Unseelie Court

"*There was such a rich tradition of verdant, generous, shadowed Unseelie Courts that went before him. Augus had smashed all of that heritage into the ground when he transformed the palace during his reign – but many of the fae remembered the beautiful Courts. Even the Seelie would talk about how lush and lovely the Unseelie Court was. It was described in the vernacular of perfect, cool nights, of luminous stars occasionally hidden by veils of solar auroras, fae talked about the abundance of werelight and the night gardens, of shadowy havens to quieten minds, inspire dark deeds or encourage carnality.*"
―Gwyn ap Nudd[[The Court of Five Thrones, Chapter 3: Disintegration]]The **Unseelie Court** is the center of Unseelie political power, and houses the Court itself, where courtiers gather and fae seek aid, as well as the Unseelie palace, where the monarch(s) and their Inner Court, advisors, and servants reside.

## Appears in

Major canon:

*The Nightingale and Terho the Mouse-Lad*

*Game Theory*

*The Court of Five Thrones*

*The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire*

Canon extra:

*A Broken Feather, Straightened*

*These Troubled Times*

*Unwound*

*The Ash and Gwyn Interludes*

*Under the Influence*

## The Gwylwyr Du

The entrance to the Court proper is the Gwylwyr Du. The Gwylwyr Du is sacred and also called the 'black sentinels', and keeps the unwanted out. The Gwylwyr Du 'could not be touched by an individual monarch’s magic and stood unchanged over time. There were two long rows of giant black trees that grew forty metres upwards, their thick black boles dripping a sap that dried and clung to the bark like jewels of red amber. It had a peppery, sharp odour that eased the minds of many Unseelie . . . The canopies above tangled thickly, casting shade over a pale blue pathway made of a crushed stone. It glowed faintly in the dimming light. It was a long path, and the more one walked down it towards the Unseelie throne-room, the darker it became, until finally one looked up and the Unseelie constellations could be seen, bewitched there by magic or some other force. At the end was a gargantuan arched wrought-iron gate. Looking through it on the side of the Gwylwyr Du, one only saw an empty field lit by the moon and its entourage of shadows, but the enchantment disappeared once the threshold was crossed; it became one of the larger entrances into the Unseelie throne-room.'

The Gwylwyr Du is the primary location that fae use to teleport to the Court, and even includes a lake that fae like waterhorses can use to teleport to.

Nearby the Gwylwyr Du are the night gardens, and the forests of Gwylwyr.

## Zahak's Reign

Zahak placed the Zahakhar, a 'curse' or 'charm that would create a feeling of homecoming for any future monarch that might enter this Court – to guide the Unseelie Court, to guide future monarchs.’ It can be felt more powerfully once the future/current monarch enters the throne room.

## Thugine's Reign

Thugine was seemingly responsible for creating the night gardens.

## The Raven Prince's Reign

*'I’ve seen paintings of the Raven Prince’s Court. It was lovely.' - Gwyn ap Nudd*

Augus described the Raven Prince's Court as 'lovely. Peaceful. The throne-room was always a bit of a mess, but I think that was a holdover from a previous Court.'

'The Raven Prince’s throne room was a dark space, framed by giant trees with thick trunks and broad, seeking roots. His throne was perched haphazardly between a fork in the roots of the largest tree, the throne a construction of filaments of metal, colourful charms made of crystal and bone hanging from outposts of platinum and silver. The large, night-bound space was lit above with stars in the endless starry-twilight of the Unseelie Court. The tree trunk walls were lit with small, glowing jewel beetles whose steady blue and white lights glowed constantly. Some clustered, feathered antennae touching as they communicated in their beetle-speak. And there fae also clustered, charmingly lit, talking in rare and common tongues.

There was an odour of musk, common amongst any place where Unseelie fae frequently gathered. And layered above were the perfumes they wore made from rare flowers, tart, citrusy fruits that could only be found in the otherworlds, the crushing of pine needles or a bruised eucalyptus leaves.'

