Court of One Million Stars
The Court of One Million Stars is hidden away on the edge of The Shadows bordering the Wylde, stars gleam in all their glory.
Over the lands of the Court of One Million Stars directly shines one million stars. The Outlying Spaces is filled with millions more stars (some living Stars ), along with the two moons (Praot and Kontaaiti).
The smallest and most enigmatic of the Fey Settlements, is that of the Court of One Million Stars. Delicate spires of silver and pearl spiral up, topped with Oōruritē, from great discs spun of dreamstuff and starlight.
Clusters of these floating platforms and towers gather together, bound by gracefully arching bridges forged from moonbeams woven with silver. Prince Vale, a noble Selang wizard, rules over the Court of One Million Stars with an aloof manner and quiet wisdom. The Prince makes it a point to meet every visitor to the court at least once, though those who intrigue him will receive a second audience.
The Starry Court
The Starry Court serves as the heart of the Court of One Million Stars. The Starry Court consists of a magnificent spire of Oōruritē, pearl and silver, spiraling like an immense unicorn’s horn from a central building, the court’s audience chamber. This seven-sided structure of pearly-white stone features seven gates, decorated with Oōruritē - one on each of the building’s sides that lead into a great hall. Courtiers cluster around the wings of the chamber, with those of increasing station closer to the centre.When present, Prince Vale sits in the precise centre, resting upon a tripod seat of silver and silk. The spire topped with Oōruritē, rising into the air toward the stars, houses the prince’s personal chambers, as well as those of his consorts and the other noble figures of the Starry Court. Balconies dot the outer surface of the spire, allowing a breathtaking view of both the stars and the surface of the Shadows.
A series of magnificent gardens surround the court, home to a wide array of plant life from all over The Feywild Realm. Walkways of crushed pearl trace paths through the central gardens and the seven outer gardens. Floating lanterns shining with pastel light illuminate the walkways, and each outer garden anchors a moonstone bridge leading to another section of the celestial courts. Notably, one of the bridges is blackened and shattered, ending a few yards from where it begins, destroyed long ago by magic of devastating power. Fey from all walks of life find their way to the Starry Court to further their study of the Living Stars, the celestial formations, and illumination magic (refer to Types of Magic).
Dark Fey scholars can spend decades tracking the movement of a single star, meticulously recording every hint of prophecy in anticipation of a momentous event - the starfall.
LIVING STARS
Many Stars of the Moata Solar System are not just points of light burning in an uncaring sky - they are living creatures. They land on Esau each Enjils Aura Sitaare. Where they land Oōruritē is found.Stars tend to be aloof, and on the rare occasions when they exchange words with a humaniod, understanding is not guaranteed. They speak in a strange manner, often reusing terms, however with vastly different contexts and meanings from one part of a statement to the next. Some Types of Magic that have spells for communication, such as tongues and comprehend languages may help - but will never provide a perfectly clear meaning.
These Living Stars are living beings of great magical power which can be harness by those cruel-enough to capture one of the Stars. They wearing bindng wristbands and are draped in a loin cloth for modest they do not possess.
ANCIENT STARS
The ancient Stars have unfathomable knowledge. When momentous events shake the world, an ancient Star may deign to leave its bower of black velvet and fall down to Esau, or to The Feywild Realm, or even into the Shadowfell. When one lands, it becomes a huge Goblinoid creature - much larger than the other Stars. No one has captured one of these ancient Stars. These more ancient celestial emissaries wear hooded cloaks, and are shrouded in a luminous aura of starlight. Vast quantities of Oōruritē is found wherever they land.Even more unsettling, the Courtiers of Court of One Million Stars believe that whenever one of the ancient Stars fall to Esau, or The Feywild Realm, or Shadowfell, it never leaves unaccompanied. Who or what vanishes when the celestial’s departs varies with each visit and is not always apparent. An ancient starfall is a rare event, but at least one celestial emissary remains as a permanent fixture within the Court of One Million Stars: Stylentha the Oōruritē Mistress.
Stylentha descended to The Feywild Realm from the night sky nearly 230 years ago and has yet to return to the Outlying Space. The specific reason for her extended stay remains clouded - many believe that she is searching for something. She serves as an adviser to the ruler of the Court of One Million Stars, who keeps her counsel quite private.
Certain members of the Starry Court would offer a treasure trove of stardust diamonds, Oōruritē and prophecies of future glory to understand why Stylentha spends so much time at court. When Stylentha is not offering advice to the noble and royal Fey, she spends much of her time in a private observatory. This unadorned platform holds no gardens or decorations of any kind. Seven balls of Oōruritē which contain starlight, hoveraround the observatory - a oval, curved building surmounted by a dome of iridescent pearl topped by a massive piece of Oōruritē. Inside, the dome allows a perfect view of any star, every far-flung celestial cloud or nebula, and even into the blackest reaches of the overdark - perhaps even offering a glimpse into The Plane of Void.
