Kroashent: Marie's Bestiary - Fées-des-Houles

The  Fées-des-Houles reside almost exclusively along the cold waters of the  Mor Breizh in the Northeast of the Armorican Peninsula, building their  homes in the seaside caves of the granite cliffs, protected by the sheer  drops and surf-tossed rocks against all but the most determined  invaders.  Beyond the small entrances, the caves open into impossible  caverns housing homes or even whole towns of great beauty.  Their  caverns typically resemble spheres with domes of living rock high above  the developed area.  A large pool of fresh water sits at the center of  the sloped cave, heavily filtered by Kriores engineering.  Small  cottages, rarely higher than two stories, line the slopes, connected by  cobbled paths and lit by phosphorescent lichen.  In the twilight, they  graze herds of sheep and cows on the moors high above, made invisible by  glamour, while they dance beneath the moonlight to enchanting  melodies.  The Korrigan of the Swells also breed a variety of chicken,  entirely black from head to toe, considered one of the finest breeds in  the region.The Fées-des-Houles - The Korrigan of the SwellsPhysical AttributesOf  all the Korrigan, the Fées-des-Houles, and their inland cousins, the  raven-haired Margot, most closely resemble the Bediz, lacking even the  distinctive pointed ears of the Tuatha de Danaan.  They are the tallest  of the Korrigan and without closer inspection, appear to merely by human  women with light skin and golden hair that seems to reflect with an  unseen light.Habitats

The Fées-des-Houles cohabitate with the Jetins Kriores and the Fions Boudics, assisting the latter in their construction of their golden  ships that can travel both on or below the waves, and tasking the former  with the defense and upkeep of their homes.

Fées-des-Houles Society

According  to my sources, the Fées-des-Houles have only one biological sex,  forcing them to rely on Bediz or Korrigan populations to maintain there  numbers.  Females born of such pairings are Fées-des-Houles themselves,  while males are genetically indistinguishable from their non  Fées-des-Houles parent's species.  Birth rates are exceptionally low,  and Bediz midwives are highly sought after, spirited away in the middle  of the night and well compensated for their assistance.

The  Fées-des-Houles have a close relationship with the Bediz.  They spend  their time baking bread, spinning wool and fabric, fishing and washing  clothing, the last of which they are noteworthy for, as they are able to  spin cloth so white that it blinds onlookers.  

They are fond of  singing and dancing beneath the moonlight, as well as playing haunting,  melodies on the violin, infused with magic. 

The  Fées-des-Houles prize the acquisition and spread of knowledge and run  schools for their children, extending this service to human children if  requested politely.  These schools, in addition to language, reading and  geography, also teach magic, such as the use of wands and the ability  to spot illusions.

Customs and Taboos

-  The Fées-des-Houles do not share the fatal allergy to cold iron of many  of their kin, but rather to pure salt, which is poisonous to them and  burns their skin on contact.  The Kriores have manufactured impressive  filtration systems to purify the salt water and the Fées-des-Houles  often carry Lavellan-skin waterskins, incorporating the material into  bowls, cups and barrels to leech out the salt.

-  A gift given by the Fées-des-Houles cannot be shared, or it will  vanish.  A farmer, complaining that the fae had grazed their livestock  on his land, was given a loaf of bread in recompense.  This bread lasted  2 years, fresh whenever it was cut, but vanished when the farmer shared  some with a beggar.  Sometimes this extends to even revealing the  source of a gift.  Attempting to steal from the Fées-des-Houles is met  with harsh punishment.

- Like most Fae, the Fées-des-Houles  maintain a persistent glamour, but often will use a more powerful  glamour when in public.  It is seen as incredibly offensive to  forcefully pierce this glamour without permission and is one of the few  things that will trigger a violent response from these otherwise entle  beings.

- The Fées-des-Houles are  exceptionally friendly and benevolent towards Bediz, aiding anyone who  asks for help, providing food and magical items if requested.  They are  especially fond of children and often run small schools.  The only  exceptions are if they are intentionally disrespected or if a mortal  gains the ability to pierce their glamours without permission.  They may  react violently (including tearing out the offender's eyes) but rarely  with fatalities occurring.  The Fées-des-Houles may commit petty  larceny, stealing from lobster traps or grazing their invisible  livestock on the pastures of others, but it is never done with malice.   The exception to their benevolent nature are the Fées-des-Houles of the  Grouin, near the town of Kankaven. who were corrupted by dark magic,  turning them into malicious and vindictive creatures.  The others do not  associate with them any longer.

- The  Fées-des-Houles have a special fondness for children and will often  "collect" them.  This can range from teaching them in schools during the  day to adopting orphaned children of their own.  Unlike most Fae, they  do not use changelings and are open and straightforward about their  intent, only taking willing volunteers.

Marie's Personal Notes:

I  have not had much interaction with these Korrigan, given their limited  geographic range, but I have seen them at the markets in the North.  My  friend, the Lady Bisclavret, has had significantly more interaction with  these gentle creatures, having been tutored by them as a child, and it  is from her that I learned much of this information.  She speaks quite  highly of them and remembers them fondly.

Numerous  sources were quick to mention that the Grouin Swell had "gone rotten",  mentioning that their mouths were full of worms.  I was unable to verify  this fact, but it was repeated numerous times by multiple sources.

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Val's  Notes: The Fées-des-Houles (Swell Fairy) are a race of Fae from the  folklore of High Brittany, along the English Channel, as well as the  Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey.  Much of their "story" is taken  from a wide collections of smaller stories and customs spread throughout  the region.  Compared to many stories of the Fae, it was interesting to  learn that these creatures are almost entirely benevolent, lacking much  of the malice or apathy that defines human-fae relationships in much  folklore.  The exception is the Grouin Swell near Saint-Cast-le-Guildo, which is associated with evil fae.

I  had considered linking these creatures with the Marie-Morgane, the  mermaids of Lower Brittany, as the two have many features in common, but  in the end decided to present them as the separate peoples they are.

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