These are some of the current ‘active’ NPCs within the Changeling Sphere.
Seelie Court
Queen Aeron
Born Erin Hartman in 1989, Aeron awakened to her faerie self when she was 10 years old, on her Uncle Sean’s farm in the wine country. Sean, King of Pacifica at that time (and approaching his Last Winter) immediately named her Tanista, the heir apparent to the throne. Since her Saining, Aeron has received training from every sort of tutor available: in the six years it took for her to ascend to the throne, she has been through every sort of trial, course of tutelage, and simulated political conflict her tutors could devise. She learned to use the sword, the bow, the machine gun. She learned psychology and the Arts and was tutored in the ways of the Gallain and the Prodigal by native teachers.
Still, all of this training did not change Aeron’s behavior… she was an extremely bratty childling and went on to become a fairly spoiled wilder. King Sean would not allow her to live at the freehold until she reached 18, the age of majority, and was able to assume the throne.
Sean was so taken by his niece that he was unable to see her obvious character flaws, and the fearlessness and wild passions of House Fiona exacerbated her selfish, demanding nature. It was not until his death that her mettle was truly tested. When Aeron was 16, the Radical People’s Front attacked King Sean with Iron blades. He was ambushed in his pickup truck on his way to visit one of his favorite wineries in the wine country.
Aeron threw herself into a period of mourning that lasted from Beltaine until Samhain. During this black time, her selfish, immature self seemed to die.
Aeron later assumed the throne, confirmed as the Queen of Pacifica by High King David himself.
Harold diMarcos
One of King Sean’s most talented junior advisors, Baron diMarcos was swept into prominence during the dark months leading up to Aeron’s Reaving. Originally ticketed to take over the troublesome County of Oakhold, diMarcos made himself an integral part of the court’s machinery during such times as the queen herself seemed unable to make decisions concerning her realm. His tireless efforts to ensure that the mills of government spun smoothly, as well as his uncanny knack for having at his fingertips all the information pertinent to whatever the day’s crisis was, brought the baron rewards when the queen regained her sense of purpose.
Aeron was quite aware of how lax her direct governance had been during her period of mourning. During those heady days when she one more acted the part of a queen, she was determined to reward those who served her and Pacifica well by governing when she could or would not. Baron diMarcos was among the first whose actions were brought to her attention, and she recognized how his skills and the flame of his ambition could best be turned towards the kingdom’s ends. With that in mind, she canceled his appointment to Oakhold and instead installed him as her chief advisor. His job was, and is, to keep his hands on the reins of government from day-to-day, and to keep his ear to the ground.
As Queen Aeron’s obsession with her satyr lover has grown, more and more matters of policy have fallen into diMarcos’ domain as well. Since he is still reluctant to offend his liege by usurping her authority overmuch, diMarcos overtly wields his new authority only in the gravest of crises. As the kingdom’s needs grow greater and his disgust of Hamal grows, however, Baron diMarcos becomes less and less reluctant to take what steps must be taken to ensure order.
Hamilton “Hamal” Hecht
A nice guy with an almost supernatural talent for making the most disastrous choice possible, Hamilton Hecht bounced from Boston to New York to Chicago before landing in Los Angeles. Marking time in various courts as a jester and storyteller even as he marked time in the theatrical profession working dinner productions of “The King and I”, Hecht’s big brainstorm came as he worked at a burger joint with two other actors, a screenwriter, and a double major in English and Dance who worked nights as a street mime. There were dozens of unemployed actors better than he was, all looking for an edge, so he would find an edge to sell them. He finally settled on “acting lessons” as the edge in question and, using the contacts in the arts he’d gleaned from skulking around the court of Caer Angeles, acquired enough queries from potential students to hang out his shingle.
Just as there were better actors in LA, though, there were better acting coaches, and Hamal, as the fae knew him, was forced to survive on a bottom-feeder’s market. Desperate, he worked his court contacts as hard as he could and garnered an invitation to one of the times High King David would be holding court. It was there that he met Queen Aeron of Pacifica and, giving the performance of his life, quite literally charmed the pants off of her.
Even as the queen swooned for him, Hamal realized the magnitude of the opportunity before him. He quickly relocated to the San Francisco area, installing himself in the Royal Apartments less than a week after his arrival. This shocked the bluenoses of the court to no end, but they were in no position to deny Her Majesty anything.
Even as he settled in, though, Hamal noticed how hard Aeron was working and how little visible return she was getting for her efforts. Motivated by a wholesome concern for his lover’s health, as well as a fair bit of slightly less wholesome lust, he urged her to work less and let things take care of themselves. Surprisingly, Aeron agreed and the situation snowballed out of control into near-total abdication of her responsibilities. Now the satyr is trapped into reinforcing the cycle which he began, afraid that should he rouse Aeron from her sensual miasma, she would remove him as a matter of policy. For the moment, his fear of losing his meal ticket is stronger than his concern for anyone or anything else.
Unseelie Court
Tyria Winter
Tyria Winter is an Unseelie Sidhe Wilder of House Leanhaun in Caer Angeles of the Kingdom of Pacifica. She is the lead female singer and sole permanent member of a band called Winter Solstice – all the other musicians in the band rotate on a regular basis.
Her music is noted for its stylized cinematic quality; its themes of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia; and its references to pop culture, particularly 1950s and 1960s Americana. The music is described by critics as “Hollywood sadcore” – a mishmash of baroque pop, dream pop, and psychedelic rock.
She is known for working with some of the most talented and stage-shy session musicians in the city.
There are rumors that members of Winter Solstice dabble in black magic and that the band itself is under the influence of a curse.