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V is for Vermin.

I hope you got the Animal Farm reference 😉

The Fae that live in the Labyrinth wished to be free from Faerie and the rule of the Faery Queen and the Dark King.

Yet they still found themselves forming a hierarchy and a society made or broken by the whims of the Labyrinth Court Fae. Not only did everyone get a specific job they were born to, everyone also got labelled at birth.

There are a lot of creatures in the Labyrinth that are considered vermin by the royals. (Though, considering the list, it’s a wonder they don’t think of all other creatures as vermin.)

Definition of vermin from the Collins English Dictionary:

pl n animals, esp. insects and rodents, that spread disease or cause damage.

Technically, there are only five categories of vermin in the Labyrinth, though occasionally additions will be made to the list.

Grogochs of the Labyrinth

Grogochs are seen as filthy and absolutely disgusting by the Labyrinth Fae who insist on cleanliness (filth and disease will shorten their lives even more). Even the Elves don’t like the Grogochs – but that can just be because Elves tend to be neat while the Grogochs have dirt stuck to their fur. The Grogochs of the Labyrinth are a lot like their topside counterparts, though for some weird reason they adore the Elves.

Caìt Sìth of the Labyrinth

Unlike their topside counterparts, the Caìt Sìth of the Labyrinth run in packs. They’re up to something dangerous: they attack the Courts, disturb the magic of the Labyrinth and make deals with Faery-Hybrids. Though they are called Caìt Sìth, they have little resemblance to their topside counterparts and have formed the terrifying folklore humans hold about cats.

Phoukas of the Labyrinth

As I’ve explained in my post about the Labyrinth Phoukas, they’re only interested in causing mischief and mayhem.  Though their origins can be traced back to folklore, they’re no longer bound to the rules of topside Phoukas.

Faery-Hybrids of the Labyrinth

Faery-Hybrid Rats can be found everywhere in the Labyrinth. They’re the size of Chihuahuas and are considered a delicacy in the Dragon Court. Unfortunately, just like real rats, they eat everything in sight and believe that the Labyrinth belongs only to them.

Digmoles are unique to the Labyrinth. They are a cross between a vole and a mole. They can dig through the magic of the Labyrinth walls, causing destruction as far as they go. The only place where they are helpful is in the Verdure Labyrinth where they are trained to turn the soil for new crops.

Other Faery-Hybrids exist in the Labyrinth, though we haven’t encountered them yet.

Goblins, Red Caps and Elves of the Labyrinth

Though all three these races are servants in the Courts, the Court Fae still regard them as vermin.

The Red Caps of the Labyrinth are exactly like their topside counterparts. They’ve moved into the Labyrinth to protect themselves from the humans. As bloodthirsty as they are, only the Guardians have their respect.

The Goblins of the Labyrinth differ from their topside counterparts in several ways, though the most important thing is that they are no longer mercenaries and don’t belong to the Dark Court anymore. In the Labyrinth they work for different Courts to help steal food, clothes and other things from the humans when necessary.

In the Labyrinth, the Elves are servants to the Court Fae. Though they don’t mind helping the other Fae – especially the Guardians – they do not go against the orders of the Court Fae or the implied hierarchy. They differ from their topside counterparts in so many ways, though the Labyrinth knows everything and will share its knowledge with certain individuals to make the Elves tap into their other powers even when they don’t want to…

There’s nothing special about the Court Fae, yet they believe that they are superior. The Elves know secrets that no-one else in the Labyrinth know. The most damning being: Royal Fae and Guardians (including the non-Royal Fae) are all descended from High Fae. And High Fae are the most important Fae in Faerie.

Isn’t it scary how much Fae Society mirrors our own? After reading the story of the Dark King (check out link at start of post), have you figured out yet how the Labyrinth was formed? Any thoughts about the world of the Onyx Labyrinth? If you want to catch up on all the tales from the Onyx Labyrinth, check out the link in the sidebar.

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