Changeling

Changeling

The world is not safe.

Others thought it was. Others built, and dreamed, and were destroyed, and for fifty years, Tamarack Falls has been a buried backwater within the Changeling world, the edges of its dangers blunted. There are still signs, here and there, of its past glories in the Hedge, of convenient Gates, of those among the townsfolk who remember well the disappearances, the murders, the quiet exodus of all things fae under the onslaught of unknown designs.

A fragile balance is maintained, has been maintained, for all these years. What few remnants of the Changeling population do exist have spent their strength on stealth and silence, fled, or done what they could to blend with humankind.

In early 2015, a new group of settlers arrived, migrants searching for a place to claim and make their own, and that balance was broken. Accustomed to a strong Freehold, a strong presence, they knew only that a vacancy existed, a vacuum which could be filled with their own hopes, their own dreams, their own future. One by one, they trickled in, a steady flood of fae into an unsteady position, an unsteady land, and it did not take long for them to learn that they were not the first fae creatures to find it.

Wary of what could be, but covetous of solid numbers' safety, the scattered, hidden locals have slowly begun to step into the light, and together, new and old have built a pledge they can agree on, a new Freehold: Fate's Harvest.

The echoes of their arrival have not gone unnoticed.

Theme

What is Changeling like on Fate's Harvest?

Defining theme in a single sentence isn't possible. No one responds identically to the traumas they all experience, but there are general patterns, and they form the norm.

Changelings are, by definition, kidnap victims and former (you hope) slaves whose bodies, minds and spirits have been raped, often violently, by alien, inhuman Fae.

You left Arcadia for a reason.

"What if my Keeper got tired of me and let me go?" you might ask, and that's certainly a possibility, and a sad one, too. How deluded is your Changeling about his place in the world? Does he believe he was set free? Or does he acknowledge that, far more likely, he was discarded as a forgotten toy? Fae don't feel love. They may try, but they are, on the most fundamental levels, not human.

Fate's Harvest in particular has been designed to walk the borders of that darkness. The XP given to characters allows for roleplay on the cusp of that danger so unique to Changelings and so common, ultimately, to all victims: becoming what you hate.

The closest to a single unifying summary of theme would likely be:

"No Changeling is unbroken."

Example Concepts:

Happy Fluffy Bunny - Spring Runnerswift - joined Spring to escape the nightmare of being hunted to exhaustion, fed, petted in her Keeper's arms and chased again. Her happiness is her defiance and her refusal of all things Fae.

Innocent Plaything - Courtless Treasured/Playmate - taken as a preteen, he barely remembered enough of the world to make his escape...and now barely understands the rules of human life. His is the terrible innocence of wild things, of those who simply don't know why one shouldn't take, or speak, or kill.

Mad King - Autumn Troll - a cunning manipulator, he has destroyed three Freeholds from within in his search for a perfect Queen, wielding fear with the precision of a surgeon's blade. The player wants him to be redeemed before it is too late.

SETTING

• Local Lost Lore - Information about the world as Changelings know it.
• Secrecy - Why the Mask is important. How your mask breaches might make the news.
• Freeholds - For the time being, there is only one.

The creation of Fate's Harvest as a Freehold was the impetus for much of the plot in the game, the catalyst, the triggering event, but the results of the troubles to come won't overmuch discriminate between people with protection and people without. Granted, people not in the Freehold won't have said protection...

Staff will consider additional Freeholds once the game's population can support them.

For more detailed information, please check the Fate's Harvest Freehold page.

• Courts & Goodwill - We welcome eight Courts here -- Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter, Dawn, Dusk, Moon, Sun.
• Entitlements - A list of allowed Entitlements.
• Gentry - Scary things. Will steal your soul and remake your mind and body.
• The Hedge
  • Goblin Markets - A list of Goblin Markets.
  • Hedgebeasts - A list of custom Hedgebeasts you may encounter.
  • Trods & Gates - A list of commonly-used trods, gates, and their keys.
• Hangouts - In both the mortal world and the Hedge; players should be able to update the list, maybe using DPL?
• Outside Influences - Any non-local freeholds, NPCs or events relevant to the local lost.

STORIES

• Rumors - Heard something on the street that other Changelings ought to know? Want to advertise a plot? Add a rumor to the Rumors page.
• Plots - Should have sublist of currently running plots with a link to plot guidelines and plot archives and log category maybe?
• Events - Might be a pain in the ass to maintain, but I'm putting in a placeholder all the same.
• Storytellers - Staff who specialize in stories/NPCs for this sphere; players willing to advertise their desire to run for others.

SYSTEMS

• Seemings/Kiths: Clarifications, house rules and maybe even homebrews.
• Contracts: Clarifications, house rules and homebrews.
• Merits: Where House Rules exist for merits, they are written in full on the main merit page.
• Clarity: How does this work with breaking points and integrity?
• Pledges: Clarifications, limitations, house rules and how-tos.
• Hedgespinning: Clarifications, house rules and how-tos.
• Token-Making: Clarifications, house rules and how-tos.
• Goblin Fruit: Clarifications, house rules, how-tos and homebrews.
• Communication: Relevant channels and bulletin boards.
• Commands: Helpful, changeling-specific commands.
• Requests: How to get your jobs where they need to go.

CHARACTERS

• Applications - Page this links to should refer back to main chargen page and include sphere-specific details for changelings, ensorcelled and fae-touched, including extra requirements and background questions. Should included wanted concepts, banned concepts and arcade awarded concepts, if applicable.
• Becomings - How to become a changeling if you're currently a mortal/+. See below for becoming ensorcelled or fae-touched.
• Ensorcelled & Fae-touched - Rules, restrictions and advantages of the minor templates.
• Mien Guidelines
• Motleys
• Active PCs - DPL list of PCs; would prefer a better way to display/sort, but dunno what is possible.
• Active NPCs - List of NPCs with their purposes and staff handlers.