New Kiths

Dark Elves
By Nuada Silver-Arm (lrobinstch@qnet.com)
Description
There are creatures that live in our dreams, beings that guide our unconscious minds to their
desire. While we sleep do things hover over us? Do they guide our dreams to their pleasure?
Nightmares, erotic dreams, prophetic dreams: all these can be guided. ll these are the realm o! a
!orgotten kith.
"nce the !ae did not inspire the waking !antasies o! mortals. #n a time long !orgotten the
connection between humans and the !ae was the dreams that came while mortals slept. #t was these
early, un!ormed, unrecalled dreams that gave the !ae their !orm. #n these dreams the !ae used to
ride, but over the ages they grew away !rom this. The waking, !ormed and believed !antasies o!
humans became more important to them. $ut one group remained true to gaining glamour !rom
the sleeping minds o! man. These strange beings are now known only as Dark Elves.
Dark Elves appear to be kith much like a combination between the %idhe and the %luagh. #n !act
they are o!ten mistaken !or members o! one kith or the other &though it would be strange i! one
individual could be taken !or both types'. They are well !ormed, o!ten tall and very attractive both
in !ace and !rom. lso there is a dignity about their carriage that seems to imply they are noble.
(owever, they are silent )) much as the %luagh, rarely speaking. &(owever they are not bound to
whisper as the %luagh are'. This strange combination o! !eatures seems to indicate that this race
shares a common ancestor with both %idhe and %luagh )) but this remains a guess only.
*embers o! this race o!ten hide among kith, acting as either %idhe or %luagh as their natures
dictates. *ost o! them are never discovered, as they take human bodies as changelings do, they
have !orms and thoughts and a nature much as the changelings do. #n !act they are much like all
other kith e+cept that they gain glamour !rom a di!!erent source.
Dark Elves have returned to the ancient practice o! Dream ,iding. They gain glamour by entering
and manipulating the dreams o! mortals. #n order to do this they must have some level o!
!amiliarity with their hosts, usually about the same level as another kith trying to gain an epiphany
!rom a mortal. The Dark El! must then wait !or their hosts to !all asleep )) and it must be a deep
sleep in which dreams occur naturally- the darklings can only manipulate dreams, not create them.
When this state has been reached Dark Elves must make physical contact with their hosts. Those
who use this techni.ue to ravage o!ten trans!orm themselves into mundane ob/ects such as
!eathers or pillows, so that i! their hosts awaken, or i! they are intruded upon, they will not be
discovered. "nce contact has been achieved Dark Elves enter the dream o! their hosts and can
began to manipulate them. They can either make the dreams pleasant, giving /oy or insight or
con!idence, or they can make them into a night terror that saps the strength and will o! their
victims. #n either case the process usually takes all o! a night, as the dream riding must have some
time to take e!!ect. (owever, there is one massive advantage to gaining glamour this way )) the
host o! a Dark El! needs not be a dreamer. ny human who is not an autumn person, any person
who has some bit o! humanity in her soul can be used !or glamour !rom dream riding. "! course
dreamers, with their deeper connection to the dreaming produce more glamour more consistently
)) but they are not necessary to the process.
0urrently there is no policy towards the Dark Elves, as very !ew know o! their e+istence. Those
who do know o! them !ind them to be con!using. "ther than their method o! glamour gathering
they seem much like the kith. They even o!ten live among the kith, sometimes not even knowing
how di!!erent they are. *any o! them use their dream riding to ravage mortal minds, but not all.
1ntil more is known about these beings nothing de!inite can be said.
"ne o! the reasons !or this is the Dark Elves2 view o! the world. To the Dark Elves our waking
world seems shallow and without much meaning. 3ou have not lived, they will tell you, until you
have ridden in the unbounded world that hides behind human eyes. There in that world your power
is all- you can make anything happen. *ortals can be inspired, can be terri!ied even unto death.
That world is more real, more vibrant than this shallow earth. 4erhaps the Dreaming that has been
lost could e.ual this vista )) but most among the Dark Elves doubt it. To ride !ree while the
Dreaming o! the other !ae rots and the World becomes bound down )) such is the glory o! the Dark
Elves. #t is no wonder that they consider the a!!airs o! humans and kith alike as shallow and
tri!ling.
ppearance
There are two di!!erent types o! Dark Elves. "ne type is !air to look upon, upright and beauti!ul.
They walk with nobility and con!idence and are very, very attractive. They are o!ten con!used
with %idhe, or occasionally Eshu. They tend to dress as nobility in order to continue the
mispreception.
The other type o! Dark El! is much like a %luagh in appearance. They are not so thin or snakelike
as the under!olk, but they have the same pallid skin and haunting eyes. Thin, white, and almost
skeletal this type o! dark el! o!ten dresses in black and loiters so!tly in shadows.
%eemings
s a %luagh or %idhe o! the same seeming.
5i!estyles
Dark Elves have no known culture o! their own. *any live among the !ae, hiding their natures as
best they can. *any wander, playing at being knight errant or e+iled %luagh. These o!ten move
into an area and invade the dreams o! as many as they can. t the !irst sight o! notice !rom the kith
o! the area they move on. No one knows i! they avoid revealing themselves !rom !ear o!
persecution, or !or some more insidious reason.
!!inity
ctor
$irthrights
Dream idin!: Dark Elves have the ability to dream ride. ,ather than inspiring or ravaging they
actually enter the sleeping dreams o! humans and manipulate them. During this time the human is
unable to wake without getting two successes on a willpower test with a target number o 6. There
are two di!!erent !orms o! this. The !irst is *orpheus2 $lessing )) to do this the Dark El! must
make contact with a dreaming human. %he then enters the dream and manipulates it in ways that
give the human /oy, peace, and7or understanding. %he uses Empathy 8 0harisma, with a target
number e.ual to 9: ) the number o! hours spent riding the dream. The number o! successes is the
amount o! glamour gained. (owever, any non)dreamer can only have this used on him once.
Dreamers can be blessed as many times as the Dark El! wishes. The second type is known as
Night2s Terror. "nce again the Dark El! makes contact with the dream o! the mortal and rides it,
but this time into nightmares, !ear, and uncon!idence. There are two di!!erent systems that can be
used !or this. The !irst is the same as ravaging )) the Dark El! rolls her banality with a di!!iculty o!
9: ) the number o! hours spent riding. The number o! successes is the amount o! glamour gained.