Near the throne was 'a long corridor, its walls made of trees with black bark, lit by more jewel beetles. Overhead stars winked down at them, the constellations peculiar to the Unseelie Court and its fae. It was said that if one fell asleep while watching them, they would share their stories with one in dreams' and 'an arched, wooden bridge that crossed a healthy, flowing river. Silver and green fish leapt to see the King of the Court pass, and Augus watched them. They seemed as dumb as any small fish, but they only leapt like that for the King, only flashed their pale sparkling bellies for him.'

There was also a meeting room for the King and his Inner Court, with 'a long wooden table' made from wood that was 'pale grey, harvested from the black oaks of Borth' in one of the inner halls of the Court.

Augus' maintained his own rooms, and 'did not permit any of the servants to come in and clean them. They delivered fresh linens to him, left them just inside his door, and he did everything himself. . . . His bed immaculately made, his chests free from dust and clutter, featuring only tasteful ornaments that suited his aesthetic. A sculpture of *Elodea* waterweed carved from peridot and jade on a pale dresser made from an ivory wood. A bone vase of marsh marigolds adding a blaze of yellow to the room. Subtle reminders of his heritage, his lake, everywhere.

He wasn’t even bothered that his rooms had no windows to the night gardens, to the constellations in the night-twilight skies beyond. He liked the feeling of being ensconced by his environment, having grown up in the black of a lake, the only light that which shone from his own eyes, or from the Mage-light he could afford to purchase as he grew older.'

The night gardens were so impressive during the Raven Prince's reign that when Gwyn restored them during his reign, fae were astonished by that alone.

## Augus Each Uisge's Reign

During Augus' reign, 'a broken palace loomed tall and ugly over the Gwylwyr Du'. The throne room was gloomy, and held four thrones for Augus and his Inner Court, but filled with shadows.' The Nain Rouge had an 'unused throne of broken bones tied with rope, next to Augus’ grand, carved, wooden one, the Dullahan’s rustic chair fallen to the side where he’d left it after using it once, not being able to handle so many others around him at once. Ash’s spinning office chair from the human world was startlingly out of place, still there, but it looked like it had been moved. Jenny Greenteeth’s throne had rotted away, made out of plant-life that had be constantly regenerated by her magic.'

The main entrance of the Court was called the Tavaline Portal, and Seelie fae could seek admission to the Court there.

'The centre of the Court was nothing special – unusually. It was only a space in a corridor. Augus really had tried to destroy every aspect of what made the Unseelie Court special, and had done a marvellous job. Gwyn could only assume that someone who enjoyed aesthetics so much, had a better grasp than others of how to best destroy something that had been beautiful.

For, here, the walls were slick and damp and black. Covered in stone-growing fungi and slime moulds, the floor beneath disguised with a patina of dirt. The only light in the place was that from a candle Gwyn had brought with him. It reeked. . . . But here, in the dark, with fetid smells tickling at his nose and his fingers touching what felt like mucus on the walls, he found himself hoping more than anything that he could make an Unseelie Court that would lift some of the weight resting upon Augus’ soul; his heartsong.'

'There was truly nothing of the Raven Prince’s Court left marking the place with its beauty. But the space was still grand, cavernous, filled with shadows. It had echoes of stateliness.'

There was a 'main kitchen, far less stocked than the Seelie palace’s kitchens had ever been. But there were still dried meats hanging from the ceiling'. There were a second set of abandoned kitchens that 'held strangely shaped pots and pans, unidentified dried foods hanging from the ceiling, a thick smell of mould.' There was also a disused library covered in dust, but filled with lore.

The Court had training rooms, but Augus tucked them away because he had no use for them. There was also an armoury underground near the training rooms full of old armour and weapons.

The Nightingale left some energy from either himself or the underworlds in the Court itself, which likely contributed to Augus' instability.

There was 'a forest in the outer edges of the Court. Here the trees with their blackened trunks and gleaming black leaves opened up in a fragmented canopy to show the Unseelie constellations. The night sky was a deep, beckoning navy, though to the horizon, a paler violet could be seen. Far in the distance, the Aurora Borealis danced upon the fae world, filled with the dancing elementals of that eldritch light.'

The night gardens faded during Augus' reign.

