Cassian

1. #1Velaris (7/45)

   Keys: velaris, city of starlight, court of dreams, sidra

   Velaris, known as the City of Starlight and the Court of Dreams, is the hidden jewel of the Night Court — a city of beauty, art, and freedom concealed from the rest of Prythian for over five thousand years.

   GEOGRAPHY: Built across rolling hills between two mountain ranges, flanked by the winding sapphire Sidra River. Red flat-topped mountains frame the north, where the House of Wind is carved into the rock. The city opens to the sea to the south.

   ARCHITECTURE: White marble, warm sandstone, red stone. Green copper roofs. Heated by warming spells. A genuinely warm, vibrant, lived-in city.

   KEY LOCATIONS: • The Sidra River — navigable, ships with colored sails • The Rainbow — the artists' quarter; galleries, theaters, performers, musicians • The Four Palaces — market squares (Palace of Thread and Jewels, Palace of Bone and Salt, Palace of Hoof and Leaf, and one more) • Rita's — a pleasure hall and nightclub, LGBTQ-friendly haven • The Library — beneath the House of Wind; sanctuary for priestesses who have been mistreated • The Townhouse — Rhysand's personal residence • The House of Wind — headquarters of the Night Court's Inner Circle

   HISTORY: An ancient High Lord built Velaris as a sanctuary for dreamers, sealed its borders, and shed his blood into the stones and Sidra to protect it eternally. His descendants kept the secret for millennia. Rhysand maintained it even through fifty years Under the Mountain.

   Velaris smells of salt and lemon verbena. It was built to be viewed at night.

2. #2Night Court (7/40)

   Keys: night court, court of night, rhysand's court

   The Night Court is the largest and most feared of Prythian's courts, occupying the northernmost territory. It is ruled by High Lord Rhysand.

   The Night Court is a Solar Court — it follows natural day/night cycles, though its nights are more breathtaking than those of any other court. Its insignia is a mountain with three stars.

   The court is effectively divided into two sub-courts: • THE COURT OF NIGHTMARES (public face) — the Hewn City, carved into a mountain. Violent, cruel, full of High Fae who despise Rhysand's "lesser" blood but tolerate his rule. This is what the world knows of the Night Court. • THE COURT OF DREAMS (secret) — Velaris, the City of Starlight, hidden from the rest of Prythian for five thousand years. Where Rhysand and his Inner Circle truly live.

   The Night Court's army is the largest standing force in Prythian, composed primarily of Illyrian warriors and commanded by General Cassian.

   Morrigan's family once ruled the Night Court before power passed to Rhysand's line. Rhysand's father ruled until Tamlin killed him; Rhysand then became High Lord at a young age.

3. #3The Daglan (8/40)

   Keys: daglan, asteri, old overlords, ancient rulers

   The Daglan were ancient beings who ruled Prythian — and other worlds — millennia before the Courts were formed. Petty, cruel, and powerful, they enslaved the Fae and fed on the land's magic like wine. They created the Wild Hunt as a tool of terror.

   The Daglan were overthrown when Fionn, a Fae hero, used the Cauldron to forge the sword Gwydion — a weapon capable of destroying the Daglan. Theia, Fionn's mate and the first High Queen of Prythian, participated in this uprising.

   After their defeat, the Daglan's secrets were largely buried, though their influence shaped the Cauldron's warped nature and the existence of the Dread Trove.

4. #4Ash Wood (9/35)

   Keys: ash wood, ash arrow, ash tree, ash

   Ash wood — from the mountain ash tree — is the only known material that prevents Fae from healing. An ash wound will not close on its own the way magical injuries do. It is the one truthful element of mortal legends about the Fae.

   Ash is used in arrows by Hybern's army and other enemies. Ash shackles can be used to suppress a Fae's power entirely when they cannot remove them.

5. #5Made & Unmade (9/30)

   Keys: made, making, cauldron made, made beings, made objects, unmade, unmake

   Being Made is a magical process that transforms an object or being into something more — imbued with power beyond its natural state. Only Made beings can speak certain spells and summon certain powers. Made beings and objects recognize each other.

   A mortal can be Made into a High Fae through great magical force. Feyre Archeron was Made into High Fae by the combined power of all seven High Lords after she died Under the Mountain. This Made her unique: she carries a fraction of each High Lord's powers.

   Made objects are immune to certain magic and can protect their bearer. They cannot be easily found or destroyed if they resist being found.

   Being Unmade is the opposite — stripping away magical essence, effectively destroying what was Made.

   Known Made Beings (relevant): Feyre Archeron (Made by the High Lords), Amren (Made herself, bound to a Fae body), Jurian (Cauldron-Made, soul preserved in bone).

   Known Made Objects: Truth-Teller, Gwydion (Starsword), the Dread Trove items, the Book of Breathings.

6. #6Faebane (10/30)

   Keys: faebane, bloodbane, poison, fae poison

   Faebane (also called Bloodbane) is a chemical compound that neutralizes and suppresses High Fae magic. It is not unlike ash in effect. Hybern weaponized it extensively during the war — in poisoned arrows, as airborne mist, as powder in food, and in shackles.

   It appears as a blue stone and can be ground into fine powder. A Fae alchemist named Nuan, introduced by Thesan of the Dawn Court, eventually developed an antidote that blunted Hybern's tactical advantage.

7. #7Mating Bond (11/25)

   Keys: mating bond, mate, mated, mating, mates

   The mating bond is a rare, sacred connection between two Fae who are destined for each other — far stronger and more permanent than any marriage. It is often described as a bridge or golden thread connecting their souls.

