The Winter Court is the political party most often associated with the unseelie fae. Located in Underhill, in the remote mountain valleys northwest of the Spine, it is far removed from the ivory halls of the Summer Court.

These days the hostility between Courts is minimal and the fae know peace. The Winter Court now exists primarily as a political center for unseelie fae and the backdrop to the Game -- a dance of power played by the elite. Mab's power may seem diminished, her court self-policing and running smoothly without much of her involvement, but her word remains law.

Beyond its political purpose, the Winter Court stands as a sanctuary for fae and half-fae that would otherwise be persecuted by the Summer Court. Originally formed as a safe haven, it has grown from a small gang of misfits and troublemakers into a Court that truly rivals its adversary. The rights and individuality of these faeries is protected by Winter's dominion over the Epressan continent, affording them lives and privileges the seelie would deny them.

At the very top of the Winter Court is its crown. Ruled by a queen elected by the elite members of unseelie society, her rule is absolute yet precarious. As all queens have learned in the past, her position is only as secure as the contentedness of her subjects and, should she ever truly earn their ire, she can and will be replaced.

As fae culture is always evolving, it is the queen's duty and right to change law to better fit the modern beliefs of her Court. Some of these changes are prompted by members of her court, or even by individuals coming to her for an older ruling they wish to contest.

Beneath her is their Court's two main factions: the Court of Lords and the 50 Houses of duanann. Both of these groups have the esteemed privilege of being part of the election process of a new queen when the need for such an event arises. High Lords and House matriarchs or patriarchs each have a singular vote.

The Lady of Dreams, Queen Mab has held the mantle of Queen of the Winter Court for a long time. The second to hold the position, she has a long and powerful history upon her icy dais. Serious and severe, Mab’s shrewd eye and penchant for violent solutions are at odds with her fair, regal beauty. A lady in every sense of the word, she keeps Court to a very strict manner of conduct. Those stepping out of line among her courtiers and Lords are dealt with swiftly and with a very firm hand. While the Winter Court is known for being a vicious playground rife with constant jockeying for power and status, its players are continuously doing all that they can to keep their antics from their matronly Queen’s notice.

Mab’s moods are as changeable as the winter winds, but she is a fair ruler and judge. Having long abandoned her wild youth, she is very mature and serious. She has taken very few lovers over the years and has led a surprisingly private life in spite of her office. She has grown quite fond of the Erlking since he took the throne of the Autumn Court and some have speculated that they may be more than friends in the past, but their friendship ensures a strong bond between their Courts. She became a mother late in life, her daughter now only 200 years old.

The longest-ruling of the current monarchs, holding her position for the last 8,000 years. There have been rumors that she will be stepping down soon, and thus the various High Lords and duanann have been jockeying for positions.

Style: Her Splendor
Species: Duanann
Affinity: Dreams
Element: Air & Light
Celestial Body: Lunar
Animal Shape: Leopard
Alignment: Unseelie

Though Winter has no true caste system, a few factions and organizations exist.

The Court of Lords is the jostling ranks of lords within Mab's court. The constantly shifting body of politics and Court standings, called the Game, is a public affair. One is only as powerful as the respect and clout they maintain within their social circles, based on any number of factors from merit and popularity to wealth and control. Courtiers do not casually play the Game, as to be a courtier exposes them to all manner of competition and intrigue.

The courtiers of the Winter Court are broken down into the following ranks:

• High Lord
• Mesial Lord
• Minor Lord

Each of these can be divided into five Orders, with the First being the highest.

The 50 Houses of the duanann is a relic of the Summer Court, and a piece of fae culture that not even the wild nature of the unseelie could shake. These exactly as they sound: fifty noble families of duanann. Some exist as players of the Game. Others merely call the Winter Court their home, aligning better with the politics of the unseelie. Regardless, they stand over most of fae society as duanann, and they distinguish themselves by their affiliation with these fifty original noble families.

Separate from the noble structures of the court is its military and policing force. Known as the Red Guard, these fae are responsible for maintaining the law in Underhill and the Winter Court's domain. As Mab is a particularly lax but vehement ruler, the Red Guard will usually operate without her involvement. From larceny in the Midnight Market to civil unrest in the Allir Reach, they are one of the few forces making order in Winter's chaos.

The unseelie consider chaos the ruling force in the universe and accept that they must adapt and change to survive. This is never so true as within the Winter Court, where posturing, schemes, and power struggles are a constant, living body of self-interest. The Game is ruthless and the players are ever changing. Security is an illusion that only the foolish believe, especially players of the Game. For those outside of politics, change and all its chaos is a way of life the unseelie fae have made themselves comfortable with.

To shun one’s natural-born gifts is abhorrent, and to possess a power and not make use of it is near to sin. True unseelie inhibit no aspect of their magicks in their pursuits. Most unseelie believe that the devotion to self to be the purest pursuit, but there is little to no pressure on most individuals to advance themselves further than they are comfortable. There is, after all, no shame in settling for things if one is happy.

