The Overlord of Manacles and Coins
From Changeling Venue
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Overview
Whenever other True Fae cannot be bothered to go out and acquire new “pets” or to hunt those lucky few who escaped, the Overlord of Manacles and Coins is always the one called in. Well known as a bounty hunter of escaped Changelings and a slave-catcher for hire, the Overlord has captured (and in some cases, re-captured) many Lost throughout history. Similarly infamous as the all-knowing and all-seeing master of "The Pen" - a sort of prison in Arcadia - the Overlord has established a name for himself with centuries of ruthless tyranny over his prisoners and a shrewd business sense often turned on his peers among the Gentry. And while many believe that the Overlord is driven solely by the lust for profit generated on the backs of those unfortunates he ransoms off to other True Fae, many wonder if perhaps the Overlord cares not for the mountains of wealth he has amassed but instead desires only to condition unshakable terror and subservience in the minds of those who have come into his clutches. Sometimes, the greatest shackles are not those that hamper your movement, but those that hold fast your heart and mind wherever you might go.
Description
Though many of the Overlord’s captives claim to have seen his true visage, the known tales of the Overlord’s appearance vary wildly depending on whom you ask. Thus it is widely believed that the Overlord has never shown his true face to anyone. Still, there are some guises the Overlord is known to frequent:
- The Hound - To some the Overlord has appeared as a large dog coated solid black as the darkest night with razor sharp fangs that gleam bright white even in the darkest of places. "The Hound", as this guise has come to be known, is most often seen when the Overlord goes out to capture a bounty or has been paid to acquire new slaves for others. Characterized by immense speed and endurance as well as the keenest of senses, the Hound's previous prey claim that he can catch his quarry no matter where you might run to.
- The Jailor - To others the Overlord has appeared an amorphous cloud of nearly invisible mist that clatters with the sounds of chains clanking against each other as he moves. Most often seen in this guise while commanding the halls of his prison, The Pen, Changelings who have seen this Visage describe it only "The Jailor". Unhampered in his ability to move through even the tiniest of cracks and graced with the ability to blend in perfectly with the dull grey confines of The Pen, the Jailor is infamous for his ability to go go anywhere he wishes amongst his prison and to spy on those who mistakenly believe the Overlord cannot hear them.
- The Merchant - Still more say he is a tall, thin figure of delicate, beautiful features clad in a toga like the patricians of ancient Rome. Typically seen with this appearance while out trafficking in freshly acquired slaves or negotiating with other Gentry, "The Merchant" is a persona little seen except by those who have served the Overlord directly or had dealings with the Overlord on behalf of other True Fae. Possessed of a silver tongue that convince most men of even the most ridicuolous of thoughts, the Merchant is notorious for his ability for his shrewed business acumen and his inflapable poise when circulating amongst the courts of Faerie.
However, despite the myriad descriptions of the Overlord’s appearance, all descriptions of the Overlord always share one common characteristic. Each guise the Overlord adopts always bears eyes of gold coins that shine brightly as if freshly minted. And among those few unfortunates who stood close enough to peer directly into the Overlord’s eyes, the legends say that his black pupils are shaped like skeleton keys and that his penetrating glare fills your heart with a sense of extreme helplessness that robs you of any will to fight or flee.
The Pen - Arcadia's Prison
Ringed by rows of nearly impassable Hedge-like thorned walls of shrubbery, the location known as "The Pen" is a monolithic edifice of dull gray, solid stone that rises from the ground and towers over the landscape of Faerie. Long used as “Arcadia's Prison", The Pen is the domain of the Overlord of Manacles and Coins who uses the site as his personal clearinghouse for the countless Lost he captures and later sells to the other Gentry. And contrary to the multitude of whimsical and opulent structures in Arcadia that glow with vibrant color or those that gleam with gold and silver finery, The Pen is a testament to stark function over form and the cold grip of banality on a building that all but screams impenetrability and misery within.
Nicknamed "The Pen" because of the way captured Changelings are housed in dismal and cramped cells like animals kept in squalid pens, the prison has become notorious for the host of cruel and inhuman methods "guests" have been subjected over the millenia. Accounts of those once imprisoned inside The Pen tell of various acts of carefully calculated psychological and physical torture, a host of draconian policies meant to destroy an individual's sense of identity, and countless acts of senseless violence perpetrated by the The Pen's “staff”, which is really nothing more than those few Changelings the Overlord has seen fit to keep for himself.
New entries into The Pen quickly learn “the routine” as it has come to be known. Prisoners awake each day after what seems like mere moments of sleep only to find themselves dumped unceremoniously into pools of frigid, dirty water like that of the coldest oceans on Earth. Finished with their “bath”, prisoners are then corralled into a huge room used as a sort of banquet hall where they are fed a bland and appalling meal that many prisoners can scarcely stomach until they have gone without eating for several days on end.
Prisoners are then ushered – though in actuality more often forcefully dragged – back to a cell where they might randomly spend the day in the darkness of solo confinement or packed into a pen with an assortment of other Lost who invariably devolve to violence or other depraved acts. These two options is still usually preferable to those unlucky souls who will spend the day being tortured in bizarre ways seemingly for no purpose whatsoever. The cries of those being forced to endure psychological and physical extremes can be heard resonating throughout The Pen, adding to the already excessive anxiety and terror most prisoners live in.
