Category:The Pillars of New York

Region: Northeast Region

Domain: NY-004-D

Venue Storyteller: Errol L.

Discord channel: here

Description

Coat of arms and banner of the Barony and Freehold of Turtle Bay, per pale purpure and argent a turtle displayed countercharged.

Welcome to Turtle Bay. Don't get eaten.

VSS Document: The Pillars of New York

Geography

County of Manna Hatta: From the Catskills in the West, to the tip of Long Island in the East.

Barony of Turtle Bay: Manhattan Island.

Barony of Long Island: Based in the Mickey Finn's Roadhouse out in Long Island.

Barony of North Brother Island: The site of a long-abandoned quarantine hospital, this area has been taken over by assorted nasties.

The Freehold of Turtle Bay

Situated on the site of one of the city’s many “Secret Libraries”; a members only private club dedicated to the occult, paraphenomenology, and esoterica called The Bookstore the Baronial seat is the center to Kithain social life in the City.

In addition to the aforementioned library, the club has a history of having been a speakeasy during prohibition, and the bar itself, accessible through one of the library’s shelves, still does lively business for Kithain and their human guests.

Location An old bookstore / speakeasy in Eastern Midtown Manhattan.

Also Known As: The Speakeasy, The Library Speakeasy.

Freehold Type: Balefire Level 3.

Leadership:

• Freehold Leader - Klaus von Teutoburg, styled the Tyrant.
• Seer - Iris Argiope
• Senechal - Libtina Breathstiller, styled the Tyrant's Sinister Hand.
• Steward - Ruby Rae Montgomery
• Bard - Erzulie Daniels, styled the Tyrant's Voice.

• What do visitors know about your Freehold?
  Turtle Bay sits on top of a giant, malfunctioning magical clock inhabited by corrupted Chimera. Time occasionally runs in weird ways, and hungry chimerical beasts roam the streets freely.
• Are there any customs or local laws?
  The Unseelie leadership of the Freehold has little in terms of laws, except for several customary celebrations. Other than that, the Freehold's main tenet is, "Thou shalt not annoy the Tyrant." The Shadow Court is generally held in suspicion, though less so than in the earlier times; Shadow Courtiers openly professing their allegiance should expect to have to prove themselves worthy of trust.
• What is known about the history?
  New York City has been central to Kithain history for hundreds of years, home to the site of Goblin Town, a mighty Freehold founded in the 1600’s by commoner colonials and home to the final battles of the Accordance war, the march of the Troll Brigades and the rise of High King David, and the home of the Winter Palace, King David’s winter residence and second capital of the Kingdom of Concordia. It is also the site of crimes committed, beginning with the theft of the land from the native peoples, the death curse of David’s predecessor King Daffyl slain by a cold iron dagger in the back, and the tyranny and madness of Baron Cadmium Red, the former leader of Goblin Town.
• What has been happening recently?
  For almost a year, the city had been plagued by Fae Raiders from Long Island and rampaging Chimera. Not too long ago, the Chimera were brought under control and the Raiders forced into a decisive battle that saw their forces crushed. Yet, another force of Raiders managed to break through the Freehold's defenses and were stopped from reaching the Balefire only at the cost of several souls lost to cold iron. The Freehold still stands, though brutally punished, and is yet to decide on the course it will take in the future.
• Are there any sacred spaces or places of particular import?
  The Winter Palace is the site of High King David Ardry's winter residence, and is customarily held to be exterritorial. It is managed by the Ardry family trust. It's Balefire has been missing since the coming of Winter.
• Are their neighboring towns, territories, or previous Freeholds, that are claimed by the authority of the Freehold?
  The Barony and Freehold of Turtle Bay claim succession to Goblin Town, and thus claim sovereignty over its full territory. In actuality, their hold over it is tentative at best.

Timeline

Unofficial, somewhat outdated player-compiled history: CIA Factbook - Freehold of Turtle Bay

• 1626 - Peter Minuet "purchases" the island of Manna Hatta from the Lenape, starting the history of its European colonization.
• 1646 - First European Kithain residents arrive. Captain Hendrick Hudson and a crew of Pooka settle in and take responsibility for the island.
• 1664 - Doctor Zachary Tapp takes over the island from Captain Hudson, and lays down the foundations of Goblin Town. Hudson and his crew travel inland and disappear.
• 1970 - Night of the Iron Knives and the start of the Accordance War.
• Dec. 25, 1973 - Jan. 1, 1974 - The Manhattan Campaign, also known as the Battle of Manhattan. High King Daffyl is assassinated, and High King David ascends the throne.
• 1973 - High King David holds court in one of his family holdings, now the Winter Palace.
• 2004? Or 2008? - Goblin Town falls to the suddenly rampaging Chimerae. Whether the attack was due to the coming of Winter, or was the result of deliberate sabotage, still remains to be confirmed. The date is uncertain, due to temporal distortions that followed the breakdown of an immense magical clockwork mechanism.
• Jan. 1, 2014 - The new Freehold of Turtle Bay is founded, following a quest to retrieve its Balefire from Goblin Town.
• Dec. 20, 2020 - High Regent Mielge holds court at the Winter Garden, pronouncing the dissolution of Concordia's monarchies and throwing the Kithain nation into chaos.
• Spring 2021 - Raiding Kithain from Long Island launch first attacks against the Freehold.
• Jul. 17, 2021 - Battle of Unicorn Grove. Turtle Bay forces lure the Raiders into open confrontation. The Raiders' leader, the Redcap Jenny Redteeth, reveals herself.
• Sept. - Oct. 2012 - In a massed attack, the Raiders storm Mickey Finn's Roadhouse, capturing several of its members and laying siege to the holdouts. Turtle Bay responds with a protracted campaign of terror and psychological warfare.
• Oct. 23, 2021 - On Samhain Night, the Wyld Hunt rides. The Kithain of Turtle Bay relieve the besieged Roadhouse and claim the head of Jenny Redteeth. At the same time, a force of Goblins armed with cold iron storm the Freehold under the command of Jenny's presumed benefactors. They almost succeed in reaching the Balefire, but are held back at the cost of several lives. They retreat into Goblin Town in good order, after inflicting devastating damage to the Freehold. The Unseelie leadership of the Freehold swears terrible vengeance; in a grisly nod to All Hallow's Eve, the Freehold is decorated with Thallain heads placed on spikes.