Pixie

"'Thrice-damned dwoemer-bugs! Blasted mana-rats! Petulant, irritating, mischievous tricksters! Let's see how you like it when the whole bloody tower burns up from beneath you, eh? Eh?!'""- Gonlief the Mad, formerly of the Royal Elysian College of Magi"Pixies are the smallest of all the mortal races, but compensate for their size with cunning and deception of which even legion celestials are said to be envious. As the self-proclaimed children of the goddess Lyliria, pixies are well known for their pranks (which are usually in good fun). That said, they are even better known for absorbing aether as sustenance and their occasional tendency to explode upon death.

As a note, male pixies are referred to as sprites; female pixies call themselves faeries. Nonbinary pixies go by a wide variety of terms which can’t be fully catalogued here.

Physicality
There is no explanation as to how pixies function from an anatomical standpoint. They range from 12 to 30 inches in height, have a pair of insect-like wings, and have no need to eat or drink, though they do sleep as munen do. The only reasonable assumption to be made is that pixies somehow sustain themselves on pure aether, the chaotic force behind magic which permeates all of Rheann.

Pixies are fully-formed at birth, another anomaly which continues to baffle those who would bother researching the race's physicality. Their hair, eye, wing, and skin color varies completely between individuals regardless of parentage. They usually live no longer than five or six years, but show no signs of aging before suddenly keeling over and leaving a small crater as the only evidence of their passing. Suffice it to say this is a serious concern for mortals who live too close to pixie colonies.

Personality
Pixies are almost always mischievous, playful, and competitive, with only a vague understanding of morality. Pranks and practical jokes are literally a religion to them, and are just about the only thing a pixie will take seriously. They tend to be self-centered, quick-witted, and full of boundless energy, though the rare exception does exist.

Religion
The pixies of Rheann worship Lyliria, the goddess of mischief and romantic love. According to pixie verbal traditions, Lyliria created pixies in order to attend a divine party which required each of its guests to bring their own mortal race. The idea of having been created on a whim seems to resonate well with the pixies at large, though some of their group may occasionally devote their brief existence to worshiping someone other than Lyliria. One can only imagine the patience of the priest who allows a pixie into their fold.

Other Races
In general, the other mortal races find pixies irritating, hyperactive, and entirely too chaotic to be of any use. They get along best with each other and perhaps children, who take considerable delight in the appearance and sense of humor of these diminutive creatues.

Pixie Lands
None. Their colonies spring up in forests and around munen cities, but there has never been a country which places a pixie in a significant position of power.

Roleplaying a Pixie
Build is as Forest Gnome, |D&D 5e PHB] p. 37, with the following exceptions:


 * Age: Pixies are born fully-formed when their parents fuse together in a bizarre mating ritual. Their lifespans rarely exceed six years. If they have not mated in that time, they tend to suddenly fall over unconscious and explode, dealing 4d6 force damage to everything within 30 feet. Anyone caught in the blast radius may attempt a DC 13 Dexterity save, taking half damage on a success. A pixie killed by other means does not explode upon death.
 * Alignment: Pixies are almost always chaotic and treat morality as something of a joke, landing them solidly in the realm of neutrality. Their tricks and games are usually more playful than vicious, but not always.
 * Size: Pixies stand thirty inches tall at most and weigh between 15 and 25 pounds. Your size is Small.
 * Aethersight: You can sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic. Unlike the spell Detect Magic, this ability cannot penetrate opaque barriers, and the school of magic is not apparent to you. (This replaces the Speak with Small Beasts ability from Forest Gnome.)
 * Speed: Your base walking speed is 20 feet. You can hover about a foot off the ground using your wings, which grants you a movement speed of 30 feet. This ability does not function over non-solid surfaces such as water.

Childhood
Pixies have no childhood to speak of. Or perhaps they are children for their entire lives. It is impossible to know, as every new pixie is born fully formed when two other pixies merge together in a moment of passion. The appearance, coloration, abilities, and personality of the ‘parents’ doesn’t seem to have any bearing on the traits of the newly born pixie. They can somehow comprehend language and have a basic understanding of the world around them, but are otherwise a completely new and distinct person.

Community
Due to their unusual nature, pixies tend to form close-knit communities which the other races refer to as colonies. These usually occur in or around ruins, groves, and abandoned animal dwellings. In large cities, a colony might take over a condemned building or stalled public works project. These communities work together to pool resources, share the scavenged magical trinkets they drain for sustenance, and stave off potential threats.

Living in groups also increases their chance of finding a mate, which can be difficult considering their short lifespans. Pixie courtships focus on short-term enjoyment and can often be over in the same week they begin. It isn’t unusual for a pixie to have twenty or thirty trysts of varying lengths before they find a final partner with whom they plan to merge.

Out With a Bang
Finding a mate isn’t just about companionship for pixies - It also determines how they can end their lives on Rheann. If a pixie doesn’t fuse with another to form a new life, they will at some point, without warning, fall over and violently explode. This isn’t necessarily seen as a bad way to die, but most pixies report at least some desire to partake in a joining instead.