The Coalition of the Classless

**The Coalition of the Classless** is a group of classless fae meant to maintain proper balance in the fae realm. Gwyn ap Nudd asks for Marika and the Nain Rouge's help in forming it anew during Albion's war with the Unseelie Court.

## Appears in

Major canon:

*The Court of Five Thrones*

## Details

When tensions mount between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, where Albion continues his campaign of attacking the Unseelie, Luma suggests that Gwyn ap Nudd appeal to the classless fae, as Gwyn is classless, and ask them to help, as classless 'stay out of wars, but they can be drawn forth to help during times of when there is an unusual magnitude of unrest, like now. Some say it’s why classless fae exist. The swell of power when all seems hopeless.' Gwyn also observes how well the trows work together and even cohabit across alignments, as if alignments didn't exist, and that some of his best advice during his time as Unseelie King came from sources from both alignments, likely including Mikkel and Ondine for Seelie sources, along with his Council of War Generals and his Inner Court for the Unseelie.

Gwyn later visits Marika to suggest the idea of a Coalition of the Classless: an inter-alignment assemblage of classless fae not to include Gwyn, who could mediate affairs between the Courts during this time of unrest. He proposes that Marika contact Seelie classles fae, while he would reach out to the Nain Rouge to do the same for the Unseelie classless fae. When Marika notes that the Coalition might demand Gwyn and Albion's resignation from their positions as Kings, Gwyn replies that it would be a relief, and that he is too destructive a force on both sides to be a fair party on the Coalition. He also rolls his eyes at the idea that this is his attempt at a Third Court, as the Nightingale had attempted.

Marika agrees to reach out to the Seelie classless, and Gwyn departs for the Nain Rouge. After some negotiation, he agrees to promote her to Capital status in exchange for her assembling the Unseelie classless fae. The Nain Rouge points out that the classless were already reaching out to each other before Gwyn started this venture, and this was only a stop-gap measure until a new Mage war started, which would '*ruin* the fae realm.' But she agrees to Gwyn's deal and sends him away.

The Seelie military circles the Unseelie Court itself, the Unseelie attempt to recover from a terrible battle, and the Wild Hunt is permanently ended after Prince Vane attempts to assassinate Gwyn. The White Stag speaks with the Seelie classless, and is the final catalyst to get them to join with the Coalition. ‘The Wild Hunt made them realise that it was about them too. They realised they had something to lose.'

Marika and the Nain Rouge gather 11 classless fae each from their respective alignments (24 classless fae all told), and join together to discuss the matter of the war between the Courts. Only eight fae are identified from each alignment, so there are four from each alignment unaccounted for. Tigbalan and Makara are mentioned as potential candidates, but as Gwyn mentions all the fae he recognizes, and he knows Tigbalan on sight (and might be able to guess Makara), it seems unlikely they fill out two of the unknown Unseelie classless.

#### Known Seelie Classless Coalition Members

* The Great Anqa
* Marika
* Oberon
* Old Pete
* Pegasus
* The Ratcatcher of Hameln
* Robin Goodfellow
* Vasilissa

#### Known Unseelie Classless Coalition Members

* Baba Yaga
* Babok, the Bag Man
* The Black Annis
* The Nain Rouge
* Shagfoal
* Shellycoat
* The Spider Queen
* Yallery Brown

Together, they agree on certain sanctions that will be placed on each Court. Some members of the group propose a century-long ceasefire between the Courts, though this is shot down.

The Nain Rouge arrives and summons Gwyn and his Inner Court - including Augus Each Uisge, Gulvi Dubna Vajat, Ash Glashtyn, and Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden - to a meeting with the Coalition. Presumably Marika does the same for Albion, as Albion and his Inner Court - solely consisting of Alysia mer Malakhy and Davix - are also present.

The location for the meeting is 'a cavern . . . [with] clean, pure water surrounding a raised underground platform. Around them, twenty four classless fae sat around a circular stone counter, the ancient power in the room crushing and dizzying, feeling like endless pressure'.

The Nain Rouge welcomes them before sitting down in her own stone chair. Marika then takes over, explaining the purpose of the Coalition, and that cooperation between the alignments 'was part of what made the fae realms so great', but that cooperation was broken, laws 'of etiquette have been broken. We are all here in agreement, ready to lay sanctions, and ready to bring our powers to bear should those sanctions not be met. Seelie and Unseelie both, we will lend you our support if you listen and obey, and we will strike you down, if you don’t.'

When Albion protests at being ordered around, particularly given *Gwyn* betrayed the Seelie Court, first Marika, and then Baba Yaga silence him, with Baba Yaga being harsher: 'You are not the only one who has been called god, Albion of the Atlantic. And those of us who choose to remain behind, agree to stay out of the affairs of the fae as much as possible. But you, recalcitrant child, force our hands. Do not push us. Even the sea can be conquered.'

Marika notes that Gwyn was already punished for hiding his alignment by being 'condemned before his peers, his status removed, his symbols of power taken from him and imprisoned. If he then escaped your clutches, Albion, he is freed by the old laws of what it is to be fae – wiliness trumps order, amongst Seelie and Unseelie both. His betrayal has been acknowledged, and that debt of betrayal is considered cleared amongst this Council. Continue to think you have a right to punish him on behalf of the Court, instead of on behalf of your own pettiness, and there will be consequences.'

The Nain Rouge details the sanctions against the Seelie Court: the military will withdraw, and there would be no battle with the Unseelie Court for a decade, outside territorial disputes and self-defense, no assassinations, and they are to stop bothering inter-alignment communities. The Ratcatcher then details the sanctions against the Unseelie Court: no 'more concerted assassinations of the Seelie's elite. And no more calling upon the life debts of Seelie fae unless you *dire* need.' The Unseelie Court is also barred from direct battle with the Seelie Court for a decade, outside territorial disputes and self-defense.

Both Kings agree to the sanctions, and Marika presents one last requirement: a member of the Coalition will go to the opposing alignment's Court to make sure that the sanctions are being respected. Old Pete goes to the Unseelie Court, and the Spider Queen goes to the Seelie Court. Both Kings also agree to this, though only Gwyn offers hospitality.

Marika says that in a decade, the Coalition will reconvene. The Coalition will also announce its existence, publicly, so that other fae will know of the sanctions, and that the Courts are accepting the Coalition's protection.

The Spider Queen later sends Gwyn notes about some of the things she observeds at the Seelie Court, and Gwyn assumes Old Pete is doing the same for Albion.

## Trivia

* During the meeting, Old Pete resigns from his position on Albion's Court, and, after Gwyn is notified that Old Pete will be traveling to Gwyn's Court, Old Pete volunteers to serve as Gwyn's storykeeper, as Gwyn doesn't have one.

## References

1. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 26 December 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/6404462. Chapter 23: Confrontation.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 6 February 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/7205945. Chapter 29: Classless.
3. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 31 July 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/10152347. Chapter 54: Fraught.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 14 August 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/10409742. Chapter 56: Islands.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 7 August 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/10279800. Chapter 55: Refuge.
6. ↑ 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.