Many of us that look into darker stories will learn of fey. Now, I've seen many stories with them in HP fanfiction. It either goes 2 ways:
1) Author totally messes up folklore and they become plot device to initate Super!Harry.
b) Author gives story unique feel writes great fey-original yet true to legends.

So, I ask you to put some stories with fey that you think are good, write your own interpretation of them and put story hook how you would work them into story.
I''ll start.
Stories:First that come to mind are Harry Potter and Blood of fey and Grimm:A Fairy's tale.

My interpretation:

Nature of fey: Eldritch means strange, uncanny,incomprehensible,elven,elvish connected to faeries. As such, I see fey as eldritch abominations, whose main trait is that they lack soul-which to me is spiritual part that is found in everything, from living beings to seconds. As such, fey are completely other. They are at basic level more like force, without anything to describe them, and as they grow they strive to change themselves and weave traits and quirks into themselves.

Their power: To me, I cannot see fey fighting wizards. I see them as alien, powerful beings, that are greatly restricted in use of that power (fact they''ll hide), have to follow some rules ( for example, cannot perform genocide or massive punishment awaits them), and if they pay attention to mortal world, they''ll just manipulate. With me there are 7 types of their power levels. First are '''smaller'' mass destruction-cities and minor countries. Second are bigger-continents and regions. Third are capable of destroying planet and reality warping. Fourth are power on cosmic level-capable of destroying solar systems and galaxies and so on. Fifth is level of most fey, one that can destroy,create or warp dimensions and realities on upper scale. Sixth are kind of archfey, that are less persons and more forces of nature, capable of doing previously stated to multiverses and so on. Seventh are Kings and Queens of 2 Courts, who are omnipotent.

Courts: I really cannot see one race having one ruler. So Courts of Seelie and Unseelie are combination of countless more. Every of those mini courts has ruler, while Monarchs of Courts mostly deal with laws that apply to all, big interantional messes, interaction with other beings and keeping world to wok-mystically.Their differences are these:
Live in different worlds.
Seelie are calm,Unseelie passionate.
Seelie are subtle, Unseelie direct.
Seelie prefer complicated things like diplomatic games, while Unseelie prefer simplicity,like hunt.
Seelie are focused, while Unseelie are very fickle and have different reactions to same thing depending on moment.
Seelie interact with individuals in scope on bigger picture and logic, while Unseelie interact with them based how individuals behaved in correlation with them (Unseelie)
Seelie do things that are ''needed'' somehow, while Unseelie do unnecessary things.

Relationship between those 2: I can't buy idea that everybody has same opinion. so there are many factions-some wish to go to war with eachother, some wish to ally, some don't care and some think they should unite.

Story hook: Somebody in moment of desperation strikes bargain with some minor fae of level 1 or 2. Fae accepts, hoping it will gain advantage to ascend to higher end of ladder.

 

Looks like you just ripped that from the Dresden Files.

 

Nah. There are plenty of elf!Harry and Fairy!Harry fics. None are good, mind you. If you want the Fae used well, go for Dresden Files.

 

This is a bit embarrassing to admit; but Laurell K. Hamilton's Merry Gentry series built it's porn from some great fey origin tales.

While execution was done in standard LKH way, what with the sex magic, orgy magic, male harem magic, etc. The lore was great.

 

Sorry, I didn't understand what you mean-something specific or whole post? If whole, well then I didn't base this on DF. There is a lot of differences. DF fey are something along lines of nature spirits, while my fey's main trait is that they are unnatural abominations. DF fey are constantly in conflict, while here I described that in my head there are different political opinions. DF also do not have subcourts. But Df has some of best fey-it is one of first things that pop up in my head when i hear fey, along with Changeling The Lost, Sandman, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Lords and Ladies and similar

---------- Post automerged at 05:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:28 PM ----------

Yes, I agree. Because of that I made this thread-for writers that want to use fey and to discuss ways to do so without being blatant vent for character worship and plot devices. But check out Grimm a fairy's tale, it is one of best fics out there.

---------- Post automerged at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 PM ----------

Yes. That is reason why she can be so frustrating-she does great world building and starts making interesting characters, and then it all develops in crazy porn...

Still, how would you do fey or do you have some good stories in such theme?

 

I'd focus on the illusion aspect; tricks, bargains, but even then they're nothing more than illusions. That'd make intrigue the main focus of the story.

And one thing I wouldn't do tho; would be to explain everything that ever happened in the world's history fit into one pattern.

 

Sounds great. I find that very boring-everything be explained ( especially immediatly) and fitting in one formula. It is much more interesting when author leaves clues and leaves room for many interpretation.
What power level would they be? What would be courts like?

 

I remember Prince of the Dark Kingdom having an interesting take on fae, though I don't remember the particulars.

Same for Grimm: A Fairy's Tale.

Check them out if you're interested.

