Tensions in the duchy revolve around the unwillingness of Gareth of Glos to take action against the growing redcap threat in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Stonehouse, or to continue the dispute over control of the Forest of Dean, or to try and take back Dursley and Wooton from Mists or to put down the rebellious Nocker led Free City of Stroud. In fact Lady Anne is also less than enthusiastic for these pursuits, and despite the Gwydion counties constant complaints the matter is outside their domains and jurisdictions.
Berwyn Lindell's claim to the Kingship has met no great enthuiasm from the Eiluned Houses or from the Duke, but generally there is a feeling that the war might throw up the true king and is better than a constitutional parliamentary system which in Kithain eyes could easily become lethally banal.
HEREFORDSHIRE
Ruler: Alywn of Gwydion
Count Alwyn is a honest and brave noble knight,with many of the qualities of a Crusader. He is an enthusiastic Royalist, supporting Baron Lindell's clain wholeheartedly.
WORCESTERSHIRE
Ruler: Countess Anne of House Eiluned
She is said to make a Pooka look honest. One of the most potent soceresses in the world, with little interest in politics or worldly power, but a great love of secrets and mysteries. Is said to be a fair and honourable ruler in her own lands. She has an honour guard of Sidhe Knights called the Black Templars.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Ruler: Count Gareth of House Eiluned
Gareth is an elderly man who lives in the hills near Tewkesbury, having little to do with Kithain politics. It is said that he is an artist of wonderful ability and was very handsome when young , but withdrew from the world after an unfortunate love affair with a member of House Scathach from Berkeley (which lies in The Kingdom of Mists).
Baroness Jane of Eiluned holds the important town of Cheltenham, where the freehold of Sir Red Chaos, Saytyr, was recently destroyed by a monstrous dauntain.
OXFORDSHIRE
Ruler: Countess Lily of House Gwydion
Countess Lily is an odd Gwydion in that she herself does not often bear arms, and indeed regards the wearing of armour and carrying of heavy weaponry as un-ladylike. She prefers to be the patron of heroes, rather than heroic herself. The thing which marks her as truly Gwydion however is her almost religiously fanatical hatred of the Unseelie, including the Unseelie within oneself, which must be repressed at all times. Countess Lily lives in a large mansion near Woodstock, Oxfordshire, filled with eighteenth century art.
Baron Berwyn Lindell of Oxford is the claimant to the royal throne, and has raised the banner of revolt at Oxford. He has only the nominal support of Countess Lily and the Duke.
The Barony of the East End
Ruler: None, but Bakunin Blackflag is MP and Charismatic leader of the mob.
No Sidhe ever reasserted their rule here in the East End of London, and none is likely to. It is a capital offence for any Sidhe to enter the area unless they are of House Scathach or Liam, and rumours are rife of a French Revolutionarty type terror which occurred here in the early seventies. Since then, few sidhe have been able to stand the banality or the pressure from still violently hostile commoners here, and since the outbreak of war Blackflag has announced his death threat. Blackflag has now returned home, and is said to be holding a court of sorts in Tower Hamlets.
The Barony of the West End.
Ruler: Baroness Olivia of House Fiona.
Completely the opposite in every way to the East End. Here old style Toryism remains strong and the opera and theatre provide much glamour to a small but sophisticated group of sidhe nobles. A small number of House Gwydion are known to be influential here, and there is an idyllic Fiona culture which is a true oasis in the sea of banality that is the city.
The Northern Barony
Ruler: None, nor has there been since the resurgence. Evelyn the Sluagh is the MP. The Sluagh Evelyn of Highgate has left Parliament and the Whigs to join Blackflag's Ranters and has also adopted the 'death to sidhe' motto. Few understand why such a brilliant Whig politician, someone crucial to the creation of the Bill of Empowerment that led to the new parliamentary powers and sparked Lindell's revolt, should have crossed over to the extremists. Nonetheless, there are horror stories coming from Barnet and beyond of Sidhe being rounded up and shipped to an unknown fate in the East End.
The City.
Ruler: None, nor since the Shattering. No Kithain are known to dwell here, though a few Sluagh are rumoured to infest Westminster. The Duchy is technically vacant, and has been declared neutral by Bakunin, but noones actually bothered or in anyway contesting the territory, which is apparently the greatest bastion of Autumn Folk in the Isles - the Stockmarket and Parliament and the Civil Service!
South-Of-The-River
Ruler: Baron Gerin of Liam.
