changeling summer

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By Stephen DiPesa, Jess Hartley, Malcolm Sheppard, John Snead andChuck Wendig


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The Longest Day of Summer, NowWar.

Light on my feet, Im buoyed by the heat coming offthe sand, driven by the drum-hiss of crashing surf, andpushed forward by a sad and angry heart.

I pirouette and bend backward. An arrow slicesthrough the air above me. I see its dark shape, its razor-

tip, its shaft kept aloft and swift by a graft of a dozen blackhornets. Behind me, the arrow finds a home in the chestof Papi Chulo. He bleats in pain. The pis tol spins from hisgrip and into a briny tidal pool. Hornets erupt from thewound. Then hes gone.

Hands backward in the sand, I kick forward: theflat top of my foot connects with the goblins head. Hisbone spur jaw slams shut on his tongue,biting it off. It flops to the sand. Thewretched thing is confused, evenmore so when he finds me be-hind him, sticking one knifein his throat and another inthe small of his back.

Over his shoulder, Isee Tombs Tuttle go downunder a trio of the gib-bering things. They stabdownward. I cant seeTombs, but I can see hisblood running into thesucking tide. The water ispink with it.

I could save him, but Idont. Thats not why were

here today. Thats not whyImhere today. Im here to finishthis.

With the sand castle walls tower-ing above me, the crumbling parapets heldtogether by coils of thorn and whisper-thin sedge, I pushon.

A pair of goblins thinks they can flank me. Theythink wrong. One ends up dead atop the other, and thetide comes and takes them both away.

Sister Sunra is next to me; suddenly bullets are bark-ing from her AK, stitching holes in the onrushing ranks.

Her left eye is fused shut with a crust of blood. The handthat cradles the rifles stock is little more than a bustedclaw. But shes smiling. Her teeth are smeared with red.I always liked her. I goosestep forward, and she pivotsaround me.

Back to back, we take down too many to count. Myknives glint in the hot sun, leaving arcs of black blood intheir flashing wake. Her rifle chuffs, spitting brass cas-

ings and filling the air with acrid cordite (a smell thatmixes with the potent brine). Then theres an explosion.One of the parapets falls atop us -- a crashing fist of sandand thorn. I roll forward, just out of the way, sand sting-ing my eyes. I dont see what happens to Sunra.

When my eyes stop watering, I see that Ive killed twomore. I also see a goblin feasting on the body of RoosterPetukh, tearing away great hunks of his leg flesh. Hes

dead. I dance over him, kicking the gross crustacean intoanother.

Then I see the Keepers marshaling this mad army.

Always together, hand-in-hand. Cruel syzygy.

One in a white sundress with red flowers, her man-tid face staring out, the other in the black tuxedo with the

red carnation boutonniere, his wolf head andspider eyes looking as hungry as ever.

They are separate, but tog ether.Ive known that for a long time.

Something thruststhrough the back of my calf,

but I refuse to recognize thepain. I step forward withmy other leg. The knivesare in my hands.

I hurl them forwardwith all my might.

And then I let it allout. I open my heart. No,

I tear it apart . I rip theventricles open. I rend my

aorta. All the blood and fireand anger and sorrow in-

side are now free in a singlewave, as ineluctable as the t ides.

It accompanies my knives. Thesun shines bright with them. A streak

of fire. A sun f lare. My hearts dread gaze.

The dread light illuminates the third finger on myleft hand and the red bruise that rings the flesh. The lightleaps forward toward its destination.

The wolfs head keens, its fur charring. The mantidface hisses and chitters before it disintegrates.

I swear they call my name as they die.

The Longest Day of Summer,One Year AgoRamona Ringfinger, Ivan says, putting his hand on

my shoulder. His words are clumsy in that muddy Rus-sian tongue of his. His hand is like a brick. Grandfatherwill see you now.


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I twist out of his grip and offer a shit-eating grin. Icant say what it i s he offers in return: Ivans face is a curi-ous thing, a cement block that could be smiling, could besneering.

Inside his office, Thunder sits pensive at a glass-topdesk. The windows behind him are open. A balmy breezeblows in, growing hotter as it drifts over his shoulder.Something about the room smells like I dunno, maybe

burning plastic.Standing off to the side is Tombs Tuttle. He has a

corpse grin below a nose-less face and a pair of too-bigsunglasses like you might see some drug-addled celeb-rity starlet wear (hobo chic, Ive heard it called). He givesa little wave. I wave back.

Sitting next to Tombs is a court-less girl Ive only seenin passing. Black Betty? Black Bonita? Who can remem-ber? Shes a frail slip of a girl with too-long arms anddouble-long legs. She has a sketchpad in front of her anda lap full of colored pencils.

Ah, the artist.

So, Thunder says. Youre sure about this?He motions for Betty or Bonita. She holds up her

sketchpad. On it, the face of a mantis stares out, loominglarge. My heart leaps. I say nothing. The girl flips to thenext page, and there it is: the savage wolfs face open in apermanent snarl. She even got the drool-soaked muzzleright. I clench my fists behind my back and hope nobodycan see.

Sure as anything, I say.

His eyes flicker with lightning.

Lets go over it again. You say these two

Mother and Father, I interrupt (never a good idea,

but its a habit I cant be rid of). Thats what they callthemselves, at least.

ThisMother and Father, theyre the ones respon-sible for the sudden incursion of the Gentry into my city?Theyre the ones fucking with the sanctity of this free-hold?

Behind my back, I gently rub the ringfinger bruise.

Give the man a kewpie.

Shits pretty trippy, Tombs felt compelled to openhis mouth and say. A cancerous tongue picks somethingout of his eerily perfect teeth. He looks to me. Those bas-tards aint usually into that kind of uni ty, you know?

Thats why it should terrify you.Im still not convinced, Grandfather starts to say,

and by the time I decide to bite my tongue its alreadyflapping.

Listen. This citys on the verge of going shithouse.You know it, I know it. Weve all heard the whispers.Were supposed to be the first and last line of defense,and still everybodys seeing the cracks in that faade.Keeper sightings are through the roof. People are seeing

them through broken mirrors. Down in the dark of sewergrates and watching from distant boats offshore. Every-bodys shaken. Nobody feels safe anymore. Youre aboutto lose everything.

His mouth forms into a tight line. A halo of momen-tary celestial fire shudders above his head before wink-ing out. I have his attention.

This is a concerted effort on their part. Weve inter-cepted loyalist messages. Weve heard the crustaceanswhispering in the Hedge. These two I give the fingerto first the mantis face and then the wolf face. are thedirty birds who run the whole show.

Ivan looms over me. Even his shadow has weight. Iknow how this could go. I know what Thunder does thesedays to those who displease him. I watch his eyes for thecommand, the one that tell s Ivan to crush my windpipe. Ithink about how I could move to dance out of the way, tofoxtrot right out that window, but I dont have to.

Done, Thunder says. This will take time to mountan offensive on these monsters. Get with the others and

plan it. Ill make sure everyones on board. Use this yearto train, Ramona. Ive seen you spar. Youre already good,but you need to be the best.

Will do, I say. The anger i n me is a n arrow, one thathas found its home. Success.

Tombs gives me a thumbs-up.

Ivan escorts me out.

They believed the lies, I think. I feel bad about this,but comfort myself that maybe, just maybe, they werentreally lies at al l, that maybe, just maybe, a kernel of truthlies hidden under that pile of bullshit.

The Longest Day of Summer,Five Years AgoThe hit splits my lip. I see stars. The ropes of the ring

are suddenly at my back, and, being dizzy, I imagine fora moment that theyre grabbing me and holding me andwont let me go.

Papi Chulo moves in. The guys a fat-gutted goat, buthe moves like a little moth, flitting this way and that.

Bitch, look up, he says with a wicked grin. His onehand makes a goofy gesticulation and I watch it, won-dering what kind of magic hes up to.

The only magic is misdirection. As my dizzy eyesfollow his hand, he sucker punches me. A line of droolescapes around my mouth guard. Gasping, I spit it out.Outside the ring on the other side, Sister Sunra myonly friend in this Court right now watches me witha little cigarillo clenched between her teeth. She winks.Chulo hits me again.

You gotta get mad, he says. I swing at nothing. Yougotta grab onto something inside you, ride it like a horsethats on fucking fire.


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I dont know what he means. I try to do a kickboxingthing, try to whip my foot into his face, but he just laughsbehind me. How did he get behind me? Prick!

Two pistons to my kidneys. Then a hoof stomps onmy foot.

A surprisingly soft shove and Im on the mat, facedown, sucking in breath.

I heard you were fast, lady. He shakes his head.But you dont look fast. You dont lookpissed offlikeyou need to look. Me? Ill tell you what pisses me off. Tellyou what makes me want to punch the shit out of things.I think ofHim. The Blind Shepherd. Kept me and all theother animals in a dead meadow. Made us eat li ke beasts.Made us rutlike beasts. Always watching us even thoughthe fat bastard had no eyes! I think of that. I think backto how that made me feel, sleeping in my own shit, sharphay poking me in the fucking back. And I get angry. I getsuper crazy angry. Then, and onlythen, I can punch theshit out of things. You gonna get angry? Or you gonna gohang out with those pussyfart Snowmen?

