The Green Ring
From Changeling Venue
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Contents |
Catching the 10:15
The 10:15 cuts through the heart of the city of Ann Arbor making few stops along the way, - often missing them entirely – but every night it finds its way along the same path that it has for years. It always seems to run a few minutes late. To catch it on the south side of town is a feat of skill and luck – you’ve got to know when to duck out of the dirty coffee shop in time to get on before you draw the attention of the locals. Leave to soon and the driver won’t stop – won’t even see you being held at knife point. Leave to late and it won’t matter anyway. The ride isn’t soft or quiet or comfortable. Despite the lack people on board finding a clean seat is always difficult and, when it’s found, the window becomes an easy escape from the filth that’s surrounding you.
The old relic pushes its way north, passing through what was a nice neighborhood once. That’s what everyone says before blaming its current condition on somebody else – the blacks, the Jews, Wal-mart, nazi’s… whatever is their flavor of hate that day. Abandoned houses and burnt out wrecks line the road and a broken side walk runs along beside. The lights of an urban sprawl reflect against the glass and highlight the failed business’ and shattered hopes of so many people. The driver doesn’t make his stops here.
The route forces its way north and into a veil of houses choked with trees. Too many trees for the center of any city to have, but they are there – always have been and probably always will be. Buildings here submit to the massive trunks, finding ways to be built around them not wanting to disturb. The cities lights are obscured by their branches. It’s noise muffled by leaves. Even the broken side walk is cloaked by a constant blanket of fallen debris – wet and rotten stuff that no one wants to deal with. This Arboreal might surrounds the core of the city as if standing guard or holding it hostage. There are no stops here to miss.
After a short, silent forever the bus pushes through and into the heart of the city. The roads here a little nicer, the sidewalks cleared of trash and leaves. There are people walking here and not worried about their safety. There are people here who hold jobs that give a steady check. Neon light comes off bright signs and splashes a little more color onto the streets. Stops are made here. Those that are going quickly forget the drive, the window, and the filth they left in order to get here. Those that get on tend not to look out the window.
We are Lost Together
Because of the immense amount of back-story that is found on the character sites, they will all be considered completely OoC. The Green Ring page will be considered common knowledge for those that are residents of our city.
The Spring Court
- "Indigo" Adams - (Darklings, Mirrorskin) - King
- Rebecca Tulane - (Fairest, Dancer)
- Jake Player - (Fairest, Flowering)
The Summer Court
- Max Stone- (Ogre, Stonebones) - King
- Hael's Wyndstaff- (Elemental, Airtouched)
The Autumn Court
- Spider Black - (Wizened, Smith) - King
- Aria Have - (Darkling, Mirrorskin)
- Seth Pierce - (Darkling, Leechfinger)
- Paige Hunting - (Wizened, Chirurgeon)
- Ezikiel Long - (WIzened, Chirurgeon)
The Winter Court
- Lon McCoy - (Ogre, Farwalker) - King
- North - (Beast, Skitterskulk)
- Harvey Swick - (Elemental, Snowchild)
- Timothy - (Elemental, Woodblood)
- Ben Tillman - (Wizened, Chirurgeon)
The Courtless
- Duncan Fairweather - (Wizened, Soldier)
- The Rat King - (Beast, Skitterskulk)
Famliar Travellers
- Michael -
The Missing and The Dead
Recognized Motleys
Places of Dream and Nightmare
The Green Tael – Originally only taking up a few of the larger offices of the Brunswick Building, this high-roller Casino now is the entire sixteenth floor. The casino attracts all sorts and is never without its eventful evenings – whether it is an old lady hitting it big just before she collapses into cardiac arrest or a new father who has just gambled away this weeks pay check… and the next one too. The Lost gather here from time to time – what better place to harvest the dreams of mortals than where they are born and crushed.
Haney’s Auto – This small-time garage changed hands a few dozen times before becoming the property of Spider Black. The first year or two it looked like Spider might not do much better than the other owners, but after figuring out a few deals with local advertisers and building up a fairly loyal customer base he’s turned it into a reasonably profitable business – not that it looks it from the outside. Located on Miller the shop works mainly by appointment only, but he might be able to squeeze you in if it’s an emergency.
