Kingdoms: Creating the Court

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Overview

Creating the Court is a descriptive process - each player will need some sheets of paper, and something to write with. Adjudictors who want to do this more formally might create an A4 template for each for each Piece, with the players writing in the top half and the bottom half left blank for the Adjudicator to enter game-rules related information.

When the players write, they should be concentrating on the imagery that they evoke... for all its gamist structure, Kingdoms is at its core about the narrative. A paragraph of descriptive prose for each piece is the bare minimum, though players who feel they want a little variation might choose to couch their prose in the form of a story, or might even feel that they would like to present poetry! Regardless, what we're looking for is something that you can be proud of, not just a list of bullet points or a scattering of words and phrases.

The only exception to this is the Eight Armies - in this case, a list of eight bullet points is exactly what we're looking for. We'll come back to them momentarily.

Traditionally, the King and Queen should be described in the first person, and other pieces in the third person.

When writing up your pieces, it can be tempting to try to "power-game", for example describing invisible ghost armies, teleporting demon kings and bishops with mind control powers. This is not a good idea. The game systems in place balance out any advantages with suitable disadvantages, and if you don't balance your characters then the Adjudicator will do it for you.

Instead, just approach this as an exercise in creativity, and understand that restraint is as important as imagination. Aim for imagery and mood, and let the Adjudicator deal with the numbers!

Of course, that isn't to say that you should be dismissive of grand strategy or ignorant of the rules. If, for example, you build a court that is 100% focused on aggression, pillage and plunder, then don't be surprised if they end up weaker at defence and other factors. Generally, balanced strategies work well, but it never hurts to have a little focus.

The King Dreams, The Court Serves

The King Players are responsible for creating their Courts. The Queen Players can offer advice, but ultimately it is the king who gets final call on who is part of his court, and it is the King Player who holds the pen and paper.

There is one specific exception to this - the Queen Player always gets to write-up the Queen. While the king can say what he would like, the Queen is a self-made woman!

The in-game explanation for this is this is as follows:

Every son of royal blood is a conduit for Glamour - the raw stuff of dream that comprises and maintains the Fae Realms. The whole of Fae Reality owes its existence to Glamour. As a young princeling grows up, he literally dreams his Court into reality. It is his subconscious and his Glamour that gives them form and substance. Once formed, the greater of these creations will gain independent sentience, but they still owe their existence to their King.

The exception to this is the Queen. She is a sorceress and outsider who was dreamt into being by secret cabals and ancestor spirits in the Outer Realms. At the appointed time she arrives and presents herself to the Court, ready to take her place at the new King's side, and to make his Court complete. She is not of the King's creation, but she binds herself willingly to his destiny.

It's also worth noting that while the Adjudicator oversees the creation of the Courts, the two opposing Kings dream their creations separately and secretly from each other. At the start of the 12 years the Courts will be revealed to the public eye, in all their glory, but each King must prepare for war without knowing what his opposite is doing.

The Dreamform

Every Court has a Dreamform based on the way that each King visualises himself and his kingdom. This Dreamform creates a unifying style and theme for the entire Court.

The Seelie White Kings normally dream of unified kingdoms with strong hierarchies and rigid societies. Often, their peoples will be of a single race, and with a single shared culture. For example, a Seelie White King might dream of a desert kingdom where he is the Undying Sun Pharoah, and where legions of skeletons serve him. Alternatively he might dream of a theocracy land ruled by its Church, where he is the Godhead to a million human worshippers.

The Unseelie Black Kings usually reach into the wilder and uncontrolled depths of the Dreaming for their visions. Their people will be diverse, passionate and prone to wildness. One Unseelie Black King might see himself as an Orcish Warlord, with a feral horde of trolls, nightspawn and greenskins at his command. Another might see himself as a Giant Spider, controlling a sprawl of "independent" city states through blackmail and influence.

Because the Dreamform shapes the King himself, and because Seelie or Unseelie nature plays a part, there is little reason for the two brothers to be similar in any way. Genetics and inherited traits have no place in the Fae Realm - the imagination of the subconscious mind is the only limit.

