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Creature Court
- 170 statements
- 32 feature instances
- 17 referencing feature instances
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Creature Court | |
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Creature Court is a dark Gaslamp Fantasy trilogy by Australian author Tansy Rayner Roberts, featuring flappers, shape-changers and bloodthirsty court politics and set in Aufleur, a Culture Chop Suey of Ancient Rome mixed with 1920s America (and a pinch of urban Australia, for flavour). The people of the daylight have no idea that when nox falls, a secret war is being waged over their heads - a war against the sky itself. The only ones who know the truth are the Creature Court, a secret society of ruthless, dysfunctional shapeshifters mostly devoted to saving the city, even at the cost of their own sanity. Rank Scales with Asskicking in the Court, with the basic shapeshifting courtesi, their stronger Lords, and the few, breathtakingly powerful, Kings - along with the beleaguered sentinels, bodyguards to the Kings. The strongest King is the Power and Majesty, ruler of the pack.At the beginning of the first book, the Court is reeling from the sudden death in battle of their Power and Majesty, the beautiful, sadistic Garnet, and the return of Ashiol, the Court's other King, stripped of his powers and exiled by Garnet five years ago.Protagonist Velody is an up-and-coming dressmaker in her mid-twenties, mostly concerned with keeping up with costume orders for Aufleur's never-ending calendar of festivals. But as Garnet dies in the sky above the city, Ashiol's stolen powers return...and so do Velody's, taken by a young Garnet many years ago, before she knew what she had come into.Velody is a King, and Ashiol is looking for anyone but him to be Power and Majesty.She turns out surprisingly good at it.The series consists of:Cabaret of Monsters (prequel novella, written later)Power and MajestyThe Shattered CityReign of Beasts | |
| Creature Court | fetched |
2024-02-03T05:59:00Z | |
| Creature Court | parsed |
2024-02-03T05:59:01Z | |
| Creature Court | processingComment |
Dropped link to ArmourPiercingResponse: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN | |
| Creature Court | processingUnknown |
ArmourPiercingResponse | |
| Creature Court | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Creature Court / int_1237828f | type |
Anyone Can Die | |
| Creature Court / int_1237828f | comment |
Anyone Can Die: The ranks of the Court are very much dwindled by the end of the series, including most of the courtesi, Priest, Warlord, Crane, Heliora, Livilla (temporarily) and Rhian. | |
| Creature Court / int_1237828f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_1237828f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_1237828f | |
| Creature Court / int_18729bf8 | type |
Swarm of Rats | |
| Creature Court / int_18729bf8 | comment |
Swarm of Rats: Poet's Court form, which he uses to frighten Velody and Delphine in the first book. Velody's Court form is similar - a Swarm of Mice. | |
| Creature Court / int_18729bf8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_18729bf8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_18729bf8 | |
| Creature Court / int_18ce8f1d | type |
Full-Frontal Assault | |
| Creature Court / int_18ce8f1d | comment |
Full-Frontal Assault: Shapeshifting Court members' clothes don't change with them, usually leaving them fighting in the nude. They don't much care. Justified as their bodies in Lord form are difficult to damage, and they have a decent Healing Factor anyway. | |
| Creature Court / int_18ce8f1d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_18ce8f1d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_18ce8f1d | |
| Creature Court / int_21846c77 | type |
Pest Controller | |
| Creature Court / int_21846c77 | comment |
Pest Controller: Velody discovers an affinity with her Court animal, mice, and sometimes uses them to run messages. Ashiol does the same with stray cats. | |
| Creature Court / int_21846c77 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_21846c77 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_21846c77 | |
| Creature Court / int_22ecc839 | type |
Kryptonite Factor | |
| Creature Court / int_22ecc839 | comment |
Kryptonite Factor: Skysilver burns those of the Court, and causes wounds that require being Brought Down to Normal to heal. | |
| Creature Court / int_22ecc839 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_22ecc839 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_22ecc839 | |
| Creature Court / int_2d4fa515 | type |
Ax-Crazy | |
| Creature Court / int_2d4fa515 | comment |
There's also Poet's pocket watch, inherited from Saturn, which works as a conduit for the sky to manipulate him into attempting to trap Velody. Poet manages to shake it off, but the person who had the watch before him was Garnet, which ended...badly. | |
| Creature Court / int_2d4fa515 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_2d4fa515 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_2d4fa515 | |
| Creature Court / int_2e206837 | type |
Bed Trick | |
