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Description
Few places on Mittelhelm are as secretive as the Homewood is. When Man first settled, primordial woods covered the land, trees older than metal, an endless netting of roots running deeper than any chasm, standing in eternal solemnity, undisturbed. Legends tell that the Early Men, having crossed the ocean, met what they later called the Mistresses of the Forest once the first tree was felled. The first contact and ensuing exchanges with these fay creatures, dryads, proved traumatic to both sides. The Mistresses quickly proved a force to be reckoned with, attacking villages at night, sparing the womenfolk and the elderly but mutilating workmen and leaving gruesome trophies as warnings and threats. With skirmishes multiplying, Early Men were bound to win at least one, and discovered the fay's telltale weakness and aversion to iron, which would wound them greatly. While they did not always fight to the death, Fays would quickly deperish when removed from the protective boughs of their wood to be examined or interrogated, once again confirming their very much arcane constitution. As conflict went on, the fayfolk lost the upper hand when men became more numerous, and the forest was gradually torn down. During the Dark Epoch that followed the Cataclysm, fays seemingly reassembled in great numbers in the remainer of the primodial forest, the Homewood, defending it with renewed vigor. Today, people avoid the wood altogether, as it remains extremely dangerous for outsiders and it is far enough from any human city as not to warrant any offensive action from the ruling nobles of the region. People living on the very edge of the wood have learnt some of the ways of its inhabitants, the Huntsisters, and they live in a relatively peaceful, if not uneasy, mutual respect.

The exact nature of who, or what, the fayfolk are is a question that is still to be answered. Many argue that they are as profane as elves, men, orcs and dwarves, hypothesizing that the reaction they produce to iron may just be their race's equivalent of the effect of poison ivy on human skin, for example. Experienced rangers and apothecaries also supported this theory by demonstrating the untimely death they suffer when leaving the woods might just be due to a poisonous solution they would ingest on capture. Seemingly, fays relied on the myth surrounding them at least to a degree, so they would inspire awe and fear. The language they speak is also very obscure, as only a couple hundred words have been properly recorded. They communicate across great distances in the forest with an extremely complex system of musical shouts and echoes, akin to the Northlanders' kulning. What they towns or cities look like is also a moot point, as the men taken are never seen again, and their probable position is at the very heart of the Homewood. They are thought to be carnivorous, as their dentition is close to those of wolves, and many rumours pretend they devour the flesh of those they seize. Their technology and culture seem advanced, as they wear metal shirts in the fashion of the ancient Kattarins, whom they fought, although made with a bluish-silvery metal, faysilver, which is not found anywhere outside of the Homewood, treated furs and quilted clothing. In combat, they prefer staying covert at a distance, felling warriors with arrows designed to break down when striking flesh, aimed at the back or legs. In close quarter, they surprise with their height, as they actually dwarf men and orcs alike, but also with their nimbleness, kicking with tremendous force the knees of armored soldiers to bring them down, or simply slicing them down with elegant saber strokes.

1. "Ambusher" (Man-given name) - Forest-eye
The bulk of the Huntsisters fighting parties consist of younger fays, using bows and ruse to deal with outlanders. They act as scouts and shout-sing relevant information when needed, alerting of an intrusion. Fayfolk use bigger bows than any human could reliably, and their arrows can usually pierce several layers of chain mail and whatever there is in between. Fay longbows are so feared a captured specimen can sell for a sizeable sum, and nobles sometimes train for its use, although rarely with the desired result. Men call archer fays "ambushers" for their preferred method of attack, but they also reveal themselves to make clear their interlocutor is trespassing. In these troubled times, however, this is still rare. As the land of the Homewood is sacred to them, no sparing is to be expected for the interloper. The fay moniker for their archers is made of the ideograms for "forest" and "eye".

2. "Swordmaster" - Thorn-root
Fays may be fast, but they remain relatively fragile, especially when compared to a seasoned human warrior wearing plate armor. While they are taller, they are comparatively light, and thus need to avoid a close quarter fight. Some huntsisters, although, train for this specific role of fighting head-on enemies that aren't vulnerable to ranged attacks. Even then, they would keep their distance by using a polearm or slashing spear of some sort, or a two-handed, curved sword. They are considered more veterans fighters and seem typically composed of older fays, maybe even acting as commanding officers for their fellow huntsisters. As all warriors, they aim to strike the enemy as fast and as decisively as possible. For this reason, they strike at the eyes, throat, under the arms or at the thighs with powerful, thrusting manoeuvres, taking advantage of their reach, or after knocking their opponent down with a leg sweep or grapple when their armor would be an issue. For those reasons, fay specialized in swordfighting are called swordmasters by humans, although their actual name is spelled "thorn" (or "weapon") - "root".

3. "Witch" - Storm-singer
In Mittelhelm, words hold power over material things and beings. Given the right circumstances, some can clear the skies, decimate armies, or even do the unthinkable and raise the dead. While all races show some skill at using magik, fayfolks are at the very least proficient. Fay spellcasters and fateweavers are feared, revered and everything in between, and few confirmed first-hand accounts of sightings exist. They are however, known to direct the religion of the huntsisters, and may even be the ruling powers in fayfolk culture and society. They are said to uphold the Laws of the Wood, which the huntsisters abide by. Offenders are killed on the spot or exiled from the wood. Records of such outcasts living in human society, where they are often called "strays" exist but remain exceptionnal. Whatever their true role, the so-called "witches", or more appropriately "storm-singers", are usually very well remembered once they are called to action.

