Highlights of the past year in the Duchy of Novanglia and environs:

This is more or less identical to the e-mail sent out to the Novanglia list on Thursday, July 25, 2001, except for those entries marked with two red bullets ( ••).

Midsummer (June 23), 2000.

Count Dumas, after two years of running the Duchy without ever formally assuming the title of Duke, announces he is leaving for his fiefs in the Dreaming, immediately, and places his chamberlain Sir Daniel and the Lieutenant of the Guard Lady Sorana (daughter of the famous Duke Asterlan and niece to the late Duke Brendan) in charge of presiding over the choice of a successor. When the shock dies down, the Chamberlain, as surprised as anyone, announces that, to his knowledge, though the ducal coronet has been missing for almost two years, once a Duke with enough political support is chosen, the coronet will reappear. Candidates are nominated, and the politicking begins.

News of the outbreak of civil war in the Kingdom of Pacifica interrupts the feast that night, and the changelings of Novanglia are shocked to learn that they, too, are now threatened by a vast chimerical army of what appear to be late-18th-century British Redcoats, who have surrounded the palace at Caer Asterlan as well as other important freeholds. Attempts to parley with them are unsuccessful. As political tensions rise inside the palace, the threat from the army outside grows, and, assuming a connection, an unlikely coalition including the sidhe Baron Sean ap Fiona, the satyr Baron Nicholas ap Balor, the nocker and Parliamentary Advocate Matthias Scroop, and their supporters and detractors enter the Near Dreaming to seek a solution. Consulting with Grimfang, a small but sagely dragon, Sean and Nicholas decide that they will present themselves as co-rulers, according to the ancient practice of dividing the year into Seelie and Unseelie halves. Scroop is assured that untitled commoners will have a voice in the government and everyone returns to Caer Asterlan.

In the meantime, Sir Daniel and others discover evidence that the late Duke Brendan, believed to have been afflicted by advanced Bedlam in his last months, had in fact been driven slowly insane by parties unknown, apparently with the aid of a magic ring. The trail leads to a sluagh named Dark Bobby, who, Sir Daniel learns, has ties to the aforementioned Lady Sorana. Furthermore, the two seem currently to be involved in a plot to stir up tensions between commoners and nobles in Novanglia. When Sean and Nicholas present their Arrangement, none protests more loudly than Sorana. Sir Daniel reveals his knowledge of her plan (incidentally revealing to everyone that he is Sorana's son). During this tense confrontation, the chimerical army begins bombarding the palace. "You see!" Sorana gloats. "War is come! It's far too late now!" Sir Daniel decides that the Arrangement is their only hope, and names Sean and Nicholas joint successors. The coronet appears in his hands; he confers it on Sean and the cannons fall silent. "No!" Sorana cries. "You can't have stopped it! Not *you*!" Her contempt seems to be directed at everyone present as her former commander, Lady Andrea, and other members of the Palace Guard lead Lady Sorana away.

•• (A fuller version of at least the first part of these events can be found here.)

Lughnasa (August 1), 2000.

Unseelie commoners in the Kingdom of Grass reinstate the fine old Lughnasa tradition of spilling the blood of the monarch. The Midwest becomes a war zone over the coming days.

Pennons (October 4), 2000.

• The redcaps Johnny Anvilhead and Todd McKee, while covering the yearly tournament for *Dreamline*, announce their resignation: they are moving to war-torn Pacifica to join Troy Poodlesbane as big-time war correspondents for the Chimerical News Network. A recent addition to the news crew, the Muppet-like Neville Sponk, takes over as anchor.
• Duke Sean informs the people of Novanglia that, in order to serve the duchy's interests more suitably, he must gain control over his Unseelie nature, which usually rules him during the winter months. To that end, he will be undertaking a quest once he has stepped down for the season.
•• Sir Gavin the Ghille Dhu, protector of the faerie glen at Boston Common, reportedly meets a strange sidhe lord fresh from the Dreaming. Calling himself "Danwyn ap Gwydion," the sidhe asks to be taken to the High King with an urgent message. When Sir Gavin informs him that the High King is missing, Danwyn says, "Then perhaps the Dreaming has called me where I am most needed." Danwyn rides off by trod shortly thereafter. Over the coming months, reports come in that he has amassed quite a following who support his claim to the High Kingship.
 

