Fearless Dreaming
Seelie
As Queen Aeron’s kingdom spirals downwards, it is the lesser nobles in every reach of Pacifica that must pick up the slack. The Seelie nobles of the Bay Area are some of the strongest and most tactful. While they mind their noble holdings, the Seelie commoners cling to the city’s great reserves and world-famous havens of liberal think tanks, counter-culture hippies, and inspired artists of every stripe.
Nobles
Three Duchies are concerned with the Bay Area. Perhaps the most influential of these top-ranking nobles is the Duchess Aoibhell of House Liam, who rules the Duchy of Finvarr from the lodge of Caer Llanwedd (Level 5 Holding) in Berkeley, which is on the far west of the East Bay shore, a quick jaunt across the Oakland Bridge into San Francisco proper. Naturally, this freehold embodies the heart of San Francisco’s counter-culture and wild limit-testing wonders. It’s the jewel in Aoibhell’s crown, for sure. Her Duchy includes most of the East Bay and her strength is sorely tested by the presence of a strong Unseelie Commoner presence in the poorer sections of Oakland and Richmond.
The households that pay fealty to Duchess Aoibhell is the County of Oakhold, founded on the urban Caer Ogun (Level 3 Holding), and ruled by Count Elias of House Fiona. This is in the heart of Oakland. Further east in Contra Costa lays the County of Hilltops, founded on the grotto of Caer Amidio (Level 3 Holding), and run by Count Desederius of House Eiluned.
The North Bay is home to the Duchy of Goodwine, based out of Sonoma Valley. Duchess Olwen ap Dougal runs this place from the eyrie of Caer Lunara (Level 5 Holding), seated in the redwood forest not far from certain Prodigals. She combines vinmaking sense with political clout to keep this affluent area firmly in the hands of the Seelie. But it’s no easy task, since Nunnehi and Unseelie both have their hands in the region.
Not far from the town of Mill Valley, the Duchess’ main alley is the Baron Harold diMarcos of House Gwydion, who rules the Barony of Muirwood with a strong and clever hand. The glade of Caer Redwood (Level 4 Holding) borders even closer to the werewolves, and they have an understanding of territory that helps keep the Nunnehi at bay.
Finally, the Duchy of Goldengate, which accomodates San Francisco proper and some areas south, has some of the strongest Seelie presence to date. From Nob Hill, the lodge of Caer Brucky (Level 4 Holding) appears to be one of many old if ailing mansions. Here Duke Aeon ap Fiona holds court and receives homage from his allies, such as the Trolls of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Countess Evaine rules the County of Selkrest out of the manor of Caer Aine (Level 3 Holding). This is found near the shore of the Sunset District – just south of Golden Gate Park, western San Francisco. Her friendship with the Selkies does the Duchy no harm, though she offers very little else.
Commoners
The commoners care less about the freeholds and more about the Dreamers of San Francisco. Most therefore dwell in the city, flocking to districts like the Haight-Ashbury (a famous gathering place of hippies and musicians), the Castro (the district for the flamboyantly gay), and the Theatre District. In Alamo Square, in the district called the Western Addition, at the heart of the city, a Sluagh named Stevie Winthrop runs an auditorium-pavilion with electronically controllable levels of acoustics. The place is a commoner’s mew, and many faeries or faerie-patronized musicians perform here while artists display their works. While it lacks the history of the Fillmore West, it abounds with its own new sight and sound, and Glamour burns brightly here. This hearth is called the Mew of Rising Rainbows (Level 2 Holding), and it’s the only freehold Seelie commoners have in the city proper.
However, in the wine country of the North Bay, the Brotherhood of the Barrel – a “noble” society of commoners, mostly Satyrs – runs numerous small freeholds located on a number of prosperous vineyards. This collection of six manors is known as the Arcadia Vines (Level 1 and 2 Holdings). Sir Erhardt, an aging Satyr, is their leader, but the group is prone to irresponsibly drinking their own profits. Still, if one doesn’t mind the unavoidable debauchery, there are havens of Glamour beyond the Golden Gate.
Unseelie
The true Shadow Court is at work in the Bay Area, make no doubt of that. But their efforts are stymied. Their greatest allies, the Unseelie commoners, care little for shadowy schemes and power grabs. They run rampant and live the way they wish, staking out their territories despite Seelie claims. Meanwhile, “treacherous” Unseelie nobles have cut deals with the high-ranking Seelie lords to make small claims of their own in the Bay Area, helping the Shadow Court little indeed.