It happens even though I dont want it to.Her face. Mother, the mantis. Mouthparts clicking

and feeling the air.

His face. Father, the wolf. Spider eyes staring, pinkteeth clenching.

Somehow even though Im on my belly my legs arearound Papis throat. I pivot my hips. His face crashesinto the mat. But hes up again, and hes kicking at mewith one of those chestnut hooves, but I wind my own legaround his and slide in behind him. Hes about to fall.I dont let him not yet. First I choke him out. My arms

are lithe, l imber, like pale snakes, and theyre around hisforehead and throat and then my leg is around his otherleg and Im pushing him to the mat.

I hold him there until hes blue.

Something, a little voice, tells me to stop. Then I real-ize its not a little voice: its Sunra, screaming at me, tryingto pull me off.

I listen to her.

Papi looks pissed, but he still gives me the nod.

Sunra has a Corona for me, a half-lime drawingbubbles in the bottle. I drink it all the way down.

So what happened? she asked.

Found my anger, I say between gulps.


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6 Introduction

The Changeling: The LostLine

Autumn Nightmares

Winter Masques

Rites of SpringLords of Summer

The Equinox Road

2008 CCP North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction with-

out the written permission o the publisher is expressly orbidden, except

or the purposes o reviews, and or blank character sheets, which may be

reproduced or personal use only. White Wol and World o Darkness are

registered trademarks o CCP North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Sto-

rytelling System, Werewol the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Change-

ling: The Lost, World o Darkness Book o Spirits, Autumn Nightmares,Winter Masques, Rites o Spring, Lords o Summer and The Equinox Road

are trademarks o CCP North America, Inc.

All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by CCP North America, Inc.

This book uses the supernatural or settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are ction

and intended or entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.

Check out White Wol online at

http://www.white-wol.com

PRINTED IN CHINA.

CreditsWritten by: Stephen DiPesa, Jess Hartley, Malcolm

Sheppard, John Snead and Charles Wendig

Developer: Ethan Skemp

Editor: Scribendi.com

Creative Director: Richard Thomas

Prooduction Manager: Matt Milberger

Art Direction and Layout: Aileen E. MilesInterior Art: Anna Borowiecka, John Bridges, Andrew

Hepworth, Je Holt, Saana Lappalainen, Pat Loboyko, BrittMartin, Peter Mohrbacher

Cover Art: J.P. Targete


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7

Table of Contents

Prologue:The Longest Dayof Summer2

Introduction8

Chapter One:Freeholds10

Chapter Two:The Seasonal Courts

24

Chapter Three:Noble andEldritch Orders106


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8 Introduction

In the depth of winter, I finally learnedthat within me there lay an invincible summer.

Albert Camus,Summer

Summer is heat. Its the parching sun overhead, dry-

ing out the ground until long cracks run through it. Its thewarm wet wind o a thunderstorm, a torrent lit by ery bolts

o lightning. Its the warmth that lingers as the sun creeps

past the horizon and the insects drone. Its violence thaterupts when the mercury creeps up too high and people canno longer stand to be in proximity with one another.

And arrayed under the summer sun, the monarchs and

knights and ree-lances and vagabonds o the Lost gather,their banners marking their deance o their ormer mas-

ters. Lords of Summer concerns itsel with the organiza-

tions that changelings gather in, rom the reehold to the

entitlement, to support one another. A lone changelingmay have to fee and hide, but together, many can stand.

Summer and Wrath

The imagery o summer implies dynamism. A chronicleset in summer may have its lazy-day set pieces where theres

little to do but sit on the porch and listen to the fies buzz,

but or a Changeling story, summer is more requently aboutconfict. As the heat rises, the pot boils over. This moti

isnt just the Summer Courts philosophy winning through,

either. Summer is a time or being outdoors, doing things

and or the Lost, that oten involves hunting or beinghunted, ghting or feeing. Consider the tense energy o a

city in summer, or clouds o dust rising rom the dirt road as

the sun beats down.

The Lost, at least those o the seasonal Courts, also

associate summer with wrath. Wrath is a negative emotion,

but its also one that can be positively directed. Few change-lings would say its a bad thing to be angry at the Gentry ortheir ill-use. While wrath can ester or be directed against

the wrong target, the wrath elt by the Lost can also put

strength in their limbs and resolve in their hearts. This may

maniest as a revenge morality play, where each new act orevenge sparks another until two houses are destroyed

or it can be a righteous wrath, sparking catharsis. Theres

room or both in a good Changeling chronicle, preerably

playing o one another like dueling tongues o fame.

Fragmented TraditionsChangeling: The Lost postulates a social structure

that plays out most commonly on the local level, without

the over-reaching politics o changeling nations or em-

perors. Part o the reasoning behind this is simple logistics.

It would be virtually impossible or a changeling emperor,president or high king to govern in such a way that he could

bring entire rebellious reeholds to heel unless changelings

were the most numerous supernatural being in the entire

World o Darkness, and then some. That would requirequite a lot o abductions, particularly given that so many

abducted humans never leave Faerie.

At the same time, though, Changeling also postulates

a world where changelings are aware o other reeholds, andmight travel rom city to city. Entitlements have members

scattered across entire countries, convening now and again

or ocial order business or initiations. The Great Courtsmaintain traditions rom city to city; some vary widely,

while others are neat refections o traditions practiced on

the other side o the continent. The Lost o Tampa Bays

reehold may hear gossip about Grandather Thunders rulein Miami. Thus, it becomes easier to allow or constants

rom place to place in Lost society.

This is, in our humble opinion, a best o both worldsscenario. The constancy o some traditions rom region to

region allows or easier communication and amiliar expecta-

tions, and that makes game play easier. Yet at the same time,the lack o a central government and ironclad tradition pro-vides innite opportunity or customization, to make each

reehold as unlike its neighbors as you like. The reeholds, en-

titlements, even the Great Courts described here can provide

all the details you like, but theres ample reason to changewhat you need without breaking plausibility. Use them as you

like; we hope thatll be to the ullest satisaction.


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9How to Use This Book

HeraldryThe moti o heraldry is something o a theme or this

book. Freeholds and Courts and entitlements are all socialconstructs, but theyre more than that theyre visually

rich with symbols and meaning that go beyond simple poli-

tics. You can tell something about a Summer courtier by

looking at the colors he wears, and certainly by his Mantle

(which is a powerul heraldic device in its own right). Eachentitlement leaves certain marks on the mien o its nobles,

and an observer versed in those symbols can glean more

inormation there.

And perhaps more importantly, heraldry stirs the

imagination. It would be enough to know that a lion is the

symbol o the king, but it becomes more interesting whenyou start to question whether the king is really as noble and

valiant and lion-hearted as his heralds proclaim him to

be. A knight who wears the scorpion as his personal em-

blem hints that hes a poisonous, cold-hearted creature. Itstrue even in modern times; consider the variety o gut reac-

tions a person might have to a bald eagle, a hammer and

sickle or a swastika. Those emotional rst impressions are

potent narrative tools, incredibly useul or catching a per-sons imagination.

All o the organizations described here can benet rom

the power o symbolism. Even a reehold catches greater at-tention i its name implies an image and that image implies

other things in return. Grandather Thunder holds court

with an ornate trident beside him, a symbol o the Miami

reeholds unity. Even a motley might show solidarity with acommon badge. Changeling is already a visual game: with

heraldry as another o the narrative tools at your disposal, it

can be even more so.

How to Use this BookLords of Summer is designed or any player with an

interest in changeling society. Though the traditions o

the Lost vary widely rom place to place, here you can nd

a number o potential rituals, practices, customs and sub-

societies to drop into your chronicle or to use as inspirationor building your own.

The Prologue: The Longest Day of Summer show-cases the heat and wrath and violence that changelings see

in summer, but its also a tale o the power o the group. Its a

desperate time when a reehold must go to war, but i it goes

to war as a reehold

Chapter One: Freeholds expands upon the structure

o changeling regional politics. The shiting politics and

concerns o the reehold are looked at here, with many ex-

amples provided or Storytellers and players to draw on. De-mographics, distribution, organization, character and other

subjects are all discussed here.

Chapter Two: The Seasonal Courts provides a more

elaborate look at each o the our Great Courts tied to the

seasons. The credo o each Court is explained in greater

detail: what does their emotion signiy to them, and howdoes it reconcile with the purpose that binds the Court to-

gether? Many sample oces within the Court are oered to

better fesh out the Byzantine politics that mark so many

ne Changeling chronicles. The stereotypes and relation-ships o each Court are also examined, rom internal ties to

other Courts to encounters with other supernatural entities

o the World o Darkness. And to strengthen each Court,

each Court section also contains a new Contract list to o-er more seasonal power, as well as a new entitlement dedi-

cated to the principles o the Court.