The Hunter’s Lodge – Just inside the tree line on Ann Street is a beat up old house that’s been converted into a business – a bar specifically. The conversion didn’t bother with removing to many of the walls or adding many booths or tables, but it did manage to put in an impressive oak bar and a few dead animal heads for style. Add a two o’clock happy hour and liquor that hasn’t been sold in a dozen years and there you go – a wretched little dive that welcomes alcoholics and Lost alike. No questions asked and no questions answered
Tip Toes Dance Studio – Another small business that has suffered through the years – suffered but never failed. The teachers here are warm hearted and occasionally miss a weeks pay in order to keep the doors open and the students coming in. All for the sake of dance. It may be a basement apartment that was hastily converted and in the winter, the kid’s performances are never without leggings. All for the sake of dance. Rebecca Tulane has spent many days and nights perfecting the craft of those that she teaches, while neglecting her own needs. All for the sake of dance.
The hedge of the Green Ring - Here, no path stays to see the next sun come up. No trod cuts the ring that wraps around the city. The few hollows that were cut from its branches are left empty - doors held closed by adventurous roots and insistent twigs. A few sad flowers manage to find enough light to blossom and go to fruit before a silence withers them to husks. The will and words of kings are taken into the shadows giving nothing in return. Quiet thickets always hold the most danger for those that try to tame them…
Beat the Devil – A scrap yard located about twenty minutes outside of Ann Arbor has a rep for always having just the right part. Well, the right part if you are willing to dig for it. Beat the Devil is a poorly organized sprawl of broken down vehicles, old appliances, and random metal debris. More than a few teenagers have come here for their first car only to go home with a classic beater that might never run and tetanus. All the same, if you are willing to wait for Lon to show you around, he’ll find what you’re looking for.
The Ink Dries All To Quickly
The freehold of the Green Ring has never been welcoming. It picked up the nick name "the Fortress" by other freeholds that admired their ability to remain closed to the rest of the world – "oubliette" or "asylum" by those that were less admiring. While it maintained some contact throughout the years with messengers, it rarely invited any one to its borders. Despite – or because of – the city's xenophobic tendencies, the freehold has been largely left alone. Some stray rumors still find their way to ears that will listen…
December 1979 - Without a Tongue: A stranger shows up in a freehold to the south with no tongue and few fingers. Though pledged into secrecy, it is puzzled out that he traveled from the area of the Green Ring. When questioned, members of the Ring denied ever knowing the individual and were offended by the suggestion that they had anything to do with the man's disfigurement. Four days later the stranger was found dead in his room – a blank journal and broken pen in hands.
April 1982 - Attempt at Amends: The Green Ring briefly attempts to become part of the world and open its boarders. Pleasantries are made for a few months – festivals are given to celebrate a new beginning for the freehold. All spring, guests are welcomed and provided for. By August no more messengers are sent out. By September no more are allowed in. As the year draws to a close the Green Ring isolates itself completely.
January 1996 - Death and Abandonment: The Winter King dies. In the next few months, the city is abandoned. Pledges are broken to free those Lost that were connected to this land and hollows are left without masters. No one speaks of why the city is forfiet. The former residents seek to get as far away as possible and forget whatever happened within the Green Ring.
October 2007 – Ice Finally Melts: After years of avoiding the issue and pressure from the Spring and Summer Courts, the Winter Court finally pushes forward a candidate to take the crown. The new king does little to gain the confidence of his court, but does finally allow the freehold a court of four kings.
For a full history follow The Ink Dries All To Quickly.
What Weighs on a Doubtful Mind
- Dealers in town are offering a new type of release - it's cheap, too.
- If the Fey are so powerful, then how did I escape?
- Anyone you see could be one of them. Hell, or they could be just working for them. No matter how cleaver we are, the Fey are ten times more crafty, with an eternity of experience to draw from.
- We can't go on together with suspicious minds...And we can't build our dreams, on suspicious minds
- Old relics of the last kingdom are still around - right in front of us. Everyday we get a little closer to stumbling over them, and waking up ghosts of the past.
- We've all heard it - just before you go to sleep or when you get out of the shower or when you side the key into your car door - that noise like somebody is checking to see if the door is locked, like something is downstairs, like something is moving a little closer.
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Helpful Secrets
- Region: Great Lakes
- Chapter: MI-013-I Good Things
- Chapter Storyteller:
- Chapter Coordinator: Josh W.
Quick Source
- Ann Arbor Character Template provides a quick source for creating a character wiki page.
- Inside the Green Ring is our OoC area including our VSS.
- Learn more about the real world of Ann Arbor, Jackson, Ypsilanti, Livingston County, and Lenawee County.
