The Seemings
Please note that the relation between Seeming and changeling changes in Second Edition: Whereas in 1E it was the "model" that your Keeper made you, in 2E it can develop as a result of what happened to you in Arcadia, how you escaped, or how you approach the world now. Hence, every Seeming will have two versions, one for each edition.
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Lost in general
- Alien Abduction: Every Changeling has a supernatural variant of this as her backstory. Some actually manage to talk about their pasts in groups by interpreting the Fae as aliens.
- Bargain with Heaven: The Changelings' powers, fittingly known as "Contracts", aren't actually innate abilities, but literal contracts they made with incarnations of various elements in the world; for example, a Changeling who seems fireproof actually made a contract with fire itself to be protected against it, and the various Seasonal Courts contracts were created by the Courts' respective founders making contracts with the seasons.
- Changeling Tale: Obviously the basis behind the Fae abducting them and replacing them with Fetch. In an interesting twist, the Changelings are the people abducted rather than the replicates left behind, and being abducted as a baby or child, while it does occur, is fairly rare; the Gentry usually prefers taking full-grown or at least teenagers, since those are more likely to survive the experience in Arcadia.
- Crazy Sane: In 2e, Clarity is a measure of this versus actual delusional beliefs and refusal to acknowledge the reality of the world. Part of the problem is that many changeling hallucinations are actually prophetic visions, and so a high-Clarity changeling still sees the world in a different way-it's just that her view of the world is actually more accurate than that of everyone else's.
- Creative Sterility: At least when it comes to children; whatever transformation the Fae make Changelings go through leave them virtually unable to have children (only about one in a hundred possess any degree of fertility at all). This is the reason they are forced to keep abducting more of them instead of merely breeding new ones from the stock they already have.
- Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Dropping the Mask becomes this in 2e; just by spending 1 Glamour and discarding his human disguise, the Changeling gets automatic exceptional success on all his Contracts, effectively allowing him to use his abilities at full power, but doing so also opens all the nearby gates to the Hedge, and warns the Huntsmen of his presence.
- Dream Walker: Changelings have the ability to practice a form of magic known as Oneiromancy, which allows them to enter in people's dreams and manipulate them. This can serve a variety of purposes, from just provoking an emotion in someone in order to harvest Glamour to just altering the person's dreams into something better as part of a Pledge.
- Emotion Eater: The main way Changelings can recover Glamour is by causing specific emotions to mortals, then feeding on the energy released by that emotion.
- Escape Artist: Changeling can open gates to the Hedge from practically any area as long as there is some form of issue such as a window, meaning no room can keep them imprisoned, and, starting with 2E, now possess the ability to automatically escape any form of bond or restrain, effectively making them masters of escape.
- Glamour: Aside from their Mana being named after this, Changelings also all share an ability known as the Mask, which allows them to appear completely human to regular mortals. Not only that, but it also makes them look like regular humans to other types of supernatural as well; only beings with a connection to the Wyrd can see their true form.
- Glamour Failure: While the Mask is one of the most effective disguises in the setting (preceded only by the Demons' Covers), it does have its flaws, and tends to show subtle signs of the Lost's true nature, such as a Beast changeling having slightly animal eyes or a wood Elemental having skin with some wood-like texture.
- Healing Potion: A variant; because Changelings lack a Healing Factor like most supernatural templates have, they make up for it by carrying "Goblin Fruits", strange fruits harvested from the Hedge which can have a wide variety of effects. One of the most common effects they have is to heal damages for whoever eats them, allowing the Lost to quickly recover when injured.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: While evil or crazy Changelings aren't unheard of, the Lost are, overall, among the least evil supernaturals in the setting; the large majority of them just want to live their life without having to ever be the True Fae's slaves again, and some of them even want to stop the True Fae. Unfortunately, most Hunters believe them to either be the actual evil fairies or the scouts for an Alien Invasion, and Changelings who try to return to their families usually end up looking like the bad guys when they try to murder their Fetch.
- Kryptonite Factor: Downplayed; unlike True Fae, Cold Iron doesn't inflict aggravated damages to Changelings, but it does bypass any kind of Fae power they can usually rely on to protect themselves, such as Contracts and fae armors. Fortunately for them, it needs to be at least 95% pure iron to actually qualify, and such a material has become rare in the modern era. Played straighter in 2E, where regular iron has the above mentioned effect, but true Cold Iron does inflict them aggravated damages, though the conditions for it to work make it even rarer.
- Long-Lived: Their Wyrd gradually increase their lifepspan, potentially allowing them to survive centuries, if not longer.
- Magically-Binding Contract: Changelings have the ability to make "Pledges" with mortals and other supernaturals or Changelings, which are enforced by the Wyrd. While it's technically possible to break them, doing so causes devastating sanctions to whoever broke the Oath.
- Mind Rape: 2E adds the option of Ravaging, which is taking the capacity to feel emotion in order to fill Glamour completely. Unsurprisingly, it's an automatic Clarity drop as the unfortunate Ravaged becomes borderline catatonically depressed until he grows back what the Lost took.
- Our Fairies Are Different: For starters, they are not born fairies; they are humans who were abducted and reshaped into faeric beings by the True Fae, then made their way back to the normal world. Their appearance and abilities varies widely according to their Seeming, covering about every existing archetype. Their magic is powered by an energy known as Glamour, which they harvest through emotions, and most of their various supernatural powers actually are bargains made with the world. Finally, they have a supernatural ability known as the Mask, allowing them to look human in the eyes of mortals and most supernaturals.
- Properly Paranoid: Changelings have a tendency for distrust and paranoia that would put vampires to shame; they can barely trust each others without Pledges, and are even less likely to trust other supernaturals. However, they are trying to run away from insane all-powerful masters who have agents everywhere, could come to grab them at any moment, and this very paranoia means some of them will indeed break a deal on a whim, so this concern is pretty funded.
- Seers: All changelings can pull this off using Kenning, though it's easier in 2E.
- Squishy Wizard: Not as bad as the actual wizards of the game, since they at least get some small physical enhancements compared to humans, but Changelings still get injuries the same way humans do when they don't have a Contract to protect them, and are one of the few supernatural templates with a distinct lack of Healing Factor, forcing them to make up for it with Goblin Fruits. Averted in 2E, where Kith and Seeming Blessing are made much more powerful, potentially making them deadly even without Contracts.
- Took a Level in Badass: Like Vampires before them, Changelings become considerably more powerful in 2E, where they now are natural Escape Artists, become Long-Lived much sooner and gain a Dangerous Forbidden Technique in their ability to drop the Mask.
- Was Once a Man: As noted above, all Changeling were once humans before the True Fae turned them into what they are now.
Beasts
In 1E: Those who were transformed into animals by their keepers. This Seeming includes those who are associated with real-life animals such as hounds, lions, and eagles, as well as those associated with fictional or mythical animals such as griffins, mermaids and sphinxes. Beasts gain supernatural composure and animal magnetism from their Seeming, but lose some of their mental ability as they have had trouble regaining their human faculties.
In 2E: Mostly the same as above; While not necessarily mindless, Beasts didn't give much thought to long-term plans, and many of them still don't. They can lose Clarity when their haste results in tragic consequences for someone else.
- Animorphism: Both editions (the final Clause of Fang and Talon in 1E, the Talon and Wings and Chrysalis Contracts in 2E) grant them the ability to shapeshift, both partially and fully, into animals.
- A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: Their Curse in 2E; since Beasts still are animalistic to an extent, they tend to act on instinct, without thinking too much of the consequences, and bad things happen to their Clarity when this backfires.
- Beast Man: Their most recognizabe trait. Each Beast has an overall humanoid appearance, but at least some animal features. How animal-looking they are depend on the individual and Kith, as well as how high their Wyrd is.
- The Beastmaster: In 1E, they get an affinity for animals similar to their aspect, and their signature Contract, Fang and Talon, focuses partially around interacting with animals.
- Book Dumb: Their weakness in 1E. Beasts can be very smart and cunning, but they have a hard time thinking truly like humans, making it difficult for them to use mental skills or their Intelligence Attribute. Downplayed in 2E, where they can be intellectual and as well-educated as humans, but still have an inclination to act on instinct and not think of the long-term consequences.
- Lightning Bruiser: In 2E, their Blessing grants them a permanent boost in Initiative and Speed as well as the ability to inflict lethal damages in melee, meaning they now move faster than average and can rip you apart with their bare hands. This is also reflected in their new favored Regalia, Steed, which focuses on movement (thus allowing to move through longer distances in shorter time) and shapeshifting into animals (meaning they can easily assume the forms of stronger animals if needed). Along with Ogres, they are one of the most likely Seeming to make good hand-to-hand fighters.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: The first clause of Fangs and Talon in 1E gives them the ability to communicate with animals. This is dropped in 2E, where they can still have it, but it no longer is their signature affinity.
Kiths associated with this Seeming in 1st edition include:
- Broadbacks: Changelings transformed into oxen, elephants, goats, and other stubborn, durable creatures.
- Chimeras: Mix-and-match creatures who, because of their fantastical nature, get along with hobgoblins. This Kith was updated for 2e in the Dark Ages 2 supplement.
- Cleareyes: Beasts renowned for their senses, such as hawks, bloodhounds, hares, or sharks.
- Coldscales: Lizards, serpents, and other cold-blooded reptilian beasts.
- Coyotes: Clever tricksters inspired by the Coyote myths of the American southwest.
- Hunterhearts: Predators, dangerous herbivores, and other creatures with built-in weaponry of claw, fang, or horn. This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Nixes: River-mermaids with intoxicating voices.
