The Chonyn'sidhe (pronounced ko-nin-shi) are a race who descended from a common ancestor with Fairies. Chonyn'sidhe are two-legged upright humanoids who have long lapin ears; their facial features run a range from human to lapin, while some have scut tails or red eyes. Unlike the Seelie, Unseelie, and Wylde Fairies, they do not have wings. They are the native inhabitants of Bothuar Ceatha, imbricated upon the Aetheric Domain of the moon.
Chonyn'sidhe costuming requires long lapin ears; the exact length and style may vary, but may not be less than 6". Tails, facial cosmetics, or red contacts are optional, though certainly welcome.
Suggested Chonyn'sidhe costuming would be loose-fitting to allow running and jumping. While they do not have wings, their exceptional jumping ability and low gravity of their home lend many to wear capes or other flowing garments they may use to glide. They are especially fond of ornamentation that depicts the moon.
Chonyn'sidhe are skilled crafters, studious mages, and curious explorers of the Aether. Bearing from the Aetheric Domain closest to the Mortal Realm, they are able to observe Orn from their position in the sky while also having more ready access to turn their gaze out to the Aetheric Realm.
Chonyn'sidhe rarely die of natural causes; they tend to have very long lifespans much like Fairies and Elves. Despite their similarity to lapin in appearance and demeanor at times, Chonyn'sidhe have a low birth rate; if not for their long lifespans the race may have faded from existence.
Curious, alert, and fleet footed, Chonyn'sidhe are rarely caught unawares. While they are not afraid to fight, they will withdraw from a conflict that is unfavorable if at all possible; seeking a way to turn the situation to their advantage.
While the Seelie, Unseelie, and Wylde Fairies are descendants of the creations of Antasia and Ferithisia, the Chonyn'sidhe are descended from the creations of Espidrel, Brodix, and Ferithisia. Some scholars have been as bold to suggest the Mason of Mountains created the moon for the Undying Lady, but ascribing such mortal intents to Ageless beings is a matter of contention. Regardless, the Chonyn'sidhe have maintained their own history which indicates that the three Ageless had a hand in their far distant past.
Prior to the Age of Wonders, the Lunar Court and the Mortal Court were both known to the Faeries, much as the Summer and Winter Courts are now. There are three events that scholars debate on that may have disrupted Bothuar Ceatha and led to the Lunar Court being lost until recently:
- The corruption caused by Jeddit O’Jorramn: Jeddit’s actions corrupted the Whisperwood into the Wraithwood, and divided the Fairy Court into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts.
- The Bard in Bothuar Ceatha: An old Fae legend tells of a bard who tricked the Fairy queen into allowing him passage through Bothua Ceatha. No sooner did he set foot in the domain than it became twisted into chaos.
- Antasia’s Disappearance: The Ageless Antasia had hand in creating the Fairies and Bothuar Ceatha; only recently has the Ageless one been seen again.
The Chonyn'sidhe are all one people, but they do typically identify with one of the three Ageless they venerate:
- Cloddiwr: Those who take after Espidrel. They are often shorter and stockier than other Chonyn'sidhe, but have mining and crafting skills approaching those of the Dwarves.
- Dyfeisi: Those who take after Brodix. They are the most energetic and curious of the Chonyn'sidhe, and share the Gnomes’ thirst for creation and invention.
- Oesol: Those who take after Ferithisia. They are often the tallest and most graceful of the Chonyn'sidhe, dedicated to lengthy pursuits such as magic and history.
Similarly to the Summer and Winter Courts of the Mortal Realm, the Chonyn'sidhe have a court based system of their own. While they all owe fealty to the sitting ruler of the Lunar Court, individual groups are sworn to one of eight houses, called Phases. The Phases are akin to the noble families of the Fairy Courts, though they are not necessarily blood related or hereditary titles; the title and status are bestowed by the other members of the Phase. The sitting ruler of the Lunar Court passes to a new Phase each mestrun.
Chonyn'sidhe culture comes across as similar, albeit somewhat archaic, to both Fairy and Vostonjin culture. This is most likely caused by their long lives, low birth rates, and separation from other races for so long; leading them to stagnate culturally. As they reestablish connections with the Mortal Realm the younger Chonyn'sidhe are eagerly and quickly integrating aspects of other cultures.
The Chonyn'sidhe have a long history of exploration, having created vessels capable of sailing the Aether as easily as ships cross the seas in the Mortal Realm. As such, they have charted many of the domains in the Aetheric Sea, and established relations or settlements in several of them; though they are now attempting to reforge these connections that were lost.
Chonyn'sidhe prefer to make use of their exceptional speed and reflexes to fight at a distance whenever possible. Their exploration of the Aetheric Sea has also led to the creation of Maelstrom imbued weaponry, which can contend with a wide variety of dangerous monsters. These weapons may take on the form of most melee weapons, but are most well known in the form of primitive firearms that fire bolts of elemental energy instead of ammunition. These weapons, however, are almost solely the domain of the military and members of the Lunar Court guard, with only rare instances of their being legitimately obtained by outsiders.
