Following are the Families (Seemings) and Organizations (Courts) for Lost players.
The Great Courts are common social structures on a greater scale than motleys. Great Courts serve much the same purpose — safety from the Fae — but on a larger scale and with more organization. Each of the four Courts has its own unique affiliations with one of the seasons and a dominant emotion, bound to the Court through oaths its founders exacted from the seasons many, many years ago.
Changelings bound their Courts to the seasons for the strength it would give them against their one-time captors. Any pact provides power in the form of Contracts, but the founders explicitly chose to align their Courts with an aspect of the world that the Gentry couldn’t understand. A Fae lord may tyrannize a realm of endless winter, but he would never forsake his power and allow another to warm his land to spring. Tying their resistance to the voluntary progression of the seasons gives the changelings a stronger connection to Earth and a basis for defense that the Others are — so far — unable to undermine.
The Spring Court
Bare branches will again bear fruit. This belief is the common element in members of the Spring Court. Just as all changelings, these Court members have had their lives ripped from them by their onetime Keepers. The Spring Court exists for changelings who refuse that loss, choosing to replace it with something new. They deny despair in preference of hope, and together they keep that hope alive where alone it would falter. Their lives are not over, and they intend to prove it — to the Fae, and to themselves.
Summer Court: They’re strong, and I suppose that makes them safe. But by protecting their lives, they don’t really live.
Autumn Court: They spend too much time remembering. They should really get out more — out of doors, and out of the past.
Winter Court: I’m this far from being one of them. If I’d shut my doors instead of throwing them open, I’d be there.
The Summer Court
The buck has horns. This is what members of the Summer Court want the Fae to realize the next time they come a-hunting. Changelings break free of Faerie and escape to Earth, and they are going to fight tooth and claw not to be uprooted again. In Arcadia, they were alone and helpless. Back on Earth, they stand strong together. The Summer Court welcomes any changeling willing to fight to the last drop of blood for her — and for others’ — safety.
Spring Court: They’re too busy playing Fae to fight them.
Autumn Court: These guys have the right idea, but the fire they’re playing with is hotter than ours and harder to control.
Winter Court: If I wanted to hide from real life, I’d’ve stayed in Faerie.
The Autumn Court
The curse is a gift. Not one member of the Autumn Court is glad of her abduction and enslavement. But since they were taken, they were changed and they can’t go back, they can damn well take advantage of those changes. They know that the gramarye
of the Fae doesn’t have to be terrifyingly beautiful and gloriously torturous. It can be simply wondrous, too. Though all changelings use magic, the Leaden Mirror walks on the cutting edge of Wyrd.
Spring Court: They may understand the nature of Wyrd, but they sure don’t do anything about it.
Summer Court: There’s so much potential, but they waste it all on brute force.
Winter Court: If they ever came out of their shells, they could do something. As it is, they just hide.
The Winter Court
The hunt ends when the fox goes to ground. If the True Fae can’t find you, the Winter Court reasons, they can’t hunt you down and drag you back to Faerie. In the Winter, all the glory of the seasons fades to nothing, nowhere to be seen, and snow hides the ground. But there is life, waiting beneath the earth where it can’t be disturbed. The Silent Arrow knows this.
Spring Court: I think they may be hiding from themselves the same way we are… just louder.
Summer Court: Sometimes I think, if the Summer guys would just stop pounding their chests and howling, They might lose track of us.
Autumn Court: If they took fewer risks, they’d be a great help. As it is, they’re more likely to cause trouble than prevent it.
Your seeming is the manner in which your fae nature manifests itself. Your seeming is the primary factor in defining your fae mien, the true appearance of your altered self. Often your seeming comes at least in part from your Arcadian jailer, but in at least some instances, your Keeper might have had a different nature and deliberately shaped your seeming to fill his needs or desires. For example, a changeling taken by a lordly Fae who took regular hunting excursions into the Hedge might develop a beautiful and lordly mien of his own, or the hunter might shape the changeling into something akin to a hunting hound or a hawk
Questions about the Seemings?
Refer to the Changeling: the Lost , pages 100 - 123 for lots more.
_______________________________________________________
Background for Beasts
The oldest version of the story of Red Riding Hood has the girl tempted into removing her clothes and getting into the bed with the Bad Wolf, where she is “devoured.” Red Riding Hood is very much the archetype of the Beast’s victim. She was innocent, unknowing of where her actions would lead her. She was prone to wandering in out-of-the-way places, out of human view but well within the notice of a Fae Beast. And for all her innocence, the wild tempted her, drew her into that world of excitement and sensation that consumed her.
Many Beasts were innocent when they were taken in some way, as naïve when it came to the ways of the animal world as they were to the human world. Many were loners, with no human society to protect them from the things that would take them away from the world they knew. And many came to the world of the Fae, or at least they thought they came, of their own free will. They might not have understood what giving into to a world of sensation and instinct was going to mean, but a good proportion of them wanted it enough to willingly fall into the clutches of the Gentry.
Those few who escape are those whose innocence was not a weakness. Some were simply ignorant, and when, within themselves they realized what their time in the lands of faerie really meant, they regained themselves and escaped. Others have an innocence that simply refuses to be corrupted or destroyed, an innocence that can be wielded like a weapon. This bright refusal to be corrupted can give a changeling the strength to get out. Escaping, some return to the wilds and return to living alone, but just as many, if not more, throw themselves into human society, as if to attempt to regain the benefits of civilization. It works, if only to an extent: the Beast might gain a veneer of civility, but spreads just as much wildness to the civilized world.
Concepts:
Horse whisperer, cat burglar, animal rights activist, ox-sized college jock, homeless sewer rat king, man-eating loan shark, reptilian lawyer, grizzly man with a clue, hare-like professional athlete, dog soldier, queen bee of the sorority, eagleeyed detective, penniless frog prince.
Kiths:
Broadback — Changelings who are attuned to animals that are renowned for their endurance or stubbornness, such as camels, elephants, horses, mules, goats and the like. Their blessing is Stoic Forbearance: the changeling’s player can spend one point of Glamour to add two to all dice pools involving Stamina, for the rest of the scene.
