Countess of Cages and Chains

Welcome to my humble abode, darling. I'm so pleased you could join me, at last...

The Countess of Cages and Chains is a powerful arch-lady of the Fae, current ruler of the Faelands, and lover of one Amelia Korp, at least if you ask her. Ageless and striking, the Countess is a tall, strong woman with red hair and golden eyes, rarely seen without a roguish smile on her lips. No matter the circumstance, she is dressed in some elegant gown or dress of the kind only Fae can make, made from gossamer and crystalized delights.

She's partial to purple, you know.

— Amelia Korp

by Pixabay

The Countess rules her domain from her Tower of Cages, a macabre structure seemingly made from thousand of interconnected, locked cages held together by chains. They are packed so dense as to become walls, with countless chains dangling from the exterior.

More than one invader has found that the cages are hungry.

Inside, the Countess entertains visitors, holds courts, and houses an army of Hobgoblins eager to do her bidding. As with any Fae mansion, it is a nest of intrigues and counter-ploys, schemes and betrayals, and all the rest that keep the Fae busy and amused.

When angered, the Countess turns chains into weapons. Anywhere there is darkness, she can conjure chains and move them with a thought to strike, constrict, or even impale those who have displeased her. Those who particularly irks her often find out she has the ability to cause these chains to sprout barbs, razors, or even bleed an angry acid to really put the hurt on whoever's on the receiving end.
The Countess has many other tricks, but the chains remain her favorite for their power and brutality.

Ah, but I can do wonderful things with them, too! Just ask my beloved!

— The Countess

I'm gonna hit that with a 'No comment!' None at all, not even a little.

— Amelia

To magi, the Countess is an enigmatic figure - even for a Fae. In the past, she participated in the Wild Hunt, breaching through worlds to hunt mortals for sport, but in the present seems to regard magi almost maternally. No one is really sure what changed; at least one lost group of Walkers have emerged from the Faelands, claiming to owe their lives to her benevolence.

How long that lasts is anyone's guess.

To other Fae, the Countess's strange love for a mortal and unorthodox attitude to the magi make her immensely popular. Those are the kind of stories that, whether they end in tragedy or joy, will be amusing to no end, with so many roles for bored Fae to fill. They can be foils for the Countess seeming kindness, noble knights who carry her banner to rescue poor stranded humans, or even fight her for the affection of that mortal she seems so keen on.
The possibilities, and the entertainment, appear endless.

You guys are way out of your league. Not one of you holds a candle to her.

— Amelia Korp

by http://www.tribalartasia.com/

Faelands

Fae lives in the part of the Beyond called the Faelands, a kingdom of wonder and nightmare they've carved from magic and dying gods.
It is a realm of horror and magic, of majestic wonder and terrors not found anywhere else. Within primordial would and industrial nightmares of pipes and choking gas, the Fae hold court and drown their boredom.

The Wild Hunt

When the fae-mists shroud the world and the wall that shields the Prime weakens, the Wild Hunt ride among mortals. A rare occurrence of Fae organized for a singular purpose, the Wild Hunt selects prey and hounds them to their death, either for sport, avenging some slight, or extinguishing something deemed unworthy of life.
Fae being Fae, they are thankfully distracted from their mission with some frequency.
Though she was once a frequent participant, such hunts appear to have fallen out of favor with the Countess.

Every now and then, the Countess even has mortal guests, either brought by her invitation or their own longing.

by Visnezh (Freepik)