Before their isolation, the Chonyn'sidhe had close relations with two groups on the Mortal Realm: The Mortal Court and Vostour. The Lunar Court is quickly reestablishing relations with the Summer and Winter Courts, while catching up on several hundred years of changes in the Fairy Courts.
When the path to Bothuar Ceatha was lost unexpectedly, many Chonyn'sidhe were stranded in Vostour. The Vostonjin welcomed the stranded Fae; a favor which was returned Ages later during the Shunning of the Magicks; as many of the races and creatures of Vostour owe their shape shifting abilities to the Chonyn'sidhe.
- Dwarves, Elves, and Gnomes: Chonyn'sidhe get along well with Dwarves, Elves, and Gnomes, who share many of the same traits with them.
- Empyreans: Also attuned to the Aether, Chonyn'sidhe and Empyreans have much in common. Some scholars speculate that Empyreans may have ties to the Chonyn'sidhe; but no verifiable evidence has been uncovered to either prove or refute this theory.
- Efreet, Oread, Sylph, and Undine: The Dyfeisi in particular have strong ties with the Sprites; having learned much of their maelstrom related magic from them that they were then able to integrate into their weaponry.
- Fairies: Having common ancestry, the Chonyn'sidhe and the Fairies are becoming reacquainted after a prolonged separation.
- Uordeq: Many of the Chonyn'sidhe have a strong dislike for the Uordeq, stemming from their involvement with the "death" of the Ageless Espidrel. The Cloddiwr in particular have a hatred of the Uordeq rivaled only by the Dwarves.
With their origin being tied to three of the Ageless, the Chonyn'sidhe have a unique opinion of Immortals compared to most races. Most Chonyn'sidhe consider becoming an Ascendant one of the greatest crimes a mortal can commit. Ascensions can have far reaching implications on the Aether, and in two cases have led to the loss of one of the Ageless the Chonyn'sidhe revered as their creators. As such, most Ascendants aren't acknowledged.
The current states of both Espidrel and Ferithisia has driven this belief to open debate and conflict. Being the creator of the moon, Espidrel was highly revered, particularly among the Cloddiwr. Their "death" and subsequent joining to become the Ascendant, Kragg, led to two opposing views. With one side saying that the Mason of Mountains was forever lost, and the other focusing on Espidrel’s rebirth in the form of Kragg.
Adding to the debate was the merging of the Ageless Ferithisia with the mortal Corellus, becoming the Ascendant Kelvaros. While Kragg’s ascension was brought about by Espidrel’s "death", Ferithisia willingly merged with Corellus. This has somewhat softened the view of some Chonyn'sidhe, particularly the Oesol, who are more willing to accept the Ascendants.
- Antasia: As the creator of Bothuar Ceatha, Antasia is revered by the Fae, the Chonyn'sidhe included.
- Brodix: The Dyfeisi have long revered the Father of Invention.
- Espidrel and Kragg: The Cloddiwr are divided in their reverence of Espidrel and Kragg, with many still lamenting the loss of the Mason of Mountains, while others have begun to worship the Forge Father in their stead.
- Ferithisia and Kelvaros: Many of the older Oesol still revere the Undying Lady, even after her merging to become Kelvaros. The Dyfeisi especially have begun following Kelvaros; inscribing intricate patterns similar to his tattoos onto the elemental weapons they forge.
- Aethos: The Ascendant most closely tied to the Aether itself, the Chonyn'sidhe are divided on their longstanding beliefs against Ascendants and the immortal that embodies the realm they explore.
- Aldrhunrik: Some of the Cloddiwr and Dyfeisi have begun to follow the Fate Forger, as another Dwarven Immortal who dealt in Maelstrom magic and runes.
- Kagaminari: Though they are few in number, some Chonyn'sidhe who were stranded in Vostour have begun to follow the first Vostonjin Ascendant.
After a long period of isolation, many Chonyn'sidhe are eager to explore the world and have joined the ranks of adventurers. Their natural speed and alertness make them exceptional scouts or messengers, while their elemental weaponry is prized for fighting some of the most dangerous of monsters.
Aetheric Sea. The Aether Realm, and the myriad of domains within it.
Ears Up. Stay alert.
Hop, Jump, and Leap. Both units of measure and an assessment of how easy or believable something is; "Jastrey is just a hop from here", or "It’s a great leap to believe you killed a dragon."
Music of the Spheres. Describing the ever-shifting rhythm of cosmic energies that results from the movement of stars and planets (Aetheric Domains). Some equate it to a song of subtle harmonies, others to a slow dance of heavenly bodies, though it quite naturally transcends any earthly equivalent.
Out of Phase. Out of sorts; confused.
Tsu’sidhe (pronounced sushi). A Vostonjin colloquialism, short for "Tsuki’sidhe", which roughly translates to "Moon Fae".