Culture should not be confused with country. For example the Alfar (dwarves and elves) often live in the same geographical region, but consider their territories separate since the dekkalfar live under the earth and the ljosalfar live on top of it. Names on the maps point to important kingdoms, areas of concentration, or ancestral lands. In practice it is common to have members of different fae cultures living side by side.

Most cultures include more than one fae race, as with the Alfar. It is quite possible for a normally unrelated race to be brought up in another culture.

Alfar

The Alfar are the most balanced of the fae cultures. While the elves tend towards seelie and the dwarves are most often unseelie, they recognize their bonds of kinship as well. This is not to say that dwarves and elves always get along. They were divided during the great civil war that wracked Faerie and have very different dispositions. Like most families there are fights between to the two races.

The Alfar culture normally refers to the dwarves and elves, but also includes some other minor fae races.

Cimbri

Tribal communities of the Cimbri (half-elves) dominate the northern boundaries between Faerie proper and the Old Country of Iconium. Nominally part of Faerie, these barbarians are so warlike that their relations with the other fae are strained at the best of times.

The Cimbri regard themselves as the rightful owners of lands now called the Old Country. (Their world for humans of the empire is "Sassach," which means something like invading devil.) The Cimbri produce mighty heroes, but the differences between their tribes dominate their society and this infighting has lead to the loss of much of their territory. From time to time a few tribes will unite under a leader who will succeed in taking back sections of the Old Country, only to lose it a generation later.

The cimbri are noted for their body paints and tattoos, and for their ability to imbue them with potent magic. They do not share this ability with other fae.

Most humans refer to Cimbri as half-elves, since matings between human and either elves or sidhe produce Cimbri-like children. At first intermarriage was so rare that it was not noticed. The implications of this fact have not been lost on humanity or Faerie.

Cimbri land is mostly hilly, with some low mountains and is heavily forested and rich with game.

Rolgulka

Warlords dominate the "might-makes-right" society of Rolgulka. Powerful orcs, ogres and the dread ogre magi rule it, while goblin, human and even orc slaves are the workforces of Rolgulkan culture. Rogulkans were the first race to rebel against the giants and claim that the first unseelie High King was a Rogulkan. Many of the other races point out that this claim was not made so forcefully during Balor's time.

Rolgulka has shaky relations with most of Faerie, who resent Rolgulkan slave owning. The sidhe never much cared for goblins, but many resent that creatures from Tir-nan-Og form the bulk of the Rolgulkan slave herds.

Rolgulka has powerful trade connections with Iconium. They supply many raw materials such as iron ore and an even more precious commodity, slaves and slave masters. Rolgulkan-trained gladiators are considered to be the best in Palaestra and their slave masters are the most efficient. Rolgulkan mercenaries have also been known to rise far in the Iconian military.

The church, notably the Justinians, are known to make use of Rolgulkan slave gangs - convenient, since the Church officially criticizes the ownership of slaves, but conveniently the use of slave labor is not officially condemned. (Some say for that reason.)

Tuatha de Dia "Children of the Gods"

The Tuatha de Dia includes the gnomes, goblins (goblin, hobgoblins and bugbears), the extinct formorians, but their land is chielfy known as the home of the sidhe.

Many of the goblin races abandoned Tir Nan Og, the Tuatha homeland, during the reign of Balor and have suffered ever since his fall. Many goblins slaves toil in the lands of Rogulka while their cousins, the hobgoblins and bugbears have joined the leaders of that fell country. Still, here and there throughout faerie, the goblins can be found living in small bands.

Gnomes, the greatest tricksters in Faerie, long ago spread form Tir Nan Og. Individualists to the core, most fae no longer consider them as part of the Tuatha de Dia, and their history does not seem to concern them either.

The formorians were destroyed, along with their king Balor, during the civil war. Since that time they have become the Faerie boogeyman - a thing to scare children. Others claim to have seen their dark forms moving through the cold seas near Tir Nan Og, the sidhe homeland. One can imagine that they peer at it from the waves, plotting vengeance.

The sidhe are a proud and beautiful race - dark hair, athletic builds and striking features. Their kind has birthed many High Kings and great sorcerers, but their numbers have begun to fade of late. Within the Druidic order the sidhe are considered one of the broken races, having lost their unseelie counterparts, the formorians. This, they believe will bring about the doom of all the Tuatha de Dia.

Sylva

Like all fae, the sylvan are bit of a conundrum. They came from a far-off land, borne on the isle of Delos. (Some claim that it is a great turtle.) Although not truly native fae, sylva are the fae most closely tied to the natural world: dryads, nymphs, centaurs, minotaurs, etc. Their connections to the plants and animals extend beyond their physical forms, and are highly regarded for their insight by the other fae. They are wise and yet wild, seelie and unseelie. While many of the fey cultures have races allied with one faction or another, each sylvan fae tends to fight an internal battle with these forces. Centaurs are caring and wise until drunk, and then turn violent - capable of murder and rape. Minotars are often violent, but have innate skill with logical puzzles and are very tender to their young. The sylva often live apart from one another, possessing no great cities (nor caring to.) Each group has at least one polis, a homeland of sorts. For some it is a city, for others, a cavern or a glade.

Many of the sylva appear in the myths and folklore of the Iconians, although their writings make not mention of living sylvans on Illeria. Petronelus, the great winter feast day in honor of Saint Petronella sports decoration of fauns, yet their inclusion in the festival is a bit of mystery.

Also, it was the sylvan fae, namely the centaur and saytrs, who quickly came to the aid of human farmers showing them how to work the soil of their new home.

Minor Fae

Halflings, gnomes, sprites, and myriad other races are considered minor fae. While some take the "minor" appellation as a commentary on their height, in reality it is a matter of politics and military power.

There are hundreds of other kinds of faerie creatures, but they lack the numbers or influence to make their presence known. In truth, many just don't care for political games, preferring anonymity.

Related Races

Giants still live near faerie, but only the frost giants have what could be called nation - it stretches along the ice-covered coasts of the great northern ocean. Fire giants dwell where they might, in volcanoes found here and there in Faerie. Hill Giants pose the greatest threat since they live all over faerie. Relations with local fae rulers is always strained and wars often erupt.

Dragons are treated with awe in Faerie, some of the cultures claim that they are cousins of the fae, others that they predate Faerie.

Undead are common in Faerie, especially in the crags of Rolgulka, a country which has spawned serveral powerful necromancers.

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— Atrribution