Changeling/Theme/Gentry
Local Gentry
The Brackish King
Fae Titles: His Gracious Highness; King of the Deep
Description: The Brackish King looks something like a massive octopus, and something like a mind-bending horror.
Methods and Madness: Literally everything in his realm was once human: every tree, every wave, every statue, every fish. His obsession with only crafting using what he has stolen or bought infuses every decision the King makes.
Arcadian Realm: The Brackish King’s realm resembles the a twisted estuary, and a strange garden within it. He chooses those who are already outsiders for one reason or another, and crafts them into exhibits for his garden, guards to keep his garden safe, workers to buff the statues. A Lost taken by the Brackish King might be one of his treasured mermaids, kept close to amuse him, or sent on border patrols to prevent anyone from escaping. That Lost might have been instead crafted into a tree, growing in the half-salt, half-fresh water. Perhaps instead a statue, gazing forever at his magnificence. A Wizened to craft beautiful new buildings or to serve his every whim. Darklings live as shadows in the water. Water Elementals are kept in marble reflecting pools. Most who have escaped from his realm come back with strange eating habits — some go entirely vegan, some become totally carnivorous. Others report having overcome cannibalistic urges. The Arcadian version of the shoreline estuaries where the Pine Barrens meet the sea, and the small beach where only his most treasured creations are allowed to occasionally play as a very special treat? Food sources are limited. Either you learn to eat very strange plant life, or you turn on each other.
Huntsmen: No Huntsmen have been seen from The Brackish King for a very long time.
Fetches: His captives almost invariably come back to find a fake in place; their lives are sometimes well-maintained and sometimes thrown into chaos.
Former Denizens: Anneliese Kiel
Le General Taire
Fae Titles: Master of Verdun; His Silent Majesty
Description: Le General Taire is never seen except as a distant shadowy figure, directing troops. Messages come to combatants in a genre-appropriate way: crackling radios filled with distant voices and horrified screams, the far off howl of another wolf pack, a carefully folded message smuggled in the heel of someone’s shoe. Those who return often have strange superstitions about sending or receiving messages.
Methods and Madness: Le General Taire not only
Arcadian Realm: The actual name is unknown, but the nickname - Verdun - was given by a French WWI vet that was also an escapee, and fits rather well with a Realm of eternal war. The Realm is carved into dozens of pockets, each filled with endless war games. One realm is filled with Beasts, hunters and hunted; another filled with trenches and mustard gas and twisted war machines; yet another is modern urban warfare. The only constant is conflict. Just about any Seeming or Kith can fit within Verdun, as long as they fit within the concept of war: medic, warrior, perpetual innocent bystander.
Huntsmen: Le General creates Huntsmen much more than any other locally-known Keeper and is often obsessed with reclaiming those who have escaped Verdun. His Huntsman was responsible for the death of Michael Zloof, the Winter Crown prior to Marjorie. If a Title has been passed to any of those Huntsmen, it is not yet known.
Fetches: Approximately half of the time, Le General does not leave a Fetch behind when someone is abducted. Oftentimes, those Fetches which are left find themselves meeting bad ends, destroying utterly the lives left behind, leaving a metaphorically blasted hellscape in their wake.
Former Denizens: Teagan, Michael Tath, Jack Martingale
Óðinn (Odin)
Titles: Alföðr (The All-Father), Grímnir (The Hooded One), Herteitr (Glad of War), Hrafnfreistuðr (The Raven Tester), Skollvaldr (Ruler of Treachery)
Description: Odin has many titles, and many faces. On occasion he appears as a wandering traveler, typically with a tall and wide brimmed hat and some form of walking stick. Traditionally there would also be gray robes and his stick would be a staff. At times he appears as a hooded figure with one visible eye appearing from the shadows of the cowl. Other times, a warrior with spear and shield in mail and helmet. Yet other times, as a flock of ravens. He fits his appearance to the times, and to the needs of his aspirational whims. The only real uniformity to his appearance is that he looks to be an aging white man in all of his guises. His demeanor is equally fickle, at times carousing with good cheer, at other times savage and cruel. His word cannot be trusted unless it is bound by oath, though he delights in sharing aphorisms and his own sage advice. (Which he often take pains to ensure bears out.)
