Changeling - The Thorns & Roses Society

[Hecatoncheires]

Freehold Name: The Thorns & Roses Society
Location: Armitage College, Massachusetts
Inception: Mid-1800s
Symbols & Colours: A rose, bound in a circle of thorns (red and black)
Pledge/Oath: "Nunquam servili sub nexu vivito."
Total Membership: Roughly 50-60

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Founded in the mid-1800s, the Thorns & Roses Society is said to have been the brain child of a quartet of college-aged changelings who escaped the same Keeper together: combining their familial connections and a few other recent escapees in the area, they were able to form a Freehold hidden in the heart of one of New England's oldest centres of learning. In the century since, they have weathered the storms and tribulations that batter changeling collectives, slowly growing into something of a legend on the campus of Armitage University. Using their position as a collegiate secret society to their benefit, they have been able to take control of key locations throughout the campus as well as the wider town, and have a great deal of resources to call upon as and when it is required.
Like many Freeholds throughout North America and Europe, the Thorns & Roses Society is made up of four seasonal Courts that governance rotates between. The Autumn Court, ruled by the enigmatic professfor Euryale, is seen to be the most powerful of the four thanks to the college's north-eastern locale and foreboding reputation. Spring and Summer are the middle children. The Court of Desire, led by the debaucherous Linus Love, is the source of Armitage College's reputation for blowout Spring Break events and party culture. Summer, meanwhile, is smaller in terms of numbers but under the Beast changeling known as Coach they are a well-disciplined force that others cross at their peril. Winter, despite the cold environment, is the smallest and least present of the Courts, preferring to remain within the town of Armitage rather than within the college itself. Their leader, Poised Thomas, seems to feel more kinship with the townsfolk of Armitage, but his Court's skills remain invaluable.

IMPORTANT LOCATIONS

• The Tomb (The Freehold's hidden central gathering point, where major meetings are held: it also holds the gateway to the Freehold's Hollow) <Freehold>
• The Hollow Tower (Hidden within the Hedge and well-warded to drive off outsiders, the Hollow Tower is the Freehold's safe haven within the Hedge that all members can gain access to) <Freehold>
• Sunset Tavern (A dive bar on the shadier side of Armitage, where the Winter Court can be found) <Winter>
• The Armoury (Part gym, part training facility, part militia stronghold, the Armoury is the hidden centre of the Summe Court's operations) <Summer>
• Whateley House (A creepy, supposedly abandoned building located within campus that the Autumn Court has claimed as their seat of power) <Autumn>
• Labyrinth (A nightclub located on the outskirts of the campus, owned and operated by the Spring Court) <Spring>

SERVICES/RESOURCES

• Cash Reserves: Favours, investments and some grateful mortal members of the Society who've left generous endowments over the years? It means the Freehold has a sizeable amount of cash to throw around as and when it's required. <Freehold>
• Empty Houses: There's a lot of real estate on campus, plenty of which the Society can gain access to as and when required. <Autumn>
• ID Supply: The Society has the means to provision members with new IDs, should they be unwilling or unable to reclaim their old ones. <Autumn>
• Library: Armitage College is a bastion of learning, one of the oldest colleges in the country: it's library alone is impressive. If that was not enough, the Autumn Court has always placed great value on learning: Whateley House is home to a substantial collection of arcane texts, journals and writings. <Autumn>
• Clinic: The life of a changeling is not without risk. Fortunately, the Winter Court has a makeshift doctor's station out the back of the Sunset Tavern, staffed by trained and capable fellow courtiers who won't ask too many unwanted questions. <Winter>
• IT Team: The Winter Court understands the value of camoflague, of remaining hidden. And that understanding extends to the digital realm. <Winter>
• Smithing Facilities: The enemies of the Freehold are a particularly dangerous sort, who can only be truly harmed by particular means. Fortunately, the Summer Court places a great deal of value in having the means to produce the right tools for the job. <Summer>
• Armoury/Stockpile: Need a weapon? Need something that will put a hole in a hob or a huntsman? Summer's Armoury can provide. <Summer>
• Hedge Fruit Grove: <Spring>
• Hob Allies: <Spring>

EVENTS/GATHERINGS

• Festival of Roses (Spring): Spring's big blowout event, taking place at the height of their reign over the Freehold. At the height of Spring Break, the Court of Desire pulls out all the stops to unleash one of the biggest parties of the year. Most students at Armitage have heard the stories that the Society is behind it, but few care: they're just happy for an excuse to cut loose. And the Spring Courtiers are happy to harness all of the emotions that result from it.
• The Night of Scarecrows (Autumn): The central pillar of Autumn's seasonal calendar, in which the appointed Scarecrow Minister gets to work scaring the shit out of both campus and town. Rumours fly about like bats, strange sightings are reported across town, and at least one group of students or townies will find themselves terrified after being chased by some unknown presence. All of this takes place around Halloween, ensuring that the Court of Fear has a bountiful supply of their chosen emotion to harvest.
• The Crucible (Summer): In-keeping with their martial focus and dedication to athletic achievement, the Crucible is an annual tradition amongst the Summer courtiers and has gained enough of a reputation to draw in changelings from outside the Freehold. Courtiers and other challengers face off against a gauntlet of threats and opponents that moves between the mortal world and the Hedge, ending in a face-off between the two remaining challengers.