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Courts of Faerie



The Courts of Faerie


In the First Age, there was but one court of Fae: that of the King CuChulain and Queen Mab. It is unknown when the split occurred but it is believed to be during Oberon and Titania’s reign. Mortal reckoning might put this as happening in 993 at the Gathering known as “The Storm King” by the mage Prospero. In Tetch’s Historical Accounts, she describes “Prospero returned to Fay, and somehow managed to split the land in two. The two halves were separated by a strange fog, that only a very few creatures could navigate through.” In the early 990s, there was a discrepancy of how to spell the name of the plane of Fae; alternate spellings at the time included both Fay and Fey.

Whatever the reason, the Faerie Court split into the Seelie and UnSeelie Courts. The Seelie Court was ruled by Titania as queen. She was supported by the Duchesses, princesses and female members of fae. In general, 90% of Seelie fae were female with a small percentage of gender neutral and male fae. A notable male Seelie who became known to adventurers during the Rites of War was Eisil, who would later rise in station. Seelie magic dealt mostly with plants, healing and illusions.

The UnSeelie Court was ruled by Oberon as king. He was supported by dukes, princes and many male members of fae. Male elves and monstrous fae creatures made up the majority of the UnSelie court. Again, there was a small percentage of gender neutral fae and an even smaller amount of female fae. UnSeelie magic focused on transformations, combat and trickery.

After the deaths of Oberon and Titania and the ascension of CuChulain and Nimbus as king and queen, the Seelie and UnSeelie Courts were reunited to be known simply as the Court of Fae. Aspects of Seelie and UnSeelie still play a part in fae life and are still present in the magic of the plane and the mortals lands tied to it. Without the strict gender bias of the old court system, male and female fae can join the hierarchy regardless of their old affiliation. The old affiliation does have some carryover in the higher echelons of the courts, particularly with the Dukes and Duchesses of Fae. A Seelie lord who finds himself a Duke, will still have an aspect of his title as a “within”, while an UnSeelie lady who finds herself a Duchess would have an aspect of her title as a “without”.

The new court of CuChulain and Nimbus is governed by the fellow Dukes and Duchesses of the court. All of the positions have been filled and their names and aspects have been listed if known.

CuChulain - King of Faerie; Duke of Honor, without Compromise
Eisil - Duke of Loyalty
Domino - Duke of Magic - Mage of Faerie
Robin - Duke of Monsters
Name unknown - Duke of Slime
Name unknown - Duke of Knowledge
Coriolanus - Duke of War
Tybalt - Duke of Wrath
Benedict - Duke of Pride
Name unknown - Duke of Trickery

Nimbus - Queen of Faerie; Duchess of Healing, within Sacrifice
Name unknown - Duchess of Chance
Name unknown - Duchess of Whimsy
Olivia - Duchess of Beauty
Ophelia - Duchess of Blossoms, within Light
Miranda - Duchess of Music
Name unknown - Duchess of Foresight
Lyssandra - Duchess of Illusions
Acacia - Duchess of Justice
Name Unknown - Duchess of Prosperity


After the Rites of War, some Dukes and Duchesses retreated from Court seeking pleasures or duties elsewhere in Fae. Duchess Ophelia chose to retain herself in the form of a sword to better fight the Infinite Dark, naming Faelinn Shadowmoon as her chosen bearer.

The power of the monarchs of Fae has been likened to the power of deities on the mortal realm. What that means in relation to gods or aspects has yet to be explored fully. After the Rites of War, Aurora spoke to the author and said that “the King is the Light for the fae as I am the Light for you.” This was later expounded upon that CuChulain was the Fae embodiment of the Sun and Light. The previous incarnation of CuChulain was described much the same by his mortal’s son of the same name. “Seeing the future before him, CuChulain did beget a son to be left in the mortal world forever binding Ulster and the Red Rowan to Faerie. This son called his father Lugh, for CuChulain shone bright as a god to the mortals.” Nimbus has been described as the counter to CuChulain ‘s role as the Sun, which would be the Moon. Dreams and visions have hinted at Nimbus’s role as the Moon, but it was put into fact as stated by the storyteller Aisling. Because of the impact of the Sun and the Moon in Faerie, the gods Aurora and Luna have also been known to be more powerful in dealing with the plane.



Created by Faelinn Shadowmoon (Leanne Micciche) at 05-26-11 04:48 PM
Last Modified by Faelinn Shadowmoon (Leanne Micciche) at 05-26-11 04:48 PM