When the Kithain of the Grace Lands gathered in March, they did so for the first time in truly relaxed fashion. The Spirit’s gratitude and behaviors last month had given them confidence that the tenuous peace between themselves and the Freehold’s guardian Chimera, no one had seen nor heard from the enigmatic Smith in Black, and King Melige had made it known that he had no intention of taking any sort of action or censure against the Duchy.
The reason for this last became apparent rather quickly after Herald Judas Embershade brought Court to order. Duchess Aria Embershade ap Leanhaun, Leige of the Grace Lands, and her Advisor, Calluna the Never-Wilting, announced that they had journeyed to Melige’s Freehold of Willow’s Heart in Atlanta, to make personal entreaty for his blessing upon not just Aria’s rule, but the Freehold’s practice of switching rule. Melige found favor with the Sidhe and the Boggan, agreeing to their request- with some caveats. First, any who might rule within the Grace Lands must present themselves to him within one month’s time of taking the position.
Second, was that Calluna Vulgaris must enter his service for a time, to handle certain interests of the Kingdom of Willows within Queen Mary Elizabeth’s Duchy of the Four Winds.
With these proclamations, the knowledge that now was the month that rule should pass again to the Seelie, held heavy over the heads of the several titled Seelie in attendance. None seemed to want the responsibility, with former Liege Baron Ezekial Blackwood ap Gwydion enthusiastically refusing to take that onus upon himself once more- quite possibly the first time that a Falcon refused the chance to be in charge of a group of Kithain in modern Fae memory. It was not the last however; newcomer Baron Wish-or-Will ap Gwydion, a self-styled Seer, also declared himself not it. With the Baronesses of Beaumayne and Scathach also indicating they were not the proper Sidhe for the job, many of the Seelie could feel the pressure of the Dreaming’s disapproval weighing down upon them. Ser Bobbish ap Eiluned did as Boggans do, assuring everyone that a Liege would be chosen by end of the evening.
Aside from the new Falcon, it seemed that the Grace Lands had drawn several new Kithain to its balefire: a curious and cryptic Sluagh named aptly enough, Curious; Ser Jeni Skullkrusher ap Fiona, determined and enthusiastic mother (of an Unseelie Sluagh, no less) and bringer of snacks; a Nocker Knight from the East, Garrick ap Dougal; and a feisty Cluichaun by the name of Kru who apparently shared underworld connections with Calluna. It was in the wake of all these new faces arriving, that a beloved member of the Court announced her exit. Mother Ethel declared that Andi was getting impatient waiting for her on a beach, and that it was high time the Satyr followed after her Boggan fiance and left the city for a time. It was here that Judas called for any other business, and Doctor Smith requested the floor.
It seemed the good Doctor, recently assumed to have been cursed during the Battle for Rock n’ Roll, had found a solution for his drumming problem. To free himself of his curse, the Eshu needed to find another who would be willing to absorb the weight of all his sins. Smith had little information beyond that. Was it merely the sins of his current incarnation, or the sins of all that had come before? It was a daunting prospect, but order was momentarily lost as more than one Kithain stepped up to offer assistance. Judas quickly called halt to the chaos, declaring that such was a conversation for after Court.
He then recognized Ser Adrestia who declared that House Scathach wished to ennoble the Boggan Taytet, who had proven her worth to the House on both the battlefield, and in the care of their dead. All members of the House present were called to accept the Boggan’s Oath, and Adre was joined by Baroness Ezra, Dame Scratch… and the Pooka Shriek. It seemed the fox had been hiding the fact that she was, in fact, already comfortable within the henhouse.
Finally the assembled were left to mingle. The Spirit, an imposing embodiment of Viking Metal this month, seemed very pleased with the discussions of honor and promises of duels and battle. He was especially taken with the Sluagh dentist Zhan, who indicated that he might be able to make the Spirit a necklace of chimerical teeth- assuming that he could be provided with enough. This prompted the Lady Radar and the rest of the Pooka to immediately declare that there would be a mass brawl to procure said teeth, and that they would keep the betting pool for any who wished to risk their Glamour on the prowess of the combatants.
