Post by Tir la Morr on Jan 24, 2018 16:05:57 GMT -8
Tir la Morr: The Four Houses
The House of Winter
The former Court of Winter still currently holds a measure of sway over all of the Northern territories of Tir la Morr. It is here most of the Unseelie Fae make their home. The differences between the Seelie and Unseelie do not outweigh their similarities but they are important. While both delight in tormenting humans the spirit in which an Unseelie does it is usually one of malicious glee. All fae are able to use glamors and one could best understand an Unseelie by knowing one of their favored uses of this skill, taking the form of a Will O’ the Wisp and luring unsuspecting mortals to their deaths within a swamp.
The lands of the Unseelie match their general attitude. In the farthest north tundra land, boreal forests, and tall mountains. The old Winter Court and current Winter House is a palace made of ice nestled within the peaks of the tallest mountain. Their villages tend to be smaller but in greater number than those found in Seelie Region, with shorter squatter buildings that can be surprisingly warm and inviting when compared to the harsh cold outside.
The House of Summer
The former Court of Summer still currently holds a measure of sway over all of the Southern territories of Tir la Morr. It is here most of the Seelie Fae make their home. The differences between the Unseelie and Seelie do not outweigh their similarities but they are important. While both delights in tormenting humans the spirit in which a Seelie fae does it is usually more playful. They delight in going out to farmhouses and granting blessings so long as appropriate offerings are made, or having humans watch them dance within forest glens. Though they have their dark side as well as they have a fondness for the laughter of human children and are far more prone to snatching babes from their cradles leaving a changeling in the child's place.
The lands of the Seelie match their general attitude. The southernmost reaches tend to be tall coniferous forests filled with enchanted glens, wildflower meadows, and deep clear lakes. The villages tend to be fairly spread out but quite large with beautiful buildings focused on architectural appeal over comfort. The once court now House of Summer is far to the south in a palace made from thirteen old redwoods grown together and sculpted and molded into a wondrous wooden hall.
The House of Autumn
Ruled by a mischievous queen, the Autumn Fae are perhaps some of the more tricky beings, with their moods often unpredictable. The House of Autumn rules one of the more neutral regions. They rule the southernmost parts of the Unseelie Region and take upholding in the west of Tir la Morr. Foggy swamps, wetlands, and many groves and forests, all in perpetual states of decay, the leaves bright red and fiery orange and mottled brown or pale yellow. The Autumn Court’s buildings are most often built atop the trees or within, or occasionally underground, but almost never on flat ground, the only notable exception being the Autumn Queen’s manor, which sits atop a mountain, overlooking the Autumn Capital of Vivrenyde.
The House of Spring
When the Tyrant in Gold conquered the Court of Summer, he divided it in two so that the smaller factions would be easier to manage. In the place of the King of Summer was planted Morrigan, a mysterious and cold dweller of the forest whose attitudes did not match the Fae she controlled. Upon her ascendance to the House of Spring, Morrigan began its transformation, imposing laws against the Seelie Fae making public displays of jubilee and giving blessings to mortal folk. This has not stopped some enthusiastic Fae from trying to continue their ways in secret.
The region containing the House of Spring was a part of the Summer Court in the days before the Tyrant in Gold, filled with Seelie Fae of many varieties, including an abundance of water-folk owing to the rivers that filled the northern edge of the Court. The beautiful, golden plains are often covered with healthy grains and grasses, and occasionally fairy rings will grace passers-by. However, due to the House’s proximity to the wintry borders, some Unseelies make their home in the area, causing bouts of mischief that have only been intensified by the Tyrant’s arrival. The Fae of the region make their homes in the unprotected plains, or occasionally beside the river, while some folk live undisturbed lives beneath the water. Morrigan’s residence is composed of four massive, living trees that bend to her will.