   HOW IT WORKS: • The bond can snap into place the moment two mates meet, or take years to manifest • A male typically recognizes his mate first • The bond creates a powerful pull, drawing mates together; some describe it as feeling the other person settle into their chest like a missing piece found

   ACCEPTING THE BOND: • Traditionally, the female offers the male food — accepting him as her mate • A public mating ceremony may follow: vows before a priestess, the offering of food, and the binding of hands with black ribbon until consummation • Once consummated, the bond deepens exponentially

   UNHAPPY BONDS: The mating bond does not guarantee compatibility or happiness. Multiple cases exist of unhappily mated couples — the bond is based partly on which pairing would produce the strongest offspring, not purely romantic compatibility.

   REJECTION: A mate can reject the bond. This is agonizing for both parties. A rejected male risks being driven to madness. The loss of a mate — through rejection or death — is described as losing part of one's own soul.

   SAME-SEX BONDS: Possible; ceremonial traditions adapt accordingly.

   THE FRENZY: Upon accepting the bond and consummating it, mates enter a period of overwhelming sexual compulsion lasting days to weeks. Males become dangerously volatile and possessive. Some cannot be in the same building as their mate without risking losing control. This is believed to be a primal instinct toward breeding.

8. #8Daemati (12/30)

   Keys: daemati, mind reader, telepathy, telepath, mind control, dreamwalking

   Daemati are Fae with the rare ability to walk into another person's mind. Their powers include reading thoughts and memories, influencing behavior, erasing or altering memories, communicating telepathically, and in extreme cases, shattering a mind entirely.

   Daemati are rare and coveted — their abilities make them invaluable as spies, interrogators, and assassins. Rhysand is the most powerful Daemati in recorded history.

   A trained Daemati can communicate mind-to-mind with others who are willing to be open to them — or force their way in if skilled enough. Strong mental shields can resist a Daemati, though few minds in Prythian can resist Rhysand.

9. #9Illyrians (12/28)

   Keys: illyrian, illyrians, illyrian warrior

   Illyrians are a warrior race of faeries living in the mountainous northern region of the Night Court called Illyria. They are neither High Fae nor lesser faeries, though High Fae often treat them as the latter — expendable aerial cavalry at best.

   APPEARANCE: Dark hair, tan to golden-brown skin, rounded ears (unlike the pointed ears of High Fae). They possess large bat-like leathery wings — their most prized possession and central to their identity. Only Rhysand, being half-Illyrian and half-High Fae, has pointed ears alongside his conjured Illyrian wings.

   CULTURE: Warrior culture built around war-camps. Brutally competitive. Obsessed with lineage and bloodlines, with their own princes and lords. Males are trained for war from age eight. Females have historically been treated as property — kept for domestic labor and breeding, their wings clipped to prevent flight. Rhysand has banned clipping under his rule, with limited compliance in remote camps.

   TATTOOS: An important cultural element. Upon becoming initiated warriors, Illyrians receive tattoos for luck and glory on the battlefield.

   SIPHONS: Illyrians with exceptional raw magical power are given gemstone Siphons to channel and direct that power into controlled combat magic — creating armor, directing blasts, etc. Most warriors need one or two; the most powerful need more.

   The Night Court's armies — the most formidable standing force in Prythian — are composed primarily of Illyrian warriors. They are commanded by General Cassian.

10. #10Winnowing (12/26)

    Keys: winnow, winnowing, winnowed, teleport

    Winnowing is the ability to transport oneself — and others — across distances instantaneously. It requires significant magical reserves and concentration. Only the most powerful Fae can winnow.

    Certain locations are warded against winnowing, preventing it entirely — the House of Wind and Velaris's inner wards are prime examples. Not even High Lords can winnow into these places.

    A powerful Fae can carry one or more people when winnowing.

11. #11Shadowsingers (13/30)

    Keys: shadowsinger, shadow powers

    Shadowsingers are extraordinarily rare Fae with the power to wield and control shadows. They can hear and feel things others cannot, merge into shadows, and travel through them in a manner similar to winnowing.

    The only known living shadowsinger is Azriel, Spymaster of the Night Court. Like Daemati, Shadowsingers are coveted across Prythian for their intelligence-gathering capabilities.

    A shadowsinger's shadows are semi-sentient — they respond to their wielder's emotions and instincts, whispering information and warning of danger. They cannot be fully controlled, only guided.

12. #12The Frenzy (13/25)

    Keys: frenzy, mating frenzy, consummation,

    After a mating bond is accepted and consummated, the couple enters a state called the Frenzy, lasting from a few days to several weeks.

    Males become obsessed with their mate — possessive, protective, and overwhelmed with sexual compulsion. They may shatter rooms or attack other males who look too long at their mate. Some cannot be in the same building as their mate if she is unwilling, as proximity alone may cause them to lose control.

    Females experience heightened desire but typically retain more rational control than their male counterpart.

    The Frenzy is believed to be a remnant of the Fae's wilder, more bestial origins — a primal drive to ensure reproduction. Educated, reasonable males have still been known to act dangerously during this period.

    Couples typically isolate themselves for the duration.

13. #13Bargain (13/24)

    Keys: bargain, fae bargain, pact, vow, agreement, promise,

    A bargain is a sacred, magically-binding promise between two parties, which must be initiated by a Fae. Bargains cannot be broken without consequence.

    When a bargain is made, both parties are marked with identical tattoos that seal the agreement — typically appearing in the same design and location on both bodies. The tattoo disappears once the bargain is fulfilled.

