Freshwater Fairies

BUBBLE SPRITES

OTHER NAMES: Glimmers, No-See-Ems

LIKES: Starlight, games, laughter

DISLIKES: Wind, rain, solitude, sunlight

DIET: Unknown

ALIGNMENT: Seelie

These delicate fairies that appear by moonlight have the look of human children but with small gossamer wings on their backs like those of a dragonfly. What their wings are used for is entirely unknown, as they rely on the bubbles that encase them to lift themselves into the air above the water’s surface so they can dance and play as they float along to their next destination, laughing all the while. These joyful little charmers, known for their infectious giggles, can be heard even when they can’t be seen. They generally grow no taller or wider than a dime—the largest bubble sprite ever recorded was about two inches tall and half an inch wide. It is widely suspected among those who study them that bubble sprites are far more numerous than we realize, with most being too small to be glimpsed by the unaided human eye. These good-natured little fairies can frequently be found in any body of fresh water, from wide lakes to humble creeks, and they always travel in schools of a hundred or more. They seem to find some safety and strength in numbers with so many challenges to their survival.

Sunlight is one of the bubble sprite’s many enemies—if a ray should touch them, they’ll dissolve like sugar in water, so they always return below the surface before the predawn twilight begins to color the sky. But underwater, they are also often a meal for larger fish, otters, turtles, and other aquatic creatures. All night long, they use their magic to keep their bubbles aloft, where their only challenge is rain or wind that might down a bubble or blow it astray.

There are no accounts of a bubble sprite ever hurting or tricking a human, let alone getting close enough to do so without their bubble popping.

RIVERMEN

OTHER NAMES: Fossegrim, Strömkarlen, Fiddlers

LIKES: Good music, thoughtful gifts

DISLIKES: Bright sunlight, human industry

DIET: Carnivore—fish, shellfish, whatever they can catch

ALIGNMENT: Solitary

Rivermen are sometimes called fiddlers, as that’s what they are most often heard playing, but some accounts of these fairies have them playing a lute or harmonica as well. A researcher out in the field once overheard a riverman on the harp, and according to them, the song he played as he stood under the spray of an icy waterfall in Northern Norway was nothing short of masterful. The sounds of the forest, of animals, of breezes, and of rippling currents all rise from the strings of these otherworldly musicians, making their playing style quite distinct, and they never mind applause or coins tossed their way by an appreciative audience. Of course, their primary name is misleading, as rivermen live around all kinds of waters, particularly brackish sorts like marshes and lagoon-lakes where they’re as likely to catch a crab or heron for dinner as they are to snag a fish.

Though often frightening in appearance with yellow eyes, pointed ears and teeth, clawed hands, and greenish skin, a riverman is not primarily a threat to anyone—he is far more focused on practicing his music than whatever you’re doing near his river or stream unless you should make an effort to catch his attention. Although these highly skilled fairies may be intimidating to approach, if you’re a musician yourself, or want to be, you may wish to gather your courage and do just that. You see, rivermen aren’t just great musicians; they’re also great teachers. If you come to a riverman bearing the right kind of gift—a set of fresh strings for his instrument, perhaps; a juicy trout or some still-steaming smoked goat or lamb; or even a beautiful trinket of silver or gold—he will accept this as payment and show you how to make sounds on your instrument that other musicians only dream of.

SHELLYCOATS

OTHER NAMES: Bellcoats

LIKES: Shells, pebbles, tumbled glass, the dark

DISLIKES: Light and noise

DIET: Herbivore—algae, moss, twigs

ALIGNMENT: Solitary

These skittish, mysterious creatures rarely show their ratlike, whiskery faces. Still, they are easily recognized even from a distance by their hunched postures and the heavy coats they wear that act like turtle shells, allowing them room to retreat when startled. The coats are made from snail shells, freshwater clams, and beautifully patterned rocks, sticks, and other oddities—anything that naturally occurs around the water that strikes their fancy might end up in the wearable, ever-growing collections that give these fairies their name. It’s estimated that over the course of a shellycoat’s life, they will add to and change their carefully curated garment to include well over three thousand different shells and stones.

Shellycoats haunt rivers and streams, but never ponds or lakes, preferring water that stays constantly in motion to better disguise the noises their coats make as they creep about on the hunt for more treasures to wear. They always emerge around dusk and spend their nights wandering the banks and shallows, grazing on handfuls of algae as they roam. No one knows where exactly they rest during the day despite efforts to follow them, but it’s highly suspected they may bury themselves in the mud so that only a shell or two on their backs is visible, which is what gives their coats such a dull and dirty appearance. If you ever find a stubborn shell that you just can’t seem to dig out of the mud no matter how hard you try, it might be a shellycoat wanting to rest unnoticed.

