THE WEST VIRGINIAN FAERIES

Faeries are hard-working fae whose bodies change with the season, time of day, and their environment; unlike other kinds of fae, they do not have individual personalities or concerns but are part of a hierarchy and hive mind. Faeries’ main purpose in life is to ensure the land’s transition into spring, summer, and fall, as well as help plants and animals reproduce or survive.

HABITAT

LOCATIONS DISCOVERED West Virginia

Faeries have distinct territories, of which they are to care for alongside nymphs and/or sylphs. “Roedoden” is the name given to the West Virginian variety of common faerie.

KIND

Faeries are classified into six different jobs: care for land vegetation, land creatures, flying creatures, aquatic life, weather, and procreation. Most faeries are responsible for taking care of plants and animals on land, as there are so many to look after; others focus on flying creatures or plants and animals living in the waters. The smallest group creates signs to inform others of upcoming weather, while a second, small assembly helps plants create seeds and germinate, in addition to helping animals find one another. Each worker has unique abilities and magic to help them carry out their tasks; as their bodies morph, little else is needed day to day, aside from sustenance.

APPEARANCE

Like each local breed, they have unique patterns of activity and magic. Faeries change their appearance to match their habitat (blending into fields, rivers, caves, and other settings); Roedoden often look like a cluster of mushrooms, a tree branch, leaf, or flower.

DIET AND FEEDING

Faeries are mostly herbivorous, eating leaves, bark, grasses, vines; however, they may also consume discarded snakeskin and insect carapaces, small stones, and dirt. The fae do not have to eat very much to keep their small forms in working condition, though they may eat more during the spring, as casting numerous spells is taxing on the body.

ACTIVITY

Roedoden have no genitalia or reproductive organs; instead, they grow from a sentient, ever-present seed, which forces its way into the ground once exposed to air. The seed is mobile, moving very slowly with help from tiny, leg-like hairs that encircle its exterior. Deep in the ground, the seed sprouts limbs first, then a long head, and lastly, wings—all of which forms around the seed, enveloping it in flesh. A faery is fully formed by its second spring, waking from its metamorphoses and knowing its place in the world.

These seeds remain inside of the entity’s core for their entire life. Once the being passes away, the seed repeats the process and becomes a new faery. If the faery is eaten by another organism, the seed will survive the process unaffected; once expelled, it will seek out a suitable location to revive and grow from.

Evil fae, like Grave Pucks, however, target these seeds and grind them into powder; destruction of the seed ends the fae’s reincarnation. It is said that if there are too few faeries in an area, an elf will create new ones to restore balance.

Even though faeries are reborn and are part of a hive mind, they do not remember past lives; they are also incapable of having individual memories or emotions, living solely as parts of a whole, ends to means. Fae do not have social lives, only conversing for work-related purpose and gathering for complex magic or tasks.

Magic spells include being able to: alter wind strength, a plant’s blossoming and dormancy, animal coloration, generate animal calls, effectively disperse/grow seeds, influence plant growth, animal behavior, minor weather patterns, and local temperatures. Faeries may also call animals to their aid if they are endangered, as well as animate trees or other vegetation to protect them from harm.

Four Seasons | Forms and Activities

Spring is the busiest time for all faeries, as they wake nature, restore life, and gain back their power after a restful winter. Roedodens play a large part in West Virginian wildlife: they coax earthworms from their tiny eggs, remind crickets to sing, and gently wake all animals from hibernation; they send for robins and wild geese to return to the fields, force bees from their hives, and paint hares brown; they cause rivers to swell from melted snow and spring showers, giving fish room to roam; snakes are placed in their favorite spots, and the melodies of frogs are directed; the fae whisper in humans’ ears to plant gardens and clean, breathe blossoms onto trees, and cast spells on the ground, causing vibrant green foliage to shoot up. Faeries are the strongest in the spring when birds serenade nature with them, flowers brighten their countenance, and gentle winds, sputtering rain, and golden sunshine break the monotony of winter.

With summer and its humidity, the faeries slow, but are still busy; they quicken fruit-bearing plants’ growth, return the voices of whippoorwills and BoWhites, and lead lightning bugs back to their nightly performances.

Autumn is preferred to summer by the faeries, as more engaging, entertaining spells are used, like staining vegetation an array of color, bringing to fruition a variety of produce, and helping animals grow fat from nature’s bounty; the fae also alert birds of when to begin migrating and plans for next season are pondered, set.

As winter nears and temperatures drop, faeries weaken, slow, and seek hiding spots to dwell in throughout the season. Over the next few months, the fae do move as often or as fast, and lose the ability to cast spells. Faeries are most vulnerable at this time, hunted by other creatures and fae for their seeds and flesh, which may be used in dark rituals or potions. Oftentimes, the small fae will hide within trees, eating bark and resting; other wintering locations may include caves, beehives, empty bird nests, and thickets.

FOLKLORE & SUPERSTITION

Fae that are not involved in assisting nature’s processes alert others to upcoming weather. Long ago, human-oriented fae taught humans these signs, some of which are kept in mind to this day:

1. When a faery casts a spell painting the sky pink in the evening, the weather will be fair tomorrow, but if the sky is pink in the morning, the weather will be poor.

2. When the bark on trees is greatly peeling, it is a sign that too many growth spells have been used; this causes the land to undergo an unusually cold winter.

3. If raccoons are coaxed to sleep in the trees, the winter will be very cold; otherwise, the winter will be short and mild (this is usually due to faeries not needing to cast as many spells to regulate or enliven nature).

4. If the summer is uncharacteristically hot, faeries have to expend more energy, tiring faster sooner—which allows winter to be worse than usual.

5. When the leaves turn over, exposing their bellies, there will be rain soon.

6. Rain at the beginning of the week signals that most of the week will be rainy.

7. Wind blowing from the east signifies an upcoming change in the weather.

8. When a circle appears around the moon, temperatures will temporarily drop.

9. A warm winter means a horrible, death-filled winter next year; during warm winters, faeries continue to work without rest and are not able to conserve energy for the next year, becoming especially weak over the next seasons.

10. A caterpillar with a black front half signifies an early winter, but if the back half is black, it means a late spring.