- Riddleseekers: Cunning and wise Changelings inspired by sphynxes, raccoons, or the like.
- Roteaters: Earthworms, vultures, flesh-eating insects, and other carrion-eating beasts.
- Runnerswifts: Rabbits, gazelles, cheetahs, and other creatures of remarkable speed.
- Skitterskulks: Creepy-crawlies or other creatures with jittering reflexes.
- Steepscramblers: Spiders, monkeys, squirrels, and other climbing animals.
- Swimmerskins: Aquatic and water-loving creatures such as fish, otters, whales, and crustaceans.
- Truefriends: Pets, pack animals, or others emphasizing loyalty to others.
- Venombites: Poisonous animals — snakes, spiders, fugu, and scorpions.
- Windwings: Flying or gliding animals. Literal batmen, flying squirrels, birds, and flying insects.
Darklings
1E: Often taken for breaking some obscure or arcane law of the Fae, Darklings were taken to lands of nightmare to become nightmares themselves. Boogeymen, face-changers, gargoyles, succubi, and scholars of lore mankind ought not know make up the ranks of this Seeming. Darklings are witty and adept at lying and hiding, but find their magic less effective during daylight hours, due to their bond to the darkness.
2E: Those who escaped by being a Guile Hero, Darklings enjoy their ability to go unnoticed and learn many secrets. They lose Clarity when something important or secret that they knew turns out to be false.
- Creepy Good: By far the spookiest-looking of the Lost, but they are just as capable of being nice as any other Seeming.
- Casting a Shadow: Averted by their signature Contract, the Contracts of Darkness, which is more about the subtle fears of night. That said, Darklings can purchase the Contracts of Elements (see below) for shadow, and many do.
- Dark Is Not Evil: They are called Darkling, tend to have shadowy, incorporeal forms, and their main Contract, fittingly named Darkness, focuses around using the shadows and scaring people, but they aren't any eviller than other Changelings. Emphasized in 2E, as described above.
- Guile Hero: Their primary hat in 2E; Darkling's primary Regalia focus on collecting informations and sneaking around, they evaded Arcadia by using their guile, and they are known to usually be very secretive.
- Knowledge Broker: 2E empasizes this aspect of them, giving them an affinity for the Mirrors Regalia, which focuses on collecting and gaining knowledge.
- Master of Disguise: In, 1E, the Mirroskin Kith, which covers Changelings with Humanshifting, was associated with them. In 2E, their signature Regalia, Mirrors, covers both Riddle-Kith (which allows them to disguise as a different Seeming) and Skinmask (which allows them to copy the appearance of someone else).
- Stealth Expert: Obviously, they are really good at sneaking around and hiding. In 1E, the second clause of Darkness allows them to reinforce their ability to go unnoticed. In 2E, they can quite literally merge with anything insubstancial, making it really easy for them to hide.
- Super Smoke: Their Blessing in 2E is a larger variant of this trope, granting them the ability to temporarily merge with something insubstancial, inluding smoke, but also shadows, sunbeams or whatever fits that description.
- Terror Hero: They are the best-fitted for accomplishing this function. In 1E, the Contract of Darkness covers multiple clauses focused on using people's fear against themselves, including making them more vulnerable to intimidation and using their fear to paralyze them.
- Things That Go "Bump" in the Night: Darklings represent the "creepy" type of fairies, the ones who hide under the bed or stalk you at night.
- Wall Crawl: In 1E, One of the clauses in the Contract of Darkness allow them to borrow a spider's ability to scale surfaces.
- Weakened by the Light: Their weakness in 1E; their Contracts get weaker whenever they try to use them during daylight hours.
Kiths associated with this Seeming in 1st edition include:
- Antiquarians: Keepers of ancient lore and forgotten knowledge. This Kith was updated for 2e in the Dark Ages 2 supplement.
- Gravewights: Liches, zombies, voodoo barons, and others with ties to death and the undead
- Illes: Disgusting trolls who have the ability to project false beauty.
- Leechfingers: Soul-suckers, breath-stealers and blood-drinkers — fae vampires and leanansidhe. This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Lurkers: Master thieves and pickpockets of the Victorian age.
- Lurkgliders: Gargoyles and flying terrors.
- Mirrorskins: Shapeshifters and face-changers. This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Moonborn: Children of the moon with infectious madness.
- Nightsingers: Creepy players of "the music of the night". This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Palewraiths: Spectres, shadows, and spies who can lurk in any shadow.
- Pishacha: Bizarre madness-inducing creatures who you do not want to french kiss
- Razorhands: Freddy-style knife-fingered nightmares.
- Skogsra: Animal-controlling forest-dwellers.
- Tunnelgrubs: Things that crawl and squirm below the ground.
- Whisperwisps: Spies and rumor-whisperers.
Elementals
1E: Humans taken and transformed into inanimate "things" — statues, snowdrifts, pools, streams, puffs of air, dolls, and other, more obscure items and substances. Connected as they are to the "bones of the earth," to the most primal, basic, and often durable of substances, Elementals have the ability to endure stunning amounts of punishment and damage, but they have trouble dealing with and understanding humans. How do you identify with standard-issue mortals when you've spent time as a tree, or a bonfire, or the sky itself?
2E: Elementals were forced to obey the wishes of the Gentry, acting as living objects for their amusement. They enjoy the freedom that comes with being unrestrained and lose Clarity when someone forces them to do something.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: In 2E, their signature Regalia, Sword, is heavily about inflicting as much damage as possible to the opponent as well as using Unstoppable Rage. Beasts and Ogre might be the most efficient hand-to-hand fighters, but Elementals are the best at hurting the opponent.
- Elemental Armor: Both editions grant them two variants of this; the Second Clause from the Contract of the Elements in 1E and Primal Glory from 2E both allows them to shape an element into an armor that also hurts whoever tries to attack them in melee, while their Blessing in 1E and the Elemental Warrior merit in 2E can both be used to increase their Health using their Element.
- Elemental Embodiment: They have essentially been turned into this by their Keepers. The final clause of the Contract of Element allows them to fully become this, essentially becoming one with their element.
- Elemental Powers: Their signature Contract in 1E, Element, allows them to get powers over various elements, though they typically only have one at the time (having power over multiple elements requires buying the Contract multiple times). Notably, they are not limited to the four traditional elements — they can cover pretty much anything, including wood or even artificial materials like plastic and cement.
- In 2E, their Blessing now grant them the ability to manipulate the element they are made of without the need for Contracts, though this does little more gameplay-wise other than allowing them to accomplish mundane actions from a distance. Truly impressive feats (such as creating a weapon or armor from it) still require the Elemental Warrior Merit or Contracts from the Sword Regalia.
- Made of Iron: Their Blessing in 1E. Since they are made of elements, they can use this to increase their health bar, making them really hard to kill.
- Nature Spirit: Not spirits per se, but they are firmly themed after the "Nature Spirit" fairy archetype, wich many of them looking like dryads, naiads, or similar creatures.
- No Social Skills: Their weakness in 1E. Because they have spent so much time as non-human things, they have a hard time reconnecting with humanity, giving them penarties in Social rolls.
Kiths associated with this Seeming in 1st edition include:
- Airtouched (air)
- Apsaras (watery tarts who induce lust)
- Ask-wee-da-eed (Will-o'-the-Wisps who bring bad luck)
- Blightbent (pollution)
- Di-cang (jeweled Bodhisattvas who ease pain and... uh, break into things)
- Earthbones (earth and stone)
- Fireheart (fire)
- Levinquick (electricity)
- Manikin (man-made items)
- Metalflesh (metal)
- Sandharrowed (sand)
- Snowskin (cold) — This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Waterborn (water) — This Kith was updated for 2e in the Dark Ages 2 supplement, renamed as the Nymph.
- Woodblood (plants) — This Kith was updated for 2e in the Dark Ages 2 supplement, renamed as the Dryad.
Fairest
1E: The Fairest Of Them All. Mortals taken by the Fae and sculpted into images of beauty (or, at least, of intriguing attractiveness), then kept in torturous ecstasy by their keepers. The Fairest were often used as pleasure slaves or concubines by the Fae. Others were singers and dancers, or cast as statues to be viewed and enjoyed by the Gentry. A rare few (especially of the Draconic kith) were warrior-artists or magical monsters like dragons and chimeras. Due to their preternatural beauty and grace, Fairest wield advanced presence, persuasive skill, and social poise, but their separation from humanity (and, in some ways, from other Lost) tends to hasten their descent into madness.
2E: The Royals Who Actually Do Something. Fairest escaped through leadership, and to a certain extent martyrdom, and so the Wyrd gave them the mien of the ideal leaders they desperately want to be. Fairest, one part All-Loving Hero and one part Control Freak, enjoy life by appearing right and directing their fellows to glory (even if the Fairest has doubts about actually being right or not)...and risk losing Clarity when they screw up.
- Animal Motifs: Their symbol resembles a peacock feather.
- Beauty Is Bad: In 1E; Fairest have a strong tendency to be capricious and manipulative, and their weakness causes Clarity to go down faster for them. Downplayed in 2E, where less emphasis is put on their manipulative side to instead focus on them as idealized leaders.
- The Beautiful Elite: In 1E, Fairest are defined by their beauty, and the fact they believe it gives them the right to rule. Inverted in 2E, where their "elite" qualities is what made them beautiful.
- Brainless Beauty: Frequently stereotyped as not too bright among Changelings. While some of them indeed are, this is largely a misconception; plenty of Fairest actually are very smart.
