When a mortal enters a deal with the fae, they rarely trade in gold or silver. The fair folk find material currency boring and trivial. Instead, they deal in the abstract, the emotional, and the deeply personal. By forcing mortals to trade pieces of their own humanity or destiny, the fae secure bargains that carry devastating, unforeseen consequences.
The Trade of Time and Life
One of the most frequent currencies in fae bargains is time. This can manifest in two distinct ways: the literal surrender of a mortal’s lifespan, or the theft of their youth.
A desperate human might trade ten years of their life for a moment of desperate assistance or immediate success. The fae will grant the request instantly, but they rarely take those years from the end of the person's life. Instead, the mortal might age a decade overnight, waking up with gray hair and aching joints. In other instances, the fae demand a period of service. A mortal may believe they are spending a single evening dancing in a fairy ring, only to return to the mortal world to find that a century has passed and everyone they loved is long dead.
Selling Luck, Talent, and Emotion
Fae are deeply envious of the human capacity for genuine passion, luck, and creativity. Because their own nature is static and ancient, they use contracts to steal these vibrant human traits for themselves.
The Price of Luck: Trading one's good fortune for a short-term victory is a swift path to ruin. Once a mortal surrenders their luck, the fae absorb it, leaving the human cursed with perpetual misfortune. Simple tasks become hazardous, and accidents follow them wherever they go.
The Sacrifice of Talent: Artists, musicians, and leaders in fantasy lore frequently strike deals to gain unmatched skill. The fae can bestow effortless genius, but the price is often the absolute loss of inspiration or the ability to feel joy from their craft. The music becomes flawless, but it leaves the musician entirely empty inside.
The Currency of Emotion: A heartbroken mortal might beg a fae to take away their grief or memories of a lost love. The fae will gladly accept, but they do not just take the pain. They extract the person's entire capacity to love, leaving them emotionally numb and unable to form meaningful connections for the rest of their days.
The Ultimate Toll: True Names and Concepts
The most absolute possession a person can trade is their identity. In folklore, a true name is not just a label; it is the fundamental core of a being. Trading a name gives a fae complete authority over a mortal's actions and soul.
Beyond names, the fae can bargain for abstract concepts that humans take for granted. A fae might ask for your color of eyes, the sound of your laughter, or your ability to perceive the color blue. While these requests seem harmless or whimsical at first, the reality is horrific. A person who trades their laughter loses the ability to ever feel true mirth again, turning a seemingly small concession into a lifelong psychological prison.
