Summer Court

The Archfey are ancient and powerful fey, whose' power influences great swaths of the Feywild. Some are noble, some are wicked, but many of them ovey ancient traditions of the Feywild that organize their powers into distinct courts. The Summer Court is primarily made up of sylvan creatures, such as centaurs, dryads, satyrs, eladrins, celadrins.

Geography

Region
Feywild
Capital
Aechivia
Aliases
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Society

Government
Archfey Court
Leader
Cassandra Sunray ( / - 1135 AD)
Aledia Firetwist (1070 BD - 1135 AD)
Creyola Nepomuk (1135 AD - / )
Founding Date
1068 BD
Races
Elf (eladrin), Satyr, Centaur, Dryad
Main pantheon
/
Population
/
Timeline
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Other

Type

Court System

Government

The Summer court is ruled by Creyola Nepomuk, a new archfey who bested the previous queen and took over the court.

Military

Bladesong

Those who see a bladesinger in battle never forget the sight. Surrounded by chaos and blood, the bladesinger moves in an otherworldly dance. Spells and sword act in concert, meshing awe-inspiring beauty with fearsome deadliness. When the bladesinger’s sword whirls through the air so swiftly that it keens and the air hums and whistles in chorus, the bladesong has begun — and it might be the last thing the bladesinger’s enemy hears. The elves and half-elves who practice the art of the bladesinger, appear to be almost casual in combat, deflecting opponents’ blades while elegantly moving into position to score hits in return. A bladesinger wields a weapon one-handed, leaving the other free for spellcasting or to manipulate a wand that can be incorporated into the fighting style. This technique gives a bladesinger the freedom of movement necessary for the dancelike motions of the various forms of martial art, which allow both magical and physical attacks to flow freely. Few among the elves, and an even smaller number of half-elves, have the honor of being inducted into the ranks of the bladesingers. One must have the mind necessary to be a great wizard, and also the agility of the greatest dancers.

Sub realms

The Satyr of Skola are under the influence of the summer court, however due to their lack of settlement and organization, they can be considered as a sub realm of the summer court.

Culture

Justice

Fey are famous for their negotiation, an archfey is said to negotiate everything, and any wish can be granted for a fee with those powerful entities. Justice in the ever-changing land of the feywild and among the Summer court is hard to describe precisely, as it highly depends on the mood of the fey you'll be dealing with. A fey wronged, might seek vengeance at all cost, and won't stop until his enemy is dead, or until something manage to change his mind. Others might seek the council of higher ranking fey, or of the archfeys themselves. The trial presented to the archfeys can be of various importance and are generally seen by the archfeys as entertainment. Archfeys rarely seek the truth, but rather an entertaining trial and an interesting story.