- Divine Right of Kings: Basically the concept behind their signature Regalia in 2E; the Crown Regalia is themed after Royals' right to rule and privileges, hence why it gives them the ability to compel.
- Honorary Princess: They are heavily themed after the Princesses and Queens of fairy tales, with their name coming from the famous "Fairest of them all" line from Snow-White. Emphasized in 2E, where their Regalia is named "Crown" and grants abilities based on royal privileges.
- Glamour: They can also spend Glamour to enhance their social skills in 1E, and their signature Contract in 1E, Vainglory, focuses around making them compelling to others. The Crown Regalia in 2E fulfill a similar function, though it's more about compelling things in general rather than just people.
- Manipulative Bastard: In 1E, they really are inclined to use their charm to manipulate people. Downplayed in 2E, as they struggle to use their Blessing on those who distrust them, but still there.
- Our Elves Are Different: They share many of the characterizations commonly associated with elves, including being beautiful, charismatic and arrogant.
- Rebellious Princess: A common theme with them; many Fairest were actually taken preciously care of by their Keepers with comfort, at the cause of having zero freedom or identity and being basically treated like pretty things to show off- resulting in them rebelling and escaping so they could actually be themselves.
- Took a Level in Kindness: They are depicted as considerably more sympathetic in 2E, evolving from the incarnation of Beauty Is Bad to idealized leaders.
Kiths associated with this Seeming in 1st edition include:
- Bright Ones (embodiments of light). This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Dancers (lithe, nearly disturbing, avatars of grace).
- Draconics (glorious beasts like dragons, chimerae, manticores and the like).
- Flamesirens (the entrancing beauty of fire).
- Flowering (blossoming beauties whose musk makes them very... persuasive).
- Gandharva (eloquent androgynes).
- Larcenists (thieves and dashing highwaymen).
- Minstrels (musical performers).
- Muses (those used to inspire others). This Kith was updated for 2e in the Dark Ages 2 supplement.
- Playmates ("best friends" of a childish True Fae). This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Polychromatics (living embodiments of the shifting rainbow).
- Romancers (idealized lovers who can look like whatever you find most appealing).
- Shadowsouls (seductive darkness).
- Succubi (or Incubi) (beautiful seducers).
- Telluric (stars and the celestial bodies).
- Treasured (living trophies).
- Weisse Frau (gentle protectors).
Ogres
1E: Victims of monstrous brutality, Ogres had to become brutal monsters to survive. Often, but not always, big and imposing, Ogres can be cunning cyclopes, massive giants, nimble and bloodthirsty redcaps, or surly trolls. Their strength and fighting skill have been boosted by their Durances, and they can be terrifying when they wish, but the workings of the Others can leave them gullible and sometimes dull-witted, often with short tempers.
2E: Having been terrifying thugs for the Gentry for a long time, Ogres work best when they use their powers to help others. They lose Clarity when they scare away someone they don't consider an enemy.
- The Atoner: A core theme for them in 2E; they were once essentially used as The Horde by the True Fae, and, after rebelling, try to use their powers to help others.
- Beware the Nice Ones: In 2E. Ogres wish to prove they can behave honorably and protect others, and thus usually prefer not to fight on the drop of a hat, but get them angry and it will be painful.
- Big Eater: Ogres typically are known for having a spectacular appetite. In 1E, one of the abilities granted by the Contract of Stone allows them to take advantage on this by using the large amounts of food and drink they consume to heal faster.
- The Big Guy: By far the most physical-oriented of the Lost in 1E. Downplayed in 2E, where Beasts and Elementals can actually rival with them.
- Combat Medic: In 2E, surprisingly, to match their new theme as The Atoner; they still retain their "brutish thug" aesthetic, and their Seeming Blessing basically allows them to inflict a non-lethal version of One-Hit Kill, but their signature Regalia, Shield, primarily is about protecting and attending to others.
- Dumb Muscle: In 1E; They aren't always completely stupid, but they still tend to be rather dull-witted and easy to manipulate.
- Genius Bruiser: The aforementioned Dumb Muscle weakness manifests as a penalty to Composure, though; Ogres can and do have scholars among them (Witchteeth are an explicit call-out to hale-bodied hags and sorcerous giants with mystical skills as grand as their muscle). In 2E, made far more feasible by the widening of "violence" as a category; it can be social or mental just as easily.
- I Am a Humanitarian: Sadly, they are prone to frequently develop a taste for human flesh in 1E. Less present in 2E, however.
- The Horde: Defied in 2E; their Keepers essentially forced them into being this trope, and they rebelled in an attempt to be better than that.
- One-Hit Kill: Downplayed. The Blessing of Ogres in 2E is to instantly inflict Beaten Down (effectively so dazed you are unable to defend yourself or even move) with even a single point of bashing damage, with no Glamour cost if fighting for the sake of another. Yeah, it only lasts three turns, but in the Chronicles combat engine that might as well be instant loss.
- Our Ogres Are Hungrier: They are Changelings who were warped into tough, brutish monsters by their Keepers. They follow most of the characterizations associated with the trope, including eating human flesh and limited intelligence. Interestingly, they aren't brutish barbarians- they were forced into that role by their Keepers and wish to go against it.
- Our Trolls Are Different: As noted below, Trolls are one of the Kith associated with Ogres.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: Especially in 2E, as would-be thugs of the Fae who rebelled upon realizing they were being used as savage, honorless thugs.
- Super-Strength: Their signature 1E Contract, Stone, mostly grants them the ability to enhance their strength. In 2E, this is reflected by their Kith ability allowing them to quickly beat almost anyone into submission.
Kiths associated with this Seeming in 1st edition include:
- Bloodbrutes are survivors of Arcadian gladiatorial arenas and wrestling rings.
- Corpsegrinders were fed on death.
- Cyclopeans are Ogres with preternaturally accurate senses, though they are often maimed or handicapped in some way.
- Daitya are giants who rend and tear with supernatural ease.
- Farwalkers are bestial Ogres of the wilderness.
- Gargantuans are giants even among Ogres.
- Gristlegrinders are gifted and cursed with gnashing maws (and often a matching hunger for flesh). This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Oni are Japanese demons who gain power from the blood of the sinful.
- Renders can destroy almost anything they touch, a legacy of their time as laborers with no tools save their hands, or as living siege weapons.
- Stonebones display the toughness of a mountain cliff-side.
- Trolls are manipulative brutes.
- Water-Dwellers are amphibious Ogres.
- Witchteeth are Ogres who have proven more receptive to the mystical side of their Faerie nature, embodying the cruel man-eating witch and the magic-wielding giant of old lore.
Wizened
1E: The Wizened endured endless tortures, then lives of undignified, often pointless drudgery, at the hands of their Keepers. They cleaned the houses, dens, or lairs of their Fae captors, crafted tools and machines, healed (or helped to alter) other Changeling captives, and sometimes served as butlers or cooks in the Fae households. Each Wizened has been "reduced" in some way — height, weight, size, or sheer physical presence has been shrunk. Some are dwarfish, others unnaturally thin, and still others seem less "real" than other people. Wizened are clever and nimble, often able to dodge attacks with unbelievable skill, but most are spiteful, shy, or otherwise have trouble dealing with people.
2E: Wizened had to become the smartest around in order to escape their masters, who frequently pointed out smudges and spots and flaws that weren't there before. They lose Clarity when an unpleasant surprise takes them off-guard.
- Alchemy Is Magic: In the "transmutation" sense; their Seeming ability in 2E allows them to convert one material into another as long as they have tools to craft the material with; for example, it's possible to them to spin straws into gold using a spinning wheel.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Other Changelings tend to look down to them because of their small size and shyness. Downplayed in 2E, where they do not seem to get any less respect than other Seemings.
- Gadgeteer Genius: The five-dot level of Artifice in 1E/Tatterdemalion's Workshop Contract in 2E allow them to build incredible devices from scraps in the blink of an eye, though there needs to be some logic; for example, they can build a hovercraft using pieces from a motorbike, but building a nuclear bomb will require plutonium. Played up in 2E, where their Archetype gets an emphasis as the crazy artisans and inventors.
- MacGyvering: The Tatterdemalion's Workshop Contract allows them to build anything quickly with random materials and tools at their disposal.
- The Greys: A very frequent appearance for them. Their description in the 1E book explicitly makes a parallel between the two.
- Hollywood Cyborg: One look for them is to have their tools of the trade merged with their flesh for easy access.
- Mr. Fixit: They are skilled at repairing things, both because of their agility and the abilities granted by their signature Contract. They are frequently associated with the stories about little gnomes and imps who hide in people's houses and fix their belongings while they sleep.
- Our Gnomes Are Weirder: While not named Gnomes, they do fit a lot of archetypes associated with them, including often being small-sized and best-known for their smart and craft.
Kiths associated with this Seeming in 1st edition include:
- Artists (obsessive craftsmen). This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Authors (master polyglots).
- Brewers (creators of heady and potent potables).
- Chatelaines (impeccably-mannered valets and diplomats). This Kith was later updated for the 2e core book.
- Chirurgeons (unrivaled doctors and surgeons).
- Drudges (swift but overlooked workers).
- Gameplayers (clever masters of trivial pursuits).
- Gremlins (tinkerers who render equipment useless).
- Inventors (makers of technological wonders).
- Miners (telegraphing without the telegraph).
- Oracles (fortunetellers).
- Pamarindo (greasy but sustaining epicures).
- Smiths (forgers of magical tools).