And what would a book about these various esteemedchangeling be without more paths to distinction? Chapter

Three: Noble and Eldritch Orders contains 12 more enti-

tlements to fesh out a chronicle. From humble tradesmans

guilds (that conceal mystical power and cunning beneath

that humility) to the eldritch orders, these are entitlementso legendary power and status. Some o the entitlements

here may even provide entirely new storylines or a chron-

icle ater all, what i the Solstice Court is on the rightpath?

The ourth season is upon us. The Midsummer Night is

at hand, and what wars will be ought in its shadows? Who

will win honor and rank when the sun sets?

Theres only one way to nd out.


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he kid gets into my car and theyre immediatelyon top of me. Two of Grandfather Thundersenforcers Eye, this big mean Cyclops, andDog, a Beast who hates everyone. People say shekilled half a dozen Spring Court rebels back in99. I dont know where the hell they came from;you wouldnt think either of them would be allthat sneaky. I guess these disappearances fromSouth Beach are encouraging everyone to bringtheir A game.

Eye saunters over to my window while Dogleans against the passenger side, making surewe can see that gun of hers. Joseph is shaking

like anything, grabbing the straps of his duf-fel bag, like its the only thing suspending himfrom a cliff, and is unable to take his eyes offDogs face. I kind of feel bad about the fulldisclosure deal I offered him right now. I rolldown the window to listen to what Eye is growl-ing at me.

Hey Darkling, got another one there to keepyour Keeper happy? That kid aint goin anywhere, but you sure are. Get out of the damncar and keep your hands where I can see em.

Dammit, must have been Clockwork Sally. She must have gotten someone to bug my car

when I was getting that surveillance rig from her. So much for her youve got a face a girlcan trust line.

Damn it, Eye! Wouldnt I ensorcell a kid I was going to sell to the fae? Look at his face;he can see just how ugly you are. Im no traitor. His dads a psycho homophobe who beatson him and is too rich for the cops to bother. You know how I feel about that crap. Im justtaking him to a couple of friends in LA who take in strays and are good with fake paper. Illgive you their number, they took care of the other two kids I sent their way.

Eye looks a bit less like hes about to kill me right now, and hes stopped growling whenhe talks. Come on, you thick bastard, keep thinking about it.

Yeah, that may be. But stealin rich kids has got the locals way too upset. Goes against

the law of subtlety. He shrugged. Not my job to figure this out, so youre getting in the backseat, and Ill drive us back to see the boss. Dog will be right behind us in my car, so donttry anything or shell make a call and blow us all up. You know how much she likes to dothings like that.

Yeah. Law of subtlety and all that.From the look on Eyes face, I shouldnt have pressed my luck.


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12 Chapter One: Freeholds

Among the many urban legends o the World o Dark-

ness are stories o strange, otherworldly people and mon-sters that hunt silently on their own or gather in shadowycabals. Changelings tend toward the latter. They are socialcreatures in part due to a longing or companionship thatcant always be easily gained rom their lost loved ones, andin part rom necessity. Most changelings know that alone,one o their kind can be easily captured by the ae or theirchangeling allies and returned to Arcadia. To hide andprotect themselves, the Lost cluster in cities. However, orchangelings, not all cities are created equal.

No one knows how many changelings there are, andtheir numbers vary wildly by city. A very ew cities, like Mi-

ami, are home to a hundred or more changelings. The Mi-ami reehold contains slightly more than 100 changelings.Between them, the our Los Angeles reeholds may containa total o more than 400 Lost the largest number in anUS city and beore Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleansreehold contained almost 90 changelings.

The reason or these high concentrations o change-lings is largely that the paths between Arcadia and thesecities and others like them are in some way easier or shorterthan those between Arcadia and most locations. Unortu-nately, these paths also go both ways, and so the ae aremore likely to visit these same cities. The connections be-tween these cities and Arcadia are also not always static.Occasionally there are unusual events that result a dozen orsometimes as many as a hundred changelings successullyescaping Arcadia and all ending up in the same location inthe mortal world at the same time, typically a location inor near a city that already has an unusual number o pathsleading rom Arcadia.

Some supernatural event or supernatural reection oa mundane event creates a multitude o short-lived pathsbetween Arcadia and a specifc location. Oddly, the indi-

viduals who escape via these paths do not all escape rom

Arcadia together and oten come rom dierent decades.Some changelings assume that these escapees may have letArcadia years or even decades apart, but all made it back tothe mortal world together, because some event briey madethe paths rom Arcadia to one specifc location easier andaster to traverse. The mystics o the Lost work diligentlyto understand whether some celestial conjunction, calendarnumerology, or other cycle is at work in these conditions.Be that as it may, it is defnitely true that the reeholds othe early 21st century are seeing a population boom becausean unusual number o changelings have recently escaped. Itstrains reehold resources a bit to accommodate the grow-

ing numbers, but most fnd it a small price to pay or thegreater number o Lost enjoying new reedom.

Unlike the numbers o some supernatural beings, likevampires, changeling populations have no direct correla-tion to mortal populations. Changelings arent predatoryand dont need a certain number o humans to supportthem. The Mask also aids larger populations o Lost to re-main concealed. In some large cities, there are either nochangelings at all or no more than one or two small mot-leys. Most cities possess only difcult access to Arcadia andso a much smaller number o changelings make it back tothese cities. In many cities, there are as ew as one change-ling or every 500,000 mortal inhabitants. Despite being

the largest city in the United States, New York City has asingle small reehold with only 37 members. Similarly, inthe entire greater Chicago metropolitan area, there are only21 changelings. Its said that ew changelings escape to ruralareas or small towns. Also, the Lost wish to remain incon-spicuous and hide amidst the mass o humanity, not standout as the ew eccentrics in a small town. As a result, veryew small towns or rural areas contain enough changelingsto orm a reehold. Cities usually need a population o more

FreeholdsWe must all hang together,

or as suredly we shall all han g separately. Benjamin Franklin


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13Freehold Character

than 20,000 beore they are likely to become home to evena single motley. That said, there are certainly rural ree-holds here and there, in strange communities where strangestories circulate. Peculiar things walk down dirt roads, andsometimes the distracted weather-beaten old men watch-ing you rom the hardware stores porch are something elseentirely under the Mask.

Many changelings speculate about why some cities are

so much easier or changelings to escape to. The most com-mon theory is that large-scale mortal migrations and morespecifcally the dreams o the many thousands o mortalswho have recently arrived in a new location somehow cre-ates or strengthens paths to and rom Arcadia, or createbeacons or the Lost. Ports flled with immigrants tend tohave more changelings, while cities that see little shit intheir population also see ewer changelings on average. Be-tween 1900 & the late 1920s, New York City had two largeand thriving reeholds containing between them more than200 changelings. Most notably, these actors seem to aectchangelings who werent previously residents o a city those who fnd their way through the Thorns, but not tothe exact place they remembered growing up.

Cities that are growing rapidly also seem to be easieror non-native changelings to get to, just as cities that arelosing population can be more difcult or changelings es-caping rom Arcadia to fnd. However, mortal immigrationis not the only reason a place becomes open to changelings,and it certainly doesnt tell the whole story. A growing cityerodes away many o its landmarks, which may make it moredifcult or once-residents to fnd their way home throughthe Thorns. Although New York is less o a center or im-migration than it once was, many mortal immigrants stillcome there and yet ar ewer changelings arrive there today

than did so 80 years beore. Ultimately, no one ully under-stands why escaping rom Arcadia to some cities is so mucheasier and more common than escaping to others. However,at least some o the reason is a combination o the numbero immigrants to a city, how rapidly the city is growing andthe number and power o the myths and legends people tellabout that city. These actors seem to have the most inu-ence over the arrival o changelings who werent native to agiven city in the frst place.

Freehold CharacterThe character o a reehold reects both the history

and nature o its inhabitants and the character o the cityit is in. Detroit is a city acing massive urban decay, allingpopulations and rampant crime. The amount o crime andpoverty there has led to the Autumn and Winter Courtstaking particular power in the Shield o Rust reehold.Under their guidance, the reehold remains strong andwell-hidden rom the True Fae, but theres less joy in thecourt than there should be. Similarly, Los Angeles teemswith unulflled desires, unparalleled greed, continuous ra-

cial tensions and drive-by shootings. Not unsurprisingly,the dominant Courts in two reeholds there are Springand Summer.

A citys character touches every resident, mortal or ae.No matter how long they were imprisoned by their Keepers,every changeling is undamentally a human who respondsstrongly to the attitudes and actions o the people aroundher and given that emotion uels the ae powers she de-ends hersel with, she may be even more aected by thatemotion. Because changelings regularly share the dreamso the inhabitants, the eects o a city on its inhabitantsare magnifed on changelings. The Lost are no strangers

to the idea o cities as living things, organisms made up otheir people and buildings like a plant or animal made upo its cells.

Specifc events that reshape the emotional tone o acity are also reected in the make-up o the reehold andthe structure o its Courts. Immediately ater September 11,2001, the Autumn Court began to grow in size and inu-ence in major cities throughout the United States. At themoment, it remains the most powerul Court in New YorkCity, having poured its Glamour into acquiring more Con-tracts, tokens and the like to strengthen its position.