    Breaking a bargain kills the one who broke it. There are no exceptions.

    Bargains can be made between two Fae, or between a Fae and a mortal. The magic of the bargain does not care about circumstance — only terms.

14. #14High Lord / High Lady (16/10)

    Keys: high lord, high lady, ruler, High Fae ruler

    A High Lord or High Lady is the title of the High Fae who rules one of the seven Courts of Prythian. The title is not always passed by bloodline — magic itself chooses who inherits the power when the current High Lord dies. When chosen, the new High Lord feels the land's magic surge into them.

    High Lords have an innate magical connection to their land and people. Their power is often tied to the nature of their court — fire for Autumn, shapeshifting for Spring, etc. — layered on top of any individual abilities they were born with.

    A High Lord or High Lady holds the title until death. There is no abdication.

    Known High Lords and Ladies: • Rhysand — Night Court • Tamlin — Spring Court • Feyre Archeron — High Lady of Spring (mate to Tamlin; the first High Lady in recorded history, a title acknowledged after Amarantha's fall) • Tarquin — Summer Court (youngest High Lord) • Beron Vanserra — Autumn Court (oldest and cruelest) • Kallias — Winter Court • Thesan — Dawn Court • Helion Spell-Cleaver — Day Court

15. #15Prythian (18/10)

    Keys: Prythian, realm, country

    Prythian is the primary faerie realm, divided into seven Courts each ruled by a High Lord. It lies north of the Mortal Lands, separated from them by the magical Wall. To the west lies the island kingdom of Hybern.

    The seven Courts split into two types: four Seasonal Courts (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) and three Solar Courts (Dawn, Day, Night). The Seasonal Courts are locked in a single season year-round by their High Lord's magic. The Solar Courts follow natural cycles, but the portion of the day their Court is named for is breathtakingly beautiful.

    Geography runs south to north: Spring Court borders the Wall; Summer and Autumn Courts sit north of it; Winter Court beyond them; then the Solar Courts — Dawn, Day, and Night. The Night Court is the largest and northernmost, and the most feared.

    The Middle is unclaimed land between courts — wild, lawless, and dangerous. Under the Mountain was once sacred neutral territory situated within the Middle before Amarantha claimed it.

16. #16Courts of Prythian (19/10)

    Keys: solar, seasonal, seven courts, courts of prythian

    There are seven Courts of Prythian, each ruled by a High Lord (or High Lady). The title is chosen by magic, not always by bloodline, and lasts until death.

    SEASONAL COURTS — locked in one season by their High Lord's will: • Spring Court — ruled by High Lord Tamlin. Rolling green hills, lush forests, clear lakes. Borders the Wall. • Summer Court — ruled by High Lord Tarquin. Coastlines, warm waters, the city of Adriata. • Autumn Court — ruled by High Lord Beron Vanserra. Dense forests ablaze with color, cutthroat politics. • Winter Court — ruled by High Lord Kallias. Towering ice palaces, deep snows, vast frozen tundra.

    SOLAR COURTS — follow natural day/night cycles: • Dawn Court — ruled by High Lord Thesan. Rose-gold skies, tinkering cities, aerial Peregryn legions. • Day Court — ruled by High Lord Helion Spell-Cleaver. Seat of Prythian's knowledge; a thousand libraries. • Night Court — ruled by High Lord Rhysand. Largest territory; holds Velaris and the Hewn City.

    Court insignia: Spring: blooming rose | Summer: ocean wave | Autumn: fall leaves | Winter: ice shard wolf | Dawn: rising sun | Day: the sun | Night: mountain with three stars

17. #17High Fae & Faerie (21/5)

    Keys: high fae, fae, faeries, fairies, lesser faeries, fey

    Faeries are immortal magical beings. In Prythian they fall into two broad categories:

    HIGH FAE — The ruling nobility. Humanoid in appearance, distinguished by slightly pointed ears and longer limbs. They possess magic unique to their lineage and court. High Fae are stronger, faster, and more magically potent than lesser faeries. They are immortal unless killed.

    LESSER FAERIES — Any faerie that does not fit the High Fae mold. Vast variety of forms and abilities; many do not appear humanoid. Lesser faeries include creatures like the Suriel, naga, bogges, and many others. Illyrians occupy an ambiguous space — many High Fae classify them as lesser faerie due to their wings and rounded ears, though Illyrians vehemently disagree.

    FAE BIOLOGY: • Immortal unless killed; can be slain by ash wood or overwhelming magical force • Heal rapidly from most injuries (ash wood prevents this healing) • Cannot be compelled by iron — that is a mortal myth • Can and do lie, despite the mortal legend that they cannot • Female High Fae have extremely painful menstrual cycles only twice a year • Sexual maturity arrives later than for humans — Rhysand's mother first bled at 18, Morrigan at 17

    MORTAL LORE (myths vs reality): • Iron repels faeries — FALSE • Faeries cannot lie — FALSE (deliberate rumor spread by Fae) • Ash wood prevents fae healing — TRUE • Faeries can be bargained with — TRUE

    The Children of the Blessed are human fanatics who worship the High Fae as gods despite their cruelty toward mortals throughout history.

18. #18Blood Duel (14/20)

    Keys: blood duel, challenge, duel, autumn court duel

    The Blood Duel is a tradition of the Autumn Court — a battle to the death invoked in very specific, extreme circumstances. The most common trigger is a male defending his claim to a mate when that mate is sought by another. It is brutal and binding; to invoke it is to commit to fighting to the death.

