Magical Abilities:
All Fey have magical abilities, although they vary as widely as the Fey themselves. Lesser Fey usually have at least three magical abilities, while the average Fey has between five and eight, and Greater Fey have upwards of twenty or more. The strength and accuracy of these abilities vary on the individual, and one Fey may be great at shape-shifting, but have a hard time with telekinesis. Most are therianthropic, which means they have the ability to shape-shift into one or more different forms. Although Fey are able to shape-shift into other species of animals, such as deer, humans, and dragons, no other species can shape-shift into Fey. The vast majority of Fey are only able to shape-shift into one other form (such as a magpie, a sphinx, or a dolphin), however, Greater Fey are able to shape-shift into more forms without it compromising their number of other abilities. In other words, if a Greater Fey had sixteen different abilities (such as being able to cast illusions, freeze liquids, etc.), and could shape-shift into five different animals, then that Greater Fey’s different forms would only count as one ability (shape-shifting) than five.
Fey use their magical abilities in day-to-day life. Some use their abilities to survive, others for warfare, and more for trade. Those who are able to use their abilities to promote healing are highly respected (and highly paid), despite their lack of compassion.
Charms and Runes:
With their long life spans and excellent memories, Fey have the ability to learn and remember runes and charms. While knowledge may be gained and forgotten with the civilized creatures as their societies rise and fall, Fey remember. Like with art, Fey often mesh together different runes in an attempt to create something aesthetically pleasing. Most of the time, Fey will abandon their broken meshwork, the magic unable to work correctly. Rarely, however, this leads to the accidental creation of a new charm. This is as close as most Fey ever get to invention.
Fey highly regard charms, and in their society of barter and trade, charms can be an excellent source of wealth. In the modern era, the few daring societies outside of the Feylands who are willing to trade, find it useful to trade physical objects for charms. For although knowledge has certainly be lost outside of the Feylands, it remains alive within the complex minds of the Fey.
Fey use charms in their architecture, their fashion, and even their art. They especially use charms for protection, especially wards, as well as in healing practices, to keep infection at bay.
Silver and Iron:
Notably, due to their increased magical abilities, Fey are much more susceptible to the effects of silver and iron. Iron, instead of becoming increasingly painful over a period of time, instantly burns a Fey and leaves a serious burn wound. Silver promises no slow death, and can kill immediately in a large enough dose. Fey can detect iron and silver (especially silver) easily from the lack of magic that surrounds the metals, which is akin to a dark spot into a well-lit room. Fey cannot be ferrokinetics, which are creatures with the ability to interact safely with the two metals and can shape them using telekinesis.
Gold:
For all their hatred of silver and iron, Fey adore gold. Gold is a magical conductor, and can make magic more efficient. This means that less magic is needed to produce the same results. With their higher magic strength than most mundane or civilized creatures, gold works better for Fey than for the other two classifications. With more saved magic, a Fey can use more of their abilities before needing to rest and recharge. In the dangerous environment Fey create, every drop of magic is vitally important, and could be the difference between life and death.
True Name:
Many magical abilities, such as hypnosis and tracking abilities, can become much stronger with the use of a target’s true name. It can also be used to lock a Fey or civilized creature into a contract. As such, Fey use aliases or titles to hide their name. A creature’s true name is simply the name that they identify as themselves, that they think of themselves as. A Fey will choose their own name as they grow older, and often a Fey will change their name as they themselves grow through experiences. Names are not static. Other creatures that live in the Feylands also use false names, as a defense mechanism against the Fey. Several cultures that border the Feylands also use aliases, but not all. Societies that have forbidden or avoid contact with the Feylands, such as Themble, have lost the habit of using false names over the 800 years the Feylands have been in existence, and therefore only have one name.