Fool of the Fey
A Fool of the Fey (typically shortened to "Fool") is a mortal Planewalker conscripted into a special advisory role by an Archfey Regnant.
The current Fools are known to travelers as the Canny Fool of the Spring Court, the Exquisite Fool of the Summer Court, the Wise Fool of the Autumn Court, and the King of Fools of the Winter Court.
Conscription
A Fool's service begins when an archfey catches them writing within their domain. The archfey is then honor-bound to take the mortal to the court of their Archfey Regnant for punishment, if they are not themselves the archfey regnant. The vast majority of mortals caught in this situation are obliterated; however, if the position of Fool lies vacant, an exceptionally charming and diplomatic Planewalker can bargain their way into the service of the archfey regnant, for the price of forever locking away whatever written knowledge they were caught with.Duties, Powers, and Restrictions
A Fool must entertain the archfey courts as they are called. Fools are often spared for their value as entertainers, mystics, or diplomats; they may be called upon to perform for the courts, mediate disputes, or merely keep the archfey regnant company. Fools are allowed to keep the books in which their secrets are written, known as Fool's Tomes; some even continue to write in them. However, while they are under the Pact of the Fool, they cannot read or understand what they have written, nor learn that knowledge from any other source. Moreover, they are honor-bound-- on pain of death-- to protect their hidden knowledge from others. A Fool who parts with their book of secrets is often destroyed quite quickly by their boss. The Fools, as a whole, are committed to using their status to protect other mortals who may be swept up in Feywild business. They meet at the Tree of All Seasons "when the tides change" to discuss current events in the Feywild, as well as what they can glean from the regions of the Material Plane closest to the Feywild, and how best to help each other. Fools have heavy restrictions put on their travel; they are typically forbidden from traveling outside their court of the Feywild except under extremely specific circumstances allowed by their Court (typically, only on the solstice or equinox of their season in the Material Plane). The only known exception to this is the Canny Fool, so named because she discovered how to evade this tether and slip into the Material Plane at will.Retirement
Each Fool's reign is different. Some make their initial bargain for only seven years; others live the rest of their natural lives (lengthened by the odd rhythms of Locumtempus Faeroxae) in the thrall of their archfey regnant. Whatever the case, when a Fool has reached the end of their usefulness to the court-- something only the archfey regnant can determine-- they are summarily executed. Their memories are devoured and split amongst the archfey of their court as prized possessions, and their souls are scattered to the wind. Some mystics theorize that if a Fool is parted from their book, and the knowledge they signed away is returned to them in a way that they cannot lose again, their contract will be voided and they will be free to return to the Material Plane without restriction. None have ever proven this theory, and no record exists of a Fool who outlives their contract.
Type
Magical, Honorific
Current Holders
Reports directly to
Related Professions
I really like that these people take writing and secrets so highly, enough to conscript anyone writing around in their realm!