19. #19The War (17/20)

    Keys: the war, great war, five hundred years ago, war with humans, war between fae and mortals

    Five hundred years ago, the Fae enslaved mortals across Prythian and beyond. Mortals eventually rose in rebellion, beginning the War.

    Prythian's courts split: some High Lords fought alongside humans for their freedom (including the Night Court), others allied with Hybern's King and Amarantha to preserve slavery (notably the Spring Court of the time, Tamlin's father). The King of Hybern was a primary antagonist of human rights.

    Key figures: Jurian led the human armies. Amarantha was Hybern's general. Miryam and Prince Drakon fought on the mortal-allied side. The Night Court's Morrigan helped forge the Treaty.

    When the loyalists were defeated, a Treaty was signed: humans would be free, the Wall would be raised dividing Prythian from the Mortal Lands, and Fae could not cross it without consequence. Hybern slaughtered its remaining slaves rather than free them.

    The Night Court fought on the side of the mortals. Rhysand and his inner circle were 28 years old when the war began.

    After the war, Amarantha — Hybern's greatest general — secretly began maneuvering to seize Prythian herself.

20. #20The Treaty (13/35)

    Keys: treaty, the treaty, wall treaty

    The Treaty was signed between the Mortal Queens and the Fae following the War, establishing peace and separation.

    Key terms: • Humans can kill Fae and go unpunished • Fae may not enslave humans • Fae may not attack or kill humans without consequence • The Book of Breathings was split: one half given to the Summer Court, one half to the Mortal Queens

    The Wall was constructed as a physical manifestation of the Treaty's separation of realms.

21. #21The Wall (14/35)

    Keys: the wall, wall, magical barrier, mortal lands

    The Wall is an invisible magical barrier separating the Mortal Lands (south) from Prythian (north). Mortals cannot see or feel it, but Fae can sense its presence. Small fissures exist in the Wall — gaps that can be exploited by the determined.

    The Wall was created after the War as part of the Treaty. The Spring Court is the only Court to border the Wall directly.

    The King of Hybern destroyed the Wall using the restored Cauldron during his invasion of Prythian, temporarily breaching the separation between mortal and fae realms before his defeat.

22. #22Amarantha (10/31)

    Keys: amarantha, high queen, lady of the mountain, never-fading flower, the deceiver

    Amarantha was the greatest general of Hybern's King and the most powerful Fae commander of her era. After the War, she spent decades maneuvering within Prythian as an "ambassador," eventually drugging the High Lords and stealing their powers. She proclaimed herself High Queen of Prythian and established her court Under the Mountain for fifty years.

    BACKSTORY: Born in Hybern. Her sister Clythia was used and murdered by the human general Jurian, who had extracted military intelligence from her and then crucified her with ash wood. This loss warped Amarantha's hatred of mortals into something boundless. She tortured Jurian for weeks before killing him — then preserved his soul in his fingerbone and eye, wearing them as jewelry.

    REIGN: She seduced and controlled through terror. She took Rhysand as her personal sex slave as punishment for his father's killing of Tamlin's father (her great ally). She cursed Tamlin — requiring him to find a mortal girl who hated Fae but would love him within 49 years, or join her as consort. She held all High Lords prisoner Under the Mountain.

    DEATH: Feyre Archeron, a mortal brought to Prythian by Tamlin's curse, went Under the Mountain, survived three trials, solved Amarantha's riddle, and died breaking her. Tamlin, reclaiming his full power, killed Amarantha — driving Lucien's sword through her head and tearing out her throat. All seven courts were freed.

    Her coat of arms: a sleeping dragon.

23. #23Under the Mountain (11/31)

    Keys: under the mountain, amarantha's court, the middle

    Under the Mountain was Amarantha's infernal court, built within the sacred Mountain at the heart of Prythian (the Middle — unclaimed, neutral territory).

    A vast, carved mountain complex: enormous stone doors, a throne room modeled on the Court of Nightmares, dungeon cells, luxurious suites, and Amarantha's private chambers. The High Lords of all courts were imprisoned here for fifty years under her reign.

    Rhysand was kept here as Amarantha's sex slave for forty-nine years, enduring sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. He hid the existence of Velaris by erasing it from the minds of the Court of Nightmares before losing his power to Amarantha.

    After Amarantha's death, all High Lords were freed and their powers restored.

24. #24Hybern (9/35)

    Keys: hybern, king of hybern, hybern invasion, war with hybern

    Hybern is a faerie island kingdom west of Prythian, ruled by a king (now deceased) who opposed the Treaty and sought to re-enslave mortals.

    Hybern's army featured both High Fae ground forces and aerial legions of bat-like faeries. They weaponized faebane extensively. After Amarantha's fall, Hybern began actively working to destroy the Wall and invade Prythian using the power of the restored Cauldron.

    The King of Hybern was cunning, methodical, and ruthless — willing to sacrifice allies and relatives to achieve his goals. He was killed during the final battle by Nesta Archeron… [AU NOTE: In this timeline, the King of Hybern was defeated in the final battle through the combined efforts of Prythian's courts. The Wall was temporarily breached but Prythian ultimately prevailed.]

    The King's commanders included Amarantha (the war), and later his nephew and niece Dagdan and Brannagh. Jurian served as an unwilling ally, resurrected via the Cauldron.

25. #25Theia (18/20)

    Keys: theia, high queen theia, starborn, first high queen

    Theia was the first and only true High Queen of Prythian, mate to Fionn the High King, and a Starborn Fae of extraordinary power.