## Gulvi Dubna Vajat and Ash Glashtyn's Reign

*‘What a shambles. The Raven Prince’s Court? Now that was a Court worth visiting. This is...’ - Aleutia the Rat-Maiden*

Gulvi and Ash were unable to come to an agreement on how to transform the Court, and were also constantly busy or otherwise occupied, so they never transformed it from Augus' reign. Co-monarchs must be in agreement to transform a Court.

The Court itself was nearly empty. 'No servants to receive them. Hardly any cleaning of significance done for some time, even with magic assisting the Unseelie common fae Court-keepers.'

In the bowels of the Court was a lake where Augus was ultimately defeated. When he was demoted, his power was unleashed into the environment, turning it into a lush wetland.

## Gwyn ap Nudd's Reign

When Gwyn ap Nudd transformed the Unseelie Court, the palace gained 'clear panes of glass, coloured panes of stained glass. The masonry took on a charcoal-violet tone, accented with black, gathering in height until finally it rivalled even the splendour of the Seelie palace, then exceeded it. On the ground floor, a new throne-room, larger than before and partly woven together by the trunks of trees that sprang from the ground just for this purpose.' The throne room gained knotted 'lattices of branches' and 'fretworks of twigs' behind a new marble dais for the thrones. 'Canopies stretched into higher levels, found huge spiralling staircases growing stern banisters with the tiny faces of animals and fae carved into the sides. The kitchens were re-centralised so that they were closest to the newly forming places of entertainment – ballrooms, halls, pavilions, the throne room and dining halls. Ancillary outdoor kitchens were added near the spaces that were to be the night gardens, the new training fields, the stables, kennels and mews. . . . [He built for himself] at least twenty rooms – indulgent, but he needed different spaces. Those for cartography, for making his own longbows – even if he couldn’t draw them properly anymore – for training. He shifted the rest of the training arenas into one localised area; weapons rooms, sparring fields, wrestling grounds, an amphitheatre and more forming a network of connected regions that would flow onto the land where he had been training his military.

He looked to the plumbing, the lighting, providing more wall-sconces, more torches that would eventually be lit with flames that would be self-sustaining, nourished by the constantly regenerating magic of the Court itself. His mind drifted to walls and flooring, bringing in far more floorboards instead of corridors built only from dirt. He brought cornices and polished wood in dark tones of warm grey for the main thoroughfares. In the rooms themselves, he allowed greater personalisation . . . He recreated stoa and arcades alongside the throne room and ballrooms. Night-blooming vines sprang up along some of them, suckering to the stone, showing crimson blossoms with pale interiors, black and dark green leaves springing shiny from tendrils. He had even researched sculptures, and some part of his mind found that research and pulled from it. Between every column, out of the way of the major walkways, a plinth of marble with a sculpture upon it – representing many of the world’s species of exclusively Unseelie fae. Kudlak, gorgon, waterhorses, fie ellyllon, afrit, bogles and countless others. Vines grew upon these as well.' Gwyn also designed an inner-palace corridor decorated with 'Unseelie satyr, merfolk and wyrms'.

Gwyn built outdoor kitchens near the night gardens. For the gardens themselves, Gwyn created a haven of vines 'and flowering shrubs, trees with arching canopies that were fully grown. Grasses. Night-blooming species that both existed and had never existed before. He called into existence furniture, garlands of lights that could be lit by werelight or by flame. He brought in glass lanterns, fragile paper lanterns, bowers, outdoor pavilions, gazebos, bridges over streams, walkways covered in arches. He separated them by type. There, a night garden for magical plants and herbs. There, one for entertaining and feasting, redolent of the night-picnics that occurred after the Wild Hunts. Yet another became a maze, and there were more besides, each one with a different theme, all connected, spilling into old-growth forests that looked up to the constellations he was growing to love.'

The gardens also held plinths and sculptures, and numerous animal species, including at least one nightingale. There is a private garden with more sculptures.

In the herb gardens, there were branches that wept poison, black-blooming jonquils, and golden allium. Many pathways are cobble-stoned.

When Gwyn kicked Augus out of the Unseelie palace when Augus refused to explain what he'd done to the Raven Prince, and Augus tried and failed to re-enter the palace, the trows took Augus to a more private area of the night gardens, where he eventually encouraged an underground stream into a four meter by four meter lake.