Cleareyes — These Beasts have been granted exemplary senses akin to an animal’s. Theirs are the eagle’s eyes, the bat’s ears, the hound’s nose, the raccoon’s elegant sense of touch. Cleareyes were kept as lookouts and hunters for their Keepers, charged with discovering a scent for the Hunterhearts to follow or spying an aerial intruder for the Windwings to bring down.. However, Cleareyes’ keen senses also allowed them to spy a way free of their master. The Cleareyes benefit from Primal Senses: they add +2 to Wits + Composure rolls made to perceive things involving the specific sense that is their hallmark (sight, hearing,touch or taste/smell). In addition, the Cleareyes may spend one Glamour to heighten that sense to truly remarkable levels for a turn — an eagle-eyed Beast may be able to read a license plate from a mile away, or a fox-woman may be able to catch the scent of her enemy in a crowded nightclub.
Coldscale — Kin to reptiles both mundane and mythical, the Coldscale has inherited the nature of serpents, lizards, crocodiles, basilisks, wyverns and the like. Coldscales are a phlegmatic kith, given to sullen and brooding anger rather than hasty wrath and prone to cool contentedness rather than exultant joy. They are marked by scales, reptilian eyes and sometimes cool blood. The Coldscale’s blessing is Reptilian Blood: the character gains a +1 bonus to any Composure rolls made to resist emotional manipulation and a +2 bonus to any Stamina rolls made to resist damage from biological venoms and poisons.
Hunterheart — Often, but not always, those changelings who have something of the predator about them: wolves, bears, cats, crocodiles, snakes and birds of prey, but also those that embody the hunter in a more conceptual sense. The Hunterheart’s blessing is Tooth and Claw: the changeling can inflict lethal damage instead of bashing damage when fighting unarmed.
Roteater — Fed on carrion and offal, the Roteater is akin to the vulture and the hyena, the crow and the worm. As a tamed Beast, the Roteater may have followed at the end of his Keeper’s war processions, left to feed himself on corpses. If wild or ungoverned, he may have fallen into a scavenger’s ways simply to survive. The Roteater enjoys the benefits of the Scavenger’s Nature. The changeling gains two extra dice to roll when resisting poison or disease; the bonus rises to three dice to resist any poison or disease that stems from something the changeling ingested. The character also benefits from the 9 again rule on perception rolls made to scrounge up useful items from an area.
Runnerswift — Changelings who move like the wind, reflecting hares, rabbits, antelopes and the like. The Runnerswift’s blessing is Runs Like the Wind: the changeling adds two points to Speed (cumulative with the Fleet of Foot Merit, if the changeling possesses it).
Skitterskulk — Changelings who have an affinity with flies, spiders, beetles, centipedes and other creepy crawlies. The Skitterskulk has the Impossible Counterpoise blessing: just as an insect, her sense of timing and reactions are second to none. When Dodging, the character triples her Defense Trait rather than doubling it.
Steepscrambler — Changelings who are at home in high places, and who are attuned to animals such as monkeys, raccoons, squirrels, some insects and some lizards. The Steepscrambler’s blessing is Gifted Climber: she finds climbing easy, no matter how sheer the ascent. The character gains a +3 dice pool bonus when trying to climb any surface, and may attempt to climb even surfaces as slick as wet glass if they will support her weight.
Swimmerskin — Changelings who draw affinities with aquatic or amphibious creatures: seals, otters, ducks, salmon, and the like; mermaids, too. The Swimmerskin’s blessing is Natural Swimmer. He can hold his breath underwater for thirty minutes, as if he had a Stamina of 7. He can’t, however, hold his breath any longer than his Stamina score allows if he’s out of water (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 49). He may also swim at his full Speed, just as if he were running.
Truefriend — These Beasts learned not savagery, but loyalty. They are infused with the nature of animals who have accepted humans as their own. Truefriends are hunting hounds, loyal cats, favored horses, beloved parakeets, animals valued for the companionship they offer. Escaping Faerie was a matter of realizing that whatever fealties they may have been conditioned to show their Keepers, the changelings owed even greater loyalties to the loved ones they’d left behind. The Truefriend can give her allies the Companion’s Boon: by spending one Glamour, the character may grant an ally of her choice three additional dice on any roll. Invoking this blessing is a standard action that requires the Truefriend to be able to see her friend and speak so that he may hear her.
Venombite — Changelings who have an affinity with poisonous creatures, such as poisonous spiders and insects, or poisonous reptiles. Every Venombite has the Poisonous Bite blessing. Once per scene, the changeling’s player may spend a point of Glamour and roll a normal brawling attack (Strength + Brawl – Defense + Armor). The attack causes no damage, but does deliver a lethal poison with a Toxicity equal to the changeling’s Wyrd (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 180). The victim can’t avoid taking the damage with a Stamina + Resolve roll.
Windwing — Changelings who are confined to the earth, with their hearts in the skies, drawing affinity with birds, butterflies and bats. The Windwing bears the blessing Gift of the Sky: although be he can’t fly, the air bears him up. A Windwing may spend a point of Glamour to glide in the air for up to one minute per point of Wyrd; he cannot gain altitude without appropriate updrafts, but may move at his normal Speed. In addition, a Windwing takes only one point of bashing damage for every 15 yards fallen, and begins to take lethal damage only if he falls more than 150 yards.
How the Beasts view
Darklings: They understand. They know that only half the world is asleep when it’s dark.
Elementals: We hear the world’s heartbeat and smell its blood. They hear the world breathe. We’d be damned alike if we weren’t so damned different.
Fairest: Got a lot of vigor for something that doesn’t look or smell like a real flesh-and blood animal.
Ogres: You want to gobble me up? I’m not your meat, big fella.
The Wizened: Crafty little creatures. And usually on the other side of the walls from us.
Vampires: Fangs. I know fangs.
Werewolves: No, they’re not kindred spirits. Difference between us and them is we got our souls back.
Mortals: No, my place is a pigsty. Let’s go to yours. So. What was your name again?
Background for Darklings
Darklings are among those Lost who were stolen because they transgressed. They might not have known they were transgressing, or even that there were rules to break, but they went too far. Many crossed the line out of curiosity, and it’s this curiosity, this need to find new things and to explore, that helped to bring many of them back out through the Hedge. This curiosity made them what they were: by investigating the dark, they became like the dark. Many Darklings are talented at finding things out, and many take on roles that depend upon them being observant.
Concepts:
Parapsychologist, nocturnal building superintendent, night-shift call center worker, chimney sweep, professional spelunker, lab assistant, amateur night-time naturalist, night refuge manager.
