Fairfoot
2008
Frametown, WV
It was a snow day, so we all went out to go sledding. There’s this really big hill down the road that’s part of a farm and it’s the perfect place to go; you have to pass through this small section of forest to get to it from my house. I go this way pretty often by myself, so I’m used to the path and all the animals that live there.
Three of us were talking loudly and walking through the woods when we heard trees cracking, like something big was in them. We stopped talking and looked around; I can’t really describe it, but the air felt heavy and made me feel panicky. A small shadow passed over us and I looked up; I saw this huge man covered in dark hair jumping from treetop to treetop. It didn’t look like he had seen us. Then, he jumped onto the ground farther down the path before leaping off the cliff-edge and into the creek. He jumped a few more times on the ground before hopping back into the trees.
We didn’t move or speak for a while, afraid he’d come back. After we were pretty sure, we went and looked where he landed and saw a weird footprint— it only had three toes. We left pretty quickly and had my mom pick us up. I’m not sure what it was, maybe a demon or something, but I’m really glad it didn’t see us because I don’t know what it would’ve done.
- Hannah
THE WINTER HYBRID
Fairfeet are one of the strangest beasts that can be found in West Virginia. The descendants of a Stoneman and Winter Nymph, the lives of Leaping Devils are much different than those of their ancestors—sharing characteristics of both genera, but never being accepted into either community.
HISTORY
Fairfeet Origins: the Stonemen and Winter Nymphs
Before humans began settling in the temperate regions of North America, the Stoneman ruled the continent. Communities were spread out from coast to coast; groups ousted from the tribe were forced far from their homeland into unsettled regions. These unruly communities eventually adapted to different environments and lifestyles, becoming distinct from the original Stonemen in behavior and physique. The Fairfeet were born from such a departure: a small troop of unusually raucous Stonemen breaking from the herd and settling in the dense forests of the Appalachian Mountains—which happened to be populated by several kinds of fae. Stonemen had encountered fae creatures before, often viewing them as nuisances or with disinterest; frequently, the large beasts inadvertently killed them or hindered their activities, causing the fae to generally view them with anger and disgust. This group was particularly destructive of the environment: overeating for pleasure, tearing down old trees, and heaving boulders through the woodlands in playful displays of strength. Seeing an opportunity to make allies instead of war, the nymphs studied the creatures and their habits. Then, they devised a plan.
The fae cultivated a new plant similar in appearance to parsley—one that was both alluring, deadly, and green in the winter. With a little magic, the nymphs made the nearby flowers and leaves of the Water Hemlock especially large and aromatic. Observing that the Stonemen’s females gathered edibles near rivers, streams, and ponds, the nymphs encouraged a thriving garden of the herb on wintery banks. Unable to resist, the females picked and ate several of the plants in their entirety, their mouse-like smell and nutty, sweet taste delectable to their palettes. Soon after consumption, the Stonemen began to feel ill, experiencing nausea, vomiting, and violent convulsions shortly followed by diarrhea and respiratory failure.1 With a second spell by the fae, spindly, strong vines pulled the dead into swift river currents. A third bewitchment transformed the appearance of an equal number of nymphs into the bigfeet. In disguise, the fae infiltrated the bigfoot settlement and took over their victims’ roles. An odd feeling loomed over the group, as well as grumblings of something amiss, but was quickly replaced by normality.
The nymphs’ shapeshifting magic lasted throughout the winter until the trees burned with the colors of fall. During that time the fae tamed the beasts, gentling their demeanor and activities. They each had also become with child during the winter mating season, due to give birth mid-autumn. Upon sight of their offspring, the Stonemen understood the oddities that occurred throughout the past year. In awe and fear of their great power, the bigfeet swore allegiance to the nymphs, raising the youths as they would any other offspring. The fae reverted to their true forms and roles; though, during the winter season, a few nymphs that had developed emotional attachments to the beasts would revert to their Stoneman-guise. Even today, a Stoneman found in the Appalachians during the winter may not be a bigfoot at all, but a sleepy-eyed, nostalgic nymph.
