The Fae
The Fae are the main antagonists, but they are also the source of magic in Nightingale.
200 years have passed since we last saw a Fae--yet still the tales persist... Of elegant, fickle, cruel beings--some allies, some masters--who disappeared overnight, leaving their empty Realms behind.
What do we truly know? That they are graceful, eloquent and utterly individual. That their Courts are enchanted, deadly places. That, whilst humans struggle with the simplest magick, the Fae find it as natural as breathing.
The Druids pray that Oberon or his kin return to aid us, whilst the Calcularia fear their meddling brought this disaster upon us. As always, the truth is likely to be found somewhere in between...[1]
History
After centuries of lurking and quietly meddling in humanity's affairs, the Fae openly contacted humans a few centuries ago.[2] They shared their magic with a privileged few[3], then vanished for hundreds of years. We used their magic for industry and science and built the portal network that allowed us to venture out into the curiously-empty Fae realms. Now the Fae have returned, the portal network has collapsed, and the human travelers are cut off from Nightingale City. They'll have to rely on their ingenuity and teamwork to find their way home.
Factions
The Fae are organized into courts, of which two are known: Summer and Winter. The Winter Court is responsible for creating the Bound, which they wield as a weapon of extinction against humanity.