- Soldiers (battle-scarred swordsmen).
- Talespinners (Storytellers and Tropemasters).
- Thussers (mesmerizing musicians).
- Woodwalkers (survivors of alien wildernesses).
Grimms
Members of a new Seeming created for Second Edition, Grimm changelings escaped by subsuming themselves into a role of the story — the prince who rescues his princess and returns Home happily ever after, the warrior who leaves his home to wander the earth, or the like. This gives them a strong tie to stories, tropes, and roles in general. They can assume similar roles after their escape to guide fate and gain benefits, but while in a role they suffer a Breaking Point for acting outside of that character. When they're not invested in a role, their Mien tends to reflect writings, paper, and ink.
- Ambiguous Situation: Grimms had the unfortunate timing of being made for a book before the gameline they were for was fully developed. At the time of their conception, development blogs had been released for the rest of the Seemings and Grimms fit in well. Unfortunately for them, Changeling's development team changed over between Dark Eras and the proper release of Second Edition and most of the system got another rewrite. The changes to Clarity, and the Seemings as a whole, means that Grimms as written don't fit into either First or Second Edition; it also doesn't help that Beasts in Second Edition have the nickname of "Grims".
- Badass Bookworm: You can always pick one out by the amount of reading and writing they're doing, and as a changeling, they've got some tricks up their sleeves.
- Man of a Thousand Faces: The same Grimm can play a LOT of different roles, from the Prince to the Princess, from Cinderella to Sinbad, and they can pull off every single look.
- Only Sane Man: If someone treats them as the role they are currently in, they regain Clarity. As such, they tend to have a much clearer view of the world than everyone else.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When the Grimms don't stay in character, they tend to lose Clarity, and fast.
Kiths (2E)
Where in 1st Edition the Kiths are the subclasses into which each Seeming is divided, in 2E they are specializations that can be applied to a changeling of any Seeming and which can come about as a result of the Keeper designing the changeling for a specific purpose, as a result of some special circumstance in the changeling's escape, or simply as a result of the way the changeling took to Fae. All kiths have a lowered threshold for exceptional success in some circumstance, as well as a unique power.
- Humanshifting: This is the power of the Mirrorskins, who can rearrange their Mask to give themselves new appearances as needed.
- Intangibility: Helldivers have the ability to phase into an ethereal state, in which they can only touch or be touched by other ethereal beings (ghosts, spirits, astral projections, etc.)
- Light 'em Up: Bright Ones, changelings who generate light and are often used by the Keepers as living lamps.
- Totally Not a Werewolf: Leechfingers, changelings created by the Gentry to mimic vampires since they couldn't make changelings out of actual vampires.
The Courts
The courts are the primary structure of Changeling society, bound together by a shared philosophy and a supernatural pact with an aspect of the world to help ward of the Gentry. Each court also draws power from a specific emotion, such as fear, suffering, joy, desire, sorrow, honor, disgust, wrath, etc. Members of a particular court have an easier time harvesting glamour from that courts' associated emotion. Each court system shares power by one means or another, as this helps to further ward off the Gentry, who can't comprehend the idea of sharing power. More than that, however, each Court also has a Bargain with the Wyrd itself, forcing the True Fae to play by their rules...so long as the Courts themselves obey the rules.
The Seasonal Courts
The default court structure in western Europe and most of North America, these courts share power, handing off control at the end of their given season in order to confuse the True Fae... or at least, that's the intention.
Spring Court
The court of Desire, the Spring court believes in integrating into the mortal world and delving into their wants and needs wholeheartedly. The assumption is that the Fae will return expecting to see broken-down wretches, and finding happy (or at least well-entertained) party animals will throw them off. The court's powers involve finding and manipulating other peoples' desires as well as growth, healing, rain, and inspiration. If one overlays the Courts over the stages of grief, they represent Denial.
- Angst? What Angst?: Invoked; Their whole thing is to give their members genuine cause to say this-the Keepers want to convince them life on Earth cannot compare to Arcadia, so the Spring Court cheerfully organizes itself around proving that is a lie.
- For Happiness: Their guiding ethical philosophy. The Court of Spring actively encourage its Courtiers to seek happiness and move on from all they suffered in Arcadia. When ruling, they usually focus on entertaining and ensuring the happiness of the Freehold.
- Green Thumb: Eternal Spring can grant the ability to grow plants over an entire area and use the resulting roots to entrap opponents.
- Healing Hands: The Contracts of Eternal Spring cover several abilities allowing them to invoke Spring's renewal in order to heal people.
- Make a Wish: Since their signature emotion is desire, Fleeting Spring can be used to create an object desired by another person, effectively allowing them to grant wishes to some extent.
- The Hedonist: That's a given, seeing as they feed on desires. The Spring Court tries to deal with the trauma of their trip in Arcadia by moving on and embracing a new life full of desires.
- The Social Expert: The abilities granted by their Mantle primarily focus on granting them Social Merits and enhancing their socialize rolls, to reflect their ability to better reintegrate human society.
- Too Kinky to Torture: Not all of them per se, but Mortal Remains mentions one particular Spring Queen who managed to frighten the Ashwood Abbey simply through her fetishes that she showed to them to feed on their desire. The fetishes she willingly demonstrated.
- Truce Zone: Their Bargain allows them to turn the Freehold into this; as long as the Spring Court is ruling, the Gentry and their servants cannot attempt any hostile actions against Changelings, unless doing so is their deepest desire.
- Weather Manipulation: One of their Eternal Spring powers is to conjure a rainstorm — anything from a gentle drizzle to a hurricane, depending on how much power the Changeling puts into it and how long they focus on the effect.
Maria Thorne
The "leader" of the Spring Court in the Miami Freehold.- Puppet King: She's really a patsy Grandfather Thunder put up to avoid wrecking the Court system completely, and everyone knows it.
Rose Thorne
The leader-in-exile of the Miami Spring Court, and possible mother of Maria Thorne.Summer Court
Members of the Court of Wrath know that the Others are always out there, and the courtiers plan to be ready to take the fight to their erstwhile masters when they come back. They train hard so that they can stay safe by fighting off the Others when they come, or at least make themselves less attractive targets. Their Contracts can detect, redirect, and quell anger, as well as manipulating heat and sunlight and generally improving combat capabilities. The court represents the Anger stage of grief.
- Do Not Go Gentle: The core element of their philosophy. They know the True Fae are still out there and might come to take them back, but they are not returning to Arcadia without a fight.
- Heroic Willpower: One of the abilities granted by their Mantle is to increase the bonus they get when spending Willpower to boost their Strength-related actions.
- Light 'em Up: Many powers granted by the Contracts of Eternal Summer are light-based, including irradiating themselves with light, generating light to reveal hidden or disguised supernaturals, and creating a beam of white-hot sunlight to sear their enemies.
- Made of Iron: Their Mantle can grant them natural armor, effectively making them more resilient to attacks. At higher level, it also grants them an extre Health box.
- The Power of the Sun: Comes with their Summer theme. The Light 'em Up abilities mentioned above work by generating sunlight.
- Playing with Fire: Downplayed; Eternal Summer doesn't grant the ability to control fire itself (that's under the Contracts of Elements' juridiction), but it does allow them to control heat and sunlight, which is pretty close.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: Well, they aren't all warriors, but they do value strength and their ability to fight back at the True Fae. Invoked for their particular Bargain; the Keepers and their forces must behave honorably and cannot retreat unless the Summer Court does so first.
- You Will Not Evade Me: The effect of their Bargain; when Summer is in power, the Fae and their minions cannot back down and must fight to the end once the gauntlet has been thrown.
Grandfather Thunder
The King of Eternal Summer of the Miami Freehold, having used Florida's climate as a thematic excuse to give the Summer Court eternal authority over Miami.- Evil Overlord: He doesn't think so, but he's effectively the embodiment of the Summer Court gone wrong, and he's turned vicious in his paranoia.
- My God, What Have I Done?: He keeps it to himself, but in his quieter moments he looks at reports of increased Fae activity and wonders if he signed Miami's death warrant.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: He took over Miami in the belief his Keeper, Nergal, is planning an invasion. He's not... completely wrong (Nergal regularly visits Miami, but he just wants Thunder back).
Deathless Ivan
Grandfather Thunder's bodyguard.Autumn Court
The Others took many things from their slaves, say the Courtiers of Fear, but they also gave things back — not least of which is power. Autumn studies that power, developing knowledge and magic and conquering (or reaching an arrangement with) their own fears so that if the Fair Folk come to call the Autumn courtiers can fight them back with their own magic. Their magic can sniff out others' greatest fears, immunize themselves and others against fear, inflict magical maladies, summon hailstorms, and improve the courtiers' mystical perceptions. The court embodies the Bargaining stage of grief.
- Creepy Good: Their signature emotion is Fear, they spend a lot of time studying Fae magic, and they delve into other supernatural lore such as vampires and werewolves, but they aren't eviler than any of the other Courts.
- Cursed with Awesome: How they feel about their Changeling condition; sure, the trip to Arcadia was a nightmare, and they aren't exactly happy with how they were tortured and reshaped into faerie beings, but since this granted them powerful magic powers, they might as well take advantage of them as much as they can.
- Guile Hero: The Ashen Mirror encourages subtle solutions to problems. Luring an enemy to a patch of ice is more attractive then sweeping him under his legs and both options beat merely pushing him over. The Ashen Court generally leans towards indirectness unless the most direct path works best.
- Harbinger of Impending Doom: Invoked by their Bargain; the True Fae must give adequate warning and information the seers of Autumn can interpret before attacking.
