That Glam Rock Spirit Playlist
Game 37 Pictures
It was with no small amount of trepidation that the Kithain of the Duchy gathered once more at Caer Graceland, after an extended period of… adjustment after the former ruling Nobility chose to abandon their totally-not-cursed lands. Their leaving had left the Pooka Count King Louie in charge, who had assembled a motley- in the negative sense- mix of officers from both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Surprisingly, Liege Count King Louie somehow managed to impress King Melige during the Willows ruler’s Winter Solstice celebration. At least, that is what the Liege and his officers declared after their return- and King Melige had certainly not acted to remove him from office.
Some say that is because the enigmatic Eiluned Melige decided that the Grace Lands are a lost cause. Others whisper that he has other concerns that are more pressing- such as the unconfirmed rumor that his niece Faerilyth, High Queen of Concordia, bore a child which she and her husband are raising in secret. For High King David to finally have a proper heir would throw the plans of many of the chessboard’s players into chaos- but if true, it would only cement Melige’s line of succession to the throne of Concordia. Regardless of the why, Melige seems content to let the Duchess Grimsveil of House Liam be his reluctant voice to the people of the Grace Lands. It would be wise, perhaps, for those people to take proper advantage of his eye no longer being so focused upon them.
Of course, no one has ever accused the Kithain of the Grace Lands of being wise, so we shall see what the coming year might bring.
As the Fae entered the Caer, they found themselves figuratively transported into a romantic, rose-and-candle-filled freehold very in keeping with mortal Dreams of Valentine’s Romance. Soft candlelight bathed the entire great room in a glow- one that was at great odds with the powerful guitar riffs and strong bass thumping through the air. The Spirit of Rock n’ Roll, perhaps in attempt to remind that rock music is at its core the music of rebellion, appeared this month as if it had stepped out of a 1989 hair band magazine, clad in neon and denim and with hair that added a full foot to its height.
The Spirit did not seem particularly happy to have the Kithain back in its home, a fact that became even more apparent when a grandmotherly Fae dressed in pinks and whites entered on the arm of an aged Boggan. She sported two tall deer-like antlers, as well as rabbit ears and tail. Nanny Willow, we would soon learn she was called, was a Wolpertinger; one of the newest Gallain kiths to have been made “real” by the Dreaming’s powers. Once Chimera hunted for sport and as pests to be eradicated, these voracious creatures of the Dreaming were known for traveling in packs and devouring any sources of Glamour they might find- especially balefires. The Spirit and the grandmotherly Wolpertinger’s Boggan (husband?) immediately got into a shouting match over the right of Nanny Willow to be allowed in its freehold.
If Liege Count King Louis wished that he might have an easy first night as ruler of the Grace Lands, well… if wishes were horses and all that rot. Unfortunately, this humble court reporter perhaps drank a bit too much Fae Wine during the evening, so it is my hope that as we continue this review, those reading might make some allowances for missed or out of order events.
Aside from Nanny Willow and her beau, the Boggan Woodrow Wickerwax, several other new faces from both Courts arrived this month. House Danaan’s representation grew with the arrival of Countess Callisto and her too-human Boggan aide, Mouse, while House Daireann added Duke Poe Aizen to its local ranks. So very fascinating that he arrived in the company of a House Eiluned Countess- even more fascinating that he introduced her as his secretary. Is that what they are calling that these days?
The Trolls also found their number boosted: the police officer Morgan, the Forest Troll Ben Spotted, and a plate-mail clad anachronism that merely called himself “The Squire” all made their presence known. The Squire, it seemed, had no memory of anything before the Dreaming spit him out near the freehold’s portal, and he entreated the gathered Kithain to assist him in uncovering his lost memories. Two members of the Crystal Circle arrived- both Pookas- though the why of their arrival could not be properly sussed out. House Gwydion found high nobility representation once again in the form of Don Konrad Stormchaser; rumor had it, the green-haired Sidhe served as one of the Houses “fixers.” House Fiona- once a powerhouse within the Grace Lands- still maintained representation with a soft deer Pooka Squire. It does make one wonder, however, what exactly about the Duchy was so bad that even the House of Lions abandoned it?
