Court of Carrion
The Fey Court of Carrion is a bleak and unsettling realm embodying the inevitability of decay and the transformative power of rot. It is a place where life and death intermingle, where the cycle of decay is not seen as an end, but as a beginning, a necessary process that leads to renewal. The court thrives in the shadows, in places where the light struggles to reach, and where the natural order of growth and decay is left undisturbed.
The Court of Carrion is a vast, sprawling network of underground caverns and dense, overgrown forests, filled with the smell of damp earth and the musty odor of decay. The ground is thick with decomposing leaves, fungi, and mosses, with massive, bioluminescent mushrooms casting an eerie glow over the landscape. Towering, gnarled trees stand sentinel, their bark peeling and covered in lichen, while the air is thick with the hum of insects and the whisper of decaying matter. The court’s domain is both beautiful and repulsive, a testament to the delicate balance between life and death.
This court represents the final stage of autumn, where the vibrant colors of the season have faded, and the world prepares for the cold embrace of winter. It is here that the forces of decay are worshipped and revered, where the process of breaking down is seen as a sacred rite, essential for the continuation of life.
Psilofyr, the myconid archfey known as the Carrion King, rules over the Court of Carrion with a quiet, unyielding presence. His form is that of a towering myconid, with a body made of fungi, moss, and decaying plant matter. His flesh is a patchwork of earthy hues—brown, green, and gray—covered in a network of fungal growths that pulsate with a life of their own. From his head, a massive mushroom cap extends, its underside glowing faintly with a sickly green light. His eyes, deep-set and hollow, glow with an eerie, fungal luminescence, and his movements are slow, deliberate, and unstoppable, like the march of time itself.
Psilofyr’s voice is a soft, echoing whisper, like the rustle of leaves on a forest floor, and when he speaks, it is with the authority of one who understands the deep, natural order of the world. He sees decay not as destruction, but as transformation—a necessary part of life’s cycle. Under his rule, the Court of Carrion is a place where death is honored, where rot is revered, and where the slow, inevitable march of decay is a source of both power and beauty.
The fey of the Court of Carrion are a reflection of their environment, embracing the aesthetics and philosophy of decay. They wear clothing woven from moss, lichen, and rotting leaves, and adorn themselves with bones, beetle shells, and other remnants of life. Their rituals often involve the decomposition of organic matter, and they hold solemn ceremonies to honor the dead, believing that in decay lies the promise of renewal.
The court’s fey are masters of stealth, shadow, and subtlety, moving through the world unseen and unnoticed, much like the fungi that grow in darkness. They are patient, waiting for the right moment to strike or to spread their influence, understanding that all things must eventually fall to decay.
The Court of Carrion holds sway over the natural forces of decomposition and decay, controlling the processes that break down organic matter and return it to the earth. Their influence can be seen in the slow rot of a fallen tree, the spread of mold across a damp surface, and the inevitable decay of all living things. They view their role as essential to the balance of the world, ensuring that death gives way to new life.
Psilofyr’s court is a place of dark beauty, where decay is worshipped and life is understood to be a fleeting, fragile thing. It is a court where time itself seems to stand still, caught in the endless cycle of death and rebirth, and where those who enter are reminded that all things must eventually return to the earth from which they came.
Demography and Population
The Court of Carrion is home to a variety of dark and eerie fey who embody the themes of decay, rot, and transformation. These fey thrive in the shadows, often unseen and unnoticed as they carry out the natural processes of death and renewal. Numerous myconid thrive in the realm and serve the court, connected to the fungal networks that spread throughout the realm. Fungus dryads who make their homes in giant mushrooms instead of trees, with pale and mottled skin and hair that looks like mycelium, reside within the realm. Rot trolls, hulking, decaying trolls whose bodies are riddled with fungi and parasites, but whose regeneration keep them alive, serve as the court's enforcers. There are autumn eldarin who make home here within this court, though their numbers are few. Carrion crows and corpse moths take to the air and verminlord, fey lords with an affinity for all manner of vermin, wander the dank tunnels.
Laws
- Respect the cycle of decay, do not preserve the dead or bring them back.
- Nuture what springs from rot.
- Consume only what has lived, only eat food that has once been alive and has begun to decay. Fresh, untouched food is wasteful.
- No flame without purpose.
What withers feeds the future.
Leader
Leader Title
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Parent Organization
Location
Notable Members