This Court is not in play. Only the Seasonal Courts (Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter) are being used.
Dusk Court
The Glacial Axe, The Umbral Court, The Court of Dooms. affiliated with Fatalism; Members of this Court have accepted their doomed fate, but they are not going down without a fight, and will live their lives to the fullest...for as long as they have left.
Perseverance. Acceptance. Striving in the face of overwhelming odds, not to cheat one's Fate, but to accomplish something despite it. These ideas embody Dusk Court. Inherent in the Dusk philosophy is not only the idea that things can only get worse, but also that with the acceptance of that inevitable Fate, one is given the opportunity (within that framework of inevitable destruction) to truly create one's own destiny. If, as Dusk believes, everything will become nothing but dust in the end, why hamper oneself with niceties or limitations? Instead, this is the opportunity to truly shine in the coming night to do, say, and be all that one can, because the end is inevitable. If one cannot hope to survive a situation, why not make the most of it? What have you got to lose?
This viewpoint manifests in a myriad of ways, although there are two major divergent philosophy, or factions within the Dusk Court. While neither are formal groups, they represent the two extremes within the Dusk philosophy. Most Glacial Courtiers do not completely embody either extreme, although many lean more heavily towards one side or the other. Balance and moderation are not traits most associate with the Dusk Court. These are the Gallants, and the Unfettered.
Gallants: Favoring glory and attempts to manifest greatness. Dusk Courtiers who lean this direction tend to picture themselves as the true heroes of the coming apocalypse: Glorious warriors, masterpiece artisans, noble statesmen, passionate lovers. If in the end we all must die, say the Gallants, why not take every risk or challenge and strive to outdo what others think is possible. A martially-minded Gallant may find inspiration in the persona of Leonidas of Sparta or Jim Bowie, fighting or leading others into situations that most Lost would consider suicidal. While many Dusk courtiers die in this manner, their tales are told for decades or centuries at Contentions, a sort of immortality that the Court believes is worth far more than a long life lived in cowardice. Other Gallants might exert themselves in other areas, risking everything to accomplish a task others might think impossible: scaling a never-before-conquered mountain peak, creating peace between two long-warring peoples, or leading a social movement which common sense declares will never succeed.
Unfettered: Desperation, however, does not breed heroism in all Lost -- not even among the Dusk. For some, the freedom that accompanies knowing one's Fate is sealed is not inspiration for great or selfless acts, but instead for completely amoral behavior of the most selfish design. They lean towards the view that, if everything is destined to destruction, then the niceties of social mores, traditions and laws are really pointless and designed only to postpone the inevitable. They tend to see those who are bound by such constraints as either sheep, slowly but surely being led towards their slaughter, or as pawns, tools and resources to be used by those forward-thinking enough to tap into them. Though Lost who've run afoul of the Unfettered and their schemes may well have less kind titles for them.