Rules an etiquette

Travelers, when directed by a guide, are always warned about the "rules" of the Fey. These laws of conduct are seemingly ingrained into the livelihood of every feyfolk. It is uncertain where they are derived from; but regardless of where they came from, it is imperative that travelers abide by these rules, or they could put their entire lives at stake. Rule of Reciprocity. The rule of reciprocity states that when a friend, an enemy, or stranger offers you a gift, you are obliged to accept it and offer something of comparable value (be it a gift or a service) in return. Such reciprocation need not happen immediately By and large, fey feel strongly about quid-pro-quo and balance. If something is taken, then something of equal value must be given, and what a fey consideres to be of equal value is the big question. A fey might steal a human's beloved pet and leave in its place a brightly painted wooden effigy, or the fey might take some gold and leave a bundle of bright, yellow buttercups. These exchances satisfy the agreement of reciprocity, and a fey who makes them sleeps soundly at night, content that the exchanges were fair. Rule of Hospitality. The rule of hospitality states that when a friend, an enemy, or stranger enters your home, you are expected to be gracious and accommodating to them until such time as they prove, by their words or actions, as undeserving of such hospitality. Hospitality is a pillar of fey society. Treating a visitor to one's home with courtesy and generosity is important to most fey, but the visitor must show their fey host the same courtesy and not act boorishly or demonstrate blatant impropriety. Rudeness breaks the bond and frees a host fromt the obligation to be hospitable. But each fey has different ideas about what constitutes rudeness; even an ill-conceived gift to a fey host might be regarded as an insult and cause a kerfuffle, if not a revocation of the fey host's hospitality. A trusty fey guide can provide invaluable assistance in navigating such delivate situations. "Thank You". Travelers to the Fey should absolutely avoid saying "thank you" to any fey denizen. Upon the Material Plane, a "thank you" is a typical reply to express gratitude for a good deed done or kindness shown. However, in the Fey, a "thank you" is viewed as a sign that a kindness or deed is eternally finished and will be forgotten. It is considered transactional, as if the relationship with the feyfolk meant nothing to the other. A better response is something along the lines of, "your kindness is much appreciated and will not be forgotten." Wheels Within Wheels. When dealing with the fey, the wiser heads realize that what they say is not necessarily what they mean. The fey are immortal creatures of whimsy and caprice. They enjoy watching mortals struggle to comprehend their true intent. Status Matters. The courts are impenetrable labyrinths or empty shells to creatures who simply lack the status and importance required to interact with them. There are ways to increase or decrease one’s esteem in the eyes of the courts. Harming a Servant is Dishonorable. While the fey may or may not like or trust their servants, they do rely upon the creatures to make their lives comfortable. Harming or killing a servant is therefore abhorrent to them. The following are a dozen examples of shadow fey etiquette and mores that are mutable and might change depending on the week or month or on which court is in power at that time:

Do not eat root vegetables, for they are disgusting and offensive to the sensibilities of all civilized creatures.
Do not harm any summer court fey outside of an honorable duel.
Do not run, for it causes one to sweat like a common laborer.
You must have your presence announced in song before entering a room.
Civilized folk wear powdered wigs.
Clothing made of sackcloth is all the rage, and anyone not wearing a sackcloth dress or breeches is to be considered a fool.
True gentlefolk duel with insults, not steel.
Hunting is only to be done on the sixth day of the week.
Only pretentious twits play cards.
All the ladies of the court must use illusions to appear human.
Boasting of one’s own achievements is never acceptable on the second day of the week.
One above a certain station must have exactly thirteen servants.

Valour

Although the Summer court isn't particularly concerned with the safety and well-being of mortals that cross into the Feywild, the Summer Court has a greater tolerance for mortals, and members usually have less of a desire to eat them. The Summer Court, however, is known for keeping playwrights, musicians, and poets who dare to cross to their plane so that they can provide entertainment. These artists become enraptured by the lavishness and beauty of the Summer Court and might be surprised to find that dozens of years have passed in the Material Plane by the time they stumble out of a way out. Fey of thee Summer court tend to live with a boldness and aggression that suits the warm temperatures and bountiful harvest of summer. Though, like the hot days of summer, a summer fey’s welcoming nature can quickly turn to a thunderstorm of anger. Once angered, members of the Summer Court are eager to vent their wrath upon those that wronged them.

Mounts and pets

Hippogriff are commonly used by the Summer Watch. Blink dog are also commonly trained among the summer court.

Wizardry

There’s a reason most powerful wizards are old. The special formulas of action, item, and sound that produce wizardly magic require precision, and such precision comes only from long practice. More than that, each spell a wizard might cast requires a portion of one’s powerful intellect to be dedicated to the task, with the necessary patterns of thought and proper mindset kept in stasis, ready to be unleashed. Even after these concepts are mastered, new knowledge of magic remains elusive, and a wizard must progress steadily through deeper levels of understanding, breaking through mental barriers in order to achieve ever greater mastery. Of all peoples, elves are perhaps best suited to wizardry. They have centuries of life to devote to their studies, and their trance effectively gives them extra time to practice, as lessons learned during study can be reinforced by recalling them during resting periods. The patience and restraint for which elves are well known serves them well in this pursuit. Elves are often seen as masters of magic because of how easily it comes to them, but the mightiest of their mages are always those folk who burn with ambition. The path to power is never smooth. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool or an enemy.

