Sydney Lost History
Here is recorded the history for the 2013 post reset game of Changeling: The Lost, as part of the Harbour of Darkness domain.
---
Pre 18th Century: History is unclear and/or generally unknown. The native Changelings have a Freehold, but don't remain fixed around it. Travel between Freeholds is common.
1788: With first settlement, trickles of the less fortunate Changelings came in through the convict ships. A reasonable percentage of these Changelings escaped their captors, and ran into the Hedge, or into the territory of the local Freehold, known simply as the Shelter. Those that survived made contact with the Winter Court, who then integrated the white Changelings into the structure of the Freehold.
1795: Seven years after first landing, the first of the transportation sentences comes to an end. This promise of freedom reverberates through the Hedge, triggering a 'mass' escape from several Fae.
Approximately 1800: The office of what would later become known as the 'Lorekeeper' (also called the “Archive”, the “Archivist”, “I have many names” etc) passes from the former holder to the current one
1820: The first white monarch takes the throne in the Shelter Freehold, a Summer Ogre known as Cat.
1828: The last Aboriginal monarch steps down, leaving the Freehold fully controlled by the settlers for the first time.
1851: With the onset of the Gold Rush, the Directional Courts arrive in New South Wales and spread throughout the country. They are met with suspicious acceptance.
1854: With the influx of immigrants of all kinds, members of the Sydney Freehold split off to form a new Freehold in Newcastle. They give themselves the name 'Fire's Promise', for the massive coal industry, and new copper smelting works, and the industry that they spawned. The new Freehold quickly became self reliant, and had little contact with the Shelter Freehold.
1859: Taking advantage of their newfound strength, the Directional Courts overthrow the Seasonal Courts, and take rulership of the Shelter Freehold.
1870s: The call for skilled European labour introduces the Night and Day courts to the Sydney freehold.
1879: With the Night and Day courts at their back, the Seasonal courts take rulership of the freehold back from the Directional courts.
1901 Federation, as a creation of new promises and dreams, triggers another mass escape event. The White Australia laws also inhibit the external growth of the Directional courts, although they continue to grow from within the country, bolstered by political conversions and appealing to new escapes. The Shelter Freehold constructs a Grand Hall, which is sworn into trust of the Freehold itself, rather than it's kings and queens, and then changes it's name to the Freehold of the New Home.
1912: After a decade of wrangling, the Winter court manages to secure the land with the closest Hedge Gate to the Grand Hall. The resulting property eventually becomes the Mandalay Function Centre (http://www.mandalayreceptions.com.au/index.php)
June, 1942: The shelling of Newcastle leads the queen of the Winter court of the Freehold of Fire's Promise to hold onto the ruling crown beyond their season.
January, 1943: The crown of the Freehold of Fire's Promise is eventually relinquished to the Summer queen, at the urging of both Freeholds.
1950s: The post-war immigration boom brings people from many ethnicities into Australia, representing a new flow of members into the non-Seasonal courts.
1974: The Spring King, a Wizened Author named Galahad, refuses to cede the ruling crown to Summer. The situation evolves quickly into a cold war, with skirmishes between Spring and the other seasons.
1975: The fall of Saigon further strengthens the numbers of the Directional Courts. Gough Whitlam ends the Gurindji Strike by handing the land back to its people, triggering another escape event. Strange and hostile activity by the hobs and other wild denizens of the hedge increases.
1976: The New Home Freehold loses contact with the Fire's Promise freehold. As there had been less and less contact with them, it takes the sudden advance of hostile forces, mostly hedge creatures with a few Changelings, to bring the freehold's attention to the fact. Galahad is finally slain, and the crown passes to the Autumn King.
1977: Malcolm Fraser pushes legislation towards 'a humanitarian commitment to admit refugees for resettlement'. Refugees of the Vietnam War further strengthen the Directional Court's people. The increase in negative attention and hostile forces is found to the be the work of one of the Fae. August, 1978: The Fae responsible for the enters the Hedge near the The New Home, driving the Freehold to war. After the last battle, the Seasonal courts are gutted, and the Directional courts are left with the numerical advantage.
1979: With the death of Alex Walk, and the month of riots that followed in the city, the Directional Courts assumed control from the heavily depleted Seasonal Courts, under the leadership of Huang Di, the monarch of the East Court (court of Envy). The 'ringleaders' (and now Monarchs) form a motley to attempt to rebuild The New Home.
1983: Huang Di, who has ruled peacefully up to this point, begins to order the execution of the remaining members of the Seasonal Courts. Only two of those orders are carried out before the rest of the Freehold realise that his Clarity has fallen far enough for him to be serious, and intervene. The West Court (court of Honour) protests especially, moving to physically guard and protect the Seasonal courtiers. The South Court (court of Ecstasy) also directly contravene Huang Di's orders, and offer the Spring court asylum. Huang Di's advisors hold a crisis meeting, and manage to convince the Eastern Monarch that things have gone far enough, and bring him to an agreement to seek help. For their own safety, the Seasonal Court are no longer allowed to join the Freehold.
1990: The Seasonal Courts are finally allowed open membership of the Freehold once again. Winter remains largely in hiding, the Spring in Exile return under the patronage of the Southern Court, and the Summer and Autumn Courts slowly return to a life of being a second class citizen, for safety if nothing else. Huang Di acknowledges the usefulness of Summer and Autumn's inherent skills but refuses to allow them political input.
2000-2010: The Directional Courts fall into a period of stasis, as Huang Di holds tightly to the methods and actions initially used to secure the safety of the Freehold. Members of the Freehold begin to worry that such stasis will invite further trouble.
2011: Huang Di passes away in his sleep. The East Court are unable to find anything that indicates foul play. No one is able to fill the position, leaving the Freehold without one of its Monarchs.
2012: The King of the North is killed in a hunting accident. The members of the Seasonal Courts approach The Lorekeeper for advice, and are told that now would be the time to make a peaceful takeover bid for the Freehold proper.
2013: The Seasonal Courts come into power over The New Home with the agreement of the West and South Courts (as well as the few remaining members of the North).
Meanwhile, the various disparate factions of the fractured East Court decide to attempt a Freehold of their own, upholding the leadership formed by Huang Di (the principles of military and economic expansion), only this time on a smaller scale localised around the East of Sydney. After various discussions, they decide to call themselves “The Dragon's Legacy”.