do not age or change their behavior much, so it would be wrong to expect old fae to be fonts of wisdom. They do, however, make good chroniclers. Many a fae has been able to resolve an old conflict, simply by remembering how it began.

    A danger to old fae is a kind of ennui -- a listlessness that causes fae to simply give up. This could be caused by running out of things to do, or by frustration at their own or others' inability to change. Some walk into the wilderness and are never seen again, others take their own life. Sometimes, they do not actually die, but rather go into a form of meditation or hibernation, where they stand or sit in one spot until they become a part of the landscape. Such fae have been known to eventually wake up, if the circumstances prompt it. But more often, they slowly decay until they die.
\end{multicols}

\section*{Elf in the City}

Fae cities are rare. Their individualist nature means communities large enough to be called `a city' do not generally form. Large congregations of fae are usually stretched across a whole forest, with hardly a center and few fortifications.

\begin{multicols}{2}
    On the other hand, fae who set out from their home to seek adventure sooner or later end up in a different culture's city. Other peoples, being aware of fae's natural constancy, are cautiously welcoming toward them. 
    
    It is common for a fae, after initial familiarization, to become an integral member of the community. In fact, most cities do not have a separate fae community, as such, but many fae become local leaders in groups in different parts of the city. Either due to their personality, or by sheer Brownian motion of age, fae drift toward the center of societies, where they can remain for decades, before moving on.

    New fae are almost never sung in cities, both due to a general lack of suitable trees, and because the tree would likely be cut down soon after.
\end{multicols}

\section*{The Elfsong War}

\begin{multicols}{2}
    The Elfsong War started with a song and ended with a song.
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