Government
Fey of the Winter court follow the Queen of ice,
Luna Frostfall. Little is known about her true power, but many fear her, She is the dark veil of the night covering the summer fields, she is the unstoppable snow that extinguishes the flames.
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.
Culture
Justice
Fey of the Winter court are cruel, blood-thirsty creature, Justice in those land is most often... definitive. The cultrip can either propose to give something of enough value to pay for his crime or die, but the price asked by the Winter court is often too much to pay.
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.
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 winter 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.
- 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 satyr.
- 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
Creatures that follow the Queen of Ice and her Winter court usually consist of those who believe in the prophecy of the white frost, and of beasts and blood-thristy creatures such as displacer beats. The nature of these beings makes them more unpredictable and dangerous than their Summer counterparts. While it might be possible to bargain with a centaur to gain passage through a glade, you likely won’t get the chance to see a yeth hound before it strikes.
Fey of the Winter Court tend to view the world with a somber, cold grace, like that of a silent winter’s night. Less frivolous than their summer counterpart, the winter fey still revere beauty in their own right. Gathering in castles of intricately designed, sculpted ice, the Winter Court’s parties are more apt to contain a single violinist playing for a silent crowd of winter fey, rather than a cavorting mass of dancing summer fey.
When the Summer court may represent ever-changing chaos, the Winter court represents the slow and steady cold, unpredictable, able to grow into a terrible storm at any moment. The fey of the Winter court believe in the prophecy of the White frost, an ever-growing blizzard that is destined to cover all the world, they know even they immortal lives will be threatened by this unstoppable force, and they enjoy the beauty of this realm before its end.
Mounts and pets
The realm of the Winter Court exists within the coldest and most inhospitable regions of the Feywild. To navigate and thrive in this harsh environment, the denizens of the Winter Court require mounts that are well-suited for these conditions. The creatures they have tamed for this purpose are giant saber-toothed tigers. These beasts possess fur protects them from the biting cold but their feline movements and agility complements the elves' grace and elegance.
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 Winter Court is rather solitary if it isn't for the occasional prank and visit of the Spring court. Winter fey are most often cruel and prefer to hunt alone, rare are the fey who can befriend them.
History
Shortly after their creation, the gnomes faced adversity from the denizens of the Feydark. Among these creatures, goblins were particularly cruel, often capturing gnomes for their amusement. Within goblin society, gifting an entertaining gnome was seen as a sign of sophistication, and gnomes quickly became both slaves and prized commodities, traded between tribes.
This dark period continued until the goblins betrayed the Summer Court, an act that led to their banishment or transformation into the twisted Faevlin. This upheaval granted the gnomes an opportunity to escape and secure their freedom. Seeking refuge, the gnomes fled to the Winter Court, where they were offered sanctuary in the cold, enigmatic lands under its protection.
Notable members
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