Wood Court

"The Fae of the Wild Court retained more of their divinity than the other old gods of Oileán Fiáin, which is why they are the most enraged by what was done to them."

— Airgetlám

The Wood Court (also known as the Wild Court) is the largest and most powerful group of Fae in southwestern Oileán Fiáin. Its territory is the Fhoraois Mhór, the vast wild forest which covers most of the Kingdom of Ardena. Like all Fae, the members of the Wood Court were once the gods of the Fir Fáinne, and were transformed by the experiments Celestina performed upon the island into something new, strange, and inhuman. The wild folk of Fhoraois Mhór were the least warped of all the gods of Oileán Fiáin - but they are also the most aware of, and outraged by, what was done to them.

The Rampage of Caillthéarnach

When Celestina was killed, the Numina she had bound with her spells were released. After a thousand years, they were free to do as they wished - and to discover the full extent of the changes her manipulations had wrought. Some retreated from the world to hide until they knew themselves again, while others lashed out at the mortals who had been the instruments of Celestina’s will. Caillthéarnach, the King of the Wild Wood, was of the latter.

For a year and a day, Caillthéarnach rampaged through and around the Fhoraois Mhór, killing every human he encountered and destroying their works. Not even rubble was left behind - when he departed a town, every mark of human habitation was erased, and only wilderness remained. The other Fae of the Fhoraois Mhór followed his example, and all within their reach were torn apart by the maddened horde.

Airgetlám, the legendary negotiator who would become Oileán Fiáin's first Ard-Rí, knew the significance of a year and a day to the Fae. It marked a natural turning point - a time to change direction, to free oneself from madness or compulsion. And so, as the year and a day came to its close, Airgetlám placed himself in Caillthéarnach’s path and brazenly called upon the King of the Wild to show his hospitality.

A month later, Airgetlám emerged from the Fhoraois Mhór with a new hope for the Fir Fáinne - and the Wood Court, first of the Fae Courts as they exist today, was born.

The Wild Fae

The Wood Court is not friendly to humans, but it tolerates them so long as the obey the laws Caillthéarnach has laid upon the Fhoraois Mhór. Many of the Court's members feature in the tales of Ardena, and some are known more widely. One of the best known is Dubhgall, the dark stranger - a mischievous wanderer who serves as both jester to the Court and personal agent of Caillthéarnach. He walks in the shadows at the forest's edge, making bargains and wagers with those he encounters, unable to resist a game of chance or cunning. Win or lose, Dubhgall's smile never falters, but he always seeks to balance his losses with a touch of trickery or revenge. For those who wish to enter the Wood Court and petition the King of the Wild, finding Dubhgall is the first and most vital step - only he can lead a mortal through the Fhoraois Mhór and into Caillthéarnach’s presence.

Other Fae of the Court include the Woodwardens, walking trees who guard the forest against intruders, and the Cù Sidhe - great, dark hounds whose howls drive mortals mad with terror. Knowing the precise boundaries of the Fhoraois Mhór is the only way to remain safe from these guardians, and all in Ardena are taught to mark the line between forests where mortals may tread and those where only the bold, the foolish, or the doomed dare venture.

The only exception to this rule is for the Rí of Ardena themself. They have the royal right to enter the wood and negotiate with the Wood Court. Over the centuries, the rulers of Ardena have become experts at navigating the treacherous diplomacy of hostile Fae, and more than one has been elected to the post of Ard-Rí for precisely that reason.