Whispers from the Void
The Court of One Million Stars reaches toward the open air and the stars, yet that necessitates drawing close to the cold, vast emptiness between the Outlying Space. In that endless nothing, numerous ancient things stir and whisper their strange secrets. An investigator can reach out to hear those whispers and glean some of their secrets. Such knowledge comes at a high price. Those of The Plane of Void seek to spread its influence, like Court of Shadow, however it has a more difficult time finding purchase in the world. Despite the Void’s destructive influence, Prince Vale has not forbidden study of its magic yet, or any other Types of Magic study - though he takes a great interest in anyone who seeks knowledge opf The Plane of Void.Teiniath
One of the more recent and momentous visitors to the Court of One Million Stars, a Void Dragon called Teiniath, appears as a creature from the cold dark beyond the coils of the Moata Solar System. This hoary old wyrm, void of gender, has long drifted among the overdark, and like all of their kind, they have seen far too much of it. The dragon’s mind has frayed and they have fled from his lair. Mortally wounded Teiniath was saved - though they will not share by whom.They frequently travel to the Court of Shadow as a Shadow Archfey when they return, they spend time in isolation chambers made of Oōruritē. Teiniath claims an entire spire of the Starry Court from when they first arrived, and the Void Dragon rarely emerges from its commandeered lair. The spire, once magnificent, now crumbles and falls into decay as it goes by the new name of Voidreach.
Teiniath entertains visitors from time to time, but the only guests who return are those captivated by the Void - longing to visit The Plane of Void. Teiniath seems disturbingly willing to share the forbidden secrets of Void magic with those brave or unhinged enough to seek them out.
Lady Stylentha makes occasional visits to the void dragon’s tower,always with Oōruritē in her hand - and she investigates anyone else who speaks with the dragon. She is always polite in her way during such inquiries, but her manner suggests she will not take a negative response as an answer to her questions. The Oōruritē Mistress has recently been leaving the courts and taking to the surface between her visits to the void dragon and Prince Vale. The only words she’s ever spoken publicly regarding her wanderings are maddeningly unhelpful:
“The Void calls to the Void. It must not be allowed to answer.”
The Spiral-Downs
While enclaves of the Court of One Million Stars dot the skies above the Shadows, the largest concentration of starry courtiers live in a large complex of spires known as the Spiral-Downs. Connected to the Starry Court by a moonstone bridge, the Spiral-Downs consists of a series of interconnected platforms that hang in the sky. The platforms join one to the next by a series of moonstone bridge staircases, forming a spiral of ascending status and power. The lowest and largest platform houses the largest residential spires. It’s the least well adorned, and courtiers of the lowest station reside here. Each ascending platform is slightly smaller, more ornate, and has fewer residents than the platform below it. The residences spiral upward to the loftiest platform that boasts verdant gardens, ethereal music, delicate spires spun of starlight and dreams, and the elite of the Starry Court. Rising Above Attaining access to the Court of One Million Stars is no easy task. Unseen paths lead between the surface and the Starry Courts, paths nearly impossible to decipher without an invitation or a guide. Occasionally one of the enigmatic witchlights chooses to lead a pilgrim from Shadow up to the stars, following a trail of glittering illumination that somehow remains solid as they climb. Shadow Fey illumination wizards speak in hushed tones of star-bridges that appear only in certain locations of the Shadowfell Realm and only during certain sidereal alignments. Rare glimpses of the stars through the gloomy Shadow sky can offer an illuminated mind enough insight to calculate where and when such a bridge will open next. Each path to the Court of One Million Stars ends at a gate house, where warriors of the court guard against hostile incursions from the surface.The most formidable of these, Frigil, stands unblinking watch over the only path leading from the surface to the Starry Court. Frigil appears as a hovering disc of tightly fitted tiles. A gate formed from pouring liquid Oōruritēr, seemingly delicate but nearly indestructible, bars both the entrance from the surface and the bridge to the Starry Court. Twisted spires like horns defend the disc’s edge, and a bronze dome in the center provides shelter for the gate wardens. The gate wardens, the fiercest warriors among the court, closely vet any newcomers on the path for possible threats to the Court of One Million Stars and the prince.
Archfey of the Court of One Million Stars
Unlike their cousins in the Court of the Dawn or The Court of Shadow, The Archfey of the Court of One Million Stars do not look to mortal agents to secure power in The Feywild Realm or Esau. The Court of One Million Stars looks to the sky and heavens above. So focused on their task of understanding the void beyond and the task of revealing prophecy that they simply ignore the machinations of the other Fey Lords. They will extend their courtesy to the nobles of the other Courts, but rarely do they take interest, unless they share a similar goal. Unlike the other Courts they also have a minimal amount of titles. The Fey of the Court of Shadow, being the nearest to mortal kind, bestow rank and privilege to many. The Court of the Dawn have far less, however since Titania is Queen, she rules the Inner Circle and the Archfey in her favour are granted titles. The Starry Court only has a handful of individuals and not all are powerful Archfey. To this day, no power has been shared not warlock pacted by members of this Court.WELL-KNOWN ACHFEY
ArchfeyPrince Vale, Speaker of the Sky - a noble Selang wizard
Stylentha the Oōruritē Mistress, The Celestial Emissary
Verskas Bright Eye, Captain of the Spire Guard
Áyne, The previous Fey Queen - before Tiandra became Titiana
Nae Jyeru, Royal Courtier - phoenix fairy noble
Teiniath, The Fallen Oblivion, Breaker of Swords
Show spoiler
Teiniath is actually a Void Dragon
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