leprechauns are considered to be part of the fairy family, and that they are the descendants of tuatha dé dannan (translated as 'peoples / tribes of the goddess dana / danu'), who were a group of supernatural beings who invaded ireland in the distant past. interestingly, the existence of female leprechauns is not present in irish folklore. one explanation to get around the problem of leprechaun procreation is that these creatures are actually unwanted / deformed children of fairies that have been abandoned by the rest of the community. this may also serve as an explanation for the leprechaun's notoriously grouchy, solitary, and untrusting nature.

whilst leprechauns are known to be tricksters, they are perhaps not as troublesome as their cousins, the clurichaun. according to irish folklore, these lesser known relatives of the leprechaun are nocturnal creatures, and are prone to causing havoc. for example, the clurichaun are often depicted as emptying out entire wine cellars, and being drunk. in many stories, they are also said to harness livestock, including sheep and goats, and ride them around ireland in the night. according to some folklorists, the clurichaun are not a type of fairy distinct from the leprechaun, but are leprechauns in their 'night-form'. in other words, leprechauns experience a complete change of character when they get drunk after a hard day's work.

a leprechaun (irish: leipreachán/luchorpán) is a type of fairy of the aos sí in irish folklore. they are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. they are solitary creatures who spend their time making and mending shoes and have a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. if captured by a human, they often grant three wishes in exchange for their freedom.

the leprechaun originally had a different appearance depending on where in ireland he was found. prior to the 20th century, it was generally held that the leprechaun wore red, not green. modern depictions of leprechauns are largely based on derogatory 19th-century caricatures and stereotypes of the irish.

strength: have extreme strength, being able to overpower humans and a handful of other species with ease. some prefer not to use or show it.

teleportation: can teleport from one place to another in the blink of an eye. however, newlings can really only do it if no one is looking, especially if in the middle of a take.

invisibility/glamour: most faeries are invisible and can only be seen if they want to be. they also have the ability to change their looks to anyone and everyone (even other fae, but not all other leprechaun), but it uses a great amount of strength.

long lives: essentially immortal, but can be killed. they have the ability to live a long life, but can go into a gold coma if they go too long without a take or a take is interrupted and they cannot complete it.

lying: one of the few fae tribes that has the ability to lie and they are by far the best at it.

agility: nimble fingers and light footed.

heightened senses: can smell gold/silver from far off distances.

magic: can cast simple spells, unbinding shackles, cuffs, etc.

— created, not born, cursed at birth by an existing leprechaun
— when hitting puberty, the cursed starts having symptoms and the desire to steal precious metals
— at the age of 16, the cursed "newling" starts having more severe symptoms (sometimes earlier depending on how strong of a leprechaun they will become) and the desire to steal precious metals.
— the cursing leprechaun finds and takes the cursed down to the neathlands to train and eventually drink from the three cups to transform into a full leprechaun.
— from the time the symptoms form, gold lust is the most prevalent. the smell, sound and sight of gold/silver, sometimes even the word itself (spoken) leads a leprechaun to the take.
  — the take: the act of stealing gold, silver, currency (some not as satisfying as pure gold/silver).
— after the take, the leprechaun can become gold drunk. showing as if they have actually drank: loopy, happy, satisfied, etc.
— when the gold lust sets in, palms start to burn and itch until the lust is satisfied.

— grained substances - if a grained substance is poured in front of them, they have to count each individual grain.
— silver/gold - more often than not, if the gold/silver is pure enough, a leprechaun cannot resist it's pull.

— while they are known to be quick to kill over someone betraying them, not all are murderous
— can be a bit brash and petty, lustful and jump to conclusions
— all leprechauns have a sacred item, if someone were to steal it, they could receive 3 wishes (or their treasure if they were smart)
— part of the fae, but much more secluded

newling — the cursed leprechaun before drinking from the three cups is considered a newling. they do not have the full amount of leprechaun powers, they only have the desire to steal.

cup of fortune — to completely change into a leprechaun, the newling must drink from the three cups of fortune and recite the sacred words.

first cup of fortune — "i, [name], gold-son of [cursing leprechaun name], take this first cup of fortune for the greening of my blood and the impartation of the magical gifts of glamour and charm unto me. let this blessed elixir do its work, diminishing the human within my body and increasing the leprechaun. i swear by all the gold and silver to be true to the leprechaun tribe until the last cinder of the world is eaten by the final flame."

second cup of fortune — i, [name], gold-son of [cursing leprechaun name], take this second cup of fortune for the greening of my blood and the impartation of the magical gifts of strength and teleportation unto me. let this blessed elixir do its work, diminishing the human within my body and increasing the leprechaun. i swear by all the gold and silver to be true to the leprechaun tribe until the last cinder of the world is eaten by the final flame."

third cup of fortune — "i take this third cup of fortune of my own free will. let it be done, as from ancient times, this the greening of the blood everlasting, with drinking of this third cup of fortune. let my human body be human no more, but a member of the faerie tribe of leprechauns, sealed by this cup and my solemn oath. let me love gold and silver above all. may my greed blossom and my rainbows span from east to west, evermore and evermore."

— touching gold/silver causes elation and strength throughout the entire body.

— for most, crafting shoes quiets the greed of gold lust, but not permanently.

— the desire to craft shoes often is a burning, deep desire. almost as much as to steal treasure.

— along with itchy palms, the lust for precious metal causes a quickened pulse, feeling hot and sometimes a headache/migraine.

— the gold lust hits hard and fast, like a punch in the gut.

— if the take is not completed (interrupted), the leprechaun can experience feverish symptoms. migraines, chills, fierce craving to steal again, worse than before.

— if the leprechaun is unable to steal again, the fever worsens and rainbow pox (hives) form all over the body. they become weak and sometimes start hallucinating before falling into a gold coma. they will only awaken when gold touches their skin again.

the first of the leprechauns and only true born as a subspecies of fae. the strongest, longest living, vicious and greediest of the leprechauns. age unknown, but estimated to be over 5,000 years old

the leprechaun lands located within the faerie realm of elphyne. there are different tribes and villages within the neathlands. it is a dark and visually underground, cave type realm.

specially bred by the king to patrol the neathlands to keep the "rats" under control and to keep the newlings in.

the trolls have been at war with the leprechauns for 500 years off and on. it's not continuous fighting, more so petty acts of revenge and retaliation.