The night gardens also hosted the Masque during the Winter Court.

While transforming the Court, Gwyn discovered the well of energy from the underworlds or the Nightingale, put there by the Nightingale, which Gwyn removed.

Gwyn gave Ash a personal bar and a library, since he knew Ash liked reading, and a large balcony, where he raises plants. Gwyn also gave Gulvi 'an eyrie near the top of the palace.' Near Gulvi's rooms, the walls are wood-paneled. In the main room where Julvia Dubna Vajat recovered, the 'room itself was high ceilinged, and one wall was marked with floor to ceiling arched windows.' It had a 'bed of straw and blankets in one corner of the room . . . A single wooden shelf screwed into the wall, and upon it many glass jars of herbs, vials of liquid, bandages – which seemed unnecessary. There was also a shallow earthenware vase, filled with swan feathers.'

Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden's room 'was an open plan guest-room, but in the time Fenwrel had stayed with them, she’d made it her own. Bouquets of bright flowers the colour of flames were held in elegant vases around the place. There was a woven tapestry by Fenwrel’s four-posted bed, depicting a battle between Mages.' The entrance is a pair of double doors, and it has a four-seater table and chairs.

The lush wetland from Augus' defeat remains in the bowels of the Court, with only a slight modification from Gwyn. A stone staircase leads down to it.

Eran Iliakambar described the new throne room as large, and the floor was 'a black marble with violet striations, [and] the columns [were] made of the same stone. Behind the columns, trees that had woven together so thickly they formed the walls, while above them, a canopy latticed together, black, glossy leaves shivering in an invisible wind. Eran thought he could see stars beyond them in the gaps, but he knew that wasn’t possible – the throne-room was on the ground floor, the palace itself was huge. It must have been an illusion.

The dais upon which the thrones rested was a shinier black, with no violet at all. The throne-room itself was impeccably clean, and though Eran didn’t want to see the beauty in it, he couldn’t help himself. There were archways leading to ballrooms, and at one point, Eran was sure he saw an arcade filled with carved columns, plinths with sculptures, vines that bloomed with heavy bowers of bloodied reds and alluring whites.'

The throne room initially had four thrones: one for Gwyn and his then three-person Inner Court. Gwyn's throne was 'furthest to the left, eschewing the central role. Not the giant thing he’d commanded in the Seelie Court, but comfortable.' It was also 'understated, even though it was wrought from some pale golden metal'. Beside Gwyn's throne was Augus': made of twisted vines and carved wood, slender but stable. In the centre, Gulvi’s throne hadn’t been moved since her reign. Hers was a brutal, huge thing, of leather and metal and wood melded together and almost grotesque. The back was a long narrow shape – almost like sword shaft – to give her room for her wings to rest when she leaned back against it.' Gulvi's throne is imposing and made 'of leather, bone, metal and wood.' 'Beside Gulvi was Ash’s throne, which was the most out of place, clearly found in the human world and upholstered with synthetic materials. It looked comfortable enough, but it made it plain that Ash’s affiliations were just as much of the human realm as they were of the fae.' After Gwyn promoted Fenwrel to Inner Court, a fifth throne was added between Gulvi and Ash's: 'a throne of a deep red wood with orange cushioning, cobalt blue contrasting threads. Fenwrel’s throne – designed for comfort and class.'

By the time of the events of *Unwound*, Julvia either took a room for herself, or sort of took over a room with her embroidery projects, located 'past the laundering rooms'. 'On the wall were embroidered hangings, on a rack was a folded quilt, and on the table nearby, several table runners all patterned in flowers, birds, consummate lettering. There were more since the last time [Gwyn had] been by.'

## Residents

* Ada (Common fae servant)
* Ach'for
* Aleutia the Rat-Maiden
* Anath
* Ash Glashtyn
* Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden
* Gulvi Dubna Vajat
* Grip
* Gwyn ap Nudd
* Julvia Dubna Vajat
* Old Pete
* Rhiannon
* Seanan
* Thursday
* Former
	+ Fluri the Mouse-Maiden
	+ The Nightingale
	+ The Raven Prince
	+ Zahak

## Folklore/Mythology

'In Scottish folklore, faeries are divided into the *Seelie Court* (more benevolent, but still dangerous) and the *Unseelie Court* (more malevolent).