While these creatures are never intentionally harmful, they’re serious about protecting their peace; if you’ve accidentally entered their territory, they’ll often do their best to mislead you and send you away from their home. There are exceptions to their shy and mischievous nature, as each shellycoat has a distinct personality. There are a few accounts of these creatures giving one of their shells to a human they’ve taken a liking to and a handful of recorded instances in which they’ve helped lead a lost traveler back in the direction of the road.

WATER HORSES

OTHER NAMES: Kelpies, Pookas, Glashtyn, Fuath

LIKES: Music, real horses, swimming

DISLIKES: Boats, algae, litter

DIET: Omnivore—fresh fish, snails, cattails

ALIGNMENT: Unseelie

These unruly shape-shifters never travel too far from the body of water they call home, be it a river, lake, or pond, though they will occasionally stray into the nearest human town or village for a short time. They can take on a variety of animal forms depending on their mood, but they always keep their dark fur no matter their shape. You might encounter a water horse in the form of a goat, cat, raven, fox, dog, wolf, or hare—or more rarely, you could meet one that looks almost human, an appearance the poor water horse never manages to get just right. In their human shape, they’re always given away by some animal feature they’ve forgotten to hide, such as a tail, furry ears, whiskers, or claws. Most often, however, they appear as sleek black horses with deep eyes of glowing amber.

Travelers have long had reason to be wary of these mischievous creatures: one of their favorite pastimes for centuries has been tricking weary humans into accepting a ride on the water horse’s back. This wild, galloping whirlwind of a trip ultimately ends at the creature’s home pond or river, where the unlucky person is thrown from the horse’s back and dunked. Lost and soaking, the traveler is then left to find their way back to the road on their own.

There is at least one well-known account of a man who accepted a ride from a water horse. He was staying in a small vacation town near a popular lake, out for a late evening walk, when a tall, lean, black horse came trotting into view. The velvety nose that sniffed his outstretched hand was, by his remembrance, warm and a little damp, and the water horse’s breath reeked of something fishy. While he swung a leg over the creature’s back, the horse waited patiently, but as soon as the man was settled, the horse bolted toward the lake. The next thing he knew, the man went flying over the horse’s head and into the shallows of the dark, quiet water, and he had to walk over a mile back to his hotel covered in mud and smelling like fish.

WATER NYMPHS

OTHER NAMES: Lady of the Lake, Naiad, Nixie, Melusine

LIKES: Music, sunlight, water lilies

DISLIKES: Storms, disrespectful guests

DIET: Herbivore—cattails, rushes, various aquatic plants

ALIGNMENT: Seelie

Each of these fairies is the guardian of a specific body of water, from streams, fountains, wells, and brooks to lakes, ponds, and rivers. They do not travel from their beloved homes for anything, be it love or curiosity, as they take their vows to protect the water seriously. Though they all appear more or less to be beautiful young women on first glance, their features are actually as varied as the places they inhabit and depend on their personality. Often, they’ll take on the aspects of whatever part of their home environment they most identify with—sometimes an animal and sometimes an element of the water itself. Some water nymphs have hair in rich shades of blue or green instead of the usual brown, black, or gold; some have shimmering fishlike scales on their face or arms; yet others have the soft whiskers of an otter. Some may have webbed toes or fingers or the alarming appearance of sharp, sharklike teeth when they open their mouths. They all tend to favor bare feet and light, flowing gowns in which they can dance and twirl at the water’s edge or upon its surface, as they bask in and reflect the beauty of their chosen homes.

In ancient times, these beautiful water guardians were sometimes worshipped by local humans, mistaken for spirits of the water itself. Human children might leave offerings for health and good fortune by the shore for the water nymph, for instance, while some adults believed they could glimpse their future in the water’s reflection if they left the right gift for the nymph. Nowadays, after careful study, we know that water nymphs are merely a type of fairy. To the average swimmer, angler, or sightseer, they are generally kind.

If they choose to show themselves, it is usually to sing and dance, putting on a beautiful show that celebrates the life-giving properties of water and all those who rely on it, from minnows to turtles. However, water nymphs take their duties as guardians quite seriously—they may be gentle by nature, but they can call up wind and rain to discourage any disrespectful visitors or even alter their appearance to become more frightening. So it is important to treat their homes with the same care you would show your own.