Court of Cinder and Ash
The Court of Cinder and Ash is an Unseelie fey court steeped in the throughs of autumn and fire, ruled by the Ashen Lady. This court is a realm of decay and destruction, where the vibrant colors of autumn are tainted by the dark, consuming force of fire. It is a place where the cycle of life and death is embraced with a cold, ruthless grace.
The Court of Cinder and Ash is set in a desolate and hauntingly beautiful landscape. The court is located in a region where the land seems perpetually caught in the throes of autumn. The trees are skeletal, their branches reaching out like grasping hands, covered in a layer of gray ash and smoldering embers. The ground is a patchwork of burned leaves and scorched earth, with occasional patches of glowing coals that never quite die out.
The sky is a constantly shifting canvas of deep reds, oranges, and purples, as if perpetually on the verge of twilight. The air is thick with the smell of smoke and ash, and the sky is often obscured by a haze of drifting cinders. The temperature varies from chillingly cold to searingly hot, reflecting the volatile nature of the court’s dominion.
The court’s architecture consists of crumbling stone structures and half-burned palaces. The buildings are adorned with intricate carvings of flames and falling leaves, their surfaces covered in soot and ash. The interiors are illuminated by the flickering light of ever-burning hearths and braziers, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
The Ashen Lady is a figure of cold majesty and fiery intensity. She embodies the court’s ideals of decay and renewal through destruction. The Ashen Lady does not expose any of her skin. She wears a regal gown made from dark, tattered fabrics that seem to shimmer and smoke, as they they are woven from shadows and flame. Her cloak is like a billowing plume of smoke, trailing behind her as she moves. She wears a flat, featureless mask that covers her entire face with two holes just for her eyes, whose irises are as black as coal.
The Ashen Lady is a figure of both grace and ruthlessness. She is highly intelligent and strategic, using her understanding of destruction and rebirth to maintain her court’s power. She commands respect through a combination of fear and awe, her presence alone capable of silencing dissent. Her demeanor is often cold and detached, though she can display intense passion and fury when provoked.
The Court of Cinder and Ash plays a complex role in the Feywild, balancing ideals of destruction and renewal. It serves as a reminder of the inevitability of change and the power of fire to both destroy and cleanse. The court maintains a tenuous balance with the Seelie and other Unseelie courts, using its fiery power to influence the broader politics of the Feywild through fear, awe, and strategic alliances.
The Court of Cinder and Ash is a place where autumn’s beauty is intertwined with the raw force of fire, where decay and destruction are celebrated as vital forces of transformation. It is a realm where the Ashen Lady rules with both grace and terror, shaping her court’s destiny through the transformative power of the flames.
Demography and Population
Autumn eldarin reside within the realm, creating settlements in the ruined and burned hamlets. Fire sprites are born from the burning embers of fire and ash wraiths are born of the smoke from the fires. A few burning dryads survive in the burnt husk of the trees here, keepers of the dying forests. Ember hounds are guardians and enforcers of the court, protecting its boundaries, though packs of wild ember hounds roam through the realm. Ember djinns bound to the element of fire with bodies made of shifting flames and ash reside by the everburning pyres, often serving pyre hags. Smoldering satyrs with dark furn and horns that curl like twisted, blackened branches bring revelry and a fiery energy to the court's festivals and gatherings. These fey are integral to the functioning of the Court of Cinder and Ash, each contributing to the court’s unique atmosphere and its focus on fire, decay, and transformation. Their presence ensures that the court remains a place of both awe-inspiring beauty and constant, unpredictable danger.
Laws
- No flame may be extinguished by intent within the realm.
- The Ashen Lady's decrees and commands are absolute.
- Offerings and gifts are given to the pyres, only what remains after the burning can be claimed.
In the dance of flame, all things are reclaimed.
Type
Court, Noble
Leader
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Parent Organization
Location
Notable Members