(owever, as with ravaging, a botch indicates that you gain a permanent point o! banality. The
other method removes the danger o! banality, the Dark El! rolls her Empathy 8 *anipulation with
a target o! 9: ) the number o! hours spent riding the dream. (owever, this method e+hausts the
victim so badly that he can not be used again until a day has passed !or each success gained. #! the
Dark El! ever gets 9: successes &or more' the poor victim dies o! !right.
E+actly what happens while the Dark Elves are Dream ,iding is up to the %T. #t is possible that
they enter the dreamrealms o! the sandmen. #t is also possible that they don2t, but instead have a
direct link into human minds and dreams.
"ruth or Beauty: This birthright depends on which type o! Dark El! the character is. "ne that
seems to be a %idhe gains 9 point o! ppearance and will never botch an eti.uette roll. "ne that
seems to be a %luagh gains the %harpened senses o! a %luagh and will not botch alertness rolls.
Sha#e o$ the %undane: ll Dark Elves have the ability to trans!orm their bodies into 9 ordinary
seeming ob/ect. To do this they must be unobserved and spend a point o! glamour &much like a
4ooka', changing back is automatic, but still must be unobserved. This shape is o!ten used to keep
!rom being observed while Dream ,iding. 0ommon e+amples are !eathers, pillows, sheets, or
anything else that might logically be in contact with a sleeping person.
;railties
Sha#e&s 'ea(ness: When in their mundane shape Dark Elves are very vulnerable. They are
bound by the physical limitations o! their new !orm. They cannot move or e+ert themselves in any
manner that a common pillow, !eather, sheet, ect., could not, nor can they speak )) although they
can still use arts. lso they have the health levels o! the ob/ect they have become and su!!er
damage as it does. %o a Dark El! in the !orm o! a small !eather could easily be ripped in hal! and
killed.
)ut $rom the Dream: $ecause o! the connection between a Dark El! and the sleeping dreams o!
humans this race is cut o!! !rom the Dreaming much as the nunehi are. They cannot gain glamour
!rom ,everie, ,avaging, or ,apture. lso sleeping in a !reehold gives them no glamour. ;inally
they can never learn the dream)cra!t art or operate trods &although they can walk them i! another
opens them'.
unaway: ;or some unknown reason the Dark Elves !ear being discovered. Whenever another, be
they mortal or !ae, !inds out what the Dark El! is, or discovers them dream riding an
uncontrollable !ear overcomes them. Whenever a Dark El! is discovered !or what he is he must
make a willpower test with a target number o! < and at least three successes to avoid !leeing.
o_o_mno
_:_ommcooaooo@noonmooooo
_commv@mo_
Leanan-sidhe present a vague "missing link" between Kithain and Vampires. While technically
faeries, leanan-sidhe are, at the same time, vampiric. While unconcerned with the yhad and the
!as"uerade, leanan-sidhe are afflicted with the desire, and indeed necessity, to drink the blood of mortals.
#eelie kithain who try to ""uit," like smoking or drug abuse, usually waste away and are never seen or
heard of again. $or some this is an unfortunate way of life, but most have become adept in enchanting
%reamers to the point where they are more than willing to give all the blood the leanan-sidhe may want.
&his is the cause of death of poets careless enough to be taken in by irresistible seduction. While not
naturally evil, leanan-sidhe accept this as part of their e'istence. it is worth noting that leanan-sidhe are
always female.
vvomo_o
Leanan-sidhe are not as elfin in appearance as their sidhe cousins, though they share their
unearthly attractiveness, and this is the trap so many fall into. &heir hair is usually long and flowing, and
black in colour. ( leanan-sidhe)s body is lithe and shapely, and no-one can help but note her striking se'
appeal, in manner as much as in physical appearance. ( leanan-sidhe has pointed fangs, which are less
obvious in mortal seeming. Leanan-sidhe favour "uite revealing clothing* in all, it is far from difficult to
find a dreamer or "victim" to satisfy a leanan-sidhe)s sanguinary desires.
om_oc
Childling+ ,ndoubtedly the prettiest little girl in the class* "an absolute dolly."
Wilder+ &he kind of girl to make people)s chins hit the floor, -ust by passing by. #he can have
anyone at all she wants* even the most stalwart of trolls will follow her with his eyes. Leanan-sidhe remain
in this stage longer than most kith.
Grump+ .ever losing her stunning attractiveness for a good part of her life, and even when a
grump, will never settle down with one partner* few live long enough to be a long-term partner anyway.
mnc@:c
Leanan-sidhe tend to be temptresses and seductresses, some not even on purpose. &hey are never
well known enough to be in the general public)s eye, and to aid this they favour towns and cities as places
to live. /t is possible that they have a power similar to the "(rcane" background possessed by !agi. 0very
once in a while, a would-be poet is inspired by a leanan-sidhe, and this is a ready source of glamour, if used
wisely. $or all their attractiveness, leanan-sidhe are far from bimbos* they are manipulative and cunning.
(fter all, they need to fulfill the need for blood, and that is not something that can be allowed to be
discovered.
nnm_m@:
(ctor
_mm@ommoo@c
Sex Appeal+ Leanan-sidhe are incredibly attractive, and certainly know it, and use it to
considerable advantage. (s a result, a leanan-sidhe receives two Seductive #ocial &raits and a free
Seduction (bility which can never be permanently lost as the result of a challenge. /n addition, she gains
two &raits on any #ocial 1hallenge influencing a male, unless the sub-ect can succeed in a #tatic Willpower
1hallenge, difficulty twice 2up to a ma'imum of 34 the leanan-sidhe)s temporary 5lamour rating.
Noble Bearing: .o cantrip can ever directly make a Leanan-sidhe look foolish, and any such
attempt automatically fails 2any 5lamour or other &raits e'pended in the attempt are still lost, though4.
!undane pranks or very indirect cantrips are unaffected by this 6irthright, however.
_mom@mc
Vampire+ Leanan-sidhe have a secret dimension to their lifestyle which must remain hidden to all
but the most trustworthy. While no mechanical penalties apply to this frailty, the implications are obvious,
and it is paramount that this be kept secret, and it may be wise not to let the other players know your
character is anything but an ordinary sidhe.
o@
"What're you lookin' at boy? I can read your face like a book. You want it bad..."
@oom
Boggans+ %irty old men7 Who cares8
Eshu+ 9eah they)ve been around, they)ve brought back rare blood, too.
Nockers+ ,gh, get it away8
Pooka+ :eh heh, yeah they know how to have a good time, but / sure know how to make )em stop
laughing.
