Homebrew Estinian Pixie Species Details

“Never before,” My compatriot said, eyes glistening. “Have I been so grateful to see *******  pixies.” In that moment, coated in blood, only a fraction of it mine, and holding the body of one of my greatest enemies, I laughed, for I couldn’t have agreed more.

 

The Memoirs of Adrianna Agestani

 

To begin understanding Estnian pixies, we must first understand pixies are a race. So before one details the intricacies of the Estinian pixies, one must first explain the history of Uteranian Pixies.

Pixies as a distinct, individual race separate from their elven cousins,were first recorded by Aarank Gustyfinson, advisor to the dwarven war-mongering tyrant Indik the Reckless.

Gustyfinson writes that “upon one evening, himself and Indik were taking a walk through the woods, only to stumble across a small hut, glowing with enchanted flowers and blossoms. Curious, Indik ordered Gustyfinson to investigate. The young dwarf knocked on the huts door, only to be met by a beautiful young woman, with magnificent gossamer wings and light, silvery hair. Indik was enthralled by her beauty, and immediately declared her to be the love of his life". The subsequent kidnapping and marriage of the young pixie is the subject of intense scholarly debate, considering many accounts differ on the health of their relationship. Regardless of whether or not they truly loved one another, the pixie was crowned, and her place within history was solidified as the first Pixie Queen.

Her name was Deanara the Incomparable, and she belonged to a previously undiscovered race of Faerie Folk, known as “pixies”. As time passed, several pixies became known to the court of Indik, and Deanara took pride in keeping them under her employ. Of these, three soon rose to fame; the secretive Isla, a druid and secret-keeper, entrusted with the role of spymaster; the intelligent Appa, a general and warrior in her own right, who guided Indik and Deanara’s armies in times of war and invasion; and the free-spirited Kepra, a curious scholar, alchemist and sorcerer, in charge of training and guiding the kingdoms most talented magic users. When Indik’s armies, sick of the pointless raiding and fighting for precious little reward, rallied against him and Deanara, her three trusted friends fought alongside her, in vain. Indic was killed for his reckless ways, and Deanara instructed each of her companions to disappear, before vanishing herself. And so, Isla took her druids and spies, settling on the coast of the Trigian Accord, as far as she could from Elsin, Appa took the soldiers still loyal to her, and reclaimed the Elsinian mountains for her warriors, and Kepra guided her scholars, alchemists and wielders to a hidden glade in the heart of the Forest of Estna. The three cut ties, for safety, and only met in regards to the whereabouts of Deanara. She was never found, and eventually the three friends drifted apart, no longer contacting one another in times of war or crisis.

The Estnian pixies, as they soon became known, were not as secretive as their Trigian and Elsinian cousins, and began building a sprawling forest city, known as Haven,  working with the trees to create a home for themselves. Kepra’s guild grew, and she ruled over it with the help of an elected council. Laws were passed, schools and hospitals were built, local authorities established. Time passed, and, separated from the Fey Wilde that kept her young, Kepra grew old, as did, she imagined Appa and Isla, and eventually passed on. It is said she took the loss of her friends the hardest, and could often be seen writing letters to each of them, although they were never sent. Her oldest son, a scholarly young pixie known as Sneed, published the letters in her memory. The book was popular, outlining the true history behind what was, until that point, an elusive event for scholars and pixies alike. The memoir eventually even reached the tribes of Appa and Isla, who received it with heavy hearts. While Appa had indeed passed as well, Isla remained, and felt that perhaps they had been too thorough in their disappearing acts. She spent the remainder of her days re-establishing ties with the Elsinian and Estnian pixies, alliances that still remain to this day.

The Estnian pixies, occasionally referred to as “Kepra’s Pixies”, “The Guild of Kepra” or “The Pixies of Estna”, continued to flourish after their founder's death, and soon became known as a central hub for knowledge and magical tutorship. While few adventurers were ever able to actually find the city, those who did were astounded by its wisdom. It was during this time that the culture and capabilities of Estnian pixies were discovered, from their gossamer wing’s strength, to their access to the Fey Wildes and their longevity on the mortal plane. It was around this era that pixies were first listed within travelling guides and adventuring guilds.

While most Estnian pixies preferred to stay within the freedom and safety of their own city, some were curious as to what the wider world had to offer, and chose to leave to find greener pastures. Among these are world-renowned seamstress, Lemony Dewdrop, adventurer Trevan Mistygriddle and even infamous criminal mastermind Jaime Nightfeather has thought to originate from the Estnian pixies, although for the author’s safety, this is entirely speculation and not rooted in fact.

Estna’s pixies are incredibly proud of their codification of pixie history and wisdom, and are like their Triggian cousins in that they are incredibly secretive as to what they share with outsiders. While their pride can get the better of them, leading to them sharing more than they should, their libraries and research houses are almost always separated into the public domain and private information, only accessible by Estnian nobility and councillors, and occasional Triggian and Elsinian diplomats.

