Winter

"We aren't hiding; we are waiting. And watching."

Structure

Unlike other Seasonal Courts, Winter is a truly global secret society. In their eyes, this is a necessity — how else are their Lords and Thanes supposed to look for wider trends and implications of their intel? These are their ranks, from highest to lowest:
1. The Lords of Unbidden Mourning form a council that rules over all Winter Courts globally. Their identities are a tightly-held secret, and they often present themselves as mere Pages and Squires.
2. Onyx Thanes are basically FBI agents — they stay in one region most of the time, but are sent into specific Freeholds to check on resources, threats, and laws. They give the Lords Unbidden all their intel, but do not know their identities.
3. Iceclad Armigers create, maintain, and expand the Court's local connections; control Court finances, supplies, and intel; and keep coded notes on local supernaturals and other Courts. Specific titles of this rank include:

• The Hibernal Monarch is selected by the rest of the Armigers, and is the Armiger best at diplomacy and serving a "face" role .
• The Sun Banisher destroys evidence, usually the kind that mortals have picked up on. Saltfront does not have a Sun Banisher.
• The Lord of the Inhospitable Chamber performs the dreaded task of imprisoning and interrogating Freehold enemies and lawbreakers. Sometimes they are called to hide away a changeling who has earned too much mortal attention, but usually seeing one means you're about to be squeezed for information (possibly before being executed).

4. Squires of the Frost train, manage, direct, and reward up to three Pages they are responsible for. “Responsible” does not mean they are expected to bail out or rescue Pages, and some Squires lose many Pages. Specific titles of this rank include:

• Archers of the Lonely March are particularly adept scouts who are put on the task permanently. They constantly search for new places to hide, new threats, etc.

5. Flowing Page. Pages are the rank courtiers get as soon as they join Winter. They serve as messengers and errand-runners, expected to move quickly and not know things. Simply surviving for a while in this position is enough to be considered for a promotion, but some changelings stay at this rank because it requires the minimum amount of involvement in the Freehold while still earning its protection.

Culture

Winter courtiers follow the Icelaw, a set of standards that is physically present as a document of some kind in every Winter Court. Some of these standards are deliberately impossible — the intent is to keep Winter courtiers striving for something instead of wallowing, and to think about every rule and command given.

• Let every Court have its Function. Ideals are nice, but it is more important to split Courts based on ability. Winter prefers multi-Court Motleys, and dislikes odd combos like Spring spies and Autumn soldiers.
• Prepare your Farewells. Your loved ones will die, or be taken. Pledges will be broken.
• Hide your Love and Hate. Winter has a standard of courtly love: perfectly pure and loyal, unperturbed by business interests or existing relationships, worship-like, and incredibly secretive. Winter courtiers are expected to not hold grudges and act perfectly logically.
• Keep the People Lost to every Outsider. Winter courtiers are expected to be subtle, and to not use magic in the presence of mortals. Ensorcellment is taboo.

Winter's basic unit is a clique — usually three Pages, their Squire, and an Armiger the Squire reports to. Each member of the clique regales their superior(s) with their subordinates' accomplishments (and talking up their own accomplishments is a huge faux pas).
Even more-so than other Lost, secrecy and privacy are prized by Winter courtiers. It is not at all uncommon for Winter courtiers to never ask about or reveal the mortal parts of their lives. Yet, they are suprisingly open and compassionate with their sorrow (but not always the source of the sorrow).

Public Agenda

Keep the People Lost to every Outsider. The best defense against the True Fae is to hide fae magic from mortals and other supernatural creatures.

Assets

Every Freehold's Winter Court has a wealth of encoded intelligence, but good luck convincing its courtiers to give it to you any other time than when they please.
Saltfront's Winter Court has connections to local criminal activity and actively runs guns and drugs for cash.

Demography and Population

Saltfront's Winter Court has just ten members.

Type

Secret, Brotherhood

Alternative Names

The Silent Arrow ✦ The Onyx Court ✦ The Court of Sorrow

Demonym

Winter courtiers, Flowing Pages

Government System

Oligarchy

Power Structure

Transnational government

Legislative Body

The Lords Unbidden create the Icelaw; the Hibernal Monarch makes more local laws.

Executive Body

The Onyx Thanes are in charge of ensuring individual Winter Freeholds are safe and following the Icelaw.

Parent Organization

Saltfront

Related Ranks & Titles

• Monarch

Notable Members

• "Stitches"

Related Species

• changeling

Related Historical Events

• 1999 CE
  The attack on Falon

Pragmatic Partners

Summer

65

Winter

65

Summer puts Winter's intel to use, but it also reminds Winter to stand together and not give up on their values; Winter supplies the more legally-suspect needs of Summer, but it also reminds them of their loss.

Declining Seasons

Autumn

5

Winter

10

As cautious, secretive, quiet Seasons, Autumn and Winter should get along smashingly — but they don't. Autumn courtiers usually view Winter as stingy and snobbish; Winter courtiers usually view Autumn as weird at best and callous, power-hungry, and dangerous at worst.