Tuathan

Basic Information

Alternative name(s) Origin Fae Lifespan Varies Depending on Legend Diet Omnivorous (may change depending on Legend) Subspecies

Physical description

Height Varies Distinctive features Fey Magic, Form and Bowers Dependent on the Faith and Belief of others.

Cultural

Organisations Languages Common, Fae, Language of their Believers Locations

Out-of-character information

Image source

Living by the old saying, perception is Reality, Tuathan fae can range from barely existing, to god like in power. Their power form the ley lines is woven from legends spoken and believed by others. Whether for good or ill, a Tuathan is as strong or skilled as people believe them to be.

Tuathan take many forms depending on those that believe in them, from humanoids, to spirits, to animals. Newborn Tuatha, having no faithful to believe in them, take a form given by the only two people who would certainly believe they exist. They look as their parents imagine they would.

Tuathans live either among the mortal races, or among their fellow fae. In either case, due to their need of faithful believers, Tuathan avoid remote areas where a lack of people to give them existence may spell their doom.

Faith is Power
Tuathans, unlike Duannan who are innately born with power, gain their power from the faith of others. This can be as simple as getting a mortal to see them and know they exist, to something as grand as an entire civilization worshiping them as a god. Their being is directly connected their number of faithful, with their bodies taking a more secure form the more a collective conscience can agree on them. Also, their powers expand as much as that civilizations imagination will allow. While a single person calling a Tuanan a god would do little more than let them cast a simple spell, an entire civilization would put one at an ability near Duannan with their aspect being whatever the mortals below them believed in.

Charming Talkers
The Most important thing about being a Tuathan is getting others to acknowledge or believe in them. Thus, they often act as smooth talkers, or dramatic risk takers. The more their deeds spread, the more a legend may grow about them. And as that legend takes shape, so too will their powers. Tuathans who try to live in the background become little more than spirits, if they do not cease to exist at all.

Mortal Ties
Since most fae know what a Tuathan is, their potential for increasing their power is severely limited. No matter how strong the Tuathan is, a fae will always know that they were born, barely clinging to existence. As most mortals are unfamiliar with them, this leaves their potential as being unlimited. Because of this, Tuathans often seek mortals to convince them of their power, knowing that such faith increases their might far more than any fae could.


Perception is Reality
ZThe more a Tuathan gains believers, the more its legend grows. Woven from ley magic, the legend of a Tuathan affects every aspect of their being. It can change their shape, their talents, and even warp their memories. A tuathan believed to be a suave talker will develop a silver tongue and one who convinces a cult of mortals of their might may make for a powerful warrior. However, this comes with a price. One trip or slip could give a reputation for clumsiness. A reputation for loss, anguish, or pain will cause a Tuathan to live under the curse of a painful legend. Because of this, Tuathans are careful about their interactions with mortals, knowing that a poor performance may lead to a fate worse than death.

Fae Limitations
While much of their existence is rooted by their legend, Tuathans are still fae and subject to the same perks and weaknesses of that race. Iron weakens and hurts them as well as any other, weakening their connection to the ley lines and reducing their power. Even Tuathans who attempted to develop a legend based on dealing with Iron have found its properties hard to even diminish. More dangerous than iron however, is the faes’ incapability of lying. A Tuathan is empowered by a mortal’s belief in their abilities, but they must build this confidence to grow their legend without uttering a single mistruth. Such a handicap can make building a legend difficult as they must rely on trickery and dramatic deeds in the place of their own word.

A species as old as any other Fae, Tuathans hold a special place in the hierarchy of their kind. All are born weaker than even the smallest of demi-fae, their connection to the ley lines so ephemeral that their very being is in danger of drifting apart. But those with cunning, ambition, or some great amount of luck, can become stronger than even the grandest of Duannan. While Duannan are born with power, the Tuathans are born with unlimited potential, their only limit being the imagination of others. Tuathans who have gained a religious following of mortals have been able to change the world, gaining aspects stronger or more numerous than their Duannan cousins.

Tuathans can often be found in the mortal realm as charlatans, slowly convincing mortals of a talent for magic until it becomes the truth. Many have shaped the course of grand organizations by becoming faceless members who thrived on the success of their rank within that group. Some rare Tuathans however, have made a name for themselves. These Tuathans often take the form of local spirits or gods, developing their legend within the local culture until they are strong enough that even the strongest duannan take notice of them.