by Fhengal McGhallain

Alright, you want to know how to create freeholds? I'll tell you. These are only the stationary, fixed-location kind, though. And the information is only good as long as cannon literature does not oppose it.

Do you remember how Dreams and Nightmares says that trods can be created? You either tie a rope to something solid and forge your way through the jungle and/or sow eggshells either on the ground or into thin air in keeping with the wacky nature of the Dreaming. You can't step on or break the eggshells, but over time they will grow into a full-fledged trod. This takes a vast quantity of eggshells, depending on how long the trod is from one terminus to another.

So far, I've been parroting cannon literature to you. Now, we get into my theory. I call it the Trod-Node theory. Unfortunately, it doesn't explain portable or movable freeholds. In order to create a freehold, cannon literature says that you have to find a natural wellspring of magical energy. Mages (and I) call these "nodes." Now, the question becomes "How do I create a natural wellspring of magical energy?"

I believe that freeholds are tied to the Dreaming--more specifically the Near Dreaming. Based on that assumption, I believe that Nodes occur wherever Trods in the Near Dreaming intersect. Thus, the more trods intersecting in the Near Dreaming, the stronger or more stable the Node in the Autumn Realm. Hence, you can create an entirely new freehold by creating a bunch of intersecting trods in the Near Dreaming and then proceeding to light a Balefire at that site's physical reflection in the mundane realm.

Of course, creating one new trod is an extremely arduous task in and of itself, let alone several. When you charge into the unstable areas of the Dreaming, anything--whether good or ill--can happen to you. While creating a new trod, you place yourself at great personal risk by removing yourself from the Silver Path. Even though creating anything of lasting value is always difficult, one should be aware of the potential consequences. These include, but are not limited to, repeated harassment by nasty chimera, falling through the Dreaming itself, being attacked by Fomorians, or falling into one of those weird vortices of wild magic that totally warp your mien and your nature. The possibilities for peril are truly endless, but-hopefully--the benefits will outweigh the cost.