Chapter One

Chapter One: Black Masks and Coronation Cake

In which our heroes meet a great and powerful Empire, it's young Queen and get into all sorts of sticky wickets.

What the bloody hell just happened?!

Prelude

Our heroes first arrive in london and are brought into the empire. They meet their mentors for the first time and begin to inadvertantly intangle themselves in the business of royalty. Along the way they ran through a park, kicked a priest in the nads, got arrested by a hairy man, got knockout flower blown up their nose, sat in the back of a small cottage hidden in an ambulance, and that was all in the first 15 minutes. Dr. Seward examined, Dr. Glastig prodded, Mrs. Blank comforted, and they were dropped in the lap of Mr. Black. Finally were introduced to your mentors- first at Sotheby’s Auction house (spring), The Pub (summer) and the Small Theater at Imperial College (autumn). Along the way you got insulted by a statue, sold work at auction, saw a mysterious man with long white hair, had your vomit made to disappear by a magician, took 5 shots, nearly got beaten up, and slept with a Princess of the realm (with a tail!). It was eventful.

Prologue

Our heroes have s a shared dream starring Professor Palindrome in which he denigrates the classic "Once Upon a Time" opening for stories, pointing out its sense of "Cultural Ja'mais Vu" and lazy storytelling. He tells our heroes to "save the Waste Paper Merchant."

One

Our heroes are formally introduced to the Eccentric Club and its eccentric staff. Sir Roderick Basset informs them of the benefits of pantsless reading and Moneypenny showed off the 60s era tech.

The Eccentric Club

Two

Our heroes are introduced to The Membership Committee, representatives from the four great courts that will decide if they are worthy of full citizenship in The Empire. They are sent into The M.C. Escher wet dream that is the Club’s Hedge-Bound equivalent. David Picket-Frost, the Summer representitive, argues for rejection, while Dr. Elspith Glaistig of Autumn pushes hard for entrance. Our heroes are nearly rejected before the meeting is interrupted by drunken revelers of Spring who announce that Queen Edane has called the committee off and wants to make a decision herself.

Three

A brief stop-off at Guildhall’s Clockwork museum reveals the splendor of the Clockwork Palace and introduces the Royalty of Summer. Princess Margaret (previously met and bedded by Gram Thew) is revealed to be engaged and awkwardness ensues. The Old Guard of Spring is also met, with smiles and chilliness towards the "young ones".

Four

Our heroes head with Princess Maggie and Sir Beryl to Forget in the West Side’s trendy club district to meet with The Royal Family of Spring. Drinks are consumed and introductions made to various movers and shakers in the court of spring. With very little warning, the party turns into utter Bedlam as clockwork Blackmasks kidnap an acquaintance of our heroes from uni. The Old Guard intervenes to announce that a quest is needed to find the missing teen. In order to "prove" themselves, Our heroes are roped into investigating the event.

Five

Crumple

They head off to the Portobello goblin market to save the Waste Paper merchant as the dream foretold. A pair of Mome Raths are shaking him down while wearing pea green hats and bowlers with tiny red bow ties. Our heroes manage to "pull rank" and convince the Mome Raths to leave without a fight. Crumple swears his undying loyalty (such as it is) and hints the Queen of Autumn could help in locating the Blackmasks. He also promises to start looking through the massive collection of trash he has to see

Six

After asking around the campus about the missing college student, it is discovered that he was one of Mrs. George’s many grandnephews. Making inquiries about The Queen of Autumn works far less. The Queen somehow learns they have been asking questions about her and sends Mitchell Hitchcock to demand an audience.

Seven

Our heroes enter the Cavern, a hollow that serves as the unofficial meeting place of The Court of Autumn. In the entryway, a changeling called The Crone looks our heroes over and makes many threatening and ominous comments about their futures. Queen Mary threatens to do something truly terrible to them all if they ever ask questions about her again. She backs up her claim by brandishing The Mortis and putting Percy Harving into a paralytic state (and causing him to drop a deuce his pants).

