Bourbon Street Blues
Seelie
Located close to the border between the Kingdom of Willows and the Kingdom of the Burning Sun, New Orleans has long enjoyed an influx of clever fae from the east and tough fae from the west. That suited the Seelie just fine. Hurricane Katrina did not change those migrations much, but it shocked the fae out of their complacency! They now pay much closer attention to their freeholds and the protection of those holdings, fearing an attack by the Shadow Court (or worse) to try and seize lands while the city appears vulnerable.
Nobles
As typical, the Seelie nobles are focused on keeping safe the few freeholds left in their possession. As a rule, only the strongest holds survived the Gale, which extinguished numerous lesser ones. Still, that loss only tightened the Seelie’s grip on what they had left. The highest-ranking noble in the area is Duke Ithel ap Eiluned, who rules the Duchy of New Orleans out of the lodge of Caer Annik (Level 5 Holding) found right in the heart of the city’s French Quarter, which borders the Great Mississippi.
To date, the Duke has only a few other nobles he can count on. In the heart of famous Storyville, which is located in the Midcity District (aptly named), Countess Vivian ni Fiona rules the County of the Ward from the hearth of Caer Fluria (Level 5 Holding). South of Midcity lies the Uptown district, an even more affluent section of the city. Here the Baron Edmund ap Dougal rules the Barony of Broadmoor from the lodge of Caer Glowar (Level 4 Holding). (The following freehold is PC-run.) Not far from Caer Annik thrives Café Nuage Neuf, which is home for the Baroness Tamrissa ni Beaumayn. She runs the Barony of the Ninth Cloud of Caer Ralla.
Commoners
As in most other cities, the Seelie commoners care less about the freeholds and more for the Dreamers. This is especially true in New Orleans, where Katrina chased away a far greater horde of Glamour than a few freeholds. Many artists remain, fortunately, and these the Seelie guard vigilantly against Unseelie rapine and other threats.
Luckily, the commoners were rewarded a freehold from the Duke of New Orleans years ago, as part of the Accordance. This they also defend determinedly, concerned that the Duke would try to gobble it back up since losing so many others to the Gale. He’s made no such moves, though. Their hearth-mew, called Caer Demery (Level 3 Holding), is founded in the Bywater District, which is east of the French Quarter. As the ward’s name implies, it also borders the Mississippi, as well as the canals that cut through from the river to Lake Pontchartrain. The tea room where the mew is hosted is run by a pheasant Pooka named Dacey Rousteer.
Unseelie
The Unseelie are a force with which to reckon in New Orleans. Having been given so much elbow space in the Big Easy, they’re eager to gobble up more. The Shadow Court is certainly behind pushes to claim more, but the Gale has torn away much to be claimed. The Unseelie are faced with backing down from their plans or mounting a full-scale assault on the remaining Seelie freeholds, which are now as doubly defended as they were before the Gale. For now, the Unseelie make due with what they have, feed off the miserable Glamour generated from mortals’ losses, and gather their strength.
Nobles
So far it is the Unseelie nobles, few as they may be, who have benefited the most from the good graces of the Seelie. Thus do they hope to gather loyal legions of rank-and-file Unseelie commoners to help them one day power-play the gracious Seelie out of their precious Holdings and claim it all for the Unseelie. With the Duke getting so little support from the Mad King of Willows, it’s only a matter of time.
So far, the Baron Benedict ap Ailil rules the Barony of Bluewater from the lodge of Cat Levia (Level 4 Holding), founded in the Fontainebleau District just west of Broadmoor actually. His relations with Baron Edmund are strained, to say the least. On the other side of the city, the Countess Margot ni Leanhaun rules the County of the Blanche from the manor of Cat Barrowse (Level 3 Holding), founded in the Algiers Point district. This area is actually across the river, but overlooks the French Quarter (apparently the Duke put her there to keep an eye on her personally).
Commoners
The Unseelie of New Orleans are numerous but rag-tag, bonding together in only loose motleys and corbys of angry young faeries. The 7th Ward, Fillmore, and Lower 9th Ward are all their common stomping grounds, and where most of the poorer people of New Orleans also live. They control no freeholds, much to their chagrin, but have to kiss the Unseelie nobles’ butts if they want the easy Glamour. Most are content to Ravage, and there are too few Seelie to stop them. None of the nobles realize this, but the Ranters are actively recruiting from these disillusioned changelings and preparing their own legions.
Gallain
As previously noted, there is no organization to the small Nunnehi presence in the area, though there are Nunnehi around. The Merfolk, who dwell off-shore but more and more frequently visit with the Kithain, are quite established and have been for over 200 years. In the Gulf of Mexico, a couple hundred miles away from New Orleans actually, dwells their home, Ur’aucolé (translated as the City of Golden Spires). This city was actually built on gold recovered from the sunken ships of conquistadores. It is well hidden by Merfolk magics, and fails to come up on even the most advanced of maritime sonar save as a geological mass of sediment deposits. House Syrinx dominates this Merfolk kingdom on every level, and King Errikos rules his city (and its Level 4 Grotto) with ever-growing savvy and Neptunian wisdom.