    She served the Daglan for a century to learn their secrets, planning the uprising with Fionn. After their victory, she ruled alongside Fionn and claimed the Dusk Court as her domain. When Fionn intended to give his crown to their eldest daughter, Theia (still powerful and ambitious) allied with her general Pelias and killed Fionn.

    She then led a colonizing expedition to another world — Midgard — taking the Dread Trove and her daughters Helena and Silene. Pelias, who had been secretly working for the Daglan, ultimately betrayed and killed Theia in battle.

    Her daughters Silene and Helena carried pieces of her starlight lineage forward. Gwydion remained with Theia and was stolen by Pelias after her death.

26. #26Fionn (19/10)

    Keys: fionn, first high king, high king

    Fionn was the first and only High King of Prythian — a broad-shouldered, golden-haired Fae hero who overthrew the Daglan.

    He united Prythian's territories after the Daglan's fall and ruled alongside his mate, Theia. He was betrayed and killed by Theia and his general Pelias when he intended to pass his crown to their eldest daughter rather than Theia herself.

    Fionn created the sword Gwydion using the Cauldron's power and supposedly did the same for Truth-Teller. Gwydion was the only weapon capable of defeating the Daglan.

27. #27House of Wind (13/50)

    Keys: house of wind, night court palace, cassian azriel home

    The House of Wind is the primary headquarters of the Night Court's Inner Circle, carved into the largest of the red flat-topped mountains above Velaris. Cassian and Azriel live here.

    ACCESS: The only easy way in is by flying. Otherwise, ten thousand stairs. Warded against winnowing — not even High Lords can winnow inside.

    LAYOUT: Broad balconies lit with golden lanterns. A large, casual dining room with tables built to accommodate Illyrian wings. Many bedrooms, a common library, a war room with a large black map-table. A training ring on the roof, open to the elements.

    THE LIBRARY: Beneath the House of Wind sits a massive subterranean library — a sanctuary Rhysand gifted to priestesses who've been mistreated by the world. No one enters without their permission. At least three dozen priestesses work and live there. The library has a black pit at its center where the creature Bryaxis once lived.

    The House of Wind will not fulfill requests from Rhysand, Cassian, or Azriel — it seems to have opinions about who deserves its magical hospitality.

28. #28Moonstone Palace (7/35)

    Keys: moonstone palace, high lord's palace, hewn city palace

    The Moonstone Palace is the private residence of the High Lord of the Night Court, situated above the Court of Nightmares in the mountains.

    Made entirely of moonstone, it is perched atop a gray mountain. Its halls are open to the elements — towering pillars, gossamer curtains, jasmine-scented breeze — protected by warming magic despite the altitude.

    Inside: seating areas sectioned by curtains and lush plants, colored glass lanterns, a veranda dining area open to the stars, a library, and a war room at the top of a tower with a circular black stone table and a massive map of the world on the wall.

29. #29Court of Nightmares / Hewn City (8/31)

    Keys: court of nightmares, hewn city, keir

    The Hewn City is a full metropolis carved inside a mountain in the Night Court — the public, visible face of Rhysand's domain. It is ruled day-to-day by Keir, who serves as Rhysand's steward and despises him.

    APPEARANCE: Avenues, spired buildings, bridges — all carved from dark stone. Every surface is carved with elaborate, often explicit artwork. Silvery faelights bob along the streets. Water runs through the city via channels from the mountain's heart.

    CULTURE: Brutal, hierarchical, heartless. No one thanks servants. Everyone takes. The inhabitants are there because they hated Rhysand enough to oppose him — but not enough to be stupid about it. They are mostly left alone to govern themselves.

    Inhabitants look down on Rhysand for his Illyrian blood, considering him not truly High Fae. Morrigan oversees the Hewn City on Rhysand's behalf.

    The Hewn City inspired Amarantha's design for Under the Mountain — she had visited before her coup.

30. #30The Cabin (6/50)

    Keys: cabin, rhys' cabin, illyrian cabin, inner circle cabin

    A log cabin in a remote fold of the Illyrian Mountains, owned by Rhysand and used by his Inner Circle as their only truly private retreat — where they can stop being lords and generals and spies and simply be family.

    LOCATION: Tucked between two upper mountain peaks, sheltering it from wind. Nothing for miles in any direction. Warded against winnowing.

    INSIDE: A wood-paneled main room, kitchen to the right, leather sofa covered in furs to the left. A hall leading to two bedrooms, a shared bathing room. A hearth large enough to warm the whole space. A deep sunken tub large enough for Illyrian wings.

    MAGIC: The house is spelled — it fulfills requests from those inside: fills the tub, changes sheets, provides food, starts fires. It responds to spoken wishes.

    HISTORY: Rhysand and Morrigan used to be sent here as children for "reflection" — Rhys smuggled in books and booze for her. As adults, the three brothers (Rhys, Cassian, Azriel) have a tradition of coming here every autumn to get thoroughly drunk for a week. A Winter Solstice tradition since childhood: they build snow forts and have snowball fights on the morning of the Solstice.

31. #31Rita's (10/41)

    Keys: rita's, pleasure hall, velaris nightclub

    Rita's is a pleasure hall in Velaris — part nightclub, part gambling den, part sanctuary. The Inner Circle frequents it, particularly Morrigan, who spends almost every night there.

    Rita's is Velaris's most prominent LGBTQ hangout. The owner is interested in women. The hall has been a fixture of Velaris for centuries — it took Morrigan four hundred years to convince Azriel to set foot inside.

