History
Fate's Harvest is a relatively new Freehold, founded in late Spring of 2015 by a group of migrants from Maine and Massachusetts. Young though it is, it is an active, and actively expanding community, centered around the small mountain town of Tamarack Falls, Vermont.
Initially, the valley of the River Tam, by all reports absent any signs of recent Changeling activity, seemed almost too good to be true.
They should have known better than to trust Fate to be kind.
Not long after they had established themselves and begun to lay claim to resources in the area, the first trickles of refugees began to crawl out of the woodwork, all holding slivers of a greater story: why was the valley so ripe for the taking?
As of Summer 2017, the first diplomatic contact with other local Freeholds has been made. Being threatened isn't terribly diplomatic, but Samantha Whitaker seems to be changing that. See the Freehold Timeline for major actions and decisions to date. This timeline is updated by each ruling monarch as the season progresses, to ensure that all players have access to the history involved.
Membership
Members of the Freehold keep an eye out for new fae faces. It's just common sense. In a place with this much activity, who knows who's a Loyalist and who isn't?
If you're not part of the Freehold, you WILL be treated with suspicion and excluded from many gatherings. The more paranoid and socially inept members may even try to threaten your character into compliance (with OOC permission, people -- see the Policies page for how little staff likes real bullying).
Coming out of CharGen, you may choose whether or not your character is a current member of the Freehold.
Thankfully, joining the group is easy: make the pledge, don't die.
Who Can Join
Ensorcelled and Enchanted may be accepted with modified pledges to reflect their mortal status.
How to Join ICly
The IC process is geared toward security with a sprinkling of Changeling's typical paranoia.
- Step 1: Visit the Wayhouse.
- The Wayhouse is advertised as The Place To Meet Freeholders for those who aren't yet members of the Freehold.
- Step 2: Tell a Waykeeper you want to join.
- They will contact the current Crown and arrange a meeting between the newcomer and the Crown. At no point is the newcomer given identifying information about the Crown/any contact information. That is only available about Freeholders once a newcomer has pledged.
- Step 3: Meet the Crown and make your pledge!
- Ta da! You are a member of the Freehold. :D
Attitude Toward Newly Escaped Changelings
It's dangerous to trust too easily, but it's also dangerous to leave the newly-returned on their own, without guidance and support. Who knows what they'll end up turning to?
The general attitude, given the Freehold's focus on knowledge, is to educate the newcomer on the ways of the world, trade favor for favor, and learn everything they can about the newcomer's time in Arcadia, short of interrogation. After all, if an angry Keeper will be coming after his lost toy with hordes of beasts in tow, it behoves said lost toy to let the Freehold know of the threat.
Read these. Memorize these. If you pledge to the Freehold and later claim you didn't know that you were breaking a law, you will get no sympathy from your Crown -- all new pledges are ICly told/shown copies of this information BEFORE they pledge... :)
Freehold Pledge
I pledge my time, my talents and my fealty to Fate's Harvest.
I swear that I no longer serve the Fae, nor will I while this promise stands; that while I am under its protection I will obey the principles and bylaws of the Fate's Harvest Freehold as ratified by Monarch and Council, in return for the support and safety they provide.
May I perish in exile, should I be forsworn.
In mechanical terms, this equates to the following:
| Boon: |
Vassalage (+3); Adroitness x3 (+3)
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| Task: |
Fealty (-3)
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| Sanction: |
Banishment (-3); Death (-3)
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| Duration: |
Season (+3)
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Freehold Blessing: While on land the Freehold claims (Tamarack Falls & surrounding wilderness), +1 to all Glamour Harvesting rolls.
For humans swearing to the Freehold, replace the line "I swear that I no longer serve the Fae, nor will I while this promise stands" with "I swear that I do not serve the Fae, nor will I of my own volition while this promise stands."
Choose three skills and send up a +req/pledge to staff, please, to have them assign your Freehold adroitnesses. These will show up on your +sheet as specialties, though unlike specialties, adroitnesses may be added to ANY roll using that skill.
Freehold Organizations
The following are recognized subgroups within the Freehold.
Freehold Positions
- Crown - Influence 5 - Wyrd-chosen leader of the freehold. Typically rules for one season before the Wyrd chooses a new leader.
- Council - Influence 4 - Representatives of each court who advise the Crown. Many councillors are former crowns.
- Group Leaders - Influence 4 - Elected leaders of the freehold organizations listed above. See the group pages linked above for more information.
- Court Representatives - Influence 3 - Courtiers appointed to perform specific roles within the freehold. See the Court pages for positions.
- Active & Involved - Influence 2 - Freehold members involved in one (or more) of the freehold organizations listed above.
- Pledged Members - Influence 1 - The bulk of the freehold, members who have pledged, but who have not received any official titles or responsibilities.