Eight

Our heroes head back to the Market. Crumple finds evidence suggesting someone purchased black military uniforms like those worn by the Blackmasks from the Black Cloth merchant on the other side of the market. The merchant points the finger at a group of non-imperial Changelings known as The Whitechapple Rippers. King George and his “Household Cavalry” arrive to do a random sweep of the market and ride off to assault the Rippers. Everyone feels highly uneasy about this.

Nine

Our heroes head to the Club. The Rippers have been apprehended and the quest is completed. Lord Clarence Golightly passes sentence within the hour and orders them all to be put to death. Crumple meets Nellie Whistle in an alleyway outside the club and confesses a “Fish-Woman” gave him the evidence in question and told him to point the motley at the Black Cloth merchant. He begs forgiveness and merges with a rubbishbin.

Ten

For Get

Queen Edane and Prince John have our heroes sign the Charter of the Land and welcome them into the Empire at For Get.

The World Famous London Daily Mirror

For other articles see- London Daily Mirror

For Get Gets What For

They scum, they go - and sometimes they hang around like a debt collector's letter. Yes, the weather has barely turned and one of the city’s most infamous hot-spots is knee-deep in shysters. George “Get” Ethan-Brooks’ divorce papers have barely been dry for a year and a bevy of buxom babes are bulling the big bopper with a slew of allegations, the latest of which are that the water in his Posh West Side club’s Tony rooftop pool has been laced with LSD!

This is not the first time trippy sights have been seen in For Get, a club gifted to Getty by his family when he turned 21…

(MORE SCANDAL ON PAGE 5)

Creatures of Beautiful Madness

(This will be significantly larger and differently structured then a normal session, as you have just met these characters for the first time)

Winter

• Mortimer, Duke of Mistletoe- Wizened/?

Prominent member of society, bridge player and solicitor who is a member of the queen’s Privy Council, The Duke of Mistletoe is very well-connected individual.

• Mr. Black- Darkling/Mirrorskin

Your one-time court-appointed mentor, the tiny man can change form to mimic any person with a replacement of a mask and a few turns of a crank that pops out of the side of his head. He traded his name away to a hobgoblin for an unknown boon.

• Irene Travers- Fairest/Flamsiren.

Secretary to Sir Roderick. The courts eyes on the President of the Eccentric Club, she makes sure that Sir Roderick doesn’t fly off the handle or go outside without pants. It’s a tough job.

• Dr. John Seward- Wizened/Chigurion

The most prominent member of the medical establishment of the Empire. His eight fingered hands seem to work wonders in surgery and his private practice largely keeps him out of the NHS.

• Daniel Wiresmith- Elemental/Levinquick

Accent ADD afflicted, Wiresmith is a “Functionary of Winter”, serving the courts as administrators and bureaucrats.

• Mrs. Victoria Blank- Darkling/Mirrorskins.

A woman constantly in a fog, Mrs. Blank is a charming and beautiful woman. At least you think she is. You can’t quiet recall her exact features. You’re drawing a bit of a… never mind.

Spring

• Queen Edane- Beast/Swimmerskin

The flighty, vain and surface deep Queen of the court of spring. The youngest of the court leaders and most assuredly the best connected in the modern world, Edane eschews most rules of proper behavior and procedure, preferring to live the mortal life (with privileges) rather then deal with the icky non-realities of the Lost.

• Prince John Between-The-Bedsheets- Fairest/Dancer

African, handsome as hell and a wiz with the ladies, Prince John is the closest advisor to Queen Edane and has been made her Heir Apparent (despite being older then she is). John is far more aware of formal niceties, and seems to intervene when Edane has overstepped.

• Simon Palindrome, Duke of Letters- Wizened/Author

A professor of classical literature at Imperial College in London, The Duke of Letters is a member of the old guard of spring, the classicalists who don’t exactly approve of Queen Edane’s reign. His presence in your dreams is another matter all together…

• Mrs. Constance George- Fairest/?

Mrs. George is one of the wealthier of the changelings of spring, due to the fortuitous death of her Fetch when she returned from Arcadia. In control of the family fortune, the wiry thin epoch of proper behavior seems to have influence over most of the “Old Guard” in spring and even members of summer and winter like King George and The Duke of Mistletoe.

