What are the Fae, really? (spoilers)

[Seraphor]

I'm a little confused about the nature of fae.

Progressing through Il Mheg we learn that Pixies are said to be born from the souls of dead children, and this explains their childlike behaviours.
Meanwhile the Fauth are said to be the souls of those who drowned, they're more malicious and seek to drown others.
Nu Mou are eager to please humans (or 'spoken races'), I haven't seen any overt lore ofr this yet in game, but I'm guessing they're... dogs?
And then the Amaro are living beings who have been imbued by fae magic to allow them to speak.

Presumably, they're all former Voeburtans, but where did the fae magic come from?
What made these souls manifest as fae creatures with such powerful magic?
Why aren't dead souls elsewhere capable of similar magic?

[Daralii]

I think it's mentioned during one of the sidequests that the amaro were created in antiquity and given the ability to speak, which was gradually lost to all but a few that lived long enough and had strong enough bonds with men. It's a normal trait for them, but they aren't natural creatures to begin with.

[dragoelete]

and it wasnt fae magic that gave the amaro the ability to speak it was an archmage from ronka

[Seraphor]

and it wasnt fae magic that gave the amaro the ability to speak it was an archmage from ronka

But they lost the ability to speak.... and then regained it in Il Mheg? So it's 'powered' by the fae.

[Alenore]

But they lost the ability to speak.... and then regained it in Il Mheg? So it's 'powered' by the fae.

They actually lost the ability to speak because nobody was here to refresh the enchantment through the ages. But it still manifests in some few individuals.
Il Mheg isn't the source of the magic, it's just that they decided to settle there. Some magic was cast on the crystals there to attract those who can speak in the zone.

There's a quest in their village (the followup of the Aether Current one) explaining most of it.

[CaesarCV]

But they lost the ability to speak.... and then regained it in Il Mheg? So it's 'powered' by the fae.

They actually don't regain the ability to speak in Il Megh. They regain it elsewhere, but are influenced by crystals created by the Nu Mou (on behalf of the sapient Amaro) to go to Il Mheg and live out their lives peacefully. One of the Aethercurrent required sidequests shows a new one who awoke to his sapience and thought he had the idea to go there naturally, but was actually influenced by the crystal. He awakened outside of Il Mehg though.

[Alien_Gamer]

No, it has nothing to do with the fae. The ability to speak was given to them by an archmage, now the ability lies dormant until the amaro lives long enough and bonds with hyur enough to awaken it. After the ability is awakened they keep it no matter where they are. They only live in Il Mheg because it was once Voeburt.

[Dualblade]

The Nu Mou also predate the fae if I remember what I read correctly. They didn't become fae until after the Flood when they decided to live under King Titania's rule instead of leaving their ancestral home. Though they do act very fae like, not helped by the fact that its been 100 years since most got to interact with mortals.

[Elecrom]

I can't get the thought out my head that Pixies are the First's version of Gridania's Elementals.
They lived in a forest and fled out of it when the Flood came, although I am still not sure if Voeburt was the equivalent of Ishgard or Gridania. Ishgard seems a bit more likely appereancw wise, but I think Il Mheg is not north enough to be Ishgard.

[Daralii]

I can't get the thought out my head that Pixies are the First's version of Gridania's Elementals.
They lived in a forest and fled out of it when the Flood came, although I am still not sure if Voeburt was the equivalent of Ishgard or Gridania. Ishgard seems a bit more likely appereancw wise, but I think Il Mheg is not north enough to be Ishgard.

The parts of Il Mheg that aren't fae-touched are very obviously an alpine forest, resembling Coerthas before the Calamity. There are also several rivers(mainly the one that runs past Yafaem) and peninsulas on both world maps that match up almost perfectly in relation to the Black Shroud/Mor Dhona/Coerthas and Rak'tika/Lakeland/Il Mheg.