Category:Seelie Court

This section contains canon info from officially published sources

Ruled by Queen Maeve, the Seelie Court is the more benign of the Two Courts that rule the Arak (the other Court being the Unseelie Court ruled by Prince Loht)^[1] Each of the Two Courts rules Arak society in the Shadow Rift six months during each of their years^[2] (their year only a fortnight outside of the Shadow Rift due to temporal fugue^[3]). The Malachite Palace serves as the seat of authority for whichever faction is currently in power^[2]. (Maeve and Loht will rule together during the couple of days between each regime rotation.^[2]) In the months she is not ruling from the Malachite Palace, Queen Maeve holds her court either in her palace in Esmerth or moves it around the Greenlands^[2].

To her Seelie followers, Queen Maeve is like a highly beloved, idolized, and venerated celebrity, where all power and favor issues forth from her decree^[4]. Therefore, despite the highly structure etiquette protocols of the Seelie Court, the balance of power between individual parties or groups remains ever fluid. Most of the Seelie fey in the Court contend constantly for her favor, and the Court sometimes holds great festivities and contests of skill to win said favor^[4].

Composition

Of the Arak subraces, the shee hold the most sway over the Seelie Court^[2], but the portune, alven, and fir maintain significant presences as well. Due to decaying relations with Loht and her concern for Gwydion's hidden but growing influence upon the Unseelie, Maeve has forbidden Unseelie fey from participating in the Seelie Court^[5]. This is not that much of a change, for most court-going fey attend it only when their faction is in charge, unable to stomach the contrasting ways of the opposite Court. (A few politically adept individuals do stay around the full year).^[2] However, this shaming has helped to drive the Unseelie into becoming more active in the surface lands of the humans.^[5]

Whereas the Unseelie Court is for the most part Evil, it is a mistake to label the Seelie Court as merely its Good twin^[6]. It is true that the Seelie Court generally demonstrates good-natured, if condescending and dismissive, outlooks toward mortals^[7], and several of Seelie fey races (the alven, portune, and Seelie fir]]) are for the most part Good. However, the Court overall has the pleasure centered, morally Neutral of its shee dominant majority^[4]. For the most part, they wish to preserve humanity because mortals represent good objects of entertainment and fascination,^[4] not necessarily out of empathy. Although they are not usually aggressive unless provoked^[6], the wrath of the Seelie can be terrible once triggered. According to "S", Maeve's punishments can be just as horrific as Loht's but rely more on torment of the mind than of the body. Even the seemingly harmless alven can become highly dangerous if their gardens are hurt^[8], for example punishing transgressors against the Midnight Garden by adding them to the bushes growing within^[9].

The Marcusen Manuscript

A purported record of Seelie court proceedings was stolen from the Shadow Rift by Aldren Marcusen, whom was later assassinated. According to the Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins in their book, Van Richten's Guide to the Shadow Fey (Item), this court record (referred to as the Marcusen Manuscript) contains valuable and even dangerous knowledge (in the case of fey true names) about the Seelie Fey, and to a lesser extent, the Unseelie Fey. Of the Seelie Court, the Manuscript indicates the existence of noble lords ruling the Arak subraces, one per each race. At the time the Manuscript was written, the Seelie court lords were Lord Plathena, Lord Ochwach, Lord Falrond, and of course Queen Maeve.^[10]

References