Category:West Court

Nicknames: The White Tiger Court, The Sword, The Court of War

Emotion: Honor

Heraldry: White & Black

Symbol: White Tiger

Contract: Four Directions

Mantle: Within the Court of the West, the Mantle is one of cold ferocity, of stone-cold martial ability. Lost with Mantle 1 to 3 radiate an eerie coldness that isn't cold to the skin so much as it is cold to the marrow of one's bones. They also tend to have their eyes glint and flash like a polished blade turned in the sun. Those with Mantle 4+ may actually see their skin develop the black stripes of the White Tiger, even manifesting a faintly downy fur. One's breath often smells of a fresh kill, the heady scent of coppery blood even though no meat has passed across that changeling's lips.

A courtier with Mantle 1+ finds himself married to whatever weapon he has chosen to carry at that time -- any weapon in his hands gains a point of Durability, becoming as steely and unyielding as the changeling is. With Mantle 3+, the changeling develops the ability to enter the fray like a tiger would -- fast and without mercy, gaining a +1 to his Initiative score. At Mantle 5, the changeling gains the reflexes of a beast, as well, allowing him to choose the higher of his Wits or Dexterity for purposes of determining Defense. Moreover, he can apply his full Defense against multiple attacks in a given round of combat.

The reality is, the world is at war. Humans fight with humans. Humans fight with the natural land and the beasts that walk within it. The changelings fight the encroachment of the Fair Folk, and worst of all, the Lost might often battle their own. The changelings of this Court believe themselves to be the true guardians of the freehold, warriors who know that permanent peace is impossible and that war must be managed and fought by the virtuous. They, of course, claim that they're the virtuous ones.

The Lost that comprise the Court of the West obsess over martial prowess. Many carry assault rifles slung over their shoulders and knifes or swords sheathed in hip-hung scabbards. Some know how to fight with only their hands, learning close combat techniques honorable and dirty (a gentle disarm followed by a kneecap-shattering heel kick). These courtiers know that they're the first and last line of defense against the humans, against the Fae, and against other changelings.

It's the latter group that concerns them most. Changelings, it seems, have taken from their imprisonment some of the callousness from their Fae tormentors. Every one of the Lost seems capable in even the best of times to exhibit some of that pitiless cunning, and it comes out unexpectedly. In this way, changelings are their own worst enemies, and the Court of War knows that. Its members strive to tamp down such manipulations.

Those who join the Court are those who see the world as it is and want to fight for it and for themselves. Some are tough brutes, scarred physically and emotionally by their Keepers, while others are young and idealistic who, like a bright-eyed boy running off to join the military, see a way to make a difference.

The Court attempts to unify its troops with a kind of sameness. Obviously, some degree of uniqueness is critical, as weakness is easily bred through homogeneity (and the predictability is a vulnerability that seems to draw the Fae all too quickly). A Master General with a keen eye for strategy is different than the on-the-ground soldier who's master of nothing but his rifle, but the Court endeavors to instill in each of its changelings a kind of cold and distant hardness. The Court asks its courtiers not to show much emotion, and to abide by rather strict codes of honor and conduct.

Winter Masques pg 131-133