- I Know What You Fear: The very first ability granted by Fleeting Autumn is to sense someone's fear.
- Occult Detective: They focus primarily on studying and using anything occult, including Fae magic, but also the other types of supernaturals. In general, the powers granted by their Mantle enhance their Occult and investigation skills regarding the supernatural, making them fitted for this role.
- Plague Master: Eternal Autumn grant the power to use the withering effect of Autumn to inflict magical sickness to plants and living beings.
- Seers: Invoked; at least one of their Contracts allows them to interpret Omens in order to see the future, and their Bargain forces the Gentry to warn them of their arrival with signs they can interpret.
- The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: The rough motivation behind their study of sorcery. Summer's physical violence is useful against the Gentry's servants, but against the Gentry themselves, for whom physical form itself is a choice, it is of limited value. What truly terrifies the Keepers is realizing that what they had thought a playing piece has got ahold of the rulebook and is making its own moves.
- Weather Manipulation: One of the powers of Eternal Autumn is to conjure a dangerous hailstorm, potentially out of clear skies.
Naamah
The Autumn Monarch of the Miami Freehold.Cerastes
An influential member of the Miami Autumn Court.Tom Hood
The previous leader of the Miami Autumn Court and the founder of the Seasonal Courts in Miami.Winter Court
If the Others are coming back, reason members of the Court of Sorrow, why worry about what they will find? Why not simply prevent them from finding you at all? Basing their lives on this philosophy, courtiers hide from their own sadness and regret just as they hide from their enemies. They seek to blend in and avoid notice whenever possible. They can use their magic to deaden all emotions but sorrow, to endure and manipulate the cold, and to evoke pragmatic numbness (physical and emotional). They represent Depression in the stages of Grief.
- An Ice Person: Some of the powers of Eternal Winter conjure blasts of cold to disable or injure their foes.
- Beneath Notice: Members of the Winter Court are encouraged to be as subtle and normal as possible in their daily life, so they can avoid getting unwanted attention. They usually put a lot of effort in blending in.
- Due to the Dead: The effect of Winter's Bargain: While Winter is in power, one of the Gentry or their servants who kills a Changeling cannot resume fighting until they ritually mourn their victim. It's mentioned that this makes Winter battlefields a truly surreal sight, especially as few Gentry really understand sorrow and they can come up with some fairly bizarre ways to fake mourning.
- Lethal Harmless Powers: Compared to the other Courts' powers, Winter's bargain seems almost hilariously useless. But then you realize that while the Gentry must mourn their victims, the Winter Courtiers do not.
- Masquerade: They put a lot of effort into maintaining one for the Changelings, covering up any evidence left behind that might allow True Fae to track them down.
- The Spymaster: They specialize in a lot of practices typically used by spies, such as speaking in codes, leaving messages for each other that strangers cannot understand, keeping multiple homes which they regularly switch between, investing in advanced security systems and building secret rooms. The Cold War played a major role in helping them master these techniques.
- The So-Called Coward: Because of their habit to constantly hide and evade problems rather than solve them, members of the Winter Court frequently are perceived as cowards by their peers. This reputation isn't entirely deserved— it takes courage for Changelings to divorce themselves from their fae side and try their best to have a normal life. Moreover, they make for spectacularly good spies and assassins.
- Stealth Expert: Their members are really good at not being seen. Their Mantle primarily enhance their Stealth and Subterfuge skills, or inflict penalties to their opponent when it comes to noticing them.
- Tragic Ice Character: Their signature Contracts manipulate cold and grief and they gain extra Glamour from mortal sorrow. In 2nd Edition, they host an annual wake for victims of the Fae, and their bargain with winter forces the True Fae to mourn everyone they kill.
Jeremiah Sleet
The leader of the Winter Court in the Miami Freehold.- The Cartel: Jeremiah Sleet and his Winter Court runs drug into and out of Miami, feeding on the sorrow that comes with the drugs.
La Llorona
The previous leader of the Miami Winter Court. The Directional Courts
Common in China, Japan, and other areas of southeast Asia, these courts draw from elements of sacred geometry and Feng Shui, dividing the Freehold according to the cardinal directions. Their Bulwark is the Mandate of Heaven; each of them holds to a different social role viewed as vital in Confucian thought, and so long as they keep their politics pure and functioning, the grace of the Celestial Bureaucracy forbids the True Fae from menacing them-which became a major problem in the Three Kingdoms period, when even the mortal government was disintegrating.
General Tropes
- The Four Gods: The Directional Courts are patterned off of the Four Gods and supposedly embody associated values — the North Court is made up of ascetics who use suffering to escape memory of their durance at the hands of the Fae, the East Court values material wealth and draws power from envy, the South Court consists of artists and other creatives who value ecstasy/revolutionaries who focus on keeping the rulers honest (depending on the edition), and the West Court is made up of honor-bound warriors.
- Every area in which the Directional Courts take hold are subject to an unpleasant extra facet - a "Demon's Gate", usually a particularly nasty Trod, somewhere in its northeast. Closing or destroying one just means another one opens elsewhere.
North Court
The Court of Suffering. The Turtle Court is made up of ascetics who systematically rid themselves of anything for the Others to take away, to make themselves unattractive for recapture (or to make it hurt less when they are taken again). They follow a modified version of zen philosophy, eschewing belongings and connections.
- Combat Sadomasochist: One of the unhealthy extremes courtiers might develop. It's a short hop from understanding pain to enjoying it.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: One of the possible Mantle manifestations of the Court is heavy scarring, and it's not uncommon for North Courtiers to develop mundane scars as well in the course of their efforts to understand pain.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Courtiers' work at understanding and inviting pain can lead to calm acceptance even in the face of horrific injury.
- Sadist: Courtiers who go bad might develop an unhealthy appreciation of others' pain. Notably, the North Court keeps an eye on its members to try to prevent or minimize this.
- Zen Survivor: The court leans toward this aesthetic. It's all about removing attachments, so that when those things are ripped away, it'll hurt less.
East Court
- Conspicuous Consumption: Courtiers tend to show off their wealth by buying, wearing, using, and owning the best of everything they can get their hands on. This helps them inspire the Envy they use to gain Glamour.
- Driven by Envy: The court's raison d'etra. They're driven not by simple greed to collect money, but specifically by the need to be richer than those around them. They also gain Glamour by flaunting their wealth to inspire envy in others.
- Green-Eyed Monster: East Courtiers who go bad are often driven by envy or by greed.
- Rich People: Higher ranked members of the court tend to be this, either by their own efforts or through the money being funneled up to them through the Court's hierarchy.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: One of the defining principles of the Court. They specialize in gathering mortal resources, then using them to get rid of problems.
South Court
Dark Eras introduces a different version, the Court of Rebellion. The meek and downtrodden who have overcome their lowly station and become rebels and philosophers, chosen by the Mandate of Heaven to force corrupt authority into its proper and just shape.
- Divine Right of Kings: The Court of Rebellion upholds this, ensuring that the rulers are wise and upright — and rectifying things if they prove otherwise.
- Eccentric Artist: Beyond even the levels you'd expect from an artistic Changeling. The focus on extremes of emotion makes South Courtiers frankly weird, sometimes even driving them into Mad Artist territory (see below).
- It's Not Porn, It's Art: And as long as it inspires extreme feeling, it's A-OK to Courtiers of Ecstasy.
- Mad Artist: They court of Ecstasy focuses on feeling and inspiring extreme depth of emotion, without regard for the type of emotion involved. This intensity of feeling tends to leave them rather... eccentric, even for the Lost. Art is also one of the primary ways in which they inspire the heights of emotion they seek.
- Muse Abuse: Low-Clarity members of the South Court might resort to this in the efforts to inspire the intense emotion they want.
- Saving the World With Art: An idealistic goal for the court. Emotion is power, after all.
West Court
- Honor Before Reason: They're the Court of Honor for a reason.
- Master Swordsman: The court's emphasis on swordsmanship means that higher-Mantle members have likely grown to become this.
- Proud Warrior Court Guy: The stereotypical personality for West Court members.
- Sword and Gun: Tradition requires that courtiers carry a sword. Nothing says they can't supplement with some old-fashioned lead-throwers.
The Diurnal Courts
Ancient Courts based out of Eastern Europe and based on Slavic traditions, these courts hand off power at dawn and dusk, each working to undo what the other has done in order to confuse the Gentry. While they're outwardly in conflict, older and wiser heads in each Court understand that they're two sides of the same coin and that neither could survive without the other.
Sun Court
The Court of Shame. The Court of the Day focuses on righteous (or occasionally self-righteous) behavior and beauty. They're known to occasionally turn away potential members based on looks alone, forcing them to join the Night counterpart.Moon Court
The Court of Disgust. The Court of the Night commit acts of wantonness and wickedness (though more out of a sense of freedom than out of any true malice). They delight in tweaking the nose of their Sun Court opposites. The Transitional Courts
Courts based on the vagaries of fate and luck: Sometimes things are good and safe and healthy. Other times, they... aren't.
Dusk Court
The Court of Fatalism. Dusk Courtiers know — not just suspect, but know — that they and the world around them are doomed to failure, death, or recapture. Far from leaving them depressed, however, this knowledge galvanizes members of the Court. They fight, party, and work all the harder, knowing that each action may be their last and wishing to burn brightly before they're extinguished.- Anti-Nihilist: The vast majority of Dusk Courtiers are actually this; they know it's all hopeless in the end, but between now and then can be made as bright and happy as possible.