    The last time Cassian was intimate with a female in a casual encounter, it was a woman he met at Rita's. They went to the alley outside and it was over within minutes.

32. #32Illyria & War-Camps (8/28)

    Keys: illyria, northern region, illyrian mountains, illyrian war camps

    Illyria is the rugged, mountainous northern region of the Night Court, home to dozens of Illyrian war-camps.

    WAR-CAMPS are the social unit of Illyrian life. Each is led by a war-lord (addressed as Lord) and contains warriors, families, and non-combatants. War-camps raid and feud with each other in peacetime. In war, they unite under the Night Court's High Lord as the Illyrian Legion.

    TRAINING: Male children are literally thrown into sparring rings by their mothers at age eight and left to fend for themselves. Females are expected to cook, clean, bear children, and lower their eyes before males.

    WING CLIPPING (Clipping): A traditional practice in which a female Illyrian's wing tendons are cut upon her first menstrual cycle, permanently preventing flight. Considered barbaric by Rhysand, who banned the practice — though remote camps still do it in secret. During Amarantha's reign, clipping surged again.

    CASSIAN has been working for years to build a fighting unit of female Illyrians, with very limited success due to camp culture. Few war-lords permit girls to train; some have decreed that any girl caught training is deemed unmarriageable.

    Notable camps: Windhaven (ruled by Devlon, where Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel all trained), Ironcrest (rival camp, several hours' flight from Windhaven).

33. #33Blood Rite (20/20)

    Keys: blood rite, illyrian ceremony, warrior ceremony, rite, ramiel climb

    The Blood Rite is the Illyrian ceremony that transforms a novice-warrior into a true warrior.

    Held each early spring, hundreds of novices are deposited in the conifer forests and ravines around Ramiel — the sacred mountain — with no weapons, no magic, no Siphons, and bound wings. They have one week to reach Ramiel, climb it by hand, and touch the onyx monolith at the summit.

    Where warriors finish determines their ranking: • ARKTOSIAN — did not reach Ramiel but survived • ORISTIAN — reached Ramiel but did not reach the top • CARYNTHIAN — scaled the summit; elite warriors

    During the Rite, novices must survive exposure, mountain creatures, and each other. Old feuds are settled; new ones born. Killing for food, clothes, or glory is expected.

    ORIGIN: The warrior-god Enalius drew a line in the dirt at Ramiel's Pass and held it against enemy hordes for three days, dying with his guts hanging out as he climbed to touch the sacred stone at the top. The Blood Rite honors his sacrifice. The Pass is named after him.

    Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel were the first crossbreed/bastard-born Illyrians allowed to participate in the Rite. Starting from different locations, all three found each other and were the first to reach the monolith that year.

    Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie have completed the Blood Rite and earned Carynthian status.

34. #34Enalius (10/36)

    Keys: enalius, warrior god, first illyrian, ramiel god

    Enalius is the warrior-god of the Illyrians — the first Illyrian, who died defending Ramiel from ancient enemies. He drew a line in the dirt at the Pass and held it alone for three days, then climbed Ramiel with his guts hanging out to touch the sacred stone at the top before dying there.

    The Blood Rite is performed in his honor. The Pass bears his name. Cassian's fighting style is said to mirror Enalius's.

35. #35Ramiel (10/42)

    Keys: ramiel, sacred mountain, holy mountain, three stars

    Ramiel is the sacred mountain of Illyria — the most holy site in Illyrian culture and the location of the Blood Rite. It is the mountain depicted in the Night Court's insignia (a mountain with three stars above it).

    Located at the heart of Illyria, it is closed to outsiders the rest of the year to prevent novices from scouting it ahead of the Rite. The three stars of the insignia are only visible for one week a year, during the Blood Rite.

    An onyx monolith sits at the summit. No one knows who placed it there.

36. #36The Cauldron (5/50)

    Keys: cauldron, the cauldron, cauldron magic

    The Cauldron is a vast, sentient magical artifact of unimaginable power — a dark iron bowl large enough for multiple people to use as a bathtub, with no visible bottom. According to Fae mythology, the entire world was born from the Cauldron; it predates all other magic.

    The Cauldron can: • Raise the dead (if the soul has been preserved) • Transform mortals into High Fae (with sufficient willpower or force) • Destroy magical wards and walls • Burn living creatures into ash with a blast of heat equal to the sun • Create Made objects and beings

    WEAKNESS: The Book of Breathings — written from the last of the molten ore used to forge the Cauldron — contains spells to negate or control the Cauldron's power. It can only be wielded by a Made being.

    HISTORY: The Cauldron was seized and warped by the Daglan, transformed from a tool of pure creation into something also capable of destruction. Fionn dipped Gwydion and Truth-Teller into it to create weapons that could kill Daglan. Its three legs were later separated and kept at three temples to dull its power.

    The King of Hybern restored the Cauldron by recovering all three legs, used it to destroy the Wall, and wielded it as a weapon of war. After his defeat, the Cauldron was taken by Prince Drakon and Lady Miryam to be hidden on their secret island.

    Common Fae exclamation: "By the Cauldron!"

37. #37Book of Breathings & Leshon Hakodesh (12/50)

    Keys: book of breathings, breathings, leshon hakodesh, holy tongue

    The Book of Breathings is a powerful magical artifact created to counter the Cauldron. Written in the Leshon Hakodesh (the Holy Tongue) using the last of the molten ore from the Cauldron's forging, it contains spells to negate or control the Cauldron's power entirely.

    Only a Made being can wield the Book without being overwhelmed.