 

Fey definitely wouldn't be the only members of the supernatural community. Power levels are a tough one to answer as their power would rely on illusion. I think every creature has it's strong side, as well as a weak side. You wouldn't see a werewolf beating a fae when it comes to glamour, but it's really up to how you wanna convey things. I wouldn't make them all powerful and would try to fit races seamlessly into each other.

I get that the usual thing being done when you create an urban fantasy setting is; you make supernatural creatures very strong compared to the mortal man and that the only reason they're in hiding is that humans has more population, there are weapons of mass destruction etc. I'm not really fan of that.

Supernatural creatures should be stronger than humans yes, but not strong enough that while you give reasons to the separation between factions it's really a moot point when you really compare their power levels.

Am I making any sense?

 

Read Grimm already. That other fic sounds interesting. How would you do them?

---------- Post automerged at 07:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:17 PM ----------

You are and it sounds great. Have you written anything?
Your description of fae reminds me of Pracchet's elves. Any such crossover would be short, for where are elves, there are Lancre witches, armed to teeth with Borrowing, blackmail, frying pans and axes and armors of fictional warrior queens.
That makes so much sense.

Still, this was meant as fanfic discussion. Since there are obviously no fae in Harry Potter ( if you don't count creatures based on some lesser ones like house elves=brownies), if writer wishes to insert them, There needs to be reason why they are removed.

 

Sadly, I'm a shitty writer. Tried a couple of times, but I don't have the ability nor the commitment that such an undertaking as writing requires.

Hey there were doxies and cornish pixies as well, plus redcaps.

 

Pity.

Yes, but that's why I say based off. There is no allergy to iron,bargaining, inability to lie, binding promises or great danger.

 

Prince of the Dark Kingdom pulls it off, but only because Voldemort's druidic side is the most interesting thing about that fic and the fey are just part of that. I think this is a good lesson to take - if you have true-to-myth, really powerful fey, the power of the "Old Ways" needs to be a major part of your AU world. If you want to drop them into a more canon universe, then the fey need to undergo the same process as all of the other sentient mythological creatures did in being translated to the HP universe; they should be bound by humans in some way, differently powerful but markedly less powerful than wizards either inherently or by law (the laws against goblin wand ownership come to mind), etc. Their inherent flaws shouldn't be along the lines of "oh, we just can't interfere directly for xyz reasons" because that reads like an excuse to involve Harry (or whoever) in their plans.

 

Thanks very much! It is really detailed and nice critique. Now, goblins, trolls, mer, pixies, house elves are all fey originally, so it could be mix of both. I also wouldn't expect for fae nobles to take notice of some wizards. Like I put above, I can only see some who is bottom of social hierarchy meddling with them-able to deal with wizards easily, but it being tough game when it comes to taking on more or somebody powerful.

How would you portray them?

 

I'm as guilty of this as the next author. Including the fae, that is. Perhaps more so than most.

Often, to pull it off, it relies as much on what you don't include. What you leave out. The fae are meant to be alien, supernatural. The less said, the less understood, the more believable.

It's a fine line. Whether we talking original or fanfiction. Hard to traverse.

Perhaps somewhat controversially, I think Jim Butcher went too far with his fae. I'm sure he'll prove me wrong in the long run, but as it stands...

 

"Fae" are already incorporated into HP as normal magical creatures. Veela are based on the Polish/Slavic fairy spirit Wila/Vila. Lockhart introduces Cornish pixies in CoS. Other examples abound and can be found in Fantastic Beasts as well as the main series.

The magical world appears to have a taxonomy of magical creatures which evokes traditional mythology without committing to those mythologies being true.

For example, Kelpies, Kappas and Grindylows are referred to as demons, though they have no connection to the Christian mythology sense of the word. Perhaps "fae" is another taxanomic group, of which Veela are a part, as well as pixies, imps, leprechauns and fairies.

But the lack of commitment to the Muggle mythology that surrounds these taxonomic groups is important. Demons and fairies, despite being separate "families" of magical creatures, are normal magical creatures like any other. Some may even have intelligence equal to humans (Veela, probably). But they're still just magical creatures -- there's no special mythology surrounding them that extends the magical world beyond its canon state.

With all of this in mind, I tend to look unfavourably upon matters such as faerie queens, courts etc. in Harry Potter. It just doesn't fit the tone of the HP world, nor its established facts.

 

I agree with you on this point. I thought Butcher's fae were good until they started being too human,

Spoiler

like with Mab originally being human and Molly becoming the winter lady.

As far as fey in fanfiction, it would be difficult to do well unless the canon universe has them. It would be possible if you wanted to do a full AU but probably not worth the effort for just one plot.

 

Oh, could I read that story of yours?

It really hits, it sounds perfect.

Me too. I loved it till he started with their origins..

---------- Post automerged at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 PM ----------

Finally somebody who understands Veelas. 95% of things I find about them is '' J.K.Rowling's creation, creatures that feed on sexual energies. feels like punch in face to have your folklore reduced to that.