Kiths:
Antiquarian — Those Darklings who surround themselves with dusty tomes of lore and the artifacts of long-dead lands and peoples. Dusty, quiet and diligent, they hold the Keys to Knowledge: the Antiquarians know where to find lore ancient and modern, and have a near-flawless memory for facts, trivial and not so trivial. Every Antiquarian receives the benefit of the 9 again rule on dice pools including Academics and Investigation. They may also spend a point of Glamour to gain the benefits of the Encyclopedic Knowledge Merit for one question. If the Antiquarian already possesses this Merit, he may spend one Glamour to add three dice to the roll.
Gravewight — Cold-skinned Darklings who draw comfort from consorting with the dead, both restless and in repose. The Gravewight possesses the Charnel Sight: the changeling can see the unquiet dead. For one point of Glamour, the changeling can see ghosts for the rest of the scene. The power doesn’t extend to any other invisible beings that may or may not be present, and doesn’t allow the changeling to touch the ghost or compel it to answer her unless the ghost chooses to allow that.
Leechfinger — The faeries who steal life from humans, grain by grain, drop by drop, with just a touch. Every Leechfinger knows how to Sap the Vital Spark: with a touch, he can steal the health of another to heal his own injuries. The character needs to touch the target (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 157), and the player spends a point of Glamour. The victim takes one point of lethal damage, and the changeling heals one point of lethal or bashing damage, or downgrades one point of aggravated damage to lethal. This blessing can be used once per scene per point of the Darkling’s Wyrd.
Lurkglider — Raised among the twisted treetops of Arcadian forests or the spires of palaces lost in dark storm clouds, the Lurkgliders are at home watching from the shadows far above. They may be tied to legends of creatures that swooped down to carry off the unwary, or Lurkgliders may have been kept as grotesque sentinels to watch over their Keepers’ holdings.
A Lurkglider enjoys the blessing of the Gargoyle’s Grace: by spending a point of Glamour, the changeling may dive from up to 100 yards without taking any damage whatsoever. In addition, he receives a +2 bonus to all rolls for the purpose of keeping his balance on small ledges, outcroppings or other small footholds.
Mirrorskin — Darklings who hide in plain sight from the eyes of humankind. Their bones are malleable, their faces like flowing quicksilver. The Mirrorskin’s blessing is The Mercurial Visage: he can change the cast of his features to resemble (if not completely mimic) anyone he has met. The player may do this at will, gaining a +3 dice bonus to Wits + Subterfuge disguise attempts (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 87). This bonus applies to both mien and Mask.
Moonborn — The lunatic children of the moon, those who dance by their mother’s pale light. They are sometimes insightful, sometimes foolish, sometimes calm and sometimes wrathful. Their moods wax and wane with the moon, their humours affected by its tides. The Moonborn’s blessing is the Lunatic’s Kiss: once in any 24-hour period, the Moonborn may afflict both himself and a person he touches with a derangement. The player must spend a point of Glamour and roll Intelligence + Wyrd, contested by the victim’s Resolve + Wyrd (or other Supernatural Tolerance trait). Success gives the Moonborn a mild derangement, and the victim the severe version of the same derangement. An exceptional success means the Moonborn suffers no derangement at all. The madness lasts until the next sunrise in the case of supernatural beings; humans must bear the madness for a lunar month.
Nightsinger — The Darklings are not without their music. Darkling music, however, is largely heard without ever catching a glimpse of the musician. Nightsingers compose operas of wolf howls and owl cries, sing banshee songs and play hauntingly devilish tunes on fiddles strung with unwholesome gut. Nightsingers may set aside their instruments and strive to escape for home, but the music stays with them. The Nightsingers enjoy the favor of the Haunting Nocturne: by playing an instrument or singing, they may lull listeners into a hypnotic state. The player spends a point of Glamour and makes a Performance + Wyrd roll; listeners may contest the roll with Composure + Wyrd. Success makes the affected listeners more suggestible; such listeners suffer a –2 penalty to Resolve, Empathy and Subterfuge rolls for the duration of the scene. A Nightsinger also gains a free Performance Specialty.
Palewraith — Many Darklings are pallid, but the Palewraiths are colorless to the point of partial translucence. Their flesh is hazy and partly indistinct; some look spectral, others smoky. In some cases, their bones are still visible through their skin. The Palewraiths gained this remarkable trait by being kept so far from natural light that they began to become partly immune to the light. The kith’s blessing is Light’s Aversion: the character may spend one Glamour to receive +1 to Defense when within sufficient shadows. This bonus may set also applies against firearms. The blessing’s effects last for the duration of the scene, or until the character enters a brightly lit area.
Razorhand — Some Darklings are embodiments of the promise of nighttime violence. They are the suddenslash in the darkest alleys, the gleam of metal under a flickering streetlamp. They may come silently, or whistle tuneless little ditties learned in Arcadia. Some even become skilled practitioners of medicine, though their ministrations are often too unnerving for all but the boldest Lost to seek out. A Razorhand may invoke the Ripper’s Gift: by spending one Glamour, her hand becomes as a knife’s blade for the duration of the scene, allowing her unarmed strikes to inflict +1 lethal damage. In addition, she gains a bonus Melee Specialty (Knives).
Whisperwisp — Spies flourish in the dark, hiding from their false allies and whispering to their true friends. Some have achieved an artful perfection in the trade. Whisperwisps flit from alcove to alcove in the grand halls of the Gentry, worming their way into the confidences of servants and eavesdropping on the masters. The Whisperwisp’s blessing is the Turncoat’s Tongue: he benefits from the 9 again roll on Empathy and Subterfuge rolls involving conversation or gathering information. The player may also spend one Glamour to whisper a message to anyone within earshot, whether the Darkling can see the target or not. The target hears the message as if the Whisperwisp were standing beside her, murmuring into her ear.
Tunnelgrub — Those of the Darkling faeries who slide and slither through tunnels and sewers and chimneys, the better to do terrible things in the night. The Tunnelgrub has the ability to Slither and Squirm: she slips and slides and wriggles through tight spaces and out of handcuffs and other bonds. The player spends a point of Glamour. The changeling can get through spaces that are only just too narrow for her to get through, spaces that would otherwise leave her completely stuck. The changeling gets to roll Dexterity + Athletics to wriggle out of ropes or handcuffs. If it’s a long distance, such as a chimney or a sewage pipe, the player needs to make an extended roll, earning at least three successes, perhaps more, depending on the length of the tunnel. A dramatic failure means that the character is stuck and can’t escape on her own or try again using this talent (if the changeling is caught in the middle of a tunnel, this could be disastrous, because she can’t get out on her own).