Unseelie place no stock in beauty or perfection, and accept all manner of fae (including half-fae) into their ranks. If they wish to play the Game, even mortals born of faerie fathers can be granted rights in the Winter Court. Changelings taken from their mortal homes are regarded as the offspring of their adoptive parents, their mortality overlooked. Physical imperfections can be marks of respect and individuality, especially with Winter's close association with the Erlking's Sluagh.

Though no lie can pass directly through a fae’s lips, all fae possess the power of glamour -- and, thus, the power to work around the truth. Charms and glamours are an honest means to dishonest work. Unseelie make no qualms about twisting the truth and are masters at picking apart agreements for poor wording and loopholes. Honor is a secondary ideal, and the vigorous pursuit of self-interest is highly regarded.

The unseelie place no stock in the ideals of honor. Instead, they pursue their own self-interests vigorously. The unseelie feel as if truth can only be reached through devotion to self, not a devotion to others.

Passion is considered to be the truest state of being. Not dissimilar from the lust for pleasure among Seelie, this is the primary goal of almost all unseelie: to be one's best self. There is a balance of this, however, among the unseelie. There is a proper time and place for all things, and unseelie fae know this well. While they are prone to acting on instinct and whim, they are still capable of maintaining decorum and social discipline, for the Game often requires subtlety and secrets.

Within those confines it is the utmost challenge to all unseelie to exert their passions where they can, and to be able to circumvent duty and responsibility is seen as an achievement. While these behaviors may seem self-centered and rude to many outside cultures, cleverly wriggling out of arrangements is met with frustrated respect by fellow unseelie. Outside of the Game, unseelie rarely pursue activities and ventures they do not find pleasant or engaging.

Children born of unions between mortals and fae are a controversial subject across all platforms. In the Winter Court, at least, their status as fae can be recognized for both fae and mortal half-fae. Naturalized half-fae can enjoy all the rights of their full-blooded peers, though recognition of subsequent generations of mortal lineages becomes questionable.

Similarly, Winter changelings are naturalized as the legal children of their adoptive parents. They hold full rights, the same as any other fae, and their children may potentially be recognized as fae as well. Because of this, Underhill has a small population of mortal fae.

While the methods of marriage are same among all faeries, believed to bind two souls to each other across lifetimes into eternity in a pact that transcends death, the ways the Courts display it is different.

Though civil unions are more common in the Winter Court and marriages are more rare, they are no less impactful. Unseelie are not predisposed toward any idea of permanence, so for two to decide to form a union across time and space is no minor occurrence. There is no formal, outward expression of marriage for Winter fae. The validity and depth of the promise made between individuals supersedes the public parade of that agreement.

Civil unions and domestic partnerships are far more common among fae, providing legal rights and benefits to the partner. These may be as simple as a private agreement between individuals to thoroughly drawn contracts. While these still call for a degree of commitment, they are not as intense as marriages.

Dissolution of these civil unions is commonplace and easily accessible. Some fae have various ceremonies and rituals that satisfy this, but an attorney can just as easily oversee the severance of a legal union. There is little fanfare to dissolutions. Divorce, however, is a widely controversial subject and the focus of a great deal of public attention and gossip. As fae believe to marry is to bind two souls together as soulmates for eternity, choosing to break such a union is a statement.

The Summer Court​

In the past, there have been periods of peace and war between the Summer and Winter Courts. Currently, they are in a state of tentative peace thanks to an agreement between Mab and Titania’s mother, former Queen Norra.

The last two wars between the Summer and Winter Courts were roughly 6500 and 3800 years ago. Both of these were started by Norra, and the hostilities grew into an attempt to reclaim territory lost when Winter was established. Mab thwarted both attempts and established her ability to successfully defend her Court against future aggressions.

After the second war, Norra and Mab came together to form an armistice for the duration of her reign. Since Norra’s passing, Titania seems to have kept the agreement active, though it was never rewritten.

The Autumn Court​

Since their simultaneous creation, the Autumn and Winter Courts have grown apart. While relations have remained positive and the two consistently back one another against other Courts, the bond of love that once connected them has long passed.

Today, Mab maintains a close friendship with King Midir.

The Spring Court​

Spring has always been an open ally of Summer, meaning its relationship with Winter is neutral at best. Mab does not concern herself with Oberon where it does not already concern her Court, and Oberon appears to keep his parlour in line regarding Winter’s borders.

The Dawn Court​

Anyone that can annoy the Summer Court is a friend of Winter. The Dawn Court, however, often makes as much trouble for Mab as it does for Titania. Mab likes to maintain friendly relationships where she can, but her patience with Dawn is often short. Being a smaller Court residing outside of her domain, she does not go out of her way to retaliate against its shenanigans or challenge its presence.

Image credit to Kurt Huang