Freehold

Spring Court

Spring King/Queen, Vernal Sovereign This is the official title of a Spring courtier who is currently the ruler of a freehold.It is unusual, but not unheard of, for a Spring Courtier to take the throne without possessing at least three dots in Spring Mantle and an equivalent amount of Status in the Court.

Sylvan Emissary In freeholds where the Spring Court’s presence is strong and well organized, the Antler Crown may send out ambassadors to other courts, freeholds or even to other supernatural groups. In theory, these Emissaries are for the purpose of maintaining positive political and social relations with other groups.

Archivist Archivists are responsible for remembering all of the traditional celebrations and all of their vital details, including timing, location, necessary participants and important related activities. Furthermore, they also must continually come up with new and interesting ways to bring those sometimes ancient celebrations into being in such a way that they are constantly evolving without ever losing their potency or import.

Sage Escort Some seek the title of Sage Escort out of a visceral thrill, knowing that the name alone is enough to bring a fever blush to some changeling’s visage. Others pursue it out of a belief that the heart of the Spring Court is deeply tied to physical desire and that learning how to wield such potential is a potent tool. Others are indoctrinated into the role by existing holders of the title, who see in them a spark of potential to nurture, fulfill and shape the desires of others (as well as their own).

Claviger The title of Claviger is given to those Spring Courtiers who serve as the bodyguards and protectors of high-ranking Emerald Courtiers, especially current or former Vernal Sovereigns who realize that their position may put them at greater risk for retribution from political adversaries or bring them to greater attention of the Fair Folk.

Verdant Advocate Many members of the Antler Crown are driven by passions which, at least in the extremes, can be disruptive, destructive or even deadly to themselves as well as others. When one of the court’s members allows her desires to get away with her, landing her in jail, a mental hospital or in the custody of a freehold’s version of the local police, an Advocate (sometimes called a Verdant Mediary or Verdant Representative) is the first one she calls.

Searce One joke making the rounds states that the price of admission to the Emerald Court is a sixpack and a quick tumble. In truth, while Lost who seek to join the Spring Court are rarely turned away, not everyone is truly suited for his or her role. Just as a gleaner may winnow away the useless chaff from the precious grain, Searces specialize in discretely interviewing new or potential Spring courtiers to determine their potential value to the Court.

Flower (Blossom) Courier

Summer Court

Estival/Summer Sovereign

The King/Queen of Wrath. The Summer Sovereigns embodies the Summer Court in its fullest.

The Estival Sovereign is King

Iron Adjutant

Required: (Mantle ••••)

This role is actually a rather estimable one within the ranks of the Crimson. The Iron Adjutant’s job is to function as the right-hand-man to the Court’s royal ruler. While this sounds like a subservient position, it also means that a lot of the day-today administration of Court business is handled by the Adjutant. The Adjutant is the Sovereign’s proxy; this ultimately grants the Adjutant a pretty hefty measure of power.

The Wroth General Calescence

Required: (Mantle •••••)

The changeling who fills this role is some times equal to the ruler himself. He is, for all intents and purposes, the military leader of the Crimson Court. The General may have potent prowess with hands, a blade, a rifle, but he’s no longer expected to be out there cracking heads and hacking limbs. He’s a strategist, prized for mind over body. And some are just that thing: a one-man council of military wisdom, plotting attacks on local Loyalist hollows or arranging the freehold’s proper defenses. Others, though, find themselves hungry for a greater slice of power. They see opportunity to move against the other Courts. Such Generals are no longer a proud bull, but the worm inside that bull’s heart: a tiny mote of the monstrous amorality gifted by their Keepers. Regardless of corruption, the Wroth General Calescent is always a figure both feared and respected.

• The Wroth General Calescence is

Constable of Calefaction

Required Mantle: (Mantle ••)

The Constable acts as the name suggests: a sheriff, an investigator, a keeper of the peace. In most freeholds, the Constable acts as such only among the changelings within the Summer Court. Recognizing that Crimson Courtiers often suffer from volatile moods and can give in to vengeful or rowdy urges, the Constable is there largely to police is own. That said, in cities where the season lasts longer than expected, the Calfecator may well police the changelings of all Courts. A good Constable must be prepared not only to enforce the peace, but to investigate crimes whenever necessary.

• The Constable of Calefaction is

Red Victor

Required: (Mantle •••••)

Sometimes, a champion emerges. She’s wreathed in a potent Mantle: her eyes like lens flares, her skin sloughing off wave after wave of heat, steam rising from whatever blade or revolver she holds in her hand. Her accolades are on a list whose end cannot be easily found: a collection of Keeper hands in Mason jars, a chest of mighty Hedge tokens, a herd of changelings rescued from Arcadia, and so on. The Red Victor had better be ready for the role. The Vikings believed that glory and heroism put one into the written and spoken myths and invoked a kind of immortality, and that’s exactly what the Red Victor gets. She’s loved in this life and remembered long after. She cannot remain quiet or hidden as the champion of the Crimson Court. The King drags her out for every show of strength, to every salon and tournament, to every ceremony and goblin market. She becomes the emblem for the local Summer Court, like it or not. The role does suffer a peculiar downside, although it’s not a downside the Victor herself will ever deal with. If the Red Victor dies, all within the local Court possessing one or more dots in Summer Mantle suffer a loss to morale. This loss is real and supernatural, manifesting as a –1 to all rolls for a number of weeks equal to the years the Red Victor held the title of champion.