A variety of additional common kith also presented themselves, including a Sluagh, a motley of two Nockers and an Eshu, and an odd Kithain with scales and an elongated snout. The motley Eshu proved to be a Liam Squire with a penchant for hearing about the terrible tragedies that had befallen others, along with a rather terrifying dedication to forcibly healing people of their hurts. The two Nockers were normal enough, though one of them was green and kept insisting she was not a goblin, while the Sluagh did as Sluagh do and maintained a quiet profile. The odd Fae, one Cletus Ripjaw, well… this court reporter is unsure exactly what he may be. A Pooka, perhaps? Reptilian Pooka are rather rare, but they do exist. Don’t they?
A small kerfluffle occurred when Liege Count King Louie reminded the assembled that it would be “very, very bad” for anyone to bother Castle Blackrock, and that they should stay away from the floating bog islands in the center of the Mississippi. The Squire seemed to take issue at the Liege’s inability to explain the ruling, but in the end, the grievance was set aside for a private meeting. Many expected the new Unseelie Duke Aizen to immediately step up and seize power before opening court concluded, but he did not; instead, he watched thoughtfully as Sir Spitfire brought the Troll Erik Withakay into the ranks of their shared House. Whispers and murmurs flowed all through the room, as reports of sea serpents and giant octopi in the Mississippi were embellished with ever-increasingly ridiculous elements, but no one brought the concern up to Liege. Well. At least not publicly.
As the various Fae split off into groups after dismissal, Nanny Willow seemed to make a point of staying near the Spirit. The two engaged in quite a bit of wordplay, an animated back and forth which surprisingly ended with the Spirit granting the Wolpertinger “just one lick” of the balefire. Certainly, the Spirit must have meant for the Guardian to take Nanny to the balefire and allow her to harvest a bit of Glamour. Instead, the former Chimera managed to slip away on her own, where her nature and Dream got the best of her. Nanny Willow took more than a mere nip, weakening the balefire and by extension the Spirit, for a full month. Medic Kate jumped into action in attempt to heal both the now sickly Spirit, and the very, very high Nanny Willow, to varying degrees of success.
Meanwhile, in the various rooms of the freehold, several meetings occurred, many of them between Liege Count King Louie and Duke Poe Aizen. The two maintained tight lips about what they discussed, but there may or may not have been a betting pool as to who would be Liege at the end of the night. While those who preferred the deadly dance of politics enjoyed themselves, another sort of drama played out in one corner of the greatroom.
The Squire’s entreaty for aid found answer in the form of the Duchy’s resident Paperclip-loving Piskey, Clippy. The diminutive fae offered to assist by performing the Art of Soothsay upon the Squire’s treasured axe. What actually transpired, this humble court reporter literally cannot say. One moment, Clippy was relaying their vision to the Squire and Sir Glitch. The next, they were falling backwards toward the ground, saved from possible concussion by the quick movements of The Squire. They not only had no memory of their vision, but also, no memory of performing their Art. The Squire then swore, along with Glitch, the Oath of the Long Road to find whatever it was that could so violently steal the memories of the Kithain and exterminate it.
As expected, shortly into closing court Count King Louie ceased to be Liege, seemingly voluntarily handing the position over to Duke Aizen. Of course, the Sidhe should be the ones ruling; such is their Dream and the will of the Dreaming. Still, the murmur of discontent that ran through the room indicated that perhaps the common kiths present preferred the rule of a common kith noble to that of the Shining Host. The murmur grew slightly as the Duke then named his house-kin Sir Spitfire to the position of Herald, and placed the Pooka he had just unseated as his Advisor. A case could be made that such an action was quite magnanimous- and made one wonder what deals had occurred behind those not-quite-closed doors.
So it was that the Kithain of the Grace Lands left the Caer with as much trepidation as they felt when they entered, if not more. A new Liege, an Unseelie house on the rise, and a weakened balefire- what other trials would the new year bring?
