The Court of the Ever Green
The Spring Court - Spring Queen: Calliope, a Muse Fairest
The changelings of the Spring Court seek to forget the horrors they once endured in the realm of Faerie by immersing themselves in humanity and the pleasures there-in. Of the four main courts, they can be considered the most optimistic, but are far from the flighty would-be humans many other changelings assume them to be; most of their number are still wracked by the guilt and shame their time among the Fae caused them.
The founder of the Spring Court is said to be Mother Susan, a changeling who desired to have a child more than anything else. Rendered infertile by her time in Faerie, she made a number of deals with other entities that, in the end, allowed her to bear one. However, she felt she could not keep it and gave it away, some say to Spring herself, to forge the pact that created a court in Spring's honor.
The members of the Spring Court seek to not only forget their past, but to also add grace and beauty to everything they do. To become a full-fledged member of the court means one must live a literally beautiful life, and members that cannot do so are made to feel outcast. Members are not only allowed to fulfill their own desires, but must help other Spring Court members in their pursuit of desire.
One of the most famous rituals the Spring Court holds is the Spring Revel, performed when winter officially passes into spring. The ritual is famous not only among members of the Antler Crown, but among all changeling courts; all secretly desire an invitation because they also know that the members of the Spring Court will attempt, in the course of the Revel, to make one of their desires come true. Another popular gathering is the Homecoming, a hedonistic festival celebrating the anniversary of the current Monarch of Spring's escape from Faerie; occasionally, other Spring Court members can be honored as well.
Contracts
The Contract of Fleeting Spring allows the user to manipulate desire in a target or targets.
The Contract of Eternal Spring holds the powers of growth and rejuvination.
The Summer Court - Summer King: Jack Lantern, a Fireheart Elemental
The members of the Summer Court are renowned as seekers of strength and power, ready to protect the changelings from any foe, but especially those from Faerie. Summer changelings are just as likely to be politicians or intellectuals as they are warriors, so long as they can beat back a foe in some manner.
The founder of the court is Sam Noblood, who is said to have hunted down Summer himself to secure a promise to endorse Sam's court.
The changelings of the Summer Court are those most willing to fight; some toy with foes before going in for the kill, while others favor a more direct and brutal approach. A few among the Summer Court are specialized in fighting other supernatural creatures to protect changeling interests. Potential members are tested through a series of arduous physical tasks that must be passed before they are allowed to enter.
The most common and frequent rituals of the Summer Court are simple contests of physical skill between two or more changelings, mostly to burn off energy and anger, but also to create an unofficial court pecking order when it comes to certain talents. The Summer Court has also taken to creating similar skill competitions for other courts to compete in during their appropriate seasons; these may not always involve physical skill, but intellectual pursuits, magic, and so on, so long as the element of competition is involved.
Contracts
The contract of Fleeting Summer allows the changeling to alter the violent and angry feelings of others.
The contract of Eternal Summer grants the user the ability to control the heat and sun of the season.
The Autumn Court - Autumn Queen: Persephone, a Moonborn Darkling
The changelings of the Autumn Court take the gifts they were given as slaves of Faerie and use them, both to terrorize their former captures, as well as to inflict awe on the average mortal. They are much closer to the Wyrd than any other court.
The founder of the Ashen Court is Clay Ariel, a changeling who learned how to shape her hands, made of clay after her imprisonment, into fearsome weapons. It is rumored she threatened to use them against Autumn itself, granting her Court that season's favor.
The Autumn changelings tend to be the most scholarly and well-traveled, especially when it comes to seeking out and learning new Contracts to use against their enemies. Leaden Mirrors also tend to favor trickery and guile over outright displays of power, exerting as little force as possible to achieve a big result. They are also much more prone to dipping into the Hedge than other changelings, seeking lost powers, as well as watching and learning from other supernatural creatures.
The most probable way a changeling can join the Autumn court is to share some lore or power that the court was not aware of before, be it through hazy memory or demonstration of some arcane Contract lore. Those who trick their way in can also earn the court's respect, as it shows the creativity and ingenuity the court tends to prize.
The rituals of the Ashen Court tend to be the least showy of the four main courts. Best known of their rituals is the Fallen Fair, a chance for changelings of all courts to show off the supernatural skills they have acquired over the past year, as well as barter and trade magical services. A hunt, usually known as the Hunt of Leaves but also by other names, is also popular, allowing any interested changeling a chance to hunt down, capture, and destroy an enemy, such as a Fae, fetch, or even human, with the full assistance and resources of the Autumn Court at their disposal.
Contracts
The contract of Fleeting Autumn helps the user manipulate the fear of others.
The contract of Eternal Autumn can alter nature and the weather.
The Winter Court - Winter King: Tea, aka Old Man Winter, a Hunterheart Beast
Nomadic and extremely secretive, the members of the Onyx Court seek to hide themselves from everything from their former masters in Faerie to the humans they once were. They primarily live through spying and secrecy.
The founder of the Winter Court was Snowflake John who earned Winter's pact not by a challenge, but by remaining so well hidden Winter could not find him. When he reappeared, he asserted his talents had earned him the pact; Winter apparently agreed, as his court now bears the season's name.
The members of the Silent Arrow continue his traditions, remaining steeped in codes, safehouses, and other means of living that limit their exposure to the world at large. They are especially skilled among all the changelings at blending in with the mundane, able to effectively hide themselves out in the open. They keep an eye on the enemies of the changelings, and from time to time have been known to kill to keep their secrets or the secrets of another. It is not uncommon for a changeling freshly escaped to turn to the Winter Court for their first shelter. A fair number remain; the rest are gently steered towards other, more appropriate courts.
The most famous of the Winter Court's rituals is the Winter Market, where a changeling can sell or buy almost anything among other changelings, partially to sell of the Onyx Court's spoils of war, and partially to keep the Goblin Market from receiving business from desperate changelings. The court also sponsors the Winter Formal, an opulent masquerade ball, and Radio Free Fae, a broadcast network that tells changelings the important info without exposing the bearer.
Contracts
he contract of Fleeting Winter grants the user the ability to manipulate sorrow.
The contract of Eternal Winter focuses on ice and the cold of the season.
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