Arelith History: The Ruination of the Court of Nightmares
By Lorekeeper Vaeryll Aistra in Elasias 22, 177 AR
During early years of colonization, the people of Arelith entertained the integration of Underdark races and practiced tolerance for things most of the mainland would not. This was mostly due to most of the original habitants of the main city port, Cordor, having been lost outcasts, misfits, and refuges containing such races. The people of Cordor were able to sustain this dubious group of people through use of an artifact called the Rod of Amorous Inmate. The rod cast an enchantment within a large radius that would put a shield over Cordor and prevent anyone within from attacking one another. This forced peace was temporary, as the shield eventually failed for unknown reasons, but it bred a tolerance and ideology that would last the island to modern day. [5][6][7]
This ideology of tolerance in the face of survival bred a complacent and neutral tolerance of many evils of a similar kind. In the summer of 70 AR, this complacency would hit a threshold which would erupt into one of the most horrific and unprecedented slaughters the people of Arelith have suffered.
This historic event starts with a hinnish woman named Sariah Popkins. Also known as ‘Blue’, this hin was described as being cheerful, caring, and had a generally positive outlook on life. Despite her positive outlook, at some point in Sariah Popkins life she felt the need to pact with an Unseelie Fey of the Winter Court. While her reasoning for this is unknown, this choice would soon become the catalyst of this crisis.
After arriving in Cordor, Sariah began to gather many around her and convinced them to pact with the Unseelie as well. While many of these newly pacted had different reasons for doing it, it is suggested that most of them did not know or understand the consequences of these actions. Mimicking Popkins, these new warlocks exuded exceptionally bright and happy attitudes. Also like her, they would utilize their eldritch magic to “benefit” others and claimed to do so. While at first Sariah’s Fey-lock Coven would be exceptionally well received and even tolerated by all, eventually many of Cordor would come to grow suspicious. Often, they would use their reasoning of ‘helping others’ to defend themselves from nay-sayers and those who rightly spoke out against fey-pacting with the Winter Court. [8][2] Considering a majority of this coven were also hins, Sariah would move her Fey-lock Coven to Fort Bendir to escape persecution within Cordor. Despite any tension, these warlocks began to settle down and make a happy life for themselves. As these newly pacted warlocks began to seek out others to try and improve the happiness of others, more covens would begin to form in Fort Bendir until they were a very common sight.
This unfortunately drew the ire of the Queen of Air and Darkness, Queen of the Unseelie Court. These warlocks, pacted to dubious members of her court, were utilizing their eldritch gifts in order to benefit and help others. As their actions were in fact the opposite of what she desired, the Dark Queen took action.
Deciding it was time for each pacted to pay for their debt to her, the Queen sent her court to Fort Bendir. When the fey arrived, they demanded that the pacted obey. Of course, Sariah and her coven fell silent and were reluctant to cooperate. Upon this insult, the winter court fey attacked. Their first strike would be the taking of beloved Priestess of Yondalla and member of Fort Bendir, Sasha Silverscales-Dizonne to hold as ransom. This would become a common tactic used by the fey in the struggle of months to come.
Endless hours were spent by Sariah and her Coven to save and free the priestess. Their journey led them to the plane of Faerie where the Queen made her court. Once there, the Coven were given the demands of the Queen. The Coven was to sacrifice a hin of Bendir to her. Of course, Popkins and the Coven were insulted and repulsed by this demand. While efforts were given to bargain, haggle, and negotiate, the Queen would accept nothing else. Priestess Sasha was eventually released, but the Coven was heralded with a warning of what was to come if they did not comply.
Soon after this, the Queen decided a more direct approach was needed to teach these arrogant warlocks a lesson. The Dark Queen sent her court to the various settlements on the island to attack and kill. These attacks started as small skirmishes that would erupt into full on battles with the settlement and resulted in much unnecessary bloodshed.
Each time they attacked, the fey would blame the bloodshed on Sariah and her Covens in Fort Bendir. While Sariah and her Coven did their best to help defend these attacks, their attempts were futile. Few others in this harrowing time rose to the occasion, attempting to defend the settlements from various unseelie fey attacks. Some credited for this bravery and heroics were King Trintiren Elraiendel of Myon, Riordan Blackpaw and High Priestess Maelee of Myon. [8][2][3]
Still though, even with the bloodshed, those of Fort Bendir continued to harbor and shelter Sariah and her warlocks. While many came to the Fort to air their grievances in mobs demanding justice for the bloodshed, the warlocks would be secreted away and protected. For better for for worse, the Hinnish people of Fort Bendir stood with the Coven against the Lynch mobs and hope was running out as the onslaught continued.
