FAQ

[changelinged]

Frequently Asked Questions

🦋 Introduction

pixieled is a panfandom semi-private mission-based dark fantasy and folk horror roleplaying game with an emphasis on the more unsettling side of mythology and legend. Characters are led astray by the Fae and whisked away to their realm where they get adopted by one of the Fairy Courts. Once assigned their adoptive court, the ruler of that court offers up their court's ability. For a price, of course. Nothing in life is free. Trade a superhuman ability, or buy it on credit and owe the Fae. They're not especially picky.

It is up to your characters to decide if they want to risk finding a different way back home or accept their new position as the Fae's pet and obey. After all, it's a cushy gig, and they get to live as long as the Fae find them amusing. And, of course, there's no guarantee their world will be the same even if they managed to return...

To make searching a bit easier, we have mirrored the FAQ onto a Google Sheet. We update it fairly regularly, but the FAQ page itself will always have the most up-to-date information.

🦋 General Questions

🦋 Folk horror? Dark Fantasy?

Did you know in the original Cinderella story, the step-sisters mutilated their feet to fit into Cinderella's squirrel fur slippers to try and trick the prince? I just thought that was interesting.

In its simplest definition, folk horror plays up the inherent creepiness of common folklore tropes. Fairy tales as told by the Brothers Grimm, but turned up to 11. The Blair Witch Project. Etc.

Dark Fantasy is similar; it's horror in a fantasy setting. Pan's Labyrinth. Dark Souls. Your average vampire romance novel.

🦋 So what should I expect?

You can kill, you can die, you can fuck. There will be adult themes, political intrigue, and sketchy content galore.

As such, we take content warnings seriously and expect people to warn for commonly triggering topics.

🦋 What's the pacing like?

The game exists on a bimonthly event schedule; every other month there will be a mission and on off months there will be a Test Drive Meme open to new and old players alike.

🦋 Is there an overarching plot?

Yes, but much like every good fairy tale, there are some twists, turns, and lessons along the way to the plot.

🦋 Is this a short term game?

No. This game will continue as long as there is sufficient interest to keep it running. We currently have no plans for an endgame, and are prepared to run the game for a significant period.

🦋 So about that party...

Every other month there will be a post on pixieledmemes that functions as a test drive meme and a new character mingle log. Each one will be slightly different but they will all serve the same general function of allowing the Adopted and soon-to-be-Adopted to get to know each other and the Fae.

🦋 What happens if my character didn't eat anything during their initial feast?

If your character is being apped, they ate something at the party. Be it gentle coaxing or outright magical compulsion, the characters will end up eating.

In the case of robotic characters and other characters that don't have to or can't eat, a simple desire to be able to eat the food will suffice.

🦋 OOC Questions

🦋 What happens to characters that are dropped?

Their Court Ruler has decided they have no more use for them at this time. Characters who are dropped return home at precisely the moment they left, as if they were never gone in the first place.

On an IC level, no one knows this and the Fae are not going to give that information up without a fight. Other characters who try to reach out to the dropped character will find their GEIS messages bouncing and they won't be able to find the dropped character anywhere, but past that they won't get any notification or alert that someone has left.

If the same player re-apps the same character, they are welcome to have that character remember their previous time in the Fae Realm.

🦋 What kind of characters are not allowed?

Any player-crafted AU, including CRAU (CRAU = based on a previous RP). Real life people/celebrities. Religious figures/Fictionalized versions of religious figures. Historical figures. Non-anthro, non-verbal animal characters. Any character mentally or physically younger than 12. No canon OCs, other than D&D characters, Baldur's Gate protags, FFXIV protags, Pern characters, other TTRPGs (White Wolf & Pathfinder), and other, similar, examples.

For characters falling under the allowed canon OCs bracket, they should use the Original Character rules on the app, i.e. answer 6 questions or write about 7 words.

🦋 What is your position on aging characters up?

Aging up a character is totally fine so long as two criteria are met: 1) the events that take place after the canon ends are still in the spirit of the canon (i.e. nothing happens that would turn the canon into an AU) and 2) you're aging up a character who already meets the cut off age.