How the Darklings view
Beasts: I wouldn’t trust too much to those senses of yours if I were in your pelt. They aren’t always as honest as you might think.
Elementals: You think that because you have this attachment to the world’s bones that you have nothing to fear. I pity you.
Fairest: Watch your back. No, that’s not a threat. Why should it be a threat?
Ogres: Absolutely. You go in first. I’ll just stay out here and back you up.
The Wizened: It is a good thing to be wise, and diligent and useful. You work in the lights, I’ll work nearby.
Vampires: So like the Others. Watch them, carefully, from a distance, as hard as you can.
Werewolves: All the more reason to stay out of the moonlight.
Mortals: You and the sun are friends. And you haven’t a clue what that means.
Background for Elementals
The Elementals were often those whom the Fae desired in some way, those whom they sought out and went to some effort to kidnap. Most Elementals were already exceptional in some way. Perhaps the changeling was beautiful enough to excite a Fae’s desire. Perhaps they needed a guard or a servant of some kind. A musician or dancer could become the prize of a Fae who fancied himself a doyen of the arts. When Elementals come back, they still possess those talents that attracted the Fae to them in the first place, but now their element alters it in many ways, some subtle, some less so. Some, however, wandered into the Hedge on their own, in some ways bearing the marks of whatever thorny wasteland they wandered in before being taken to Faerie.
Concepts:
Secretly incompetent firefighter, landscape gardener, logging saboteur, clockwork secretary, workaholic steelworker, tornado chaser, model with flawless skin, allweather surfer, competitive mountaineer, deep-sea diver, extreme sports fanatic.
Kiths:
Airtouched — The Elementals of wind, cloud, smoke and sky, who can be as healthy as a fresh breeze or as pestilent as the miasma that surrounds the dead. Their blessing is Velocity of the Zephyr: the player can spend one point of Glamour to add the character’s Wyrd to her Speed or Initiative (player’s choice) for the rest of the scene. This blessing can be invoked once for each Trait per scene.
Blightbent — Some of the most tragic of Elementals, the Blightbent are children of pollution. They were altered by choking smogs, toxic waters, blighted land, diseased forests and chemical fire. Upon their return to the mortal world, the Blightbent are the most comfortable in areas where humanity has tainted the elements in turn. Some Blighbent hate themselves for it. The Blightbent’s blessing is the Caustic Caress. Once per day, the changeling may spend one Glamour to inflict a polluted touch on an opponent — breathing a puff of toxic smog into his face, marking him with acidic fingertips or the like. The player rolls Dexterity + Wyrd – the target’s Stamina; the victim takes one point of lethal damage per success. Defense and armor can affect this roll if the target is free to defend himself; otherwise, they do not apply. The Blightbent are also resistant to toxins and poisons of manmade origin, and gains +3 on rolls to resist their effects.
Earthbones — Changelings who have the mark of earth and stone: lumpen Paracelsian Gnomes, sand spirits, dour men of peat and dwarfs made of mountain granite. Their blessing is Terrestrial Might: the Earthbones has shoulders that could bear the world. The player can spend Glamour to add to non-combat Strength-based dice pools, on a one for one basis (one point of Glamour adds one die to one dice pool, two points add two dice to the dice pool and so on).
Fireheart — Elementals marked with fire, heat or electricity. Their blessing is Flickering Acumen: like a flame, the Fireheart’s faculties are bright and constantly on the move. The player can spend points of Glamour to add to Wits-based dice pools, on a one for one basis.
Levinquick — Electricity has caught in the heart and blood of these changelings; their flesh is as a lightning rod that calls down the levin bolts into their bodies. Where some Firehearts have had their wits honed by the lightning, the Levinquick are more bodily affected. They are often violent Elementals, quick to strike out at anything that offends them. The Levinquick are gifted with the Fireflaught’s Vigor. The player may spend one Glamour to add two points to both Speed and Initiative. The blessing lasts for one turn per dot of the character’s Wyrd.
Manikin — Changelings who have the character of humanmade objects, such as caryatids, mannequins and other, stranger things, such as enchanted beings powered by clockwork or steam or living bodies made of mercury or glass. The Manikins’ talent is the Artificer’s Enchantment: the Manikin can learn Contracts of Artifice for (new dots x5 experience points) rather than the usual cost. The Manikin also may make untrained Crafts rolls at a –1 die penalty rather than the standard –3 dice.
Metalflesh — Changelings who were remade in Arcadia’s foundries, the Metalflesh are infused with bronze or copper, gold or silver or brass — but never pure iron. They are obdurate of mind and body, resistant to any attempts to casually manipulate them. They were prized creations of the Gentry, as decorative as the Metalflesh were resilient. But for those who actually escaped, that same hardiness helped them force their way back through the Thorns to the world of chrome and iron. The Metalflesh may invoke the Forge’s Endurance blessing. Once per day, the player may spend one Glamour to add one die to Stamina, Resolve and Composure rolls
for the duration of the scene.
Sandharrowed — The howling deserts of Faerie produce their own children. The Sandharrowed are embodied with the merciless grace and power of the shifting sands. Those who escape the blasted wastes of Arcadia can make homes anywhere, though they seem happiest in warm cities surrounded by the desert. The Sandharrowed benefit from the blessing of the Enveloping Sands: they gain a +2 bonus to all rolls made to grapple an opponent, or to escape from a grapple.
Snowskin — The children of the cold, who can be as powerful as the Arctic ice or as delicate as a snowflake. The Snowmarked’s blessing is The Voice of Ice: the changeling can imbue her voice with terrible cold, inspiring terror in those who hear. She is also a master at concealing her own emotions and goals under a cool veneer. The Elemental gains the benefit of the 9 again rule on Intimidation and Subterfuge rolls, and can spend a point of Glamour to re-roll a failed Intimidation roll.