Diplomatie

Relations

The Summer court, and its capital Aechivia is directly linked to Megima, a portal opening during the harvest festival each year allowing mortal to cross into the feywild, and fey to escape into Toriel. This portal is an heritage of the elven tradition, and a sign of the good relations in between the Kingdom -o Qwir and the Summer court. On the other hand, the Summer court has trouble maintaining correct relations with the Winter court, as their wild and untamed nature is often judged as a prejudice for the feys by the member of the Summer court.

Economy

Exchange

Thanks to their link with Megima, the city of Aechivia, capital of the Summer court, do accept the ECU, but most fey cannot see any value in coins, and prefer to ask for favor, or to trade for other interesting object when commencing. A merchant in Aechivia is much more likely to want an old and rusted pendant that was once your mother pendant rather than a pouch full of gold. Similarly, a fey might ask for a lock of hair, or that you make a tattoo in exchange for a favor rather than asking for coins.

Commerce and Fiscality

As money represent a very little part of the commerce in the Summer court, it is not regulated, and most of the exchange are left free to be dealt with by the various merchant.

History

King Dasmag

In the ancient days, the Summer Court was under the rule of King Dasmag, a Satyr Lord. The Murkendraw, a swamp once belonging to the Summer Court, fell under the control of the Crone, leaving it unclaimed by any other faction. Driven by his determination to reclaim the Murkendraw from the clutches of the Crone, King Dasmag led an army to the crones. The first army sent to reclaim the Murkendraw consisted mainly of elves. Deceived by the cunning crones, they were banished to the moon Lúg emel (Kurt's Heart), becoming the moon elves. The goblins offered their aid to King Dasmag after this incident in exchange for newfound powers. However, when they thought themselves unobserved, they callously reneged on their agreement, foolishly believing they could escape the consequences. Fate took a twisted turn when the battle shifted, pitting the goblins against the hags alone. Seizing the opportunity, the cunning hags offered a tantalizing proposition, fully aware that the goblins' betrayal would invoke a curse, effectively severing their ties with the summer court. Tempted by the hags' promises, the goblins succumbed to their deceit. As a result, they find themselves cursed and many were banished from the fey realm, forced to dwell once again in the material plane. The rare goblins that stayed in the feywild bear the mark of this curse. Called Faevlins, their heads are upside-down and their bodies are tinted in a peculiar shade of mint green. King Dasmag's army were annihilated in their bold endeavor. The elves, witnessing the fall of King Dasmag, saw an opportunity to fill the void in leadership and stepped forward to take command of the Summer Court.

Dromoka’s Command by James Ryman

Hero Krasnar

During a crusade against the crones, an elven hero named Krasnar sought to liberate his kin trapped on the moon. He approached the hag, seeking her cooperation for the elves' liberation. Endelyn Moongrave agreed to three conditions:

Krasnar would rule the elves

Krasnar would give up his soul to her

The liberated elves would remain in the swamps

With Krasnar as their leader, the elves were liberated from their eternal prison, but the experience left them broken and changed, infused with the essence of powerful entities from beyond known dimensions. Slaves to Endelyn under Krasnar leadership, they became the swamp maiden pawns. Endelyn transformed Krasnar into a Lich knight, making him a powerful and unkillable protector of their swamps. Sacrificing his soul in the process, Krasnar's connection to the moon elves further corrupted him with their newfound powers from contact with abberations, turning him into an unknown entity of immense power, under the influence of the crones. The lich knight king Krasnar's palace or lair is a colossal living mass of eyes and mouths that gibber mad thoughts, a grotesque reflection of the twisted nature of the Crone's power and Krasnar's transformation.

