Changeling

Changeling

Sobriquets

Elf, Fae, Feyling, Knife-ears

Realm affiliation: Summer

Changelings are touched by the realm of Summer, a realm of majesty and strength. They are proud, confident, individualistic people who know they are the best of the best. They are a Lineage that has only a few physical transformations and Lineage strength is expressed most obviously through roleplaying rather than costume (as opposed to Draughir or Merrow Lineage, for example, which have many more gradations of physical change).

The Changeling Lineage is intended to appeal to players who want to create proud character concepts, and play with ideas connected with traditional elves. The Lineage is intended to be comfortable in almost any setting or with any character concept – the Changeling can be confident and successful in almost any area, and they are currently a Lineage that fits into any of our Nations reasonably well. The Changeling obviously draws on images of elves from various settings, most especially Tolkien, but could also be used to create concepts such as D&D half-elves, or even ideas more commonly associated with aasimar, Greek heroes such as Hercules and other “immortal blooded” heroes.The concept allows for an element of familiarity in the setting, as well as allowing players to play something “larger-than-life” that appears human on the surface, but is still touched by magic or alien forces.

Changeling Trappings

Changelings combine elements of traditional faeries, but focus on the Tuatha-de-dannan and “lords and ladies” concepts rather than pixies or satyrs. The Eternals of the Realm of Summer appear as larger-then-life idealised heroic or villainous figures. With an eye to the trappings – the physical changes that set a Changeling apart from a human without Lineage – I’ve put together this short list. The “required trapping” is intended to be the baseline thing that defines a Changeling as a Changeling – a starting point from which to build a look based on how “lineaged” a character wants to be. At the moment the strongest trapping is the traditional pointed ears. Several of the other trappings – antlers and “mane” – are intended to draw on images of physically powerful or symbolically proud animals (stags and lions). It is possible that we could expand this to include other animalistic trappings – satyr legs for example – but in practice this probably sails a little close to “beast man” concepts for my liking.

Required Trapping: Pointed Ears

Ears that come to a marked point. They are noticeably different to human ears, with their rounded tips. There’s a discussion to be had about these – they are not the OTT rabbit ears of the Night Elf, probably.

Additional Trappings

Fey Eyes: A Changeling may possess exotically coloured eyes. Cosmetic contact lenses can be used to simulate this. Examples of effects appropriate to Changelings might include vibrant blue, white, purple or green eyes or colours suggestive of primal animal elements (amber, brown). “Primal Animal Elements”: This is a hard one to get across, I think, but it’s vital we get it right. Changelings have some animal elements, but they are not beastfolk. They have elements that suggest power and potence – they don’t have “rat” or “badger” elements, they have lion, eagle, stag and even perhaps bear elements, especially those that suggest crowns. What this is categorically not is “tiger person” or “wolf person.” Examples might include: Antlers: Not limited to male Changelings, antlers are specifically branching horns, rather than goat, bull or ram horns which are the mark of a Cambion. Mane: Leonine mane of hair, but horse might be appropriate as well for Empire if it could be done well (it seems like a major hairstyling effort to me). Feathered Brow: Eagle, hawk or even swan elements, feathers on the browline and maybe the cheeks, again suggesting majesty rather than pigeon. Skin Colouration: Good colours for Changeling might be very pale or very dark. Spiral Markings: Changelings may develop marks on their body that resemble spirals or even intricate knotwork. These might seem to be tattoos, or birthmarks, or represent areas of raised or lowered skin. Hair: May exist in strange colours such as ivory white, jade green or ebony black.

Roleplaying Effects

Changeling blood influences the character who has it. Not every Changeling expresses these effects, but characters who strongly express them often possess stronger blood than those who do not.

Changelings are confident. They find it difficult to entertain the idea that they could fail at tasks they set their mind to. They are the best person for a job. Their opinions are relevant. They gravitate towards positions of influence, authority and responsibility within groups. They are driven to achieve a degree of personal excellence that supports their view of themselves as superior, especially as a response to any apparent failure.

Changelings are noble and bold. Around people who treat them with respect, around their friends and loved ones, they are solicitous, agreeable and gregarious. They feel a drive to take responsibility for others, to take charge, and to “do the job.”They are not necessarily altruistic – they love approval and adulation, they love being the centre of attention – but they don’t sit around doing nothing when there is something to be done.

Their strong self image also expresses itself in careful attention to their appearance. They instinctively use their appearance to cement their image of themselves,and encourage others to see them as powerful and strong. They demand the best clothing, the best armour and the best weapons. Clothes may not make the man, but they certainly tell you a lot about him.

Changelings are individuals. They like to stand out, and they like to be treated as if they are special. They hate being overlooked, and loathe being dismissed as “one of the crowd.” They don’t necessarily treat everyone else as individuals though. They may have problems following the orders of people they don’t respect. Changelings are wrathful. When thwarted, belittled, crossed or wronged they may fly into a devastating rage. These rages are like summer storms – intense but short lived. More than one Changeling has lost control of their emotions and done something that changes their life forever in the grip of a sudden rage.

Some Changelings become consumed by arrogance or hubris. They treat others as if they are lesser creatures. They believe themselves to be stronger or wiser than they actually are, and brush aside anything that disagrees with that. They expect others to give them respect or obey them without earning that respect or obedience. They can become so blunt that they offend anyone they speak to, assuming that others will listen to what they say automatically just because of who and what they are. Their desire for beautiful and perfect things becomes a lust that they make no effort to resist – casually demanding the best of everything and assuming that the mere privilege of satisfying their whims will be payment enough. They’re dreadful.

The Blood

Changelings are still mortals. They tend to be healthy and live a little longer than their mortal neighbours (assuming they avoid accidents or malice). They tend to remain vital and spry until the very end of their life. Changeling blood makes the bearer more “extreme.” A delicate noble flower will be more delicate, more lithe, more sublte. The coarse labourer or warrior will be more solid. more muscular, more physical. It seems to bring out the traits of an individual and make them “moreso.” The lineage can lie dormant in the blood for a generation or two, then rear its head without warning. Some mostly human families have a history of producing Changeling children, and if both parents are from such families, the likelihood increases. Fey blood is a little delicate; the brute blood of humanity drowns it as a riot drowns an echo meaning that the children of a Changeling and a human tend to be humans, albeit humans who carry the blood of the Changeling lineage. The likelihood the child will be a Changeling increases if the human parent is from a Changeling bloodline.

Some Changelings talk of spending time in the Realm of Summer as guests, prisoners or even consorts of Eternals. Over the course of the timeless days spent in the Realm, they slowly transformed into Changelings. There is a suspicion in some quarters that the food and drink of the Eternals of Summer is responsible for this change, though it is most likely due to the nature of the Realm itself rather than any specific element of it. The Eternals of Summer expect their Lineaged relatives to be strong and confident. A Changeling will have to “nut up” quite a lot to be taken seriously by them but they’ll treat him or or as a “hero” if they do so.7

Possible Advantage: Dreadful Wrath

A Changeling who is exposed to a roleplaying effect that creates fear or doubt can respond by becoming angry instead.

Lines of the Changelings

There was a section on Changeling group concepts here, but I’ve deleted it for now. It might be worth revisiting later.

In Navarr those with Changeling lineage are seen as embodying the legacy of cultural heroes and expected to “serve” their Nation – they make a great virtue of being the bearers of the history of the Navarr.