Oberon and the Courts of Fall and Spring

[zerogain]

I started looking for Santa, but stumbled on this old thread:  http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,21066.15.html

I've been toying with Oberon in my own game, but wasn't sure where to go with him.  A few of the comments in here give me a good idea though.  Suppose Oberon, shown at various times to be wed to both Mab and Titania (unless I'm mistaken, if I am I apologize to the Bard fans), is in fact the King of both Spring and Fall.  He owns neither season wholly, and is not a tri-part being like the Mother/Queen/Lady division.  Instead he shares himself between his Queens, listens to the advice of the Mothers as he will, and at one time was father to the Ladies (who's to say he's not Lily's dad?)

This would be a slight reversal on the Persephone myth as well, or could be, depending on how strong or weak Oby is.

The vernal and autumnal equinoxes then would be his chosen time, perhaps when he goes wandering for a while and then finds himself in the court of his other Queen.  His Knights, if he has any, would be female, to balance the male knights who owe year round fealty to his Queens.

All this is how it was, only one year Oberon went wandering and never showed up at either court ever again.  His disposition is a mystery, and without his power present his knights eventually died, their power being subsumed by the queens (the spring knight returning to Titania, the Autumn knight returning to Mab).  They fey who called themselves his have since become Summer or Winter fae, or walked away and become wyldfae, only joining in when the Call is given.  In his absence each queen blames the other for their beloved's loss, even still.

Vernal magic would feel like summer magic, but have a hint of winter's ice in it, and vice versa for Autumn magic, I think, and for either knight to come back fully they'd need to seperate the power from Mab and Titania... perhaps most easily done by killing either Summor or Winter knight and taking their power.

Is it possible the Erlking is Oberon?  Yes, maybe even more than likely.  As the Erlking said

(click to show/hide)

in Changes he no longer engages in niceties.

Edit: This thread also deals with autumn and fall courts:  http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,17813.0.html

[Amseriah]

I personally like all of this!  I think that it would make for a great story and potential adventure:  Find Oberon and bring him back before Titania and Mab destroy each other!!!

[MijRai]

Well, as far as Oberon being Lily's dad, I'd say it is a no. Lily was a Nixie Changeling, so she had a girl faerie mom, and a mortal dad. Now, Aurora and Maeve on the other hand... They could be Oberon's children quite easily.

[Quazar]

The Erlking can't be Oberon.  The Erlking is a goblin who pulled a Darkhollow, or the equivalent, and became A Summer King.  Oberon, if he exists, would have to be one of the Sidhe.

But female Knights is a brilliant idea.  Though I think the proper term is Dame.  The Dame of Spring, that's pretty cool.

[zerogain]

@Quazar: Dames it is then, thank you.  What's your inspiration for the Erlking's elevation?  Did I miss something?

[Quazar]

Well it's from Changes...  The Erlking removes his helmet and it's revealed he's essentially a "perfect" goblin specimen.  He makes misshapen look good.  Also, in one of JB's Q&As, in answer to a Darkhollow question, he says something to the effect of "how do you think the Erlking became that powerful?"  So I think it's safe to assume that the Erlking was a mighty goblin who Ascended.

[deathwombat]

Never never assume

[The Werewolf]

this is awesome stuff, but i doubt the erlking is Oberon

[zerogain]

I see.  Okay, the reason I was running with that possibility is my read on what a Sidhe lord or lady is based on the RPG.

Sidhe -- Our World pg. 22
Among the faerie, Sidhe is a state of being that is somewhat political and somewhat biological.  A Sidhe has all of the abilities of its faerie type, raised to greater heights of power. The Sidhe are the aristocracy of Faerie, and that mindset must be considered when dealing with them, regardless of which Court—or no Court—they are associated with.

I take this to mean that any fae can become a Sidhe, even Toot if he gets enough power and following.  I'm not married to the idea that the Erlking might be Oberon though.  I just thought it might be interesting that the only guy that could win both Titania and Mab wasn't some pretty boy, but a being that made ugly look good ;-)

[TheMouse]

I just thought it might be interesting that the only guy that could win both Titania and Mab wasn't some pretty boy, but a being that made ugly look good ;-)

Well, faeries are really good at pretty. Perhaps the thing that caught their attention wasn't pretty, but impressive. You know, one of those people that just draw your eye to them.

[Quazar]

I take this to mean that any fae can become a Sidhe, even Toot if he gets enough power and following.  I'm not married to the idea that the Erlking might be Oberon though.  I just thought it might be interesting that the only guy that could win both Titania and Mab wasn't some pretty boy, but a being that made ugly look good ;-)

Well if you want to make the Erlking Oberon, then I don't see a problem, after all it's YOUR game.  But in Changes, JB includes this:

[The Erlking's] mouth twist­ed in dis­taste. “Now I am re­mind­ed why I do not in­dulge in cour­tesy as do the Sid­he. Such mat­ters de­light them. I find that they pall swift­ly.”

So he doesn't consider himself Sidhe.  He is equivalent in power, but not in nature.

[zerogain]

Ah yes.  I had that going differently in my memory.  Sorry.

[HumAnnoyd]

I always thought it would be more interesting if Oberon were the King of Spring while the Erlking was the King of Autumn.  It gives you two more opposing forces to plague your players with.  But maybe that is just me.  <shrug>

[Quazar]

I found the quote about the Darkhollow:

"If [Cowl]'d succeeded, he'd have had the collective power of all of those supernatural beings and then some.  He'd have been clearly stronger than the Ladies, and a full-on equal to Mab.  I mean, why do you think the Erlking was summoned as part of that ritual?  Because that's how the big E got so boss in the first place.  Smiley 

"For that matter, how do you think the Mothers and Queens and Ladies established their original base of power?  That big old sacrificial, power-sucking stone table in Tir na noth isn't there for its primitive decorative aesthetic."

He's a though, why doesn't somebody do something with some kind of remnant of the Daoine Sid­he?  They were faere who lived in the Mortal Realm.  The current WC headquarters was their King's old palace, before Merlin took it from him.  Maybe they were the banished remnants of an Autumn or Spring Court...

[Amseriah]

Ok, I found the WoJ again.  He stated that the Erlking is the King of Summer and that Santa is the King of Winter.  I am very ok with adding in Oberon as the ruler of the Fall and Spring courts, but at least according to Jim, the Erlking already has a title and position within Summer: 

Where are the Farie kings?
Yes they do.  The Erlking as sort of the Hunter king, and Santa Clause, the Winter king who is not the commercial Santa Clause.  The kings are sort of the opposite of the queens in their given season.  They are independent of their Queen’s courts.  The Erlking is not a particularly friendly guy, whereas Santa Clause is kinder, the spirit of generosity in a time of bleakness.  Yah I’ve gota have Harry ask Mab about him so she can roll her eyes.