Area of Activity: Scandinavia, Northern and Western Europe, British Isles, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, The Eastern Seaboard of the US, the Upper Midwest of the US.
Methods and Madness: He tends to claim those of Scandinavian heritage; or any blond and blue eyed people. He has a particular interest in violent people, and those who are passionate in their beliefs. His legions of warriors cross the gender spectrum, save for the Valkyries of his hall who are all persons who identify as women. The meat of his armies are the Once-Slain, the Einherjar. They are those who were captured, forced to fight his armies, and died well. The valiant were given renewed life in the Einherjar, while the cowards were put to other purposes. Used as building materials, or turned into hounds for his massive Hunt. The Valkyries, women all of them, were tasked with leading his armies in battle and choosing from among the dead those who would serve in the Einherjar. When not in battle, they served in Valhalla, bringing food and drink to the tables of the celebrating warriors.
Arcadian Realm: From his Jarl's throne in Valhalla, Odin rules his realm. It is a vast place, empowered by his many titles and the burgeoning sway of his armies and his legend. It is quite similar to the scandinavian coast, only impossible more grand. Deep water, tall mountains, green fields, enormous trees. It is a land where all is legendary, and all legends are real. Stags are hunted, battles are fought, but the realm never ceases to be beautiful because of it.
Huntsmen: The Huntsmen of Odin frequently hold the title of Grímnir or Skollvaldr, as they lend themselves best to the work of hunting down escapees. Their regalia typically take the form of Odin's walking stick, a weapon that is often a spear formed from a branch of the world tree of Yggdrasil. His armor, the gray cloak or wide brimmed hat. These are sometimes interpreted as gray suits, canes, or gray caps. When possible, they look the part of norse legend. When not, they're happy to meld in with the people of Midgaard. Their heralds are always ravens.
Fetches: The All-Father tends to create the fetches needed. Those made with intention are of carved wood, animated with raven feathers and clumps of moss. The more hasty variety are thrown together bits and bobs of natural items. Cloth, grass, branches of wood, and the like. Their universal flaw is either a limp that was not present before, or sudden unexplained blindness in one eye.
Former Denizes: Sigrún Ljósdóttir
Sweetness
Fae Titles: Her Gracious Majesty; Queen Of Sugar
Description: An exaggerated creature built of sugar, spice, and everything not so nice, Sweetness seems all sweetness and light until seen up close. She can be by turns perfection in all her forms and a horrifyingly petulant tyrant; she can be truly overwhelming in her unpredictable wroth, or sweet as... well. You know.
Methods and Madness: Sweetness almost invariably buys her subjects at the Goblin Market; they are often humans who accidentally stumbled into the Hedge rather than captured by her Huntsmen. She's been known to discard Lost who no longer intrigue her, simply letting them go, if she doesn't kill them by neglect.
Arcadian Realm: Sweetness' Realm is -- predictably -- made of spun sugar, gingerbread, candy... and it all rots. Her creations when in favor are stuffed full with all the good things they could possibly want: food, intoxicants, the company of other Lost, and when out of favor, left to wander the outer reaches of her Realm, scrounging for moldy cookies from last week's rebuilding. She constantly smashes everything she builds and starts again, and when she's in one of her rages, no one is safe.
Huntsmen: Does she even have any? Could she bear to give up any of her power, and would she even care enough to get back someone she'd discarded?
Fetches: Invariably, fetches are left, and the lives into which they are inserted are perfectly maintained, putting a beautiful vision of what could have been in front of those who manage to return.
Former Denizens:
Non-Local Gentry
Die wylde Jagd
Fae Titles: Strikes-Ever-True, Hunter of Damnation.