Redcaps+ ( bit rough, but they taste good on the inside.
Sa!rs+ ;hew8 /f / got a fiver for every time one of these guys fell at my feet...
Sidhe+ <h yeah, they hate us alright, )cept we got what it takes . . .
Sluagh+ .ope, / don)t think so.
"rolls+ /f muscular)s your type...but most won)t give it up.
_x:
Do you believe in ;airy2s?
Well you must do, because i! you didn2t they wouldn2t
e+ist, and take it !rom me, they do= #nvisible ;airy
$owers are more common than you realise, there
might be one at the bottom o! your garden. lucky
!ew o! you might even be the unwitting host to an
entire 0ourt, led by a ;airy >ueen o! unparalleled
beauty and splendour. Take care where you tread my
!riend !or those who lack grace may !all !oul o! an el!
shot cantrip=
The tiny, gossamer winged companions o! 4eter 4an,
the ;lower !airy2s o! ?ictorian rt, the #mps and
sprites !eared by country !olk !or their el! shot, the
Nevers are an enigmatic @ith that don2t e+ist. #n other
words, they have cra!ted their web o! illusion so well
that not even the ma/ority o! 0hangeling know o!
their e+istence. "! course 0hangelings know o!
Nevers, its /ust that they consider them to be mindless
0himera and not a !ully !ledged @ith with their own
society. ;or all # know nobody outside o! the %even
sisters knows this secret and this is possibly the only
te+t on their @ith.
%eemingly born !rom dreams o! make)believe, o!
belie! in the !antastic, Nevers are not a recent arrival !rom the Dreaming. %ome scholars o! the Dreaming
believe Nevers are changelings who were adept at the rt o! metamorphosis be!ore they underwent the
0hangeling way. This is certainly backed up by the seemingly universal mastery o! that rt. # have never
yet met a ;airy without at least a basic understanding o! this rt and it seems many o! them become e+pert
long be!ore they have come to grips with any other rt.
s the %idhe hold their ban.uettes and the $oggans bustle to and !ro, sometime an enigmatic stranger pays
a visit to a !reehold. (is lineage uncertain, his (ouse o!ten remains undisclosed. #! the 0hangelings only
knew how many o! their courtiers hide their true natures behind rts such as *etamorphosis and delusion
to spy upon them they would be amaAed. "! course not every Never is a phantom spy at court, only the
bravest or most !oolhardy risk themselves to the clumsiness o! the lummo+es &their charming term !or us
larger beings', the ma/ority o! Nevers steer clear o! such dangers. Wise Troll guards might do well to
double check visitors !rom strange lands, most especially those with ;ae wings. Not that # am suggesting
that the Nevers would spread lies about such a emeritus e!!ect o! the Dreaming2s touch, # am certain that
some other @ith truly do produce 0hildren with wings. Neither would # be so gauche as to claim that every
0hangeling at court with such appendages #% a Never in disguise, no, not #=
'Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantisies.
Elves are glamourus. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are Terrific. They beget terror.
) Terry 4ratchett, 5ords and 5adies
"ur limited understanding o! the Nevers seems to suggest that they are !ar !rom a uni!orm @ith and certain
di!!erences do e+ist. 4erhaps these di!!erences are as stringent as the %idhe houses or /ust as random as a
4ooka2s animal a!!inity, the truth o! such matters remains to be seen. %o !ar the %luagh have met only !our
classi!iable types o! never and the names we use to identi!y them are ours not theirs.
;irst an by !ar the most common are the Tinks, the winged sprites so entrenched in the mortal mind and the
plethora o! !antasy art. ;littering, giggling children !or the most part, Tinks are the rank and !ile o! the
Never courts, but almost as populous are their wingless cousins the Elves. lthough # have yet to see an El!
wearing a cap made !rom an acorn or a dress made !rom spider silk, they do still remind me o! those
;lower ;airy2s painted by 0icely *ary $arker that were so popular when # was a little Birl. Elves seem to
be drawn to the martial li!e more o!ten than Tinks as the tales o! men and cattle being 2El! shot2 attests. The
Never herbalists and magicians can create several kinky potions, well powders in !act, that when sprinkled
on darts and arrows cause all sorts o! mischie! to unlucky mortals. s with all @ith, the Nevers have their
Thallain, the #mps. #mps are the darker side o! the cutesy stereotype, using El! shot and cantrip to prey
upon unsuspecting humans. Tales o! spoiled milk, sudden insanity and even travellers lost while !ollowing
Willow)the)Wisps are o!ten the work o! these spite!ul little creatures. ;inally come the Bremlins, almost
nothing is known about these creatures and # cannot even con!orm them as Thallain or 0hangeling. They
prey their pranks on machinery are could match even the Boblins !or their understanding o! modern
technology. # heard one El! maid sing a song about the #mp2s that claimed the gremlins &# cannot translate
their word !or this mysterious creatures' were born during the sundering. 0ertainly their ability to !oul !arm
machinery has grown to a talent !or buggering up ?0,2s and even my trusty laptop &this is the !i!th time #
have retyped this and another crash will have e+hausted all o! my counter measures'.
**+,
Seemin!s
The Nevers have two !aces, the !orm they wear !or the bene!it o! 25ummo+2, and the tiny !orms they wear in
their own kingdom. The ability to switch between 2lummo+2 and ;airy has allowed them to weather the
wars and other nonsense o! the rest o! the 0hangeling nations. The !act that while mortal siAed the Nevers
are almost as attractive as the %idhe, even though they lack the $irthrights that accentuate that sovereign
beauty, allows them to visit the lummo+ courts !rom time to time mas.uerading as members o! that lo!ty
@ith. Never has a normal, i! typically el!in, mortal mien, but her
!ae mien is very di!!erent. Nevers in their true !orm are tiny, !ew
larger than a mortals hand, and the ma/ority have wings. When
visiting !reeholds in which they !eel sa!e, a Never is a curious sight.
The mortal mien o! a si+ !ooter with a sparkling Tink !littering
around within the same space is truly something to wonder over.
Whatever their siAe, the Nevers are always youth!ul in their ?isage,
underdeveloped one might say. ll through thier lives up until
Brumpdom the usual ravages o! age pass the Never by. $right eyes
and childlike glee are evident in even the most wanton El!maids.
nd the most noticable parado+ical !eature o! all Nevers is thier
innocence and se+uality. 4erhaps sensuality is a better word, one
might almost be battered black and blue in thier courts by kisses and
!lirtacious caress. # have no idea i! they understand how promiscuous
they appear as they !lit, mostly naked around me giggling and
chirruping like schoolgirls.