All in all, the King should write about a paragraph about his Dreamform and himself. He should establish what he looks like, how his kingdom appears, and should aim to mention the mood, the values and the structure of his kingdom.

As the King-Player defines his Dreamform, he should complete the character sheet for his King piece. This Dreamform will determine the theme and nature of the rest of his Court, with one small exception...

• Common Themes in White Courts: Order and hierarchy; Sun; Daylight; Codes of honour; Discipline; Technology; Science; Monotheism; Self Control;

• Common Themes in Black Courts: Chaos and broken societies; Moon; Nighttime; Do-as-thou-wilt; Passion; The natural world; The supernatural; Animism; Rage;

• Common Themes in All Courts: Strong leadership from the king; Each piece clear in its role; Strong thematic unity;

• Things to avoid generally: Attempts to power-game; Excessive focus on one Season or strategy; Poor thematic cohesion; Weak or uninteresting descriptions; Deliberate attempts to break the game or de-rail the setting;

The Arrival of the Queen

The Queen piece, being formed independently and not as part of the Dreamform, will almost never fit the same themes and appearances.

The Queen Player fills writes up this Piece's character sheet, and should try to strike a contrast that is aesthetically pleasing rather than ridiculous.

For example, if the King is a dusky skinned sheikh of the desert, then it is excellent narrative to have the Queen be a fair-skinned beauty from a green and pleasant land. On the other hand, if the King is a seven hundred foot tall stone behemoth ruling elemental earth, then perhaps it becomes more appropriate to the story if the queen is a spirit-dragon made of elemental air.

Contrast with consistency is the goal. Don't forget also that by nature, the Queen will be opposite to the King. A Seelie King has an Unseelie Queen, and vice versa.

Ultimately though, remember that both King and Queen are of the same Court, and thus should be natural allies. Whether there is love at first sight (as is not uncommon in the Fae realms), or whether there is simply a mutual understanding of shared goals, the Queen binds herself to that Court and to working towards its ultimate victory.

Note that because the Queen Player is only responsible for this one character sheet, there may be a tendency for the Queen to have a far greater degree of description than any other piece. This is intentional! While the King is defined by his realm and his followers, the Queen is defined as an individual. As a result it is perfectly correct for her to lead a more complex and personal existence.

Ready for War: The Knights

Each Court has two Knights - one Seelie and one Unseelie.

A Knight is, essentially, a master of warfare. Knights are essential to success in the season of Summer, and will be the Pieces you use most often to lead your Summer Campaigns. Knights are often fine warriors in their own right, are often skilled war-commanders and are almost always fiercely loyal to their monarchs.

Cynics might observe that aside from cosmetic and moral differences, Seelie and Unseelie Knights fulfil much the same function. The most important differentiator, of course, is that one Knight will follow the orders of his Queen, and the other will follow the orders of his King.

Regardless, when the Court is created, it is the King's-Player who must make the decisions, and fill out the character sheets for both of the Knights in his court.

Masters of Intrigue: The Bishops

Each Court has two Bishops - one Seelie and one Unseelie.

A Bishop is a master of intrigue. Bishops are essential to success in the season of Winter, and will be the Pieces you use most often employ as Agents for your Winter Intrigues. A Bishop's strength is through subtlety and the power of words, rather than through martial strength or battle command.

Unlike Knights, there are strong in-game differences between Seelie and Unseelie Bishops, and the sort of actions they can engage in. Seelie Bishops tend to be politicians, courtiers and administrators, operating openly in society to achieve their goals. Unseelie Bishops tend to be spies, black-op agents and demagogues, working invisible to subvert, poison and sow discord. Critically, a Seelie Bishop can never oppose the actions of an Unseelie Bishop and vice versa.

Note that despite being called "bishops" these pieces need not have any religious connotations to them. You definitely can make them clerics and holy men if you like, but you don't have to - they can be secular agents if you so wish.

Regardless, when the Court is created, it is the King's-Player who must make the decisions, and fill out the character sheets for both of the Bishops in his court.