demeleier_moderators | ☙major non-player characters

NPC involvement in logs, plots, and tags may be requested by players at any time! Please contact us however is most comfortable for you with your request. Information about run-of-the-mill fae can be found at the bestiary.

Royalty
The Guardian / The Faerie King
The Queen

Around the Village
Aelwen, the Glaistig
Rawhead and Bloodbones

Fae to Remember
Black Annis
Dullahan
Jenny Greenteeth
Nuckelavee
Tam Lin

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the guardian / the faerie king

caomhnoir

A powerful and god-like fae, who was once shattered into five pieces. With the help of Demeleier's residents, he has been made whole again—yet with "the Guardian" still as his strongest aspect. Your character will find him in Demeleier's Temple, though now he travels the land more freely.

Physically, he takes on the appearance of an important man in your life, for good or for ill; not only that, but the appearance often shifts or warps, making it so that the particulars could change at any given moment between blinks of your eye.

His demeanour tends toward being more benevolent, but make no mistake—he is still fae and wild. His idea of benevolence may not always match up to yours. An offer of aid may just as well put a character through strife as a "growing experience," as much as he may soothe their anxieties as kindly as any father might soothe his child.

His goal is to dismantle Demeleier. He seeks to return everyone home where they belong, as he never approved of his wife's decision to create this land and bring people into it against their wills.

Location: The Temple

the queen
banrighinn
[image 1] | [image 2] | [image 3] | [image 4]

The Queen is as she is titled. She is the ruler of the Fair Folk, and is just as whimsical, beautiful and deadly as her people. She is the game's main antagonist, and as close to all-powerful as they come.

Physically, the Queen changes her form near constantly. When speaking to your character, however she will often take on the form of an important woman in their life. The form will appear very similar, but oddly twisted – the teeth will be too sharp, the skin too unearthly, the hair too flyaway, etc – and oddly beautiful. She has an enchanting voice and powerful glamour, and can, if she so chooses, enchant a resident to become utterly enamored of her. This is especially the case for those who have, at some point or another, explicitly aligned themselves with her interests.

The Queen is extremely powerful, extremely interested in the characters who reside in Demeleier, and extremely volatile. One moment she will croon her love for the residents, and the next she will be sending out curse after curse upon them in response to a slight only she appears to understand. However, her love is as real as her wrath; she is generous to those whom she offers her gifts.

The Queen cannot be killed, and will retaliate to any attempts on her life with terrifying fury.

She originally created Demeleier as a reaction and response to the modernization and demystification of the "real world"—so much did she crave being loved and feared again that she forged the countryside, and sought to fill it with interesting people from a wide variety of dimensions and realms. When her husband, the King, protested and sought to stop her, she shattered him into five pieces: the Erlking, the Red Etin, the Elfin King, the Long Man, and, of course, the Guardian.

Thus she ruled over Demeleier for several years with her power unchecked, until very recently.

Location: Beyond the Troupe

aelwen, the glaistig
[image 1]

Aelwen is the Glaistig who takes up station in Demeleier's station during the spring and summer. She's fairly attractive, with long blond hair and golden eyes, smooth, pale skin - and is often naked to the waist. Her legs are that of a goat, but are often hidden behind a green skirt.

If a portion of the food made that day is placed in a corner of the stable, then she will care of the cow and the goats, milking, feeding and cleaning them, and will also fuss over the horses from time to time. When she is present, she will act as the complete authority in the stables, and briskly order other people around when they come in.

She's quite difficult to like. She acts as though she the boss, and isn't above being petty with insults, or even throwing stones, at people she decides are in her way or bad for the animals. If you happen to be in her good books, however, she will joke and laugh with you.

Her voice is strong, and accented with a Scottish-Highlands burr. She has a tendency to bleat like a goat every so often.

Location: the Inn's stables

rawhead and bloodybones

Rawhead is a bogeyman - in fact, it could be said that he is the bogeyman. He's extremely powerful, but only uses his power on children. He lives in the cupboard under the stairs - any cupboard under the stairs, and he's a terrifying sight to see. Any child could peer through the slats and see him sitting there, flayed of all his skin and sitting on a pile of blood-slicked bones. In his cupboard, he will sit patiently until midnight whereupon he will tell children to go to bed.

If they do not, he will punish them. He exudes an aura of fear that is incredibly difficult to shake off and often freezes his targets to the spot. He can force punishments on bad or naughty children - generally punishments which are performed in fairy tales - for example making children feel as though their feet are being sliced, or like tar is being poured over them, or any punishment you can imagine from any gruesome fairy tale.

Despite this, Rawhead is not an evil entity - he's just really keen that children get sleep. He can also protect good children and give them presents or grant their wishes. If he's found on one of these occasions, he will be very polite and kind, and might even change his form to something less frightening.

Strangely, he cannot be seen or heard by adults, and seems to not care about them. Anyone under the age of 21 will be able to see Rawhead. This also counts for a racial equivalent – for example, an elf may be in their forties, but still in their teens by their people’s standards and as a result they will be able to see this fae.

Location: the Inn

black annis

A hateful old faery, when Black Annis comes calling, it might be for the best to wear your crown of rowan at all times.

She takes the form of a wizened crone, one eye black and bright, the other made of glinting glass. She is immensely strong with sharp tearing teeth, long black claws and a blue face. She hides in a giant oaks, and from this lofty perch she likes to leap out and eviscerate unwary travelers.