Hunter of Longest Days

Required: (Mantle ••••)

The Hunter of the Longest Day is something of an esteemed bounty hunter, a proud knight who isn’t valued so much for his prowess in a large fight but is used more as an “elite” tracker and hunter. The Hunter is the one who handles such individual threats. He might be required to track down and capture a rogue courtier. He might need to make that Winter Court dissenter “disappear”. Maybe he goes into the Hedge and tracks down that spider-faced hobgoblin that’s been stealing ensorcelled and laying dream-eggs in their sternums. Two things of note about Longest Day Hunters: first, they’re given a token as appreciation, something in the range of one or two dots. Second, they take trophies whether they want to or not. While some suffer a frailty that demands it, it’s actually more something of a social convention; those who fail to showcase trophies can’t be trusted to have truly fulfilled the mandate at hand.

• The Hunter of the Longest Day is

Arrayer of Distant Thunder

Required: (Mantle •••)

An arrayer is said to have a “commission of array,” meaning that he can canvass the freehold’s inhabitants — anybody from the loftiest Spring Court socialite to the lowliest ensorcelled — to drum them up for war. As the storm approaches, the Arrayer’s job is to draft those outside the Summer Court to fight. But when the threats threaten to overwhelm the Crimson Court, the Arrayer is the one who must convince, threaten or cajole others to leap headlong into the fray.

• The Arrayer of Distant Thunder is

The Suns Tongue

Required: (Mantle •••)

The Sun’s Tongue is a diplomat and plenipotentiary within the Crimson Court. It’s a far from glorious position, often dismissed by those more physical members of the Court as being nothing more than an excuse to attend “social hour” with the other Courts. As the only truly social role within the Iron Spear, though, acting as diplomat can be quite valuable and pretty damn dangerous. Negotiating terms with the other Courts is dangerous; at least those marching onto the battlefield can see their opponents. The Sun’s Tongue is left walking over a well-hidden minefield of social foibles and faux pas, where one who seems a friend is actually trying to sell your beating heart to a cat-faced goblin at the Mackerel Market just beyond the Hedge door. It’s a thankless position in most freeholds, though a wise ruler knows to reward his diplomat well.

Crimson Knights

Required: (Mantle ••)

The Men-At-Arms of the Summer Court are better trained and better equipped than their Grunt brothers and sisters. They do not have to supply their own equipment (mundane stuff, at least), and are not first on the line in a fight. They’re the ones that hold back. It’s not a Knight’s job to pick off the lesser soldiers; they’re the ones who go in against enemies with skill, foes with better weapons and bad tricks. The Grunts go in and soften up the adversary. Then the Knights wade into the fray, gritting their teeth and stepping over the (hopefully not lifeless) bodies of their fallen comrades.

Dust/Mud Grunt

The role of Dust Grunt is that of a foot soldier for the Summer Court. Some martial ability is necessary, as is a willingness to step to the front of the line and suffer the slings and arrows of whatever hobgoblin, Loyalist or Keeper waits behind that ring of Thorns. The one thing that clearly separates a Grunt from the Men-At-Arms is that a Grunt must supply his own weaponry and armor. The Court does not provide. This means that some Grunts enter the streets and trods of battle armed with nice pistols and extra clips, while others barrel forward holding little more than shovels and baseball bats.

Mule Squire

It comes down to this: carry this pack, push this broom, park this car, bury this body. The Mule Squire gets all the shit work. Mules are essentially non-people, treated like valets at best, three-legged dogs at worst. Unlike with the role of Sentry, nobody expects a Mule Squire to ascend the ranks. It’s a role that falls to what the higher-ups believe to be those who have already reached their peak: some dumb-fuck Gristlegrinder or crazy Swimmerskin. It might very well be a false assumption, and a Mule who proves himself is notable, indeed, but the assumption exists regardless.

• The Mule Squire is

Sentry of Summer's Vigil

Also known as a “Yard Bull,” the Summer Court often includes several Sentries within its ranks. Sentries are little more than guards, bouncers, and bodyguards. Prized for physical ability over anything mental, the only requirements for the role is to either be able to hit something or to appear as if one can hit something. Seen largely as disposable and lacking anything resembling wits (regardless of the reality), Sentries rarely find themselves treated well. That said, it is a viable stepping stone to other, greater roles within the Iron Spear. Performing some heroic measure while on duty is a way to stand out. Making casual “suggestions” to the royal a Sentry is supposed to be guarding is most certainly not.

