The Lady of Bayou St. John is a nymph in the city of New Orleans in the Duchy of the Delta Crescent.
Overview[]
Within the city of New Orleans, not far from Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou St. John stands as a fragile reminder of the natural world. Inhabiting the bayou, bound to a magnificent, moss-draped cypress tree, the nymph known as the Lady of Bayou St. John strives to maintain her tenuous connections both her natural anchor and the Dreaming to which she belongs.
Some of the changelings of New Orleans visit the Lady's tree. There, in the radius of her influence, these visitors automatically manifest their true selves as the Dreaming surrounds them. Within the Lady's sphere, changelings can see her dual image as tree and faerie; few who see her leave her presence without weeping for what they see.
The Lady is ancient, as old as the tree that serves as her anchor to the physical world. Because of her age, she has wisdom that far exceeds the eldest of the fae and, in some cases, the oldest members of other supernatural species. Although her true name remains a secret, she has developed a liking for the name Evangeline, having heard Longfellow's poem from a local eshu whose mortal family contains Cajun blood.
Evangeline senses that her bayou, like most wilderness lands, is under attack from malevolent forces in both the material world and the Dreaming. Both she and her tree seem afflicted with a gnawing lassitude and a sickness of the spirit. Changelings who seek her council often leave gifts of Glamour which help stave off the malaise temporarily. Sooner or later, Evangeline fears that the city will devour this oasis of natural beauty, bringing to an end her existence in both worlds.
The Lady possesses unlimited amounts of Kenning and ancient lore. She is also adept at presenting insights into puzzles, often in the form of a riddle or allegorical folk tale. Though limited in her ability to leave the area of her cypress, in faerie form she possesses a natural grace and is accomplished in both song and dance. Her knowledge of Soothsay and Primal gives her great control over the natural world and allows her to see into the distant future.
- NB: Being a pre-Inanimae: The Secret Way character, one could possibly consider Muireann a Kubera as she is bound only to her tree and not a whole glade like the nymph Kukui.
Image[]
Evangeline's mortal form is a tall, stately cypress overhung with long fronds of Spanish moss. Even to human eyes, this tree bears a feminine grace that seems to exude an inexpressible sadness. The Lady's fae mien resembles a delicate, brown-skinned woman with long, mossy strands of sark olive hair. Although she is still quite beautiful, the sickness that affects her and her tree makes her seem to be on the verge of fading away. The sadness in her eyes brings tears to anyone who meets her gaze.
Personal[]
So much noise, so much tumult surrounds her that even in her sanctuary she cannot help but feel the weight of the world begin to press in upon her. She longs for the company of the mobile ones, the changelings whose short lives and frenetic activities invest her with life and gaiety for a time. They have questions, and sometimes she has answers. Perhaps her advice can lead eventually to a better time.
Reference[]
- CTD. Kingdom of Willows, pp. 147-148.