Hanover McTavish
From Changeling Venue
| Seeming | Fairest Draconic |
|---|---|
| Court | Summer Court •••• |
| Freehold | The Freehold of Toronto, Ontario |
| Player | Scott Unger |
Contents |
Overview
Alias(es): Hanover McTavish
Real Name: Unknown. Hanover is the only name he's ever known for himself.
Age: In his 50s
Physical description: Almost 6 feet tall, Hanover is beginning to show his age... Still looking young for his 53 years, it's undoubtedly the time he spent in Arcadia and the strength of his Wyrd showing through. Hanover seems friendly enough, but it's obvious that a tremendous well of anger simmers just out of sight, rivalled by an overwhelming sadness he keeps close to his heart.
Character Information
Known History
Basic Timeline:
1971 - Born near Dublin, Ireland
1977 - Taken to Arcadia with Chloe
1978 - Escaped from the Hedge in Toronto with Chloe - they were roughly in their 20s after a year and a day
1981 - Night of the Crimson Snow - The Winter King tried to sell Chloe to the Gentry, Strong Ben beat him in a duel and Hanover helped Chloe and their motley escape the Goblin Market.
1987 - Strong Ben banishes several key members from Toronto to put an end to the Motley Hedge War. Hanover is one of the ones Banished - perhaps as Ben's way of proving that he isn't showing favouritism. Hanover tells Strong Ben "Ah understand tha need for this, but if ya think Ah'll be leavin' Chloe's side fer this, well, ya got ta be fuckin' kiddin' yerself." Chloe graciously stepped down from her role as Spring Queen and left with Hanover and her motley.
1989 - Hanover and Chloe are Married, and their Motley begins making an effort to patrol the outside of the Hedge and keep an eye out for attempts to abduct humans by the agents of the Gentry, working to prevent abductions and to return potential abductees to their families.
1995 - The Gentry begin acting to put an end to the efforts of Hanover and Chloe's motley and their agents begin hunting the Motley
1997 - Shadow, one of the Motley, is captured by a Privateer in a battle with the Chloe and Hanover's Motley and hasn't been seen since.
1998 - The Motley breaks up - The other members wanted the safety of a Freehold rather than being out on their own. They left and Hanover and Chloe went into "Retirement" together in Guelph.
2003 - Chloe began showing signs of her age... Hanover had "misgivings" in the back of his mind, but never really expressed them.
2006 - Chloe was beginning to look far older than Hanover. Hanover was certain something wrong was happening, and began renewing his contacts with the Summer and Spring courts, trying whatever he could think of to find a way to stop what was happening to Chloe. But everyone he spoke to, everyone who examined Chloe just said it was just nature taking it's course.
2007 - Chloe died in Hanover's arms, and everyone said "Natural Causes". Hanover burried her under their favourite tree in a park by the Speed River.
2008 - Hanover is seeking the lifting of his banishment after all these years. He wants to discover what happened to cause Chloe's passing.
Background
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts... William Shakespeare, "As You Like It", Act 2 scene 7
Spring
Where does your story start? Some say it starts at the beginning of things… I was born, I was raised… all that shite. But that isn’t the way of things for all. Sometimes, a life is defined by a pivotal moment, one that changes a person forever, and whatever went before is lost.
Hanover McTavish, the name I claim as my own, is a little further from the truth than I’d ever let on. I was a child in Ireland, about 8 years old. I had wandered away from home with my friend Chloe. It was a warm summer night, and we had wandered a bit, chasing fireflies, until we found ourselves in a clearing of such beauty. It was a Faerie circle, right out of the old tales, and we were looking in on the wild dance of some otherworldly being. That dancer took us both as pets, and crew us off to her home in Arcadia. At least, that’s how Chloe explained it to me… see, I never really remembered much of my past… Even now Arcadia is a blur to my mind.
How’d I ever get back here? Chloe. It was always her. She felt the draw strongly through the Hedge, but she needed me to escape. She was fair, but her strength wasn’t the kind to protect and break bonds. I helped her slip free of the mistress’s leash, and she helped me through the Hedge. She was drawn back by the sense of her mortal family. I was drawn back by her. I could never bring myself to be parted from her from then on.