)hildlin!s 3oung Nevers resemble the Water babies and cherubs o!
New ge gi!t shop art. 4odgy and rosy cheeked in!ants with un!ailingly cheer!ul dispositions, or so the
stereotype goes. lmost all are happy and in.uisitive about the world. # !ound it almost impossible to work
!or their insistence that # e+plained everything or stopped writing to play ring)a)ring)o!),oses with them.
'ilders Wilders lose their puppy !at and most are slender and well proportioned. The #n.uisitive nature
increases and they !ind it almost impossible to resist watching children o! the mortal world at play. This
wonder they have !or the 5ummo+ world does not however prevent them !rom their duties to their nobles.
The !airy kings and >ueens are served by countless minstrels, maids and sub/ects in their $owers and they
can match the %idhe !or pomp and ceremony.
-rum#s What !ew grump Nevers survive tend to be very gnome like, spending more time in Blades
watching over the youngsters or as !avoured 20himera2 o! other 0hangelings. Each Brump is treasured by
the Nevers !or his or her rarity, commanding respect and attention at court.
Si.e doesn&t matter/
pparent siAe is deceptive. punch !rom a
seemingly inch high Never hurts as much, and
in!licts the same amount o! damage as a punch
!rom Coe average. They have the same amount o!
(ealth levels and strength in *ortal and ;ae
mien. No matter the siAe the Never wears, his
attributes and abilities remain unchanged.
N#0@N*E: ;airy2s
A001N1"12S
..E5?E%.. ..B,E*5#N%.. ..T#N@%..
ctor 4rop ;ae
Birthri!hts
Eat me, Drink me. Never can, !or short periods o! time, assume both mortal and ;airy mien to the same
siAe with the powers o! Wyrd. This can either mean a human siAed Never &which resembles a %idhe o!
pretty, i! not stunning, looks' or a Never siAed (uman &which i! #denti!ied is sub/ect to being !orced into
the Dreaming like a chimerical creature that comes under mortal scrutiny'. Thus not only can the Never
hide among other 0hangelings, but she does not need to contend with a mortal mien too large to go through
apertures her !ae mien can access.
Chimerical ings. &Tinks only' *any Nevers have wing in their !airy *ien, gaining !or them the
Nickname 2Tinks2 a!ter C. *. $arrie2s !amous Nevermaid. Nevers wings are usually similar to those o!
Dragon!ly2s or $utter!ly2s, but !eathered or even bat wings are not unheard o!. These wings act in precisely
the same manner as those gained by the *erit Chimerical wings
Elf !hot &Elves only' Those !airy2s without wings seem to have gained another way to e+tend their tiny
grasp with their darts and bows. The El! shot was !eared in days o! yore !or good reason, !or it brought
malady and mis!ortune. Elves may lay a curse, usually non !atal in nature upon those shot with his missiles
and cause anything !rom a wasting sickness to !inancial ruin on those who cross him. These missiles are
aided in their !light by 8D to ;irearms7archery7thrown weapons skills and the !act that they can never botch
a De+terity roll.
"urphy's law &Bremlins "nly' The El! shot o! the Thallain carries a poison as potent as that o! the Elves,
but it works not on the living but upon banal machinery. 1nlike the detrimental e!!ects created by the
Boblins in their manu!acturing the results o! *urphy2s law cannot do the impossible. 0omputers will crash,
and ?0,2s will chew tapes but neither can e+plode because they /ust don2t do that= Destruction and
mischie! are their own reward, but this birthright has also served to save the Nevers !rom the dangers o!
modern media. %hould somebody try to photograph or capture the ;airy court, the Bremlins go to work to
ensure the e.uipment !ails is e+pected ways.
0railties
#analities dagger. Each point o! banality gained in!licts a health level o! Damage upon the Never.
;urthermore, each 4ermanent point o! $anality removes a (ealth level permanently. The $anality at start
o! play does not e!!ect health in any way, only those that are gained during play. #n this way Nevers nearly
always Die be!ore they become undone. The only way to cure this Damage is by a huge in!lu+ o! belie!.
Blamour gained !rom 0hildren can be used to heal this damage but at a high price. ;ive points o!
Temporary Blamour may heal one (ealth level, but "N53 i! it was provided by 0hildren. E$ou've seen
%eter pan asking the Children to clap if they believe in &airy's, you know how this works' ( !pikeF
_o.ooq:
The Nemedian2s were born !rom the dreams o! primative mortals and thus given the !orms o! these men2s
dreams.
The Tuatha were dreamed as aspects o! %un gods and other celestial enigmas that concerned the earliest
humans. The ;ir $holg were created in the image o! beasts and beast men, those horned gods and sacred
beasts that primitive man adored and !eared.
s time passed, all o! the ;ir $holg began to undergo trans!ormations into beasts. *ost !ollowed the same
path as Tuan and trans!orm into !irst a stag, then a boar, then a great sea eagle be!ore !inally being reborn
into a mortal body in e+actly the same manner as changeling2s. %ome rare ;ir)$holg, however, changed
into di!!erent !orms &those with the unusual !orms merit7!law', but they always assume the !orm o! three
separate beasts between each changeling incarnation. ;ir $holg will live out his li!e as each o! these
beasts be!ore dying and progressing onto a reincarnation in the ne+t !orm.
This is a cyclical wheel o! reincarnation, much like that undergone by 0hangeling commoners, unless the
player takes the ;ae Eternity *erit. #n which case the ;ir $holg will have been born, grown to old age,
been reborn in all three !orms &which will have shared the long lives' and only recently have been reborn as
changelings !or the !irst or maybe second time.
+102S"3+24
)those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it)
"nce 5ords o! #reland they now strive to regain this !ormer glory. (ardy survivors, these lords o! the wild
places have spent millenia seperated !rom all other @ith e+cept the ,edcaps. Their $rotherhood to the
beasts led some into dealings with the %atyrs, but other than this, they knew nothing o! the other changeling
races. The $east)kings bridge the gap between the beastly ;omorians and the re!ined Tuatha de Danu.
;orever wrapped in otherworldlyness, these are the bringers o! chaos
who are destined to watch the !ate o! the children o! Nemed and to now
bring the tales o! what they have seen to the 0hangling, the Descendants
o! those original Dream people.
The serpent and the rod were the symbol o! the children o! Nemed, this
symbol is still used by the ;ir)$holg in secret. Their open symbol is a
(arp crossed with a short celtic sword.
