Revised (A lot!) Backgound timeline
1949- Joanne born, Western Massachusetts to rich upper class family.
Ties- Cousins with Eden/Edira’s Mother?
1966- Attends Radcliff College for women, majoring in British literature. Sympathizes greatly with some aspects of the hippie movement, but kept really becoming one due to family’s expectations.
1968- Meets and begins dating Philip Weston who attends Harvard Law.
1969- Wants to attend Woodstock but doesn’t because Philip doesn’t want her too.
1970- Graduates and marries Philip. Philip is up-and-comer in business and his mother has political aspirations for him. Her mother-in-law is satisfied with Joanne’s standing and breeding, but thinks her head is too much of a ‘flower-child’ and has some ‘strange ideas’ having been exposed to too much hippie subculture in college. Joanne and her mother-in-law clash frequently over ‘appearances’. It is a society Marriage, Philip and Joanne are fond of each other but there is no real passion.
1971- Daughter Celia is born.
1971-1974- Joanne adores her daughter and spends most of her time and energy raising her. Being an ideal mother is something that her mother-in-law can’t argue with even though they clash occasionally on how Celia should be raised.
Note- Joanne’s personality at this time is that of an innocent ‘free-spirit’ given the freedom to choose she likely would have been a hippie but she is very bound by family expectations, both her own family and that of her husband. She has a longing for ‘something more’ in her life but doesn’t really know what it is so she dotes on her baby girl, hoping that one day her daughter will have more freedom to be her self than her mother has had. Has a real ‘get back to nature’ vibe, exasperated by British romantic poetry and the old English/Celtic literature she studied in college.
1974- Taken one fine summer day while outside by a Fae who specializes in kidnapping mortals for other Fae lords. She is replaced by an expertly created clockwork and mechanical fetch who fits into Joanne’s life rather better than she did, falling into the role of ‘mechanical socialite wife’ with ease.
1974-1976 - Philip eventually becomes uneasy as his wife seems to grow cold and brittle, having lost the inner spirituality and fire that had drawn him to her in the first place. ‘Joanne’ and her mother in law get along much better but Philip begins to have concerns about his wife’s mental state as she seems to have an increasingly pronounced emotional disconnect with him and their child.
During this time Joanne is in the thrall of ‘The Grim Hunter of Grace’, the Fae lord who had contracted for her capture. Originally intended for his harem, Joanne amuses the Lord with her attempts to fight back and she becomes more of a ‘pet’ to torment and play with instead. He seems to understand that she would rather die than fully submit to him and so no matter how severe her punishments he always makes sure she remains in excellent health so she can never have that final escape from him. He hunts her himself, sets other animals to hunt her, uses her as the ‘bear’ in bear baiting, keeps her chained in squalor to his hearth for months at a time when he gets distracted or looses interest. Under the hunter’s tortures she becomes more and more animalistic, but holds on to the memories of her daughter, even though this also eventually fades to an instinctual concern over her ‘missing cub’
Ties OPEN- Any other changelings in The Hunter’s thrall. She has a distain for his concubines as she sees them as weak-willed and far to willing to submit to his attentions and mind games. Probably had contact with other beast-type Changelings or warriors she was forced to fight with.
1976- During a time when The Hunter has turned her loose on the grounds so he could have the amusement of hunting her for sport, Joanne manages to harness both her anger and her fuzzy memories of her daughter to escape through the hedge. She returns home to discover that her Fetch seems to be living the expectations of her life better than she had and that no one misses her. She stalks about the grounds of her house, knowing that her Master is coming and she should flee, but unable to drag herself away. Finds Celia, who is now 5 or 6 playing outside in the garden by herself one day, as her ‘mechanical mother’ can no longer be bothered to come play outside with her anymore. Joanne takes a chance, blows as much glamour as she can to re-enforce her mask, and approaches her daughter. The child originally accepts Joanne without question but after the first joy of reunion Joanne begin to notice that something is not right. She quickly becomes convinced that Celia is a fetch, a very clever and well made fetch (with normalcy echo), but a fetch. Celia also begins to seem to notice something wrong with Joanne, though she is very confused by this being unaware of her own nature. This only re-enforces Joanne’s belief that it is a fetch. Joanne hesitates taking action, torn between her instincts and the fact that even if it is a fetch it is extremely life-like and so like her little girl. She is debating what she should do when ‘Mechanical Joanne’ comes outside angrily looking for the child who has wandered off. ‘Mechanical Joanne’ sees Joanne and uses the echo that will summon Joanne’s Keeper. Joanne is forced to act and kills Celia’s fetch, but before she can decide to attack her own fetch or flee The Hunter appears and drags her back into arcadia.