| Creature Court / int_2e206837 | comment |
Bed Trick: Rhian sleeps with Ashiol, who sees her as the dead Heliora owing to hallucinations and Heliora's echoes in her head. | |
| Creature Court / int_2e206837 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_2e206837 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_2e206837 | |
| Creature Court / int_41aafa31 | type |
Clothes Make the Maniac | |
| Creature Court / int_41aafa31 | comment |
Clothes Make the Maniac: Velody makes a gown and a waistcoat and uses the work to channel her feelings of darkness and anger - and then gives the clothes to Isangell and Priest. Turns out the garments are infested with the remnants of Dhynar's corrupted shade and the noxcrawl Veldoy saved Poet from, and they allow the sky to possess Isangell, cancelling the festivals that allow Aufleur to heal, and Priest, forcing him to kill Janvier and Seonard and seriously injure Warlord, destabilising the trust Velody has built in the Court, and eventually using him as a Manchurian Agent to destroy Bazeppe. Velody manages to save Isangell, but it eventually turns out to have been too late for Priest. There's also Poet's pocket watch, inherited from Saturn, which works as a conduit for the sky to manipulate him into attempting to trap Velody. Poet manages to shake it off, but the person who had the watch before him was Garnet, which ended...badly. | |
| Creature Court / int_41aafa31 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_41aafa31 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_41aafa31 | |
| Creature Court / int_424c9a9b | type |
Cold-Blooded Torture | |
| Creature Court / int_424c9a9b | comment |
Poet is hopelessly in love with Garnet, who slept indiscriminately with Ashiol and Livilla and apparently loved them both (for a given value of "love"). | |
| Creature Court / int_424c9a9b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_424c9a9b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_424c9a9b | |
| Creature Court / int_4523420b | type |
Love Dodecahedron | |
| Creature Court / int_4523420b | comment |
Love Dodecahedron: Oh, dear. Velody and Ashiol develop feelings for each other almost immediately, but Ashiol is still hung up on Garnet and on Livilla, has history with Warlord as well, and is occasionally sleeping with Heliora and Kelpie. Velody eventually sleeps with Ashiol, but not before she has power-up sex with Garnet that leaves several complicated emotions. Crane is in love with Velody but also makes several bases with Delphine. Macready develops feelings for both Delphine and Rhian, who reciprocate, though Delphine also beds Crane and has several unnamed daylight boyfriends, while Rhian, of all people, sleeps with Ashiol, of all people, while in the guise of Heliora. Poet is hopelessly in love with Garnet, who slept indiscriminately with Ashiol and Livilla and apparently loved them both (for a given value of "love"). Kelpie sleeps with Ashiol but eventually ends up with Isangell. ...and so on. | |
| Creature Court / int_4523420b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_4523420b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_4523420b | |
| Creature Court / int_5020a82 | type |
Duality Motif | |
| Creature Court / int_5020a82 | comment |
Duality Motif: Nonbinary actor Sunshine wears a costume which is a suit on one side and a dramatically sequined cocktail gown on the other for a stage performance in Cabaret of Monsters. Evie notes that the symbolism is really not that subtle. | |
| Creature Court / int_5020a82 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_5020a82 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_5020a82 | |
| Creature Court / int_5ff9310b | type |
Painful Transformation | |
| Creature Court / int_5ff9310b | comment |
Painful Transformation: Court warriors can usually shift into animal, Lord or chimaera form pretty easily. However, if they've had recent contact with skysilver, the transformation becomes a lot more unpleasant. Naturally, this happens to Ashiol at every given opportunity. | |
| Creature Court / int_5ff9310b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_5ff9310b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_5ff9310b | |
| Creature Court / int_6193ae61 | type |
Deus Sex Machina | |
| Creature Court / int_6193ae61 | comment |
Velody eventually sleeps with Ashiol, but not before she has power-up sex with Garnet that leaves several complicated emotions. Crane is in love with Velody but also makes several bases with Delphine. | |
| Creature Court / int_6193ae61 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_6193ae61 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_6193ae61 | |
| Creature Court / int_6411dac8 | type |
BadassNormal | |
| Creature Court / int_6411dac8 | comment |
Badass Normal: The remaining sentinels (Macready, Kelpie and Crane) have no special powers beyond seeing what's Invisible to Normals, but hold their own in the Court through sheer weapon skills and badassery. | |
| Creature Court / int_6411dac8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_6411dac8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_6411dac8 | |
