The main defining feature of a púca is their animal characteristic. Each tribe or race of púca are different but all those from within the same tribe/race will have the same defining characteristic. For example the Sindarin Tribe who can be found in the Eastern Spine region all possess the characteristic of a Dragons scaly wings and the Ilutey Tribe who can be found in the grasslands of the Steppes all possess curled rams horns etc.

Whatever the tribe, males tend to be larger than females and naturally stronger too which feed into the way their societies work.

Different tribes/races favour different habitats and they usually reflect the creatures whom they share characteristics with. The púca you find across Arethil will therefore differ wildly as does the type you find in the Courts ranks. It is not often that a púca will stray too far from their natural habitat and the heart of their tribe though it has been known to happen when a púca finds its mate.

As a sub-species of Fae, púca share in some universal species-wide traits. They share the species wide sensitivity to all things iron, True Names are a powerful tool that when used improperly can result in their death and they are also beholden to the laws of hospitality.

For further information on these see: Fae.

However, there are some traits that are unique to the púca race in how they work. All Fae are either Unseelie/Seelie and have a Celestial and Elemental Alignment. Usually these characteristics encompass the whole sub-species of fae e.g. all Leprechauns are Solar Fae with an Elemental Alignment of Water and Air. With púca however, these traits are not universal to the whole species but to the sub-races and tribes that exist within the species. It is quite common therefore that one tribe might be lunar fae with an elemental alignment of fire whilst another tribe might be unseelie solar fae.

Individuals within the tribes however do not differ. Much in the same way their tribe all share the exact same animal characteristic, all those within the tribe will be born with the same fae traits as their immediate kin. It is these things that blur the line between the púca's 'tribe' and the fact each tribe is in essence a sub-species.

Faeries, as magical entities, can tap into the veins of magic that run through Arethil. Called leys, these lines stretch to every corner of the world and often connect magical locations. Subsequently, areas with high concentrations of magic form where these lines converge. "Magick", as it is simply called, is borrowed temporarily from the leys and channelled through the user. As temporary vessels, fae may hold their own stores of magick or draw from the leys for larger needs than they can normally carry. The amount of magick one may carry or channel varies greatly by species, but the categories of strength dictate the hierarchy of fae. While borne of magic, even faeries are beholden to the same laws as mortals. This type of magic allows them to do the following:

• Ley Travel
• Wards and Glamours
• Minor spells

Throughout mythology the púca has garnered a reputation for being a mischievous trickster and this is owed in a large part to their shapeshifting abilities. Whilst each race and tribe may have the characteristics of a certain animal or beast, they are not restricted to just changing into the shape of that creature. Púca are able to transform themselves into a multitude of animals, fae and mortal kinds. This makes them all very good spies but also soldiers for large groups are able to often get by in the guise of travellers or caravans to draw less attention to themselves.

These abilities are not the same as the glamours other fae use to change their looks and thus work on other fae too. The only creatures not fooled are another púca. It is why most Courts tend to keep a good number of them close at hand, as a protection against púca from other courts.

Below are a list of the known Tribes, their location and attributes.

Sindarin Tribe
Location: Eastern Spine
Court affiliation: Autumn Court
Animal Trait: Dragon wings
Unseelie/Seelie: Unseelie
Celestial Alignment: Lunar
Elemental Alignment: Earth & Fire

Ilutey Tribe
Location: Taagi Baara Steppes
Court affiliation: N/A
Animal trait: Curling rams horns
Unseelie/Seelie: Seelie
Celestial Alignment: Solar
Elemental Alignment: Earth & Water

Rechilor Tribe
Location: Eretejva Tundra
Court affiliation: Taking different sides in the Night Court wars
Animal trait: Arctic Fox ears
Unseelie/Seelie: Unseelie
Celestial Alignment: Luna
Elemental Alignment: Air & Water

Eboru Tribe
Location: Falwood
Court affiliation: Summer Court
Animal trait: Leopard-print skin
Unseelie/Seelie: Seelie
Celestial Alignment: Solar
Elemental Alignment: Earth & Fire

There are some scraps of a history preserved in the Summer Courts deep vaulted libraries about the origins of the púca. It is said in an Age long forgotten by nearly all fae that they were once one species who were able to shapeshift at will into any being and choose which animal characteristic they wanted to display in the same manner another fae might choose what dress to wear that day. At some point over the millennia's the púca drifted apart from one joined species into smaller groups that came to be known as the "Tribes". These sub-species for whatever reason begun to lose their abilities to change their characteristics and in the end were stuck with one.

Scholars argue about what might have caused the Schism as it is referred to in history but most agree it was likely due to war and arguments over females. The near primal mentality of these fae, again according to scholars, has been a near constant since their arrival onto this earth.

Since the Schism there has been hostility between the different tribes which more often than not flares into open confrontation and wars. Courts have stepped in in the past in order to curb the bloodthirst and take tribes under their umbrella in order to try and stop future wars. Púca's have always made for terrible subjects in most Courts with the púca often seeing their allegiance as being to their Tribe even above their Court.

Each Tribe has its own complicated and long history which will tell a person much more about that fae.