Kingdoms: Overview of the Game System

Kingdoms: Main Page -> Kingdoms: Overview of the Game System

Game Structure

The Courts and Seelie Nature

There are two Courts, each representing the followers of a different King.

The White Court is led by the Seelie King. White Courts tend to have a strong emphasis on honour, discipline, loyalty and noble behaviour. The White King rules because his subjects choose to follow him, and because they feel it is right and correct to do so.

The Black Court is led by the Unseelie King. Black Courts tend to be rife with intrigue, passion and freedom. The Black King rules because his subjects dare not disobey him, or are bound to his will by sorcery or manipulation.

Seelie characters are those that, by their nature, are inclined towards honour, lawfulness and ethics.

Unseelie characters are those that, by their nature, are inclined towards covert means, ambition and domination.

Note that while the White Court is always led by a Seelie King, his followers are a mix of Seelie and Unseelie. Likewise, while the Black Court is always led by an Unseelie King, his followers are also a mix of Seelie and Unseelie.

Its also worth being aware that concepts of good and evil are not directly applicable to either the white/black or the seelie/unseelie axis. A White King, for example, could be an overzealous legalist who punishes minor crimes with excessive force, or he could be a noble gentleman who is fair and even-handed. A Black King could be an unholy tyrant who rules through mind control charms and torture, or he could be a revolutionary who believes that all men are born equal, and spits at the hidebound strictures of Fae society.

The Players and The Adjudicator

By default, it is assumed that five people will be playing Kingdoms. For ease of reference, we'll refer to these players as Players A, B, C, D and E.

• Player A is the Adjudicator. The Adjudicator prepares and runs the game, makes judgment calls and fulfils the traditional role of a GM.
• Player B plays the White King. He also controls three other pieces on the White side: The Seelie Knight, The Seelie Bishop and the Seelie Rook. Collectively, these four pieces are called the Dominant Actors of the White Court.
• Player C plays the White Queen. He also controls three other pieces on the White side: The Unseelie Knight, The Unseelie Bishop and the Unseelie Rook. Collectively, these four pieces are called the Shadow Actors of the White Court.
• Player D plays the Black King. He also controls three other pieces on the White side: The Unseelie Knight, The Unseelie Bishop and the Unseelie Rook. Collectively, these four pieces are called the Dominant Actors of the Black Court.
• Player E plays the Black Queen. He also controls three other pieces on the White side: The Seelie Knight, The Seelie Bishop and the Seelie Rook. Collectively, these four pieces are called the Shadow Actors of the Black Court.

Note that players A & B are both aligned to the White Court, so they are allies with the same agenda. However, Player A represents the Seelie pieces in the White Court and Player B represents the Unseelie Pieces in the White Court.

Likewise, players C & D are both aligned to the Black Court, so they are allies with the same agenda. In the Black Court, Player C represents the Unseelie pieces in the Black Court and Player D represents the Seelie Pieces in the Black Court.

This may seem counterintuitive at first... you may question why there are Unseelie Pieces serving the White and Unseelie Pieces serving the Black.

The answer to this is that whatever the Nature of the King, he must eventually rule over all Fae, both Seelie and Unseelie. Thus it is only appropriate that he has servants of both natures. Of course, the White King would rather leave the underhanded sides of warfare and politics to his Unseelie White Queen, while the Black King happily delegates that high society and formalised warfare nonsense to his Seelie Black Queen.

Regardless of personal nature, every Piece is ultimately loyal to his or her own King, and to that King's Court. Every Piece will do all that he or she can to attain victory for his Court.