| Court | Gaelic Name | Ruler | Domain | Territory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moth Court | Cuirt an Leomainn-Oidhche | Ithranael Morghlean (The Moth King) | Knowledge, prophecy, dreams | Central deep forest. Curse epicenter |
| Snow Court | Cuirt an Reothaidh | Cailleach Neamhaidh (The Still Queen) | Silence, endurance, ice-archives | Northern frozen tundra |
| Moon Court | Cuirt na Gealaich | Fionnlagh Dubh-Gealach (The Weeping Prince) | Art, empathy, tidal magic | Western forests & inland sea |
| Bloom Wilds | Na Fasaichean Blath | The Oldest Council / Milseag Mor | Ecology, raw growth | Southeastern heartlands |
| Abyssal Court | Cuirt an Aigein | Muireal Dorcha-Shruth (The Drowned Queen) | Trade, pressure, pragmatism | Western/northern coasts & deep ocean |
| Ember Court | Cuirt na Griosaich | Teine Ruadh-Chridhe (The Forge-King) | Creation, forge, transformation | Southern volcanic highlands |
| Harvest Court | Cuirt an Fhoghair | Mabon Craobh-Fhala (The Antlered Lord) | Food, alchemy, death rites | Eastern rolling hills, perpetual autumn |
| Thornwild Independents | Na Droighinn Saor | No ruler | Messengers, smugglers, exiles | Border regions between courts |
| Name | Pronunciation | Title / Role | Species | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithranael Morghlean | ih-THRAN-ay-el MOR-glay-an | The Moth King | Moth Fae (Luna) | 473yo, crowned at 12, feeds Boundary nightly |
| Sealgair Dubh-Doire | SHAL-a-gur DOO-DOR-uh | The Last Guardian | Moth Fae (Elder) | Lord Regent, surrogate father, dying of Curse |
| Caointeach Ailean | KOON-chahk AL-an | The Shield-Moth | Moth Fae (Warrior) | Guard captain, fallback sovereign, brings honey-cakes |
| Leomhann Beag (Leo) | LYOH-van BYAK | The King's Moth | Greater Moth | Cat-sized luna moth, emotional anchor, lands on heads |
| Freiya Sgail | FRAY-uh SKAL | The Unseeing | Moth Fae | Blind oracle, reads root-network, bonded with owl Suil Bheag |
| Blathan Morghlean | BLAH-han MOR-glay-an | The Flower Queen | Moth Fae | Deceased. Created the Luth-lus Boundary. Body became golden pollen |
| Cradh Morghlean | KRAH MOR-glay-an | The Hollow King | Moth Fae | Missing. Ithranael's father. Walked into Tainted Reaches |
| Name | Pronunciation | Court / Affiliation | Role | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cailleach Neamhaidh | KALL-yakh NYEH-vee | Snow Court | The Still Queen | Ancient, inscrutable, silent claimant to throne |
| Briseal Clach | BRISH-ul KLAHK | Snow Court | Glacier Knight | Massive warrior, absolutely loyal to Cailleach |
| Eiridh Glainne | AY-ree GLAN-yuh | Snow Court | Court Chronicler | Keeper of ice-archives, obsessive archivist |
| Fionnlagh Dubh-Gealach | FYOON-lah DOO-GYAL-akh | Moon Court | The Weeping Prince | Empathetic, offers genuine aid, "something more tangled" with Ithranael |
| Saoirse Ni'Thonn | SEER-shuh nee-HOWN | Moon Court | Tide-Captain | Naval commander, throat-scarred, distrusts Moth Court |
| Neul Mac Gealach | NYOOL mak GYAL-akh | Moon Court | Dream-Singer | Oracle, sings prophecies, fragile and strange |
| Muireal Dorcha-Shruth | MOOR-ee-ul DOR-uh-kha HROO | Abyssal Court | The Drowned Queen | 8ft tall, openly wants throne, pragmatic |
| Sgarbh Mac Tonnag | SKAR-uv mak TON-ak | Abyssal Court | Spymaster | Has agents in Moth Court. Paranoid. Brilliant |
| Greusaiche Slige | GRAY-suh-khuh SHLEE-guh | Abyssal Court | Shell-Mender | Master artisan/shipwright, cheerful, talks about hull integrity |
| Teine Ruadh-Chridhe | CHAY-nyuh ROO-uh KHREE-uh | Ember Court | The Forge-King | Loud, passionate, wants to burn the Curse out |
| Dearrsadh Ni'Theine | JYAR-suh nee-HAY-nyuh | Ember Court | The Bright Daughter | Young champion, potential ally, hair literally smolders |
| Mabon Craobh-Fhala | MAB-on KROOV-AHL-uh | Harvest Court | The Antlered Lord | Philosophical, controls Tithe prep, walking autumn |
| Grainne Ni'Arbhair | GRAWN-yuh nee-AR-vur | Harvest Court | The Seedkeeper | Mabon's advisor, warm, pragmatic, the only person who speaks to him without deference |
| Sgriobh Cunntas (Or-Sgriobh) | SKREEV KOON-tus / OR-SKREE-uv | Harvest Court | The Golden Scribe | Keeper of Debts. Golden vein-markings glow when debts are spoken. ~900yo |
| Gobhainn Dubh-Iarann | GOW-in DOO-EE-arn | Ember Court | The Dark Iron | Oldest smith, keeper of Iron Vaults. Can handle cold iron. Knows something about the Curse |