Not all events that aect the character o a reehold

are o mortal origin. Though Detroit is in the grip o urbandecay, the reehold there is strong. The power and inu-ence o the Winter Court has eectively hidden many othe reeholds weaknesses, and enemies o the Shield oRust have ound themselves unable to mount an eectiveoense. The most recent example o this strength was whenthe notorious privateer Jack o Days was lured into a trapand orced to reveal many o his contacts, leading to a switand secret campaign that rid Detroit o even more privateers

Demographic s of Neces sityThese gures are not sacred writ. You

may nd your reehold requires either arlower or ar higher numbers than the aver-age, depending on the structure and demandso your game. There are so many variables

that might infuence a changeling populationthat all kinds o things are plausible. Gota 200-member LARP in a comparativelysmall city? A number o major trods couldall lead there, or it may be as notorious as areuge drawing Lost rom miles away. Want aparanoid, isolated chronicle in Los Angeles?Rumor has greatly infated the actual popula-tion. I these demographics inspire you, great;i they limit you, go a dierent direction.


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and loyalists. Within the reehold, there is a strong sense osecurity, even i it comes as the expense o the Spring andSummer Courts inuence.

Good Sides and Bad Sides

One particular brainstorming device that may help incharacterizing reeholds is to assign a reehold a Virtue anda Vice, much like a character. For example, a wealthy ree-hold that is generous and open-handed with its subjects,quick to oer sanctuary to a new straggler, demonstrates theVirtue o Charity; yet its somewhat decadent subculture isbased on indulgence even when theres little need, signiy-ing a Vice o Gluttony.

I youre completely stuck or reehold ideas, you caneven pick a Virtue or Vice almost at random and fgure outwhat that implies or a reehold rom there. For instance, con-sider the somewhat incongruous pairing o Justice and Sloth.This could suggest a reehold where the internal structure isstrong, the ruler is benevolent and the laws and regulationsquite well-reasoned. Where does the Sloth come in? Perhapsit represents a ailure to adequately enorce those laws; themonarchs right-hand man might be corrupt and unwilling todo his job when avoidance might be easier. It might also rep-resent a ailure to prepare or the uture a crisis is loomingon the horizon, yet the reehold is not taking steps because itis too ocused on internal issues, perhaps even being willullyreclusive. Either interpretation is a possible start and oers

plenty o incentive or the players characters to get involved.I they strengthen the Justice aspect while reducing the Slothaspect, theyll have made local Lost society a better place not a bad goal at all.

(For more on this particular approach to neighborhood

design, and quite a lot o other excellent advice on setting-building, see Damnation City).

The Freehold CommonsAll unctional reeholds hold regular gatherings where

the members socialize, discuss reehold business, resolveproblems and share inormation. At a bare minimum, eachtraditional reehold holds some sort o gathering on theequinoxes or solstices. Most have some sort o inormalgathering at least once a month. Some reeholds have noset location or their gatherings, but most have some sort olocation, called a commons, where they can meet.

Since most reeholds contain anywhere rom 20 to 120members, such meetings require a air amount o space;thereore the location o these meetings both reveals andultimately shapes the character o the reehold. One o themost obvious dierences between reeholds is whether theyhold their meetings in the mortal world or the Hedge. Ineither case, the commons needs to perorm several essentialunctions. It must be a space where all o the members othe reehold can meet, sae rom the prying eyes o mortals.


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15Freehold Commons

The psychoactive nature o the Hedge also tends tomake a Hollow commons a vivid and impressive location.The ruling Courts season aects the entire commons, creat-ing splendid displays o its power and inuence. The thornywalls o a Hollow lengthen into glittering, prismatic icicleswhen a Winter Queen is on the throne, and vibrant bloomsfll the air with perume when the rule shits to spring.

However, using a Hollow as the reeholds commons can

also cause as many problems as it solves. Madness and isola-tion are two ever-present dangers or the Lost, and having aperectly sae retreat that is cut o rom mortals and all o theconcerns o the mortal world oten serves to heighten thisproblem. The most extreme example o this occurred in theSt. Louis-based Column House reehold in 1972. The Col-umn House consisted o 47 changelings who all cooperatedin building and improving a huge and lavish Hollow. ThisHollow had sufcient space to house the entire population othe reehold in comort and saety. When it was completed in1966, most members o the Column House began spending

Commonly Owned HollowsThe most common method o sharing

ownership o a Hollow between many or evenall members o a Freehold is or each mem-ber to eectively own a small stake in theHollow. A common implementation is thateach member contributes some amount oGlamour or labor to the Hollow; mechani-cally, spending one dot on the Hollow. Forall but the smallest reeholds, this means thatthe Hollow is a large, lavish, and exception-

ally well-protected aair with ve dots eachin Size, Amenities, Wards, and Doors. Asthe common property o the reehold, allFreehold members are ree to come and go asthey wish. In some reeholds, such a Hollowis already established, and new members areencouraged to improve or maintain it but notexpected to spend a Merit point.

Changelings who leave the reehold orany reason lose access to this Hollow andthe characters lose the dot they contributed,

i any. The Hollow is only aected by thedeparture o members o the reehold i thenumber o members decreases below thetotal number o dots in the Hollow. With aninsucient number o members, the Hol-low decays unless new members join or oneor more o the existing members contributesmore dots to the Hollow Merit.

It must also be a location that is sufciently secure and im-pressive that the leaders o the reehold can use it to hostimportant visitors and emissaries rom other reeholds. Inaddition, some reeholds use their commons as a sae havenwhere they can retreat when acing serious problems and asa location where recently arrived changelings and memberswho are experiencing various orms o mental or physicaldistress can live or a while.

Responsibility or maintaining the commons is typi-cally held by the current Court in charge. In some cases, theCourts each maintain a private commons that is open year-round or Court gatherings. These are open to the entirereehold during the season o their rule. In other cases, thecommons is kept neutral, and adorned with the appropri-ate symbols o the season and Court as the rule progresses.This is a particularly common approach to Hollow com-mons, where the psychoactive nature o the Hedge urtheremphasizes the strength o the ruling Court.

Hollow CommonsAlthough the Hedge oers complete protection rom

mortal intruders, ew reeholds are willing to simply meet outin the open in the Hedge. Not only is it dangerous, but theshiting nature o the Thorns can mean that a clearing isntalways the same clearing or located in the same place. Free-holds that hold their gathering in the Hedge typically meet inHollows that have three to fve dots devoted to size. Some aresimply the Hollow o a single motley o changelings who areimportant members o the reehold. More oten, ownership othis Hollow common is shared by multiple motleys or by thereehold as a whole. Some reeholds have large and well-ur-nished Hollows that are the common property o their mem-bers. Most commonly owned Hollows are large and very well

protected against unwanted intrusion because a dozen or morechangelings work together to create and maintain them.

There are many reasons to use a Hollow as a commons.In addition to providing a location ar rom the prying eyeso mortals, a well-protected and well-appointed Hollow o-ers a sae and comortable reuge or both changelings whoare newly escaped rom Arcadia and changelings eeingvarious mortal problems like social or legal entanglements.Many reeholds using a Hollow as their commons permit in-dividual members to live there or a ew days or even weeks,but most also require that members eventually fnd theirown dwellings to avoid overcrowding the Hollow. A well-

warded Hollow commons provides the entire reehold witha location in which they can retreat rom threats posed bythe ae, loyalists, or similar dangers, as well as several escaperoutes back into the mortal world. Such a Hollow can alsoprovide a touch o luxury in the lives o changelings whomay be airly poor in the mundane world. Also, a commonslocated in the Hedge provides the members o the reeholdwith easy access to goblin ruit and Goblin Markets. Free-holds with Hollow commons usually have treaties with theresidents o the Hedge who live nearby.


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increasing amounts o time there, and by 1971, 41 o the 47members lived there, venturing orth into the mortal worldonly to purchase ood and other necessities.

Only changelings who did not live in the Hollow hadclose ties to their amilies. In September o 1972, one o thesechangelings visited the Hollow and ound the 41 change-lings who normally lived there missing. Repeated searchingrevealed no sign o a struggle, and most residents took their

personal belongings with them when they let. None o thechangelings who vanished were ever seen again. The mostcommon theory is that these changelings either returned toArcadia on their own or were lured away by either the aeor a particularly powerul hobgoblin and taken back to Fa-erie. Others believe they were killed or imprisoned in somedistant portion o the Hedge. A ew claim that the Lostwho lived there simply aded into the abric o the Hedgeor transormed into hobgoblins. Regardless o their actualate, changelings who have heard o this incident under-stand that reeholds who spend too much time in the Hedgerisk losing their connection to the mundane world.