This bloodshed was not enough for the Queen and so she escalated the attacks. Soon, the winter court fey began a series of “takings” of different people from each settlement. Over and over again, a person would be kidnapped and in order to provide their safe return, the fey would demand a sacrifice of one warlock from each surface race. While it is unknown if these trades were carried out, a large number of fey-pacted warlocks were targeted and hunted. Many of them were killed or they were forced to strip their eldritch powers through various means. [2][3]
During this tumultuous time, a spirit called the Great Badger appeared within the Fort of Bendir. Originally, this Great Badger Spirit was thought to be sent by the hin goddess Sheelah Peryroyl. This Badger spirit would appear to help the hin of Bendir throughout the Fort’s history on the island.[10][11] Later, however, he would be revealed to be a Spirit of the Arelith Forest who had a friendship with the Summer Court of Fey. Regardless of the Badger Spirit’s origins, he offered a deal to the fey-pacted Coven of Fort Bendir. [1][2][3]
The Great Badger would offer a deal as he was interested in saving many of the hin Coven. He would help broker new pacts with the Summer Seelie Court of Queen Titania; in exchange for this deed, the hins would need to pay a price and prove their worth to Queen Titania and her court. The Badger, of course, was vague on how the pacted hins could accomplish this.
Assuming the Badger Spirit to be sent by Sheelah Peryroyl, Sariah and her Coven began to try and convince the badger to broker their deals by displaying their love and adoration for once another within the Coven. One hin, Midnight, even went so far as to suggest that he would give his life for each member of the group. Love and warmth was spread among the group, attempting to move the Badger. However, this was not enough to prove their worth. And so, in the spirit of hin and fey alike, a special mushroom wine was brewed for the Great Badger. Moved by the Covens acts of mercy and mushroom wine, the Badger agreed to help the Coven null their pacts to the unseelie court by pacting with the Seelie Court of Summer. [9][1][8]
Thus, the Badger began to break these pacts en masse. The Badger did favor hin warlocks over others, however, soon warlocks from across the archipelago too would seek the same deal. As long as they met the Badger’s price, they were able to break their pact. However, this did not solve the issue that the Queen of Air and Darkness had with the island. And so, the takings and ransoming continued to happen. In response, warlocks pacted to the winter fey began to be hunted. Those who pacted to the Badger and broke their unseelie ties survived, but any who refused to were hunted and killed.
Bendir was not the only settlement that continued to be attacked despite the declining numbers of fey-warlocks. In Myon, the elves sacrificed an aasimar priestess of Ilmater named Rowan Willows to save their princess who had pacted to the fey. In Cordor, several of their guard force were also pacted. At a particular Cordorian ball, the fey struck once again and demanded a sacrifice. True to Cordorian nature, Cordorian leadership failed to give into the terroristic demand of the Winter fey. In attendance of this ball was Sariah Popkins, who in the end offered herself up to the Winter fey as a voluntary sacrifice despite her pact having been broken. [2][3][8]
After Sariah’s death, the Dark Queen was seemingly satisfied with the bloodshed that had been paid for their debt and the fey attacks gradually stopped. However, this event spurred forth the creation of many warlock and rogue-mage hunting groups such as the Mage Hounds of the Arcane Tower led by Valden Stormbright. Other note-worthy groups are the Knights of the Road led by Archmage Verankht Zarunkumar who was noted most for his rogue mage hunts. It also created fierce anti-warlock policy across the island which has persisted in modern day legislation across several settlements. The rippled effects of this event continued throughout centuries even leading to the bloodshed of innocents accused of being warlocks. Most notably among these groups are the ‘Brown Cloaks’ created by Regent Provine during the last days of Vetinari’s reign.
Ultimately, this event would later be shared and named the Uprising of the Court of Nightmares by the Badger Spirit upon one Summer day in the year of 84 AR to Archdruidess Navira Ashwood and fellow Heartwood Grove members over sweet berry wine. The point of retelling this story, the Great Badger imparts, is to teach what it truly means to become pacted to the Winter Court of Fey. So to every new curious adventurer reading this historic tale, remember this:
Remember Sariah Popkins and the Court of Nightmares. Do not ever make the mistake of falling for the Winter Court’s promises or offers as it will lead you to ruination.
- References:
[1] The Legendary Badger Visit by Navira Ashwood
[2] The Unseelie Court’s Attacks by Azurra Sel’ky’a
[3] The Unseelie Court’s Attacks, Part 2 by Azurra Sel’ky’a
[4] History of Cordor, Vol. 1
[5] The Wild Spark of Thoramind
[6] Aristotlus Bibliophilius the Fifth
[7] A Study of Early Cordor and The Thayan Enclave
[8] Lesson of Sarah Popkins by Amy Silverscales-Dizonne
[9] Navira Ashwood, A New Archdruid, 23 Mirtul 81 by Ha’ren Thensbane
[10] Andriarna Dirtytoes and the Unseelie
[11] The Spirit Hunt by Corbin the Spiritwalker