Creature types in Magic - Faerie lore

Hey, guys! o/

This is Ari and today I will continue this series about creature types featured in Magic. Today I will talk about faeries.

Fairies are present in several tales we know, and also present in the folklore and mythology of some countries. The word fairy originated from the Latin word "fatum", which means destiny. This is due to the stories and popular tales where the fairies rule the destiny of men with their magic wands.

In Magic, we use the archaic spelling, faerie. These creatures are usually represented with a light and small appearance, on top of having wings. They are only a foot tall (sometimes, even smaller) and are known to have a taste for mischief.

Although they generally use their small forms and illusion spells to get rid of their enemies, they can still fight extraordinarily well when needed.

The first faeries that appeared in Magic were associated with the green color and varied in appearance. Scryb Sprites was the first card to bear this type and was introduced in the Alpha edition.

Still representing the green color, Faerie Noble was the first lord of the faeries, launched in 1995 in the Homelands expansion.

Eventually, Noble and Pixie-Queen subtypes were incorporated into the Faerie type (although this is no longer true for Noble). The Ouphe subtype is used instead when we're talking about creatures that aren't small and do not have wings. For instance, Shelkin Brownie used to be a Faerie, while Fyndhorn Brownie used to be Brownie, and now both are considered Ouphes.

Nowadays, faeries are represented mainly by the blue and black colors. More recently, though, Throne of Eldraine introduced us to white faeries. But before we talk about that, let's get to know a little more about faeries in the other planes of the Multiverse.

In Dominaria we have Fire Sprites, who are faeries that are able to cast fire spells, as well as being enveloped in a fire aura.

It is unknown from which plane came the legendary faerie Rubinia Soulsinger, but her great ability to influence others to join her cause needs no introduction, as even the most powerful warrior readily surrenders to her.

Faeries from the plane of Ravnica are known for their malicious pranks and the inhabitants of the plane have become accustomed to their antics. There, they are also famous for hunting trolls.

In Alara, faeries were found most often in the Esper shard. These faeries had metallic wings and feet similar to their hands, which make them excellent mechanists.

So far, the most relevant plane for this type had been Lorwyn, which was introduced to us way back in 2007.

Faeries are everywhere in Lorwyn. Like bees collecting pollen, they are capricious, malicious, and often seen as a nuisance for most of the races in this plane. Their antics are generally harmless, but always irritating and embarrassing. Their lives are extremely short, but they live them to the fullest, constantly looking for new tricks to alleviate their boredom.

The faeries of this plane live in small groups called cliques. The notorious Vendilion Clique is formed by siblings Veesa, Endry and Iliona. Iliona is slightly older, and also their leader.

Although these little creatures seem to be unpredictable, they obey their queen's wishes. They are instructed to invade and steal dreams for the benefit of Oona, Queen of the Fae.

It is said that Oona's magic is responsible for keeping Lorwyn in eternal midsummer. All the faeries on the plane originated from her. The queen and mother of the fae lives in isolation and sees the world through the dreams that her faeries bring her. Oona was one of the few creatures capable of maintaining her memories even after the Great Aurora.

The Great Aurora was an event that transformed Lorwyn's plan into Shadowmoor, a dark and distorted version of the old plane.

In Shadowmoor, faeries were the only race that did not undergo changes in their characteristics. By keeping her memory, Oona became even more powerful.

As an honorable mention (still in the plane of Lorwyn), there is a legendary faerie called Wydwen the Biting Gale. Wydwen is mysterious, comes and goes as she wishes and does not live in cliques like other faeries. Much about her is still unknown, as she is not mentioned in any Lorwyn book.

We just lived an adventure in Eldraine, a historic land of castles and magic, filled with treacherous faeries. But, just like the dishonest creatures and attractive spells that hide in the shadows, this world is not all that it seems. Most of Eldraine's faeries are opposed to the five courts, but there are beneficial faeries on that plane (a rare sight, huh?).

Mark Rosewater (head designer for MtG) believes Eldraine has the first beneficial Faeries of Magic.

Throne of Eldraine also introduced decks designed for the Brawl format. There are 4 decks, and lovers of the faerie type can pick the Faerie Schemes deck, led by Alela, Artful Provocateur.

Eldraine also introduces us to Oko, a shapeshifter Planeswalker who appears to be both charismatic and presumptuous, a mysterious, intelligent and conceited figure.

According to Nic Kelman, who is one of the writers responsible for bringing these characters to life, Oko came from a plane ruled by faeries who believed in a unified society. This ruling class of faeries decided that, for the greater good, their beloved pranks should be suppressed in order to create a perfect society - but for Oko, who was born with incredible shapeshifting skills, this new culture was against everything he believed in, and calling himself a speaker of truth, Oko opposed all this hypocrisy.

However, he ended up being subjected to magical procedures to suppress his powers, but these procedures only succeeded in igniting his spark. We can imagine that it was a terrible experience for him and that it would make it almost impossible for him to trust someone again - especially those in positions of authority.

And so, speaking of positions of authority, we can already imagine that Oko would not be at ease in Eldraine, and to disrupt the peace of the courts, Oko planned to eliminate the High King himself.

That's all for today, and if you want to know more about the history of Eldraine, consider buying the official e-book: Throne of Eldraine: The Wildered Quest.

I hope you enjoyed this article!! Let's talk more about faeries in the comments?

You can also leave your suggestions for which type I should cover next!

Thank you very much for reading and until the next time!