It was 1978 when we escaped the Hedge. The mistress made the mistake of allowing me to develop the skills needed to break their shackles, and one day we came stumbling out of the Hedge in Toronto. Chloe was looking for the family that she could feel was close, but the city was all wrong. I was following Chloe… it was she that drew me forward and out of the Hedge. We were young and Chloe was so alive. I helped and protected her on our escape, and when we found our way into the Toronto Freehold, she and I quickly made friends, assembling a good and stalwart Motley. She joined the Spring court… it was perfectly suited for her… but I was destined for the Summer. That didn’t stop me from taking what I’d learned of Summer contracts and applying them to Chloe’s defence. She needed a strong arm and a good sword at her side; she had so little head for combat.
Very soon, she was named the Queen of the Spring court, and I couldn’t have been more pleased for her. I remained her stolid supporter, her ally and her sword arm, and our Motley grew and strengthened. I’d had no one giving me a reason to have to draw my sword in anger… We hadn’t any enemies amongst the Lost, and anyone who offered her offense was quickly put to rights. We were so bright and full and happy.
Summer
Things began getting heated. Strong Ben was reigning fairly over the court, but the blasted Winter King had deceit and betrayal in his heart and mind, harbouring a deep seated hatred of the Spring court, and of Chloe. Perhaps he was jealous of how brightly Chloe burned; maybe he missed the warmth. Maybe he’d never had any warmth and was warped by his time in Arcadia. That was when all was almost lost in the Goblin Market. Winter was a loyalist, and he’d made a pact with the Gentry to turn over fair Chloe to them in exchange for something. I’m certain it was power of some type, but what it was I never knew.
We were in the market when it all began. The Winter King was ready to truss Chloe up and turn her over to the Gentry. Strong Ben wouldn’t allow it and he stepped in to duel the Winter King before I had the chance. Whatever the outcome of that duel, there was no way I was letting the Gentry take her, especially not for the sake of that cold bastard. Our Motley fought against Winter’s for the ability to exit the market. The fight was fierce and I was hurt, but not so badly that I didn’t tear through their entire Motley. They had no idea of my oaths and convictions.
The Gentry arrived and reached down from a crack in the sky and took Winter, tearing him into 2 pieces in the process. Did he die or did the Gentry have some way of prolonging his life even with the massive damage done? I have no way of knowing, but whatever the case his Pact backfired – he was unable to provide Chloe and he was taken in her stead.
That was just the beginning. A Hedge war ensued, Motley against Motley, Chloe’s versus the remains of the Winter motley. Autumn mostly stayed aloof of the violence, but Summer mixed into the fray readily. The fighting was so bad that something had to be done to end it. Strong Ben called before him all the Motleys involved and informed us that we were thenceforth banished from the city. He did it with a heavy heart, but he knew that it was the only way to stop the bloodshed and allow the city to go back to hiding from the Gentry. The Motley war was drawing attention and would have brought them down on our heads soon enough.
I told Strong Ben I understood what he was doing but that he had to be fucking kidding if he thought there was any way I was going to leave Chloe’s side even though I was one of the Banished. There was no way I would abandon my duty to protect Chloe, so if Strong wanted me gone he’d have to find a way to carry me out of the city himself, or kill me. It was Chloe who saved me from a worse fate: She told Strong that she would happily abdicate her throne and go with me from the city. She knew this was the only way for peace and stability to come again to the court. So we left together and didn’t look back. I felt very bad for what I’d cause her to have to do, but I couldn’t have allowed it to happen the other way. She was too important to me.
Autumn
Chloe and I were wed that first year of our banishment. I think it was her way of moving onwards, and acknowledging the deep and abiding love that had grown between us. She was my Fairy Princess, and I wouldn’t give that up for the world. Our Motley continued on together for a time, keeping an eye out for the Gentry, and those they tried to take. We fought off the attempts of many a Privateer in those days.