| Creature Court / int_6439de78 | type |
Heroic Sacrifice | |
| Creature Court / int_6439de78 | comment |
Heroic Sacrifice: Twice. Velody hurls herself into a sky rift when the rest of the Court are about to be overrun by dust devils, satiating the sky and ending the attack. She comes Back from the Dead. Rhian ends the skywar (as far as the Court can tell) by throwing herself into the sky and exploding with the combined animor of the entire Court. She's eventually reincarnated as a beautiful, empty city growing out of the earth where Tierce once stood, but is unable to communicate with anyone. | |
| Creature Court / int_6439de78 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_6439de78 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_6439de78 | |
| Creature Court / int_663b22d9 | type |
Dying as Yourself | |
| Creature Court / int_663b22d9 | comment |
Dying as Yourself: Heliora passes on the futures to Rhian and faces down a dust devil, swords in hand, preferring to die as a sentinel than as the Seer. | |
| Creature Court / int_663b22d9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_663b22d9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_663b22d9 | |
| Creature Court / int_66ea7e5c | type |
Brought Down to Normal | |
| Creature Court / int_66ea7e5c | comment |
Brought Down to Normal: The result of a Court member drinking the blood of a sentinel. It's the only way to deal with wounds caused by skysilver, but it leaves them stripped of their powers for hours. Velody's first major challenge as the new Power and Majesty is to convince her Lords to charge into battle on her behalf without her powers to force them into compliance. Done by Garnet to Ashiol in the backstory, which would have been permanent if Garnet hadn't up and died. It's mentioned this is a risk if ever two Kings have sex, as one can use the emotion and loss of control to take the other's animor. Eventually happens to every surviving character, as they hand over their powers to Rhian, who delivers them back to the sky with extreme prejudice, finally ending the skywar. | |
| Creature Court / int_66ea7e5c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_66ea7e5c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_66ea7e5c | |
| Creature Court / int_767f84ea | type |
Does Not Like Men | |
| Creature Court / int_767f84ea | comment |
Macready develops feelings for both Delphine and Rhian, who reciprocate, though Delphine also beds Crane and has several unnamed daylight boyfriends, while Rhian, of all people, sleeps with Ashiol, of all people, while in the guise of Heliora. | |
| Creature Court / int_767f84ea | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_767f84ea | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_767f84ea | |
| Creature Court / int_7fbb2a3 | type |
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! | |
| Creature Court / int_7fbb2a3 | comment |
By the end of The Shattered City, the sadistic, tyrannical Garnet has returned from being swallowed by the sky, with Velody's help. | |
| Creature Court / int_7fbb2a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_7fbb2a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_7fbb2a3 | |
| Creature Court / int_8967e17f | type |
Back from the Dead | |
| Creature Court / int_8967e17f | comment |
Velody gets it as well, after helping Garnet come Back from the Dead and unleashing him on Aufleur once again. | |
| Creature Court / int_8967e17f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_8967e17f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_8967e17f | |
| Creature Court / int_8a409f7c | type |
The Flapper | |
| Creature Court / int_8a409f7c | comment |
The Flapper: Several, but notably hard-edged, violent Livilla and Hard-Drinking Party Girl Delphine. | |
| Creature Court / int_8a409f7c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_8a409f7c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_8a409f7c | |
| Creature Court / int_8ff8d545 | type |
Kissing Cousins | |
| Creature Court / int_8ff8d545 | comment |
Kissing Cousins: Invoked - Eglantine worries that Isangell's planning to designate her cousin Ashiol as her consort, though she's more horrified by the fact Ashiol would make a terrible Duc-Consort than by the relationship. Ashiol, who's known Isangell since she was a toddler, is utterly squicked, and Isangell feels similarly. To the point that when Isangell flips tactics and attempts to seduce him, it's what tips Ashiol off that she's been possessed by the sky. | |
| Creature Court / int_8ff8d545 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_8ff8d545 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_8ff8d545 | |
| Creature Court / int_98c4ea5f | type |
Falling Chandelier of Doom | |
| Creature Court / int_98c4ea5f | comment |
Falling Chandelier of Doom: The mirrored ceiling of the Vittorina Royale theatre. When Velody and Garnet use the mirror to come Back from the Dead, it shatters and rains down on the audience, bringing down most of the roof with it. Many theatregoers are crushed to death or impaled and slashed to pieces by broken glass. | |