Brother Gerin is a Catholic Priest who runs a successful mission to the poor in the south of London, and does huge amounts of humanitarian work. He is the first sidhe holder of the barony since the Shattering, controversially taking the title in 1999 when he was appointed by the dying wish of the previous incumbent, a Troll. He prefers to be called Brother to Baron and genuinely believes glamour can be gained from the right kind of human spirituality, which in his case is ritualistic Catholocism. A living Saint, who tirelessly works for the poor, and has complete support for his MP, Terence Salt.
Terry is a troll and has been elected MP for S. London twice now, and is known to strongly support the Whig parliamentary system and the New Reformed Parliament. He is known to be negotiating with N. London and the East End to try and gain support for the moderate Whig position.
WARWICKSHIRE
Ruler: Countess Carolyn of Fiona
Hot tempered, passionate, with a fierce sensuality and a gypsy sense of romanticism. She lives in a mansion outside Stratford, and her court is said to be a wild place. She is said to have a number of Seelie members of House Leanhaun in her court.
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Ruler: Countess Tsara of House Eiluned
Her mansion outside St. Albans is the scene of some incredible society parties which would be more in keeping for House Fiona than Eiluned, where famous, powerful and influential mortals sup with her beautiful Kithain court and partake of pleasures it is better the world knows little about. A favourite spot to find mortal celebrities and intellectuals and politicians relaxing, and learn a few celebrity secrets...
HERTFORDSHIRE
Ruler: Count Penlidden of Fiona, populary known as 'The King of He(a)rts'.
A born romantic who flatters and lies well and gracefully to win hearts. Handsome and charming, with no great enthusiasm for this war but has declared himself on the parliamentarian side. Many doubt his real interest or willingness to fight, but Herts has mustered.
BEDFORDSHIRE
Ruler: Countess Akabaskia of Eiluned
A librarian from Bedford who has little interest in Kithain politics but a fantastic knowledge of Kith Lore and occult secrets. She is particularly interested in the Kithain of the Orient. She inherited her position by sucession some ten months ago, and has no interest whatsoever in the war, but her Court are enthusiastic Royalists, and she is thus allied to that cause.
BERKSHIRE
Ruler: Count Reginald of Dougal.
A wheelchair bound designer of rare genius, who specialises in quality engineering for buildings. A fantastic administrator, whose loyalty to the Royalist cause is merely a product of his loyalty to House Gwydion. The Count's army is siad to consist largely of truly horrific and bizarre nocker war machines, the use of which is not allowed within his own county, so unsafe to friend and foe alike are they. His ethical review policy documents are rumoured to prove very useful to nockers seeking touchpapers for the improved chimerical crocodile cannon (TM).
ESSEX
Ruler: Countess Moritilla Ashborn of Eiluned
Lady Moritilla is a rabidly enthusiastic parliamentarian, and has given to making short but emotional speeches about freedom and fate. She has also taken to dressing in black and looking as if she is preparing for funeral. She has never shown much interest in politics until just before this war broke out.
The County of Essex has long since lost control of the coastal region round Southend and Braintree, lost to banality, and the London looking southern regions. North Essex however remains essentially a shire of sunken lanes and tiny villages, with eerie nights and misty days. Witch legends cluster here.
WEST SUFFOLK
Ruler: Lady Isobel of House Scathach
A wise and noble ruler, whose many kindnesses are well known, and whose court is filled with joyful exuberance and a passion missing in many more stagnat and staid courts... say Iain, can you help me with this bit? I'm a Troll not a Pooka!
EAST SUFFOLK
Ruler: Count Doric, Saytyr.
Admittedly unseelie, this crassly insensitive party animal with a taste for pissing off Sidhe rules East Suffolk. He came to power in the late eighties, replacing the former House Dougal rulers, and is not afraid to use unsavoury means to deal with opponents. No Gwydion or Dougal will acknowledge the existence of East Suffolk, and they have repeatedly called on Isobel of Scathach to invade. House Ailil and House Leanhaun openly hold freeholds here, but House Balor has not been found.
NORFOLK
Ruler: Count Roland of Fiona
Holds Court at Yarmouth, and has large country house in rural Norfolk. Not militaristic in outlook, and rumoured to be very close friends with Count Doric of East Suffolk. He has three knights under him who administer the law and keep order - Sir Evan of Liam, who holds Thetford, Sir Richard of Scathach who holds Castle Rising and Sir Henry of Fiona who rules Castle Acre. Recent rumours report seeing Black Dragon Knights of House Ailil openly riding around the Norfolk countryside.
CJ, October, 26th, 1999