Toronto Freehold History

From Changeling Venue

Contents 1 Archived History 2 Whispers and Treacheries Past (Previous Rumours)

Archived History

Early 20th Century: A large, but relatively normal, Court-based society of Changelings inhabited Toronto. The Lost of Toronto focused fae reconnaissance in the Autumn, strengthening defenses in the Winter, rebuilding their lives and strengthening their bonds in the Spring, and skirmishes against dangerous targets in the Summer. Each Court had a King or Queen who guided the entire community during their season of rule, and supervised their own Court in the other courts efforts during the off months. Motleys served as families and small communities from which Lost got the things the Courts themselves did not provide under their purview.

September 6, 1981: The Night of Crimson Snow: Fearing that the Spring Court was not capable of maintaining the defenses set up by the rest of the community during their rule, and a severe paranoia after the loss of several of their members back to the fae, the Winter King hatches a plan to remove the current Spring Queen by a backroom deal with some privateers. It fails horribly, and worse yet, in a very public display. The Huntsman comes for the Winter King instead for not honouring the deal, and the Summer King's efforts to save the Winter King only result in a much gorier display. The Winter King is drawn and quartered in the struggle, and his burst arteries rain down red snowflakes over the Goblin Market.

1982: Tensions between the Spring and Winter Court continue to erupt, and Hedge Duels become a near-monthly occurrence.

1984: The last vestiges of the previous Goblin Market in St. Lawrence pack up and leave, as the Lost have abandoned it out of paranoia or superstition, and the Fae who do attend regularly become more and more intrusive. The Hobs use this as an excuse to put their new underground market into action in The North Station.

1987: The Fall of The Clearinghouse: During the Seventh Summer of Strong Ben, King of Summer, the Hedge Duels had gotten so out of hand that the attention they were causing had resulted in more than a few re-abductions. In the strongest act of justice in the city's history, Ben banishes 8 key members of the Spring and Winter Courts, backed fully by Queen Bookwyrm of the Autumn Court. 3 of these members go dutifully, swearing oaths never to return and taking their motleys with them. The other 5 return in protest a few weeks later. Ben responds by tearing down the Clearinghouse (the general meeting place for the Lost in Toronto at the time) with his hammer, effectively ending the Court system in Toronto.

1989: The Fall of St. Ogden's Citadel: After two years of the Summer Court attacking their targets with minimal military intelligence, they mount one final assault which leads the Huntsman to attack the final stand at the the stronghold the Lost had in Toronto's Hedge, St. Ogden's Citadel. The Huntsman's forces were victorious and all those who stood against them perished, including Strong Ben.

1990-2008: Toronto becomes a town of ne'er-do-wells and outcasts as far as Lost are concerned. Oathbroken take refuge here. New Lost are told to swear to a Court out of tradition and to keep the Fae guessing, but Court meetings do not happen on a regular basis. The trods run overgrown in the hedge, unused and annoying at best, insecure and dangerous at worst. This includes the previously well-defended Oneida Road between the Clearinghouse and St. Ogden's Citadel. The Huntsman grows tired of Toronto after his victory and Fae attention wanes, and slowly Toronto becomes a habitable city for Lost again, though its reputation remains.

The Clearinghouse Reunion (Groundhog Day, 2008): With the last gateway to the Clearinghouse closing, many Lost came to inspect the ruins one last time. Some twists of fate (if the Lost ever truly have such things) led to the discovery of a 40-year-old time capsule that had been left by the four Queens of 1966. The capsule itself would not open without validation, which was provided easily by all courts but Winter, which was underrepresented due to their missive encouraging them to leave the Clearinghouse be. However, Peter Scoresby, a Wizened, walked directly into the gathering from Oneida Road. Apparently before he even knew what the Courts were, he chose Winter, and the "egg" opened when his touch joined that of the others.

Inside were various artifacts of import for each of the four courts. Some were shared freely, while others were kept secret. Eventually, however, all of the traditional monarch oaths, kept for reference in the capsule, were found. Scoresby, not understanding the nature of the oaths, read the Winter Oath aloud. After being encouraged to sit on the throne, he became the King of Winter. The other courts, now under the seasonal rule of Winter once again (whether they liked it or not), scrambled in reaction. The Autumn court saw a heated confrontation between Rick and Doc Sweeney, which ironically polarized their court against them. Subsequently, Tom of the Upstairs Underground was asked to read the Autumn Oath as an experiment, and then indeed became King of Autumn. Summer was straightforward, and a battle soon proved Glaine to be the new King of Summer. (Whether she misspoke, has gender issues, or finds the term Queen to be too "froofy" has yet to be determined.)

