So I ran a campaign during which one of the players had the desire to become a knight of a faerie court, but during the time it took place the positions were filled. Rather than kill off Lloyd Slate prematurely, I worked with him on the idea of a Spring and Autumn Court, and he happily leapt at the opportunity to be a part of autumn. This was the result, and I thought I would share it for those potentially interested in doing something with them and wanted to see how some others did it. Some of my reasoning is added in spoilers below, so if you wonder why I did X, or Y.
Autumn CourtThe Autumn Court is one of the two ‘low’ courts of faerie, along with the Spring Court. This is in contrast to the high courts of winter and summer, and the wyld courts of the likes of the Tylwyth Teg and other wyldfae.
Autumn serves, along with spring, as the guardian of transition between summer and winter, though along with spring they are at such a diminished state that they cannot pose any serious challenge anymore. The other role, and one which seems to hold a greater interest to them, is that of guarding the border between life and death, and it is also the one that has cost them so much. During the time of Heinrich Kemmler the Autumn court suffered in their efforts to stop him, beyond merely losing fae against him in battle Kemmler also had many allies in faerie, as well as hell, and Autumn was not strong enough by then to face a multi-front war against arguably the most powerful necromancer to have ever existed.
Presently there are scarce few fae still available to answer Partholon’s call, but that doesn’t stop them in their task, it is after all, their nature.
As winter guards the world from the outsiders, and summer the world from winter, I wanted autumn to likewise have a purpose that mirrored this functionality. Because the player was very fond of Halloween, and there being a barrier between life and death, it seemed fitting this court would deal with it. To explain why they don't seem to do much of anything nowadays, or during books dealing with undead, I had them mostly eliminated by Kemmler in the past.
Autumn Magic allows you to cast magics that fit its essential nature: Entropy, Change, Harvest, Earth, Sorrow.
Satisfies the catch for both Spring and Winter.
Because autumn and spring are quite weak in my world, I allowed them to also satisfy a catch for one of the major courts whom the players were more likely to actually run into. This is also tied to their role of guarding the transition from winter to summer and vice versa, something which by the time of Summer Knight they are incapable of doing or being involved in due to their war against Kemmler in the past.
Partholon is the Autumn King, he loooks to be in his late twenties and has a beard and longer hair that changes based on his own desires, as a part of autumn change is a natural state and his appearance can be quite malleable should he desire it.
He is almost always formal, has shown some interest in mortal pop culture, notably comics, and is otherwise reserved. There is also a hint of resignation, perhaps sorrow, in him. He is neither cold nor warm, and perhaps the best singular word to describe him would be dignified.
Autumn Heir, NemedNemed as the Autumn Heir is somewhat at odds with the reserved Partholon, whereas the Autumn King has a hint of sadness, Nemed is often melancholic and gloomy, be this the result of his nature or the result of the fate of the Autumn Court is difficult to say. He appears as a young man in his early twenties to late teens sporting a punk style.
He is often angry, has an interest like his father in the mortal pop culture but far more interested in the likes of punk rock and music than the more colorful pursuits of Partholon. He tends to keep his distance but isn’t as reserved as Partholon either.
Unlike the major courts which are female lead, I decided for spring and autumn to have male heads of court. Partholon and Nemed are from Irish mythology, leading the second and third group of settlers to Ireland. Aside from the names, there is nothing else really tying them all that closesly to the mythical figures, of which there is little written.
Stig is a player character in my campaign, as such I won't go into super detail on him here, unless someone is curious and wants a stand in autumn knight. In which case i'll see if he is okay with me sharing his character.
Previous KnightsAngela StalkerAngela was an expert at using stealth and glamours to let her move around unseen and unnoticed. Unfortunately when she was caught tracking down the cause of the weakening veil in Pittsburgh, she wasn't able to escape the powerful, and some might say mad, White Court vampire Michael Rooney.
Since the major courts seem to favor male knights, these courts favor female knights. No reason other then to just be a reverse reflection of the major courts really, the player is himself playing a male character.
Various notable members of the court.
Jack O’LanternJack O’Lantern is one of the four ‘Jack’ brothers, also called by some the headless horseman. He is thoughtful, and slow in his attitude and response, and very interested in learning ‘things’. He will sit and ponder strange questions, and ask strange questions to find things to ponder.
In my campaign each court has a 'Jack', each with its own peculiar quirks, and all apparently are brothers. Mostly I used these guys as contacts for when the players were interacting with the courts. Timeline wise the Ladies are busy in Chicago, as are the Knights, and since the Queens are not likely to busy themselves with the ragtag group, I made the Jacks. Spring has Jack o' the Green, AKA Puck, Summer has Jack in Irons, AKA Springheeled Jack, and Winter of course has Jack Frost.
Eithne is a powerful member of the Autumn Court, bold in speech and action, and has a curious look that while beautiful to look upon, carries a strange alieness that is difficult to pin point.
Another name from Irish mythology, and continues the mirroring of the high courts. They have the Erlking and Santa Claus, so Autumn has Eithne. She hasn't actually come up yet in the campaign so there really isn't much to her as of yet.
The Autumn Court was formed as the others as a result of the Sidhe Wars, its duties in faerie and beyond spelled out according to the Unseelie Accords. Over time they fell in power and influence, to the point where they had scarcely a tenth of their power by the time of Kemmler; whom, in response to his weakening the veil between life and death, they would wage a war against once he rose in power in what they refer to as the Grave Wars. By the end they were a mostly broken power that faded into even greater obscurity.
Template: Knight of Autumn/SpringKnights of Autumn exist in the same capacity as the knights of other courts do, but given current standings are less expected to deal with other faerie courts and more likely to be involved dealing with beings who have chosen to delve into dealing with the barrier between life and death.
MustsLike all such characters the Knight of Autumn must have a high concept which relates to their status, such as 'Autumn Knight', and are subject to the will of the autumn court's rulers and all that it entails. Only one character may hold the title at any time in a game, and the only known way out is the the grave. (Though that hasn't always worked...) Additionally they must take the following powers:
- Abseelie/Adseelie Magic [-4]
-The Catch [+3] Cold Iron - Inhuman Strength [-2]
-The Catch [+1] Cold Iron - Inhuman Speed [-2]
-The Catch [+1] Cold Iron - Toughness
-Inhuman Toughness [-2]
-Inhuman Recovery [-2]
-The Catch [+1] Trappings of Spring, Cold Iron - Marked By Power [-1]
OptionsGlamours are a common option Knights might choose to learn, in addition to potentially looking into other forms of magic, be it as a practitioner, or as a relic to augment their already notable prowess.
Minimum Refresh Cost: 7 (12 RAW)
I know, I know, why are their catches on their magic, and inhuman strength and speed? More or less this is derived from Cold Days, where an Knight can, with the proper application of iron to said knight, be cut off temporarily from his mantle. That itself seemed worth a bonus number of points due to the commonly accessible nature of it, and it needed to be noted that these things would be affected by it. So reusing The Catch seemed right. A well prepared villain can nullify their abilities if given the chance. This also kept the Autumn Knight playable for the PC after reading cold days it became evident Harry did not need an Item of Power to access the winter knights physical powers which we had been going with before.