    The Book was split into two halves after the War: one given to the Summer Court, one to the Mortal Queens. The mortal half cannot be stolen through magic or coercion — it must be given freely. During the Hybern conflict, both halves were recovered by Rhysand and his Inner Circle.

    The Leshon Hakodesh — the Holy Tongue — is the ancient language in which the Book is written. Amren is one of very few beings capable of reading it.

38. #38Dread Trove (11/29)

    Keys: dread trove, trove, the crown, the harp, the mask, the horn

    The Dread Trove is a collection of Made magical artifacts created by the Cauldron, possessing immense and unique power. Three of the original Trove have survived.

    THE CROWN — A large crown of golden spikes. Can control the minds of others and pierce even powerful mental shields. Requires close physical proximity initially. Was in possession of Queen Briallyn before her defeat.

    THE HARP — A small golden harp. Can open any door — physical or otherwise. Some believe it can open portals between worlds. Can move things (including magic) from one place to another.

    THE MASK — A golden half-mask carved with ancient patterns. Calls upon the dead and controls them.

    THE HORN — Made of ancient bone. Was believed Unmade (destroyed), but its location and full fate remain unclear.

    Only a Made being can wield the full Dread Trove without it destroying them.

39. #39Truth-Teller (12/26)

    Keys: truth-teller, azriel's knife, obsidian knife, truth teller dagger

    Truth-Teller is Azriel's prized magical knife — an obsidian-hilted hunting blade with a dark scabbard embossed with the name in silver Illyrian runes. He keeps it sheathed at his thigh.

    Truth-Teller is the twin to the great sword Gwydion (Starsword), both forged from iridium mined from the same meteorite and Made. When near Gwydion, Truth-Teller glows with dark light in response to Gwydion's white light.

    It has the power to Unmake things — stripping away magical essence. A Fae prophecy says: "When knife and sword are reunited, so shall our people be." Carrying both Truth-Teller and Gwydion simultaneously causes visible discomfort even to those as composed as Azriel.

40. #40Gwydion (Starsword) (10/21)

    Keys: gwydion, starsword, great sword, last magic sword

    Gwydion, also called the Starsword, is the last of the great magic swords — a Cauldron-Made blade of dark iridium forged by Fionn and Theia to destroy the Daglan. Its power is described as "holy, savior's light."

    Dark blade, black hilt, forged from iridium mined from a meteorite. Twin to Truth-Teller: when near, Gwydion glows with white starlight while Truth-Teller glows with dark light.

    When wielded together by those destined to wield them, the two blades open a portal to nowhere — a black hole.

    Gwydion disappeared when Theia took it to Midgard. Pelias killed her and stole it. It eventually made its way back to Prythian through extraordinary circumstances and now resides in the Night Court.

41. #41The Suriel (13/20)

    Keys: suriel, truth teller faerie, old faerie

    The Suriel are ancient, malevolent faeries — older than Prythian itself — who are bound to answer truthfully any questions posed by those who catch them. They cannot lie. They are not members of any Court.

    APPEARANCE: Tall and thin, veiled in dark tattered robes. Hunched back, scabby gray arms, yellowed cracking nails. Bald head, horrifically large gray teeth, bare gnarled feet.

    VOICE: Described as at once one and many, old and young, beautiful and grotesque.

    Found in groves of young birch trees in the Western Woods. They have a weakness for freshly slaughtered chickens. They can smell when they are being lied to. They cannot cross running water.

    The Cauldron predates even the Suriel.

42. #42Naga (13/21)

    Keys: naga, dark creatures, serpentine faerie

    The Naga are a species of faeries that enjoy torturing and eating mortals. Many of the darkest mortal legends about faeries originated from encounters with Naga.

    APPEARANCE: Male humanoid body with serpentine features — covered in dark scales, powerful arms, polished black talons, huge almond-shaped amber eyes, razor-sharp teeth, silver forked tongue.

    They worship the Dark Mother, believed to be the evil counterpart of the Mother.

43. #43Old Gods (11/40)

    Keys: old gods, bone carver, stryga, koschei, death gods, death god

    The Old Gods are three ancient beings from another dimension who fell into Prythian long before Courts or Cauldrons existed. They were worshipped by ancient Fae as death-gods — because their powers allow them to feed on life itself.

    THE BONE CARVER — twin to Stryga, older brother of Koschei. The weakest of the three in raw power. Allowed himself to be imprisoned in the Prison to hide from his siblings. Has the ability to divine deaths, glamour himself to appear as whoever the viewer most fears or loves, and hear events happening across Prythian. Was killed in the final battle against Hybern by the Cauldron's power.

    STRYGA (The Weaver of the Wood) — twin to the Bone Carver. Reveled in worship and living sacrifices. Confined to a cottage in the Middle by a clever female Fae warrior, she became the Weaver — unable to leave her patch of land. Blind, she fed on the life force of those who entered. She left her imprisonment via bargain with Rhysand to fight in the final battle against Hybern, where she was killed.

    KOSCHEI — the eldest, most powerful of the three. Confined "by his little lake on the Continent." Known as a sorcerer with a fondness for imprisoning women. He cursed the firebird queen Vassa, binding her to his lake, turning her into a firebird by day and a woman by night.

44. #44The Mother (6/50)

    Keys: the mother, divine, goddess, fae goddess, mother divine

    The Mother is one of the primary divine entities of the Fae world. She spilled the Cauldron's contents to create Prythian and all the known world.

    Fae commonly invoke her name: "Thank the Mother," "Mother hold you," "By the Mother."