Dawn Court
The Court of Hope. Dawn Courtiers realize that the world around them is terrible — how could they not? They maintain hope, however, that there is always a way to make things better. They are prepared to work hard and to sacrifice uncounted things (not all of them their own) in order to bring about this change.The Entitlements and Eldritch Orders
Entitlements
- The Bishopric of Blackbirds is devoted to trying to help changelings maintain their grip on Clarity.
- The College of Worms is devoted to trying to mastering fate.
- The Duchy of the Icebound Heart, restricted to members of the Winter Court, is dedicated to protecting the changelings from having their hearts broken and their feelings abused... by crushing the hearts of others.
- Magistrates of the Wax Mask, officially, are charged with helping the Courts maintain their Contracts and Pledges, as well as assisting with the various festivals, games and other events the Courts throw.
- Members of the Margravate of the Brim don't trust the Court changelings one bit, but are dedicated to serving as the first (and, in their eyes, last) line of defense against True Fae attack.
- Changelings join the Sacred Band of the Golden Standard because they want to be legends among their own kind.
- The Spring Court's Satrapy of Pearls is devoted to being able to buy, sell, obtain and trade anything you can imagine.
- The Scarecrow Ministry of the Autumn Court deliberately instills fear in mortals, often by exploring and abusing urban legends, to try and keep them away from genuine supernatural dangers.
- The Tolltaker Knighthood are Summer Court changelings who act as brutal agents of justice-for-hire.
- The Phantom Tong, which sows discord and corruption to weaken the Courts "for their own good".
- The Bronze Beylik, an order of kingmakers and kingbreakers.
- The Knighthood of the Dragonslayer, who are devoted to rooting out corruption in the Courts.
- The Bodhisattvas of the Broken Cage, Spring courtiers who encourage new ideas and attempt to break the stagnation of society.
- The Summer Court's Hound Tribunal, who, during the "dog days" of summer, relentlessly hunt down, judge and punish those who dare cross the Summer Monarch.
- The Magi of the Gilded Thorn, members of the Autumn Court who eagerly explore the Hedge in order to root out its secrets.
- The Knighthood of Utmost Silence, Winter courtiers who, if you need to disappear, are perfectly willing to give you a completely new life (whether you like it or not).
- The Ancient and Accepted Order of Bridgemasons, Elementals and Ogres of the Autumn Court who are capable of truly astounding feats of construction.
- The Barony of the Lesser Ones, who are devoted to dealing with the hobgoblins within the Hedge, whether through diplomacy, careful analysis, or (when necessary) violence.
- The Court of the Solstice, which isn't actually a Court yet but is so desperate to become one that they actually gain Glamour from the emotion of desperation.
- The Duchy of Truth and Loss, an organization of Winter Court members devoted to hunting down and dealing with fetches (by killing them or selling them to hobs).
- The Eternal Echoes, living chronicles of history with eidetic memories, which they can literally share with others.
- The Guild of Goldspinners, supernatural moneylenders who live up to their name.
- The Guild of the Sacred Journey, Fairest couriers and messengers.
- The Knights of the Knowledge of the Tongue, gourmet chefs with...exotic tastes.
- The Lord Sages of the Unknown Reaches are academics who immerse themselves in the cultures of all the other beasties of the hidden world in which they dwell.
- The Order of the Oneirophysics, healers who make house calls in your dreams.
The Eldritch Orders
- The Charmed Circle seek out true leaders amongst the changelings and gather them into a brotherhood of kings and queens.
- The Knights of the Widow's Walk are elite spies amongst the changelings, serving a mysterious Spymaster of unknown origin or even type of being.
- The Legacy of the Black Apple whose totally safe job involves negotiating directly with the True Fae.
- The Lost Pantheon, who believe that the humanity that was scoured out of them in Arcadia was replaced by divinity, and so create modern day cults to themselves to protect, guide, and rule.
- The Parliament of Victors are composed of the greatest, most successful champions of the changelings, much like the Sacred Band of the Golden Standard.
- The Office of Vizieral Counsel are changeling archmages that forsake political power to become sorcerer-advisers to the freeholds, in order to stave off their growing madness.
Antagonists
The True Fae
The real inhabitants of Arcadia, and the ones responsible for creating the Changelings.
- Almighty Idiot: For all their vast power and genius intelligence, the True Fae are not even sapient. They are incapable of any form of change or character growth, and cannot comprehend anything outside the web of stories and contracts by which they bargained themselves into existence.
- Always Chaotic Evil: Well, technically they are more in the lines of Always Chaotic Neutral, but really, the difference matters little; they are still all incredibly cruel and unable to relate to humans.
- Subverted... in a way that makes them even more twisted in 2E. As it turns out, countless Gentry would rather just happily play their Legends in Arcadia. The Keepers are the ones who want is to possess lesser things than themselves and torment them. That said, this does not mean that Gentry without Changelings are any less dangerous - they just don't drag humanity into slavery in the process.
- Antagonist Abilities: Compared to Changelings, True Fae are insanely overpowered; when inside their domains in Arcadia, they are Domain Holders capable of Reality Warping, making them pretty much invincible except against another True Fae, and the Hedge reinforces them almost as much. But even when in the mortal world, they are immune to any type of damage aside from Cold Iron and their Frailties, meaning there are only a very specific set of things that can actually hurt them, unique for each Fae. On top of that, where Changelings starts out with a few Contracts from Regalias and have to buy more with experience, True Fae select a few Regalias and automatically have access to all the Contracts in them, meaning even the weakest True Fae has least ten different Contracts.
- Axe-Crazy: Every single one of them is completely unstable and capable of committing acts of insane cruelty on a whim.
- Big Bad: The True Fae are the ones who kidnap humans to turn them into Changelings, making them responsible for the entire premise of the game, and the Lost are mostly motivated by their desire to escape them.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: True Fae have a sense of morality completely beyond human comprehension, making it practically impossible to understand their actions. Unusually, this misunderstanding is mutual: True Fae are so removed from human morality that they can't comprehend it, and those that do become severely weakened as a result. Naturally, Changelings exploit this fact.
- Conservation of Ninjutsu: Inverted. The more Titles a Fae Name holds, the more powerful each of those individual Titles becomes.
- Deal with the Devil: True Fae are just as capable of swearing binding oaths as their changeling subjects, though the Wyrd demands that they put up something more than mere Glamour as collateral. If a True Fae breaks one of its oaths, the consequences can range from permanently forfeiting one of its Regalia to being completely unmade, depending on the details of the oath. Of course, mortals are required to swear upon something equally important, such as their life, children, or home, and if they break their end of the bargain whatever they swore upon must be given over to the fae.
- Domain Holder: A True Fae's realm is part of itself, and as such they have full control over the laws of reality in it. This is how they can turn humans into Changelings- once people are inside their domains, they can basically warp and reshape them any way they wish.
- The Dreaded: Changelings are absolutely terrified by these guys, and for very good reasons. They are the main reason no Changeling in his right mind would ever want to go back to Arcadia.
- Eldritch Abomination: What they really are in essence. True Fae have no consistent morality or shape (they are constantly changing over the course of their existence), are beyond human comprehension and possess powers beyond the law of physics.
- Emotion Eater: True Fae can feed off the energy of emotions like Changelings, as long as the emotion is related to selfish desire somehow.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Possibly their one redeeming quality. For all the atrocities they commit, they loathe people who break sworn promises, including among themselves. Not that it prevents them from exploiting Loophole Abuse, of course.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Because of their nature, they genuinely can't understand things like love, friendship or the idea of sharing power as a whole. In fact, it's essential for them to not understand in order to keep their powers; if a True Fae somehow does grow to understand humanity, his power will dramatically be reduced, and they might eventually lose their memories and find themselves exiled in the human world.
- In fact, 2E reveals that they can't really comprehend anything; the lack of Clarity in character terms means they aren't capable of understanding anything outside of the web of Pledges and Contracts that is their power. They twist the truth to fit their whims, but when they can't do that, they're utterly lost.
- The Fair Folk: And how. Unlike Changelings, they are real fairies, and they are incomprehensible alien beings who regularly abduct humans to warp them into their personal servants and playthings, enjoy torturing mortals for no reason and are overall some of the most cruel, psychotic creatures in the New World of Darkness (which is saying a lot).
- Fighting a Shadow: The thing the changelings call a "Keeper" is little more than an avatar the Title uses to interact on the scale of its toys and enemies, and even if it is destroyed with iron or its frailties the Title can build another in time. The only way to actually hurt a Fae Title is to trick it into breaking one of the oaths by which it defines itself. And even then, destroying a Title hurts and weakens the ruling Name, but does not destroy it, and a Fae Name just about never manifests in a way that can be interacted with while it retains any Titles.
- For the Evulz: The reason why they do all these horrible actions? Usually, it's because they are bored.
- Homefield Advantage: True Fae already are powerful on their own, but when inside their domains, they practically are capable of Reality Warping. Even in the Hedge, they have a significant advantage over anything else within it.
- I Know Your True Name: Anyone who knows a Fae's true Name can speak it to empower Contracts used against that Fae, or to allow you to inflict lethal damage on the Fae without using iron or its frailties. Unpronouncable or non-verbal names are no protection, a symbolic representation will work as long as you have genuinely heard or witnessed the Name in question.
- Kick the Dog: The large majority of their actions could qualify, but abducting humans to take them as their playthings and make them go through hell deserves a special mention.
