Autumn Court
"You take a breath of the crisp air of autumn, the uncannily large trees of sunset looming over your comparably tiny form. From behind, you swear you hear a rustle in the brush - but you dare not turn around, for apprehension of what you may find."
Structure
The Autumn Court is a subsidiary of the larger Unseelie Court, and when the role of Unseelie Regnant is possessed by a member of the Winter Court, the Autumn Court generally has to act on the whim of their sibling nation. However, since all four seasonal aspects of the Feywild (regardless of who has the Regnant seat) are eternally indebted to the five seasonal gods, the Autumn Court places more reverence in the Harvest Mother Melancholia than even their own rulers. The structure of power is as follows:
Ciden -> Melancholia -> Unseelie Regnant (currently possessed by King Frost) -> Presiding Archfey (currently possessed by King Pom Poko) -> localized Archfey -> miscellaneous 'civilian' fey
Culture
There are three mindsets that have coalesced over millennia to become the overarching culture of the Autumn Court:
- Those Who Reap are the most traditionally 'Unseelie', with their moral compass perceived by non-Fey mortals to trend towards evil. They are the Harvesters of Autumn, reaping not only the bounty of produce but also the bounty of unsuspecting souls who stumble into their territory. Of the Autumn Court, they are the ones to espouse the philosophies of the Queen of Air and Darkness, Titania's corrupted sister who was slain in the Second Great Calamity. The most significant Reaper in Uthilithian history was The Erlkönig, who sought to bring chaos and pain to the Secondary Material.
- Those Who Stalk are what arcane scholars call 'cryptids', legendary creatures who wait in the shadows, perpetually watching the comings-and-goings of society. They are the most rare of the Unseelie, but that isn't due to issues with their population - they've simply mastered the sight of being unseen. Rumors often circulate the Secondary Material about sightings of these creatures, but they've never been confirmed. The most famous Stalker is called Můra in Sylvan (Mothman in Common), but its existence has yet to be verified, even by divine question.
- Those Who Revel are the most populous of the Autumn Court, and they exist in a perpetual state of frenzied revelry. Since the Autumn Court is primarily dominated by fey that take on the image of animal spirits, most folks tend to view it as 'cute' rather than 'disturbing'. Their ecstatic state is perpetually fueled by the fear of the hunt, fear of the Reaping - and thus they choose to drown their sorrows in eternal festivities rather than feel that deep-seeded apprehension within them. The current Presiding Archfey over the Autumn Court is a member of the Revelry (King Pom Poko), and thus the Court has taken on a visage of frenzied jubilance.
Public Agenda
The public agenda of the Autumn Court tends to differ based on whichever subculture is in power. As of CY 1679, the current zeitgeist revolves around creating revelry and causing mischief for all to partake in. However, when one who Reaps becomes the Presiding Archfey, the entire Court takes on a much more serious tone - the air becomes thick with silvery mist and fear becomes the primary goal for all subjects of the Court. Since The Erlkönig was slain, the Court has had no real goals that would impact the Secondary Material in any particular way.
History
The Autumn Court has had three Presiding Archfey since Uthilith's inception (thus, over the course of 1,679 years).
The Pumpkin King was present for Uthilith's Genesis, and barely managed to survive the Second Great Calamity while the Presiding Archfey of both the Spring and Winter courts fell at the hand of a long-dead god of chaos. He transitioned to the Unseelie Regnant seat when an emotive maelstrom created by a pre-Genesis archfey slew the Presiding Archfey/Unseelie Regnant of the Winter Court, allowing him to ascend to power. He held true to traditions of the Revelry, and the Autumn Court remained in relative peace for the next odd-300 years.
In CY 300, the Pumpkin King mysteriously disappeared from the Feywild. The Erlkönig would then ascend to the position of both Presiding Archfey and Unseelie Regnant, using his power and influence to instill the philosophies of the long-dead Queen of Air and Darkness. He remains the one to actively influence Uthilith the most, making pacts with the most warlocks, representing himself as a deity to those seeking help, and eventually ascending to the position of a lesser deity in CY 1624 before being annihilated by The Stonebounders.
King Pom Poko, a Tanuki, an archfey who owned a significant amount of land used for harvest and festivity, ascended to the position of Presiding Archfey following the death of the Erlkönig. He lacked the influence to rise to the position of Unseelie Regnant, but he is a beloved leader by his constituents and should remain in power for many centuries to come.
Founding Date
Pre-Calamity
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
Court of Harvest; Those who Reap
Leader
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Location
Official Languages
Related Ranks & Titles
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
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Related Ethnicities
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