The Duchy of the Triangle is a Kithain Fief in the Kingdom of Willows corresponding to most of the state of North Carolina.
Overview[]
The Duchy of the Triangle includes all of the eastern and central parts of North Carolina (i,e., all but the mountains). Held by one of King Meilge's must trusted supporters, Murdoch, this "nockers' paradise" includes the fast-growing Research Triangle, a center for business, industry, medicine, computers, and research, as well as the Piedmont region and the coastal plain with it scenic Outer Banks.
Physical Geography[]
Three duchies and an ocean surround the Triangle. To the north lies the Duchy of Dogwood; the Duchy of Appalachia forms the Triangle's western border, while the Duchy of Palmetto lines its southern boundary. To the east stretches the Atlantic coastline. The Duchy of the Triangle begins just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the hilly Piedmont region of the Appalachian foothills. It extends eastward across broad central plains, composed along farmlands, red-clay soil and pine forests. The beaches along the Cape Fear Coast retain a less-commercial atmosphere than the tamer beaches of Palmetto, while the Outer Banks provide some of the most beautiful oceanfront land in eastern Concordia.
Major Cities & Landmarks[]
Charlotte[]
The largest city in the Triangle, Charlotte combines a history that dates back to the pre-Revolutionary War era with a modernistic outlook that embraces new industries and increasing urbanization. This dichotomy accounts for the frequent culture clashes that occur among the region's Kithain. Changeling traditionalists and romantics claim the Fourth Word, the city's historic district, as their own. Techno-changelings exert territorial rights over Discovery Place's science museum and planetarium and Energy Explorium (owned by Duke Power). Redcaps, nockers, and a few troll racing enthusiasts monopolize the N.C. Transportation Museum, backing up Classics Memory Lane Motor Car Museum. Sports and auto racing occupy a major place among the city's Kithain; the Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts regular NASCAR events and includes off-season chimerical stock-car racing. In addition, the four professional teams that make their home in Charlotte have a fanatical following among changeling jocks and sports fans.
Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill)[]
This trio of cities hosts a number of major public corporations and privately funded research facilities and attracts many Kithain with scientific or commercial interests. The state capital in Raleigh, home of North Carolina State University, is a locus for academically oriented Kithain who take advantage of the city's museums of natural science, history, and art. The intense rivalry between the changeling population of Durham (which includes Duke University) and Chapel Hill (home of UNC) occasionally erupts in spontaneous Glamour wars in which Kithain from one city invade and Ravage the Dreamers of the other city. Research Triangle Park conducts award-winning scientific and technological research in subjects ranging from medicine to computers. The atmosphere of scientific discovery and innovation attracts hordes of nockers to the service of the Triangle's techno-friendly Prince Murdoch.
Winston-Salem[]
Home of the tobacco industry (and the headquarters for the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company), Winston-Salem also contains textile mills and furniture factories. The city thus contains a large community of Kithain entrepreneurs and working-class changeling commoners. In addition, some of the Triangle's most artistically creative Kithain reside here, basking in the presence of noted authors such as Maya Angelou and the yearly crop of young Dreamers who attend the North Carolina School of the Arts. Dark rumors of an Unseelie group of Ravagers who prey upon the city's talented student population have led to the establishment of a private troll army dedicated to protecting gifted mortals.
Cape Fear Coast & the Outer Banks[]
The port city of Wilmington on the Triangle's southern tip offers the Wilmington Railroad Museum (another center for nocker rallies), the Temple of Israel (the states first Jewish temple), the Cape Fear Museum and the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial. Further north along the coast, the barrier of islands known as the Outer Banks attracts tourists and year-round residents, including many pooka, boggans, and wandering eshu. These islands include Cape Hattaras, Kitty Hawk (home of the Wright Brothers' early experiments in aviation), Nag's Head, and Roanoke Island (site of the doomed Lost Colony). A recent challenge for Kithain not afraid of a dare is the midnight chimerical flight (using everything from flying carpets to Glamour-enriched hang-gliders) near Kitty Hawk, held once a year by invitation only.
Natural Places[]
The National Seashores of the Outer Banks consist of 120 miles of beach preserves designated as wilderness areas with limited access to tourists, but not to the changelings who gleefully utilize trods to reach the area's two enchanted glades for special storytelling sessions. The interior regions of the state include natural wilderness areas such as the Uwharrie Mountains (near Charlotte), the William B. Ulmstead State Park in the Raleigh area, and Durham's Eno River State Park (available for whitewater rafting... a favorite among trolls).
Enchanted Places[]
Dramatis Personae[]
Kithain[]
Others[]
References[]
- CTD. Kingdom of Willows, pp. 61-62.