Nicholas assumes the Winter Throne of Novanglia.

November 5, 2000.

Radical commoners celebrate Guy Fawkes Day by blowing up the estates of several nobles in the Kingdom of Willows. This marks the official beginning of war in that kingdom.

November 7, 2000.

Sean takes the Oath of the Long Road and leaves for the Dreaming. He swears to return by Beltaine.

•• Yule (December 23), 2000.

Nightmare creatures apparently attack revelers attending Queen Mab's holiday festivities at Caer Palisades. Several kithain are chimerically killed, but the creatures are fought off by two sidhe of House Gwydion, Sir Bob "the Good Guy" Roberts and Lady Melisande.
 

High Lord Ariadne ap Eiluned, president of Concordia's Parliament of Dreams, declares the Parliament indefinitely in recess when, with most Advocates of the Parliament busy or detained by civil warfare throughout Concordia and many others disgusted with the tendency of Parliamentary meetings to degenerate into shouting matches or duels, yet another meeting fails to obtain anything even remotely close to a quorum.
 

• The relay runners bringing Balefire torches from Queen Mab's palace are -- for the second year -- waylaid by unknown attackers. Survivors once again report what appears to be a small girl, apparently a sidhe, accompanied by Nightmare creatures whom she invites to join her on the Silver Path. Investigations turn up nothing.
• Padraig, proprietor of the Two Trees Cafe in Central Square, the duchy's only truly all-inclusive freehold, announces that a certain international coffee chain is trying to buy him out. A legal battle ensues.
• War officially breaks out between nobles and commoners in the Kingdom of Northern Ice.

Carnival (February 28), 2001.

This year, the Mardi-Gras-like holiday, which under High King David came to be something of a celebration of unity between nobles and commoners, goes uncelebrated throughout most of war-torn Concordia. Festivities in the Kingdom of Apples, so far untouched by open conflict, assume an air of desperation.

Beltaine (May 2), 2001.

• Sir Mary the Bed ap Eiluned marries Susie, his childhood sweetheart, in a well-attended ceremony at the Two Trees. The two move to Vermont.
• Sean does not return to claim the Summer Throne.

May 9, 2001.

Duke Nicholas, through Sir Daniel, proclaims himself Regent in Sean's name.

June 2, 2001.

Under the leadership of Lady Andrea, Captain of the Guard, and Sir "Big" Dick McGee, Duke Nicholas's right-hand man, a search party departs for the Dreaming to find Sean. The troll Shayne Charge becomes acting Captain.

June 10, 2001.

Count Elias ap Eiluned, fae ruler of the area around Nashua, New Hampshire, executes five commoners on charges of attempted assassination and high treason. Riots break out throughout the Duchy of Granite that last three days.

Midsummer Night (June 23), 2001.

• Sir Daniel informs a grateful populace that Rothman and Associates, the kithain-friendly law firm whose Boston office he runs, has successfully blocked the coffee corporation's attempt to close the Two Trees Cafe.
• Nothing particularly weird happens; kithain seem by unspoken agreement to avoid gathering in large numbers.

June 30-July 1, 2001.

• The weekend brings terrible thunderstorms to the Boston area. Sensitive kithain detect the workings of Glamour.
• Baron Corwin reports that Sir Gavin has not been seen for some time. As the ghille dhu age very rapidly, and Sir Gavin had last appeared to be in his late nineties, Corwin assumes that Gavin has at last succumbed to old age or perhaps even the Undoing. -- Opportunistic kithain with more ambition than taste note that Gavin's freehold may be up for grabs.

July 13, 2001.

An unlucky Friday the 13th for Chi Mu: Matthias Scroop is apparently kidnapped from his workshop.

In-game date: Highsummer Night (Tuesday, July 17) 2001.