Description: A man 3 meters tall wearing a cloak that hides his face. Only the eyes glowing from anger and bloodthirst in a dark red, can be seen beneath the hood of his cloak. The pelt of a slain beast is covering his shoulders. His armour is made from leather as dark as his heart, leather so dark, that blood from those who oppose him dripping onto it will be highly visible. He rides a cold-hearted steed, covered in an armour made of ice, each hit of its hoofs on the ground echoes the sound of clashing and breaking ice, sending cold shivers down the spines of his victims long before they can see him. He wears two weapons a spear of never-melting ice and a Bow. Only 7 arrows, never more, never less, will he carry on every hunt, to strike down its prey. If you're lucky enough and you survive all of his arrows, your life will be spared. But if you're not that lucky, he will pull you down into the cold darkness where he will feast on your body and soul.
Methods and Madness: Anyone might be end up as prey, to satisfy his desire for fresh meat and blood. If you're unlucky enough and you seem to be a good hunt, you will be captured and he will improve you, to make the hunt more interesting for him. He has loyal followers who will do his bidding, they will make the hunt on you, harder for you and more interesting for him, there will be drover, who will try to push you in certain directions or areas. Others will manipulate the environment so that you will have to quickly adapt to changing environmental situations if you want to survive the hunt. There are rumours that you have 3 ways to escape the hunt: First of all, you could dodge and survive all 7 arrows and you will be free. Second there are portals at both ends of the realm, if you escape through one of these portals, you will be free. The third option, however, is more of a wild story since no one ever seems to have taken this option, it might be just another trap. But if you want to take your chances on the third option, you will have to find Hulda and make her fall for you, if you can win her heart, she might be able to persuade him to let you go.
Arcadian Realm: Ice and snow, as far as the eyes can see. There are several other things that might kill you just as quick as he would, the environment and the weather and of course, those who somehow managed to survive in this realm and live there. To them, you're either food or a threat, maybe even both and they all won't hesitate to kill you, once they got aware of your presence. To survive, you will have to cover your tracks, gather the little food there is, find shelter and never stay at one place for too long. If you can't adapt to the ever-changing world around you, you will die. Like all Gentry, he has loyal followers hunt in his wake.
Fetches: The Hunter does not spare the time to create a fetch.
Huntsmen: [under construction]
Former Denizens: Januar Sorrows
The Nightingale
Fae Titles: The Angel of Ended Suffering, Her Majesty of the Unequaled Voice, The Forest of Eternal Song
Description: A nightmarish chimera made of woman and bird. Her beak sings beautiful melodies that could sooth the heart of the fiercest member of the Wild Hunt, while her three mouths gibber secrets of the Universe that none can bear to hear. Four arms come from her back, each ending in a limb half-way between arm and wing. Her two crying eyes show compassion for all living things, for they know not what they do.
Methods and Madness: The Nightingale doesn't need people, she needs new things. Decorations and baubles for when she entertains other Gentry. Tools for her grand surgery where she stitches together creatures of war, improves on the human form, or even occasionally puts broken Changelings back together again. Animals to fill her forest so that her guests can hunt.
Arcadian Realm: The Eternal Forest of Song is a beautiful and ancient place. No sunlight can penetrate the thick canopy, but Bright Ones in airtight jars light the way as long as they live. Haunting birdsong fills the air, and is the only sound allowed in the forest.
Huntsmen: The Nightingale's Huntsmen have not been seen in Philadelphia
Fetches: The Nightingale believes in leaving things better than she found them. Her fetches are kind, selfless, and self-sacrificing. They become heroes and martyrs for causes the Changeling left behind in life.
Former Denizens: Ash Thursday
The Queen of Mirrors
Fae Titles:The Eternal City , The Viridian Beacon of Unity
Description: The Queen is more often a presence than a physical being, the sensation of being watched from every angle writ large. When She does deign to take material form it often takes the shape of a regal female figure whose apparent ethnicity shifts on a whim, a crown of reflective glass ever-present on Her head and a soft green glow that trails in Her wake.