Helping the elves

During the Elven Rebellion, a group of adventurer sought help from the queens of the summer court. Upon meeting Queen Aledia Firetwist, negotiations do not initially favor the adventurers. Aledia seeks entertainment, and the party offers little that she desires in exchange for the critical information they seek. Despite being welcomed as guests within the castle, they realize the need for a better offer. The next day, some members of the party meet with Cassandra Sunray, the second queen, who provides additional information to strengthen their negotiation position. Simultaneously, Galad Ithil assists a noble of Aechivia, Ly'leth Lunastre, and learn more about the Summer Court, while Nep obtains a Hippogriff. During the second meeting with Aledia, the urgency of Nep's curse is revealed. Aledia discloses that the curse is deadly and imposes a Time limit on the tiefling's life. Faced with the gravity of the situation, the party strikes a deal: in exchange for learning the secret of portal manipulation and curing Nep's curse, Marilith agrees to give her first child to the Summer Court, and Nep pledges to become a fey in service to the court as ordered. The terms are set, and the adventurers prepare for their return to the material plane. Aledia assures them that there will be no time warp as they cross back. Later on, the adventurers start to confront the rebels, as their plan now revealed do not match the ideals of the adventurers. Nep is about to start fighting alongside her comrades when she is abruptly whisked away to the Feywild. She found herself in the presence of her queen. She explain that she is aware of the rebels' plan, finding it amusing and entertaining. While lacking specific details, she had a clear picture of how events might unfold and expressed their desire to witness this future unfold. Additionally, the queen believe that the elves should be freed. Nep receive a direct order not to interfere with the rebels

Do not meddle in the affairs of the rebels, for their flames burn brightly, and their torches are held high.
— Aledia Firetwist

Initially resistant to this directive, Nep was reminded by the queen that betrayal would trigger the curse dooming her to a certain death. Reluctantly, she accepted the order, realizing the consequences of defying her fey monarch. As the conversation concluded, Nep was sent back to the material plane. But faced with the situation again, Nep decided to ignore her queen order, bringing the curse back to her, as she was no longer under the protection of her queen. Once the adventurers dealt with the Elven Rebels, Galad was crowned as the new king od the kingdom -o Qwir, and Nep asked him to send her to the feywild to enact her vengeance. Nep, weakened by the curse withering her, consumed potions and medicine to strengthen herself before entering Aechivia. Determined no one dared to stop the heroes who fought and won countless battles. Even the summer court watch, intimidated by Nep's presence allowed her to find their queens. Upon arriving at the Nighthold, Nep faced the two queens, Aledia and Cassandra. They were aware of the tiefling arrival and ready to face her. They exchanged a few words, arguing with Nep about the curse and the betrayal, as each side thought it had been betrayed by the other. Unable to reach a peaceful agreement, A fight was engaged, the archfey gaining the upper hand in the fight as their bond allowed them to work with each other. But Nep ripped the necklace of firebeads on her neck and threw it at Aledia who was invisible. Turning the odds in her favor as Aledia was now visible again. However, this caused the main tower of the Nighthold to start to tip and collapse, debris making the battlefield more and more dangerous, forcing the fighters to escape outside. Aledia used this opportunity to ambush Nep, gaining the upper hand again, as Nep yelled "stop" and Cassandra vouched to talk. Cassandra offered Nep a deal, to abandon her life of fight in exchange for her protection, of both Aledia and the curse, but Nep would not live a life with the sword, and refused the offer, facing Aledia in a final battle. Aledia, faster managed to kill Nep before she was killed, or so she thought, a magical Tattoo on Nep's skin allowing her to cling to life, just enough for her to push into Aledia's defense and kill her. Cassandra, in a desperate attempt to save herself, rushes to Nep, driving a sword through her back, but it does not kill her, and Cassandra's life, linked to Aledia, is soon over as she falls onto Nep's feet, dead.