Playground (CTD)
The Playground is a Freehold in the Duchy of Finvarr in the Kingdom of Pacifica.
Overview
The most potent freehold in Richmond has been co-opted by the charismatic boggan known as Ragger, whose power in the streets is such that no one bothers to dispute the issue. Located in a park on the edge of the shipbuilding district, Ragger's hideaway is but one of the little thief's dozens of bases. This one, powered by the desperate dreams of those who were trapped in the shipbuilding grind and located far from any Seelie knights capable of enforcing the Royal Will, is simply one of his favorites. Appearing to the mortal eye as simply a collection of swing sets and the like in the midst of a nondescript little park, Ragger's Playground has often been pointed to in the Oakland papers as a model park for its relative absence of drug-dealing and gang violence. It is even regarded as quaint how some of the children who play there (and they do seem to come from miles away) seem to have created for themselves a little magical kingdom from the toys and rides. Also remarkable is the consistency with which the game is played. You'll never find these children arguing over which toy answers to which fantastic name.
The enchanted eye, of course, sees something a little different. Decorative crests, plumes, and figures decorate every surface. Faces leer from the polished metal of the slide and impossibly delicate castles as tall as trees rise somehow from the sandbox. The top of the slide, of course, is Ragger's seat. Transmuted from base metal to gold, the ladder that ascends to his lofty perch is constantly packed with those seeking favors, commissions, sweets, or whatever else Ragger can dispense. Once they've received whatever Ragger decides they deserve, it's down the slide and the next petitioner takes their place.
The Playground is never deserted, even in Ragger's absence. At least one of his inevitably self-appointed "lieutenants" will make it a point to be present there, even to the point of playing hooky from school. However, not even the boldest dares to seat themself on the top of the slide. That's Ragger's seat, and Ragger's alone.
References
- CTD. Immortal Eyes: The Toybox, p. 41.