Mortal CommonsWhile many reeholds have their commons in a Hol-

low, most take the simpler option o having their commonsbe in the mundane world. The economic means o thechangelings in the reehold has a great deal o impact uponthe nature o their commons. A reehold in which mostchangelings are poor or working class usually has a com-mons located in various orms o inexpensive structures.Some illegally take possession o an abandoned warehouseor derelict apartment building and use various Contracts toavoid notice by the authorities. These commons are eec-tively ree and usually located where law enorcement is un-

likely to look or squatters. However, this same lack o lawenorcement means that crime is oten rampant in this areaand the reehold will usually need to post guards on theircommons to prevent desperate mortals rom either movingin or stealing the goods and urnishings. As a result, eventhe poorest reeholds may try to fnd other alternatives.

A ew especially clever changelings construct elaborateand complex reeholds in the hidden portions o large pub-lic or private structures, such as the unused and oten com-pletely orgotten dead space located in the attics or betweenthe oors o shopping malls, parking structures or actories.Although discovery by mortals can result in instant loss

o the space and all its contents, as well as signifcant legaltrouble, these hidden commons oer excellent security andare difcult or mortals, other changelings or even the ae tofnd. The best o these commons possess borrowed electricity,comortable urniture, various useul appliances and the sorto amenities normally ound in ancy houses or banquet halls.The worst are much like commons made rom abandonedwarehouses, with light coming rom candles and urnituremade rom scavenged cardboard and old packing crates.

Some reeholds have taken the unusual alternative orenting temporary space at buildings like local communitycenters. In such cases, the commons is not a permanentlocation, but a space that is open or use at specifed hoursa ew times a week or month. Freeholds that use this alter-native eectively hide in plain sight, with their meetingslabeled everything rom private olklore societies or bookdiscussion groups to various sorts o support groups. These

reeholds occasionally need to use various Contracts tomaintain their secrecy, and must provide lodging or mem-bers who are having problems by other means, usually byhaving them stay with other members o the reehold.

However, hiding in plain sight is an excellent way toavoid unwanted attention. As long as the reehold does notneed to have their commons open or more than two or threedays a week or no longer than three or our hours at a time,this option works quite well. In some cases, either a change-ling or an ensorcelled mortal ally is one o the people whomanages the community center and can provide all man-ner o protections and other benefts or the commons andthe other members o the reehold. Mortals who accidentallyoverhear the changelings discussions can usually be placatedby being told that the members are rehearsing a play or dis-cussing a novel or movie. Even i the explanations a bit at,the Lost can be very silver-tongued when they need to be.

Wealthier reeholds have the option o purchas-ing their commons. The most requent choices are largehouses or warehouses that have been converted to galleriesor lots. The Hollywood reehold in Los Angeles owns alarge and lavishly appointed mansion on the outskirts oSanta Monica that they use as their commons. Owning acommons location provides the most options or securityand decoration in the mortal world. However, it is also the

most expensive alternative and the option most likely toattract mortal notice. Regardless o its location, a reeholds(or Courts) commons tends to attract the attention o itsneighbors. Some may consider breaking in to steal or lookaround, others might simply gossip about it. However, theeccentric behavior o many changelings almost always at-tracts attention. In some neighborhoods, mortals livingnearby wonder i the commons is some sort o den o vice,in others, they might worry that it is a bad inuence andmay drive their property values down. In either case, havinga commons that is too obvious and visible can cause troublewith both mortals and the ae and their allies. Nevertheless,

owning the building that the commons is in oers the ree-hold ar more saety, security and privacy than any o theother options or commons located in the mortal world.

Freehold Reputationand Cover Identities

In addition to having a reputation with other change-lings, to a lesser extent, reeholds may have a reputationamong mortals. Unensorcelled mortals may know nothing


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17Freehold Reputation and Cover Identities

about the ae, the Lost or reeholds, but i they see the mem-bers o the reehold together oten enough, they will assumethat these individuals are all members o some organizationor share some common interest or goal.

Depending upon the location, habits and attire o thechangelings, mortals may assume they all belong to thesame country club, street gang, theater troupe, or even his-torical reenactment society (though most reeholds look

rather sternly on Lost who wander the streets in archaicgarb without damn good reason). While a changeling canusually pass o the other members o her motley as theirclose riends, having various members o a large reeholdcall the changeling or even knock on her door late at nightand ask or her help eventually raises suspicions with herneighbors or amily. Such suspicions can eventually leadto everything rom awkward questions or ollowing thechangeling to assuming that this activity must be illegal insome way and reporting these suspicions to the police.

This situation is especially difcult or changelings whohave managed (either by killing their etch or some other

means) to regain their old lives or who have otherwise oundclose mortal riends and amily. The neighbors might have seen

the etch as a loving wie and mother that devoted all her timeto home and amily. I that same woman now occasionallyheads out at all hours o the day or night to help out or spendtime with a seemingly random array o people that her husbandand children have never heard o, her behavior can raise un-pleasant suspicions. I the changeling returns injured or obvi-ously upset, these suspicions can stir the neighbors into action.

Apart rom consistent discretion in ones movements,

the best way to avoid such problems is or the reehold tohave some obvious answer to questions about why the mem-bers are spending time with one another. The answer thereehold chooses depends upon its location and the socialstatus, employment and habits o most o its members. TheHollywood Freehold in Los Angeles maintains a ront as aprivate club or the wealthy, with the ew middle-class mem-bers working as club sta. Similarly, some o the memberso the Miami Winter Court are openly known as a criminalgang. In many cases, even a dubious association like a crim-inal gang is better than no answer at all. However, mostreeholds maintain ar more prosaic ronts, with amateursports teams, acting troupes or various sorts o hobbyist or-ganizations being very common choices.

Freehold Associationsand Social Modifiers

Freeholds orm the center o a changelings social world, and infuence how hobgoblins and otherchangelings see them. They can even orm a changelings aliations with mortal society. I a Freehold dealsdrugs or runs illegal gambling operations, the members will know other mortal criminals and understandthe customs and habits o the local criminal subculture. These same changelings might pick up manner-isms and mortal associates that attract negative attention rom police ocers or others. Similarly, a wealthyreehold in a good part o town that actively helps all o its members obtain respectable middle class jobs

provides the members with all manner o business contacts, but the members o this reehold may have con-siderably less experience interacting with poor people or members o various ringe subcultures.

Because the associations and connections o a reehold aect the social interactions o the members,the Storyteller may rule that a particularly actional reehold imposes bonuses or penalties to its memberssocial rolls. Each bonus is matched by a corresponding penalty. None o these bonuses or penalties everexceed +1 or -1. Examples include:

A freehold with numerous criminal contacts receives +1 to Social rolls with members of the criminalsubculture, but -1 with police ocers and other ocial personnel.

A freehold with a Hollow commons, where members spend a great deal of time in the Hedge, re-ceives a general +1 bonus with hobgoblins, including social rolls at Goblin Markets, but a -1 penalty withmembers o mainstream mortal society.

No reehold should have more than three pairs o bonuses and penalties, and one or two is ar morelikely. These bonuses and penalties apply to all members o the reehold, which urther infuences whatsorts o mortals (or other beings) the members regularly interact with. Freeholds should only havebonuses or penalties with groups they either spend a great deal o time with or that they either activelyavoid, have signicant numbers o negative interactions with or have no contact with. These bonuses andpenalties are a measure o both what sorts o mortals the members o the reehold are comortable deal-ing with and o the reputation that most members have with various mortal groups they interact with.


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Most reeholds do nothing more than come up with acover identity and a ew minor trappings. These reeholdshandle potential problems like a changelings mortal riendsor amily members wishing to join or visit on a case-by-casebasis. However, a ew, like the Hollywood reehold actuallydo their best to make the ront seem completely real, byregistering their commons as the headquarters or a privateclub and ormally hiring the less wealthy members as ull-

time sta. The ew reeholds that employ many o theirmembers in some legitimate business (see below) alreadyhave their ofcial identity taken care o and all they need toworry about are ollowing the various business regulations.

Not all reeholds bother with a cover identity. Somehave their commons in a Hollow and spend much o theirtime in the Hedge, while others are airly loose organiza-tions, where most members only meet once a season. Anumber emphasize the importance o secrecy (particularlywhere the Winter Court is concerned), encouraging change-lings to keep a careul eye on how oten theyre seen withone another. In such cases, individual members are largelylet to provide whatever cover stories they might require.

Sources of IncomeAll reeholds require at least some money. Those that

have their commons in the Hedge and where newly arrivedmembers can live in a Hollow that serves as the commonssometimes require very little money, just as reeholds where themembers rent or own a large and expensive commons requirelarge amounts o money. Even so, almost all require a continu-ous source o at least some income i they intend to provide anyservices or members. Changelings newly arrived rom Arcadiamay need clothes, medical care, ake IDs and help fnding a job.The Lost who get in trouble with the law require bail money,

and even the simplest and most austere seasonal estivals re-quire some minimum o ood, drink and decorations.

