The Court of Flame & Frost

'Ignore the squabble of our kin. Keep to the single oath. Destroy the outsiders and their infernal decay.' - High Keeper Anulos

Among the realms of fey are many more than just the seasonal courts. Though these usually pale in comparison to their power. However, the Court of Flame & Frost is one few outside of fey would know of. It is considered a shadow court and is not involved in the power struggles of the fey or their actions in any way. Instead, it is a place where criminals, exiles and word-breakers amongst the fey go. They are often sentenced to this fate by the Kings of Queens of their court for failures or some even walk the path of their own choosing, foreswearing all their previous oaths and joining this court. Those that do cannot be pursued, questioned or interfered with once the oath has been taken. They are essentially ghosts to the rest of fey and are to be treated as such. The name of the court comes from their origins, signifying that fey from both summer, winter and beyond arrive at this court, never to leave.

The Courts Purpose

The court was established in a signed blood pact between all the ladies and lords of fey. A deal to provide resources, lives and strength to a court outside their jurisdiction. One that operates unto its own and where those within serve only it. Fey creatures that spend their life in the fey realm may never cross paths with a being of this court as it sits upon the very fringes of fey itself. Around the borders of all realms of fey sit bastions, walls and forts of giant proportion and those that man them face forever outward, looking upon the desolation of decay and destruction. This is their duty and their charge. These creatures man the bastion between the material realms and the decay of the outer realms. They fight in great battles few know of while Light's Talon work tirelessly to protect the material world from incursions and schemes of the outsiders and demons, this court fights the same battle within the fey realm. For if it didn't and the fey realm fell to these creatures then much life and magic would crumble in the material world, as these planes are tightly interwoven. This is the Court of Flame & Frost's purpose. To fight this decay and give their lives in its service.

The Honourless

These are fey creatures who broke their honour to their sovereign or their word. Both these are amongst the most heinous of crimes in the fey realm and once upon a time were punished with death. Now there is another fate for these oathbreakers, a choice given. Either embrace death, giving your soul to the Soulight forges or irreversibly bind yourself to the Court of Flame & Frost. The process of this binding takes the blood of the creature and mixes it into a great cauldron of blood that sits before the High Keeper's Throne. The fey speaks their name and with that, it is forever taken from them. The blood swirls and boils releasing their new name, and the memories of their old life begin to drift away. Once this oath is taken it cannot be undone and their old life can never be gained again. They are now seen as honourless by the other fey, given as much attention as a shadow. No one from the seasonal courts will acknowledge or interact with them if they cross paths, though they are given free rein to travel across the realms in the hunt of their prey. Now, they have but one purpose and will do it unto their true death.

The High Keeper of the Court

The high keeper holds the highest power in the court, similar to the Queens and Kings of the seasonal courts. This mantle of power is passed from High Keeper to one of the Keepers upon the death of the current High Keeper. The power that comes with this mantle affords them several unusual abilities beyond even the reach of Queens and Kings. These abilities include bending space-time and seeing the touch of corruption in any being, even if they don't know it's there themselves. This ability allows the court to sense any encroaching presences, detected infection individuals and deploy warriors around the fringes of the fey realm at a moments notice. The current high keeper is named 'Anulos' and like any of the honourless has long forgotten his true name. He is a centaur-dryad creature and carries the great Soulight spear 'Hearthdom' into battle.

A Tale of Venya

Learn more about the world, its history and the factions here.

Soulight 

The material is the true power of the Court of Flame & Frost. Without it, they would not be able to combat the outsiders or purify the decay that spreads so readily across the fey realm. The fact it comes from the souls of their kin makes it that much more revered, for some have given up their souls to supply such a vital material.

Amongst the court, this is fashioned into weapons, charms, shields and multiple other devices, each with unique abilities to find, repel or combat decay. But not all Soulight manufactured items are equal in terms of use or power. Much of this depends on the quality of the soul sacrificed. For example, it is usually the souls of warriors dying or injured on battlefields, willingly given, that are used for weapons. For these show the highest quality and those that wield them feel the blessings of their brethren eternally with them.

Those who choose to die rather than become honourless become something different. Sometimes this choice is made for them. If the High Keeper Anulos sees corruption in their hearts, or they commit more heinous crimes than dishonour then they are forced to expel their soulight in service, as to simply kill them would be a waste. This is far from pure Soulight and is used to create chains, bars and manacles for capturing outsiders or torturing information from them. Like all things fey, their purpose is tied to their origin and with soulight it is even more valid.