The Botanist of the Incomparable Garden

From IoD Lost

Appearance

While capable of shifting form at will, as any of the True Fae may, the Botanist has overwhelming green themes. A changeling once told him, during torture, that good gardeners were said to have green thumbs, and since that day his thumbs have become shifting and hypnotically swirling shades of green. Other parts of his body and appearance also tend to reflect a green theme, and he is often to be seen striding his Garden

Personality

The Incomparable Garden

The Garden is vast circular section of Arcadia, boarded halfway around by the towering thorns of the Hedge and on the other sides by a white picket fence. A single wood gate is set into the side of the Hedge, and it is through this door that the Botanist sends his raiding parties into the world to fetch him more specimens.

The Garden is divided into a number of sections, each of which house different sorts of changeling.

The Green House

At the centre of the Garden squats the towering edifice that is the Green House. Looking like some monstrous cross between the Emerald City, a glass skyscraper, and a medieval castle, the Green House houses the Botanists laboratories, workshops, and sundry other places for making, shaping, and breaking changelings. The House also housed the Wizened staff who dutifully stitched every damaged animal or plant back together so they could be returned to the Garden.

Scurrying creepy-crawlies of all sorts were employed as his general household staff: to fetch and carry, to collect and clean, to tidy and organise. Their tiny insect limbs being useless alone, they worked in teams of hundreds to achieve the arbitrary tasks of their master. A large spider matron lurks at the centre of an enormous web that spans the whole house, and she directs the household staff in their duties.

The Fighting Pits

The Fighting Pits are where the more savage animals are pitted against each other, to hone their skills and strengths. He had great hulking creatures: lions and tigers battled elephants with tusks of sharpest ivory, and trampled across packs of foxes and wolves that got in their way. Those deemed to have 'won' were graduated to his army, either to fight other Gentry or to travel into the Hedge as guards for the raiding parties.

Also to be found here were rats and rodents of many a stripe who served alongside flying insects as his eyes and ears as he spied upon his neighbours to learn their secrets of beast and plant control, and to steal their favourite ornaments for his own.

The Straights

The Straights are long sections of the gardens where the plants and obstacles had been removed. Changelings who were quick of feet were placed at one end, and forced to race for the other end. Behind them loped some of the more savage beasts from the fighting pits; the slow never made it to the end.

Other sections of the Gardens were laid out for more 'traditional' hound and fox hunting.

The Rose Garden

Pleasing animals, such as peacocks and cats, frolicked for his delight in the public sections of the Garden: an amusement for him and his guests. Those who frolicked incorrectly, or who placed a foot wrong were hauled away by twisted beasts of burden to be thrown to the fighting pits.

Even the plants did not escape the Botanist's gaze, and many a Fairest or Elemental had been trained, pruned, clipped, and marshalled into growing into shapes his fevered Fae mind imagined. Most of them decorated the Rose Garden, but others were spread throughout the Gardens.

Durance

The Botanist of the Incomparable Gardens had beasts of every type serving his whims, as detailed above. Therefore, the most common types of Seeming he produces are:

• Beasts - Every type imaginable. These are the most numerous of the changelings in his Gardens.

• Darklings - Very few of these. A few Antiquarians to catalogue his notes, and some Tunnelgrubs to dig the Garden.

• Elementals - Plant/wood elementals are common, as are water elementals to provide rain.

• Fairest - Flowering are the most common, but there are some Bright Ones to act as lights.

• Ogres - These are employed as labourers, to move plants and cages around as well as part of raiding parties. These are mostly purchased from other Gentry.

• Wizened - The Wizened care for the plants and animals, watering and feeding, or stitching them back together.

Changelings

Escapees

Those who managed to get away from the Incomparable Garden, under their own steam or with aid from others.

• Franklin Rochester - Escaped in 2002.

Previous Servitors

Those who worked for the Botanist at one time or another, but were moved to another Keeper for one reason or another...

• Red - Captured from the Gardens when they were raided by another Gentry.

OOC Details

For more details please contact Vecna.