Oberon
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Oberon
Fairy King
Lord of the Unseelie |
Name: Oberon, the Fairy King
Story: Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream, a smattering of basic fairy lore from Western Europe.
Age: He is immortal, though he appears often to be in his early 40's.
Gender/Preference: Male. No particular preference. He is truly an omnivore in terms of sexual appetite.
Appearance: PB: Nick Cave
Tall and lanky. Dark eyes and hair, which he usually wears long. From time to time he sports a mustache or goatee, some combination thereof. He appears most often as a gaunt figure, cloaked mostly in shadows. He chooses to be less attractive than his wife, for reasons he has never revealed. Having been influenced by the human world he likes to wear suits; typically something light and crisp looking. His dress is simple and clean, only changing in shape and cut since the move to suits. He often has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, almost like an accessory. Unlike his wife he does not wear a crown. Oberon has never held with such traditions and abjectly refused an official coronation.
Personality: Jealous and possessive, though hardly dedicated to his own marriage. He is dark, like the shadows around him, moody and often desiring those things he cannot have. He is filled with mischief, being King of the Unseelie. He has a penchant for trouble making and ruses that create havok among humans and other creatures. He is highly unapologetic about everything he does, even when he knows he is in the wrong. He has a sweet side, something that he very rarely shows. When he places his trust in someone it is for life, which explains why he so rarely trusts anyone. It takes a lot to rouse his temper to the point where he'd fight. He is much more likely to toss magic at someone than to raise his fists (when his knuckles are involved its personal). He prefers darkness to light, often wandering in the night and leaving the day to sleep and dream. He is king of one-up-manship with a great desire to always come out on top.
His stress evolves from his need for companionship. He craves the company of others who will find value in his acts and deeds, but he has a degree of uncertainty about himself. He wants to be exceptional and unique and therefore he denies himself the company of others (for the most part) who might find fault in him. He poses a great deal of self restraint and keeps to himself, rarely opening up to others. He is fairly mysterious because he won't answer questions about himself, if they are even asked. He does not volunteer information readily.
He values beauty and finds it in the strangest places. He has always had a skewed perception of the world. Beauty is often gnarled and dark in his eyes, attractive and disturbing at the same time.
Strengths: He has powerful fairy magic and a commanding presence. Those that know Oberon well know he is a force to reckon with. Only Titania seems willing to tangle with him and that is part of the reason why he respects her as queen. He has a good measure of knowledge, which is not to be mistaken with wisdom, something his Unseelie mind rarely takes heed. He has a strong sense of loyalty and duty. He would do anything for his court, and next to anything for a loyal servant in need. He is kind and gentle when he believes no one is looking. He is a fair and just ruler so long as he is not personally involved.
Weaknesses: He is powerfully lazy and is more than willing to send his minions to do his work than to do it himself. Since his minions are Puck and some contingency of like minded fae the jobs usually end up messy and complicated, making more work for him to sort through in the end. He would rather not do anything than to try and fail in his endeavors. He has a fairly common allergy to iron (a seemingly fae trait). He has a measure of vanity and does not like others to see his weakness (or those traits that he considers weakness, such as kindness). He can be cruel and vindictive when he feels he has been slighted (particularly by Titania).
Quirks: Smokes like a chimney stack.
Secrets: There are blank spots in his memory that he can't explain.
Skills & Abilities: Well versed in herbal lore. He can cure most common ailments with his knowledge of plants and wildlife. He's good at potions and simple medicine. He is an excellent cook though few would know it. He is excellent at tracking prey, human and beast alike through the woods. Out of his familiar territory he is not so skilled, but adept at adjusting. He can travel away from the woods longer than fae from the seelie court, particularly since his magic is not so tied to the wood.
Supernatural abilities: He is an excellent practitioner of magic. He has an extensive knowledge of magic spells, particularly those of a dark and arcane nature. He has a bright mind filled with pranks and new ideas, always willing to bend the fabric of time and history to suit his own whims. Unlike his wife he draws his magic from dark places, relying very lightly on the woods.
History: He is not aware how he came into being and the idea to question so never crossed his mind. As a young fae he was dark and mischievous, before the term Unseelie had ever been applied. He knew nothing of courts or the kind of responsibility it brought. He knew only the abject freedom of a new fairy introduced to the world.