The source o this income is highly variable. In manyreeholds, the members hold conventional jobs and paydues, just like the members o mortal union or clubs. Simi-larly, all o the expenses o the Hollywood reehold in LosAngeles are paid by the Court who wins the seasonal auc-tion to determine which Court holds power. To insure thatall expenses are met in this ashion, the minimum bid is setat $10,000, so even an uncontested bid provides or the ba-sic needs o the reehold. Even reeholds where most o themembers make their income rom crime oten pay or their

upkeep via dues collected rom the members. As an alterna-tive to set dues, some reeholds simply request all membersto donate whatever they eel they can aord, and use socialpressure to encourage both rich and poor members to do-nate a reasonable share o their income.

One alternative to such ormal or inormal dues is or thereehold itsel to be a moneymaking concern. Many o thesereehold businesses are criminal enterprises, involving every-thing rom drug dealing or illegal gambling to the small ree-

hold in San Diego that makes its money rom the thet and re-sale o cars. However, there are also legitimate businesses thatwork in this same ashion. The New York City reehold runs asmall taxi company. Since most changelings are able to driveand the reehold has sufcient illegal connections to enablethem to obtain drivers licenses or those members who lacklegal identities, it is easy to employ new members. As a result,driving a taxi is oten the frst job a changeling in New York

has ater returning rom Arcadia. Similarly, in one o the Pa-risian reeholds, 34 out o the reeholds 42 members all work,in some capacity, or one o our local restaurants all owned bythe local Courts. Most o the members o the San FernandoValley reehold in Los Angeles belong to a private securitycompany run by the reehold. In some o these reeholds, theCourts are usually an integral part o this enterprise. In Paris,each Court operates a dierent restaurant in the chain. In SanDiego, each Court handles a dierent aspect o car thet andresale. The Spring Court steals the cars, the Autumn Courtstrips and alters the cars and deals with ake titles and regis-trations, the Winter Court transports and sells them, and theSummer Court provides security, in the orm o both armedguards and a young but dedicated lawyer.

Freeholds that unction as businesses, legal or not,rarely demand that all members work or this business.However, members who dont are usually expected to helpout in small ways, such as working shits when business isespecially heavy or too many workers are ill or injured andthey are oten expected to pay monetary dues o some sort.These avors can be especially difcult and problematic orchangelings attempting to lead law-abiding lives while be-ing members o a reehold fnanced by criminal activity.However, changelings have a strong predilection or a bar-ter economy. Their acility with pledges, oaths and avor-

trading requently means that a changeling can get somemoney out o a local business in exchange or a promise orsome oddment ound at a Goblin Market.

Members who are part o a reehold-run business havesome opportunity to advance in status with their ellows bydoing well in its business. In addition, these changelings alsohave an ideal excuse or their mortal riends and amilies asto why they are spending time with the other members otheir reehold. Combining work and reehold duties providesa sense o closeness and unity that can be very therapeutic.Most reeholds that operate on this model have businesseswith room or a wide variety o employees o dierent ages

and levels o experience. As a result, changelings who recent-ly escaped rom Arcadia and are having trouble readjustingto lie in the mortal world can usually obtain jobs rom thereehold that both earn them money and help them relearnhow to live and work in the mortal world. Unortunately, thissame closeness and unity allows greedy or unscrupulous rul-ers o a reehold to overwork or otherwise abuse their em-ployees. Given the problems involved with one o the Lostfling a civil suit or a complaint with the labor relations boardagainst the leaders o his reehold, members oten have little


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19Symbols and Identification

recourse unless they are willing to leave the reehold entirely.Such rulers also have to be particularly careul about rebel-lion. There isnt a single changeling who ought her way backthrough the Thorns to escape her Keeper whos going to behappy about a new orm o servitude.

Symbols andIdentification

Freeholds are about more than just politics and mutualdeense. They are also the local community or the Lost, andmany unction like a somewhat contentious extended am-ily or a particularly large and diverse support ground. Theyare centers o ceremony and places to belong. More impor-tantly, they are the only real community most changelingshave. Here, the Lost can reely talk about their experiencesin both Arcadia and the mortal world, experiences that ewmortals would believe, must less understand. As a result,many changelings eel a strong sense o attachment to theirreehold and wish to demonstrate their loyalty in a variety oways. These colors are almost always completely optional.

In act, some reeholds where the Winter Court is strong ad-vise against such displays. The ae mien and the Mantle oones Court are symbols o belonging enough; why advertisetheir unity to mortals who dont understand the signifcanceanyway? Even so, many changelings eel a measure o grati-

tude and loyalty to their community that prods them to ex-press it with pride it is a very human eeling, ater all.

The members o many reeholds identiy themselves bywearing some sort o symbol. These symbols can range romthe members o wealthy and conservative reeholds all wear-ing the same tie to members all sporting the same tattoo,wearing sneakers o the same color or all having an article oclothing with the same odd symbol on it. In small or espe-

cially tightly knit reeholds, these identifers represent mem-bership in the reehold. In the New York reehold, memberswear caps bearing the logo o the taxicab company almost allo them work or. However, in many reeholds, these signifersrepresent both Court and reehold membership.

In Miami, changelings oten display their membershipand Court allegiance by the color o shoes and sometimesthe color o the hat or other headgear they wear. In keepingwith the dominant colors o the city, particularly demon-strative members o the Spring Court wear pink, memberso the Summer Court wear bright red, members o the Au-tumn Court wear sea green, and members o the Winter

Court wear stark white. For ormal unctions, a changelinglooking to make a particular impression may wear a tuxedoor gown o the appropriate color, or even dye their hair tomatch. In Mexico City, many loyal members o the domi-nant reehold sport large and elaborate tribal tattoos with


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similar design elements on their upper arms, but the detailsvary according to which Court the members belong to.

Courts and PowerIn theory, reeholds are supposed to be governed by a

system o rotating Courts. Relinquishing power voluntarily issomething that baes the Others and it has the additionalbeneft o being good or a communitys morale. In the ideal

model o a reehold, this transmission o power is clearly laidout or all residents to see. Under the seasonal Court model,each Court rules the reehold during its appropriate seasono the year, then yields its rule at the appropriate equinox orsolstice. Great ceremony and anare as well as various ritu-als typically mark the transition rom one season and oneCourt to another. These ceremonies oten include some sorto purely symbolic combat or contest between the championo the Court that is about to depart and the one that is aboutto take power, where the departing Courts champion alwaysloses and the incoming Courts champion always wins.

This pattern is airly common in reeholds in both the

United States and Britain, but it is ar rom universal. Aparticularly notable exception is that not all reeholds havemembers o every Court. This shortall oten has to do withsome combination o the physical and emotional climate othe region and the history o the reehold. In regions whereone season or another seems particularly short or is difcultto distinguish rom the seasons beore or ater it, the associ-ated Court may be absent. The same thing can happen ithe Courts associated emotion is largely overwhelmed by theemotions associated with one or more other Courts, leavingthe reehold with three or, on rare occasions, two Courts.

This paucity most oten occurs in small reeholds with30 or ewer members, where one court may be representedby only one or two changelings, who then boost their powerby allying themselves with another, larger Court. Popularwisdom states that using a rotating Courts system to protectagainst the ae requires a reehold to have more than oneCourt, and with the exception o reeholds where one ormore Courts have temporarily collapsed or let, all do.

One o the most striking examples o a reehold with onlytwo seasonal Courts is the small North Star Banner reeholdin Winnipeg. With only 19 members, the reehold consists otwo Courts, Summer and Winter. The Summer Court rulesrom June 21 to September 21. During the rule o the SummerCourt, the reehold is especially boisterous, vibrant and active.

The eight members o this Court requently hold outdoor cel-ebrations and regularly agree to change the Courts rules andstructure. Although the Summer Court uses the same com-mons as the Winter Court a small apartment complex thathas been converted into galleries, meeting rooms, and similarlocations most o the Courts activities are held in the smallorest and the nearby lakeshore on the grounds.

During the remaining three seasons, the somber Win-ter Court governs the Winnipeg reehold. As temperatures

plummet and activity moves indoors, the Winter Court usesa bar located in the commons building as their central lo-cation. Unlike the renetic pace o the Summer Court, theleaders o the Winter Court keep activity at a slow pace andemphasize both tradition and patience. They dedicate thefrst month o their rule to autumn business, a temporaryocus on mystical concerns, and initiate spring business,a series o renewal rites and ceremonies the month beore

they cede power to the Summer Court. Although seem-ingly airly passive, the Winter Court maintains a thrivingbrewery and is quite wealthy. Because o the practical di-fculties o the long and harsh winters and the power o theWinter Court, neither the Spring nor the Autumn Courtshave attempted to move into Winnipeg in orce.

Many reeholds also alter the way that they transerpower rom one seasonal Court to another. Some, like theTrident o Miami, disrupt the cycle when one Court per-petually claims power. This practice is risky, but the rulerstrong enough to maintain power usually claims that he orshe has what it takes to serve the reehold better than aCourt rotation would. In a number o reeholds, the rotationcontinues, but a Court may hold onto power considerablylonger than one season. The traditional transer o poweroccurs at the solstices or equinoxes. Doing so lends mysti-cal power to both the incoming and the departing Court.However, oten this transer o power is ar rom regular.