Nobles
Paying lip service to the Duchess Olwen is Baron Vladimir of House Aesin, ruler of the Barony of Innocence. He holds court at the eyrie of Cat Windsor (Level 2 Holding), atop a wooded plateau near Sonoma. He is an excellent falconer, and rumor has it the birds-of-prey all sweep down to his defense when called upon. In San Francisco, in Jack London Square (named for the writer who frequented that area), the Barony of Shining Stars thrives. Here Baroness Cassandra of House Leanhaun rules the hearth of Cat Golia (Level 3 Holding), a rising star indeed in all the holdings of the Bay Area. She would have already outshined many other nobles and doubled her land’s size were some of her local Dreamers not disappearing so suspiciously often…
Commoners
Unseelie commoners can be found anywhere, but nowhere are they more prevalent than in Richmond, East Bay Side. Ragger and his Band are one of many Unseelie gangs that run rampant there, putting the fear of Dreaming into the hearts of the few Seelie who must dwell alongside. Even the Wilders and Grumps pay homage to Ragger and his enforcers at “the Playground” (Level 1 Holding), a small urban freehold where bullying is a form of dark art.
Gallain
Many non-Kithain changelings live in the Bay Area. Some maintain their own freeholds or the like, while others simply form solid organizations to outlive or even oppose Kithain rivals and expansion.
Hsien
In Chinatown’s eastern dominion, a sprawling estate was built in the 19th Century by a Chinese-American “labor baron”: an entrepreneurial immigrant who got rich selling the rights of his fellow immigrants to the Western robber barons. In short, he was a slave baron. When he died (some say he was poisoned by his house help), the place was believed cursed and left unowned for decades. Everyone who bought the place and tried to move in was indeed chased out by a series of unfortunate incidents that devoured their wealth and life.
Then came the Shinma, immigrating to the west to counter and watch the activities of the Wan Kuei. These hsien cared little for wealth, and in fact lived lives of monks. It was their honest lifestyles that seem to have driven away the curse. Not only that, but their purity stirred in the beautiful but heretofore spiritually stagnant estate ponds and gardens a stronger sense of well-being, creating a new wellspring of Chi. Thus was born this (Level 1) dragon nest balanced towards serene Yin, and the Court of Golden Mist formed around it.
The Shinma that dwell here are mostly of the Li Shen, and are more concerned with the health of the elements under the influence of wasteful and corrupting Kuei-jin schemes. The Shui Fu and Lin Fu (Water and Wood Ministries) have the most dominion over the court, concerned over the waters and woodlands of the region. The Di Fu is clearly concerned by the meddling with the earth and earthquakes. Tieh Fu and Hou Fu have lesser sway. The former are concerned especially by high tech weapon development, and bend their ears towards distant Liverpool. The Hou Fu needn’t reach so far for their interests, which lean towards computers, electronics, and the information highway: Silicon Valley isn’t so far away. While all of these hsien tend to bicker over the philosophies of elements, the way of Tao, and the duties of the Shinma, it is no surprise that a shrewd Suijen came to rule the roost. His name is Bolin Quan, and he is ranked xuicai, addressed sometimes as Professor or just Regent Bolin.
Merfolk
The Merfolk are a capricious and aloof lot, dealing little with anyone in the Bay Area. They rule out of their grand Pacific underwater city, called Ur’quoiya (translated as the City of Broken Gales). This city is built of the bones of the sea bottom: shells and coral and dried magmic rock. Flowing flora conceals the place as a forest of seaweed and abundant fishery. The architects avoided tall spires of shell, the better to avoid nosy human discovery. Most of the buildings are one-story only, some several thousand feet beneath the waves. As traditional, House Syrinx embodies the rulers of this realm, while House Lorelei produces Ur’quoiya’s mighty defenders, and House Melusine makes contact with the Selkies and even some of the land-lubbin’ Kithain. But for the most part, Queen Krya keeps her city (and its Level 4 Grotto) out of the political and ecological mess in which the Kithain dwell.
Nunnehi
The Mount Tamilpais Protectorate is smack solid center in the Duchy of Goodwine, bordering Caer Redwood and Caer Lunara. It was “gifted” to the local Nunnehi tribes out of fear of a full-scale revolt that could have the frightening backing of local Garou Prodigals and an army of spirits. This area crosses over into the bawn of the Sept of the Western Eye, but the Garou have an understanding with these Nunnehi, and they call one another friend. The local Nunnehi are primarily Nümüzo’ho of Miwok descent, although Water Babies are known to dwell in all the local bodies of water, and they’ve always been reputed to be of mixed ethnicity. Regardless, all the Nunnehi of the area look to a frightening Nümüzo’ho Elder who constantly lingers on the threshold of Winter and Summer: Chieftess Omusa.
Selkies
Countess Evaine refers to the local Selkies as the Mew of Rocky Shore. From their Point Reyes freehold (this Level 1 Holding is found in the northern nook of the San Francisco Bay), the Selkies do gather. But they are a loose bunch as always, and laugh at formal terms. Their leader, Ondine, took the title “queen” merely to represent her role as the Selkies’ spokesperson. They are interested primarily in the preservation of normal seals and sea lions, as well as securing their own rights and safety from the Kithain. Some Selkies have divined the danger of the Rokea and have approached the Merfolk for help. Worse, the San Francisco Bay is subject to much pollution, especially from the East Bay Shore. In short, though numerous and powerful, the Selkies are beset by traditional and modern enemies and dangers.