Tie OPEN- Celia, She could have been taken at the same time as Joanne was originally, or later. She could have been taken by the same fae lord kidnapper, or by a different one. Time running funny in arcadia if someone wants to eventually play her she can be any age, and really any kith. She was also taken so young that she may not even remember her mother or her mortal life.
1976 to Present- Unable to explain the death of her ‘child’ Joanne’s fetch is assumed to have finally snapped and killed her own daughter. Philip has no trouble believing this as he was already beginning to suspect that his wife was having mental problems. “Joanne” is tried and found guilty, but for appearances sake she is quietly incarcerated in a mental institution upstate. The family doesn’t really speak of her anymore except in quiet whispers, she becomes the quiet family scandal that no one talks about.
1976- 1989- Still in the thrall of The Grim Hunter of Grace, Joanne becomes increasingly angry and predatory. His tortures for her escape are severe but he still will not give her the satisfaction of death. She attempts to run several times over the years, driven by the vague knowledge that her daughter is still out there somewhere, but is always hunted down, dragged back, and tortured severely.
Ties OPEN- Again other changelings in The Hunter’s thrall, or any other changelings she may have run across if The Hunter were to use her in contests against another Lord/lady’s thralls.
Ties OPEN- And changelings involved in any of her numerous attempts at escape.
1989- With each failed escape attempt her anger, rage, and concern over her ‘missing cub’ grows until one escape attempt leads her near enough to the hedge that she begins to scrabble back some intelligent thought. Resists the urge to dive right back into arcadia to look for her daughter, realizing that she’ll only be recaptured and that if she’s going to do her daughter or anyone else any good she needs to leave and rebuild.
1990- As New England is too dangerous, what with her being a convicted murderer and her fetch still locked up and able to summer The Hunter if it thinks she’s in the area. The character moves to Florida, eventually establishing herself in the freehold of Tampa. Takes Pseudonym ‘Boudicca’ from Alfred Lord Tenyson’s poem, identifying with the Icini Queen’s rage and vengeance, and the fact that she burnt down half of Brittan to avenge her daughters. Begins to work within the ‘Celtic barbarian warrior woman’ template as it helps her to balance her animalistic nature with her higher ideals. Rises quickly in the Summer Court as her nature leans to a very close affinity with it’s ideals.
Ties Open- to someone who helped her get onto her feet once escaped again and relocated to Tampa around 1990.
Ties Open- Summer court ties.
Ties Open- Anyone in the area that shares her leanings towards pagan religion and mythology
1990- Present- a lot depends on Tampa’s VSS. Makes career of lurking the edges of the Hedge, helping other lost to navigate its twists and turns as they escape. Also considers herself the first line of defense against Fae incursion. Mostly concerned with her vengeance against the Fae and has trouble establishing mortal ties. Has probably served as Summer Queen a couple or several times over the years but now considers herself to be ‘retired’ even though she does still take a lazy interest in politics. Will probably not really get too involved in politics unless the politics of the freehold start interfering with her ability to follow her own pursuits. Will defend the Freehold and other Lost to her last breath, extremely loyal to those she’s either ‘adopted’ or sworn too. Harbors a secret hope that Celia is still alive somewhere, and that one day they’ll be reunited. Occasionally has to fight the urge to go diving into arcadia to rescue her daughter, realizing that this is suicide and will help nobody.
Ties OPEN- to any changeling in the Tampa/Orlando area that wants help through the hedge while escaping. Either full out help and protection, or something as simple as showing up to point out the correct trod.
Ties OPEN- Old political ties from around 93-99 when she was active in politics.
Ties OPEN- Lovers. She has had many over the years, Will tend to go for other warrior types but that is not a necessity, and will only sleep with men that have proven that they are strong and worthy.
Ties Open- Ties with like-minded Lost who’s focus is rescuing other changelings or taking the fight to Arcadia.