The Faerie have a long history of dichotomy that reaches far back into ancient times of the Otherworld; for as long as there have been Faerie, there have been light and dark, Seelie and Unseelie. The faerie themselves do not believe that this amounts to good or evil. Truly, there have been and will always be acts of benevolence and malevolence in both courts. The Faerie themselves, if pressed, will admit that both sides must exist for balance — but that doesn't stop them from trying to oppress the opposite court.
The new generation of Faeries usually ally with the court of the Otherworld Faerie who "gifted them," but if they choose to be unaligned, they lose the powers affiliated with the court (they do not get new powers to replace them) and will be seen as an Oathbreaker to their original court. Their "color" will remain the same.
Seelie
Prior to the Breach, Seelie were fond of playing mischievous pranks on the humans when they came into our world. They saw humans as diversions, and didn't seek to harm them, but just as often as not, their good will caused more harm than good. Taking a pretty child from its mother to play with it would seem harmless to the Faerie while it destroyed the poor human mother who lost her baby, for instance. These are the Faerie who grant wishes, do favors, and leave presents for humans, but often those wishes, presents, and favors have catches and strings attached. If they feel they have been wronged or lied to, however, they can be petty, vindictive and violent. The Seelie also have abilities that are related to life, growth, and regeneration, though like any power, these gifts may be misused.
Prior to the Breach, the Seelie Court was ruled by Titania with the aid of her consort Oberon. Today, the court is hidden, rumors say in Scotland, and Titania rules alone. The Faerie usually do not speak her name, for to do so might allow her to spy on them or summon her; while she is well loved, she is also feared. She has always been mercurial, but since Oberon took the Unseelie Court, she is said to be even more unpredictable, perhaps a bit mad. The Otherworld Seelie who choose to live away from court are not among her favorites who she has kept with her wherever she is in hiding, and none of the new-generation F2s have met Titania. For the most part, the Otherworld Seelie and Seelie F2s are left to do the best they can and hope they are not displeasing their often capricious Queen from afar.
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Unseelie
Unseelie are the "dark" faeries; the Unseelie Sidhe are just as beautiful as those in the "Shining Throng," or Seelie Court, but they are not as fond of humans as the Seelie Court and are more prone to acts of malice than mere mischief. Some of this comes from the fact that this court allows in those who have no place in the glittering light of the Seelie Court: the more monstrous denizens of Faerie like trolls, boggarts, goblins. The Unseelie do not need a reason to attack a lost traveler; they may do it simply because it is in their nature to do so. This is not to say all Unseelie are unkind or cruel; they may bestow favors and presents on humans, but those who wrong them will know their wrath. The Unseelie have abilities that have to do with death, cold, and sleep.
Queen Mab was the long-term ruler of the Unseelie Court, but the stories say that sometime prior to the Breach (time is strange in Faerie, but by human count, perhaps 30 years ago), she was killed by Oberon in a battle, and Oberon took over the court despite Titania's requests for him to stay with the Seelie. This court too is hidden; rumors say somewhere in America, though not in Los Angeles. Oberon's name is avoided as well; to speak it would summon him or allow him to spy upon the speaker. Some Otherworld Seelie and even F2s have claimed to have seen him since the Breach; the power of being the king of his own court has made him mad, they say.
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Unaligned
Even prior to the Breach, there have been Faerie who choose not to align with either court, or really, had that choice made for them by being exiled or banned. In the Otherworld, these Faerie usually lived in the outskirts or were sometimes employed by the other Fey. Since the Breach, with both courts in hiding, there are more Unaligned Sidhe than ever before, and likewise, many Unaligned F2s. There is no real stigma to not being a member of the court. Some take pride in their "neutral" status, and some have acted as mediators when there is a conflict.
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