Although partial to all human flesh, she takes particular delight in eating young children, whom she flays alive. She will then hang these skins over the cave she seems to crawl out from, called Black Annis' Bower, as a warning. Claiming clairvoyance, she will often offer advice, or rewards for doing good deeds around her bower. She likes to trap residents there, where after they have exhausted their use, she will try to eat them. A terror to residents, she curses and harms the residents with evil spells.

Black Annis can only be killed by the ringing of a church bell. She can be wounded by iron and steel weapons, but not killed or banished by them.

Location: her Bower in the Forest.

dullahan

The Dullahan is a hunter, lean and strong, who carries his head under his arm or held aloft while he rides. His head is rotted and yellowed, with two large black eyes that dart this way and that and a mouth set in a grin that literally touches his ears. An unearthly, sickly light shines from his head, giving him light wherever he goes. A necklace holding a small crystal is sewn into the skin of his rotted neck. He carries a whip made of a mortal's spine in his free hand. His horse's armour seems to be made out of bone and funeral garb, and a water skin on his saddle holds only blood.

Gates are no block to Dullahan, and fly open if he rides close. Look at him while he is walking his horse, and he will throw the blood in your face, or lash at your eyes with his whip. Dullahan will walk his horse to the center of the town, whereupon he will shout the name of the person he is going to hunt. At that point, he will kick his horse to a charge and begin to chase down his prey. No iron will stop him, and a mere crown of rowan won't deter him. The kirk isn't out of bounds to him. He will chase you over running water, or across the loch. Nothing will put him off of his hunt, save perhaps throwing gold at him. He will rear up his horse if this happens and try to brush it off, seeming to find it abhorrent.

If there is no gold to hand, then your best bet would be to run for a circle of rowan trees and stay within that circle overnight. He cannot enter it, but will prowl outside, waiting for you to move even the slightest part out of the ring, whereupon he will catch you and drag you out. If you stay within until the break of the next morning, he will turn his horse away and ride into the mist, leaving his hunt for this time.

jenny greenteeth

"Mother, may I go out to swim?"
"Yes, my darling daughter.
Hang your clothes on an alder limb
And don't go near the water."

If a mass of slimy water plants is suddenly found floating on the river, then Jenny has come calling.

Jenny Greenteeth is a water faery, with sharp, green teeth, hair like duckweed, slimy green skin and webbed toes and fingers. A bracelet with a gemstone rests upon her right wrist. Her grip is strong, nigh unbreakable, and her teeth can bite through rock. She does not lure people to the water's edge, but rather swims up and down the river, ready to lunge out to drag people too close under the water with her, where she will eat them.

Jenny seems aware of anyone coming close to it for any reason, and will, without fail, make her way right to the bank where the person will stand, and move under the water alongside them, choosing the right time to strike. Though she is loath to leave her river, she can and will get up and enter another large body of water.

Wearing the crown of rowan seems to befuddle her, but does not stop her. Wearing iron, however, will repel her instantly, and she will let her prey go the moment she sees it and scream in agony if it touches her skin.

Location: the River

nuckelavee

When one thinks of a faery, what do they envision? At best, there is an idea of a guardian angel, occasionally mischievous but rarely harmful. At worst, the general belief is a malignant entity, surpassing mischief and causing damage, ranging to unspeakable harm. Of these examples, there are none viler than the Nuckelavee.

It will only assume a form when returning to shore. Sometimes the creature is equine, and sometimes it is humanoid. A favoured form, however, is a grotesque hybrid; a legless rider, joined to the back of a monstrous mount. The creature has no skin, leaving its muscles and veins exposed to the air. Blood flows in black runnels through its pulsating, writhing innards. The rider’s head is often large, lolling on either shoulder, as its pitiful neck cannot hold it upright. A single red eye glares in the gigantic head. A matching red eye rolls in the single socket of the mount’s head. The mount’s legs bear resemblance to a fish’s fins, whereas the rider’s arms are that of a man’s, though impossibly long and drag on the ground. Both mouths open to the throat, and are filled with rows upon rows of sharp, terrible teeth, one of which glimmers like a shining stone, and a stinking, fetid breath that strikes all living things with disease.

Its powers run as deep as its spite. Catastrophes of every sort can be blamed upon this malignant entity – droughts and storms were its strength. It would disease crops, create stillbirths, rot perfectly edible food, poison livestock, and hunt down and devour individuals.

Nuckelavee does not change its pace, continuing to move with an inexorable patience, yet never seeming to be far behind those it chases. If its prey are within reach of its arms, it will raise them up and grasp their shoulder, very softly but insistently, and begin to tug them back. If it feels particularly cruel, it will breathe over the town, striking those within it with disease.

The only way to escape Nuckelavee is to cross running water, which it cannot do. When it turns away in frustration, it has given up hunting that particular prey.

tam lin

"For onct when I'd a huntin' gone,
twas fray my horse I fell.
The Queen o' Faeries she caught me,
in yon green hill ta dwell."

Tam Lin is the young Elfin Knight, fairest of those spirited by the Fae Queen. He has worked for her, under her thrall, for many years. He does not tend to mean any harm to the residents, but as a servant of the Queen and her consorts, he will fight on their side and is a fearsome warrior.

A romantic at heart, he will often be kind and gentle towards the residents of Demeleier when he has the choice to be. Sometimes he can be found visiting the village, yearning for a spot of mortal company and conversation. As a genuinely nice fellow, he presents no threat when he's not under the orders of the Queen.

He is also the only faery who has red blood.

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Much of the art of the Queen and the four kings drawn by reveillez. King of the Mountain Hall Image 1 was drawn by hootlord.