His dreams during this time were lush and vivid. He had many ideas that spawned from his dreams, many plots and plans to execute. Oberon, who was not yet known by any name began to practice magic, experiment and learn. He listened to the shadows to guide him, learned from the very fabric of darkness the old secrets of the world.
As time moved forward more fairies came into being (some perhaps before the young king and certainly many after) and Oberon being infinitely curious was quick to know every being he could, though more often than not he was never introduced in person. He was the type to watch from a distance, observe until he found someone or something that struck a cord within him.
As the court formed he was a most obvious choice for king. He was known as the most powerful among the fae and he seemed to know each and every unseelie on a personal level even if they had never spoken with him. He had been known by many names, never properly naming himself by the fae but now he was the Fairy King. He ruled the Unseelie Court from the very first. He has never been questioned in his ruling, even when he endangers the secrets of his people when he plays with humans. His history is greatly intertwined with his wife Titania. Their marriage has been on the rocks for a good deal of time. Oberon is convinced that she's the only one he could ever share a throne with which is a good part of the reason why he won't dissolve their bonds completely.
Before Shakespeare he did not have a well known, common name. Once named Oberon he accepted his fate, becoming more and more like the character in the play, his magical power increasing.
He is something of a wild romantic, a darkly dubious cupid of the forest. He doesn't often allow others to see this side of himself, only Puck knows completely of his matchmaking schemes and how they fare. He has a deep trust in Puck and greatly adores him. If it weren't for the fae's temper and binding contract of servitude he would have set him up as a faerie lord and given him some small court of his own already. When no one is looking (and sometimes when they are) he dotes affectionately upon Puck, his favored boy.
It was by luck in a peculiar sense that Puck switched the changeling boy and landed himself in eternal servitude to the fairy court. Until then Oberon had no one he could truly place his trust in besides his wife and he did not like to discuss Unseelie matters with her. Puck is more in his trust that he should perhaps be.
Oberon has vague memories of a fairy named Mabb, but he has no context for these thoughts. He has vivid dreams of her which slip from his grasp as consciousness washes them away. He genuinely does not understand why she is always in the back of his thoughts, superseding even the thoughts of his own wife, who despite the tension in their relationship he greatly adores. If he thought to look into it deeper he might discover the age old question of the original fairy queen, but Oberon is not the sort to dwell on anything when there are plots and mischief to be had.
Many years of his rule were filled with the chaos and discord he caused among humans. He greatly enjoyed causing mischief, made it his chief concern in those months where Titania ruled over the fairy court. His interest in humans caused some of the trouble in his marriage, particularly his sexual interests. As years passed, centuries of time, their bickering became full out sparring. He began to take to himself, spending time with those fae who valued the same sorts of things he did. Pranking. Drinking. Fornicating. Those sorts of things. He would only return to rule over the Unseelie Court during the fall months and winter (when their court was part of the human world).
During the dark months when he is in command the woods are relatively unsafe to travel. It is not so much that he has less control over his fairies than Titania. It is more that he allows them great liberty and will only punish them when someone crosses an extreme line. He gives all in his court (including himself) enough rope to hang themselves with.
Before the move to Haven Oberon developed the habit of smoking. He has yet to kick it and often rolls his own cigarettes made from herbs in the woods. He also developed a rather human fashion sense from his years spent away from Titania.
He wasn't particularly keen on moving to Haven, but he didn't feel like arguing with his wife. With the continued destruction of their sacred woods and places in the human world it was also a smart move, but not something he'd ever admit to Titania. Packing up and instructing that anything left behind be destroyed (lest the humans should discover it) he moved his court alongside Titania's. Many of the Unseelie fae were begrudging of this move as it happened during their down time of the year. They were tired, ready for sleep or mischief in greener pastures. They didn't want to spend this time traveling and many simply did not want to leave their familiar home. Oberon however had other ideas. He was a united front for his people, instilling in them the will to move to another place, a place where the fae wouldn't have to hide from prying eyes. That thought alone was enough to convince most.
He is still settling into the new court, trying to get used to the feeling of the air of this place. He shows a bold face to his court, but in private he is worried. The upheaval of a mound is one thing, moving an entire court is completely another. There is much left unsettled and many fae still in the lurch.
Anything else we should know: 