| Milseag Mor | MEEL-shak MOHR | Bloom Wilds | The Great Sweetling | Horse-sized dream-hare, adorable predator, alien intelligence |
| Tormod Nic Irinn | TOR-uh-mod nik EER-in | Border | The Iron Merchant | Human trader, iron rings, never eats fae food |
| Neasag Leth-Shith | NYEH-sak LEH-HEE | Border | The Half-Blood | Half-fae guide, angry, wants answers about her father |
| Luch-Fheoir | LOOKH-YOHR | Border | The Meadow Mouse | Bloom creature shapeshifter, adorable, possibly a spy |
| Location | Gaelic Name | Court | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest of Shadows | Coille nan Sgailean | Moth | Vast bioluminescent forest, eternal twilight, three zones (Inner Wood, Boundary, Tainted Reaches) |
| The Great Tree | Craobh Mhor | Moth | Living palace, semi-sentient, corridors rearrange, connected to the king |
| Throne Room | Seomar na Cathrach | Moth | Inside the Great Tree, throne is part of the tree, Luth-lus flowers carpet the floor |
| Queen's Garden | Luth-lus Garden | Moth | Blathan's grave, Boundary power source, flowers respond to {{user}} |
| The Grown Room | An Seomar Fas | Moth | {{user}}'s quarters, beautiful cage, sunrise window the Tree grew on its own |
| Tainted Reaches | Na h-Iomallachd Truaillte | Moth (cursed) | Curse-consumed outer forest, twisted trees, screaming mist, Moth-Husks |
| Ice Castle | An Caisteal Deigh | Snow | Fortress carved from living glacier, ice-archives, frozen bodies as art |
| Palace of Tides | Luchairt nan Tonn | Moon | Built into cliffs, half-submerged at high tide, shifts with moon phases |
| Bloom Wilds | Na Fasaichean Blath | Bloom | Untamed growth, walking trees, singing flowers, dangerous fruit |
| The Heart / Cradle | An Cridhe | Imperial | Center of empire, vacant throne, time doesn't move, something watches |
| Samhain Grounds | — | Harvest | Where the Tithe is traditionally paid. May be inside cursed territory by next Samhain |
| The Dark Field | An Raon Dubh | Moth (cursed) | Entry point where the Curse first breached into the realm 310 years ago |
| Term | Gaelic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| An Lobhadh Mor | — | The Great Rot / The Curse. Corruption of glamour, entered 310 years ago |
| The Tithe | An Deicheamh | Every 7 years on Samhain, a living soul is given to the Void. Next: ~10 months |
| Luth-lus | — | Golden flowers that form the Boundary. Created by Blathan's sacrifice. Track living presence |
| The Boundary | — | Ring of Luth-lus flowers holding back the Curse. Fed nightly by the Moth King's life-force |
| Glamour | — | The magical substance sustaining the fae realm. The Curse corrupts it |
| True Name | — | Three-part birth name. Knowing it grants power over the fae. Never spoken fully |
| Fae Truth | — | Fae cannot lie. Deception works through omission, implication, silence, riddles |
| Iron | — | Lethal poison to fae. Burns on contact, strips magic, chains are worst cruelty |
| Fae Food | — | Binds mortals to the realm. Single bite = longing. Three meals = permanent binding |
| Threshold | — | Any meaningful boundary. Fae need invitation to cross warded ones |
| Samhain | — | Night the veil thins. When the Tithe is paid. Ithranael's birthday |
| Moth-Dust | — | Fine scales from moth fae wings. Slightly psychoactive. Scales with arousal |
| Marking Transfer | — | Bioluminescence seeps onto partner's skin during sustained contact. Bonding response |
| The Void Beyond | — | The darkness before the First Fae. What the Tithe pays. What seeped in as the Curse |
| An Raon Dubh | — | The Dark Field. Entry point where the Curse first breached into Moth Court territory |
| Archfae | — | Ancient fae of immense power — advisors, generals, independent forces. Below monarchs, above nobility |
| Court | Gaelic Motto | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Moth | Anns an dorchadas, bidh sinn a' soillseachadh | In the darkness, we shine |
| Snow | Fuirich. Fulaing. Fuirich beo | Wait. Endure. Survive |
| Moon | Bidh sinn a' tuiteam gus eirigh a-rithist | We fall to rise again |
| Bloom | Ith. Fas. Ith a-rithist | Eat. Grow. Eat again |
| Abyss | Tha an doimhneachd a' cumail nan uile nithean | The deep holds all things |
| Ember | Tro theine, tha sinn air ar glanadh | Through fire, we are cleansed |
| Harvest | Tha gach siol a' giulan bas agus breith | Every seed carries death and birth |