One way o doing business is to make the combat orcontest between the outgoing and incoming Court real andnot merely symbolic. In some reeholds, the champions o thetwo Courts actually fght and the winners Court, regardless owhich it is, takes power or the next season. So, i the Winterchampion and the Spring champion ought on March 21, andthe Winter champion triumphs, then the Winter Court re-

mains in power at least until June 21, when the Winter cham-pion would then need to battle the Summer champion.

Such contests between Court champions are surpris-ingly common. Some changelings view it as more tradition-al and appropriate than purely symbolic contests. However,such contests can also be open to all manner o corruption,ranging rom attempts to drug, blackmail or bribe the rivalchampion to spying on the champions preparations. One orboth sides may use such means to try to gain some advan-tage. In most reeholds, this sort o trickery is prohibited.I a champion is ound to have been involved in any sucheorts, their Court is immediately removed rom power and

replaced by the one who lost to them. However, in a ewreeholds, such as the one in Detroit, there are no rules be-yond avoiding mass murder, killing another Courts cham-pion beore the battle, or betraying the other side to the ae.In these anarchic reeholds, the weeks beore the seasonalcontests are times o intense intrigue and brutal conict.

A large number o the contests used to determine therulers o a reehold have nothing to do with physical combat.Many reeholds use contests o skill, ranging rom seeing how


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21Cities With Multiple Freeholds

many goblin ruit the champions can collect in a set amount otime, to tests o musical or artistic prowess or even having eachchampion deliver a rousing campaign speech and allowing themembers o the reehold vote or the winner. Other optionsor transerring power are less traditional. In the wealthy Hol-lywood reehold in Los Angeles, rulership is decided by ourseasonal auctions. The leaders o the two courts associatedwith the incoming and outgoing season each bid or the o-

fce, with the highest bidding Court ruling the reehold or thenext season and the monies, which oten amount to many tenso thousands o dollars going to the reehold and the variouscharities maintained by the reehold.

A ew reeholds use a model similar to the one Miamimay be moving to, where each Court governs a specifc por-tion o the city and there is no transer o actual power. Incities like St. Louis that use this arrangement, the transero power that occurs at the solstices or equinoxes is purelysymbolic, with the only change being the right o the leadero the seasonally appropriate Court being able to speak frstand wear a special sash during reehold meetings.

Cities WithMultiple Freeholds

Most cities contain too ew changelings to supportmore than a single reehold. In a city containing only 40or 50 o the Lost, dividing them up between two or morereeholds makes little sense. However, some cities are hometo large changeling populations and a ew o these containmore than one reehold. In cities large enough to containmultiple reeholds, there are three primary reasons or theirexistence. The most common reason is distance in a citythe size o Los Angeles, the inhabitants live sufciently

ar apart that a single reehold does not make sense whenmembers could come rom locations as ar away rom oneanother as Glendale and Orange County. In the ew cit-ies where this is true, the dierent reeholds are typicallysufciently ar apart that they rarely come into conict. Inmany ways, they are essentially akin to reeholds o dier-ent cities, just sharing a similar mailing address.

Another reason or changelings to divide into morethan one reehold is history. I conict within a single ree-hold became bad enough, it may have split a ew years oreven a ew decades ago, creating two traditional rivals. Be-ore 1965, southern Los Angeles contained a single reehold.However, rising tensions between the Spanish-speakingand English-speaking changelings continued to worsen asmortals battled one another in periodic race riots. Eventu-ally, this led to the Spanish-speaking changelings ormingtheir own reehold, called La Rosa. La Rosa is theoreticallyopen to any changeling who wishes to join and can gain theacceptance o the members, but prospective members o LaRosa should either know Spanish or be willing to learn it.Tensions between La Rosa and Crimson, the other reeholdin Southern LA, continue to the present day.

In rare cases, reeholds split along Court lines, withone new reehold only containing members o one or twoCourts, while the other reehold contains only members othe remaining Courts. Some changelings in Miami suspectthat the Trident could soon split itsel into two reeholds,with the Winter Court allying itsel with the Spring Court,and the Autumn Court either making peace with the Sum-mer Court or gaining the respect o the Winter Court.

The prospect o schism worries many, as such strie maycall sympathetically to the True Fae, who might fnd Miamimuch more amiliar. Even rarer is division upon the lineso seemings. In Barcelona, tensions within the reehold arecurrently quite high and many changelings there expect theBeasts, Darklings and Ogres to eventually split o and cre-ate their own reehold.

The fnal potential reason or dierent reeholds to ex-ist in the same city is social class. Many changelings aremembers o the poor or, at best, the lower middle class attempting to survive without a legal identity or withskills and education now one or more decades out o date.However, a sizeable minority o changelings are well-omembers o the middle class. Some either had no etch andound some way to explain their disappearance or disposedo their etches and reclaimed their middle-class identity.Others have sufciently useul skills that with a ake ID anda lucky break or two, they can fnd work as a stockbroker,doctor, engineer, or any o the many other proessions thatallow both mortals and changelings to live quite well. Aew changelings were criminals beore their abduction ortake to a lie o crime upon their return to the mortal world.Some o these criminals discover that their new abilitiesallow them great success in criminal careers rom breakingand entering to extortion or even murder or hire and a ew

even become established in organized crime.Many well-o changelings are oten at least somewhat

uncomortable around the majority o changelings whorange rom the homeless and near destitute to petty crimi-nals or members o the working poor. Some ear that theirpoorer ellows will ask to borrow money or request gits as agesture o solidarity. Others do their best to orget the hor-rors o Arcadia. These changelings wish to avoid anythingthat reminds them o want and deprivation and so have nodesire to associate with ae who regularly ace the difcul-ties o poverty or homelessness.

Some reeholds attempt to avoid these problems by

fnding jobs or newly arrived changelings. Other reeholdseither lack the resources or organization to do so or fnd iteasier or members to simply associate with others o theirown social class. In Miami, Maria Thrones Vichy SpringCourt is home to hal a dozen changelings who are wealthyclub owners and well-o party animals as well as well asa dozen driters and semi-homeless changelings who hadtrouble gaining acceptance in any o the other Courts.Tensions between these two groups occasionally run high,making this Court even less stable than otherwise might


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be. In some reeholds, these tensions become strong enoughto split the reehold in hal. The most well known exampleo this process occurred in Los Angeles in the mid 1970s,when a group o well-o changelings broke o to orm theHollywood (and they do call it the Hollywood). Today,any changeling living in Los Angeles may ask to join, but inalmost all cases, only changelings rom upper middle classor wealthy backgrounds are allowed in.

Conflicts andViolence

In addition to helping to protect their members rom theOther, another important unction o organized reeholdsis to help reduce violence and conict between individualchangelings and between the members o dierent Courtsor motleys. In most cases, reeholds unction sufciently wellthat such conicts never escalate beyond insults, or at worstfstfghts or minor vandalism. All but the worst or most care-less leaders o reeholds realize that violence within a ree-hold serves as an opening or the ae and their agents. Inter-

nal conict distracts the members o the reehold, causingthem to be less watchul o external threats. Also, i tensionsrise sufciently high, some agents o the Gentry may take theopportunity to approach members o one side o the conictand oer their aid, in return or allowing them to drag themembers o the other side back to Arcadia.

During the late 1960s, several cases o this type o be-trayal occurred in the southern United States, including in-cidents in both Montgomery, Alabama and Miami. In Mont-gomery, several white changelings with loose connections tothe KKK agreed to work with a group o privateers in orderto make certain that a trio o outspoken black Lost were

carried back to Arcadia. In Miami, a small group o Jewishchangelings discovered that a pair o changeling loyalists wasgoing to help the ae carry o the child o a prominent citycouncil member who supported segregation. These change-lings agreed to help the loyalists in return or the loyalistsalso carrying o the city council member and asking the aenot to leave a etch behind. When the truth about these twoabductions was revealed, the incidents acted to galvanize themajority o the reeholds. The perpetrators quickly learned(much to their sudden and excessive discomort) that theirellows put the integrity o the reehold frst.

Leadership & ObedienceEven in the reeholds o the most democratic First World

nations, the Lost have a peculiar tendency or organizingin reeholds under less than democratic terms. An observermight guess that it has something to do with their spirits beingbroken and being taught to love a strong master in Arcadia orbeing inused by a desire or some kind o savior. This assump-tion ies in the ace o the actual escape rom Faerie, however.Changelings ought their way back through the Thorns to beree o their masters, and they did it without a savior.

Rather, the tendency or strong rulers rather than dem-ocratic councils usually arises rom the besieged situation

the Lost fnd themselves in. Every changeling has a lot toadapt to, and has to make rebuilding an old lie or build-ing a new one a priority. They are requently quite willing,then, to let a direct chain o command handle the aairs othe reehold until their own personal aairs are set in order(which can take a long time and some never ully succeed).Thus, the prominent members o a reehold are almost al-ways powerul and charismatic individuals who know howto both command their ellows and help them eel sae.