Spring deliberated about what was to be done, and tried to swear in concert. This was not to be. With the Oath now known again, its power re-awakened, and the guilt of a city sworn to an age-old system started to crack the whip of fate. With their beauty ripping away (as the Queen's oath said it would) Maxmellion Rouge took the position... for now. Spring is just around the corner...

The Winter Formal (March 8, 2008): The Winter King was conspicuous by his absence at the first official gathering of what is slowly but surely becoming an official freehold. Despite not having access to the traditional means, the Winter Court was able to procure the Masques, and thus many people were free to be hidden as they liked throughout the evening, though a good number did not indulge. Also absent was King Glaine, who disapproved of the gathering altogether. Luckily against the threats against the Lost of Toronto were from within and security had nothing to do with it. Rumours of Spring Court treachery threw the affair into an uproar, and a scuffle erupted between John Smith and King Max, who managed to get so inebriated that he was thrown out himself. Hollows were damaged, apologies were issued, drinks were had, and the conservative Winter Court received their one night of guilt-free chaos. At the end of the affair, many backroom deals and hidden schemes started to come into play, and it seems that the whirlwind of court politics is nipping at Spring's heels just as it comes to power…

The First Change of Season (April 12, 2008): A disturbing dream spread through the freehold mid-March, before the seasons switched from Winter to Spring. A gathering of ranking Changelings gathered by the Dhule Tree, and hung Pinball Jack for being an oathbreaker, by authority of the Winter King Auberon. An ominous beginning to a new season, considering the Spring court had done nothing more than announce that a new King had been found, and it was not Maxemellion Rouge.

A few weeks later, however, Spring did hold its formal event at the beautiful Carlu ballroom in downtown Toronto. All invited from across Ontario were introduced to "King Mimosa, the first of that name" (previously known as Av, of the Royal Oaks) and often clarified that the royal name was "like the tree, not the drink." It was also made clear that King Glaine of Summer had comfortably achieved the position of Bailiff to the Spring Court and was providing security. And Magistrate of the Wax Mask Ambrose Small (of Spring) appeared to have taken the position of chief assistant to King Mimosa.

When an acceptable number of Changelings had gathered, Magistrate Small, assisted by John Smith representing the Winter Court conducted a small ritual to mark the passing of Winter to Spring, and the thawing frost. At which point the ancient and traditional scepter, symbol of power of the old freehold was passed to King Mimosa.

Also adding to the legitimacy of the new Spring reign, John Smith was the first to swear the old freehold Oath of Commendation, suggesting that any bad blood between Winter and Spring had been put to bed. Many (though not all) from within the freehold came forward over the course of the evening to swear the oath publicly and privately. Most notably, previously exiled Tamarack and Edgar Dogwood -- infamous hedge-duelists -- were, in the spirit of new beginnings, given permission to swear the Oath of Commendation, and had their banishment lifted by King Mimosa. Magistrate Small estimates that by the end of the night some 26 Lost swore their glamour and assistance to the newly reformed freehold.

A challenge was held: members of the Freehold and guests were invited to enter a boast into the record. Whoever achieved the most impressive boast by June was to be given the blessing of Spring. Perhaps the most notable was the promise of Mulch to find and reform a loyalist, Steve Surefoot to win an eating competition, Glaine and Cressida promising to take Peter clubbing four Saturdays in a row, and Mr. Wednesday promising to teach the members of the Scarecrow Ministry the true meaning of fear.

As the evening progressed, Aranae of the Upstairs Underground took responsibility for negotiating appropriate boundaries for the freehold with all the various sworn and unsworn inhabitants, King Mimosa announced that Rosalie Amaranth was appointed Warden of the Gates, and the increasingly hoarse Magistrate Small appointed Max Rouge, who proved to be very loud, and a talented singer, herald to the Spring Court. Pantera Mint swore an oath of knighthood to King Tom of the Autumn Court. How this will sit with King Mimosa and the Spring Court is uncertain; Tom is an ally, but has not yet served as King, and is already appointing his own men-at-arms.

A dark note ended the evening as the valet-parked cars of all members of the Spring Court and their known friends had been vandalized. Clearly not all bad memories have been put to rest by the founders of the new freehold.

