FairyCages

Fairies cannot be interacted with by any known magic or physical means. No device can see a Fairy - from physical magnifying glasses to the most carefully crafted magical recorders. Physical or magical traps designed to detect movement or the presence of other magical effects will never trigger for a Fairy. The one exception to Fairy detection are Fairy Cages.

Despite the name, Fairy Cages cannot catch Fairies.

Fairy Cages are intricately crafted wire sculptures that are sensitive to the presence of Fairies. When Fairies are near, the Cages will spin or turn like small wind-driven sculptures, and care must often be taken to distinguish if the Cage is moving because of Fairies or because of a breeze.

Cages are usually made of silver or copper wire, occasionally with gold highlights or dangles. Designs vary from utilitarian to intricate, and expensive gold sculptures may be no more sensitive than simple peasant-style twists.

Usually no bigger than a small bowl, most can be held in the hand or suspended from poles or ceiling fixtures. The smallest are made into necklaces, while the largest hang in elven halls where elven mages study them for hints about the nature of magic.

Crafting a Fairy Cage is more art than science, and the exact same design may work for one Cage and fail in another. Creating a Cage can take anywhere from an afternoon to several weeks, and an established crafter can draw commissions from across the region for their better works.

As a general rule, cage crafters are not themselves magic users. The ability to use magic may interfere with creating a Fairy Cage.

Small, simple Cages are common and many houses have one on a window ledge, gently turning in a sunbeam more as decoration than useful detector. These cheap Cages are mass-produced and rarely sensitive to all but the most obvious Fairy activity.

More sensitive detectors are much rarer and more expensive. There are rumors of elven Cages that can detect an increase in Fairies before they even arrive.

Mages, clerics, and other magically attuned individuals always have at least one Cage and sometimes several tuned to specific functions. Some mages embark on years-long quests to find an improved Cage.