[2E] Homebrew Courts and Freeholds

[tasti man LH]

Similar to how a new thread was made for custom kiths in observance in the change in developers and rulesets, figured it might be time to start a new 2e homebrew thread for freeholds and their courts. And any other discussion regarding court creation.

Developing my own courts right now, but it's going to be a bit before I can post that up.
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All completed write-ups on homebrew Courts and Freeholds are below here. This post will be regularly updated whenever new write-ups are added.

Traveler's Courts
by haren

"What are the 'roles' of the various Courts?? Also, how does the Freehold work?"

First off, this particular Freehold is either a carnival or circus. But the roots of the Courts are old, possibly predating the Seasonal Courts (a matter of great contention when it comes up between the nomadic Courts and Seasonal ones). The names have changed slightly, but the MEANING is the same. Which implies that perhaps a Court Patron's identity can change slightly (as with name) as humanity changes.

As to roles of the Courts... The Freehold is a nomadic one, and the leadership are more like each has a particular field/time they rule over. And yes, path are the scouts. Cargo is day to day rulership until Carriage takes over. Crossroads determines where they're headed and is more long term planning. Carriage is night to night. They rule over the nights till day. Path Court also the ones who, to a degree, decide where/when the other three Courts rule. They decide when to stop, and when to start again. They're in effect the ones who are responsible for getting from point A to point B. But they take a back seat once they take up temporary settlement in a town. At that point, they're probably in charge of making sure routes of exit are secured and deciding how long they'll set up, barring terrible circumstance. But the one thing they always rule over is the gathering of resources, since such requires leaving the Path. Crossroads rules in that in between time between the road and having a temporary home.

Path wears the Crown while the Freehold is all in motion. Crossroads wears it while they are still traveling, but now paused for rest (including the time as they both setup or takedown for a temporary residence in an area). Cargo and Carriage wear the crown when they have decided to take up temporary residence (in day and night cycles as mentioned above) after everything is fully set up.

Full doc

Pathways Court
Crossroads Court
Cargo Court
Carriage Court
Bargains
Carnivale of Gossamer Veils
Contracts:

• Carriage (pt 1, pt 2, pt 3, pt 4)
• Cargo (pt 1, pt 2)
• Pathways (pt 1 )
• Crossroads (pt 1)

Courts of Comedy and Tragedy
by Mad_Maudlin

After the Great War, the Seasonal Courts of Berlin were just as damaged as the rest of the country. Those Lost who made it through the Hedge in these years found precious little to keep them there, and the depopulated freehold became easy prey for privateers. To that end, in 1921, the former Spring Queen and Winter King forged new Bargains with Comedy and Tragedy, reorganizing the remaining Lost to either laugh in the face of despair or learn to live with it.

Court of Comedy
Court of Tragedy

Santa Muerte Courts
by Hsienfan

Death has always watched over the people of Mexico. That isn't an insult, or a poetic commentary on their state of affairs, despite what news or TV shows about the drug trade might have you think-- It is verifiable religious truth. Mictēcacihuātl tended to the Aztec underworld, and in the wake of the conquistadores and forced conversion to Catholicism, the natives eventually dressed her in the clothing of a folk saint: Our Lady of Holy Death, Santa Muerte, she who watches over the lost. Unlike what some say is a silent, uncaring god in Christianity, Santa Muerte can do anything, protect anyone... and that especially includes the Changelings who petition and swear vows in her name.

Red Court of All Desires
White Court of Purity
Black Court of Doom and Power
The Blue Court

Tellurian Courts
by MrParaduo

Unlike the Seasonal Courts, who function on a time table, the Tellurian Courts center on a bizarre form of checks and balances. Divided into three courts (Empyreal, Purgation, and Infernal), both the freehold’s wards and crown are determined by whom of said-three is weakest. This prevents the other two from muscling them out, and ensures power is balanced between the trinity. This confounds the Gentry, unable to comprehend a game that cannot be won. What’s more, wearing the crown does not grant authority over the entire freehold. On matters that involve the freehold, a council is held comprised of three representatives. How these representatives are chosen is entirely up to their respective Courts. In freeholds with a large population of changelings, the Tellurian Council increases its number to at most nine delegates (three for each court). Usually such representatives were past or current bearers of the crown, but this is not the iron rule. To ensure the wards are maintained, however, the rites and ceremonies of the crowned court take precedence over the other two.

