Grasslands Games
All Seasons
The Kingdom of Grass is said to be home to the most down-to-earth, meat-and-potatoes fae in all of Concordia. Whether this is true or not, one thing is for certain. Kansas City, like every metropolis, is a beacon of diversity in a diverse nation. For every pragmatic Boggan and stoic Troll of the region, there’s a wild-hearted Satyr or bloody-minded Redcap. For every Seelie loyalist, there’s an Unseelie trouble-maker.
And this is just like nature. For every summer, there must be a winter. There cannot be night without day. This is the essence of the fae, and most evident in the Kingdom of Grass near its population centers.
Gallain
But not all of the local changelings follow the seasons of Seelie and Unseelie. The most prominient Gallain in the region are Nunnehi. And sadly, most of them are very distrustful of all Kithain. Worse, a fair number of them are hardcore Winter Camp, and make it a point to harass if not outright attack any Kithain that wander into their territories (which encompass most of the woodlands and prairies beyond the city limits). In fact, Queen Mary Elizabeth considers the Nunnehi to be the biggest problem in the region. If Julius Maer’s primary concern wasn’t guarding all of those Trods, they would have to pay more attention to the Gallain threat.
Most of these Nunnehi, behind their anti-European outlook, are anachronistic and simplistic in life-style. But they are also quite traditional and honest. Most of the Nunnehi really are good folk. They’ve just been deceived and hurt by the Kithain one too many times. Some of the Nunnehi renegades were once allied with AIM (American Indian Movement), but that group has faded off from the public scene and with it the local Nunnehi’s interest in general mortal affairs. Now the local Nunnehi keep to themselves, their activity only evident when their territory is invaded by Western changelings or dire foes.
Originally, the region was home to primarily Nunnehi related to the tribes of the Sioux Nation. With so many Native Americans relocated, however, one can find a decent number of other tribal heritages. With that heritage will come Nunnehi of different families. But the most prominient “Kith” are Tunghats and Canotili.
In Little Asia, it has been rumored that there are an Asian brand of Gallain fae. If there are such changelings there, however, they are quite reclusive. And the district is of little interest to the Kithain -- there isn’t a single freehold or Trod running through it. Some enterprising patrons might seek Dreamers therein, and they may know more about the rumors of hsien.
Laws
The Seelie tend to obey the Escheat closely in the area. As per normal, the Unseelie tend to thumb their nose at it. But certain rules are kept sacrosanct by both groups. The Right of Ignorance is definitely one of them.
The Dreaming
The Dreaming of the Kansas City area reflects the sweeping prairies of the Kingdom of Grass. No matter where one stands outside in the Near Dreaming, a constant breeze blows gently, fluttering one’s garments and hair. In areas reputed to be more dangerous, this wind grows fiercer. Occasionally, without warning terrible twisters are spawned out of the Dreaming’s weather and these chimerical tornadoes wreak havoc over wherever they touch down. Wise faeries seek shelter when these storms strike!
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.
Beltaine Blitz
The Kithain love numerous vital holidays and events because the importance of the Glamour they bestow back onto the world. For the Kingdom of Grass, Beltaine has long had a special place in the faeries’ hearts. It is considered the gateway into the Seelie Year, and the Dougal-dominated area revels in the fortification of their natural strength. Indeed, both nobles and commoners unite in an effort to drive back the shadows of the Unseelie Year, which often stubbornly cling as long as possible to the world. This coincides with the usual Beltaine festivities, but also includes one evening of self-reflection (to purge lingering dominance of Unseelie traits) and one evening of “restoration”, a time in which Unseelie-dominant forces are literally pushed around and forced to submit (hence the “blitz”). The one or two Redcap corbies in town make themselves scarce on Beltaine (bullies hate to be bullied).
Sundance
The Lakota and their fellow Sioux traditionally hold the Sundance festival. It tends to fall after the last rain of the spring and lasts for one week. During this time, dancers welcome the summer sun and the end of the winter hunting season with perpetual, exhausting dance. Ceremonial chest-piercing occurs among men (not nipple rings either – large plugs of wood). Only Nunnehi and their native kin may attend. Sioux are given preference, but any native peoples may attend if not participate. Outsiders, whether Kithain or just non-native humans, are not only unwelcome but are harshly (and sometimes violently) driven off.
“Know that in our lands, integrity and rectitude guide us all, commoner and noble alike. The Dreaming loves spontaneity, but not at the expense of the Great Pageantry. Therein lies only destruction and misery, even for its most wanton purveyors.”
-- Countess Moriganne Teegan ni Fiona, ruler of Caer Verdante in the County of Arbora
