Moondog Barony

Moondog Barony

“The Court of the Glam Slam” — a free-faeling barony of art, memory, and clever resistance.

Stretching across Cleveland’s vibrant lakefront and west side cultural corridors, Moondog Barony is the thumping heart of Commoner life in Forest City County. Its borders include the Flats, Gordon Square, Edgewater Park, Lakewood, and parts of Ohio City, pulsing with music, stories, and the unmistakable rhythm of Glamour refusing to be tamed.

There is no Baron here. Instead, there is a Moondog.

Governance by Dream

Each Spring Equinox, the Kithain of Moondog elect one of their own—always a Commoner—to serve as the Moondog for one year. The tradition dates back to the 1960s and is more spiritual stewardship than feudal rule. The Moondog leads court gatherings, responds to county-level politics, and—ideally—doesn’t get too noble about it.

The current Moondog (as of Spring 2025) is Kaelar the Troll, a two-lifetimes local hero known for his even-handed governance and six separate terms of service. While Countess Tanaquill ni Gwydion is technically recognized as the regional authority, the barony treats her power with grudging ceremony and no small amount of sarcasm. Rumors persist that Kaelar meets privately with the Countess herself—but no one has ever seen it happen.

The Moondogs of the past have ranged from saints to saboteurs. Most infamous was Eidolon, a Nocker Grump whose 1986 term nearly sparked a Glamour war when the chaos of Balloonfest drew unwanted Concordian scrutiny. Legend has it the visiting Duke was bought off with several thousand Glamour-infused balloons.

Known Freeholds and Gathering Spaces

• The Echo Chamber: Hidden behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s satellite radio booth, this Freehold pulses with Glamour, rebellion, and underground broadcasts. It is maintained by the oathcircle Frequency Fae.
• Flat Iron Freehold: Nestled beside the Flat Iron Café and watched over by the Clurichaun Gigi "Peekaboo" Samuels, this freehold is known for its hospitality, its fiercely protected Glamour, and its subtle influence over the river’s Dreaming.
• Oldest Stone House: A humble but ancient Freehold tended by Nova, a renowned Eshu who has been part of Cleveland’s dreaming soul since the Sixth City era. She also oversees Lakewood Park, where her annual Tale-Spin during the Summer Solstice draws Dreamers, mortals, and wanderers alike.

Other Notable Locales

• Edgewater Park: A seasonal favorite for Kithain gatherings, concerts, and trod ceremonies during warmer months.
• Gordon Square Arts District: Glamour hums through the theaters, murals, and side-street galleries. Once patroned by Echo, the Satyr, whose rumored Forgetting has left a strange and tender void.
• Cleveland LGBT Center: A cultural hub in more ways than one. Miss Jessa Slipknot, the city’s most famously connected Piskey, serves on the board of directors and has her fingers on the pulse of every queer changeling scene in the region.

Political Flavor

Moondog’s politics are chaotic, collaborative, and creative. Each Moondog brings their own flavor of leadership—and their own scandals. When disputes arise, solutions often come through dance-offs, poetry duels, or a hastily assembled council of whoever’s least hungover.

Despite its apparent looseness, the barony functions well. This is due in part to quiet, careful oversight by the mysterious Gray Voice—a Sluagh known only as “The Bullhorn” in public. No one is entirely sure how they exert authority, but every Kithain knows: if you disrupt the balance too loudly, the Bullhorn will hear you.

The barony maintains cordial relations with Doan’s Corners, though communication is more often passed through intermediaries (and a shared fae bowling league) than direct diplomacy. Baron Veylon ap Liam rarely makes appearances west of the lagoon, and Kaelar seems content to keep it that way.

Recurring Events and Cultural Identity

Moondog Barony is responsible for its half of the annual Verdant Gala, though in practice it often turns into a BYOB block party side-by-side with the formal Doan’s Corners gathering. Most years, the Gala is hosted somewhere in between, such as the Agora Ballroom or the Cleveland Masonic Temple, where tradition and revelry collide.

Inside the barony, seasonal rites are treated more like festivals than ceremonies. Art, song, public declarations, and acts of spontaneous Glamour mark the year more than calendars do.

Moondog fae proudly refer to themselves as “The Court of the Glam Slam”—a jab at Sidhe pretension and a reminder that power comes from joy, not lineage.

Tone & Themes

• Defiant Joy: Glamour is celebrated and defended through culture, music, and acts of stubborn beauty.
• Memory in Motion: The past lingers, but never settles. Echoes of forgotten Moondogs and vanished mentors drift through the Dreaming like songs on repeat.
• Watchful Freedom: Though proud of their independence, Moondog citizens remain aware that the world watches, and not all eyes are kind.