Waterborn — Changelings who are imbued with the nature of the waters, soft and brutal, gentle and mighty: undines and nymphs, man-eating river demons, water babies, ladies of the lake. Their blessing is The Gift of Water: the player can spend one point of Glamour to allow the changeling to breathe underwater and swim at a terrific rate (equal to twice the character’s Speed rating) for the rest of the scene. The catch is that the changeling cannot leave the water or breathe air until the power wears off or until he spends another Glamour point to cancel the blessing. The changeling has to hold his breath if he sticks his head out of the water (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 49). If the changeling is made to leave the water completely before the scene is over, he begins to drown, automatically taking one point of lethal damage each turn until he is either returned to the water or he dies.
Woodblood — The children of plants: Green Men, flower fairies, spirits of mandrake, rose, thorns and all manner of medicinal herbs, fair and foul. The Woodbloods’ blessing is the ability to Fade into the Foliage: in any outdoors area where there are plants growing from the earth (in a garden, for example, but not in a concrete yard with a couple of shrubs in pots), the character gains the benefit of the 9 again rule on dice pools involving Stealth and Survival. The player can also spend a point of Glamour to hide in a place where he couldn’t normally hide, making a Stealth roll as usual. There has to be a reasonable amount of foliage there. The character couldn’t hide using a small patch of moss or a single dandelion, but could use a flowerbed, a lawn or a sapling.
How the Elementals view
Beasts: You would almost share my heart if you weren’t lost to the… impermanent side of nature.
Darklings: See that? That was me shivering.
Fairest: So what? You’re a force of nature? Oh, I like you. You’re really funny.
Ogres: Get out of my face before I do something you regret.
The Wizened: Dig all you want. Just not here.
Vampires: I think I’m going to be sick.
Werewolves: No, you’re welcome here. Of course you are. So. When were you planning to move on again?
Mortals: You’re overturning the land. You’re cutting down the trees. You’re choking the sky. So why am I so jealous of you?
Background for Fairest
The Fairest were not always those whom the Fae thought to take for lovers. Although most were pleasing to the eye, all had some talent beyond simple good looks. Some could dance, some had beautiful voices, some were artists or poets. The few who have made it back have often found that this one talent has consumed them. It’s almost all they have, in a way. The arrogance that comes from having the strength of self to be able to freely return from bleak, beautiful Faerie is perhaps bolstered by insecurity. What if the talents they have are not enough to make them truly the most talented, the brightest, the most beautiful? After all, in the stories, the Fae sorceress is very rarely, if the mirror is to be believed, the Fairest of them all.
Concepts:
Charismatic but incompetent executive, professional athlete, lead singer in a band, amiable politician, catalog model, aging heartthrob, too-glamorous gangbanger, out-ofwork actor waiting tables, high school beauty queen, low-table professional footballer, late night torch singer
Kiths:
Bright One — Changelings who came from light; willo’- the-wisps, bright elves, White Ladies and other beings of light and fire and ice from all over the world. Their blessing is Goblin Illumination: The player can, at will, illuminate an area the size of a smallish room (about 15’ x 15’ x 10’ high) with a soft, pale light for the rest of the scene. Although the light centers on the changeling’s left hand, it doesn’t have the changeling as its source, seemingly coming from the air itself. The light doesn’t move. If the changeling leaves the radius of the light, he leaves it behind. With the expenditure of a Glamour point, the light becomes painfully intense; anyone trying to target the Bright One treats him as partially concealed and suffers a –2 dice penalty (–1 die if the attacker is wearing sunglasses).
Dancer — Those among the Fairest blessed of particular agility and grace, for whom motion is itself beauty and art. Whether entertainer, courtesan, artist or murderer, the Dancer is happiest when moving to the sound of her inner rhythm. The Dancer’s blessing is Fae Grace: she benefits from the 9 again rule on any Expression or Socialize rolls involving agility (such as juggling or dancing in a performance or social setting), and always adds one to her Dodge total when dodging attacks.
Draconic — Changelings who bear within them the blood of dragons or other Great Beasts of Faerie, including celestial bureaucrats and tithe-payers to Satan alike. Haughty and possessing a robust physicality, the Draconic Fairest have the secret of the Dragon’s Talon: a Draconic changeling gains an extra die on Brawl rolls, striking with the power of a chimera’s claw or manticore’s sting. His player can also spend one point of Glamour to re-take one failed Brawl roll, once per scene.
Flamesiren — These burning Fairest represents the entrancement of flame — when people stare at a flickering candle or gaze into a crackling bonfire, the force that holds their attention is the essence of the Flamesiren’s appeal. It’s the beauty of danger and destruction, together in one sinuous, lambent package. The Flamesiren may invoke the blessing of Burning Hypnotism: once per scene, the player may spend one Glamour to surround the Flamesiren with a blazing flame-like aura. Anyone looking at the Flamesiren must make a successful Resolve + Composure roll, or suffer a two-dice penalty to all actions until the character decides to douse the aura or the scene ends, thanks to the distraction.
Flowering — Flowers blossom on bare earth where these changelings have stood (although they take months to appear in the human world rather than seconds, as they did in Faerie). Their skin is soft like the petal of a rose or a chrysanthemum and bright with a bloom of health. The Flowering Fairest has a Seductive Fragrance: her skin, hair and breath carries the aroma of unknown blossoms from places unseen, the promise of pleasures unknown. Her bouquet seduces and lulls in equal measure. She gains the benefit of the 9 again rule on dice pools including Persuasion, Socialize and Subterfuge.
Muse — Their beauty inspires the arts. Whether a Rubenesque beauty, a sedate and delicate daughter of the Heavenly Ministry, a grotesquely beautiful masquer garbed in yellow tatters, or a Dark Lady who drives her beloved to destruction, the Muse inspires the creation of things of beauty and horror and love and hate and fear. The growth of confidence can precipitate a headlong rush to doom, and the Muse knows how to make it happen. The Muse’s talent is The Tyranny of Ideas: the changeling’s presence can give a human the confidence and talent to do things that he otherwise would not be able to do. For every point of Glamour the changeling spends, the human subject (and it must be human; it can’t be another changeling or another supernatural being) gains +2 on one dice pool involving Expression, Persuasion, Socialize or Subterfuge.