- Kryptonite Factor: While True Fae are otherwise Nigh-Invulnerable, Cold Iron is the single thing capable of inflicting them Aggravated damages.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: At least in 2E, countless True Fae are perfectly content having nothing to do with humanity. This does not make them any less terrifying, or dangerous, but it does mean that not all of them are going to look for human slaves.
- That said, some Keepers have been known to outright forget that they are Keepers, leaving their lands and Changelings fallow. This leaves it to anybody's guess as to how many Gentry are active Keepers, never were Keepers or will return to being one when something jogs their memory.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Aside from individual Titles having charming names such as The Year of Plague and The Storm King of the Bloody Throne, Dark Eras 2 states that changelings in ancient Egypt referred to them as Saaiu, or "evil fiends."
- Nigh-Invulnerable: In 1E, True Fae flat-out No Selled Bashing damages and had a Healing Factor allowing them to heal lethal damages, while Cold Iron was the single thing capable of inflicting them Aggravated damages. In 2e, they now No-Sell both bashing and lethal damages as long as it wasn't inflicted by their Frailties, and they only suffer Aggravated from their Banes, cold iron or attacks inflicted in their true name.
- Our Fairies Are Different: They are borderline Eldritch Abominations from another realm named Arcadia, who embody The Fair Folk.
- Two Aliases, One Character: A Fae Name can have between zero and five Titles, each of which is for most purposes a completely separate character with its own powers, personality, goals and resources. A given Name's associated Titles do not need to be logically related, especially given that Fae are constantly fighting to steal Titles from each other.
- Viral Transformation: Not the only means for them to reproduce, but in 1E Changelings who become sufficiently powerful and amoral usually are at great risk of becoming True Fae themselves. In 2E, it's rumored that certain Eldritch Entitlements have a means of allowing a Changeling to become a Gentry themselves.
The Huntsmen
The True Fae's chief agents, introduced in 2E. The original inhabitants of Arcadia, Huntsmen were non-Keeper fae who were enslaved by the Keepers and had their very hearts torn out, replacing the hollow shell with a Title that forces the Huntsman to obey the Title's proper owner. That being said, they don't actually like the True Fae either, and sometimes, a changeling finds them in a rebellious mood...
- Antagonist Abilities: While not quite as overpowered as the True Fae, Huntsmen still come with Resurrective Immortality, Humanshifting, and the power to bypass the Changelings' Escape Artist ability. On top of that, they are the only fae creatures to No-Sell Cold Iron, meaning they can in turn use it against Changelings. And these are just the standard package; many Huntsmen have other weirder abilities on top of these ones.
- Anti-Villain: They're slaves too, when it comes down to it. Most of them wouldn't even be interested in Earth were it not for being Brainwashed and Crazy.
- Beyond the Impossible: They are the only being in the setting who can create bonds that effectively nullify the Changelings' Escape Artist ability. They are also the only Fae beings who aren't negatively affected by iron, and thus can wield it.
- De-power: A Huntsman gains most of its power from the Title that has been installed within it. Once their heart is returned and the Title expunged, the Huntsman loses those powers.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Huntsmen often have heralds, hobgoblin pets and assistants from their natural state in Arcadia. Killing one is not advised, as the Huntsman is liable to decide It's Personal.
- Genius Bruiser: While not all Huntsmen are that strong, they do have the ability to assume powerful forms through their shapeshifting, effectively meaning they can easily become powerhouses. But what is truly dangerous about them is that they tend to rely primarily on their smart and guile rather than raw strength.
- The Heavy: A Huntsman emerging is a true sign that things have escalated in the hunt for a Changeling. They are able to appear where their target is instinctively, their traps cannot be evaded, they do not lose Glamour in Ironside and iron of any kind has no effect on them. Worst still, within a month of being destroyed they will regenerate from within the Hedge, where their heart has been hidden. The only advantage a Changeling has is that they cannot learn fae Contracts, being separated from their weapon without calling it back weakens their capabilities and they cannot collect Glamour from humans.
- Humanshifting: All Huntsmen automatically get the "Among the Sheep" ability, which allows them to shapeshift into anything roughly humanoid between Size 4 and 6.
- Immortal Assassin: If you kill, but do not unmake, a Huntsman, he'll be back in two weeks.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Their very existence is motive for one, as soon as the More than Mind Control is broken.
- More than Mind Control: The Title replacing their hearts makes them view their quarry the same way their Keeper master does-notably, in the Hedge, their hearts start fighting against the Title's influence and make them more prone to self-doubt and empathy.
- No-Sell: They were never part of any agreement with Iron to break, even by proxy, and so Huntsmen treat Cold Iron as simply another kind of metal, no major damage inherent in being wounded. They are fully aware of this, and often are sporting iron weapons.
- Order Versus Chaos: They're the Order-everything Arcadia was before the Gentry took it over was based on rules and the natural order of things. Keepers exploit this by making them view changelings as violations in the natural order of master and servant. Changelings exploit this to allow them the chance of escaping while in the Hedge.
- Outside-Context Villain: The Huntsmen act very differently from other foes a Changeling will come across. For one, they can't learn fae Contracts, limiting them to dread powers. Another is that, unlike virtually anything else in the Hedge, they aren't negatively affected by iron and can in fact wield it.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Just as Changelings find loopholes to elude the True Fae, so do Huntsmen abuse loopholes within the Court bargains. With Spring, they and their master truly desire violence to their target and thus they can do it. For Summer, they take stealth as their modus operandi and lay traps for their prey. Their Herald is usually the first way they intimidate their targets, and thus Autumn's bargain is almost always satisfied. Winter's is harder by virtue of being unable to mourn without their hearts, but since their means are to capture and not kill they simply avoid using lethal means.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Played with. They hate Changelings, but are perfectly aware that's largely because of the Titles replacing their hearts. A Huntsman who has gotten her heart back from a Changeling is very likely to turn on their former master.
- Slave Mooks: Deconstructed. The Arcadian natives who became the Huntsmen hate the True Fae for their abuse, and only serve because the heart removal trick forces them to agree with their master. The moment that's broken, they promptly rebel, at the very least going home, and at the most it's been hinted they have fallen in love with their former quarry at least once.
- Soul Jar: Unwillingly-a Keeper hides a Huntsman's heart in some hapless mortal's dream, and so long as the heart exists, so shall the Huntsman. They'd really prefer to have it back, though.
Loyals
"Loyal", or Loyalists, is a term commonly used by the Lost to design Changelings who operate outside of Courts and against other Changelings. True Loyalists
Changelings who, for one reason or another, decides to keep working for the True Fae and provide them with Changelings.
- Explosive Leash: The sample Loyalist from the 2E book is a fire Elemental who will die without the wax of azure bees... and can only get that wax from his Keeper.
- Les Collaborateurs: They are Changelings who actively work with the True Fae.
- The Mole: True Fae sometimes willingly let Changelings go while keeping them on a leash, using them to infiltrate Freeholds and kidnap more.
- Offering Another in Your Stead: Some provide the True Fae with Changelings merely in exchange for their own continued freedom.
- Tragic Villain: The most sympathetic ones often are Changelings who just got desperate enough that they believe handing over others to their Keepers is the only way to avoid being captured again.
- Trapped in Villainy: They could stop being loyalists any time they like...all they need to do is tell the sadistic reality warper to shove it. It's no suprise most remain loyal no matter how much they hate it, and many are desperate for help.
Bridge-Burners
Changelings generally find their condition to be Cursed with Awesome. Yes, how they got their power sucks, but after escaping, they see the world as the True Fae do-strange and beautiful. Thus, while the Lost despise their masters, they love the compensation for their enslavement.
Bridge-burners are those changelings who see beauty too, and recognize the True Fae are drawn to it-ergo, the salvation of the world depends on destroying all trace of beauty.
Codified in the wake of the Enlightenment, bridge-burners are believers in the idea (largely based on their own hopes) that Science Destroys Magic, and that this is a very good thing. To them, nothing even tangentially related to Arcadia is good, even if that thing is a child's imagination or a poem. They get their sobriquet from their constant attempts to destroy parts of the Hedge, especially portals, but they don't stop there-anything that may be remotely appealing to the Keepers must be made unappealing, which is hardly fun for those "protected" by the bridge-burners. After all, Keepers draw their ideas of beauty from humans.
- Anti-Villain: After all they've suffered, it's hard to blame them for their desire to save everyone from a Durance. The way they choose is much easier to find fault with.
- Ascended Extra: In 1E, "Bridge-burner" was merely a term used to describe Changelings who actively tried to destroy the Hedge and its gates, who were just minor antagonists. 2E fleshes them out into a full-blown Knight Templar type of Changelings who actively try to destroy everything related to Arcadia.
- Foil: To the True Fae; where the Keepers embody the madness of Arcadia, the bridge-burners have embraced the most banal parts of the mortal world.
- Hypocrite: Their byline of removing all magic from the world doesn't stop them from using Contracts or Oneiromancy.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: In 1E, they merely were desperate Changelings who wanted to make they'd never have to go back to Arcadia, to the point they would try destroying the Hedge. In 2E, they have become fanatics who believe anything remotely associated to Arcadia is bad and actively seek to destroy it.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Every vaguely understandable changeling wants the Others to not prey on humans. They think it's acceptable to ruin everything that makes life worth living in the name of it.
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: They're essentially what happens when a changeling is so broken by pain and sorrow that she denies everything linked to it and becomes obsessed by removing the source of that pain by any means possible.
- World of Silence: What their victory would essentially entail.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: They're objectively wrong on the whole Science Destroys Magic thing; the Chronicles of Darkness generally run on Sufficiently Analyzed Magic and embrace the idea that advanced technology and magic are indistinguishable.