May 24th, 2008:

The Victoria Day weekend was intended to be good times had by all. This was not to be. The festivities, planned by Tamarack in the Courtyard of the Royal Oaks' hollow, went smoothly at first. The yearly Ritual of Victory was a great success both for the entertainment of the guests and the ritual itself. (Obediah Yule might not think so, but it is not believed he even understood what was going on.) However, shortly after the festivities, the party was darkened by a rather macabre delivery. Five for Silver, a Winter Courtier of the Blackblood Preachas, arrived with a duffel bag in hand. He barely had a chance to make out a few words to his motleymate, Jer$eY BoY, before some mystic force turned him to stone. Inside was the decapitated head of the former Autumn Queen, Bookwyrm. The Autumn Courtiers were on the case, while Spring continued on with their festivities in a rather... carnal fashion. The stakes were raised as Winter started to feel the effects of Queen Rosalind's Oath, their eyes becoming beacons to those who would prey upon them. This proved to be a key point in the investigation, which lead into the mad realms of Peony Island. The scouting parties barely escaped with their lives as re-enforcements arrived to save them from a Vileshrike attack at the site of Bookwyrm's body. The likely culprit is the often missing Scarborough courtier Frontpage, who now has to answer to his court, the freehold, and most importantly, his own motley. Five For Silver's body was taken to the Dhule Tree as the investigations led to a charge of Oathbreaking. His body however, was not so dead when the tree got a hold of him, calling into question the entire matter of the freehold's justice. King Mimosa has had his fun, but heavy decisions await for the Lost of Toronto...

Whispers and Treacheries Past (Previous Rumours)

• There are still a few long-term members of the city who stayed clear of the infighting of the past decades... or kept their noses clean enough. Most come from the Winter and Autumn Courts.
• Apparently, the Royal Oaks got the barest minimum of help from the Upstairs Underground due to Av's attitude problems.
• The Lost of Toronto have survived with a great deal less interaction in the hedge over recent years. The question then remains, what's been going on in there now that the Lost have ceased paying attention?
• John Smith has been regarded as a myth just as much as a man; some say he's the face of a larger network, others say he's not just one person. No one has really been able to confirm whether the face that shows up at the Other Side Diner is the same one that stood in the motleys of the Winter Court so long ago.
• For someone with such an obvious penchant for cuisine and couture, Maxmellion Rouge isn't seen eating very much...
• The King of Summer's motley does not approve of the monarchy in general, thus leading to some internal tension within the 3 Cent Copy Shop.
• The Throne of Queens, instrumental in finding the Four Queens' Oaths, disappeared after the growth of the Dhule Tree.
• The throne of the Clearinghouse is now in the Spring Court's possession, and some people disobeyed a direct order from King Maxmellion to do so.
• The upcoming Spring Revel is actually going to be the traditional Spring rite of Homecoming, as Maxmellion got out of the Hedge last March. Better get a nice suit, a dress, and maybe even a date!
• The Spring King has already been chosen this year.
• The Three Cent Copy Shop is focusing more on Tolltaker business than defending their hollow, and a few agents of the Gentry have made their way across the Hedge as a result.
• Minister Frontpage of the Scarecrow Ministry cuts deals with wayward Changelings to perform vile acts, especially on fetches, in exchange for their membership in his entitlement.
• It's taking a strangely long time for LIMBS to rebuild their hollow.
• Queen Bookwyrm was never declared dead, so if she still lives, she may be an Oathbreaker.
• The Banished are all still alive, each and every one, and still fighting amongst one another, even this long after the fact.
• The Royal Oaks, despite being disconnected from the rest of the freehold, have their own hollow, and a powerful one at that.
• Av's regnal name of King Mimosa was Maxemellion's idea.
• John Smith has been giving out favours like candy as he's afraid of some trouble coming his way and knows people are more likely to protect him if he owes them something.
• Some heard Peter, the young King of Winter, say that he had no struggle getting out of the Hedge. None at all.
• The Scarecrow Ministry is comprised of members from a few of the older Motleys in the city before the Fall.
• Toronto actually boasts at least five times the members of of the Winter Court than the rest of the freehold knows about, and many are holed up in one of their old hollows.
• The recent influx of Summer Courtiers came from a distress call regarding the Cricket Warriors of the Lawn.

The Freehold of Toronto, Ontario
General:	Toronto • History • Motley List
Motleys:	The Upstairs Underground • The Royal Oaks • The Blackblood Preachas • The Cricketbane Legion • L.I.M.B.S. • Mmmm Pie • The Toronto Misanthrope Society
Places:	The Oneida Road • Peony Island • River Cardegas • The North Station • The Dhule Tree • The Other Side of the Tracks • St. Ogden's Citadel • Obediah Yule's Rare Book Emporium • Amsu Salon • Toronto Lost Free Clinic • Betty's Tea House
Other:	The City of Toronto • Domain Info