Fairy

Date: 2014-04-02

Source: Official Notecard

The faeries are tiny bundles of magic bound together and inspired by pure imagination, creativity, dreams, and...occasionally nightmares. These beautiful little creatures flutter around on gossamer wings and shed their light and magic over your garden, helping the various plants and other creatures that they interact with. Every single one of them has a job and role within your garden, and their powerful magic makes them more devote in their efforts than any of the other Papillon pets.

So, what do they eat, you ask? Creativity, imagination, and the kindled love and emotion of all of the pets around them. They are fed and nourished by simply being around other Papillon creatures. They will never consume a single resource from your garden, meaning that you can keep them alive and well in almost any garden. Much like a Will o' Wisp, they do require that at least one plant be present, but they will never drain it of resources -- quite the contrary, their powerful magic tends to the plants simply by being near them. (0 resource drain over time)

How long do they live? Most fey live at least a year of our time. They are very busy, and burn very brightly, leading productive little lives that spread joy, hope, and beauty all around them. When they finally retire they become 'Toys' so that you may keep them forever as pretty fluttering pets, but they will no longer mate or do their job after this point. Some pets are born 'Eternal' meaning that they will never die. They will be with you forever!

How many prims are they and how much lag do they produce? They are seven prims at the moment. Their body is composed primarily of particles, glow, and similar effects. They have no 'physical body'. This was done specifically to reduce the amount of lag that they produce, making it possible to have dozens, and potentially even hundreds of pets. All of the Papillon pets are very, very low lag. They have no moving parts (even the wings are just an animated texture, they're actually not 'flapping'), no shifting sculpts, no alpha flicker on-and-off. They do, however, use quite a few scripts to manage all of their jobs, roles, and special effects. Dozens or hundreds of them can potentially bog down a sim simply from sheer numbers. How many can YOU support? That varies. We have customers with upwards of a thousand of our pets. Really? Really.

How do they reproduce? In order to create a baby, it requires a Nocturnal and Diurnal fey. The nocturnal are active by night, and the diurnal are active by day -- the two courts meet and mingle at dusk and dawn, courting their affections and inspiring their powerful magic into creating new life. The process often takes a few days, but never more than that (72-hour base base reproductive cycle). Like most of the Papillon pets, they have 12 base mating cycles before they retire. This may be increased through a number of means, even after they have retired from mating. They continue to do their job even after they are out of mating cycles, and continue to get better at whatever they do all the way up until they retire as a Toy.

The fairies only reproduce at dawn and dusk (6Am to 7AM and 6PM to 7PM, SL Time). They all have a little (•) during the other hours, which represents that they aren't actively mingling with another fairy. When it changes to (♥), they are...in the mood, so to speak ;) In either case, their mating-cooldown still has to have cycled through, with 0.000 or less on their mating timer (Can mate in 0.00h [cycles remaining]).

If you see a little (♣) they have also been magically inspired by a blossom of some sort, and are gaining a special bonus towards unlocking the very rare traits that are difficult to acquire.

So, what exactly do I need to keep a fairy?

Well, you'll need a breedable plant. IT doesn't ever have to breed, but they absorb the beauty of the plant and use it to fuel their fairy magic. It will never harm or drain the plant of resources, and may even make it grow even faster and more healthy than it would have otherwise matured. Most starter packs and bundles come packed with a simple breedable plant.

You'll also need a fairy shelter. This simple object, plant, tree, or structure acts as a safe-haven for the tiny fey while they are sleeping, and allows them to recover their fairy magic without worrying about what may find them while they're dreaming. The shelters last forever and can house an unlimited amount of fey, but no one wants to be crammed neck-to-knee with a dozen of their brothers and sisters. Having more than one fairy shelter is a good idea if you have a lot of pets. There's no 'perfect number', and in fact one shelter could support hundreds of fey, but they'll all be waking up a bit cranky. Most starter packs and bundles come with a generic shelter of some sort, and you can buy more, as well as the raw shelter script to place in your own creations.

Is that really it? Yes, that's really it. They benefit from a number of other accessories and the boosting capabilities of the other pets, but none of that is necessary. 

Quick-Start Guide (The short-short version...)