A season later, the Stonemen decided that they were unable to rear the fae hybrids. Their appearances were off-putting and behaviors strange to the group; even looking at the youths put great anxiety within them. They were uncertain of what powers they held, or if their creation was for some nefarious purpose—such as their demise. Slowly, the Stonemen abandoned the offspring and joined another troop of bigfeet far away from the forests they once thought of as home. The individuals never returned to the area, for fear of what the nymphs would do to them.
Lone infants, the Fairfeet relied on instinct alone and survived without the aid of nymph or bigfoot. Intended to provide the nymphs with a season of rest, Leaping Devils carried out the jobs of the Winter Nymph for that region, before succumbing to a deep, nine-month slumber. Able to gather strength, the nymphs would rise more powerful than ever before in the spring. In this territory, Nymphs are known to be more influential over nature, except during the winter.
HABITAT
LOCATIONS DISCOVERED West Virginia
The Fairfeet do not leave the region controlled by the Winter Nymphs that created them—which encompasses the area boxed in by these waterways: the Ohio River, Middle Island Creek, Monongahela River, South Branch, North Fork, Greenbriar River, and the Guyandotte River.
APPEARANCE
Covered in smoky-gray hair and topped with an onyx mane, Fairfeet appear darker in color than they truly are, since they are contrasted against the pale colors of winter; unlike their classical, bigfoot brethren who are mostly covered in coarse hair, Leaping Devils are blanketed in shiny, silky tresses everywhere but the hands, feet, and face (one of the few beardless bigfeet). The creature’s skin is a light gray tone with a rough, leathery texture; an intricate pattern of swirling grooves overlays the hide. From the side, their face appears almost flat—their noses much thinner, sharper, and smaller than other bigfeet; their ears are long and pointed, sticking out at the sides, twitching rapidly when listening. Additionally, the beasts are not as odorous as other bigfeet, making them harder to detect; they do not mark their territory or have strong scent glands, but if downwind and nearby, a human would smell a sickeningly sweet scent mixed with a sour odor that is similar to that of rotting meat. Fairfeet are most known for their agility, long jumps, large, three-toed footprints, and handsome, though unsettling, faces. They weigh about 250 lbs and stand 5 - 6 ft tall.
DIET AND FEEDING
The Leaping Devil is an omnivorous scavenger eating wilted plants, dead trees, old bones, rotting carcasses, and any other debris, including human garbage.
ACTIVITY
Wintertide: Daily Life and Social Interactions
Fairfeet wake up alone in their dens, shrouded in darkness and covered in a thin layer of dirt or gravel. Hunger gnawing from within, the beasts immediately set out to consume all debris from the forest floors. As each fae has a role in nature, so too does the Leaping Devil. Earning its nicknames as the Spring Harbinger and Forest Groomer, the Fairfoot is responsible for breaking down large debris, clearing space for springtime growth, and controlling the populations of woodland creatures. They are one of few non-evil fae-kinds active and strong during the winter.
Like many types of fae, the weather influences Leaping Devils. On sunny days they are sluggish, but on snowy days they are more active. Out of hibernation, the creatures do not sleep for the entirety of winter; they spend their waking hours eating, eradicating invasive or overpopulated species, and finding companionship within their territory.
Each night, the bigfoot screams and moans, its calls sounding like an injured woman or man. The cries gradually draw all Fairfeet together; they bond in troops of 3 - 4, killing, eating, and socializing in groups. Leaping Devils groom each other, share meals, toss stones or animal carcasses back and forth, and may even sing forth a Stone Man with magical cadences (as their ancient forefathers do), intoning and conversing with voices like rock scraping against rock. Unlike elderly Stonemen, Fairfeet are only able to conjure up such a being for a short time once per year. When the bigfeet come into contact with others of their genus, they are met with hostility; an encounter with a Stoneman, though, is met with purposeful disregard, as the hybrids are reminders of their past mistakes, folly.
