Islands of Fae
The Islands of Fae are mysterious and ever-changing landmasses in the western Golgmarsh Ocean, inhabited by the Fae—beautiful, otherworldly beings that are neither fully mortal nor fully spirit.
Geography
The islands appear to shift position and may not always be found in the same location. Known features include whispering forests, timeless beaches where time flows differently, and hidden valleys that appear and disappear.
The Fae
The Fae who inhabit the islands are born from Vitarum's Life Crystals merging with Chronazel's Fate Shards. They cannot lie, but are capable of deceiving through careful use of truth. The Fae make magically binding bargains and possess powers including time manipulation, shapeshifting, and illusion. They are described as beautiful and otherworldly, with obsidian eyes.
History
Baron von Monocle's Visit
Baron Theodore von Monocle visited the Islands of Fae during an exploratory mission. During this visit, he:
- Encountered Fae creatures with wings, obsidian eyes, and dart guns
- Lost a crewman, Private Russell, to Fae dart weapons
- Traded Harkerpal's electrical field defense system for aether fuel
- Left Count Eberle's son with the Fae, as the boy was happy and safe
In The Blood of Giants, it is established that Baron von Monocle agreed to travel to the Island of the Fae to assist an Atreblan noble, with aether fuel offered in exchange for his aid. This account is also the subject of the story Baron Von Monocle and the Island of the Fae.
Disappearance of Year 438
An entire airship crew disappeared at the Islands of Fae in Year 438, an event that contributed to the islands being placed off-limits by royal decree.
Role in For Steam and Country
In For Steam and Country, Harkerpal references the Islands of Fae when recounting a lesson the crew once learned about protecting the engine room during an exploratory mission. His exact words were: "when we were on an exploratory mission by the Island of Fae." This passage confirms the islands as the site of at least one prior expedition undertaken by the crew.
Role in The Blood of Giants
In The Blood of Giants, the Islands of Fae are referenced in connection with a past mission undertaken by Baron Theodore von Monocle. The Baron agreed to travel to the Island of the Fae to help an Atreblan noble, receiving aether fuel in exchange. This expedition is identified as the subject of the story Baron Von Monocle and the Island of the Fae.
Spoiler: The Crystal Conspiracy
This section reveals events from “The Crystal Conspiracy”.
Current Status
The Islands of Fae are forbidden by royal decree. They are considered extremely dangerous to any who approach.
In the short stories
In Island of the Fae, the island is hot and humid with beaches, and it is unnamed in the text. The Fae there hold Count Eberle's son. The island has a well of aether fuel, which the Fae trade to Theodore.
On the world map
The official world map labels a single small island Island of Fae (singular), in the sea between Zenwey and Clockmaker's Isle, south-east of Dragonmist. In For Steam and Country, Harkerpal also speaks of a mission "by the Island of Fae". This differs from the placement above in the western Golgmarsh Ocean. The singular or plural name, and the location, are left for the author to rule on.
In A History of Rislandia
According to A History of Rislandia, the Islands of Fae are hidden islands in the Golgmarsh Ocean, described as "mysterious and ever-changing." The sourcebook names the chain collectively as "the Islands of Fae (Oslan and others)," identifying Oslan as the largest known island and the primary seat of Fae habitation.
Oslan
Oslan is named in the sourcebook as the largest of the Fae islands. It contains the Whispering Forests, where the Fae are said to dwell, the Timeless Beaches, where time flows differently, and the Hidden Valleys, which appear and disappear. The sourcebook notes that the islands' terrain may shift and that the islands may not always be found in the same location.
Inhabitants
According to A History of Rislandia, the islands are inhabited not only by the Fae but also by Changelings and Lost Travelers—categories of inhabitant not mentioned on the novel-based account on this page. The government of the islands is described as unknown, operating under Fae laws. Population is likewise listed as unknown.
Baron von Monocle's Expedition
The sourcebook dates Baron Theodore von Monocle's visit to the islands precisely: Year 3 of the reign of King Malaky XVI. During this expedition he traded an electrical field defense system for aether fuel and left Count Eberle's son with the Fae, the boy being happy and safe. The sourcebook refers to this event as "his expedition to the Island of the Fae."
The Disappearance of Year 438
The sourcebook confirms that an entire airship crew disappeared at the islands in Year 438, and that this event led directly to the islands being declared off-limits by royal decree. It adds the general warning that "sailors who land on Fae islands may never return."
Current Status
According to A History of Rislandia, the Fae have not been seen in Rislandian territory in recent times. The islands remain off-limits by royal decree in Rislandia.