Methods and Madness: There is little rhyme or reason to those taken in by this particular Keeper, at least to those who end up in its clutches. People of all sorts and backgrounds end up on the streets of the Eternal City, filling various roles as the Queen deems fit and kept placid (for the most part) by the Beacon whose light shines throughout most of the Realm. Those that the Queen finds most interesting or useful are often tasked to serve as Her eyes and ears in the City, the brand marking their position allowing for Her to observe the realm through their perspective.
Arcadian Realm: The Eternal City is just that: a collection of brightly-lit buildings and dim alleyways that stretches on forever, the roads running through it looping back in on themselves until you eventually end up right back at the city center, awash in the green glow of the Beacon that calls all of the city's residents back into its chrome-covered embrace. The aesthetic is a mishmash of cyberpunk fantasy and strict brutalism, with mechanical enhancements regularly accompanying the changes wrought by the Wyrd itself upon its inhabitants. The mark of the Queen of Mirrors makes itself known in the ubiquitous modes of observation - cameras, reflections in glass windows, and through the physical brands placed upon Her direct servants who comb the city streets to find those who plot to leave Her realm. This leads those rebels to find places outside of Her emerald-tinted gaze to plot and plan, carving out places of refuge in the dark ruins of buildings buried under the weight of the ever-growing metropolis.
Huntsmen: While rarely seen in the Philadelphia area, the Huntsmen from this realm tend to carry the Title of the Viridian Beacon, taking the form of mostly-humanoid beings of light or, when on the Ironside, men and women dressed in tidy black suits with sunglasses to match that cover the brilliant green eyes that show the mark of the Title upon them.
Fetches: The Queen almost always leave behind a fetch when laying claim to a new citizen of the City, although the quality of the programming in these often-robotic replicas can vary depending on the time put into observation beforehand. Those who She has had Her eye on for some time can barely be told apart from their original, while others go cold and uncaring like the machines they are.
Former Denizens: Asbolus, Lux, Mearcstapa
The Stone Haunter
Fae Titles: Duke of Ten Thousand Urges; Viscount of Victims & Villainy; He Who Walks Between
Description: The Stone Haunter is less seen and more felt- a presence within His domain, the Den of Ten Thousand Urges. His is a sort of artful architecture that sees the changes he wants arranged organically as his captives work His desired changes on each other.
Methods and Madness: Originally seen as a deterrent against permanent settlement in an area of New England, The Stone Haunter primarily takes people from alleys and dark places in His territory in New England. He seems to favor two types of people that are completely inimical to one another: the innocent and the criminal. Often prone to taking children, the locals native to his territory are often set on edge when a sudden emergence of disappearances shoot up around their homes. The reason for this is part of a game He plays with His victims: murderers, rapists, violent thugs and others have returned seeing the error in their ways... but the reverse is true of the innocent — they tend to come back with an insatiable urge for chaos. People taken by the Stone Haunter have to be of particularly hardy stock in order to survive after escaping from the Den of Ten Thousand Urges. This particular Keeper is known to have changed with the times, possibly due to influence from European settlement, or a personal fixation on the urban.
Arcadian Realm: The Stone Haunter's realm is unrelentingly urban. It possesses islands of apparent safety, though these are, in truth, simply honeypots to lure new victims into the clutches of the residents. There are endless twisting sewers and catacombs; unending alleys and fire escapes that never reach their roofs; twisting hallways leading from offices to hospitals to schools. Adults taken inexorably find themselves in their own preferred hunting grounds, only to discover their prey is hunting them.
Huntsmen: As The Stone Haunter is not local, the frequency of His Huntsmen isn't known. Only his escapees know anything about how frequently they're run to ground.
Fetches: The Stone Haunter rarely leaves a Fetch behind. He prefers for his escapees to return to lives ruined by their own crimes- or to families completely unprepared to handle the hellions sent back to them. The chaos surrounding his younger victims makes it easier to track them down, as does the media uproar surrounding the apprehension of his reformed criminal captives- and makes it unsurprising when they vanish, either apparently to escape punishment, or as what seems like further expression of their new rebellion. Either way, His purposes are served by not leaving doubles behind to serve time or soften the emotional tension of a missing family member.
Former Denizens: Vorpal