🦋 Can nonhuman characters stay nonhuman?

Yes. A player can choose to humanize their nonhuman character, but it's not required.

🦋 What happens if my character is taken from a canon point where they are severely or fatally injured?

If your character is severely or fatally injured when pulled into the game, their wounds get healed (if they leave scars is up to you), but the fae consider it a "favor" that they'll expect to get paid back for at some point.

🦋 Is there a spoiler rule in place when it comes to apping characters from new canons?

The canon (or, if canon updating to newer content, the canon point) has to be available in English (fan translations count) for at least 15 days to app or update.

🦋 How many characters can a single player app?

You may app up to 5 characters, applying for up to 2 each app round. Past this, there are no cast caps or game caps.

🦋 Can there be duplicates of characters?

If the canon in question has its own multiverse (such as the various Marvel media), yes. That is, if your character could reasonably meet another version of themselves in canon, then duplicates of that character are allowed so long as the characters are from different versions of that universe (such as MCU!Tony Stark, 616!Tony Stark, and 6160!Tony Stark). If the duplicate is the same character, then the duplicate is not allowed (such as SIM!Tony Stark and 616!Tony Stark). In the case of adaptations, both versions (such as BBC!Sherlock and book!Sherlock) will be allowed as the mod team considers these separate canons. We will only allow one malleable protagonist per canon.

🦋 Can I app multiple characters from the same canon?

Yes, up to two. If the characters have never interacted with each other before, nor are aware of each other's existence, it's allowed. It will be up to mod discretion whether or not two characters interact too extensively.

🦋 What does my character arrive with?

Anything they could have reasonably been carrying with them is fine to bring along. This can include weapons, magical objects, and pets.

🦋 Do my characters keep their canon powers and abilities?

Yes, they do. There is an option to trade away one of their canon abilities for their selected court's Fae ability if the player chooses.

🦋 Are any of those powers nerfed?

If your character's abilities would render this game unplayable, the mods may decide to nerf your character's game-breaking ability. Additionally, characters who have any kind of teleportation/dimension hopping abilities will not be able to use them at full power to escape the Fae Realm, however, they can use it to get around the castle, the grounds, and on battlefields.

While not a nerf, the realm of Faerie is about as magical as you can get. If your character knows magic, that magic will mostly work here, but the energy is a little different, so there can be consequences and glitches. For example, while resurrection magics work in Faerie, the one brought back from the dead may end up with a missing memory or an extra appendage or some other annoying change. It could be either a permanent or temporary change, but point is, it won't work 100%.

🦋 What counts as an ability for the purposes of the app?

Anything superhuman. Whether your character was born with it or fell into a vat of acid, anything outside of human possibility by a first-class Olympic athlete counts as an ability. To give an example, Black Widow in the MCU does not have any abilities as nothing she does is outside of what a well-trained human is capable of, while 616 Black Widow does due to having the super soldier serum. Another example, Reed Richards is incredibly intelligent, however it's not outside the realm of possibility for someone to be that intelligent. His intellect is not an ability the way his stretching powers are.

Pet-based power users, such as a Pokemon trainer, count as having abilities.

🦋 My character's powers and abilities are pet-based. What does that mean for me?

Daemons, psychically-bonded pets, Pokemon, Digimon, Pals, etc, are allowed to be brought along with your character within reason. In the case of Pokemon, for example, you could bring along the full party of 6 that you had on you, but no more. And, yes, this does mean that if you'd like to trade an ability to the Fae to not owe them, you will be trading your pet away.

Please indicate any pets and their powers on the Abilities section of the app.

🦋 Can I opt in for Court Abilities/Magic after the application process?

Opting in for court abilities can only happen during the application process as it is something to be kept track of by the mods. You may make note in your app that ICly they will not be accepting these powers until a certain period of time down the line ("My character will accept his court abilities on credit in April")

🦋 Tell me how the Courts and rooms are assigned.