• McKendry Cak- Oger/Farwalker

The herald of spring seems to suffer so at the whims and arrows of his fellow court-members. The stoic furry blue man acts as bodyguard, secretary and gopher to the Queen.

• Astrid Glass- ?

An appraiser at Sotheby’s auction house, the flawless features of Astrid’s glass features are only subsumed by her bubbly personality. She seems to retain a mid-80’s fashion sense, but that’s in style right now so who knows? She was once linked to Mitchell Hitchcock and is now dating the at-least-10-years-her-junior Ben Ashmore.

• Ben Ashmore- Beast/Truefriend

If guys who used puppies as ways to get girls met Ben they’d hate him. He’s a member of a Motley called “The Modern” and is a hardliner supporter of Queen Edane. A good friend who’s loyal to a fault, Ashmore commands a lot of respect among the teenaged Lost.

• Lord Clarence Golightly- Beast/Coldscale

Lord Judge of the Realm. Telling you as much would take the old turtle over an hour.

• Father Forthill- Ogre/?

You kicked the poor man in the nads. Let him alone!

Summer

• King George, The Dragon- Fairest/Dragonic

Rumored to have been taken to arcadia during the Crimean war, George is a jingoistic optimist who doesn’t mince words or hesitate to go riding off into danger for Empress and Country. His opinions of non-imperial changelings and hobgoblins seem to be VERY low, perhaps owing to the 1997 Anglo-Hob War.

• Princess Margret- Beast/Steepscrambler

A pert young child of wealth and privilege, Princess Maggie has been brought up around hard-drinking, football-loving, supernatural soldiers of summer. She’s engaged to Prince Charming, but that didn’t stop her from jumping into bed with someone else not too long ago…

• Sir Beryl Whitehall- Fairest

Devastatingly Handsome with perfectly chiseled featured and a well-muscled torso, Sir Beryl is not only seemingly in-line to replace King Albert via his marriage to his Ward, but he’s also the most highly placed changeling in the mortal government, working at Whitehall, the building housing Parliament.

• Mr. David Picket-Frost- Wizened/?

The man who “Crosses all the T’s and dots all the I’s” for the summer court, Mr. Picket-Frost is an easily frustrated civil service member. While his opposition to your membership in the white tower almost got you sent out of the city to another freehold, he was seemingly attempting to protect you from Dr. Gastling. Why is still unclear.

• Joshua Wolff- Beast/Hunterheart

An officer in the 1st Regiment of the Summer Court and a leader among the lost who escaped from the clutches of the Pan, Josh Wolff respects what most of the rank-and-file summer courtiers’ respect- hard drinking, hard fighting, and football. Anything else would be for ponces.

• Red Mariah- Ogre/?

The bartender at the Pub. She could arm-wrestle you to hospital with a compound fracture. She can pour 'em and put 'em away with the best and worst of them. Don’t piss her off.

Autumn

• Queen Mary Bloodletter- Fairest/Sidhe

Not even I want to talk about her any more.

• Prince Edward- Animal/Hunterheart

Violent and Predatory, Prince Edward is the blunt instrument of fear to the Queen’s more refined efforts. Where Mary takes a terror born deep within the soul, Edward takes the fear of physical punishment and pain.

• Lord Vallum- Darkling???

The Queen’s loyal right hand, Lord Vallum wears clothes made of sewn together scraps and despite being nobility in his own right grovels at the feet of his glorious dark mistress. She treats him like a cherished pet.

• The Crone- Fairest/Sidhe

An old blue soothsayer who seems to guard the entry to see the Queen of Autumn. She knows things that people should not and passes them on with sadistic joy to her Queen. After all, neither of them are people.

• Dr. Elspith Glaistig- Darkling/Palewraith

Psychiatrist to the changeling population, Dr. Gastling is a caring doctor who specializes in curing crippling phobias. She calmly explains that her success ratio is due to her own transparent process, and can’t understand why some would make her out to be a monster.