Purgatory
Heavens
Inferno
Crowns
Mantle
Legends

• Purgatory
• Heavens
• Inferno

Runner Courts
by Weird

Maker Court
Taker Court
Breaker Court

Toontown Courts
by tasti man LH

Hollywood, California 1930's

It’s said that there is no other business like show business. And the changelings of the Toontown freehold in Hollywood know this intimately.

Like many mortals of the time, the Gentry were fascinated by the realm of animation. Especially with the idea of humans creating entirely new worlds and characters with nothing but paper, pencils, and ink. So naturally, the Gentry wanted some of that for themselves. So many changelings in this time period as cartoon characters. Coming back to our world after going through the Hedge, things were actually worse for them when they came back. Non-toon changelings regarded toon changelings with more suspicion and fear then they normally would. Their fae meins, their manifestations of their Contracts, and their…toon way of thinking, they were deemed too strange and bizarre to be among them. Toon changelings were repeatedly barred from entry into freeholds and ostracized from other changelings.

So, the toon changelings got together to form their own freehold, naming it Toontown. Word quickly traveled around the world that there existed a freehold where any toon changeling could find a home and where they could find other Lost like them. And that they understand and appreciate the strange and bizarre world of cartoons together.

The Cartoon Courts roles are as entertainers. They understand that to entertain is to invoke specific emotions within the audience. And that sometimes, certain emotions are what the audience needs depending on what’s going on in their life. Especially in the current times, when the Great Depression was in full force and people needed a little bit of entertainment to take their mind of the troubles of the real-world.

Laughing Court
Musical Court
Horrific Court

[Mad_Maudlin]

Great timing, I'm working on my Courts of Comedy and Tragedy right now...

[MCN]

Okay, so, something I noiced that ight be relevant to court contracct creation.

The emotional contracts in each court are almost identical. Every single court seems to have a variation on the following:
- sense the emotion in someone and stoke / redirect it
- Inlict the emotion heavily and uncontrollably on the target (wake the inner faerie, mein of baba yaga)
-create manifestation of that emotion
-appear as manifestation of that emotion
- destroy emotion in target

Given the similarities between the emotional contracts between each Court, you can very likely just c/p these basic templates. That's half of the contract work down, aking things a lot easier.

[milo v3]

Interesting Note: Emotions don't need to be involved at all, apparently emotional ties is a seasonal thing rather than a court thing. Not to say that only seasonal courts have emotional ties, just that it isn't something intrinsic to courts.

[Kleptomania]

I was wondering whether the Tidal Courts of Ipswitch would fit well in Boston, as well as other coastal New English Freeholds. I don't know enough to say.

I was thinking about using the Courts of the Eagle Hawk and the Crow for Melbourne, connected to two important figures in Kulin mythology. I don't know about that, though, as I'm unsure whether I can do it justice, or even if it's a good idea in the first place.
While I'm pretty happy with the Seasonal Courts for Sydney, I have precious few ideas for the rest of Australia.

I had plans to design a Court system inspired by the Aztec myths of the Five Suns, although I'm debating creating an Aztec variant of the Directional Courts instead. I don't know which, if either, of those ideas is good.

Somewhere in Winter Masques, I think, the text briefly mentions that there's a Freehold out there divided between the Courts of the Donkey and the Elephant, which I thought might be fun to write up. I guess it might fit as a D.C. Freehold, but I don't know.

I wanted to write up the Beijing Freehold, which the Hong Kong section says interferes in local Changeling politics. I thought Directional Courts would fit, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to use the Court of the Centre discussed in Dark Eras or not. Another possibility is that Beijing's Directional Courts went out of the window after Mao, but I have no idea whatsoever what I could replace them with.

I was going to use a Court system based on classical astrology and the constellations somewhere, but I wasn't sure where I would put it.

Really, I have far too many half-baked ideas.