On the Application, each player will be asked to list their top three choices for the character's adoptive court. Based on this list and the application's personality section, the mods will assign a court to each character.

Once their court is determined, that will inform which dorm they are in; each court has a corresponding spire of dorm rooms for their new citizens. From there, the mods will randomize roommates and room numbers.

On an IC level, sorting is done behind a curtain where only the eight Court Rulers are allowed. You are then ushered to their court dorms post party. In the dorm's common room on the main floor, the group of you get a little introduction from your court ruler about your court, deciding if you will take the court abilities/magic from your ruler, told what room is yours, and then promptly wished a good night before the court ruler walks off to their part of the castle.

🦋 My character has a medical issue and requires treatment and/or medication for it. What does that mean for me?

Characters with medical or mental problems will be able to access what they need, with the only change being, essentially, flavor text. For example, if your character has an infection, there are no antibiotics in the Fae Realm, however there are plenty of molds that have antibiotic effects. You might not be able to ask a doctor for penicillin, but a healer can get you access to Penicillium, the mold that produces penicillin instead.

If you are having trouble coming up with an alternate, lore-friendly way for your character to have access to what they need, feel free to come to the mods for help with your specific example or you can handwave the exact specifications of the treatment.

🦋 Can characters start to develop Fae-like physical traits after being in the Realm for a while?

If that's something you'd like to explore, you can absolutely have your character either slowly or suddenly change. However, it's not required by the setting. Feel free to be creative, have fun, and get weird with this; don't feel obligated to stick to pointy ears and wings.

See our Fae Traits page for more details.

🦋 Is there a regain/reward system in the game?

We will not be having a rewards system that the mods will be keeping track of. Some events may allow for item (re)gains for free. And some TDMs will feature an NPC that sells various things, including power ups. There will be a list of things you can trade for these items, but they will all be IC things as opposed to "trading" a certain number of comments you've made for the item.

🦋 IC Questions

🦋 What happens if a character tries to leave?

They're welcome to try. However, the Fae Realm is its own separate universe, tucked away from the rest of them. There's no portal back; the only way to leave is to have one of the court rulers send a character back. They can walk as far from the castle as they please; the surrounding forest will devour them by morning.

🦋 What happens if my characters die?

The Fae have promised immortality to their pets; if your character dies, they simply wake back up in their room the next morning. When they have died five times, it is up to the player to select a memory of their character's to delete. They cannot remember this thing, and they are unaware they are missing it. This change is permanent.

This remains the case no matter how the character in question died with one exception: Mod-run events where (nearly) everyone is expected to die, such as a Battle Royale type of event. When these events come up, it will be noted in the event text that the death will not count towards their five count.

🦋 What kind of laws exist in the Fae Realm?

Not many. "Don't steal" is the big one, and that's less because of any type of law enforcement getting anyone in trouble and more because if you steal from the Fae, they will kill and eat you, and not necessarily in that order. It's strongly advised not to thank anyone or apologize to anyone for the same reasons. Which, while at first is seen as disgusting and an annoyance, if you've been around long enough will be instead met with hostility and outright violence.

🦋 Can you interact with NPCs?

Short answer, yes.

Longer answer, the Lawspeaker (the woman from the Premise) will be around for events/TDMs/plot reasons to deliver information to the characters. The eight court rulers, on the other hand, will be available to be tagged, making their own posts, and interacting with the setting as characters in their own right.

There are some other NPCs, such as the blacksmith, the healer, or the barkeeper at the pub, who have some basic stats and information, but interactions with them can and should be completely handwaved.

🦋 Can you kill NPCs?

I wouldn't try, personally, but you're welcome to make the attempt. None of the Fae NPCs are actually able to be killed, and attempting to kill a member of the Fae (anything Seelie or Unseelie on the Bestiary) will absolutely land your character in jail for some period of time, as a best case scenario.

Non-Fae NPCs (i.e. Beasts, animals) are able to be killed with no punishment. Depending on mission parameters, this may even come with a substantial reward.

🦋 Do we have to interact with NPCs?

