Inanimae
The Inanimae are cousins to the True Fae. While they are not true elemental spirits, they have a close kinship to them. Each Inanimae fashions itself after a specific element.
History
The Inanimae have their own secret history, separated from their faerie brethren. Their relation with "Land of Unfullfilled Dreams" is more tied to nature than human dreams. When the Dreaming and the mortal world drifted asunder, the Inanimae were those fae that chose to take refuge in phenomenons of the natural world. Some of these merely used the elements to construct their Mien, while others became "sessile" and entered a place of their element, claiming it as their Anchor.
During the Sundering, the various phyla of the Inanimae coalesced into the first of the Slow Empires. The relations between these realms was tedious and complex, its politics spanning decades. During this time, Inanimae and mortals regulary interacted. Some ignored them, while others enjoyed their adoration, allowing them to shape their Anchors and becoming the first krofted. During this time, the Empire of Flames chose to aid humanity by gifting them with the knowledge of making fire. This was seen as a major betrayal by most other Inanimae, for it allowed mankind to shape and enslave the world around it, resulting in the creation of the first Mannikin. This led to the War of Making, which resulted in the subjugation of the Empire of Flames by an alliance of the other Empires led by the Empire of Stones.
Lost in their own war, most Inanimae did not notice the Shattering until it had already reached its peak. Most chose to Slumber, entering a state of hibernation to await the time when Glamour would resurge. Some made deals with Verbena or wizards of House Merinita to protect their Anchors from desecration. This is referred to as the Long Slumber among the Inanimae.
When the Resurgence actually came in 1969, only a few Inanimae managed to awaken. Some of these newly awakened fae chose to fight in the Accordance War, but the majority abstained. In the Final Nights, other Sessile Ones have awakened, only to find that Spring has not yet come and that the Endless Winter draws near.
Nature
Before the Shattering, inanimae simply sprang to life spontaneously. This typically occured when nature's own forces - such as earthquakes, thunderstorms, or wildfires - were active, especially in areas saturated with Glamour. Inanimae also could been born from the union between two other inanimae of the same affiliation, although this was frowned upon and the children of these unions were stigmatized. By now, the fae souls of the Inanimae have undergone a ritual similar to the Changeling Way, but instead of mortal bodies, they tied themselves to the elements. Others are the result of chimeras that reach the Autumn World and possess material objects to protect themselves against Banality. Slumbering Inanimae can be awakened by a surge of Glamour (for example, during a Chrysalis).
The most important asset of an Inanimae is their Anchor, the hold of the Inanimae in the Autumn World. They can be further differentiated between gladelings, whose Anchor has remained natural, and krofted, whose Anchor has been shaped by human hands. Gladelings hate Krofted as perversions born out of the betrayal of the Solimonds, while the Krofted have become the majority of Inanimae in the last hundred years. These can have strong influence on the Dreamform of the Inanimae, its faerie self, which usually resembles the Anchor. Anchors are also used to replenish Glamour. If an Anchor is destroyed, the Inanimae will wither and be Undone a short period of time afterwards.
Awakened Inanimae usually undergo a short period of recalibration before other Fae become aware of them. These Inanimae undergo a fostering that teaches them how to construct a Mien (also known as Husk among Inanimae) to move among humans. These husks begin as pre-adolescent children, but age rapidly when in contact with Banality. During this period, the Inanimae also regains parts of his memory, learning of his existence before the slumber. They accept the basic changeling jeus, but use the terms of childling, wilder and grump to describe how long an Inanimae has been awake.
Phyla
Phyla are the great Inanimae Courts, groups of specific Inanimae centered around a certin element that is reflected in their Anchor. They are referred to as the Slow Empires. All Phyla are bound together by the Codex Primeval, which details basic guidelines for interaction.
- Glomes, Inanimae of Earth and members of the Empire of Stones
- Kuberas, Inanimae of Wood and members of the Empire of Seeds
- Mannikins, Inanimae of human-shaped elements and members of the Empire of Dolls.
- Ondines, Inanimae of Water and members of the Empire of Tears
- Parosemes, Inanimae of Air and members of the Empire of Skies
- Solimondes, Inanimae of Fire and former members of the Empire of Flames
Magic
The Inanimae practice faerie magic, but with a twist befitting their elemental nature. They, too, use Realms, but focus on the five elements of air, fire, earth, water and spirit. Instead of Arts, they use Slivers.
References:
- Dark Ages Fae Rulebook
- Inanimae: The Secret Way
