Lead Venue Storyteller

Social etiquette and peer pressure

How fast do stories emerge, develop, and resolve?

Theme: Unravel the mysterious underbelly of the Swamp and avoid the potential conflicts that lurk in its murky depths. The theme of this venue is struggle and survival. Do not let the secrets you unlock destroy you.

History: “This is the Swamp. You have come here Lost, despairing, afraid, yet in the very fiber of your being is a will that shall not submit. You are a fighter, a warrior, a spirit of greatness. You cannot allow the blackness to consume you. You arrived at the Great Black Swamp Lost, do not get lost within it.” – Chief Black Ibis of the Miami Tribe (Summer Court)

Prior to 1794 – Little is known of the history in ancient times. A vast, marshy wetland known as the Great Black Swamp stretched for miles and was so trepidatious, that not even Native Americans dared venture in. Erie, Seneca, Miami, and other tribes held lands around the area and only entered in primarily for hunting. It is said one man, Black Ibis, was born in the heart of the swamp, carried there in the clutches of his namesake. His deep complexion led many to believe he was crafted so deep in the mud that no water could wash it from his skin. As a child, Black Ibis was fascinated by the undiscovered territory and would wander into the territory only to be gone for days and weeks. Each time he returned it would be with another tale of horrors and monsters in the deep, and yet, he kept returning. At age 14 he became a man and took his vision quest into the Swamp once more. Black Ibis did not return for many years. Stolen by the Fae, Ibis became more, and less, than the man he once was. Following his escape from the Hedge (for the Swamp called him home), Black Ibis established the first known Changeling presence here. He became Chief of the Summer Court in the Freehold of the Great Blackswamp. Summer ruled year round for many years.

1794 – General Mad Anthony Wayne defeats a coalition of Indian forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. While driving out the Native American presence in the mortal lands, it also eliminated the local Court. White Changelings came with the men who thought to claim the frontier of their own. As the mortals went to war, so too did the Changelings. Great losses of Clarity were suffered out of fear and mistrust. Most of the Court of Chief Black Ibis was destroyed, others fled the lands, and yet it is said that the Chief himself retreated within the Swamp once more and was never heard from again. Legend speaks that he roams the Hedge to this day, seeking his people and savaging his enemies with bitter retribution.

1808 – Western Reserve Road (now US 20) is paved, stretching from Fort Meigs to Fremont. Travel to the area increases. A few sparse Changelings inhabit, but no Freehold is established due to lack of population.

1812 – War of 1812; General William Hull blazes “Hullo’ Trace” (now US 25). Travel again increases. Hedge is affected, mimicking the mortal realm slightly. Work begins slowly on the difficult and dangerous process of draining the Swamp.

1832 – Settler Elisha Martindale claims 40 acres in what is now Bowling Green. More Changelings also begin to settle, taking Bowling Green as their primary area of residence.

1835 – The Toledo War. Toledo is disputed territory between Ohio and Michigan. Ohio eventually receives the territory as the Black Swamp is difficult for both militias to navigate. Changelings in Bowling Green stay out of it, especially after a keen few notice the interactions of other supernatural creatures in the war (vampires and werewolves).

1846 – John Hannon establishes Hannon’s Corners a tavern/inn/blacksmith shop. John, himself, was once taken to the lands of Arcadia. He is a Wizened Smith of the Spring Court. Hannon’s Corners becomes a central point for both local Lost and those passing through.

1855 – Bowling Green becomes a town. The Changeling population of Bowling Green has grown to approximately 12. Hannon’s Corners Freehold is established in the spring of 1855. John Hannon is chosen as Spring King. He implements a small court with an advisory council of one from each 3 other seasons. Furthermore, John opts for a seasonal rotation of Kings/Queens wherein the Court elects their ruler and the previous rules of other Courts continue to serve on the Equinox Council.

1856 – John C. Wooster becomes first mayor. Issues with the transition of seasonal rulers occur in the Court. To halt this, King and Council develop a new position called the Magistrate of Change. This individual serves all year and is chosen only on the New Year’s Eve. His duty is to assure the peaceful and successful transition of power, as well as administer the rituals of each equinox.

1886 – Discovery of oil in North Baltimore. Money floods Bowling Green. Both Mortals and Changelings profit from the discovery. Some relocate to North Baltimore. With the new wealth, many Changelings become over-zealous.

1888 – The first and only recorded Wild Hunt occurs in Bowling Green. True Fae take notice of the newly popular Changelings and their exposure through increased wealth. Many are killed, including the founder John Hannon. Yet, many of his ideas and principles live on today.

1890 – Glass companies dub Bowling Green as “The Crystal City”. An Autumn Court Beast called “Itch” brings faith back to the surviving Changelings. Through political manipulations, he is able to restore the Court to order, and places himself as the King of the entire year. He maintains his power through blackmail and abject fear. He burns Hannon’s Corners to the ground and renames the Freehold of the Crystal City.

1892 – James B. Hill, a machine shop worker in Bowling Green, invents the steam-powered mechanical ditching wheel. The Black Swamp is nearing complete drainage and is fairly habitable. Farm ground is some of the most fertile in the country. Settlers come in droves.

1901 – Bowling Green given official city status. After 11 years of King Itch’s rule on the lands, local Changeling population has grown to over two dozen. The four most powerful of each Court unite under one banner to drive the King from his tyrannical rule: Destiny (Fairest of Spring), Clyde Dergun (Ogre of Summer), David T. Pitch (Darkling of Autumn), and Bartholomew “The White” Walker (Wizened of Winter). Leading their Courts after “The White” claimed a vision from the legendary Chief Black Ibis who allegedly told him the history and truth of the lands, the Four White Warriors banished Itch from the territory and settled in to make a more peaceful and prosperous home. They returned to the name of the “Freehold of the Great Black Swamp”, and their traditions and history have been passed down orally to the Changelings of modern night.

1910 – State Normal College (now Bowling Green State University) established. Education and the arts flourish, a trend that will continue on in Bowling Green.
Mid 1900’s – Through some fluke of nature, the Wyrd, or the magic of the Swamp itself, the Four White Warriors live an exceptionally long time. Through this period, they do, indeed, establish a Court that is a meld of both Chief Black Ibis’s rule and John Hannon’s. They incorporate the seasonal transition of rulers, the Magistrate of Change, the Equinox Council, and also develop a new position of a year round protector dubbed the “Guardian of the Black”. Things go quite well for the Court and Changeling society during their rule.

1975 – Poe Ditch Music Festival held. Brought about by the Spring Court, this event attracted more than 33,000 people all heeding the call of their desire. After the amount of chaos and debauchery in the small, relatively conservative town, the festival was banned by the Winter King and never held again.

1993 – First Black Swamp Arts Festival is held. This becomes a notable event for all Changelings in the land. Many get together and showcase their art in private parties. There is drinking, storytelling, and much revelry. Spring predominantly takes charge of this as well.
Please visit our website for more complete details, notable NPCs, PCs, and court structure of the Freehold of the Great Black Swamp. (http://www.blackswampdomain.org

All items of Mid or higher approval level need to be placed on the Database for tracking purposes. All items of High or higher approval level need to be accompanied by updated character sheets and experience/creation logs, detailed backgrounds, and a well thought out justification. Game Balance and Player Responsibility will be especially considered in the review of applications. Please see the Approvals Document on our website at http://www.blackswampdomain.org (COMING SOON!)

Travel risks