NPC interaction is completely opt-in. They won't be tagging other people's posts around the communities, so if you simply don't want to, you can completely ignore posts the NPCs make.

🦋 When it comes to Played NPCs, what are the limitations? What can I expect?

One limitation we have in place is that NPCs will never tag out to player posts and logs outside of special circumstance. This circumstance being that players may reach out to the mods for NPC interactions. Most often this will be discussed interaction and handwaves, but at times, if both parties agree, it can be threaded out.

Another is that NPC Threads will be no more than 5-10 comments from NPCs and after week two or three of an event/tdm going up, will naturally taper off due to mod duties and other responsibilities. Please understand that if a thread is not finished, it's nothing personal, we're just very busy. Please feel free to reach out to us for discussion about handwaving the rest of the interaction.

NPCs won't be available at all times, as well. Some events might just feature the Unseelie, while a TDM will usually only focus on the main two NPCs. Our random NPC thread on TDMs will also be limited to new players only, to give them ample chance to enjoy NPC interactions and experience the setting.

🦋 How can I get in contact with a played NPC outside of Events/TDMs?

Sometimes, NPCs will be posting their own network posts or logs that players can tag into and have interactions with the NPC in question. While NPCs will never tag out to player posts, they will tag each other. So keep an eye out, because that Narciso post? Might just have some flirting with Hagalaz in it.

Also, you are welcome to reach out to us through the NPC Request Page if you want to ask for NPC interactions. Most often it will be a discussion that will have handwaved conclusions, but there will be times when we may be open to threading it out.

🦋 How exactly does the jail work and where is it?

While there is indeed a jail it's not the Fae's first resort when punishing Adopted. Attack some Fae? They'll confiscate weapons before sending someone off to jail, but if someone doesn't take the hint from that... well, it's time out for them.

The jail is located in the basement of the castle proper. There are a few holding cells, but looking around reveals it's not really meant to be a long-term solution for anyone. They tend to release people pretty quickly, usually when they've calmed back down. But, say, if someone stabs their guard with a shank upon release, the guard will just sigh deeply and put them back in the cell.

🦋 What if my character is particularly rebellious or uncooperative?

The fae will largely just get annoyed with someone noncompliant; they don't really view any of their guests as a threat so it's more eyeroll worthy than anything. Expect a lot of stupid little roadblocks, such as temporarily being turned into an animal, maybe being unable to make sounds for a certain period, things like that; nothing outright harmful, but things that definitely make a proper rebellion harder. Eventually (if you want/are okay with it) the fae might realize "Okay, fine, this one's really stubborn," and start using magic to compel someone especially uncooperative into helping them with certain things.

🦋 Okay, but what if my character isn't rebellious? They want to impress their Court Ruler and fit in. How would I go about that?

Other than being a well behaved and obedient Adopted, it depends on the court. Narciso might reward flirtation, while Hagalaz might reward an artistic endeavor instead. Sunna might appreciate flower crown offerings, where Javora would probably rather hear some gossip. They're flighty, so what works for one person might not work for another, but largely the name of the game is entertainment.

🦋 What's daily life like for an Adopted?

That Adopted are largely left to their own devices and free to roam and do as they please. There's entertainment, Court sessions, and the like happening in the main halls pretty much always, but the Adopted, while welcome, are not expected to attend. Feel free to handwave minor town happenings like traveling bands and other artists and performers and the like. (No merchants, no fortune tellers)

🦋 But how do the fae NPCs treat the Adopted?

While each Adopted "belongs" to their court ruler - while they don't rank as highly on the social ladder as the average NPC/random fae, they've been told to treat the Adopted as if they were fae themselves; they might ask for help, for example, "Could you grab the other end of that crate?" or something but it's never an order. That's reserved for the eight rulers.

🦋 I want to talk to my character's Court Ruler or the Lawspeaker, how do I go about that?

The Lawspeaker will rebuff efforts to talk to them, but if you wanted to talk to a court ruler, you can either tag into a post they make, or hit up the NPC Request Page with what and who you're looking for and we are happy to set something up. Otherwise, feel free to handwave minor interactions such as a pat to the head as they pass or seeing them at an official gathering.