Polychromatic — They are the sons and daughters of the rainbow, fae who are living embodiments of color itself. Their hair and eyes flash all number of vibrant colors, sometimes shifting to match the Fairest’s temper. In a world of leaden skies and rain-slick gray concrete, the Polychromatics are a form of beauty that can never be dimmed. These Fairest enjoy the benefits of the Prismatic Heart: the character can change her mood as if moving from color to color. By spending one Glamour point as a reflexive action, the character may add two dice to any rolls made to resist emotional manipulation for the duration of the scene. In addition, all Empathy rolls made against the Polychromatic suffer a penalty of one die, as her prismatic moods are difficult to read.
Shadowsoul — The antithesis of the Bright Ones, these fae are the most beautiful chosen of the nigh. Their beauty comes from the darkness they swathe themselves in rather than the light they radiate. They were the favored concubines, adornments and handmaidens to nocturnal Keepers, and are distant cousins to the Darklings. The Shadowsoul’s blessing is the Unnatural Chill: the player gains a bonus to Intimidation rolls equal to her Wyrd, and receives the benefit of the 9 again rule to Subterfuge In addition, she may purchase Contracts of Darkness as affinity Contracts.
Telluric — Those who walk the skybridges in the vaults of Faerie heaven, the stars in their hair and comets in their eyes. Tellurics are Fairest imbued with the essence and spirit of celestial bodies. They shine with empyrean light, have hair like a starry nebula, or are marked with the signs of a specific planet — the red skin and fiery temper of Mars, the quicksilver wit and quicksilver hair of Mercury, the pale beauty of the moon. Telluric Fairest are guided by the Music of the Spheres: Tellurics have an bsoluteknowledge of exactly what time it is as measured locally, even if they’ve spent the last day unconscious in a barren room. They can count down ticking seconds as accurately as a stopwatch, which gives them a +3 bonus to any actions that might require precise timing (such as disarming a time bomb or atmaidens tempting to drive across town while hitting all green lights). In addition, Tellurics gain the free Specialties of Astronomy and Astrology to Academics and Occult, respectively.
Treasured — Far more than any other Fairest, the Treasured were treated as nothing more than prized objects for display. They spent their durance in golden cages or atop cold stone pedestals, with no greater hope than to please the eye of a passing Gentry. Treasured are jeweled, gilded, alabaster, like Michelangelo’s David given the faintest hint of color or a figure that has stepped away from Alma-Tadema’s The Roses of Heliogabalus. Countless hours upon a pedestal have given the Treasured the blessing of Alabaster Fortitude: once per scene, the player may spend one Glamour to retake any one failed Stamina, Resolve or Composure roll. The only exception is a roll made to avoid gaining a derangement through Clarity loss.
How the Fairest view
Beasts: Careful! You’ll have someone’s eye out with that.
Darklings: Well, we can’t all be the lucky ones, I suppose.
Elementals: Are you free Friday night? Dinner? Some drinks maybe?
Ogres: Be my faithful brute, won’t you? Come to me when I call, walk your own way when I need to be alone? Promise?
The Wizened: You’re taking my money for this, you horrible little man. So stop bitching about it.
Vampires: Oh, they can be fair in their own way, and oh yes, they know about cruelty, but they’re… not like us. Nothing of dead flesh could be.
Werewolves: Always, always keep your eye on the length of their leashes.
Mortals: I’m the fairest of them all. I am. Not you. Me. I don’t care what the mirror says.
Background for Ogres
The Ogres who make it back through the Hedge have to be, more than any other changeling, exceptional people. Not that the Fae are necessarily picky in whom they choose to abuse and brutalize: more that the Ogres are the ones who managed both to survive without being eaten, crippled or beaten to death and to avoid becoming so much like the monsters that took them that they wouldn’t want to leave. They don’t have to be particularly smart or cunning, but they are the kind of people who know their own mind. Most Ogres have an inborn streak of stubbornness that makes them faithful (if sometimes annoying) companions and terrible enemies.
Concepts:
Working-class Red Cap hard-man, arrogant giant CEO, shrill political activist, gung-ho Marine grunt, nightclub bouncer, understanding but non-nonsense bar manager, Bigfoot hunter, belligerent redneck, prizefighter, long-distance truck driver, deep sea fisherman.
Kiths:
Bloodbrute — Veterans of the fighting pits frequented by jaded Gentry, the Bloodbrutes were kept for one purpose only: to fight for their Keepers’ enjoyment. In some cases, the battles were simple matters of survival, but too many others came with extra rules and conditions born of a fickle Other’s imagination. The Bloodbrute is a master of Improvised Mayhem: by spending a Glamour point, he may rip a suitably sizable object free from its moorings and fashion it into a crude but effective weapon as a standard action. The character can create the equivalent of any weapon from the Melee Weapons Chart (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 170), given appropriate materials at hand. For example, he could craft the equivalent of a great ax by uprooting a stop sign and hastily wrapping the sign into a more effective ax head, but he couldn’t make a spear out of a small nightstand. The item does not suffer any penalties for its improvised nature as long as the Bloodbrute wields it; others suffer a –1 equipment penalty if attempting to use the impromptu implement of destruction.
Corpsegrinder — Some Ogres are fed upon death. The Corpsegrinders are survivors of massive charnel pits, brutes maintained on a diet of bones and carrion, the hulking guardians of burial grounds. They gnawed like Nidhogg at the roots of great dead trees, or tunneled into graves like ghuls to search out the freshest corpses. The Corpsegrinder’s gift is Sepulchral Hunger: the character gains a +1 bonus to any attack roll made against an enemy who has already been reduced to half his Health. In addition, the Corpsegrinder gains an additional die to attack rolls made against undead creatures such as vampires.
Cyclopean — The Cyclopeans are like the ancient hunters and herdsmen of legend who sought men for their cooking pots: changelings who resemble Cyclops of Archaic Greece, the one-legged Fachan of Scots legend, the three-eyed oni of Japan, the elephant-eared rakshas of India or the wind-borne footless Wendigo of North America. Although many are crippled in some way, they have profound senses to make up for it. The Cyclopeans can Smell the Blood: the character gains the benefit of the 8 again rule on Wits-based Perception rolls. He can smell things that can’t normally be smelled, meaning that even if some of his senses are deficient, his sense of smell makes up for it. Many Cyclopeans have Physical Flaws such as One Eye, Lame, One Arm or Hard of Hearing.