In the meantime a familiar-not-familiar face returned to Graceland. Duke Eranos Shadewalker ap Eiluned, who once visited to pay honor to the Sidhe rogue Locke by knighting him, and who had also fought with Asher, Locke, and Ethel to save the Spirit, strode confidently into the Freehold and immediately declared that he would take rule of the Seelie here since no one else seemed to have the stones to do so. While most were surprised by this, given Eranos’s previous indication that he would never do more than visit the Duchy, some knowing looks passed between Ser Bobbish and Ser Locke. House Eiluned, it seemed, was finally making a play for power in the Grace Lands.
The Tournament of Teeth was soon called, and quite the brawl it proved to be, with eight fighters entering the arena. Radar laid down the rules, which basically amounted to “whoever has claimed the most teeth when time is called, wins! Oh, and any cantrip use is cheating.” Almost every fighter lost a tooth, except Garrick, who managed to last to the end with all his pearly whites intact. Radar declared him the winner, much to the delight of his fellow Nocker Rixon- who apparently was the only person to bet on Garrick. Radar- with very clear horror and disgust- found herself with a handful of bloody teeth, which she offered to the Spirit. The Spirit, in turn, gave the group loud and mighty thanks, before racing off to find Zhan, who crafted for the chimera the promised necklace.
Garrick, emboldened perhaps by his luck at brawling, later insulted Jeni, who did not hesitate to step to him. Both began casting cantrips- as did the young Eshu Mir who was observing- drawing the attention of several nearby, including Baron Wish-or-Will. Before any could interrupt, Jeni’s skin erupted in glittering golden scales and her hands began to glow with dragon’s strength. In the same moment, Garrick’s pants turned to water, as Mir deflected the cantrip meant for Jeni back upon him. Wish-or-Will, in voice ringing with disdain asked loudly, “is this then, what we are wasting our Glamour on now?” Ser Skullcrusher locked eyes with the Baron, and yelled, “For Honor!” before knocking Garrick to the floor with one punch. As he righted himself, the Nocker spat out a tooth, which Jeni gleefully claimed, and held aloft in triumphant victory.
The evening was soon brought to a close by the Herald. Before the official handing off of rule, it seemed Judas had one last order of Unseelie business. The Count extended to the Piskey Zima invitation to join House Leanhaun as the Count’s Squire. More than a few of the assembled expressed- either in expression, or exclamation- surprise that Judas would so risk his reputation by taking on the Piskey who identified as a Problem On Purpose, but the Count was undeterred, and the musical Fae joined the ranks of the Nobility.
Duke Shadewalker then took the floor, as well as the signet of King Melige’s favor which had been previously given to Aria. Declining to identify his chosen cabinet at this time, Eranos indicated that it was his intention to ensure that the Seelie Court followed in the most recent example set by the Unseelie, and run a properly organized Freehold. Just as he seemed ready to dismiss the assembled for the month, Ser Adrestia spoke up, asking after a matter with which she and the Duke had apparently already spoken. It seemed that House Scathach, after losing one of their own during the Battle for Rock n’ Roll, was ill inclined to be tolerant of the sort of blaise Unleashings of magic which had directly led to that loss. They insisted- via Adrestia as proxy- that the Duchy make formal proclamation disallowing such things, and that House Scathach would be taking steps to police them regardless.
Duke Eranos declined to issue such a proclamation, and so Court was dismissed. The members of House Scathach, ever the outcasts among the other noble Houses, left the Freehold keenly reminded that the Greywalkers would ever be considered Killers in the minds of Sidhe nobility. The rest of the Grace Lands Kithain shared careful glances, wondering if now was the time when Noble House politics finally pushed to the fore of their erratic and freeform Duchy.