Somewhere after the “sun” has set on The Pen, prisoners find themselves again moved en masse like a great herd of cattle back to the same banquet hall where they are again given another meal, which frequently appears to have been the refuse left over from the morning meal. But few captives in The Pen eat a second meal as veterans of “the routine” know all too well that is better to sleep an empty stomach than to suffer through the nightmares the food is prone to inspiring.
Finished with dinner, the Changelings imprisoned in The Pen are then returned to their pens – again some to the silent darkness of solo confinement, the others packed in like sardines. Those in private cells say in the night intangible things come out to move through the room and over the prisoner like a swarm of insects chittering with the volume of a jet engine. And while a night filled with horrified screams from those locked up by themselves might normally keep the other prisoners awake, few Lost in the communal sleep ever for fear of what perverse acts their roommates might to do them in the middle of night.
And so it is with little surprise that most prisoners are reduced to hysterical fits of crying and a pervasive sense of helplessness even after just a few days of starvation, sleeplessness, agonizing torture, a near constant state of terror and paranoia, and the complete absence of sympathy from the few Changelings entrusted to serve as staff at The Pen. Even without the perils of having to make sense of a world governed by different laws populated by others captives who have now become alien beings, the rigors of life in The Pen quickly prompt many Lost to wish for death as a release from the hell they must endure. Thus, those who set foot inside The Pen often recount a sense of overwhelming joy when they discover they are being released – even if only to be further enslaved, imprisoned, and tortured by some other member of Gentry. And perhaps that is the point.
Known Captives
Thomas Thorn, the Overlord's Ward - Thomas directly served the Overlord during his imprisonment from 1988 to 2002. Many of the prisoners who passed through The Pen recall seeing Thomas administering the affairs of The Pen, helping to make sure that everything stayed efficient and orderly - sometimes even assuring smooth operations at the expense of the other prisoners. After an extended period of serving the Overlord by efficiently managing The Pen, Thomas was even seen freely wandering Faerie as he conducted negotiations with goblin traders or acted as a courier to other Gentry seeking the Overlord's services. Thomas' knowledge of the innerworkings of The Pen and his familiarity with the Overlord's habits eventually allowed him to escape back through the Hedge. But Thomas' 14 years serving the Overlord have clearly left him perpetually tormented and frightened.
Renn, Helen Warner - Helen was a capture in 1995 that was sent to The Pen and purchased by the Keeper Credna. While she was mostly clearly marked by the artist who kept and formed her, something inside her remembers the feeling of being trapped, watched and denied comfort. The way the cold metal touch of the bars and the din of suffering prepared her for the precious gold and silver burned into her flesh and the clang of hammer and work to do. "Is this hell? Am I dead?"
Cerulean, The Mime - "Blue" never belonged to The Overlord of Manacles and Coins. She was the prize possession of The Collector, who had grown bored of her obedience and subservience. The novelty of a perfectly willing, submissive pet had worn off. After years of lending her out to other Fae who could not break what he'd already broken, he sent her to The Pen. If anyone could bring her screams back, it would be The Overlord, or perhaps his Ward. Exactly how much time she endured behind those bars, or what she experienced, is uncertain. The only thing that is known for sure is that even then her voice did not return, she could not be made to scream, and The Collector gave up on her. Days after she was returned to his home, he took back the blue collar that marked her as his property, and released her back into the human world.
Associated Gentry
The Gentleman - This gentry has been known to buy slaves from The Overlord of Manacles and Coins.
The Collector - This narcissist devotee of rare and exquisite merchandise, preferably of the living sort, has been known to do business with The Overlord of Manacles and Coins. A perfectionist, the fact that he has been heard to praise The Overlord's taste in captives is notable. Even more telling, perhaps, is the fact that while he does regularly inspect the Pen's inhabitants for anything he might wish to take home, he once sent the prize of his Collection to spend time within those walls. He felt that if anyone could bring The Mime's screams back, it would be The Overlord or one of his Favored. The fact that he does not hold the failure against The Overlord is significant, as The Collector is known to be petty and vindictive when he doesn't get what he wants.
Credna - This Gentry never hunts their own workers and has purchased from The Overlord several times over, expecting special work put into his purchases; softened 'raw materials' that have not been so broken as to lack imagination. She has yet to be disappointed. One such purchase was Renn.
Background Ties?
There are two ways to include the Overlord of Manacles and Coins into your Changeling's background:
- 1. Your character was captured by the Overlord, but was then turned over to the final custody of another True Fae shortly after being captured. The Overlord is well-known for taking contracts to capture fresh slaves as well for hunting those few who manage to slip out of their Keeper's clutches. Perhaps your character was targetted for abduction by your Keeper and the Overlord was sent to retrieve you? Or maybe your character slipped away from his Keeper only to find that the Overlord was there to drag you kicking and screaming back into Arcadia? This option is perfect for those characters who already have a Keeper, but would like to have spent time in the Overlord's custody - even if only briefly.
- 2. Your character ended up in the custody of the Overlord for a long tenure of service. Not all of those who the Overlord captures are destined for other masters. Was your character taken by the Overlord only to discover that no one would buy you on the open slave markets of Faerie? Or maybe your character was taken by the Overlord and then kept once it was discovered you could fulfill a useful role as a prisoner in The Pen? This option works well for characters who don't already have a Keeper and who would be interested in roleplaying a character suffering the after-effects of being a prison inmate.
So, if either of these options interest you and you would like to have been a prior captive of The Overlord of Manacles and Coins - either as someone captured and then delivered to your Keeper or as someone who was imprisoned by the Overlord for a longer period - please send an email to Justin Diaz.
