Bronze Beylik
The Bronze Beylik is an entitlement dedicated to seeking out the proper ruler of a freehold.
Background
| “ | Why do we call you ‘Sultan,’ Sultan? Because we have chosen you to be that. | ” |
Due to, supposedly, a pledge broken with a djinn long ago, those of the Beylik cannot be rulers themselves. All attempts to do so have ended in disaster. That said, Beys have a long history of selecting the ruler of a given Court, then acting as an advisor to that ruler; as such, unscrupulous Beys have been known to deliberately select weak rulers whom they can manipulate behind the scenes.
Organization
Changelings in this order tend to cluster around one place in a freehold, from which their decisions and movements are made. This locus then becomes a haven of true authority once it is backed by their selected King or Queen. Their stronghold is made as defensible as possible, to protect the group from either True Fae incursions or attacks by other Lost. The domain is often connected to various Hollows within the Hedge, so as to provide backdoors to escape. Nominally, the Beylik is headed by an individual known as the Atabey; in practice, he is seen more as a counselor and tiebreaker by virtue of his greater experience.
Joining and Membership
Prerequisites: Wyrd 3, Politics 3, Clarity 6+
Title: Bey
The Beys consider those among their number to be fated to join the Beylik. As such, tests given to prospective entrants are often difficult and seemingly random; few pass these tests. The surefire way of entry is to find one of the bronze spearhead tokens that signifies the order. A changeling who finds such a token is automatically considered to be a Bey, whether or not that changeling wishes to be so.
Theoretically, changelings of all kinds can enter the order. However, fate seems to lean towards a particular sort: politically savvy, physically strong and with some specific skill in the social realm. Those without these qualities who join find themselves forced to develop them by their peers.
Mien
Beys’ bodies begin to reflect bits of bronze — a single strand of hair might turn bronze, as might teeth or fingernails or even a whole ear. Unrelated to the mien are the long beards and long hair of the Beys. (Obviously, the women forgo the beards.) It’s tradition among their kind that marks them in their mask and mien and represents strength and authority.
Privileges
- Bronze Spearhead: When activated (it must be held in the palm of one’s hand for this to work), the spearhead transfers some of the maddening gloom of the True Fae to the Bey. For the remainder of the scene, the Bey may add his Wyrd score to any Intimidation rolls he makes: he appears threatening not in a mundane way, but in an eerie, otherworldly manner.
Action: Instant
Mien: Inactive, the spearhead is a dirty, dented, tarnished bronze. On activation, however, it changes entirely, appearing different for each Bey; one might drip blood, another might glow, a third might feature iridescent engravings.
Drawback: For the scene in which the token is active and the following scene, the user faces a -2 penalty to Social rolls involving Animal Ken, Expression, or Socialize.
Catch: The spearhead can be activated by scratching oneself with it, causing one point of lethal damage.
Gallery
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Bey
References
- CTL: Winter Masques, p. 146-148