[color=007236][center][h1]Age of Gossamer[/h1][/center][/color]

Hidden behind the monumental walls of their great keeps and cathedral-fortresses, these are dark days for humanity. Dread is the prevailing emotion, and great iron gates that straddle the sky are nearly the only things that protect the poor, fragile humans from the jaws and swords of horrid beasts and marauding bands of barbarians. This is humanity's Age of Basalt, cold, dark and slowly breaking under its own weight.

Fortunately, you are not a human. Strange, primeval beings, the origins of the fae race are shrouded in mystery, even to them. Once, in the Age of Cold Iron, they feared the legions of humans known as the Monolith Knights, clad in the rawest and most painful of all iron suits, worked by the divine will of the old god Yaldabhot. They slew the fae and drove back behind into the depths of the Wonderlands, hating their powers and believing that their designs for humanity were profane. That only he should steer the course of his favored race.

Today, after the death of Yaldabhot and the scattering of his Archon legions, the humans are afraid and isolated, yes, but the old ways have fallen and the fae have begun to work their magic through human society. Far from human eyes, the most fantastical of realms grow more strange, as the fae prepare to nudge the course of human destiny once more. Of course, grand adventures for long forgotten secrets and treasure are at the heart of fae lore and society, but simply assembling a group of like-minded humans to your cause, gathering allies amongst your fellow Strange Folk, and surviving the onslaught of rivals to your vision in the grand halls of the fae and human cities are all just as dificult and rewarding.

This is the fae Age of Gossamer, and very soon, maybe humanity's too.

[hider=The Courts:]

The general political affiliation to which a fae or group of fae belong. Despite any myth and legend that may have developed around them, the current courts are relatively recent developments in fae society, as they are primarily concerned with the direction of human politics.

[b]Joker Court:[/b] Joker fae have their own varied vision for humanity alright, but it's not one that most Seelie fae would approve of. They are eclectic and eccentric in the extreme and prone to infighting.

[b]Seelie Court:[/b] The general advocates of humanity, the Seelie fae believe that it is the duty of the powerful fae to shepherd humanity into their own Age of Gossamer and protect them from predation.

[b]Shadow Court:[/b] Believers that humanity should form its own future, these quiet radicals oppose the machinations of all the other courts, seeking to drive them from the human lands.

[b]Sylvan Court:[/b] Distant from the affairs of the other courts, the Sylvan fae believe that humans are an irrelevant and somewhat revolting distraction from the Strange Folk's true domain and ally: nature.

[b]Unseelie Court:[/b] The court that remembers the atrocities perpetuated against faekind by the humans, the Unseelie fae wish to remind the foolish creatures who, precisely, holds the power. It is rumored that the Unseelie lord Tuath himself destroyed Yaldabot and brought about the human Age of Basalt
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[hider=Houses:]

The term "House" is perhaps a bit misleading, say some. Though in the Age of Cold Iron, fae that shared similar forms and abilities organized themselves into tightly knot groups and holdings, the Age of Gossamer has heralded increased cooperation and affiliation is rarely concerned with lineage and appearances. The term has yet to fall truly out of favor, however many times words like "Species" or "Seeming" are reccomended as alternatives. In any case, there are truly innumerable Houses among the fae, but here are listed a couple of the most common:

[b]Boggan:[/b] Often referred to derisively as "Least Fey", Boggans occupy a vital place within fae society. Lacking in many of the more outlandish and fantastical abilities of their kin, Boggans are often common laborers and skilled craftsfolk. The simplicity of their lives is often mistaken for weakness by more powerful folk, both Fae and otherwise. The truth, however, is that the Boggans innate magical nature manifests in a superhuman level of willpower and conviction in their morals, a fact that those who seek to manipulate them soon discover all too late.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Sophrosyne (Superhuman focus and willpower)

[b]Drake:[/b] Reptilian children of the First Wyrm, the Drakes carry with them the legacy of one of the greatest Wonderbeasts of all time. Once proud and immensely powerful, the Drakes warred with the Elves for status as the most influencial and respected house. However, their fall from grace at the hands of their long-suffering servants the Salamandr shattered their monolithic hegemony and left them a house very much in decline. Today, they rely on their glamour to remain in the shadows and try their best to avoid their ancestors mistakes.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Ladon (Assume aspects of the First Wyrm)