In terms of appearance, Estnian pixies do not vary as much as the Elsinian variety, but they are distinct from the Triggian race. Estnian pixies tend to have paler skin, depending on how thick the forest cover is in their area of the city, in a wide spectrum of colours, from birch white, to grass green, to rose pink or even certain shades of blue, although this is incredibly rare. Their wings tend to resembles Faerie wings in that they are proportionate to the arm span of the individual, although the length is unique to each pixie; “the longer the wing” is a pixie euphemism, used to refer to a correlation in wing length and other, more intimate attributes. The wings tend to resemble those of dragonflies, butterflies, moths, or flies, and are iridescent. The colour of a pixies wings is changeable, with the use of magic and certain dyes, although most choose to remain with their natural colouring. The wings are magical, in that they can be regrown when slashed, ripped, or even fully removed. It is not uncommon for certain pixies to remove their wings to regrow new, healthier ones, as they are similar to human hair in their properties. Wing regrowth can take between 12 to 24 hours, and regrown wings are usually weaker for the first few days, as they are still fairly malleable. 

In addition to wings, pixies also sport pointed ears, pointed nails, and small, dainty limbs, useful for darting between trees when in a rush. Some pixies have been known to be born with markings and patterns, as well as more natural reflections of their environment; the magic of Estna Forest can result in pixies growing shelves of mushrooms along their spine, small saplings out of their extremities, and even whole limbs made of wood. These extremities are as usable as any other, less natural parts of the body, and are often seen as a sign of beauty among the pixies. They range from four to five and a half feet in stature, despite rumours that they are only as tall as a human’s forearm. They take this joke as one of the greatest insults available, and are unlikely to forgive its use in a short amount of time. 

In the Fey Wildes, which is only accessible to the most power of pixies, they, like all Faerie Folk, are able to live indefinitely, and do not age from the moment they enter. However, since most pixies are unsure of how to access the Wildes, they spend their time on the mortal plane, aging and dying in a similar fashion to wood elves, with the oldest pixies living to roughly 800.

In terms of food, pixies farm their own crops and cattle, often eating anything from bread and simple soups to elaborate feasts consisting of the rarest animals available, depending on the consumer's status. They acquire exotic fruits and resources through trade with cities outside of the forest, usually in exchange for books, art, and coins. 

The city’s main government consists of a High Chancellor, guided by an elected Council of Five, who represent the five main sections of the city. There is a local Guard, who enforce the law and keep the peace. There is an issue of corruption within the government, as there is a large population that agrees that certain knowledge should be withheld from the general public, especially Haven’s poor and criminal. There have been several incidents in which Councillors have had to be removed due to acting inappropriately, and there are some who believe that Haven should rearrange it’s government; however these people are often seen as fanatics and not taken as seriously as perhaps they should. The government functions through the collection of taxes and donations from 3 of the city’s wealthiest families; the Leafsong’s, the Foxcloud’s and the Greenvales. Their wealth is old, made up of money gained from selling artifacts stolen from their beginnings within Indik and Deanara’s court, and maintained through, respectively, performing, trading and selling their services as hired mercenaries. The three families have strained relationships, as each one is set on becoming as close to the High Chancellor as possible, but present themselves as good friends, and often marry their children off to one another. The city of Haven still abides by the laws of the Colistan Union and the Felnia Domain, as these are the countries in which the city is located. 

Opinions on pixies vary from race to race. Dwarves in particular trust them, due to their alliances long ago. Species like the Faerie Folk, Genasi, Kenkus, Grungs, Gnomes and other elemental and naturally inclined species see them as allies in times of need, and strangers of these species are more likely to ally with a pixie over others. Humans, Halflings, Dragoborne, and Tieflings tend to be wary of them, for different reasons, usually their flighty and chaotic nature being too unpredictable to properly trust them. Orcs, Goblins, Drow and other more infamous creatures tend to see pixies as useful to an extent, but tend to distrust them on the principle of being too fickle to properly carry out orders. 

When it comes to pixie magic, there is very much a connection to the wild nature of magic, and the presence of chaos. Estinians prefer instinctual magic, and usually practice without the need for an arcane focus. Due to this exposure to magic from a young age, many pixies are also resistant to charms, and cannot be put to sleep with magic. Estinian pixies often follow the routes of sorcerers, wizards, druids and even warlocks, in certain cases, and are well read on a number of spells and cantrips, thanks to their beginnings as scholars. 

Estinian Pixie Traits

Pixies are delicate, but strong creatures, with fine features and elegant assets.

Dark Vision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Estinian Knowledge

You have proficiency on intelligence checks and saving throws.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Winged Beasts

You have a pair of magical gossamer wings on your back. If your wings are cut or damaged, your magic causes them to regrow by the end of a long rest. If the wings are Magically or physically torn off, take 1 long rest to fully repair them, although your flight speed is reduced by 15ft until your next long rest. 

 

Flight

You can take flight as a form of movement. Flying for more than 3 hours non-stop, or for more than 12 hours in a day will exhaust you and you will need a short rest before taking flight once more. You have a natural flying speed of 45ft.