Mab

"Once you're mine...you're mine forever."

Queen Mab is the ruler of the Dark Fey. While not evil in the traditional sense, the Dark Fey can be malicious and cruel, and often enjoy making sport of mortals for little more than their own amusement. Mab and her court reside over part of the first world, with her castle constantly surrounded by ice and snow. Mab is particularly well known for her practice of torturing mortal men who succumb to her advances initially, but should they try and scorn her...they will be met with the most terrible fate the Queen of the Dark Fey can muster.

## The Court of the Dark Fey

The Court of the Dark Fey is made up of bards, witches, and fey adepts who are generally only evoked for malicious reasons. Though they are not evil in the same sense as fiends and other entities, they can be malicious, cruel, petty, and spiteful. As Queen of the Dark Fey, Mab herself embodies all of these traits. The Fey Lords are, often begrudgingly, respected by all, as they are the deities most likely to take offense to mortal slights.

Despite her power and the prestige of her position, Queen Mab enjoys bending men to her will. It is said that many of the stories and songs passed around by bards about the beautiful women they have come across in their travels are mistakenly about the Queen of the Dark fey herself. Sometimes she lures men to her under the guise of a mortal, convincing young wanderers that they have found the woman of their dreams in some far away land. Other times she appears in all of her glory, drawing in men with a display of her power. While Mab can resort to magic and other methods of forcing men to fall for her, she finds it most enjoyable when their love and longing for her is genuine, as it makes taking advantage of them that much more enjoyable.

However, Mab does this for more than her pleasure. It is well known that the Dark Fey have a treaty with Hell itself that requires the payment of a tithe of mortal souls every 7 years. These mortal souls generally come from the men Mab has drawn to her as her mortal lovers.

## Titania vi Veranor

Mab can be cruel to both the mortal lovers she takes in addition to their children, perhaps none more so than Titania vi Veranor, otherwise known Sleih Beggey (which stands for "small one" in Sylvan). Once Mab claims a mortal as her own, she regards them as property, and will curse these mortals should they ever find another lover. Titania's father, King Astacon vi Veranor, was one such mortal. When King Astacon found himself a wife, a cursed followed him. The couple's first childbirth would result in the death of both the Queen and the child.

It was during Titania's birth that another fey appeared, offering to take the King's child with her. However, this came at a terrible cost. King Astacon would have to sacrifice his daughter and never make contact with her. In effect, Titania would never be his child. The fey assured him that if he did so, both the Queen and the child would live. And so Astacon sacrificed Titania and she was brought to the fey world.

The fey who raised her, simply called "Mother," brought her to the First World. Titania would ask several times about her origin, but she was always told "You will find your destiny in due time, small one!" The name stuck, and most fey now know her as Sleih Beggey. Titania was always a curious soul and spent much of her time exploring. Soon Titania would depart, making her way deeper into the First World, and finding herself in the Witch Market where she set up a shop.

One day, the Witchmarket was visited by a group of armored fey seeking a girl with short horns and red hair. At first the people of the market resisted, claiming that nobody could pay the cost of taking her. A regal nymph with a presence so commanding that everyone, including Titania, was compelled to bow in her presence. Aggys demands a bottle of the Nymph's last tears as payment, and to her surprise the regal nymph provided her with a bottle. Titania was taken, but not before Aggys whispered to her that someone would rescue her.

Titania soon found herself face-to-face with Queen Mab, who knew much of her past and is very cross with her, even though they had never met before. Mab's anger towards her father was still present, though it is still unknown what precisely she intended for Titania. The adventurers Grok, Meva, Volundr, Ronda, Falenas, and Sasha would eventually rescue her, making their way deep into Mab's castle in order to bring her to safety. Luckily, the adventurers never made direct contact with Mab, so it is unknown how much she knows about them or if she was even aware of who Titania's rescuers were.

Neither Titania nor the adventurers had heard from Mab since, but if history is any indication, the Fey Queen is simply biding her time.

## Relationships

Queen Mab is the twin sister of Oberon, a Fey whose nature is the antithesis of that of her sister. Hey symbol is a White Diamond and is the leader of the Court of Light Fey. She is the deity of Faerie folk and Realms, Friendship, and Magic. Due to their polar opposite personalities and desires, the two have an immense hatred of one another, but also a begrudging respect. Neither one wishes to engage in conflict with the other, recognizing how it would bring the First World to ruin. And so, the two typically focus on separate affairs.

Though Mab is the current Queen, the future and previous Queens are also present in her court. The former Queen, often regarded at simply the "Winter Queen." Though she is still highly respected, her powers pale in comparison to those of Mab, and she is typically regarded as little more than an adviser. Queen Mab also has a daughter, typically referred to as the "Lady of the Dark Fey." Her name is Maeve, and though she is youthful and inexperienced, it is known that she will one day take up Queen Mab's mantle. Unlike Mab, she is more apt to exploring the world of Mortals, and has not learned to be quite as cruel as the current Queen. Despite their titles, the Winter Queen and Lady should not be thought of as Mab's "family" as deities such as they do not age normally, and it is unknown under what circumstances the title of Queen must be transferred.

One other figure present in Queen Mab's court is her Knight. Typically a mortal of some renown, the Knight of the Dark Fey is gifted with power by Mab, but also cursed to endure endless torment. The Knight is a famous warrior who has, at one point in time, fallen for Mab. He serves as her guardian and enforcer, and at other times...her favorite torture subject. It is said that when Mab is frustrated, she typically takes out her anger on her Knight, who is completely powerless to resist her torture. And when you are as powerful as Mab, she can break her Knight as much as she pleases, rebuilding his mind and body as much as she sees fit...if only to break him again.

## Powers and Abilities

As with most deities, Mab is capable of overwhelming shows of force. Her magic is typically winter themed, with ice and spontaneous blizzards being her primary means of causing destruction. However, as with most fey, Queen Mab prefers to focus on trickery rather than a fair fight. She would rather rely on illusions and other enchantments to bend mortals to her will rather than simply kill them outright. Generally, she will allow the Fey who serve her, as well as her Knight, to handle matters requiring force rather than herself.