🦋 Are there other fae in the castle besides the rulers?

There are other fae besides the rulers living in the castle. They're a mix of both courtiers and staff (though the staff is fairly limited due to magic picking up a lot of the slack). Feel free to flesh out minor NPCs that live around the castle - there are enough of them around not to worry about people running into the same ones unless they choose to.

🦋 Can my character hide/withhold their name from the fae and others?

Alas, the fae already know your character's name and won't be fooled by a false one. As for others, after a couple days even a pair of small placards gets put up on either side of the door with the names of the people in that specific room (these are removable with effort and will reappear at dawn).

If your character has more than one name, we leave it up to the players choice which is on the door. The fae ruler will know all names associated with your character.

🦋 How does money work?

Money is a human invention, invented for humans. The Fae pay for goods and services with effort, trades, and IOUs. Any character can pay for any thing at all by working off the debt, no matter what it is. The pub functions mainly on trades of compelling stories, while the inn simply "suggests" that all patrons wash their dishes before leaving. Of course, the Fae love it when humans owe them things, so everywhere and everyone is happy to accept credit, put-it-on-my-tab, and I-owe-ya-one as valid payments. Just remember, you'll pay it back eventually...

🦋 How does language work?

Whenever someone eats any food in the Fae Realm, they become a part of the Fae Realm. The second your character chowed down, they could understand the various languages the different species of Fae speak, as well as the languages of every other Adopted and Beast they encounter. Each character will continue speaking their own language, but everyone else will be able to understand it as if they are fluent. It does not work as a translator, but the languages will be mutually intelligible nonetheless.

🦋 Tell me more about the Courts.

Essentially, the Courts are how Fae society runs. The High Rulers (those of the four Seelie courts), rule over every Seelie inside the forest - the actual figurehead changes with the seasons. The Low Rulers (those of the four Unseelie courts), rule over the Unseelie inside the forest - the figurehead changes depending on the time of day.

Every individual Fae is assigned a Court when they come of age (130, for them; they have determined the age is around 13 for many of the short-lived sentient species) based on their personality. While Seelie and Unseelie are immutable traits that lock someone into one of four boxes, from there they can be in any box regardless of species, though in some cultures being assigned to a certain Court is expected.

🦋 How do the Courts interact with each other?

The Seelie and Unseelie have a sort of friendly ("friendly") rivalry going with each other. They're a far cry from the old days when they had out and out animosity with each other, but they still get competitive with each other. While they'd appreciate it if their new pets also acted this way, the Fae understand the Adopted are not smart enough to truly appreciate it. For example, Seelie characters trying to visit a friend in the Unseelie dorms will, at best, get strange looks or get outright barred from entering by a guard. There's always sneaking in. But remember, this is not to bar people from certain CR or stifle roleplaying; it's to enhance the setting. Please feel free to play around with their rivalry.

🦋 How does the credit for these Court Abilities/Magic work IC?

When your character interacts with the court rulers, they will get to take advantage of the fact that you character owes them now. They will not accept any other payment besides this ambiguous IOU, which they may call upon at anytime.

🦋 Is there a curfew? Will you get in trouble for sleeping in another court dorm?

There are no curfews or forced expectations of sleeping in your dorm, but sleeping in another Courts dorm room or space might make the Fae a little catty towards your character.

🦋 Tell me more about the technology level of the Fae Realm.

Retrofuturist Victorian era England powered by fairy magic. Beer might be "on tap", yes, but it's because they have a mermaid waving her hands around to get some IPA to float into your cup from a keg in the back. Sure, there's an espresso machine at the inn, but it's made of pipes and the barista's an imp to heat the damn thing.

There's lots of gears and clockwork and visible joints on things. Lots of cranks and brass. Things glow, stuff floats. But you will find most modern conveniences, just strangely repackaged.

🦋 So are there magic outlets for stuff, then?