Open up the folder that you received (or unpack the packed box into your inventory).
Inside, you'll find 'Starter's and a Shelter.
Before you do anything else, rez the Shelter and place it where you'd like.
Pets get very upset if they try to hide and can't find somewhere safe.
Once the Shelter is in place, find the starter that is a breedable plant (Rose, Tulip, Orchid, etc).
Rez the plant-starter, click it, and choose 'Begin' to begin the birthing process.
Once the plant is fully born it will gain hovertext over it.
Once the plant is born, you may rez the other starters.
DO NOT EVER UNPACK A STARTER. You'll kill it.
Click the starter(s), and choose 'Begin' to begin the birthing process.
Once they are fully born they will gain their hovertext that explains their traits.
You're done! In a few days you'll begin getting offspring.
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All pets begin as a (Baby) and will hide their class for about an hour, before they mature to an adult.
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All pets are born with breeding enabled.
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They do not require specific mates, but you may set them via the menu options.
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Pets are born with movement disabled. You will have to allow them movement via the menu options.
Pets are born with orbit enabled. Orbit-mode makes them circle around you and other things. However, orbit-mode can be laggy, especially if you have a lot of pets. Turning off orbit-mode can significantly reduce the lag on your sim if you have more than a couple dozen pets.
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Why don't my pets look like what everyone else is seeing? You probably have Basic Shaders disabled, and can't see the glow-effects. Which is half of what they are. Or, you have particles disabled, which is the other half of what they are.
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Never, never, never pick up more than one pet at a time. It is safe to store the pets and offspring in your inventory, but only individually. That may sound painful if you have to pick up and move your garden and pets later, but unless you want to risk killing them...just don't do it. ONLY pick them up one at a time, as individual objects, never as a bundled group.
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Never, never, never put plants or accessories into SL-boxes to store them. The asset server will automatically rename them and shuffle them around, creating a few complicated problems that may hurt your garden. Some of the classes, 'Tinkers' and 'Workers' in particular, are looking for specific things. 'Plant 2' isn't 'Plant', and 'Warming Stones 5' isn't 'Warming Stones'. They can't find what they can't easily see. So don't do it.

What are the various pets that I can get? Well, there's a lot of them. More than I can easily list. However, presented below is a quick reference chart of rarities for the various base traits. Very Common traits appear...well, very commonly, in starter packs. Common traits appear about one-in-four. Uncommon traits appear about one-in-ten. Rare traits appear about one-in-a-hundred. Very rare traits appear about one-in-a-thousand.

Unfortunately, there's no way to easily calculate rarities after the breeding process begins. The actual bonuses vary from garden to garden and breeder to breeder. What may be common for someone else could be rare for someone else. The only universally difficult traits to unlock are the traits that require a 'Full Mutation', which only occurs after the pet has already unlocked a potential evolution and mutation in the same breeding cycle (roughly one-in-a-thousand breedings are lucky enough to get this).

RACIAL TYPES

(Affects wing, circle, field, and sparkle base patterns)

Very Common: Fairy (A)
Common: Brownie (B), Pixie (C)
Uncommon: Meliai (D), Spriggan (E)
Rare: Beanshe (F), Shee (G)
Very Rare: Leshay (H), Sidhe (I)

What are all of these names, you ask? They're types of fey, and fey creatues.

Fairies are the most common, and in truth is simply a generalization for a generic fey creature. While they do not excel at any particular role, they have the greatest chance of inspiring their offspring towards new and undiscovered abilities.

Brownies attach themselves to human households. When there they help with chores and protect the well-being of people living on their land. Within the Papillon system, they excel at being a Paladin, Priest and Worker.

Pixies are incredibly child-like fey that love to dance, play, and make merriment. They are known across the lands as the greatest singers and performers, making them amazing Bards and Dreamers.

Meliai are honey-nymphs that dwell in the secret places of the world, collecting ambrosia and other mysterious herbs. Their magic is more powerful than most, and they are very adept at being an Alchemist and Mystic.

Spriggans are mischievous spirits that are notorious thieves and troublemakers. They are often foul-tempered and quick to anger, and twice as quick to pay back those that give them a reason to. Because of their cantankerous nature they do very well as Assassins and Soldiers, using it as an excuse give the sneaky little spiders a bad day.

Beanshe are incredibly powerful spirits that often act as messengers, and are rumored to be able to foretell the future. Because of their ability to sense out and feel life, they make excellent Caretakers and Godparents.

Shee are noble fey, that often live in grand courts and palaces. They often act as ambassadors and guardians of the great Sidhe and Leshay that rule over the fey courts. Because of their innate charisma, they make excellent Princes and Princesses, and hold great power if they manage to become a Saint.

Sidhe and Leshay are two sides of the same coin. These powerful fey are the rulers of their people, and are often great Kings and Queens of the fairy kingdoms. The Sidhe rule the court of the day and are gracious and forgiving, whereas the Leshay rule over the court of the night and demand an unfailing justice from their peoples.

CLASS RARITIES

(Affects their job and role within your garden!)