- Pledged Mortals - Influence 0 - Ensorcelled and enchanted mortals who have pledged to the freehold, often under a specific changeling's oversight.
Note: It is staff's goal to have all freehold positions occupied by PCs. If a position is currently held by an NPC, consider it up for grabs and feel free to start steering your story toward its acquisition. All Influence prerequisites must still be met. Leadership positions (Influence 4 and 5) require a vote.
Crown Resources
Freehold Resources
Any IC resources for the Freehold, boards they can use, businesses and services members offer.
- Library - The Freehold Library's index. Any member can add to it.
Freehold Rituals
Some rituals are Freehold-wide. Others are Court rituals open to the Freehold. Those listed under the heading of a particular Court are the latter.
Freehold Originals
None yet!
Summer Court
Summer operates a bit more strictly than most, in this regard. If ANY of these events do NOT occur, ALL SUMMER COURTIERS lose the effects of their Mantle, visible and metaphysical, for a week after the event was supposed to happen.
In addition, the events, through some queer, fae agreement with Summer itself, award/punish participants directly.
- The Shikar - (LoS p.56) - June 21st: the first day of summer begins with a hunt. Born from the traditions of royal India, the Shikar is shepherded by the ruler of the Summer Court (whether or not Summer bears the Crown this year), known as the Mir-Shikar. The ruler declares a target/several targets for the hunt, something that has been plaguing the freehold for the past year. At dawn, the hunt begins, and does not end until dawn the following day (the 22nd). If the target is captured/killed, all who participated get their Willpower pools completely filled. If the hunt fails, they get a -2 penalty to all Resolve- or Composure-based rolls for the following week due to low-grade depression.
- Midsummer's Yield - (LoS p.56) - July 20th: half-party, half-funeral, this event is open only to Summer Courtiers. At midsummer, the Crimson Courtiers gather to remember the fallen with real dirges and funerals. In addition, they celebrate their successes, mock their enemies, tell gallows humour jokes, and often head en masse into the Hedge to collect useful goblin fruits for storage. Last, there are two sacrifices: first, a straw man whose face is painted to resemble an enemy, second, the sacrifice of a large mammal (pig, boar, ox, horse, human...). For one week after participating, Summers who do so are able to ignore one die of penalties suffered from loss of Health.
- Feast of Strength - (LoS pp.56-7) - August 31st: a GIANT meal, a meal to end all meals as a late lunch, followed by a championship tournament of physical games which many rightfully agree is just an excuse for Summer to show off. Think summer camp + Olympic athletes + ancient Roman gladiatorial battle scenes, and you won't be far off. If you win an event, you gain 1 Glamour. If you lose, you lose 1 Glamour.
- July at Christmas - (LoS p.57) - December 24th: Summer holds a raucous, violent party on Christmas Eve. Changelings leap over bonfires, brand themselves, drink themselves into fiery rages or slumbering oblivion, with torches or heaters, depending on whether it's outside or inside. If you have REALLY participated (i.e. you took at least 1B during the event from things you did to celebrate), the next morning you gain Glamour points equal to the Summer monarch's Mantle score. Every Court EXCEPT for Winter is invited to attend, unless Summer and Winter are on particularly good terms with each other at the time.
Winter Court
- Embers to Ashes - (LoS p.97)
- The morning after the first heavy snowfall for the winter, the Winter Court builds a gigantic bonfire for all to see. At noon, the fire reaches its peak, and all freeholders are invited to cast something symbolizing his secrets or old, human life into the blaze. By nightfall, the fire is reduced to dull coals; at midnight, the coals are cold ash. Winter Courtiers spend the rest of the night burying most of it. The next morning, the Winter Monarch/Councillor gives a traditional sermon to remind freeholders that secrets are best left cool inside one's heart, not out for all to see, and marks new Winter Courtiers' foreheads with a smudge of ash from the previous night's fire.
- Nameless Mourning - (LoS p.97)
- A symbolic funeral for every changeling who has died at the hands of the Gentry. No specific date is chosen; it occurs at some point during the Winter season of the Court's choice. The Winters weave black branches into an effigy, and have the other Courts dress and decorate it. A pallbearer from each Court and two other Winters carry the effigy to a grave site dug for it, and give it a full funeral per local mortal customs. A rowdy wake follows, where Winter celebrants provide the venue and refreshments, but don't party themselves, reinforcing Winter's self-control and teaching courtiers to maintain their guard at all times.
Holdings
Which builds does the freehold claim as affiliated with it? What are its hollows?
Stoneheart
The primary Hollow of the Freehold. It is a gathering place/training area located on the Loop trod.
Grid: H06
Public neutral territory which operates under the laws of hospitality and the goblin contract Hospitality's Hold.
Grid: MT07
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Members
Freehold Plots
- Active
- Completed
Freehold Logs
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