Post by Bippwatt on Dec 2, 2014 10:01:15 GMT
The Fey Courts have a ruling caste of a triumvirate in each Court. These beings are the Fey Queens.
First, there are the Maidens. They are the youngest and least powerful, yet still far beyond any mere mortal. It is possible for a mortal to become Maiden. However, doing so means you can no longer a mortal. Not all mortals can survive the process of becoming immortal. This is the most common way for Maidens to be replaced. The next most common is the either the Queen's or the former Maiden's flesh and blood. Finally, elevating a lesser Fey to the role. The last Maiden to be replaced was the Summer Maiden, over five hundred years ago. The current Summer Court Maiden is Calida. The Winter Court Maiden is Eris.
The Queens are the middle of the three and, while not as powerful as the Mothers, they have a far greater degree of freedom in how they use it. There is a somewhat complicated system for replacing Queens should they be killed. This will be covered later, as it ties in to a similar topic for the Mothers. The Queens are the de facto leaders of their Courts. The Queens have not changed in the last three thousand years... The current Summer Court Queen is Brande. The Winter Court Queen is Rhoswen.
The Mothers are the oldest and wisest. And most powerful...though they lack the freedom to use it very much. Their nature prevents such things. Their wyrd or weird forbids it. There is very little living - or unliving - memory of the last time a Fey Mother had to be replaced. The current Summer Court Mother is Makenna. The Winter Court Mother is Amaryllis.
Now, if a Queen or Mother dies, things can radically shift. It goes like this: If Mother dies, Queen becomes Mother, Maiden becomes Queen and new Maiden is selected. Often, in cases of a full shift as a result of the Mother dying, the former Maiden's own flesh and blood is chosen to take the mantle of Maiden.
It is similar if the Queen dies, only the Maiden will probably choose to make a mortal she had been grooming take the mantle.
Please note that they are all female titles. This is intentional. Men are deemed insufficiently devious and subtle enough to lead the Courts. As such, they tend to be found in the role of Paladin.
There are two more positions within the Courts. The Paladins and the Knights. Each Court can have up to three Paladins(one for each of the queens) and six Knights.
Knights are mortals who either struck a deal with a Fey or wronged the wrong person and found themselves indebted to a Fey. Either way, they are still mortal and still have their own independent desires, but they serve their Court. They get a hefty dose of power from their Court as well.
Paladins are essentially Knights drawn from the ranks of True Fey. Almost universally, they tend to be men and just as universally are effectively concubines for the Fey Queens, as well as being their personal guards and heralds.
So there you have it! Mothers, Queens, Maidens, Paladins and Knights.
First, there are the Maidens. They are the youngest and least powerful, yet still far beyond any mere mortal. It is possible for a mortal to become Maiden. However, doing so means you can no longer a mortal. Not all mortals can survive the process of becoming immortal. This is the most common way for Maidens to be replaced. The next most common is the either the Queen's or the former Maiden's flesh and blood. Finally, elevating a lesser Fey to the role. The last Maiden to be replaced was the Summer Maiden, over five hundred years ago. The current Summer Court Maiden is Calida. The Winter Court Maiden is Eris.
The Queens are the middle of the three and, while not as powerful as the Mothers, they have a far greater degree of freedom in how they use it. There is a somewhat complicated system for replacing Queens should they be killed. This will be covered later, as it ties in to a similar topic for the Mothers. The Queens are the de facto leaders of their Courts. The Queens have not changed in the last three thousand years... The current Summer Court Queen is Brande. The Winter Court Queen is Rhoswen.
The Mothers are the oldest and wisest. And most powerful...though they lack the freedom to use it very much. Their nature prevents such things. Their wyrd or weird forbids it. There is very little living - or unliving - memory of the last time a Fey Mother had to be replaced. The current Summer Court Mother is Makenna. The Winter Court Mother is Amaryllis.
Now, if a Queen or Mother dies, things can radically shift. It goes like this: If Mother dies, Queen becomes Mother, Maiden becomes Queen and new Maiden is selected. Often, in cases of a full shift as a result of the Mother dying, the former Maiden's own flesh and blood is chosen to take the mantle of Maiden.
It is similar if the Queen dies, only the Maiden will probably choose to make a mortal she had been grooming take the mantle.
Please note that they are all female titles. This is intentional. Men are deemed insufficiently devious and subtle enough to lead the Courts. As such, they tend to be found in the role of Paladin.
There are two more positions within the Courts. The Paladins and the Knights. Each Court can have up to three Paladins(one for each of the queens) and six Knights.
Knights are mortals who either struck a deal with a Fey or wronged the wrong person and found themselves indebted to a Fey. Either way, they are still mortal and still have their own independent desires, but they serve their Court. They get a hefty dose of power from their Court as well.
Paladins are essentially Knights drawn from the ranks of True Fey. Almost universally, they tend to be men and just as universally are effectively concubines for the Fey Queens, as well as being their personal guards and heralds.
So there you have it! Mothers, Queens, Maidens, Paladins and Knights.