2011-2015: The Years of the Shrouded Spirit

“There were nights when even the Dreaming turned its back on us.”
— Nova, speaking during the 2016 Verdant Gala

Between 2011 and 2015, Greater Cleveland endured a near-continuous wave of mortal tragedies and revealed atrocities that cast long shadows over the fae realms:

• The trial of Anthony Sowell, the so-called “Cleveland Strangler,” unearthed horrors that made many local fae question how such Banality-laden darkness could thrive undetected for so long.
• In 2013, the public discovered the truth of the Ariel Castro kidnappings, as three women escaped after a decade of captivity within the city. Their suffering, amplified by media obsession, sent tremors through the Dreaming, where their trauma manifested as wild chimerae of agony, silence, and false hope. Several were later seen haunting the cracks in the walls of the Flats.
• The 2014 police killing of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy playing with a toy gun, brought a wave of anguish and fury to the city. Though most Kithain avoid direct involvement with mortal justice, many were moved to candlelight vigils near his memorial site, unable to ignore the roaring Glamour of grief and injustice.

The combined weight of these events — along with an intensification of mundane fear, apathy, and surveillance — gave rise to what Cleveland’s fae now call The Years of the Shrouded Spirit.

During this time:

• At least three Freeholds fell dormant, including one near the Detroit–Shoreway district known for nurturing street-art Dreamers.
• Several changelings left the city, seeking the relative vibrancy of Columbus, Chicago, or Toronto.
• Mortal Dreamers grew increasingly withdrawn, and many chimerae faded or became corrupted by fear.

Partial Recovery and Echoes

By 2016, two events briefly turned the tide:

• The Cleveland Cavaliers' miraculous NBA Championship win stirred citywide Glamour. For one shimmering week in June, hope flooded the Dreaming, and the ghostly ruins of dormant Freeholds briefly flickered with light.
• That same summer, Cleveland hosted the Republican National Convention. While most fae watched from the shadows, many recorded anxious spikes in Glamour as protestors, activists, and media swarmed the city. Some Unseelie changelings celebrated the chaos, while Seelie elders braced for a retraction.

Despite the name "Years of the Shrouded Spirit," many changelings now regard this era as a turning point — a reminder that even in deep darkness, the Dreaming survives, and sometimes the loudest beauty rises after mourning.