The Freehold of Unturned Stones

From Changeling Venue

1 Real Life
2 Make Believe
3 Timeline of Events
- 3.1 The Tooth Fairy
- 3.2 Dreams and Nightmares
4 Hollows and Safe Houses
5 The Lost
6 Motleys
7 Statistically Speaking

Real Life

Opened in 1922, the Orpheum Theatre sat over 900, and was ornately decorated in a mix of Renaissance and Neoclassical styles, complete with gold leaf, elaborate plasterwork, and a multicolored terra-cotta facade. The theater was hailed not only for its beauty, but its excellent accoustics, as well. It was the largest of Marion's movie houses, and the flagship of the "Junior Orpheum" circuit in the far southern Illinois region of Little Egypt.

Not only were vaudeville and movies presented at the Orpheum, but it was host to many civic events, as well, over the years. By the mid-50s, however, the theater was mainly used as a movie house. The Orpheum was closed in 1971 due to declining attendance, and two years later, was acquired by the City of Marion, which planned on demolishing the historic structure and replacing it with a parking lot.

However, due to public pressure, that plan was nixed in favor of restoring the Orpheum to its original splendor and converting it into a performing arts venue. A year later, completely by volunteer effort, the former vaudeville and movie house was reborn as the Marion Cultural and Civic Center, which soon became renowed all over Little Egypt and neighboring states as a center of culture, entertainment and civic pride. Featuring everything from appearances by big-name celebrities, to orchestra, dance and, onscreen, classic movie series, the former Orpheum's stage also was where high school graduation ceremonies took place, as they had over the previous decades.

Also, the high school used the theater's stage for its musicals, and in 1997, one of the high school musicals, "Bye Bye Birdie", would prove to be the final performance at the landmark theater. During the early morning hours, of March 10th, 1997, a blaze quickly raced through the Civic Center, and totally gutted the theater, leaving it a smoldering shell after the blaze was put out. The facade of the Orpheum was salvaged, but the remainder of the theater was razed, and in 2000, it was decided that a new Cultural and Civic Center would be built on the site of the old Orpheum and a couple of other demolished neighboring structures.

After two years of fund-raising (which is still taking place), construction began on the new building, and continues today. The hope is that once the new, larger venue is completed, it can, like its lost namesake (of which its restored 1922 terra-cotta facade will become part of), become once more a center of culture and enjoyment in Marion and the surrounding region.

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Make Believe

The first Lost to come to Marion escaped his Keeper in 1950, and he’s been here ever since. Phineas Frank is the self-proclaimed curator and custodian of the local Hollows and trods, and is to date the oldest living changeling in the area. His arrival was followed closely by the arrival of the Elemental Night Shade, and Pelagius, the aquatic lake horror. For nearly a decade, these three were the only Lost present in the area, and the Autumn Court held monopoly over the locale. Despite their presence, their interactions with one another remained neutral. Each was reclusive, and contact between them was made only out of necessity. Thus the crown never manifested. For 40 years, this remained “the way things work”. Then everything changed…

The late 1990s brought the arrival of a new face to the area, and his was only the first. Nearly twice a year, new Lost were escaping the Hedge and landing in Marion, IL, scared and lost, seeking guidance and security. From the ranks of these new faces rose the Gilded Aspirant, Solomon. By now the Orpheum theater had been burned down and abandon, and Solomon moved in to the Hollow of the opera house, reshaping it in his image and declaring it a safe house for all Lost. In the Spring of '98, Solomon manifested the Antler Crown and became the Baron of Marion, IL, dubbing his lands the Freehold of Unturned Stones. When no strong support from the Summer Court rose to the challenge three months later, Baron Solomon maintained his hold of power and established a trend that would not be broken for nine years; the Spring Court, via Baron Solomon and the Sacred Band of the Golden Standard, was in power.

Solomon’s reign brought the Marion freehold out of the veritable dark ages and into an era of golden prosperity. All Lost prospered, albeit some of them begrudgingly, under the rule of the Emerald Court. Over time, Solomon’s confidence waned and guidance gave way to paranoia. In the Spring of 2002, the Baron called his court together in an attempt to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood once more. Indirectly, this act led to his death at the hands of the agents of the Gentry in the Hedge. Scared and inexperienced, the surviving Lost fled.

Now powerless and without leadership, order crumbled and stability vanished until the Courts convened in secret to discuss what needed to be done. Dissent and dispute erupted without Solomon’s stoic leadership. As luck would have it, the Others were apparently not lying in wait, for they did not strike at this time when the Freehold was at it’s weakest. It was agreed that the Summer Court would rule in Solomon’s wake until their rightful time had passed, after which Seasonal rotation of power would resume. It was theorized that the Spring’s seven-year rule weakened the Freehold and made it vulnerable to the Gentry’s attack. Thomas Kunn led the Lost as Summer King until September, when Night Shade became the first changeling to manifest a Crown in nearly a decade. Order had finally been restored.

