Tuesday, 28 November 2017

Seemings Part 04 - Fairest

Fairest
“I knew what my job was; it was to go out and meet the people and love them.” - Diana of Wales

The Fairest is a brilliant, shining, idealization. She’s too bright to look at, or reflects back to you the way you want the world to be. She speaks and the world listens. A gentle touch, a lingering glance, one compassionate word – these hold all the power she needs to lend strength to the doubting and win over the reticent. If she’s impervious to the grime of politics and intrigue, it’s only because she refuses to be put in her place.

The Fairest struggles, every day and night, to live up to her own myth, to be the great hero that they expected to be. She made a choice to take on the responsibilities of others on to their own shoulders, and sometime she succeeds. When a Fairest fails, when the crown falls from her brow, it falls in flames. A Fairest may not be the leader, but fate makes others look to her as leader time and time again. Whether she embraces that, or runs from it.

Once upon a Time: Before, many Fairest were diamonds in the rough, flowers that had not bloomed, or swords never drawn. Wasted youth, wasted life, wasted time. Minutes, hours, days, tick away and maybe she realizes, or maybe she doesn’t, but her life is passing by tick by tick. She could have stayed in school, or took piano lessons, or asked for that raise, or done a million things differently to make her life matter. But she just, didn’t, and her potential built and built and ripped her up inside, filling her stomach with guilt of what could-be until it started to consume her. Then, a trigger, a preventable tragedy that wouldn’t have happened if she’d just lived up to her potential. That’s when she knew what a waste it had all been, and either she flees to the Hedge, or she accepts a well-timed offer for change and goes to her Keeper willingly, if not wittingly.

In Faerie, you were pampered and cherished, even idolised by your Keeper. Your body was re-sculpted with a master’s touch, elegant and graceful, radiant and desirable. You were the ring that glimmered on your liege lord’s finger, the blade that danced in their hand, the voice of your Keepers will. Whatever the case, you were a novelty, a plaything. You were beautiful and noble, expendable and empty. You existed purely to glorify your Keeper, nothing more…

The Escape: Once, he’d be potential wasted. But then, in is Durance, he was potential suppressed. He could have been someone, he still had time, but he made a bad choice, or had shit luck. But the Fairest to be is also keenly aware that he is not alone here. With his own wasted potential stinging like salt in the eyes, he could see, know, and sense, that all the others with him, were wasted potential too. It wasn’t just about his own failure to grow anymore; it was about others like him, smothered as well. And so, the Fairest made a choice to sacrifice himself, or risk his own life to see potential blossom. He marked this, he pulled some portion of his skin from his own back to clothe and protect the others. He wouldn’t leave alone, he offered a hand out and did what he could to help others see they can go, run, and make it back home. The Fairest had a change of heart, and changed the hearts and minds of those around him, and in that moment, he escaped.

Now: You glorify yourself, because no one will do it for you. The truth of leadership is this: Sometimes it’s not about being right, it’s about appearing right. It’s about appearing right, even when there is no real right or wrong. It isn’t pretty, and it’s certainly a quick path to corruption, but it remains true regardless. Most people need to be led, and when they’re scared or desperate, they’re naturally going to turn to the Fairest. It’s the easy choice. And since so many are naturally going to put themselves in the hands of the Fairest, the Fairest has to do something, anything. You are the guiding light in a sea of uncertainty, the grandeur of Arcadia come to Earth in the flesh. Your friends know that when they tire from their labours or lose hope from their traumas, you’ll be there with words to inspire and a plan to win.

Nicknames: Muses, the Sovereign, Unicorns

Regalia: Crowns

Blessing:
Gain an additional dot of one Power attribute at character creation.

A Fairest may spend Willpower points on another character’s behalf for purposes of the usual three dice bonus or +2 resistance trait increase. You may only spend one Willpower per action. This ability costs a point of Glamour if any condition is in play that would cause contention or mistrust between the characters such as Leveraged or Notoriety.

Curse:
In addition to your character’s other breaking points, she risks Clarity damage with a dice pool equal to half her Wyrd (rounded up) whenever her action – or inaction – leads directly to misfortune for her allies.

Tales

They say she turned the heart of a Huntsman who sought to seduce her back to her Keeper. They say she showed him real love and changed his nature, and when he was called back to his Keeper, she went into the Hedge after him. Is it true? Who can say, but she wears a gold ring, a content smile, and gently brushes aside all suitors.

A majority of people will never notice him; he blends in all the other homeless drunks and drifters. The bottom of the bottom, living in tunnels under the city. They don’t see the gleaming sword he wears with honour at his side. It’s better that way. It makes it easier to find the worst of the worst, the monsters that kill those the city has forgotten. He defends the defenceless, with a sword of radiant sunlight. The Prince-Protector of the sewers.

No one calls the Citizen’s Advice Bureau Anymore, not when they can talk to her. She knows all the secret forms to fill in, the ones the Council won’t tell you about but can’t do anything about when they land on their desks. They look to her for leadership. They don’t just suggest she stands for election. They demand it. She’s holding out for now; it wouldn’t be too long before people find out how she plays the system just to make ends meet…but in these dark times the people need a champion. They deserve it…

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