[b]Elf:[/b] Haughty and aristocratic in the extreme, elves are perhaps the most human looking of the many Houses, but paradoxically one of the most inhuman in outlook. Obsessed with tradition, beauty and arcane customs that only they understand, elves can actually vary widely in their motives and goals, but their condescending demeanor has earned them a reputation as petty, hidebound racists.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Kharis (Superhuman charisma and persuasion)

[b]Gremlin:[/b] Regarded with a certain degree of confusion by the other Houses, Gremlins see the world as deeply, utterly flawed; flawedin a way that can only be solved with liberal application of fantastical technology. Polymaths and incredible inventors, the Gremlins are just the right mix of abrasive, eccentric and ingenious to be both insufferable and indespensible to the other Houses.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Techne (Creation of seemingly impossible technologies)

[b]Merrow:[/b] The Merrow are the secretive humanoid fae that dwell in the rivers and lakes of the world. Consummate merchants and nomads, Merrows rarely stay in a single place for long, taking their secrets with them. Reliable secret keepers and traders, Merrows are considered trustworthy and excellent messengers. Provided that said message is written on waterproof paper, of course.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Lethe (Pluck secrets directly from the minds of those that are submerged in their waters)

[b]Nuckelavee:[/b] Some call them eldritch horrors from beyond time, other manifestations of death itself. Whatever they are, the cruel and alien Nuckelavee strike fear into even their fellow fae with their hideous powers and gruesome faces. Even the most deranged Jokers and vengeance-blinded Unseelie keep the Nuckelavee at arms length, though their wanton destruction is frequently useful.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Nosoi (Creation and control of diseases)

[b]Pixie:[/b] The Pixies are seen as dim and flighty by the larger and longer lived houses, with their mercurial obsessions and flights of fancy causing their considerable stealth and espionage skills to be underestimated. Pixies are the most widely accepted fae amongst the humans, as their personal ability to do any real harm, accidentally or intentionally, is pretty minimal.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Gelus (Invisibility and very minor telekinesis)

[b]Rusalka:[/b] Favored children of the ancient lich Baba Yaga, the Rusalka have near total command of the ice and snow. Their beauty is legendary, but even their greatest admirers admit that it does little to hide their despair from the rule of their cruel queen. As a result, no small number have been known to go renegade and seek something more to life.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Boreas (Cryokinesis)

[b]Salamandr:[/b] The history of the Salamandr is one that is tied intimately and brutally with that of the Drakes. In the height of Drake power, the Salamandr were a hereditary slave cast, little more than beasts of burden. Their revolution at the end of the Age of Cold Iron was unexpected; even the Elvish instigators honestly didn't expect it to succeed as completely as it did. Now, the Salamandr live free, attempting to piece a functioning society from the crumbled remnants of the corrupt empire of their former masters. Often mistaken for fire elementals or Efteeti Djinn, Salamandr betray their draconic ancestry in their ophidian forms.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Dioscuri (Pyrokinesis)

[b]Troll:[/b] Huge, cave dwelling, green skinned, nearly impossible to kill... Trolls are all of these things. Despite claims to the contrary, two things they are not, however, are stupid or evil. Most Trolls are a sad combination of terribly hungry and desperately lonely, a combination not helped by their ancient exile from the "civilized" parts of the Wonderlands at the hands of a paricularly vindictive Elf lord.
[b]House Knack:[/b] Hygia (Regeneration)

And many, many others.
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Further setting details will be in the OOC (or on request, if you're interested)

The game itself is a freeform mix of action, exploration and politics in an open world where just about anything can exist. There will be no GMPC. Any request for Co-GM status will be considered. Some degree of silliness is encouraged.

[hider=CS]

Name:

Sex: 

Court: (Political affiliation within fae society, if any)

House: (Species or type of Fae)

Appearance:

History:

Personality:

Plan For Humanity: (When your character has their way, what will life be like for the humans?)

Knacks: (Abilities specific to your character. Note that all fae have access to their house's knack, as well as glamour (limited illusion magic) and vestiture (the ability to convert a willing human into an Enchanter Magus).)

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