Air

To all fae bearing winged, air is the element of choice. Every storm and
breath of wind is their work, from the tiniest puff to the most terrifying gale.
They often take the shapes of birds, or incorporate aspects of their design
into their human forms and are particularly fond of birds' wings. Many speak
the language of birds and sometimes teaching human speech to the birds.
Air is a creative force, resulting in their intellectual versitily of air faeries, who
work to stimulate inspiration and creativity.
Fae who fly are the most evolved of the fae, having incorporating all aspects
of the four elements. Wings are symbolic of air, legs of earth, their
shimmering qualities of fire, and a shape shifting aspect represents water's
fluidity. Added to these four, is the fifth magical element, moonlight.

The Fachan, or Peg-Leg-Jack as he is sometimes known because of his single
leg, originated in Scotland. Matching his single leg, all of his features are singular.
He possesses one head, one eye, one arm, one leg, one toe, one finger and so
forth, which are all perfectly centered on a body covered in hair and feathers. Its
coloring was pitch black, aside from a dark blue mane of feathers which ruffled as
a prelude to an attack. So fearsome was its appearance, that the mere sight of the
Fachan was credited with causing heart-attacks.

The armament of the Fachan (sometimes spelled Fachen or Fachin) was a single
spiked club. He uses this club to chase away all livings things. Indeed, he is a
particularly spiteful faery and is most jealous of the gift of flight he was denied despite his
feathery crown. He can be found on the highest Scottish mountains, though why you would want
to bother, I would rather not know.

An Irish Goblin, the Phooka probably had his roots in Scandinavia
before being brought to Wales and Ireland. His Nordic name is
Kornbock (which prefers a goat body) and Welsh call him Bookha or
Bwca (which typically has a pig or horse body).

In Ireland the Phooka typically chooses a horse body, however he is
a shape shifter and sometimes becomes a goat, a bull, a dog, or an
eagle (among other beasts). His head is that of a human male. They
are pranksters, like most goblins, and appear to weary travelers as
docile ponies. Once their victim has climbed upon aboard, the
phooka takes the hapless rider on a wild ride across the wettest and
most loamy country before depositing him in ditch or tossing him
headlong into the mire. His eagle form has also lended itself to a
similar trick.
Phookas are pack animals and frequent fights occur among the vicious creatures. The Irish
believe that should the sun shine though it be raining, the Phooka will be abroad that night.
In Ireland, the Phooka never enters human houses, however in Wales the Booka sneak have
taken their cue from Santa Claus and sneak in through the chimney. This poses particular
dangers because the species adores human babies and are always looking for one to steal.

Aside from babysnatching, they wreck havoc by destroying crops, specifically claiming any crop
not harvested by Samhain. A farmer who dares to cut any crops after that date is likely to
receive retribution in the form of a dead herd animals (the Irish say mysteriously dead cows have
been pooked, at term which likely grew from Phooka). In particular, the Phooka loves potatoes
and swipes them from untended fields at night. Between Midsummer and Samhain humans are
safe from the Phooka's tricks, as they are believed to go into hibernation for a time.

Sylphs, also known as Windsingers, are elemental air spirits claiming both
Greek and Egyptian ancestry. As a whole, this miniature race is very beautiful.
They are long-lived, reaching hundreds of years in age, yet they never seem to
become old. Like other elementals, they possess the ability to shapeshift and
may assume human form. Typically residing on mountaintops, they possess a
hierarchy system, with their leader Paralda occupying the highest mountain of Earth.

Kind of nature, they are most helpful with wishes involving air, though they will assist with any
positive desire. In addition, they are associated with mental development and one of their
functions is to inspire human creativity.

Originating in Shetland and the Orkney Islands, and possibly the
Upper Hebrides they are most likely derived from legends of trolls
in Scandinavia. The trows (rhyming with row) possess many traits
similar to those of their northern brethren. They fear sunlight,
though they are only frozen in place until dawn rather than turned
to stone as are trolls. Once the sun has set, they are free to return
to their underground homes.

Among their other names are creepers and nightstealers, as trows
have been known to kidnap human babies from cribs, leaving a
changeling in the place of the child. Fiddlers have also been
nabbed to play for the trowish revels. Some fiddle tunes are even
accredited to Shetland's trows. (The name sea-trow, I should note,
typically denotes a selkie, rather than the trows we discuss here.)

The legends of trows typically describe them as squat, round, and misshapen faeries lacking
legs. Movement is achieved by bouncing about on their bottoms like rubber balls. They are not
necessarily wicked in nature, but they are mischievous and delight in hiding things from people
under the cover of darkness.