Farwalker — Changelings who resemble the abominable men of mystery, the possibly savage hairy creatures of the wilds whose existence straddles the divide between folklore and cryptozoology: the Sasquatch, the yeti, the Russian Alma, the Australian yowie and dozens of other wild men. Farwalkers have The Elusive Gift: the character gains the benefit of the 9 again rule on Stealth and Survival dice pools. Also, the player can spend a point of Glamour to retake a failed Stealth or Survival roll.
Gargantuan — Captured by giants, these changelings had to grow to a greater stature, perhaps being stretched on racks or forced to drink noxious potions. As humans, they appear less freakish, though many purchase the Giant Merit. Their blessing is Spurious Stature: once a day, the changeling can grow to colossal size. The player spends a point of Glamour, and adds the changeling’s Wyrd score to her size for the rest of the scene. This supplies temporary Health dots (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 175). Returning to normal size is painful, as if the changeling’s skin is unable to contain the character’s stature, and when she regains her normal height, the character takes one point of lethal damage.
Gristlegrinder — Man-eaters and gluttons, taking their cue from the English Black Annis, Scottish Red Caps or the rakshas of India, but also sometimes resembling more modern Ogres, such as the masked unstoppable lunatics of slash-andstalk horror movies. Every Gristlegrinder has Terrible Teeth in his terrible jaws: the character’s bite is a two lethal attack, though it does require him to grapple the opponent first.
Render — The Renders were kept as living engines of destruction. They may have been used as shock troops in a besieging army, charged with ripping open the gates and tearing down the enemy’s towers. They may have been woodsmen without axes, quarry-workers reliant on their talons rather than chisel and mattock. The Render’s gift is the Sundering Talons: when damaging an object with his bare hands, the Render may ignore up to three points of Durability. His claws count as a tool created to bypass Durability (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 138).
Stonebones — Changelings who resemble the rocky giants of folklore, Nordic trolls, Native American mountain spirits and the like. The Stonebones are blessed with Obdurate Skin: once per day as an instant action, the player can spend one point of Glamour to harden the character’s skin, making it like rock. The character uses his Wyrd as his armor rating for the rest of the scene. The character’s rocky carapace does mean, however, that the character isn’t as nimble as he was: the changeling suffers a –1 die penalty to all Dexterity-based dice pools while this power is active. In addition, his Defense is reduced by one for every two points of Wyrd past the first; –1 Defense at 3 Wyrd, –2 Defense at 5 Wyrd and so on. This blessing doesn’t stack with mundane forms of armor.
Water-Dweller — Changelings who resemble the legendary water-demons of many cultures, from life-demanding river spirits through to the trolls of coastal caves and under-bridge shadows. The Water-Dweller can Lie Under the Waves: the character can hold her breath for 30 minutes, as if she had a Stamina of 7 (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 49). She is also accustomed to murk and darkness, and suffers no penalties to sight-based Perception rolls when underwater.
Witchtooth — The embodiment of the cruel, maneating hag and the selfish, mystical monster, the Witchtooth is among the wisest and most cunning of Ogres. The Witchtooth have a penchant for dark magic, particularly curses. While many of the most famous examples of this monster are female — Baba Yaga, Spearfinger, Black Annis — male changelings can learn the ugly secrets of Witchtooth wisdom as well. The Witchtooth has learned the secrets of the Black Hex: the character may spend Glamour to increase Occult rolls, and gains a one-die bonus to activate any Contracts that involve cursing another person (such as Fickle Fate).
How the Ogres view
Beasts: Hey! Hey! You didn’t have to do that! I was just making a friendly offer!
Darklings: Say what you need to say to my face. I ain’t scared of something that hides from me, and I ain’t gonna be your friend if you won’t shake my hand.
Elementals: Look. If I want to piss against your tree, I’ll piss against your tree. That’s natural, too.
Fairest: Has anyone ever told you — ? Oh. Right. Yeah. ’Course they have. So. What was it you wanted me to do?
The Wizened: Don’t think I can’t hear you down there. You can do things I can’t, that’s fine. Just don’t act like I’m stupid.
Vampires: Clammy little bastards. Maybe we’re all monsters together, but I don’t think they’re my kind of monster.
Werewolves: I would have been scared shitless knowing these guys were out there, about a lifetime ago.
Mortals: God, you’re beautiful. On the other hand, you taste like chicken. What am I supposed to do?
Background for Wizened
The Wizened are often the most unfortunate of changelings, for they were most often taken for no reason at all and no fault of their own. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The faeries saw them and took them; that is all. Unluckier still are those who came to the faeries’ attention because they encountered a faerie who appeared to be in trouble — like the man who found a little person under a rock and set him free, only to be hounded to death for his presumption that the Fae might need his help. The Wizened could be anyone. Having said that, it takes someone as cunning and ingenious as the Fae themselves to escape from the Little People, and so Wizened changelings who return are most often those people who were already nimble of hand and quick of wit.
Concepts:
Creepy backstreet surgeon, paranoid UFO enthusiast, faithful laconic manservant, snooty maître d’, footpad for hire, reclusive artist, socially inept radio technician, antisocial Nethead, pawnbroker.
Kiths:
Artist — The Wizened who create startling works of art and craft: seamsters, sculptors, painters and builders. The Artists’ blessing is Impeccable Craftsmanship: the changeling enjoys the benefit of the 8 again rule on any dice pool using Crafts, and can choose to spend a point of Glamour to re-roll any failed dice on one Crafts roll (so if, for example, an Artist who rolls five dice and gets 1, 4, 6, 8 and 9 can spend a point of Glamour and re-roll the 1, 4 and 6). This blessing can be used only once per roll.
Author — In Faerie, these changelings composed words of all kinds for their masters, from poetry to plays to nonfiction. Authors may even have been their Keepers’ only connection with mortal language, having to explain precisely what words are and how they held power. Authors still see things in terms of words — ideal nouns and adverbs swim unasked through their minds. The Author has mastered the Polyglot’s Riddle: he gains the 8 again rule to all Expression rolls dealing with writing or wordy endeavors. With a successful Wits + Academics roll, he can also deduce the meaning of written text in any mortal language.
