On Dyscrasia

I suppose that really it is only fair to stop playing at least one of my little games with you and offer up some sort of explanation as to what, exactly, may just be going on. Let me say first, however, that expecting any sort of consistency out of myself or anybody else that wanders in the World Between is foolish to the point of making you every bit as mad as we are. We faeries are not too fond of honesty, and even when we can bring ourselves to tell the truth, we prefer to make an enigma of our words – allowing a degree of imagination and forcing an amount of concious thought upon our readers. The same is true of me as is well true for the rest of faeriekind, maybe even a little less than most.

However, I do feel that the matter of Dyscrasia at least requires a few words to explain it, for it is something that you shall no doubt encounter often in the reading of my tales. As I am sure you are already aware of the nature of those like Eshin (who exists without me) and the Shadow Girl (who exists within) who are both a part of me, but not exactly myself either, then the nature of Dyscrasia should be an easy one to grasp. After all, you mortal men have had the knowledge of the four humours: Sanguine; Melancholic; Choleric; and Phlegmatic, for several thousand years. Although the knowledge has long since been dismissed as mere alchemy (and, while I know well someone that would argue for the cause of such medical, magical science, he shall have to wait for now), once everyone knew well what happens when the balance of those humours was disrupted in what was called 'Dyscrasia': Sanguinity would bring on a wild passion, coloured cheeks, high fever and good humour; Melancholia brought on a depression of the spirit and darkness of the soul; Cholera would bring sharp temper and an excess of energy and strength; and Phlegmatia would make the sufferer turn shy and cold and logical. Now, while that knowledge has long passed into heresy and folklore for your kind, for mine it is still very much alive. Indeed, we could not deny it even if we wished, for we are fickle creatures existing in a constant state of flux, and our humours are no different. So, while it is true that for the most part we exist in some sort of equilibrium, there are those times when all balance is disrupted.

This disruption brings about a sudden change of character which leaves us so utterly transformed in thought and in appearance that even our dear friends may well not recognise us until the balance reasserts itself. And so it is that every faery you shall ever meet has five very different faces: One that exists from an disequilibrium in each of the four humours; and one that is a combination of them all the the closest we may ever come to a normal, stable state. However, far from being fearful of the change of seeing it as some kind of sickness as your mortal children would, we faeries revel in it. It is yet another part of living, and therefore we exist to take some pleasure from it. And so, when the first shiver of Dyscrasia appears, we rush to find our clothing chests and play dress up like children with ourselves and with our minds. What fun! And, after all, no matter what goes on, it never lasts more than a day or two...