The Seelie Court were described as those fairies who would seek help from humans, warn those who have accidentally offended them, and return human kindness with favors of their own. Still, a fairy belonging to this court would avenge insults and could be prone to mischief. The Unseelie Court, conversely, was used to describe the darkly-inclined fairies. Unlike the Seelie Court, no offense was deemed necessary to bring down their assaults.'

## Image Gallery

Fanart of Gwyn ap Nudd's Unseelie Court throne by invisiblejune https://invisiblejune.tumblr.com/post/180461444294/a-concept-of-the-five-thrones-of-the-original-workFanart of Augus Each Uisge's second throne by invisiblejune https://invisiblejune.tumblr.com/post/180461444294/a-concept-of-the-five-thrones-of-the-original-workFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat's throne by invisiblejune https://invisiblejune.tumblr.com/post/180461444294/a-concept-of-the-five-thrones-of-the-original-workFanart of Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden's throne by invisiblejune https://invisiblejune.tumblr.com/post/180461444294/a-concept-of-the-five-thrones-of-the-original-workFanart of Ash Glashtyn's throne by invisiblejune https://invisiblejune.tumblr.com/post/180461444294/a-concept-of-the-five-thrones-of-the-original-workFanart of Gwyn ap Nudd in the Unseelie Court by SulaMoon from "Game Theory", Chapter 44: Consultation https://sulamoon.tumblr.com/post/79107685673/this-weeks-focus-on-painting-drama-2-is-lost
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 28 February 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/2571883. Chapter 43: Homecoming.
2. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 2 - The Seething Seas.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 24 October 2019. https://archiveofourown.org/works/17959874/chapters/50374646. Chapter 17: Just Like You.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 21 March 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/2808781. Chapter 46: King.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 7 March 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/2655808. Chapter 44: Consultation.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 not\_poignant. "A Broken Feather, Straightened.” *The Fae Tales Verse - canon extras. Archive of Our Own,* 20 September 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/973180.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 not\_poignant. "These Troubled Times." *The Fae Tales Verse - canon extras. Archive of Our Own,* 11 November 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/2601050/chapters/5793404. Chapter 1.
7. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 18 June 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/4283271. Chapter 4: Suspicions.
8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 4 July 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/4088631. Chapter 3: Disintegration.
9. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 20 June 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/3901096. Chapter 2: Orphan.
10. ↑ not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 5 January 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/2257937. Chapter 35: Release.
11. ↑ not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 14 March 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/2732377. Chapter 45: Coronation.
12. ↑ not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 11 September 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/1886908. Chapter 10: Display.
13. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 18 November 2017. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036105/chapters/29092809. Chapter 8: Hand of God.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 1 August 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/4478196. Chapter 5: Unsolicited.
15. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 12 December 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/6186821. Chapter 21: Fracture.
16. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 26 February 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/7541705. Chapter 32: Limbo.
17. ↑ not\_poignant. "The Ash and Gwyn Interludes." *The Fae Tales Verse - canon extras. Archive of Our Own,* 3 January 2018. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246879/chapters/30335580. Chapter 3: Uncommon Interests.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 2 January 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/6705320. Chapter 24: Listen.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 12 September 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/5045072. Chapter 9: Amends.
20. ↑ not\_poignant. "Tumblr Prompts - Fae Tales." *The Fae Tales Verse - canon extras. Archive of Our Own,* 29 November 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5309705/chapters/12258998. Chapter 7: Hauntings.
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 27 October 2017. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036105/chapters/28495692. Chapter 6: The Court of Five Thrones.
22. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 29 August 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/4865985. Chapter 7: Debut.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 4 September 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/10796753. Chapter 59: Epilogue: Futures.
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 not\_poignant. “Unwound.” *The Fae Tales Verse - canon extras. Archive of Our Own,* 31 July 2016. https://archiveofourown.org/works/7562599/chapters/17386390. Chapter 4: IV.
25. ↑ "Classification of fairies". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classifications\_of\_fairies. Accessed 24 May 2021.