Very Common: Fey
Common: Soldier, Priest
Uncommon: Worker, Bard, Prince/Princess
Rare: King/Queen
Very Rare: Alchemist, Caregiver Caretaker, Godparent
Unlockable Classes: Dreamer, Assassin, Paladin, Saint, Mystic, Theurge, Witchdoctor
Mutation Classes (From Eternal Body): Vampire, Zombie

RADIANCE LEVELS

(Affects wing glow/alpha-fade)

Very Common: Normal
Common: Faded, Vibrant
Uncommon: Brilliant, Dark
Rare: Luminous, Shadowed
Very Rare: Shining, Midnight
Ultra Rare: Luminous
Full Mutation Only: Gleaming
Unlockable Radiances: Ghostly, Sparkling

MAGIC LEVELS

(Affects circle/sparkle/field density and glow)

Very Common: Dull
Common: Pale, Soft
Uncommon: Normal, Strong
Rare: Bright, Intense
Very Rare: Radiant, Dazzling

MUTATIONS

BODY MUTATIONS

Eternal (Pet will never die!)
-> Unlocks Reincarnated (Pet begins at a higher tier)

Empowered (Pet's fairy magic works better, harder worker)

Energized (Pet has an enhanced chance of evolution)
-> Unlocks Lunar and Solar (Pet mutates better by dawn or dusk)

Magical (Pet's magical particles are more intense)
-> Unlocks Arcane and Enchanted, more potent versions of Magical

WING MUTATIONS

Public List (easy to get) Ink, Gypsy, Spots, Shimmer, Glasswing, GlasswingB, Machus, Eyes, EyesB, EyesC, Cluster, Sky, Sunset, SatinA, SatinB, Tattered, Hollow, Peacock, Oops, Dark, Alabaster, Strange, Doodle, Camo, Rainbow, Perriot, Monarch

Monarch
-> Unlocks Semperi, Hypolitus, Swallow, Ashwing, Spacebush, Luna, Fulgens, Sanguine, Semperi, Lumens, Iridescent, Angelfisher, Frilled, Streaker, and Triggerfish

Perriot
-> Unlocks Beta, BetaA,[1] and BetaB

Rainbow
-> Unlocks RainbowB through RainbowI
Rainbow* with Rainbow* -> Unlocks WonderA through WonderD
Wonder* with Wonder* ---> Unlocks ViMorph, BlMorph, RaMorph, GrMorph, and BrMorph
*Morph with *Morph ------> Unlocks AuroraA and AuroraB

Dark -> Unlocks Deathwing
Peacock -> Unlocks Mythical, Pixie, and Bee
Ink -> Unlocks Lace and Embroidered

Bewitched (Unlocked by having Witch AND Nether Particles)
-> Unlocks Solar and Archon

PARTICLE MUTATIONS

Public List (easy to get): Bubble, Bubbles, BubblesB, Bubbly, Glow, Sparkles, Lightning, Stormy, Flutters, FluttersB, Cloud, Sparkly, Motes, Fiery, Rainbow, Symphony, TribalA through TribalH

Bub* with Bub* -> Unlocks Dubbly
Spark* with Spark* -> Unlocks Apprentice, Mage, Warlock, Runes, Runed, Chant, Rings, and Trinity
Rune* with Rune* -> Unlocks Runii, Symbolii, and Circii
*ii* with with *ii* -> Unlocks Runic
Mage or Warlock -> Unlocks Arcane, Enchanted, Circles, and Chant
Arcane, Enchanted, or Circles -> Unlocks Witch and Nether
Witch with Nether -> Unlocks Sealed
Apprentice with Chant -> Unlocks Ritual
Apprentice with Rings -> Unlocks Sorcery
Tribal* with Tribal*-> Unlocks Voo and Doo
Voo with Doo -> Unlocks Voodoo
Lightning -> Unlocks Radiance, Glitter, Stardust, Gleam, Speckles, Bolts, and Volt
Lightning with Volt -> Unlocks Charged
Bolts with Charged -> Unlocks Overcharged
Bolts with Stormy -> Unlocks Rainbolts
Fiery -> Unlocks Burning
Symphony -> Unlocks Rockstar

The fey support all of the butterfly particle mutations, and may very well support all of the wing mutations as well. Testing is still on-going with regard to that, to see just how many of them will be unlocked and added in as fairy wings as well. Body mutations are a bit more tricky in that they have no 'body'. Their body is already shiny, glowy, and very sparkly, meaning that most of the previous body mutations from the other pets simply don't apply. We're working on that =)

The fairies come in a total of about two-quadrillion combinations (1,053 base visual models without color or mutations taken into account, 231,600 with just mutations), or about five million visibly different combinations. And even more-so with non-visual attributes and mutations taken into account. Holy hell, that's a lot, you say? Yes, it certainly is! In reality, you'll probably only be trying to collect the special mutations, pure-colors, and rare unlocks. About a thousand pets, give or take!

Footnotes

1. ^ As far as we know BetaA does not exist