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. Who Can See Me? While not strictly necessary, this is included as a reminder, since staff will be using these in certain plot elements. Obviously, Changelings and Fae-touched and Ensorcelled and Enchanted can all see your fae mien. The following categories may catch a glimpse now and then as well: • Children • The insane (one or more major derangements) • The seventh son of a seventh son/seventh daughter of a seventh daughter • Those born with eyes of two different colors • Drunkards on the night of the full moon (applies to those under the influence of drugs as well) • Anyone who spends a night in a cemetery, sleeping on a grave (applies for one month) • A mortal who eats a goblin fruit (applies for one day) Unless it is a Token, all forms of capturing images, be they digital or old film cameras, only capture the Mask.

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. Guidelines for marketeers and STs. Hedgebeasts - A list of approved Hedgebeast stats. Hobgoblins: A list of approved Hobgoblins, custom and not. Trods & Gates - A list of commonly-used trods, gates, and their keys. Hangouts - In both the mortal world and the Hedge 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: - TBD! Sublist of currently running plots with a link to plot guidelines and plot archives and log category. Storytellers - Staff who specialize in stories/NPCs for this sphere; players willing to advertise their desire to run for others. SYSTEMS Clarity: Breaking Points and how this is handled. Commands: Check '+help mask' and the fae-desc/short-mien on the Description page. Communication: Relevant channels and bboards. Contracts: Clarifications, house rules and homebrews. Entitlements: A list of allowed Entitlements and page numbers, and requirements for acquiring one. Fetches: Clarifications, house rules and policies. Goblin Contracts: Clarifications, house rules and homebrews. Goblin Fruit: Clarifications, house rules, how-tos and homebrews. Hedge Duels: Clarifications, house rules, how-tos. Hedgespinning: Clarifications, house rules and how-tos. Hollow Gardens: How to grow goblin fruit in your Hollow. Seemings/Kiths: Clarifications, house rules and homebrews. Also includes High Wyrd information Merits: Where House Rules exist for merits, they are written in full on the main merit page. Pledges: Clarifications, limitations, house rules and how-tos. Requests: In most cases, any requests which have anything at all to do with fae topics should go to +req/fae. The exceptions to this would be that Pledges are kept separate with +req/pledge, Goblin Market NPCs/scene requests go in +req/market and Hollows are requested like any other build project, with +req/build. Tokens & Token-Making: Clarifications, house rules and how-tos. CHARACTERS Applications - How to apply for changelings, fae-touched, enchanted, and ensorcelled. 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. Fetches/Applications - How to apply to play fetches. Fetches/Becoming - How to 'become' a fetch, i.e. realise that your entire mortal life has been a lie, and you are nothing more than an enchanted copy of a stolen life. Mien Guidelines - What you should look like at certain Wyrd levels. Check out Description for information on how to set up your Changeling's description. Motleys - Active motley pages! See any you'd like to join?

ACTIVE PCS

Spring Court Agnes Agnarsson Cardinal Carter Logan Czcibor Kowal Joachim Chevalier Kira Fry Lolly Mariam Kore	Summer Court Adithan Varma Alexander Calliope Kraus Christine Waters Damion King Duncan Morrow Jasper Alexander Sophia Caruso Tasia Alexander Thea	Autumn Court Alexander Almaden Esposito Ambrosia Duponte Ben Utridge Daniel Dross Erebos Gert Wexley Hien Isadora Jacob "Jack" Ortega Baldwin Kelsey Williams Michelle Hawthorne Poppy Devereux Steph Garreau Vo
Winter Court Clarice Hudson Count Kiril Morozov Nathania Winters Saga Skoglund	Dawn Court C. J. Grillo Logan Brenner Lulu November	Dusk Court Phillipe Boudreau Ridley Walkyer Veech
Moon Court Ink Jenny Noname Marcus Alexander Rocco Campbell Tom O'Leary Uschi Zillah Grimes	Sun Court Ashoka	Courtless Amity Millikan Briar CB Alexander Chloe Vandermeer Ishmael Itsuki Kip Misty Miller Nuit Zachary Lee
Ensorcelled Audrey Wilson Franklyn Garreau	Fae-Touched none

ACTIVE NPCS

Spring Court Reginald Pook	Summer Court Martin Bergman Meredith Ryan Samantha Whitaker	Autumn Court August Bordeaux Marc Wright
Winter Court Charlie O	Dawn Court Heather Vale	Dusk Court Katie Jones
Moon Court Tracy MacGregor	Sun Court Helah Morgenstern	Courtless none
Ensorcelled none	Fae-Touched none