When one looks at a report o! the ;irst battle o! *oy Tura, the nature o!
the ;ir)$holg is well portrayed. While the Tuatha de Danu beat their
shields, played leather tongued trumpets and screamed war cries, The
;ir $holg advanced in silence, spurred on by the voice o! ;athach their
$ard.
lmost e+clusivly 1n%eelie, the ;ir)$holg believe that the %eelies
inability to change is the greatest threat to the Dreaming. lthough
cultured and o!ten wise, the ;ir)$holg are willing to take drastic
measures to ensure the 3ounger 0hanglings learn that without a new
!resh outlook, the Dreaming is doomed. Thus ;ir)$holg !re.uently
become mentors or advisors, o!ten in secret. The /oys o! the internet have revolutionised the old ways o!
corespondance by mail. *any are now in!iltrating 0ourts and ;reeholds as bards and storytellers.
The $ard still holds his ancient place o! honour among the ;ir)$holg and his teachings guide the education
o! new ;ir)$holg. ;irst among these teachings are The G noble strains , the secrets to which were known to
every genuine $ard- The strain o! lament, the strain o! 5aughter and the strain o! slumber. The number G is
sacred to all the 0eltic peoples and espeshially so to the ;ir)$holg.
"nly the new $orn 0hildlings will have a score o! Aero in Breymere7,ememberance, and it is E.ualy likely
that they will have high *ental ttributes and @nowledges such as 5ores or "ccult.
A552AAN)24
'*n the shelter of the of the forests edge he set about painting his body with #lue woad, white chalk and the
juice of the red berry. +e limed his blond hair and twisted it until it stood out stiff as a taunt rope from the
nape of his neck and sprang from beneath his helmet like a wild horses mane.'
) Cim ;itApatrick ) the book o! con.uests.
$rutal and primative are the !irst words that come to mind when describing the ;ir $holg, and it is an
image they are care!ul to cultivate. With their body decorations and e+treme clothing, they are o!ten
mistaken !or ,edcaps. This is accentuated by the ;ir $holg habit o! dying their !air hair with the blood o!
their enemies. *ost ;ir $holg have chalk white !lesh stretched taunt over rippling, wiry muscled !rames.
They are taller, less bulky and more upright in stance than ,edcaps and this is the most common way o!
telling them apart.
S22%1N-4 ll ;ir)$holg have residual animal !eatures, even the new born.
)hildlin!s4 3oung ;ir)$holg are skittish and shy around adults or even other noisy children. They are
>uiet and intelligent en/oying stories and songs. #n their ;ae mien they rarly have more than a single
nimal !eature but this can o!ten be as obvious as all over body !ur.
'ilders4 $y now the ;ir)$holg have developed at least one new nimal !eature and have become more
con!ident with their memories o! the past. They are o!ten poets or authurs i! they have come to terms with
their roles, or parts o! counter)cultures i! still unsure.
-rum#s4 The oldest ;ir)$holg bear many nimal !eatures and have accumulated vast collections o! 5ore.
They can entertain even the most hostile teenager with tales o! Eshu daring)do or %atyr orgies. They !eel
the weight o! years pressing and an urgency to educate the modern 0hangeling youth be!ore the Dreaming
itsel! is lost by the $anality o! the %eelie curse.
A001N1"34 Nature
)* am Tuan, * am ,egend, * am memory turned "yth.)
B1"61-6"S4
"emory turned "yth ) ;ir $holg NE?E, !orget anything, ever, possessing eidetic memories above and
beyond natural means. They are the Dreamings chosen watchers and historians. Not even supernatural
e!!ects that would usually steal memories will e!!ect the ;ir)$holg. #t also means that while the
per!ormance o! a song or play depends on other abilities, the recall is instant and total. This o!ten leads to
the ;ir)$olg having a certain morose outlook on li!e as they watch everything erode and the natural course
o! entropy un!old.
#reath of the &irchlis &as in the DeniAens o! the dreaming book' ) Things happen around the ;ir)bholg, odd
things. To e!!ect things o! the Dreaming, the ;ir)bholg burns a point o! Blamour and then rolls his currant
Blamour &Di!!iculty <'. %uccesses call the ;irchlis over an area in varying and uncontrollable ways. $y
burning additional Blamour and rolling Blamour against the local $anality rating, the ;ir)bholg can e!!ect
the mortal world is subtler but similar way.
0A1+"12S4
#eastail visage ) ll Nemedians are the servants o! myth, and in their ;ae !orm, ;ir $holg have remnants
o! their animal stages, which are o!ten e!!ected by merits and !laws. ;ir $holg man have a pair o! antlers
&the most common !orm' or the tusks and bristles o! a boar. %ome have a beaked !ace or pallid salmon like
!aces. "thers have tails, cloven !eet, goat or bull horns. There are even rumours o! odd centaur like hybrids
in the dreaming. This beastial a!!inity causes unenchanted mortals to react oddly to ;ir $holg. They usually
take instant dislike to them out o! some unrecognised !ear and dread o! the pro+imity o! a wild animal.
61S"*3
'#ut * who have written this history, or rather story, do not give faith to many of the things in this history or
story. &or some things therein are delusions of the demons, some are poetic figments, some are truth, some
are not, and some are for the amusement of fools.'
) The 0hristian warning &written in latin' in the second colophon to) the Tain bo 0uailnge as it appears in
the $ook o! 5einster
ll 0hangelings are the !ae children o! dream, descended !rom the Bod like Tuatha De Danu, children o!
the Boddess Danu, represented in 5egend as e+amples o! all that is pure and right. "! their children- the
%idhe are those born !rom mortal dreams o! beauty, awe and nobility. The ?ague mortal memories o! the
time Bods walked the earth among them have shaped the modern %idhe. Troll2s, the undeniable pillars o!
honour and bravery, dreamed o! as the things held sacrosanct by the earliest tribes o! #reland. 4ooka,
$oggans and %atyrs all represent dreams o! higher aspirations or lo!ty goals, even the Nockers and Eshu
have their places in this glorious lineage.
Then what o! @ith such the ,edcaps and the %luagh? 0hildren o! Nightmare maybe, but not servants o! the
;omori. %o where do they !it in with the image o! Tuatha de Danu as bright heroes? The answer is, simply
they don2t= They are descendants o! another tribe, the ;ir)$olg. %o possibly are the nimal born %atyr and
4ooka, as least the ;ir)$holg believe so.
