## IX. SECRETS & GREATER MYSTERIES
### A. Fae Origins
Creation War Connection:
- Fae realm may be consequence of reality-shattering conflict.
- Doors of Stone might connect mortal/Fae realms.
- Fae knowledge of Chandrian suggests shared history.
The Locked Things:
- Fae guard specific mortals, objects, locations obsessively.
- These "locked things" tied to larger cosmology.
- Recovering them might unravel reality.
### B. Increasing Crossings
Thin Places Proliferating:
- Fae incursions becoming more frequent.
- Barriers between worlds weakening.
- Mortal world destabilizing or Fae realm collapsing?
Fae Refugees:
- Some Fae flee their courts, seeking mortal world.
- Desperate bargains suggest internal Fae crisis.
- Mortal realm as refuge or battleground?
---
## X. PLOT HOOKS FOR GAMEMASTERS
1. The Stolen Bride
A noblewoman vanishes on her wedding day. Fae glamour trail leads to thin place. Recovery mission pits players against entire Fae court.
2. The Fae Bargain
Desperate NPC offers Fae deal for power/knowledge. Players must identify trap before completion, or help fulfill terms creatively.
3. Thin Place Guardian
Village near old road suffers Fae abductions. Players must identify, protect thin place, deal with both mortal panic and Fae retaliation.
4. The Half-Fae Heir
Important NPC revealed as half-Fae. Court/Fae both claim them. Player allegiances tested.
5. Time-Lost Wanderer
Mortal returns from Fae after "three days," finds centuries passed. Knows Fae secrets, fears pursuit.
6. The Fae Debt
Players inherit NPC's Fae bargain. Must discover terms, fulfill creatively, or face escalating consequences.
7. Court War Spillover
Two Fae courts war through mortal proxies. Players caught between terrifying powers.
## XI. NPC GENERATION TEMPLATE
```markdown
[Name], [Fae Type: Courtier / Hunter / Shaper / Thrall / Half-Fae]
Pure Fae:
- Court: [Felurian's / Summer / Winter / Mirrors / Ashen]
- Domain: [desire / silence / illusion / decay / time]
- True Name: [hidden; discovering it = major plot point]
- Desire: [mortal emotion X / name of PC Y / seed of creator Z]
- Weakness: [iron / salt / specific name / mortal disbelief]
Half-Fae:
- Heritage: [Fae mother / Fae father / distant ancestry]
- Powers: [glamour glimpses / unnatural beauty / name sense]
- Conflict: [loyalty to mortals vs Fae / power temptation / identity crisis]
Fae Thrall:
- Duration: [recently taken / years in Fae / ancient servant]
- Change: [glamour-addicted / name-bound / physically altered]
- Goal: [escape / serve faithfully / betray Fae]
XII. USING THE FAE IN YOUR GAME
Perfect for:
• Temptation & desire: PCs face their deepest wishes made manifest.
• Alien horror: Beings who think fundamentally unlike humans.
• Time-bending plots: Three days changes everything.
• Moral complexity: Fae bargains offer power at terrible cost.
• Beauty as weapon: Overwhelming loveliness breaks mortal will.
Campaign Integration:
• Early game: rumors, glimpses, warnings from Ruh/Adem.
• Mid-game: direct encounter, narrow escape, stolen NPC.
• Late game: Fae courts as cosmic players; PCs navigate great powers.
The Fae are not evil in the mortal sense—they follow alien logic where mortal suffering is incidental, curiosity, or even endearment. They offer everything mortals crave, always at the price of name, time, seed, or self.