Description
Few places on Mittelhelm are as secretive as the Homewood is. When Man first settled, primordial woods covered the land, trees older than metal, an endless netting of roots running deeper than any chasm, standing in eternal solemnity, undisturbed. Legends tell that the Early Men, having crossed the ocean, met what they later called the Mistresses of the Forest once the first tree was felled. The first contact and ensuing exchanges with these fay creatures, dryads, proved traumatic to both sides. The Mistresses quickly proved a force to be reckoned with, attacking villages at night, sparing the womenfolk and the elderly but mutilating workmen and leaving gruesome trophies as warnings and threats. With skirmishes multiplying, Early Men were bound to win at least one, and discovered the fay's telltale weakness and aversion to iron, which would wound them greatly. While they did not always fight to the death, Fays would quickly deperish when removed from the protective boughs of their wood to be examined or interrogated, once again confirming their very much arcane constitution. As conflict went on, the fayfolk lost the upper hand when men became more numerous, and the forest was gradually torn down. During the Dark Epoch that followed the Cataclysm, fays seemingly reassembled in great numbers in the remainer of the primodial forest, the Homewood, defending it with renewed vigor. Today, people avoid the wood altogether, as it remains extremely dangerous for outsiders and it is far enough from any human city as not to warrant any offensive action from the ruling nobles of the region. People living on the very edge of the wood have learnt some of the ways of its inhabitants, the Huntsisters, and they live in a relatively peaceful, if not uneasy, mutual respect.

The exact nature of who, or what, the fayfolk are is a question that is still to be answered. Many argue that they are as profane as elves, men, orcs and dwarves, hypothesizing that the reaction they produce to iron may just be their race's equivalent of the effect of poison ivy on human skin, for example. Experienced rangers and apothecaries also supported this theory by demonstrating the untimely death they suffer when leaving the woods might just be due to a poisonous solution they would ingest on capture. Seemingly, fays relied on the myth surrounding them at least to a degree, so they would inspire awe and fear. The language they speak is also very obscure, as only a couple hundred words have been properly recorded. They communicate across great distances in the forest with an extremely complex system of musical shouts and echoes, akin to the Northlanders' kulning. What they towns or cities look like is also a moot point, as the men taken are never seen again, and their probable position is at the very heart of the Homewood. They are thought to be carnivorous, as their dentition is close to those of wolves, and many rumours pretend they devour the flesh of those they seize. Their technology and culture seem advanced, as they wear metal shirts in the fashion of the ancient Kattarins, whom they fought, although made with a bluish-silvery metal, faysilver, which is not found anywhere outside of the Homewood, treated furs and quilted clothing. In combat, they prefer staying covert at a distance, felling warriors with arrows designed to break down when striking flesh, aimed at the back or legs. In close quarter, they surprise with their height, as they actually dwarf men and orcs alike, but also with their nimbleness, kicking with tremendous force the knees of armored soldiers to bring them down, or simply slicing them down with elegant saber strokes.

1. "Ambusher" (Man-given name) - Forest-eye
The bulk of the Huntsisters fighting parties consist of younger fays, using bows and ruse to deal with outlanders. They act as scouts and shout-sing relevant information when needed, alerting of an intrusion. Fayfolk use bigger bows than any human could reliably, and their arrows can usually pierce several layers of chain mail and whatever there is in between. Fay longbows are so feared a captured specimen can sell for a sizeable sum, and nobles sometimes train for its use, although rarely with the desired result. Men call archer fays "ambushers" for their preferred method of attack, but they also reveal themselves to make clear their interlocutor is trespassing. In these troubled times, however, this is still rare. As the land of the Homewood is sacred to them, no sparing is to be expected for the interloper. The fay moniker for their archers is made of the ideograms for "forest" and "eye".

2. "Swordmaster" - Thorn-root
Fays may be fast, but they remain relatively fragile, especially when compared to a seasoned human warrior wearing plate armor. While they are taller, they are comparatively light, and thus need to avoid a close quarter fight. Some huntsisters, although, train for this specific role of fighting head-on enemies that aren't vulnerable to ranged attacks. Even then, they would keep their distance by using a polearm or slashing spear of some sort, or a two-handed, curved sword. They are considered more veterans fighters and seem typically composed of older fays, maybe even acting as commanding officers for their fellow huntsisters. As all warriors, they aim to strike the enemy as fast and as decisively as possible. For this reason, they strike at the eyes, throat, under the arms or at the thighs with powerful, thrusting manoeuvres, taking advantage of their reach, or after knocking their opponent down with a leg sweep or grapple when their armor would be an issue. For those reasons, fay specialized in swordfighting are called swordmasters by humans, although their actual name is spelled "thorn" (or "weapon") - "root".

3. "Witch" - Storm-singer
In Mittelhelm, words hold power over material things and beings. Given the right circumstances, some can clear the skies, decimate armies, or even do the unthinkable and raise the dead. While all races show some skill at using magik, fayfolks are at the very least proficient. Fay spellcasters and fateweavers are feared, revered and everything in between, and few confirmed first-hand accounts of sightings exist. They are however, known to direct the religion of the huntsisters, and may even be the ruling powers in fayfolk culture and society. They are said to uphold the Laws of the Wood, which the huntsisters abide by. Offenders are killed on the spot or exiled from the wood. Records of such outcasts living in human society, where they are often called "strays" exist but remain exceptionnal. Whatever their true role, the so-called "witches", or more appropriately "storm-singers", are usually very well remembered once they are called to action.