To understand this we must return to the 0eltic myth2s that speak o! the Tuatha de Danu, the ;ir $holg and
the ;omorians. The tales o! the !irst and second battles o! *oy Tura- back in the time be!ore time when
men, spirits and dreams walked side by side and interbred. The Tuatha De Danu and the ;ir $holg were
two tribes o! a race that called themselves Nemedians. They were the dreams o! the Boddess and they bred
with each other and with humans. The Tuatha de Danu held true to the ideas o! Truth, intellect and beauty
that they learnt in their so/ourn in *editerranean lands. The ;ir)$holg dapted more the ways o! the
(umans around them. The Tuatha de Danu may be worshipped now as gods among the changelings, but
the ;ir)$holg remember them as kinsmen.
)- blessing on all who memorise the tain with fidelity in this form and do not put any other form to it)
) the Tain bo 0uailnge as it appears in the $ook o! 5einster
The ;ir)$olg & a work meaning men o! $ags', led by EochaH, settled Eireann. They had come !rom Breece
and mediterainain lands, !or they were the descendants o! the Nemedians who had !led there a!ter the battle
o! 0onann2s tower in which the Nemedians and the ;omorians almost destroyed each other. EochaH was a
good ruler, he held the title o! high king longer than any who preceeded him, and his people !lourished
under his rule.
EochaH was troubled by dreams and visions and called !or his wise man 0Isar and had him translate his
dreams. The druid !oresaw that the coming o! the Tuatha de Danu, another tribe o! the children o! Nemed
were coming and it spelt death !or the Nemedian ;ir $olg who dwelt in Eireann. war o! @in !olk was
inevitable, the !irst battle o! *oy Tura.
Eventually EochaH learned o! the Tuatha2s building o! a great !ort in the ,ed hills and sent %treng as a spy.
(e prepared himsel! as !or battle and approachewd the tuatha. The Tuatha sent out $reas the beauti!ull to
parley and to e+amine each others weapons as was the custom. The di!!erence between $reas thin pointed
spears and %trengs thick handled spears was the starting point !or a conversation that eventually led to them
pledging brotherhood and !riendship. They e+changed each a spear to show their people what they must
!ace in battle. %treng advised peace!ull division o! Eireann among the people o! Nemed, but the ;ir)$olg
did not take his advice. $reas told the Tuatha o! the ;ir)$holg2s mighty warriors and he!ty weapons and the
Tuatha opted to move to the western coast to make a battle camp. They settled on the !ertile plain o! *agh
nia.
The ;ir)$holg prepared themselves to battle !or the land o! their !athers. EochaH led other tribes besides the
;ir $olg. (is @ingship e+tended to the ;ir Domhnann, the Baleoin and the people o! 0J ,oi, 5aighin and
0onnacht. ,ua the bloody and the twenty)seven sons o! the tribe o! *iled. ll o! them were later /oined on
the Kth day o! battle by ;intan and his 9G sons and army o! renowned mortal warriors !rom the distant hills
o! 0orca Duibhue. They all gathered together at Tara in preperation !or the battle against the Tuatha de
Danu, numbering 99 battle hosts. (ere Tallitu the .ueen o! the ;ir $olg spoke an elegy !or heroes !or
hours, tears in her eyes. 4ropeciAing death.
Then the $abd arrived at Tara to spy upon the ;ir $olg and cast dark clouds, the beasts le!t the !ield. The
standing stones began to sing, con/uring the lost souls o! the damned to magni!y their evil sorcery with its
scream. (uge blood dripping spectres stalked the sky and !ought in the thunder rent heavens. The ;ir $olg
were gripped by !ear. $ut it became worse as a sanguine mist rained blood and !ire upon the host. Even the
lightning o! 0esar and his unheard calls to 0rom)cruach were usless against the Tuatha sorcerresses magic.
;or three days he !ought the magic o! the $abd under the blood rain. Eventually he created a circle !ree o!
blood rain and spectres and knowing his gods had !ailed him, called on 0rom)0ruach, the !orbidden one in
the long dead tongue o! his !ore!athers. "nly Tuan will speak o! what occurred !or no man ever will. 0esar
summoned 0rom)0ruach into his !ires and smoke. The unspeakable horror broke the $abds enchantments
and the spectres !led. $ut the Elder gods do not intervene in the a!!airs o! men without price or purpose.
Envoys were sent !rom the Tuatha de Danu to ask the ;ir)$holg one last time to divide the land between all
the children o! Nemed. $ut the ;ir)$holg cried that the Tuatha could wait untill doomsday !or that to
happen.
%o an armistice Was agreed so that all weapons and e.uipment were ready, and the battlelines were drawn.
The custom was in those ancient days that each army should prepare weapons !or the other side so that the
valour o! men and heroes might be seen more easily than the skill and wiAardry o! cra!tsmen.
#t was also the custom to allow the challenger his choice o! weapon and mode o! combat. #t is because o!
this that the Tuatha de Danu chose to !ight 2e.ual combat, with e.ual numbers on each side2 and that the ;ir
$olgs strength in numbers did not aid them in the !irst battle o! *oy Tura.
Lthis is indeedL said breas La day !or lamentations, !or those !ierce !air)haired warriors are o! our own !lesh
and blood.L
The battle was long, !ierce and viscious. *any hero2s died, and in the end The ;ir)$holg were beaten. The
tales o! the battles are told in various !orms in many places and # advise you read The $ook o! 0on.uests
by Cim ;itApatrick among others.
)Then, sinking lower through the battle(cloud * saw pride and beauty of courage and youth made hideous
by the slaughter of war. The earth ran with blood as the heads of men were hewn from their shoulders and
bodies broken like spintered wood that kindles the fire of the hearth)
) Tuan
*7"+**K
B*--ANS
Without these (earth tenders, the celebrations o! warriors would be little celebration
indeed. (onor even the man who tends your hounds and the woman who cleans your war
harness.
)A1"-S1"6
2S67
The Dark skinned wanderers born o! the dreams o! the lands o! our E+ile. The %cythians
may have been enemies, but the Eshu are hearty companions who share the burden o!
storytelling with /oy.
-61++2-D67
None can hear the song o! the Earth so clearly as the Bhille Dhu. nd none share her !ate
so completely. To let the Bhille Dhu pass into myth is something we must never allow.
"62 %2
We remember how many o! the *er died !ighting the cursed ;omorian sea devils. They
shall always be remembered by the ;ir $holg. #t is their actions since then that disturb
me=
N*)K2S
h the Boblin Tinkerers and !inders o! ore and the makers o! the tools o! the warrior. We
have watched them adapt to the changing tides o! progress. We can learn much !rom these
dour !olk.