After a while, some of the Motley began to feel the need to integrate with a new Freehold, but I think they were sticking it out with us for mine and Chloe’s sake.
One day we discovered that the Gentry had become aware of our medling, and they sent a Privateer after us. His band captured Shadow and retreated through the Hedge. He was lost again, and our Motley was hurt very badly. Price, Vermin and Flurian decided they’d had enough, and calmly asked to leave the Motley to go to a freehold where they could be safe amongst others of our kind.
Chloe and I were saddened to see them go, but all things change, and there was no way for us to get Shadow back, so we bid them good bye.
Winter
We settled into a place of our own near the hedge in Guelph, Ontario. We’d occasionally attend a gathering of others in freeholds in nearby locations, but for the most part we kept to ourselves and enjoyed each other’s company.
But our quiet, blissful lives were not to last. It had been almost 20 years since we’d escaped Arcadia together. I was looking a bit more distinguished, but not truly showing my age to it’s full extent… pretty typical for one of the Lost. But then there was my poor Chloe… she had begun to show her age more so than she should have. Her beautiful hair, always so brilliantly red, had dulled and begun to show gray. Her smooth face began to wrinkle.
She began to lose her appetite, and steadily faded away, until one day she simply passed away in my arms. Before she slipped away she told me not to cry… she asked me not to cry at her funeral. I burried her in the park by the river under the tree that we had spent so much time sitting under talking and laughing. Our initials are still carved into it’s bark, but now it stands as her grave marker.
I kept my promise to her, I never let a tear escape at her funeral, but I have cried for the loss of her every day since. They said it was death of old age and natural causes… everyone I talked to said the same thing, but I know it must have been something else. So I will return to my place within the courts and I will find out the truth of why the beautiful flame of Chloe’s life was put out. Even if it’s the last thing I ever do.
I miss you, my dear, sweet Chloe. I hope you’ve journeyed to a far better place. I’ll be joining you soon.
“Life is a tale told by an idiot -- full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
William Shakespear, “Macbeth” Act 5 Scene 5
Motley
None at present.
Soundtrack
(This is in no particular order currently and I welcome suggestions on how to better arrange this sound track)
AFI - Kiss and Control
Alphaville - Forever Young
Barenaked Ladies - Lovers in a Dangerous Time
City & Colour - In the Water I am Beautiful
Creed - One Last Breath
Dave Mathews - Gravedigger
Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Dolores O'riordan - When We Were Young
Evanescence - Bring Me to Life
Five for Fighting - White Picket Fence
Gary Jules - Mad World
Hair Soundtrack - Let the Sunshine
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Live - Lightning Crashes
Our Lady Peace - Automatic Flowers
Sarah McLachlan - Possession
Stabilo - Everybody
Sting - Fields of Gold
Wintersleep - Weighty Ghost
Sixx A.M. - Life is Beautiful - This track is the defining track for Hanover and inspired much of what the character is now.
Rumors
(Feel free to leave whatever you like here)
Hanover is looking for who to blame in the death of his beloved Chloe.
Hanover met Toi Breaker at the party in Cleveland who has helped to give him new perspective, and perhaps new ideas about how to avenge Chloe.
Quotes
(Feel free to add to here as you like)
- "What can I say about Hanover except for an old guy he's pretty hot and has a nice ass!" - Toi Breaker
- "Oh, wow, another dragon in the Summer Court? Holy shit, that never happens...But still, I have to give this guy credit - When I met him, I realized I'd been talking to him for over 10 minutes without once making fun of the fact he was wearing a bow tie. THAT takes some fucking style, to pull off a bow tie so well, it escapes being the target of Ogre mocking." - Dzxoxian Brokehorn
- "I met the man once. Dedicated, straight forward, adaptive, inventing, these are all qualities he possesses. However sometimes that formula can fuel obsession dangerously. Be wary Knight..." - Madame Nuit
- "Hehe, all bow ties and neat hats... then someone gets hurt." - Jack
Categories: Fairest | Draconic | Summer Court | Toronto | Bio
