(Also fay, fae; from faery, faerie, 'realm of the fays')-Fae basically means fairy, but it sounds much cooler.
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature in European folklore; a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural. Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term fairy offers many definitions. Sometimes the term describes any magical creature, including goblins or gnomes; at other times, the term only describes a specific type of a more ethereal creature or sprite. Various folkloristic traditions refer to them euphemistically, by names such as wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair folk (Welsh tylwyth teg).
Much of the folklore about fairies revolves around protection from their malice. Although in modern culture they are often depicted as young, sometimes winged, humanoids of small stature, they originally were depicted quite differently: tall, radiant, angelic beings or short, wizened trolls being two of the commonly mentioned forms, similar to the representations of many an Elf in Lord of the Rings.
One common theme found among the Celtic nations describes a race of diminutive people who had been driven into hiding by invading humans. When considered as beings that a person might actually encounter, fairies were noted for their mischief and malice. (Also see Imp and Pixie).
Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers. Their origins are less clear in the folklore, being variously dead, or some form of demon, or a species completely independent of humans or angels.
Their main skills include flying-though disputed- magic, curse/spells and they can be cunning and crafty little buggers. Some fairies, like in the Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban RPG, where the fairies are a vain creature, and will often allow itself to be used as decoration within magic households. Due to their vanity, fairies are almost constantly grooming themselves and they apparently possess a weak brand of magic that allows it to evade its predators. The fairy cannot speak; instead, it makes a high-pitched buzzing noise to communicate with its fellow fairies, but they are able to laugh.
In the fully animated movie of FernGully, the fairies their can easily speak and communicate with other 'bugs' and fae creatures. They have more substatial magic and can easily control the powers of nature.