5')A
&4""@'
Every $ard knows the value o! /est and boast, but do these /esters not remember that we
also assume the !orm o! beasts? %ome !ew o! the ;ir $holg can pass as 4ooka, but we
rarely have the temprament to carry the ruse.
2D)A5S
h yes, the $loody "nes. (ow !ar they have !allen !rom the once noble throne as the
guardians o! nightmare. "nce we hoped they could be brought back within our tribe, but it
seems they have become more like ;omor than ;ir)$holg.
SA"3S
The greatest allies o! all Nemeds children in the land o! the (ellen2s. No celebration is a
true celebration without their abilities to li!t inhibition. They have again aided us in
modern times as many ;ir)$holg can pass as %atyr. "ur $eastly apparel and the ways o!
sage and bard are shared by the %atyr. *any $ards tell o! the %atyr being our children
bred while we were e+iled a!ter the battle o! 0onaans tower. # tend to believe them.
S1D62
The !avoured children o! the Tuatha de have done much to create legends and myth, but
those who adhere to the %eelie way and re!use to adapt are the greatest enemies o! the
Dreaming.
S+7A-6
the bringers o! !ear are our children also, and they share the ;ir)$holg2s love o! 5ore. #t2s
/ust that the treatment they have received !rom their siblings has them to be less likely to
share this in!ormation.
"*++S
#n the past our relationship with those Trolls o! Norse descent was not always a peace!ull
one. $ut we must all learn !rom these noble 5ords. t times as unyeilding as the %idhe,
they still turned the time o! many battles against the ;omorians.
D2N1,2NS
These children have been absent !rom the waking world as long as we have and this has
led many to con!use us with them. We know less about the dhene than the Waking
world knows o! us=
1NAN1%A2
These ;ae are born !rom the dreams o! mortals when they invested the Elements with
4ersonality. They are absolute proo! that we owe so much to the ignorance or perhaps the
higher enlightenment o! the !irst mortals.
T(E ,"35 ("1%E% "; T(E ;#,)$("5B
%ome e+planation about ;ir)$holg organisation
0athach Seancha8
%tory tellers, and bards, entertainers and sages. Descended !rom the bard o! king Eochai. This (ouse
upholds Tuan2s tradition o! telling others about the !ate o! the Nemedians. s they begin to be reborn into
mortal bodies, they are preparing to slip into the !reeholds with their tales o! the !irst times. (ouse ;athach
is the leading house o! the modern ;ir)$holg and even the royal $loodlines !ollow their lead.
Stren!
;ir)$holg o! this house are imune to Tuatha magic and ignore the %idhe bithrite- awe and ma/esty. %treng
was magnaminous and brought the peace to the !irst battle o! *oy Tura by sparing Nuada and accepting
the province o! 0onnacht !or the ;ir)$holg. (ouse %treng must always attempt a peace!ull solution to wars
and con!rontations.
"ailltu
Wi!e o! EochaH and >ueen o! the ;ir $holg, who spoke an elegy !or heroes !or hours, tears in her eyes, at
the !irst battle o! *oy Tura. 4ropeciAing death. %he later riased 5ugh, grandson o! $alor, in secret. (as
secret political links with (ouse $alor.
)9sar
house o! druids and sorcerers named a!ter the ;ir $holg druid killed by the maggot Bod 0rom a!ter the
Tuatha de Danu magic de!eated him. (ouse doomed to deal with !orbidden magics and the !orces o! 0rom
itsel!
2ocha8
Named !or the @ing o! the ;ir $holg during the !irst battle o! *oy Tura, who was slain by deceit. ;ather o!
%laine the !air who !renAied in battle. Each ;ir)bholg o! this house is o! the ,oyal bloodline.
%iled
#t was with this tribe o! celts that the ;ir $holg bred. This house, made up o! ;ir $holg and enobled redcaps
&o!ten middlemarch and bullydale variety' is the closest thing the redcaps have to royalty.
Nert )hu
the wild hill men who !ought naked. Named a!ter their chie!tan who scored the !irst kill o! the battle o!
*oy Tura against the Tuatha idleo.
*E,#T% M ;5W%
7nusual $orms &G)N point merit79)O ;law'
During the time that you were trans!ormed into a beast, you did not !ollow the strict progression taken by
Tuan. These animals will nearly always still be typical 0eltic animals such as- 5arge black dogs, cats,
,avens, Wrens, "wls, Eagles, ,obins, 0hough2s, wolves, bears, lions, %almons, (orses, Weasals or ;o+es.
0ertain animals were only common in the $ritish isles up to certain time, $ears, 5ions and wolves all died
out hundreds o! years ago and i! your 0haracter was resident in the 1@ these !orms will have to be chosen
as the earlier trans!ormations with ;ae eternity or will !orce the ;ir $holg to travel to lands where these
beasts reside.
#! this is chosen as a !law the creature will be one o! ill repute such as a weasel or a rat. This will result in a
minus to all social rolls when interacting with other ;ir $holg or anybody else who still !ollows the 0eltic
world view such as certain ?erbena.
System4 ;or three points, you may select to alter one o! the !orms, two !or K points and all three !or N.
These !orms will e!!ect your ;ae mein in that your beastial hang overs will be di!!erent. The !law works in
the same way but at 9 point per !orm, by doubling the cost, the player may pick a creature that was not
resident in the waking world during certain times such as taking a !orm o! a lion, *uryans &ants', %nakes or
wol!, or now mythical creatures. This creatures will always be those o! ill repute such as $arBuest, 4ad
!oot, shock2s7shuck2s or Babriel hounds &!airy dogs or hounds', 0rodh *ara or $uggane2s &!airy cattle',
,ach 1isge or 0abyll)1shtey or ughisky &;airy water)horses', 0ait %ith &;airy cats', !anc &hairy beaver
like river monster', wd Boggie &Biant hairy catapillars', Nuckelavee, Worms, 1nicorns, Will " the wisps
and other $ogey)beasts
o_o@ omon__o_cmno
-ame4 0hangeling: The Dreaming
by $rendan *athis and %hannon W. (ennessy
The !irst in what will be an ongoing line o! e+clusive E5N interperetations o! the Breater Thallain o! the
Dreaming...