• Baron Amyas Crayle- Elemental/Stonebones

Art that makes Art, remembering the vistas and beyond beautiful deranged architecture of his Arcadian prison. He’s somewhat gruff but appreciates different points of view since as a rock he’s stationary.

• Mitchell Hitchcock- ?

Almost nothing up his crushed maroon velvet sleeves.

Humans

• Sir Roderick Basset

Pants less President of the Eccentric Club. Likes unusual people.

• Reginald “Moneypenny” Pricock

Long-Suffering staff member of the club. Mans the front desk and generally keeps the place tidy.

Non-Humans

• Crumple, The Wastepaper Merchant- Hobgoblin

Appearing to be made of trash, Crumple owes you for getting the Mome Raths of his back. He was compelled to lie to you once, and it has caused him great shame.

• Mr. In. Formation- Hobgoblin

Seemingly Australian know-it-all. Charges great sums for seemingly unimportant information. A stick figure in a small black suit with a cylindrical yellow head and a top hat. Very odd.

• Mome Raths

Mome= From home. Raths= Green Pig Monsters. The pea green suits, pea green bowlers and little red bowties are just for fun.

• The Blackmasks- ?

?

Obfuscated (Unseen, but known)

• The Empress Victoria- ?

The empress of the seasons, standing above the seasonal high regent. Her only real power is to pick when the seasons start and stop. No way to abuse that right?

• King Albert Balmoral of Winter- Wizened/Chatlinate

Reclusive and depressed King of the Winter Court.

• Dr. Barnabas Collins- ?

Second of Bedlam’s staff doctors (note the big B). Needs milk.

• The Whitechapple Rippers- ?

Members of some freehold called “Blackstreet Manor”. Possibly innocently accused and executed, possibly still guilty but not totally proven.

The Gentry (Unseen)

• The Pan

Just don’t call him Peter. You may get punched.

• Mab & Maeve

The Queen of Air and Ice and her daughter. Mistresses of Darkness. Gods of the Old Ways. Not very nice.

• Aslan

Talking lion with a bit of a messiah complex.

Questions... Questions that Need Some Form Of Written Response

For other questions see- The Master Question List

• Did the Queen of Spring frame the Rippers? Why would she?
• Was Matthew Bramstetter chosen for a particular reason? Why did the Blackmasks come take him at all?
• How did Mr. Black lose his first name?
• How did the Queen of Autumn manage to take over her court? Is it true that she pulled a Coup? How did she know you were asking about her at the Goblin Market?
• What EXACTLY did the courts do in the ’97 war against the Goblins? How did they slaughter the Harrods Market?
• What happened during WWII? Did the blackmasks really last appear then?
• Who was the white haired man in Sotheby’s?
• What will the empire do about Percy’s fetch?

The Books
The Book of Spring: Chapter One: Black Masks and Coronation Cake • Chapter Two: The Illuminated Texts • Chapter Three: The Good Fight • Chapter Four: A Little Drop of Poison • Chapter Five: Games of Fortune • Chapter Six: For Everything
The Book of Summer: Chapter Seven: War Aeterna • Chapter Eight: War Plan Red • Chapter Nine: Trust No One • Chapter Ten: Best Laid Plans • Chapter Eleven: The Quest • Chapter Twelve: The Saber Arch • Chapter Thirteen: The Diary of Prince Martin • Chapter Fourteen: Sacrifices • Chapter Fifteen: There Is A Season
The Meeting
The Book of Autumn: Chapter Sixteen: Black Holes and Revelations • Chapter Seventeen: The Last Magic Mirror • Chapter Eighteen: The Final Terrible Fate of Elizabeth Chandler • Chapter Nineteen: Treason, Sedition, Heresy • Chapter Twenty: Iron Sacrifice of Body, Will and Soul • Chapter Twenty-One: Time For Every Purpose
The Book of Winter: Chapter Twenty-Two: Pax Hiems • Chapter Twenty-Three: The Diary of Mrs. Thistle Sept-Dec 1888 • Chapter Twenty-Four: Choices