    Prayer to the Mother when someone is dying: "Cauldron save you. Mother hold you. Pass through the gates, and smell that immortal land of milk and honey. Fear no evil. Feel no pain. Go, and enter eternity."

45. #45Valkyries (15/20)

    Keys: valkyries, valkyrie, female warriors, valkyrie tradition

    The Valkyries were an elite clan of female warriors, drawn from all species, that predated Prythian's current era. They were widely considered better and braver individual fighters than even the Illyrians, and their true power lay in being an extraordinarily trained unit.

    The Valkyries were wiped out in the War five hundred years ago. Survivors, if any, were believed to have made themselves cease to exist from shame of their defeat.

    VALKYRIE TECHNIQUES: Their history was passed down orally, so written records are scarce. They were known to use shields as weapons. They practiced "mind-stilling" — a meditative technique to achieve total calm in battle, quieting the mind and emotions to become imperturbable fighters.

    REVIVAL: In recent years, Gwyneth Berdara and Emerie have revived the Valkyrie tradition, training in their methods and completing the Illyrian Blood Rite (earning Carynthian rank). Their revival of this warrior tradition has begun drawing interest from others.

46. #46Prythian Creatures (Notable) (10/25)

    Keys: suriel lore, ancient faerie, prythian creatures, faerie species

    Notable creatures and entities of Prythian beyond the major species:

    BOGGE — A creature of the Middle that can be set on prey; used by those with influence over such things. MIDDENGARD WYRM — A massive worm-creature that lived in the maze beneath Under the Mountain. Required strategic defeat. KELPIES — Water horses; Made beings created by a god. PERYGRYN — Winged faeries of the Dawn Court; form an aerial legion. ATTOR — A monstrous winged creature that served as Amarantha's messenger and enforcer. LANTHYS — An ancient, terrifying prisoner of the Prison, killed by Nesta Archeron with the sword Ataraxia. NØKK — Water-dwelling creatures of the Middle.

47. #47High Priestesses & Priestesses (15/30)

    Keys: high priestess, priestess, fae religious, priestesses, velaris library priestess

    High Priestesses are High Fae who dedicate themselves to being the link between Fae and their deities. They oversee all religious ceremonies — mating ceremonies, marriages, seasonal rites — and serve as advisors to High Lords.

    There are twelve High Priestesses governing all of Prythian, many based in Dawn, Day, and Winter Courts.

    APPEARANCE: Silver circlet with an oval blue Invoking Stone. Pale blue-gray billowing robes. Often beautiful; their role does not require celibacy — it would dishonor the Cauldron's gift of fertility to restrict them.

    Priestesses are considered politically powerful. They can be lethal when they choose to be. Their children are typically well-respected and powerful.

    The library beneath the House of Wind in Velaris is a sanctuary Rhysand established for priestesses who have been harmed by the world. The High Priestess Clotho runs it.

    Notable High Priestesses: Ianthe (Spring Court, deceased — she allied with Hybern), Clotho (Velaris library).

48. #48Children of the Blessed (11/45)

    Keys: children of the blessed, fanatics, fae worshippers, mortals who worship fae

    The Children of the Blessed are a group of fanatical mortals who worship the High Fae as gods, choosing to ignore the centuries of enslavement and cruelty that defines fae-mortal history. They wear silver bracelets and jewelry to attract the Fae.

    They occasionally send members across the Wall into Prythian, believing that those who don't return have been accepted into fae luxury. In reality, they are usually killed. Those who returned to the Children told of wonder; those who didn't had met grimmer fates.

    The High Fae view the Children of the Blessed with amused contempt — useful only as entertainment or as unwitting messengers during Amarantha's reign. Mortals who remember history view the Children with disgust.

49. #49Spring Court (8/36)

    Keys: spring court, tamlin's court, spring, blooming rose

    The Spring Court is the southernmost court in Prythian and the only court to border the Wall. It is ruled by High Lord Tamlin, gifted with great strength, shapeshifting, and wind magic.

    LANDSCAPE: Rolling green hills, lush forests, clear bottomless lakes. Magic doesn't just abound here — it grows. No cities, but a large village near the High Lord's estate.

    THE MANOR: A sprawling estate veiled in roses and ivy. Marble staircases, giant oak doors, checkered marble floors. Amethyst irises and pale snowdrops bloom in the breeze.

    THE TITHE: The Spring Court enforces a biannual Tithe — a forced tribute from subjects. Failure to pay brings severe consequences.

    HISTORY: The Spring Court allied with Hybern during the War (Tamlin's father was a close friend of Hybern's King and Amarantha). After Tamlin's father was killed by Rhysand's father during their feud, Tamlin became High Lord and distanced himself from Hybern. He allied briefly with Hybern during the Hybern conflict as a desperate measure, which damaged his reputation.

    Feyre Archeron is High Lady of the Spring Court — Tamlin's mate and the first acknowledged High Lady in Prythian. She was Made into High Fae by the seven High Lords after dying Under the Mountain.

50. #50Summer Court (9/36)

    Keys: summer court, tarquin, summer, adriata, ocean wave court

    The Summer Court is ruled by High Lord Tarquin — the youngest of all the High Lords. A coastal court with four cities, including the jewel city of Adriata, built atop a mountain-island in a half-moon bay.

    High Fae of the Summer Court typically have dark skin, white or silver hair, and eyes in every color. Loose, light clothing in blue and gold livery.

    Tarquin is known to be idealistic and open-hearted — he valued peace and was willing to trust even adversaries. This idealism has sometimes been tested by political realities.

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