As long as there is only one acknowledged leader in areehold or all o the leaders o the Courts get along withone another, the reehold is likely to remain orderly andpeaceul. Some measure o rivalry and politicking is expect-ed. The games o power are common to all reeholds, buttheres a general understanding that things are to remainat a certain level o civility. When two leaders go beyondthose bounds o civility, its the worst orm o conict ina reehold. Many changelings were used as spies, soldiers,and bodyguards in the Gentrys requent power struggles.Knowing that their own ates could become ar worse itheir Keeper was vanquished and a new conquering lordtook command o them, changelings called upon to fght

Ethnic IdentityChangelings arent magically ree rom preju-

dice because o their transormative experiences. Achangeling can still be a racist, sexist or bigot, andmay even nd others like him. However, prejudiceso this kind are notably rare within Lost society not because changelings are morally better than

ordinary humans, but because their experiencesoten give them a more extended perspective. Justas some people gradually learn to shed their oldprejudices as their lie experience broadens, manyLost nd it dicult to maintain a xenophobicopinion o other human beings now that theyveencountered truly alien threats.

That said, ethnic identity is still veryimportant to many changelings. It s part o theirperception o themselves as human beings avital component in maintaining psychologicalwell-being and in some cases, their Keep-

ers even resembled entities out o their culturalolklore. Where a changeling is less likely to snubanother on the basis o skin color (assuming theskin colors even a human tone), he may still begoaded into action i he believes it would protectthe interests o his people, and he may denehis people as a human culture rather than theLost as a whole.


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23Conflicts and Violence

or their Keepers did so with great dedication and eroc-ity. The instincts learned rom such struggles oten remain.When placed in a situation where a reehold has two ormore powerul and respected leaders at odds with oneanother, changelings are even quicker to take sides thanmortals and oten respond to threats against their leader orleaders even more violently. This is only exacerbated whenone considers the powerul emotional bonds that may de-

velop between Lost. A changelings trust isnt easily won,but when you have it, it is a powerul thing. The most dan-gerous leaders o a reehold are those whose ollowers loveand trust them with all their ae-touched hearts.

Conflicts betweenMultiple Freeholds

Most cities contain only one reehold. The members maynot always get along, and Court and other political divisionscan sometimes be extreme, but all o the changelings in thecity consider themselves to be part o the same organization.However, the presence o several reeholds in close proxim-

ity to one another creates both political and social tensions.These conicts usually remain within the realm o insultsand occasionally minor vandalism. Open skirmishes betweenreeholds are rare and usually have one o two causes.

Most commonly, the members o the two reeholds dis-trust each other. The suspicions range rom worries that therival action are planning to attempt to push the other ree-hold out o some territory to ears that some or most o therivals are loyalists, privateers, or soulless. Even i such earsor accusations are based on only the vaguest o rumors, suchtensions can rapidly polarize the members o the two ree-holds. I a leader dismisses these allegations against his ac-tion without a sincere and diplomatic attempt to disprovethem, suspicion and distrust can continue to grow until themembers o the two reeholds begin spying upon one anoth-er and potentially even openly fghting. Changelings withpolitical savvy can thereore plant rumors in hopes o incit-ing such strie, but so too can others unravel such schemesto fnd the web spinner. Its a complicated, elaborate web opolitics, but the Lost have adapted to such.

Sometimes reeholds all prey to the act that somemembers also have strong loyalties to their mortal amiliesand other connections. A recent example o this occurredin Los Angeles during the early 1990s, when relations be-tween the La Rosa and the Crimson degenerated into open

violence, including several drive-by shootings and the useo one car bomb. The ultimate cause o this violence wasthe escalation o mortal gang warare between the predomi-

nantly black gangs o South Central LA and the predomi-nantly Hispanic gangs o East LA.

A ew members o the two reeholds had relatives inthese gangs. When the two mortal gangs began fghting, ahandul o changelings on each side used their abilities toprotect their mortal riends and relatives. Soon ater thisstarted, one o the changelings rom La Rosa accidentallykilled the mortal brother o a changeling rom the Crimson

reehold and open warare erupted between the two. Thisviolence only ended when three o the most violent change-lings were dead and the leaders o the two reeholds met towork out a peace treaty, which resulted in several changelingsrom each reehold being banished rom Los Angeles.

Conflict and ViolenceWithin a Single Freehold

All o the above sorts o conict can also occur within areehold, but these conicts tend to be ar more personal, result-ing in everything rom orming rival cliques to deadly vendet-tas. I the problems become sufciently bad, they risk tearing

the reehold apart. In a ew cases, such tensions have actuallyresulted in a reehold dividing into two reeholds that oten re-main bitter rivals. Alternately, as occurred in Miami, one ac-tion can gain near complete victory, leading to lasting resent-ment by the deeated actions and the likelihood that conictbetween Miamis Spring and Summer Courts will continue.

The one advantage o conicts that take place within areehold is that the leaders o the reehold can either requestor order the individuals involved to either drop the eud orsit down and discuss their problems with a mediator. How-ever, i the leaders are involved or are perceived to have takensides in a contentious issue, the conict is likely to become

worse. A reehold can be reduced to a series o euding mot-leys. In the late 1980s, the Shield o Rust was reduced to nearanarchy ater the heads o the Autumn and Winter Courtswere murdered within a month o one another. The reeholdsplintered into a dozen aggressive and paranoid motleys thateach blamed all or most o the others or the current troubles.This state o aairs continued or the next fve years. By thetime it ended, the population o the reehold had been re-duced by a fth, through a combination o murder and de-parture to other reeholds. The troubles only ended when aew changelings with potent charisma and clarity o purposeshed blood, sweat and tears to bring the reehold back to-gether or the greater good. Though other reeholds ell on

more tragic ates, the reunifcation o the Shield o Rust wasa strong sign that the Lost can still achieve remarkable thingsin the name o unity and hope.


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t was a thing that had not been seen in many years, whenthe Four rode together as they had in old.

The Queen of Summer took the vanguard as herrightful place. Her steed was brass and fire and her sword ablazing brand. A wall of heat ran before her, the blastfurnace harbinger of a wrath that would shattermountains.

To her left rode the Emerald King, the Antler Crownupon his head, laughing as he nocked an elfshot-arrow tohis bow of living wood. His steed was living wood and leafand vine, the flowers of its mane pouring forth an incenseof life and love and war.

To the Crimson Queens right rode the King of Autumn,as grim and terrible as the King of Spring was merry andmad. Long chains of lead were his weapon, each linkengraved with a promise that a man had died to keep. Hishorse was smoke and soot and shadow, a thing of Autumnwitchcraft that made not the slightest sound, and driedleaves blew in his wake.

And with them, ever-shifting in her place, was theWinter Queen, seeming first to be almost before them andthen riding in their shadows. No weapon was visible in

her hands, but she was not unarmed. Her steed was a rolling wave of snow likean avalanche, its flurries mingling with the mantle of purest Winter that hungabout her like another cloak.

They cracked the asphalt beneath them as they rode through the gatewaythat pitched wide into the Thorns. They carried death with them.


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26 Chapter Two: The Seasonal Courts

There are a hundred thousand ways that change-lings might have banded together or protection,and each one o those ways might or might not haveworked. You see some elements o these potential soci-eties in the reeholds where the Lost experiment withdemocracy or totalitarianism. But a greater power ordeense emerged when changelings ound that a serieso powerul pacts, constantly shiting in ways that the

Others would have diculty understanding, couldbind their society together and give them added super-natural power in the bargain. I any political structureis ounded on nding a way to establish a societys se-curity, the Great Courts are that one step more theyare security in the ace o the True Fae, alliances thatare sworn on the passage o years itsel. Thus they haveendured and evolved where other alliances have ailed.Theyre imperect, o course, and sometimes outrightabusive, but theyve been one o the great success sto-ries in the history o the Lost.

There are many Court systems around the world,but the seasonal Courts are some o the most wide-spread. They have their roots in Europe and NorthAmerica, but are also recognized in many other areas.In Japan, the changelings oten gather under the sea-sonal banners as neatly as inserting a kigo, a seasonalword, into a haiku. In some areas o China, the direc-tional Courts and the seasonal Courts are recognizedas equals, or even tightly allied; the Four Luck reehold

The SeasonalCourts

The combined es sences of heaven and earth became the yin and yang,the concentrated essences of the yin and yang became the four seasons,

and the scattered es sences of the four season sbecame the myriad creatures of the world.

Huai-nan Tzu

is particularly notable, as its eight reigning nobles arebound together in marriage. The Lord o the Northis wed to the Queen o Winter, the Serpent Queen othe East has taken the regent o Spring as her husband,the monarchs o South and Summer are caught in aparticularly tempestuous relationship, and the warrior-lord o the West is all the more terriying or his Au-tumn bride.

The mark o each Courts passion is vivid. Its ashrewd tactical choice and clever philosophy that es-tablished the Autumn Courts interest in sorcery andae magic as a key element in retaining their reedom but its ear that gives them the strength to pursuethat task. I a Courts modus operandi is the enginethat drives their re

changeling summer

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