Puppetfolk are handcrafted remnants of forgotten artistry—wood, cloth, and lacquer once moved by strings and now animated by the breath of Fey magic. When their creators abandoned them, the residual longing for performance, applause, and purpose drew the attention of wandering Fey spirits. Through this ethereal touch, their hollow shells awakened, gaining sentience, will, and the strange ache of loneliness.

Unlike Golems or Automatons, their spark of life isn’t bound by command—it is wild, emotional, and deeply tied to expression. Their joints creak with memory, their wooden hearts thrum with unseen rhythm, and their painted smiles rarely hide the emptiness of their forgotten beginnings.

Appearance & Form

Each Puppetfolk reflects the artistry of their origin. Some resemble court jesters with bright fabrics and carved grins; others wear cracked porcelain masks or patchwork faces stitched from discarded dolls. Their limbs are often jointed with brass pins or twine, and faint runes glow along their seams—remnants of the Fey enchantments that birthed them.

Their eyes, painted or carved, shimmer faintly with light when they feel emotion. Some carry faintly visible Fey Strings, glowing threads that twitch or curl when they channel their magic.

Society & Nature

There is no homeland of the Puppetfolk—only troupes, caravans, and small traveling bands that wander from village to village. They gather in groups known as The Marionette Circles, performing elaborate plays, pantomimes, or dances beneath the moonlight.

While outwardly whimsical, these performances often carry strange undertones—stories of abandonment, lost purpose, or the nature of creation itself. Puppetfolk do not age, but they weather, and the older ones become quieter, moving with deliberate care as if afraid their own joints might finally give out.

Fey String Magic

The same Fey essence that gives the Puppetfolk life also grants them mastery over invisible threads of motion and will. These Fey Strings allow them to control puppets, inanimate objects, or—when threatened—living beings.

In performance, they can make dozens of puppets dance in harmony; in combat, those same strings become whips of shimmering control, capable of restraining or manipulating foes like marionettes. Some even say that the strongest Puppetfolk can pluck emotions from others as if tuning a harp.

Purpose and Desire

At their core, every Puppetfolk craves recognition—to be seen, to be remembered, to matter beyond the stage. Applause nourishes them as much as sunlight does a plant. But when denied it, when ignored or mocked, something within them frays. Their strings grow taut, their laughter hollow.

It is this delicate balance—between joy and despair, art and madness—that defines the Puppetfolk’s wandering existence. They live to bring wonder, but always fear becoming forgotten again.

Place in the World

To some, they are curiosities—harmless entertainers with painted smiles. To others, they are uncanny tricksters who manipulate the hearts and minds of mortals with unseen strings. Fey courts sometimes employ them as jesters or spies, while mortal kings hire them to amuse nobles or terrify enemies with lifelike puppet armies.

Wherever they roam, their presence leaves whispers:

Beware the jester who laughs without breath, for their strings pull more than wood and cloth.