Near winter’s end, the bigfeet pair off, males traversing with females for a short time. Unlike other creatures, no rituals are performed or fights had over mating rights, but one goes with another at random. Fairfeet have no external genitalia; reproductive cells are similar to mammals’ but are transferred through skin contact and secretions from the pores in a fashion similar to pollination. This process, however, is usually unsuccessful, taking several winters for most females to become with child. The difference between males and females is imperceptible to outsiders, aside from a pregnant female; females fatten before death to aid in nursing and nourishing their offspring. A typical Fairfoot has about ten ova in their body, all of which are possible to be fertilized at once. Once fertilized, the embryo will grow up to one ft tall and fatten on other developing feti until birth; it is possible for multiple fetuses to fully develop and be birthed, though rare. Leaping Devils birth 1 - 3 young before passing away in their den during the middle phases of hibernation. The strongest offspring survive and nurse from their mother for the brief period she is alive after delivery. Once the body has gone cold, the young consume the lifeless flesh, wasting none of the corpse, even crunching on bones. After devouring the creature, the bigfoot (or bigfeet) falls into a deep sleep, growing in size; the beast remains dormant until its third winter, at which time it is considered mature.
Fairfeet do not build nests or claim territory as their own, but scout for abandoned or undisturbed caves, mine shafts, and tunnels when the weather begins to warm. There, they bury themselves in dirt, debris, and gravel; bodily processes then slow, signaling the start of hibernation. The creature’s skin cools and hardens, imitating stone. Males live for about ten years and females up to six; three-quarters of this time is spent asleep. An elderly, dying male will not waken with the first snowfall or chill breeze, but will instead crumble and dissipate into the earth. If there is water near the site of a Fairfoot death, a Water Hemlock will sprout in the spring—a small token of mourning from nymphish relatives. Those seeking out the Leaping Devil will have the greatest luck during a snowfall in early January, especially in locations far from human activity; precautions should be taken for said winter conditions. This species of bigfoot is not aggressive; even if it is threatened, it will only flee or try to scare individuals away.
ANATOMY
Like Apple Devils, Fairfeet share the trait of having pupil-less eyes; however, this species does not need to blink, having a thick, double-walled cornea that steadily secretes moisture through minuscule pores connected to the inner eye. Leaping Devils’ sight is unaffected by the presence or absence of light; as such, they are aptly able to traverse terrain during the day or night.
Fairfeet’s unnaturally lengthy arms are comprised of a strange, stretchy, muscle-like fiber connected to the skeleton; these bones can detach and set back into place by muscular movements. The tissue permits the bigfoot to stretch its arms double its normal length, and upon contraction, pull and lock the bones to their initial position until extended once more. Leaping Devils elongate their arms for higher jumps, to navigate mountainsides or treetops, and to move large amounts of snow. When fully extended, the muscles can be flexed for actions requiring rigidity or strength or relaxed for swinging motions, as used for leaping. When jumping (up to 20 ft horizontally, or eight ft high), the beasts throw their arms over their head and backward in a powerful, thrusting motion.
Additional oddities in this species include its three-toed appendages, an absence of lungs, a mouthful of molars, and grooved skin. Fairfeet footprints are the largest giveaway in bigfoot identification, as they are the only three-toed bigfoot in this region; it is believed to have inherited this characteristic from the fae, as many species of fae have three digits. Though missing an aspect found in most bigfoot structures, the extremities are adequate for daily life and the thumbs able to grip and pick up objects; yet, the mutation has lessened the species’ appendage dexterity and ability to create basic structures.
Also, like the fae, Leaping Devils breathe through pores that line the furrows of their skin; this connects to a respiratory system that transports oxygen throughout the body’s interior and carbon dioxide out of the pores. The absence of all other teeth types aside from molars and two incisors on the bottom is intriguing, but unsurprising; nymphs are toothless creatures, so abnormal oral results are expected when they interbreed with any genus/species.