And thus as it has been ever since. The Seasonal rotation of power is observed with little argument or debate from either the waxing or waning Courts. Many fear that disruption of this pattern will once again draw the attention of the Gentry. Others feel that the time has come for yet more change to take place in the freehold. Only time will tell what will become of the Lost of Marion, IL.

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Timeline of Events

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The Tooth Fairy

In December of 2006, the killings began. Children taken in the night and returned days later, lifeless and missing their teeth. Dubbed the "Tooth Fairy Murders", police had no suspects in this grisly series of slayings. Taking matters into their own hands, the Lost investigated the killings, searching for a common thread. One month later, they found it; all the victims were patients of the same orthodontist, Trevor White. While police had searched the dentist's apartment straight away, they were unable to find the evidence that tied him to the crimes. Only the Lost were able to gain access to the Hollow where the gruesome deeds were followed through.

Trevor was easily subdued. He was questioned about his motives and identity, and was found to be a Madman. The Winter King took Trevor to the Hedge and left him in Solomon's prison-like Hollow where he gifted him with a gun, loaded with a single bullet, and presented him with a choice: rehabilitate, or don’t come back. There he left Trevor to make his decision, promising to return in one week's time.

Alone for no more than five minutes before the rest of the Freehold came rushing back in to save Trevor from himself, believing him to be redeemable, they found him attempting to climb down the sheer rock face of the cliff on which the Hollow rests. After a few moments of discussion, and the stark realization of what Trevor actually was, the Tooth Fairy leapt to his death on the rocks below, shredded by the Hedge briars all the way down.

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Dreams and Nightmares

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Hollows and Safe Houses

Solomon did a lot to ensure the continued safety of the local Lost; quite possibly more than any of them realize.

The grandest of the Marion hollows is the opera house hollow itself. The building that sits in it's place today is known as the Marion Cultural and Civic Center, but in the Hedge the memory and grandiose architecture of the Orpheum Theatre and opera house lives on. The doors to this hollow are well known and free, and the hollow itself is public property to all Lost, residents and visitors alike. Ownership of the grounds is shared amongst the Freehold's knights, who, owing to unusual circumstances and oaths, serve and protect the freehold and it's citizens outside the influence of the Seasonal liege. Thus, the tradition in the Freehold of Unturned Stones is that while the King or Queen is in charge of the local Lost, the Knights own the land they call home. Following suit, each new protector that swears the Knight's Oath to the Freehold further empowers the opera house and increases it's capacity to shelter.

Currently, the Orpheum Theatre is composed of six rooms that can comfortably shelter up to three occupants each, with utility purpose rooms being an additional bonus (Size 3). A functional kitchen and dining table feeds up to a dozen Lost at any given time, and each lounge room is furnished with soft couches and feather beds for those who need a place to stay (Amenities 2). There's even a library of eclectic books on strange hedge creatures and world history (Archive 2) and a maintenance room with a proper tool cabinet (Workshop 1). The Orpheum Theatre is fortified with goblin wards that repel basic lock picking attempts, as well as thick, creeping vines around the rear and side walls (Wards 2). The Hollow itself is accessible from the trod which wanders by it's entrance door, as well as from Balcony 3A and the door to dressing room seven in the basement (Doors 2).

It is said that all trods lead to the Orpheum, and this would indeed seem to be the case. The paths that cut through Marion's Hedge are long and winding, but no matter how lost a traveler becomes, eventually he or she finds the opera house in full view once again. This can be a blessing to lone travelers seeking shelter from the ravages of the wild Hedge of the area, or a curse to those trying to flee the Freehold and it's citizens. Whether this phenomena is a natural occurance, or Solomon's doing, is unknown. Few Lost try to question the features of their local Hedge.

Almost coexistent with the opera house hollow are the remains of Baron Solomon's personal hollow. The Gilded Aspirant lived a life of luxury, and this is reflected in his personal dwelling. There is only one known entrance to the hollow, and that door opens only when the proper key is presented to it. With each of the Crown manifestations came the manifestation of a jeweled key to accompany it, and each key, when presented to the door during it's correspondent season, opens the hollow door. For everyone else, the door remains mundane, leading only into what used to be a dressing room.

For the liege of the Freehold, this is the fringe benefit of rulership. Solomon's castle hollow is massive (Size 5), and comes fully stocked with all the amenities that make life easy. The mansion contains a vast library of tomes that recount the Baron's deeds, as well as general hedge geography, the history of fantastic worlds that don't exist, politics and warfare strategy, economics, and foreign world cultures (Archive 5). Though seemingly cast of solid gold, the furniture is quire relaxing and the food quite edible. All that it lacks is a goblin wait staff (Amenities 4). Sheer rock cliffs and thick hedge briars protect the mansion on all sides, making entering and exiting via any avenue other than the keyed trod difficult and dangerous (Wards 5). It is often theorized that there are other doors that lead to and from the castle. Those who knew him find it unlikely that Solomon would establish such a grand hollow with only one door, especially one door so hidden.