Not exactly. Because everything functions on something that's free-flowing through the air and can exist outside of a wire without causing harm and destruction, there's no real need for an outlet situation. Besides, magic is charged differently. If a character starts to notice their device running out of battery, they'll be advised to put it on their windowsill overnight to catch the moonlight to charge the device.

🦋 How does the network function?

Characters from an advanced enough civilization might think of it as functioning much like the internet, with wi-fi and servers, but in fact the devices all have a magical charge that allows for messages to flow between them. But functionally, yes, it's much like the internet.

🦋 What about the technology from home? Does it work here?

Technology from home will behave as normal (minus reception) until the battery dies. There's no way (currently) to charge it unless heavily modified to charge off of the ambient magical energy like the Leaf does.

🦋 What is the weather like?

The Fae Realm has four very pronounced seasons. In spring, temperatures gradually rise from the low-50s (10s) to mid-70s (20s). Snow melts as the season continues and the world warms back up. Flowers bloom and warm rain falls. In summer, temperatures vary from the high 70s (20s) to the mid-90s (30s). Expect afternoon thunderstorms and humidity. In autumn, temperatures drop back to the mid-70s (20s) to low-50s (10s). Mornings are often foggy and days are often windy. Leaves change color and fall from trees. In winter, temperatures drop to just below freezing, occasionally reaching temperatures up to the mid-40s (5). Snow falls, most animals migrate or hibernate, and the sun sets early. Expect snowstorms a few times per month.

🦋 What kind of things can my character buy at the market?

Things you'd be able to find at your average grocery store. Food, small trinkets, some small appliances, cookware, flatware, silverware, flowers, remedies to life's typical ailments. Art and writing supplies, clothing, and other creature comforts to customize your room.

🦋 What's the fashion of the game?

In their dorm rooms they'll have more basic outfits picked for them in colors they like. They'll be able to find clothes (and accessories) at the market if they'd like to buy anything especially nice and fancy. All the clothing available (i.e. other than what they arrived in) gives Ren faire realness, though.

🦋 What can my character buy at the blacksmith?

Weapons, cooking knives, hardware, armor, leather goods, jewelry.

🦋 Can my underaged character drink at the pub?

To an extent, they understand that little mortals should not be given alcohol. However, the definition of what makes a little mortal little and what they're allowed to do while little has changed vastly over the centuries and haven't really kept up with what's current where. Their own take is that anyone who is old enough to get taken to their realm is probably old enough to drink back home, too. So, if an underage character acts like they know what they're talking about, none of the fae would be any the wiser that they're not "supposed" to be drinking, but if the character points out that they're too young, the tavernkeeper will remember that.

🦋 Any flora/fauna of note?

Flora: If there is one resource the Fae Realm is not in short supply of, it's plants. There will be flora familiar to your character, and plants and fungi they've never even imagined. Common plants include most herbs, wildflowers, non-tropical fruit trees, and some typical garden flowers such as roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and wisteria.

Fauna: In addition to the creatures listed on the Bestiary, there are also animals running around that are non-sentient. These include rabbits, hedgehogs, foxes, a whole host of birds, badgers, weasels, and deer, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. If you can reasonably see a particular animal in your backyard, you can probably also find it on the castle grounds.

🦋 Is pregnancy allowed?

Yes, technically. However, after a 40 week term and the character has their baby, there's a 50% chance the Fae will steal it for themselves, never to be seen again. This will be determined via a coin flip, with heads allowing the character to keep their child, and tails meaning the Fae get it. No miscarriage drama as it can be triggering for people; if we find someone breaking this rule, no coin flip is needed as the Fae will automatically be stealing your child.

Please contact the mods after the birth to find out how lucky you are.

🦋 So our characters always have to use condoms to prevent that?

Reminder that this is a magical place with magic. So of course not. The simple lack of desire to have a child will cause the Fae's magic to work to prevent pregnancies. Take some mugwort and call me in the morning.

｡*｡˚ 🦋 ˚｡*｡

For any questions not covered, please feel free to ask in a comment below. The mods will return with an answer as soon as we can.

ｎａｖｉｇａｔｉｏｎ

code