Privateers
Changeling slave-traders who abduct Changelings, humans and other supernaturals out of greed to sell them as slaves to the Goblin Market or to True Fae.
- The Cynic: True Loyalists usually are motivated by despair and fear about being taken back; Bridged-Burners are Well Intentioned Extremists trying to stop the Fae from coming back. Privateers? They just decided it was more profitable to go along with the system.
- Greed: The primary motivation behind what they do.
- Only in It for the Money: Or Glamour, or Tokens. Really, anything that has value in Changeling society is fair game as payment for them.
- Punch-Clock Villain: How they see their job; as far as they are concerned, they are just getting paid by the Fae and Huntsmen to bring them slaves.
- Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: Privateers are by far the most loathed of the Loyalists; whereas some True Loyalists and Bridge-Burners usually are seen sympathetically due to usually having more human reasons for what they do, and usually get exiled at worst when found out, being outed as a Privateer will get you sentenced to death right away. With Cold Iron for good measure.
- Villain by Default: While the Bridge Burners have good intentions despite their extreme methods and the True Loyalists are coerced in various ways, the Privateers are just selling people to the True Fae for coin, with full knowledge of how terrible a fate this is. As such, while the former two might recieve some sympathy, the Privateers are killed on the spot, and the game recommends having them when you need a truly irredemable monster as a villain.
Other types of fae
Fetches
Whenever the True Fae takes someone to Arcadia to make them Changeling, they usually leave behind a quickly-built duplicate, made from part of the future Changeling's shadow as well as various materials. Said duplicates, called Fetches, then live the lives their counterparts should have had, often not even realizing they are mere copies.
- Anti-Villain: Calling them "evil" frankly is kind of a stretch most of the time, as the large majority of them don't even realize they are mere duplicates left by the Fae to replace people. They honest-to-God believe they are the real deal, making it easy to sympathize with them when Changelings come to kill them and reclaim their life. In a way, they are as much victims of the Fae's cruelty as the Lost.
- Become a Real Boy: Very rarely, but Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras 2 raised the possibility of Fetches being embued with Azoth, and attempting the Pilgrimage, the process by which Prometheans quest to achieve this trope. It's not clear if this is possible in the present, as the book makes it clear it was made possible by a unique blend of Promethean and Changeling powers woven over the Seven Wonders of the World, which no longer exists.
- Clone Degeneration: It seems to be a basic trait of whatever magic creates fetches that they always lost a personality trait of their original. Well-made fetches downplay or subvert this, losing things like a nervous tic, a taste in musical genres, or alcoholism.
- Divergent Character Evolution: A frequent in-universe occurrence; while Fetches start out as identical to the people they are based on when created, the fact the two end up living completely different lives, plus the occasional change of personality due to flaws in replicating the original, means they will frequently end up evolving in a completely different way. By the time the Changeling comes back, his Fetch frequently has become another person entirely, which becomes problematic if the Changeling wants to reclaim his old life.
- Doppelgänger: Their core concept; they are copies of the Changelings' human selves created by the True Fae to replace them.
- Evil Counterpart: Played with; some Fetches do end up completely evil, but most of the time they don't even realize they are copies. Many actually prove better people than the ones they replaced.
- Kill and Replace: Inverted; the first thing many Changelings try upon getting back home is to kill their Fetch so they can return to their old life. It's far from easy however, as frequently the Fetch has been living their life for years by this point, and since time isn't the same in Arcadia might not even have the same age anymore.
- Our Clones Are Different: Fetches are artificial copies created by the Fae to replace their abductees. They lack souls, are Born of Magic, and revert to the things they were made from after death, but otherwise they can vary from a flawless recreation to a twisted reflection of the worst of their originals.
- Split-Personality Merge: A common belief among Changelings is that Fetches actually are made with part of their soul, and that if a Changeling and his Fetch grow to truly understand and empathize with one another, they might reunite and merge, allowing the Changeling to recover his entire soul. How true this belief is is left up to the Storyteller.
- Summon Bigger Fish: A particularly powerful Fetch in 2E can use a power called "Call the Huntsmen" which, true to its name, sends out a beacon to any nearby Huntsmen. If the Storyteller is feeling particularly sadistic, this power might end up calling one of the Gentry instead, a much bigger fish than the Huntsmen themselves.
- This Was His True Form: A non-shapeshifter example; Fetches are built by True Fae using scraps and a bit of the Changeling's shadow. When killed, they revert to exactly what they originally were— a pile of scraps.
- Tomato in the Mirror: From their perspective. Fetches usually start out not aware of their nature, so when a Doppelgänger comes out of nowhere to attack them with magic powers, it sometimes ends up as a shock to learn that said twin is the real one and they are the fake.
Fae-Touched
Introduced in 2E, the Fae-Touched are humans connected to Changelings (usually friends or relatives) who shared a strong promise with them before they were taken by the Fae. Thanks to the kidnapping, they were unable to fulfill said promise, resulting in the Wyrd bonding them to the Changelings through it, and eventually causing them to find access to the Hedge, then enter it in an attempt to find their lost comrads. While they never went to Arcadia, and as such do not have Kiths, they do eventually develop some faeric abilities, and a weaker ability for Fae magic.
- Addictive Magic: In this case, the Hedge itself is addictive to them; whenever they find an opportunity to go inside the Hedge, they have a very hard time not taking it.
- Blessed with Suck: Fae-Touched only share a weaker version of the Changelings' powers, and this comes with much more drawbacks, including an addiction to travelling to the Hedge, delusional thoughts, and if their Changeling is still in Arcadia, horrible dreams over the Psychic Link.
- I Gave My Word: The Wyrd pushes them into this direction, causing them to risk themselves inside the hell that is the Hedge just so they can fulfill the promise they made.
- I Will Find You: Their entire motivation; they are trying to find the ones the Fae took away from them, and are willing to do everything to do it.
- The Promise: Invoked; Fae-Touched are created when someone made a promise to someone that he couldn't fulfill due to the other party being kidnapped and turned into a Changeling, resulting in the one who made the oath being bound by his promise through the Wyrd, and urging him to follow I Gave My Word.
- Psychic Link: To their changelings. It's mostly a source of mental torture for those who haven't escaped, but those who do often use it for mutual danger sense.
Hobgoblins
A general term used to design all the strange creatures native from the Hedge, twisted by it, or created by the Fae and discarded there. These include many things, from dangerous animals to mischevious tricksters and goblin merchants. Depending on the subspecies and individuals, they can be either allies, enemies or neutral for Changelings.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: Not exactly to the extent of True Fae, but Hobgoblins frequently have very different moral criteria when compared to humans.
- Deal with the Devil: Hobgoblins have the ability to sell their own Contracts (known as Goblins Contracts) to Changelings, or offer their goods and services to people in general; however, doing either causes you to get points of Goblin Debts, which only Changelings can shed easily. Accumulating too many points of Goblin Debt will cause you to turn into a Hobgoblin.
- Homefield Advantage: Hobgoblins usually feel more comfortable staying in the Hedge, where they can navigate easily and have an easier time storing their Glamour; going in the material world leaves them quickly Deprived with Glamour.
- Mooks: The True Fae often conscript Hobgoblins into their service to use them as minions. Huntsmen usually also pick some of them as their Heralds.
- Offering Another in Your Stead: A changeling who has attained the rank of Goblin Queen can shed that title and return to being a changeling by finding a mortal child and leaving him in her place. The child becomes the new Goblin Queen, inheriting the former Queen's retainers and position.
- Our Goblins Are Different: In that case, the term "Hobgoblin" just covers all the creatures living inside the Hedge, both sentient and non-sentient.
- The Usual Adversaries: By virtue of being more both numerous, living everywhere in the Hedge and being commonly used as minions or allies by other Fae creatures, they are the type of opponents Changelings are the most likely to encounter.
- Viral Transformation: Bringing an animal from the material world and leaving it in the Hedge causes it to start to mutate, and if the animal isn't removed from the Hedge (where it will revert to its usual form) quickly enough, it will either explode or become a hobgoblin.
Hedge Ghosts
Introduced in 2E, Hedge Ghosts are, as suggested by their name, Ephemeral beings from the Hedge. They usually are the ghosts of humans or Changelings who were unfortunate enough to die in the Hedge, but they can have a variety of other origins, including, among others, feelings in people's dreams who gained sentience or beings sewed together by Hobgoblins from various materials and Icons recovered in the Hedge.
- Anthropomorphic Personification: Some of the Hedge Ghosts who aren't born from dead people are merely emotions from human dreams or Icons that grew to the point they became sentient entities.
- Homefield Advantage: They are even less likely than Hobgoblins to leave the Hedge, as the material world leaves them constantly immaterial, more vulnerable and less powerful. By contrast, the Hedge provides them with easy sources of Glamour, and they can freely move through the Thorns.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Hedge Ghosts have the ability to sense Goblin Markets and their locations. Many of them take advantage of this, trading information with Changelings for Glamour.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: In this case, they're different even from the traditional ghosts already used in the setting. Among other things, they have Wyrd and Glamour instead of Ranks and Essence, and do not exist in Twilight (and thus are material by default, though they can still dematerialize, and do become immaterial when in the real world).
- Scars Are Forever: While Hedge Ghosts are capable of healing wounds like almost everything in the game, Aggravated damage leaves silvery scars on them which remain even after healing, forcing them to patch themselves up with emotions or pieces of clothing found in the Hedge.