• The Sentry of Summer’s Vigil is

Sun's Shadow

Required: (Court Goodwill ••••)

This role is reserved for those outside the Court who have truly earned the respect of the local Crimson Courtiers. The Sun’s Shadow is a brother to the courtiers, invited to all the Summer Court events, allowed to use the Mule Squires for his own purposes, able to call upon Iron Spear resources for his own need. In some freeholds, the Sun’s Shadow role actually marks a partnership between his Court and the Summer Court.

Autumn Court

Autumn Sovereign Monarch of the Court of Fear. The Autumn Sovereign embodies the Fear that the Court thrives on and helps make the Court's touch be felt by all.

Ashen Notary and Vizier Pledges are among the most powerful and potentially lasting of changeling magics promises so deep that they can echo down through the generations and radically impact the life of a freehold. In some freeholds, a changeling of the Leaden Mirror is sometimes entrusted to oversee and sometimes to record particularly grandiose vows (a pledge with one or more factors rated as “greater”) sworn during the Autumn season and sometimes throughout the year.

Magister of Nightmares The heavy burden for selecting (and, if need be, capturing and even temporarily incarcerating) the prey for an Ashen Hunt falls upon the shoulders of the Magister of Nightmares. This changeling is a keeper of the Autumn Court’s grim and final vision of justice.

Witch of the Bitter Winds This title (given to both women and men) is one that some Freeholds maintain throughout the year, irrespective of which court is presently ascendant. The Witch is a counselor on all matters occult, known to be proficient in many different sorcerous practices and possessed of dark and terrible knowledge. Needless to say, the bearer of this title is often an object of dread within the Freehold, avoided by many and sought out only in time of need by most.

Lord/Lady Scrivener The foremost record-keeper of a Freehold’s Ashen Court, the Lord Scrivener tends tomes, scrolls, and other writings that sometimes stretch back for centuries. In modern times, some Scriveners make use of more contemporary media, such as audio or even visual recordings, but many still seem to prefer the feel of a quill in hand, and its soft scratching over parchment or vellum.

Fool of the First Frost This Autumn courtier acts as a jester to the Ashen Court, using dark and uncomfortable comedy (which is not always synonymous with humor) to highlight political issues within the freehold, to demonstrate the social acumen of the Leaden Mirror, and, of course, to occasionally distract the attention of other changelings away from more meaningful endeavors.

Legate of Mists When the Autumn Court must make its will known to the other courts of the seasons, it is the Legate of Mists that is sent to convey the will of the children of fear. Both socially adroit and frightful, the Legate of Mists is sometimes employed by the freehold as a whole, when a message must be borne The Autumn Court to outsiders and the locals either do not know what to expect or wish to make a terrifying impression.

Ranger of the Thorns This changeling is charged with exploration of the mysteries of the local Hedge and, often, with acting as a guide to those less knowledgeable in its nuances. These Lost may be harvesters of goblin fruit and other oddments, hunters of hobgoblins and other Hedge-beasts, and finders of Hollows.

Paladin of Shadows This title is bestowed upon one who champions the cause of the Leaden Mirror through force of arms, defending the Autumn Court during its season of ascendancy and bearing fear upon the edge of a naked blade at all times. Paladins are so called because they typically stand as the mailed fist of an Autumn King, serving the will of the Ashen Court and acting as its instrument in time of battle. Further, a Paladin often acts as a direct bodyguard to the Autumn monarch, protecting as much by menacing presence as by martial skill.

Twilit Page While the title of Twilit Page is a humble one, the task to which such a changeling is appointed is a significant one. A Freehold’s Twilit Page is responsible for overseeing aspirants to the Autumn Court, as well as new members.

Winter Court

Winter Sovereign The King/Queen of Sorrow, the exceptional bearer of sorrow and pain in a Freehold

Adviser to the Onyx Mirror

Sun Banisher Sun Banishers destroy evidence. They burn notes, wipe hard drives, vacuum stray hairs and wreck DNA evidence (though this last is tricky business, to say the least). The Sun Banisher’s title is usually one of the best-known in the freehold, because the Court allows them to hire out their services.

Lord of the Inhospitable Chamber This title belongs to courtiers who interrogate and imprison people on the Silent Arrow’s behalf. The “inhospitable chamber” is an allegory; the ideal Lord knows how to isolate his prey and without locks and bars. Friends keep their distance, enemies chase him to places where he’s a disconnected stranger — and all the while, the Lord monitors him, even appearing in disguise to extract secrets.

Archer of the Lonely March The Archers are the Winter Court’s scouts. Centuries ago, they ranged through the coldest wild places, looking for mountain caves and secret valleys where Winter’s Lost could flee in troubled times. Nowadays, an Archer of the Lonely March is more likely to explore foreign cities, hidden tunnels and abandoned warehouses.