Duchy of Appalachia

The Duchy of Appalachia is a Kithain Fief in the Kingdom of Willows encompassing the Appalachian Mountains.

Overview[]

Created by King Meilge as a means of controlling the stubborn and intransigent commoners who proliferate throughout the region, the Duchy of Appalachia consists of western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southeastern Kentucky. This is mountain country, with only a few sidhe and many commoners. In general, the Kithain of the region are a rebellious crowd, although a few loyalists (aristocrats) do reside therein. It is ruled by Duchess Dianan.

Physical Geography[]

The Blue Ridge, Cumberland, and Great Smoky Mountains make this three-state region a spectacle unto itself. The mountains both separate the lands within their purviews from the flatlands of the adjoining duchies and unite the inhabitants of the region with one another. The area's climate is that of a temperate rain forest, housing many species of plant and animal life not typically found so far south. The panoramic vistas of endless ranges of mountains colored bluish gray against the sky gives this region a timeless, enchanted feel... even apart from its appearance in the Dreaming.

Major Cities & Landmarks[]

The Eastern Region (Western North Carolina)[]

Asheville, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is the major city in the western part of the state that serves as the home for a sizable community of Kithain crafters and artisans. While many changelings from all over Concordia come to pay homage to "native sons" Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry, others, particularly sidhe, visit the city to see the magnificent Biltmore House, a castle-like structure modeled after a French Renaissance chateau and rumors to contain numerous faerie treasures among its priceless furnishings and adornments. Near Hendersonville, the Flat Rock Playhouse offers professional summer theatre, attracting tragos of satyrs and other changeling actors. On the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, the Cherokee Indian Reservation serves as the home for the remaining Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, many of whom are kinain to the local nunnehi population.

The Western Region (Eastern Tennessee)[]

Just west of the Smoky Mountains, Knoxville hosts the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The city's development into a rapidly growing center for culture has made it a haven for changelings seeking the stimulation of urban life. Nearby, Oak Ridge contains the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Graphite Reactor, and the American Museum of Science and Energy. While local nockers appreciate the technological achievement of the region, more sinister changelings absorb the dark Glamour associated with the development of the atomic bomb. Rumors of a twisted freehold near Oak Ridge have filtered to the Duchess. Chattanooga, in the southeastern corner of Tennessee, attracts changelings preoccupied with the military history of the Civil War. The Battles for Chattanooga Museum is a favorite gathering place for these contingents of trolls, redcaps, and Scathach sidhe.

Southeastern Kentucky[]

Berea, Kentucky, is the home of Berea College and the Appalachian Museum. Many changelings refer to it as "boggan country," although all with make their homes in this center of folk arts and culture. Renfro Valley houses one of the oldest country music centers in the state, attracting many changeling bards and minstrels to its numerous music festivals. This is also the site of some of the South's poorest people; the ravages of strip mining and the coal industry have left whole portions of this region economically depressed and physically ravaged. Many changelings exhaust themselves trying to keep alive the hopes and dreams of the mortal population of much of this area.

Natural Places[]

The Appalachian Mountains contain numerous national parks and forests, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Grandfather Mountain International Biosphere, the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests, and the Daniel Boone National Forest. Containing some of the largest preserves of virgin forest in Concordia, these wilderness areas contain several Nunnehi freeholds. A research team consisting of a historian from House Liam, several eshu, and a pooka guide have begun the systematic exploration of these wild lands, seeking the truth behind persistent rumors of glades where Lost Ones still survive and groves that host whole families of nymphs.

Enchanted Places[]

Dramatis Personae[]

References[]

CTD/WTA: Rage Across Appalachia, p. 59
CTD: Kingdom of Willows, p. 62-66