Sprites

Upon birth, all Sprites inherit a Contract that first tied their ancestors to the Household Forces.

Each Sylph knows they came Out of the Draft and is granted by their bond to Household Air both the lightness of their Folk, and the gift of Bloating.

Each Undine knows they came Out of the Drain and is granted by their bond to Household Water both the heftiness of their Folk, and the gift of Water Retention.

Each Salamander knows they came Out of the Spark and is granted by their bond to Household Fire both the promptness of their Folk, and the gift of Enlightenment.

The counterpart is identical for all Sprites, who are bound by the Coin accepted as payment. All littlings of this Folk have to stay true to any written or oral agreement in which, after regular and free negotiation, they accept any sum of money in exchange of services. If they ever fail to comply, they face Terrible Terrible Things.

The Sprite Folk has been living in the House since a time before memory, even before the Master disappeared. Nowadays most people agree, though with some irony, that Sprites walked through the Threshold the day after the first Boggart.

Sprites are largely regarded and regard themselves as one Folk, however it is both clear and traditionally recognized by their culture, that they are divided in three distinct groups. These are Sylphs, Undines, and Salamanders.

All Sprites share an ancestral bond with one of the Household Forces, be it Water, Air, or Fire. Through decades, this bond left a clear mark on the physical appearance of Sprites. But despite their visual differences, Sprites share a common culture and medical literature. They all follow the same customs, share gastronomic traditions, and celebrate the festivities in either identical or inextricably interwoven ways.

Out of the Draft came the Sylphs, who stand out among other sprites because of their thin, hollow bones and proverbial lightness. They are generally very tall, although with the expected exceptions, and remarkably slim. Slanderous gossips also maintain that this physicality means Sylphs all-around make for suspiciously good robbers and thieves.

Their hair is puffy and voluminous, a great source of pride for many women. Men grow no beard and prefer keeping their hair tied in braids or buns, with some even choosing to shave completely.

Sylph blood is blue-green in color, a hue that permeates in varying degrees through their pale skin influencing the tone of it. The littlings Out of the Draft are believed to be sensitive souls with great social skills, but often lazy and forgetful. It is annoyingly common for people to call someone “a Sylph” as a synonym of airhead.

Out of the Drain rose the Undines, who, in contrast, are usually short and stout, with shiny bulging muscles due to their natural water retention. The bowed posture of their backs does no favor to their already short stature, giving way to the cliché that undines should be measured by width rather than height. Many undines have thin light hair that according to some, looks like foaming water, but a few grow black hair with greenish or bluish tints. Men usually boast wide beards, imposing sideburns, or a twirling mustache.

Their blood and skin are usually dull blue in color. Many Undine families settled near the Tub and have been working there for generations as carpenters and laborers.

Out of the Spark, Salamanders were born. They stand out among other sprites because of the warm tones of their skin and hair. Their eyes are deep and bright, considered by many as a sign of intelligence and charm.

In common perception, all Salamanders wear glasses. This is more than just prejudice, you see, as these littlings are statistically prone to developing nearsightedness. Many famous Salamanders are scientists and politicians, and this group is on average less prone to the military life. Perhaps because of their delicate frames.

Sprites are more than a fourth of the total population of the Household, and curiously, the number of Undines, Sylphs, and Salamanders is almost identical. 

Despite the data showing how Sprites are mostly concentrated in the Bathroom and Master Bedroom, this Folk has spread through all other nations. According to figures, by far the vast majority of Sprites hold a career somewhat related to commerce. More than half of the families from this Folk own a business.

Sprites speak Sprigaelic, often in one of its many dialects of various difficulties.