[tasti man LH]

Okay, so, something I noiced that ight be relevant to court contracct creation.

The emotional contracts in each court are almost identical. Every single court seems to have a variation on the following:
- sense the emotion in someone and stoke / redirect it
- Inlict the emotion heavily and uncontrollably on the target (wake the inner faerie, mein of baba yaga)
-create manifestation of that emotion
-appear as manifestation of that emotion
- destroy emotion in target

Given the similarities between the emotional contracts between each Court, you can very likely just c/p these basic templates. That's half of the contract work down, aking things a lot easier.

Yeah, I noticed that too in my read-through on Court Contracts.

It is something to consider, and that Seasonal Court Contracts are...slightly re-skinnable.

Really, I have far too many half-baked ideas.

Dude, don't go crazy with too many ideas. Stick with one idea, and see through the completion of the idea, and when you're done, THEN you can work on the next idea.

[MrParaduo]

I'm actually trying to make a 3-courts freehold based on the Divine Comedy. (I call them the Tellurian Courts as a placeholder.) What's holding me up is, trying to find a Bargain that fits Zeal, which is the MO of the Celestial Court. Any suggestions?

Edit: Zeal being more about passion, dedication and enthusiasm.

[haren]

I just had an idea this morning... I've always been a fan of Midnight Roads and wanted (and for a time slightly did) run a traveling game. But it hit me... what if the game was a whole traveling Freehold? What sort of Courts would it have? And I'm thinking Pathways, Crossroads, Cargo, and Carriage. In other words, roads, crossroads, vehicles for carrying gear and freight, and vehicles for carrying people primarily. Now I only just came up with the idea, but it's something that I'm starting to percolate on.

I'm actually trying to make a 3-courts freehold based on the Divine Comedy. (I call them the Tellurian Courts as a placeholder.) What's holding me up is, trying to find a Bargain that fits Zeal, which is the MO of the Celestial Court. Any suggestions?

Edit: Zeal being more about passion, dedication and enthusiasm.

My instinct is for the Bargain of Zeal to be one where the True Fae must obey their passions to take back changelings, NOT to kill them. In short, even though met with lethal force, Fae have to focus on non-lethal methods of defeating the Freehold. They can put them in chains, beat them, but they can't kill them, even if it would be easier.

[MrParaduo]

I just had an idea this morning... I've always been a fan of Midnight Roads and wanted (and for a time slightly did) run a traveling game. But it hit me... what if the game was a whole traveling Freehold? What sort of Courts would it have? And I'm thinking Pathways, Crossroads, Cargo, and Carriage. In other words, roads, crossroads, vehicles for carrying gear and freight, and vehicles for carrying people primarily. Now I only just came up with the idea, but it's something that I'm starting to percolate on.



My instinct is for the Bargain of Zeal to be one where the True Fae must obey their passions to take back changelings, NOT to kill them. In short, even though met with lethal force, Fae have to focus on non-lethal methods of defeating the Freehold. They can put them in chains, beat them, but they can't kill them, even if it would be easier.

I love you so much right now. THANK YOU!!

[MrParaduo]

My second Court is Purgatory (Purgation, Pale Court, haven't decided) and it's sort of similar to the Dusk Court in that it focuses on Regret, Fatalism, and Inevitability. It also has ties to Hedge ghosts, etc. but the Bargain is with Death itself.

Problem is my current bargain is worded like a toll. Before the Gentry or their loyalists can take anything from the freehold, they have to pay something of equal value. This includes life. I'm not sure if that's a reasonable bargain, though.

[haren]

My second Court is Purgatory (Purgation, Pale Court, haven't decided) and it's sort of similar to the Dusk Court in that it focuses on Regret, Fatalism, and Inevitability. It also has ties to Hedge ghosts, etc. but the Bargain is with Death itself.

Problem is my current bargain is worded like a toll. Before the Gentry or their loyalists can take anything from the freehold, they have to pay something of equal value. This includes life. I'm not sure if that's a reasonable bargain, though.

