Broadway Magic
Embattled Hope
The Kithain are a tenacious lot. If they weren’t, they might never have discovered the changeling way and eluded the icy grip of Banality back when the Shattering struck. But every age has its test, and it seems this era’s test ere the Long Winter arrives is soon to be revealed.
There are dark rumors that the Shadow Court is preparing a deadly strike right into the heart of New York City and its faerie stewards. There are even terrifying hints that the Fomorians themselves may be involved. So the Kithain, even the Unseelie, at least those unaligned to the true Shadow Court cliques, are building up their various assets. They strengthen alliances and seek new friends, all in anticipation of a dreadful showdown yet to come. Still, this is the City That Never Sleeps, and the power of the waking dreams in this town may yet be enough to save the day.
Other Changelings
The Kithain do not hold a monopoly on the New York City area’s changeling population. They are the most populous, true. But Nunnehi dwell in the woodlands and hills and waterways beyond the dismal, gray city. In the cold Atlantic waters beyond New York, an undersea civilization of Merfolk secretly thrives.
Laws
As per usual, the Seelie uphold the Escheat vigorously and the Unseelie, well, don’t. Both sides typically observe the Right of Ignorance with caution, and the rest of the Escheat the Seelie enforce wisely, so as not to alienate the commoners. In New York, the fear is less about humans discovering the fae and more about rival Prodigals, who could seek to manipulate, abuse, and otherwise decimate the Kithain. The fae have enough problems without worrying about faerie bloodthirsty vampires or werewolves with ancient scores to settle.
The Dreaming
Although New York City is a big town with a lot of big hearts and open minds to contrast with the banal masses, there are fewer freeholds than one might expect. Granted, there are many holdings to say the least. But powerful Trods also cross through the town, bearing on its importance to Concordia, and even connecting the New World to the Old World.
The Dreaming itself in New York City is a scary and bewildering place. Tall gothic towers and frequent rainstorms of glistening, silvery precipitation dominate the dreamscape. When the rain parts, breathtaking rainbows span the skyline. But many chimerical creatures, some malevolent and some benign, roam the city’s Dreaming reflection. It is a realm of both danger and wonder.
Special Events
Special events are annual (or more frequent) holidays or special ritual days that the main group or groups observe as a whole community. Attendance and participation is often expected of all members, and sometimes required.
Running of the Bridges
The traditional holidays of the Kithain are all upheld with pomp and ceremony. Yet, despite the importance of the city’s freeholds to the nobility, the commoners have long held power over the Big Apple. To that end, they’ve long had a special holiday of their own, initiated long ago by competitive Trolls: “Running of the Bridges”. It takes place on March 28th, from dawn to midnight, during which time the “runners” must – by foot and without Wayfare or other magic – run across every bridge from Manhattan to the mainland or the other boroughs. On each bridge, Troll “guardians” stop the runners with random challenges. Those challenges can be blocking the pedestrian path until the runner answers a riddle correctly, or ducking swings of a Troll’s war maul. Whoever overcomes the gauntlet and makes the run first wins a prize from one of the Seelie nobles, though all the competitors are showcased and celebrated at the midnight ceremony.
Winter Games
The Nunnehi and their kin, many of whom are Oneida or other Iroquois natives, have traditions of competitive winter sports. They are held starting on the first full moon of the last lunar month of winter (so typically some time in February or March). Per tradition, the Winter Games were the celebration of the return of the hunters, a way for them to wind down, and consequently only men were permitted to participate. That tradition has been relaxed in modern times, since so few of even the Nunnehi live as hunter-gatherers anymore. Games include lacrosse, long ball (similar to soccer), and snow snake (like javelin-tossing, but into snow trenches). Outsiders are not welcome (but would be hard-pressed to find the grounds where the events are held anyway).
“Yo, if you wanna know this town, just listen to the lyrics. You’ll hear all you need to know, homeboy.”
-- Linus Modesto, owner of Cat Coolio over in Cambria Heights (represent!)
