Creature of the Wood - Prelude



Hundreds of years ago, humans were not the only sentient life to roam the Earth. This is still true today, however humans are now the only ones which are accepted without question, without superstition... without fear. In the days of old, many different creatures walked this planet's surface, all co-existing in their own way. One race from those times were the Fae. Creatures of imagination and dreams, the Fae lived their existance on the outskirts of humanity and watched their human counterparts with curiosity and perhaps a bit of jealousy. When the two worlds collided, it could be a joyous experience for both... or devastating. Most simply remember the wives tales of the Fae stealing away a human child and leaving a Changeling in its place. This was partially true... but it was not for the malicious intent that most seem to think. Fae knew very little of human nature and sought to understand humans far better than they could simply by watching. What better way than to become a human?

The lifespan of a Fae is marked by centuries, not years... and a lifetime as a human was merely a casual diversion to the everyday life of a typical Fae. Sometimes they were discovered, however, and this led to often fatal results for the Changeling. humans are by nature afraid of what they do not understand... and will go to great lengths to either conform the unknown to their will, or destroy it altogether.

With the coming of the Renaissance era and the humans' newfound mastery over the metals of the earth, the Fae became more and more scarce. In an age where technology and science were making themselves known, people had little room for the flights of fancy that were the very lifeblood of the Fair Folk. With the coming of science came the age of rational thought. Everything could be explained, if examined closely enough. When dreams and imagination gave way to hard facts and cold iron, the downfall of the Fae was sealed.

So it remained for quite some time. Some Fae had decided to remain on Earth and attempt to bring fantasy back to those who lingered on the fine edge between science and dream. Most, however, had journeyed back to their home realm of Arcadia... an ethereal realm that existed between Earth and the deeper realms of spirits. As techonology advanced, the Fae saw the dark shadow of banality encroaching upon their homeland and did the only thing they could. The gates of Arcadia slammed shut, sealing the passage between the two worlds and ensuring the safety of those still within the Realm.

Those left behind learned quickly to adapt. Their trickery of ages past came into play once more and Fae began to merge with humans, even before birth. It was considered a union of souls, and kept those remaining from vanishing completely as Earth sank deeper and deeper into a mundane nightmare of steel, science and cold logic that had no room for such simple things as dreams. These 'half fae/half human' creatures became known as Changelings, out of deference to the old custom of learning.

This continued for centuries, until the late 1960's, when a singular event happened that no one could have foreseen. As man took his first steps upon the surface of the moon, every soul that witnessed it was lifted into a euphoric state. For that brief time, millions of people all shared the same dream, the same vision... and the glamour created by the raw surge of imagination battered against the doors to Arcadia until, for the first time in hundreds of years, the ancient barrier was broken.

Fae were upon the earth once more, and it seemed that the trials of days past were no more. Unfortunately, it couldn't last forever. Slowly, the humans turned back to the weary tasks of everyday life and once more the Fae found themselves suffering from the lack of glamour in the world. The doors swung closed once more, and a new group of stranded Fae were forced to survive in a world that rejected their very being. Most did not survive... those that were lucky were found by Changelings who had already learned the skills of adaptation. New Changelings were 'born', most having no memory of their Fae heritage. Instead, they wandered the world feeling as though something were 'not quite right'... and occasionally those unknowing sould were discovered by those who had already awakened.

The year is After Colony 195. Peace has flourished for as long as anyone can remember, and the United Earth Sphere has enacted treaties and trade routes with the colonies that orbit far above. After a near war over the previous twelve months, there is hardly a soul that doesn't now approve of their leaders' decision to compromise and make amends that both the Earth and the colonies could agree to. The Changelings of Earth and the colonies breathed a collective sigh of relief when the treay was signed. A war of this calibur could likely wipe them from the face of the earth completely... and with new hope for mankind's ability to cherish life, Arcadia's exiles begin to look to the future once more.

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TBC