| Creature Court / int_98c4ea5f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_98c4ea5f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_98c4ea5f | |
| Creature Court / int_a1b141f4 | type |
My God, What Have I Done? | |
| Creature Court / int_a1b141f4 | comment |
My God, What Have I Done?: The real reason behind Rhian's trauma and avoidance of men. She was the subject of an Attempted Rape during the Lupercalia festival, leading her destructive powers to manifest and kill them all. She's horrified by her own abilities and avoiding any possibility of triggering them again. Velody gets it as well, after helping Garnet come Back from the Dead and unleashing him on Aufleur once again. | |
| Creature Court / int_a1b141f4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_a1b141f4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_a1b141f4 | |
| Creature Court / int_bf1255fa | type |
Really Gets Around | |
| Creature Court / int_bf1255fa | comment |
Really Gets Around: Most of the Court spend their time sleeping with each other for fun and for power games, but the winner would have to be Ashiol, who seems to have bedded almost every named character. | |
| Creature Court / int_bf1255fa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_bf1255fa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_bf1255fa | |
| Creature Court / int_c042eee9 | type |
Invisible to Normals | |
| Creature Court / int_c042eee9 | comment |
Invisible to Normals: Regular humans don't see Court magic even if it's being worked right in front of them, or the attacks of the sky, or even the dust devils and steam angels. Even the destruction visited on the city every night goes unnoticed...though sometimes humans caught in the crossfire are found dead without a mark on them, which is known as the Silent Sleep. | |
| Creature Court / int_c042eee9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_c042eee9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_c042eee9 | |
| Creature Court / int_cadbe2b3 | type |
She Is the King | |
| Creature Court / int_cadbe2b3 | comment |
She Is the King: Ranks of the Court include the Lords and the Kings - particularly Lord Livilla, the posthumous Lord Tasha, and King Velody. | |
| Creature Court / int_cadbe2b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_cadbe2b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_cadbe2b3 | |
| Creature Court / int_ce165390 | type |
Casting Couch | |
| Creature Court / int_ce165390 | comment |
Casting Couch: In Cabaret of Monsters, the stagemaster of the Mermaid theatre troupe expects to sleep with with any actress looking to take or keep a role, especially any girl who wants to move out of the lambs' chorus - which in this case means actresses of twelve or thirteen. His attempt to do this to a young Livilla triggered her coming into her powers as a courtesa. It's mentioned that the stellar (lead performer) of the troupe is also sleeping with him regularly to keep her role. Poet mentions sleeping with his actors occasionally, though he adds that he only beds those that approach him. | |
| Creature Court / int_ce165390 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_ce165390 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_ce165390 | |
| Creature Court / int_df60d405 | type |
Culture Chop Suey | |
| Creature Court / int_df60d405 | comment |
Culture Chop Suey: Aufleur is a mix of 1920s America and Ancient Rome. | |
| Creature Court / int_df60d405 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_df60d405 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_df60d405 | |
| Creature Court / int_e8804a1d | type |
Bishōnen Line | |
| Creature Court / int_e8804a1d | comment |
Bishōnen Line: Subverted with the shapeshifted forms of the various levels of the Court: the sentinels look completely human, the courtesi transform into swarms of animals, and the Lords use the powerful, glowing Bishonen-style form . . . but the Kings are fanged, clawed Animalistic Abominations. | |
| Creature Court / int_e8804a1d | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Creature Court / int_e8804a1d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_e8804a1d | |
| Creature Court / int_f7d3dbb | type |
One to Million to One | |
| Creature Court / int_f7d3dbb | comment |
One to Million to One: The Lords, Kings and Courtesi have the ability to transform into their signature animal based generally on their body mass, which leads to this if their animal form is small. The closest to swarming are Velody and Poet (mice and rats, respectively), but other Court members become multiple pigeons, bats, sparrows, cats etc. Downplayed with Livilla, who can become two smallish wolves or one really big wolf. | |
| Creature Court / int_f7d3dbb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Creature Court / int_f7d3dbb | featureConfidence |
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| Creature Court | hasFeature |
Creature Court / int_f7d3dbb | |
| Creature Court / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
| Creature Court / int_name | comment |
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| Creature Court / int_name | itemName |
Creature Court |
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