I think you can make it equal if you say they WILL (willingly or not) pay something of equal value. If they take a changeling, then by pact, one will be lost by them or something similar. It's just they tend to pay upfront because at least they have SOME say in what they lose. That makes it kinda like oaths and why you swear oaths specifically, otherwise the Wyrd will make sure terms are paid to its satisfaction.

[MrParaduo]

Beautiful. Final Court: Inferno. Their Bargain is that Gentry and loyalists must indulge their vice at every opportunity until satisfied. So even if they're being attacked by freeholders, the glutton cannot stop eating unless he intends to eat the enemy, the building, etc.

...Too simplistic?

[haren]

Beautiful. Final Court: Inferno. Their Bargain is that Gentry and loyalists must indulge their vice at every opportunity until satisfied. So even if they're being attacked by freeholders, the glutton cannot stop eating unless he intends to eat the enemy, the building, etc.

...Too simplistic?

I'm a fan. It also kinda mirrors the link the Hedge (and therefore probably Arcadia) have with Vice.

[MrParaduo]

Aw, thank you! <3

Now onto the Crowns. Not sure what the limits are regarding mechanics. But! I've made it so that--since it's not seasonal based--the weakest of the three courts manifests its crown. This isn't limited to number of courtiers per se, rather, it prevents said-court from being completely muscled out by the other two. This also means that the weakest court also defines the current geas in effect, giving them some measure of political clout.

[haren]

Ok, this is just a start, as I'm brainstorming it with friends on IRC (though I welcome comments here as well!)

My thoughts are Path Contracts tend to deal with stuff like mirages, highway hypnosis, and stuff like that. I'm thinking they're exceptionally good at hiding when someone has LEFT a path figuratively or literally. They deal with the here and now, snap judgements. Crossroads with with the idea of their being a "right" and a "wrong" way. So picking the optimal path in both a literal and figurative way. Of confusing which is the correct one. Their Contracts tend to be "slow burn" things that deal with long terms and consequences. Cargo Contracts deals with safety and security, both while traveling and "in camp". By comparison, Carriage is about COMFORT. (I know the last two are shorter, but I think they're easier to imagine how they work.)

"What are the 'roles' of the various Courts?? Also, how does the Freehold work?"

First off, this particular Freehold is either a carnival or circus. But the roots of the Courts are old, possibly predating the Seasonal Courts (a matter of great contention when it comes up between the nomadic Courts and Seasonal ones). The names have changed slightly, but the MEANING is the same. Which implies that perhaps a Court Patron's identity can change slightly (as with name) as humanity changes.

As to roles of the Courts... The Freehold is a nomadic one, and the leadership are more like each has a particular field/time they rule over. And yes, path are the scouts. Cargo is day to day rulership until Carriage takes over. Crossroads determines where they're headed and is more long term planning. Carriage is night to night. They rule over the nights till day. Path Court also the ones who, to a degree, decide where/when the other three Courts rule. They decide when to stop, and when to start again. They're in effect the ones who are responsible for getting from point A to point B. But they take a back seat once they take up temporary settlement in a town. At that point, they're probably in charge of making sure routes of exit are secured and deciding how long they'll set up, barring terrible circumstance. But the one thing they always rule over is the gathering of resources, since such requires leaving the Path. Crossroads rules in that in between time between the road and having a temporary home.

Path wears the Crown while the Freehold is all in motion. Crossroads wears it while they are still traveling, but now paused for rest (including the time as they both setup or takedown for a temporary residence in an area). Cargo and Carriage wear the crown when they have decided to take up temporary residence (in day and night cycles as mentioned above) after everything is fully set up.

It's still rough, but it kinda shows a separation between road/not-road and day/night being generally the way the Courts work. But the big takeaway is generally each Ruler relies on the other three as important advisors in their own area of specialty or even a general.

Edit: Something that had occurred to me but I hadn't said was that these sorts of Freeholds likely take on those changelings who for whatever reason have trouble fitting in with "normal" society and 9-5 life. At least the ones who they think will fit into the nomadic lifestyle. This could also explain some of the negative views of nomadic types of people as "weird" or "untrustworthy"... they're not bad, but they're playing by a different ruleset than most people.