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The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
Turn them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation, and a name▐▐
- A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare ▐▐
A clan of kin split into two halves of a whole, Seelie and Unseelie, night and day. They carry full understanding that without one one simply cannot have the other and in this understanding, thrive. During the warm season, the Seelie hold the power balance of the Tribe. Their leader, Fair, has the final word in all decision making, while the Unseelie get saddled with the more undesirable jobs (usually helping with the Seelie's ridiculous celebrations). As the season grows cold, however, it is the Unseelie who take power. Their ruler, King of Shadows, presides over the Unseelie's dark festivals and wild rituals.
Replete with a rich appreciation of artistic pursuits (and drama) the Fairy Court enjoys an often capricious existence where morality is flexible but the inherent rules of the game are not. ▐▐ TERRITORY>>
Deep in the depths of some of the densest and darkest parts of the swamp, there is a place where the treeline thins and surrenders up its stranglehold on the earth to the sky, the peat-rich soils too acidic for the roots of trees but welcoming to spongy moss and thick heather and bracken. The result is a natural and unusual clearing sliced through by a shallow - or at least head high on a kio - brook. The land there is well tended and the plants are carefully trimmed back to permit the most aesthetically pleasing appearance, the trees surrounding the clearing crafted with care into bowers.
Also of remark of the territory is its innate duality, positioned in such a way that the summers are rich and hot while the winters run cold and fierce. Seeking refuge from these winters is possible by taking advantage of the very established bowers and dens crafted around the clearing for those kin of a less hardy nature.
Thanks to the rich summers and plentiful autumns there is no shortage of food within the territory and with the exception of the brutal winter cold, little else could be wished of such a place.
Strangers, however, have differing stories about the territory's inhabitants. Some come back with flowers woven through their fur, telling tales of beautiful bucks and wild does who fed them rich meats and shared a bounty of free-flowing honey and fermented fruits. Some never come back at all.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.▐▐
- As You Like It - William Shakespeare ▐▐
The concept of rank is perhaps a little narrow to apply to this particular tribe, all are equal within their own merit and no creature truly presides over another. The voice of final veto in deliberating decisions and mediating disputes depends upon the season, the winter months belonging to the king and the summer months being the domain of the queen. Their respective managerial styles differ, as do the concepts they expound, but the rules inherent in this place dictate one defer to the other when it is their respective time of year. Most of the jobs within the tribe revolve around the constant parties: decorations, food preparation, and entertainment. There are also more practical roles: soldiers, diplomats, attendants, hunters, and healers. Some deal specifically with the territory: kin well-versed in the river or dangerous parts of the swamp. The tribe is communal and cooperative (where it suits them) but many of its members are independent and come and go as they please.
▐▐ WHO CAN JOIN>>
The tribe is open and easy going to those of an inclination that is drawn to the lands and culture they immerse themselves in. Some join because of who they are, others join because how they look, every kin has a story of their own to tell and telling these stories - and other ones besides - is readily encouraged.
It is also not required to be part of the tribe to roleplay within the lands, the inhabitants are easygoing and can find many interesting things from passing travellers and barter for fascinating trinkets.