Brewer — Changelings who spent their durance in Faerie learning how to create mind-bendingly potent drinks or peculiar alchemies. Due to long exposure and gradual immunity, a Brewer gains four bonus dice to any Stamina roll made to resist poisons or intoxication. In addition, the Brewers know the recipe for The Inebriating Elixir: once per scene, the changeling can instantly ferment one pint of any drink with Glamour, turning it into a powerfully intoxicating brew. The changeling needs to be able to touch the container holding the drink to do this. The changeling’s player rolls Wits + Crafts. If the roll is successful, the player may spend one Glamour point to invest the drink with a Potency rating equal to the changeling’s Wyrd rating, plus the number of successes the player rolled. If the Potency of the brew is higher than the Health of the person drinking the brew, the person gets very drunk, and in five turns falls unconscious. If the Potency doesn’t exceed the drinker’s Health, the drinker must roll Stamina + Resolve, or suffer the effects of having drunk one more drink than her Stamina (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 177). The brew’s effects last for the rest of the scene.
Chatelaine — Preternaturally skilled manservants, organizers and house-managers. The Chatelaine’s talent is Perfect Protocol: the changeling gains the benefit of the 9 again rule on all Social Skill rolls which depend on manners, etiquette or proper social practice (such as in a formal ball, a business meeting or a changeling Court), even when using Presence. Further, the player can spend a point of Glamour to gain a +2 dice bonus to Manipulation and Presence dice pools for the rest of the scene.
Chirurgeon — Changelings who master surgery and pharmacy, sometimes from altruism, and sometimes simply because they can, ranging from scary back-street surgeons to strangely alien experimenters. The Chirurgeon’s blessing is The Analeptic Charm: able to perform medical miracles, the changeling gains the benefit of the 9 again rule on Medicine dice pools. The Chirurgeon can also use the humblest tools well, and never suffers from penalties for poor equipment as long as at least something can be jury-rigged as a medical tool. Finally, anyone whom the changeling tends to for any length of time receives the benefit of the Chirurgeon’s skills as if they were in a hospital intensive care unit (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 61).
Drudge — The lowest and most menial of Wizened, Drudges were given the most unpleasant tasks to perform. They suffered all the privations and modifications of their fellow Wizened, and did not even learn a faerie trade in return. Drudges are the long-suffering inheritors of house elves, domovoi and other such faeries. However, not all had their spirits broken in Arcadia, and some managed to slip away through the Thorns before their negligent Keepers noticed their absence. The Drudge was designed to provide Unseen Labor: by spending a Glamour point, the character may complete any relatively simple task in a fraction of the time, as long as no mortal watches her do so. The task cannot require more than five successes on an extended roll to complete; the Drudge could fix something simple quickly, but not repair a badly damaged car. The time required for the task is equal to the original time required divided by the character’s Wyrd +1; even the weakest Drudge can cut a field or clean a house in half the time it would normally take. In addition, the Drudge gains the benefit of the 9 again rule to Stealth rolls; she is easily overlooked.
Gameplayer — The True Fae adore games, even if they despise the possibility of losing. Some Wizened were kept precisely to empower the Gentry’s love of games. The changeling was forced to play against her Keeper, or against canny goblins and cheating imps; or she was made a part of the games, a chess piece in a game that repeated over and over again, or the queen of spades in a long poker game. She mastered many games during her durance, but cannot remember them all; some operated by rules that made no sense in Arcadia, much less in the more solid reality of the mortal world. The Gameplayer’s blessing is the Grandmaster’s Stratagem: by spending a Glamour point, she can win any purely mentalbased game she plays (such as chess or checkers). She also gains a bonus three dice to any rolls made to gamble with games that involve a mixture of mental acuity and random chance (poker and sports betting, for instance, but not craps).
Miner — These changelings are the knockers and kobolds, the Coblynau and Telchines. Miners labored in deep mines to extract rare and precious metals, and perhaps other things — chipping out veins of fossilized blood from the rotting gut of a mountain-sized great beast, or tunneling for the root of all evil. The Miner’s gift is the Tappingspeak: by spending one Glamour, the changeling may tap out a coded message on a nearby surface. The message (which cannot be longer than three sentences) travels like vibrations to the intended recipient, as long as there’s a sufficient medium between the two to carry it all the distance (thus, a recipient currently in an airplane could not receive the missive). The range is one mile per point of the Miner’s Wyrd. The recipient automatically understands the meaning of the Tappingspeak, thanks to the Glamour imbedded in the message.
Oracle — Changelings who, like many imps and goblins, can, in a limited way, see the future. The Oracle’s blessing is Panomancy: the changeling can, once per chapter, tell fortunes using any method she wants — tea-leaves, cards, bones, a crystal ball or anything else. The effect works the same as the Common Sense Merit (although the character can buy the Merit as well, if the player wishes).
Smith — Changelings who were forced to labor under the watchful eye of the most unimpeachable Faerie blacksmiths, tinkers and toolmakers. Their blessing is Steel Mastery: the changeling can use his supernatural skill with metallurgy to alter metal objects, improving them, even if improving them would normally be impossible. The player spends one Glamour and makes an extended roll of Dexterity + Crafts, with each roll representing half an hour of tinkering, polishing and hammering. If the changeling manages to gather four successes, he can alter a tool so that it gives a +1 equipment bonus. The item has to mostly be made of metal. The magic wears off after a day. No object this way can be improved more than three times. If the changeling tries to alter an object a fourth time, he destroys the tool, and it can never be used again.
Soldier — Members of the vast goblin hosts of the Fae, the Soldiers fought strange, inconclusive battles and now find that fighting comes easier to them. The Soldiers’ talent is Blade Lore: living and breathing the lore of the blade, the Soldiers of the goblin hosts find it easy to master any weapon that carries an edge. A Soldier is considered to have a Weaponry specialization with any weapon that carries an edge, no matter what it is. This can’t stack with other specializations the changeling may learn.
How the Wizened view
Beasts: No. I’m not talking to you until you’re house-trained.
Darklings: Come on out where I can see you. I think we’ve got a lot we could talk about.
Elementals: Look at you, raw and unshaped. Gorgeous. When they made you, it’s like they unmade you and you came out better for it.
Fairest: If I envied you your pretty face, I wouldn’t tell you. Is there anything more to you that’s actually worth my jealousy?
Ogres: It makes me tense when you act like you’re about to break something. And you always act like you’re about to break something.
Vampires: Those are a bad job, they are. One wonders who decided to make something so dangerous and so flawed.
Werewolves: I don’t know, I don’t want to know. Find a brute or a beast or something if you need someone to talk to them.
Mortals: It doesn’t matter how hard I try, or how much better the work is. It doesn’t last the way it does when you do it.