Beansidhe
&$N)shee'
)hen "adeline appeared
*t always rained
The people locked their houses,
%ulled the curtains, prayed,
-nd painted crosses on their doors
They wondered who would be the ne.t
one
,ast /espects began rehearsing
Dressed in black with white carnations,
eeping 'til their eyes were sore0)
) 5egendary 4ink Dots, )Casting the
/unes)
#n everything, anywhere, there is a
hierarchy. 0hains o! command, a pecking
order i! you will, or a distinct division
between those o! power and those o! a
greater power whom they respect!ully P
or resent!ully P re!er too as Lmaster.L
Those creatures completely lost to the
tenants o! the %eelie 0ode known as the
Breater Thallain are hardly an e+ception.
$orn with cold hearts and vinegar
!lowing through their hate!ul veins,
$eansidhe &pronounced $N)shee' are
the Breater Thallain re!lections o! the
kith o! !ae nobility known as sidhe. #n the
hierarchy o! the Breater Thallain, none
challenge their dominion or pay them
lesser amounts o! respect than they
re.uire o! their sub/ects.
#t is believed among the @ithain that $eansidhe are the reincarnated spirits o! the most vile and
dishonorable sidhe: those who have destroyed another noble soul P e!!ectively murdering the sidhe which
the soul inhabited ) with a cold iron weapon in combat or duel. #t is said that the long !orgotten Deathsong
o! the #ron!allen was sang as a condemning, !inal lullaby to all $eansidhe as conviction !or their crime.
ccording to !ae legendry, this song not only works to e!!ectively L1ndoL the guilty party, but it also
condemns their souls to return in !uture incarnations as $eansidhe.
5egend states that only through death at the hands o! a cold iron weapon can a $eansidhe !ree her soul
!rom the curse o! the Deathsong o! the #ron!allen. "nce the $eansidhe has been !elled with a cold iron
weapon, her soul may once again be reborn as a sidhe, but with no recollection in any way, shape or !orm
o! the time her soul spent as a $eansidhe. #t should be noted, however, that the $eansidhe abide very little
distraction !rom their mad and hate!ul agendas and are not normally engaged in seekings o! redemption at
the hands o! cold iron wielding, @ithain cousins. Trolls and redcaps, both %eelie and 1nseelie alike take
serious sport in tracking down and hunting $eansidhe !or both personal bounty as well as trophy to
whichever noble (ouse they serve whenever the opportunity presents itsel!. This serves a dual purpose
inside @ithain society: The hunt is usually P N"T 5W3%, but usually P sanctioned !or the use o! cold
iron weaponry. The sooner a $eansidhe is destroyed, the sooner its curse is li!ted and the sooner a sidhe
soul can return to the Dreaming. lternately, it is a way !or the nobility to keep their armies busy,
aggressive, on their toes and e!!ective in combat while hunting a !ormidable enemy o! all li!e in the
Dreaming and beyond. #! an army or militia is busy cleansing the realms o! 0oncordia and the Dreaming o!
$eansidhe, it leaves little or no time !or them to organiAe themselves against the ranks o! nobility above
them.
The hunting o! $eansidhe is, .uite possibly, one o! the single most dangerous engagements a !ae can allow
hersel! to become involved in. $eansidhe are hate!ul and cruel i! nothing else. t W",%T, theyQre e!!icient
and capable leaders above the 5esser and Breater Thallain. They retain their rts and their Blamour and
have /ust as many resources at their disposal as would a noble sidhe, i! not more. %ome o! them have been
known to command (",DE% o! nightmares, dark chimera, and 5esser Breater Thallain, including
beasties, ogres and goblins. *ore power!ul $eansidhe have been known to not only obliterate these hunting
parties down to a single !ae &who is normally spared to act as a messenger o! doom to those he or she
serves', but also mount *%%#?E counter)o!!ensives against the (ouse&s' that sought trophy or bounty on
them and in!lict horri!ic damage, both 0himerical and Wyrd. $eansidhe have also been known to hoard
Treasures and Dross salvaged !rom bungled hunts in .uantities that could impress @ing %olomon, much
less @ing David.
$eansidhe are ERT,E*E53 territorial. When theyQve established a lair !or themselves and their servants
and allies, i! any, they seldom move and protect the lair with viciousness akin to te+tbook +enophobia.
dditionally, $eansidhe can instinctually detect the presence o! @ithain &and, .uite possibly, other
supernatural deniAens o! the World o! Darkness' within a !ive mile radius o! their lairs and will attempt to
purge this radius o! anything or anyone that they !eel is a threat or that can be subdued, destroyed, or
pressed into their servitude.
$eansidhe corrupt the very grounds on which they dwell. The !ive mile radius around a $eansidheQs lair is
!airly tell)tale, to those !ae who know what to look !or- cattle su!!er !rom lesions, cancers and give sour
milk, trees wither, warp and twist as i! in agony, while brambles, thickets and thorn bushes thrive and grow
strong, sleeping children bite through their tongues !rom their nightmares and adult %leepers e+perience
phobia)wracked episodes. The overall e!!ect, a!ter a time, is the complete and total desolation o! the !ive)
mile radius around a $eansidhe lair into a gaunt and un!orgiving wilderness o! land suitable to the curse o!
the $eansidhe. #n urban areas plagued by a $eansidhe lair, electricity !lickers constantly, gutter steam reeks
o! decayed animal matter and sewage, and only the most corrupt or hopeless dregs o! humanity can sustain
themselves in the area !or any prolonged period o! time. (owever, due to the isolationist and protective
nature o! urban supernatural deniAens ) such as the ,at ;olk, Nos!eratu, $one Bnawers and Blass Walkers
P urban $eansidhe lairs are seldom, i! not rare.
A##earance
The general appearances o! $eansidhe are very similar in almost every aspect to the sidhe, !rom whom they
originate, while accentuating the more sinister visages o! their kith.
$eansidhe are elegant and beauti!ul in the same way as a summer sky be!ore a cyclone- they normally
adorn themselves in classical &albeit modi!ied' sidhe clothing, haberdashery, !inery and7or armor o! deep,
dark colors such as gray, black, deep indigo, violet or maroon and have the same el!in !eatures and dream)
like physical countenance o! a sidhe. Their !lesh is usually chalk white or ashen gray and their !aces are
LscarredL in a !ashion, !rom the constant shedding o! tears that is associated with, or attributed to the misery
obligatorily assigned to their e+istence. This scari!ication causes the areas under the eyes o! a $eansidhe, as
well as the length o! her cheeks, to take on gunmetal gray or, in some cases, even coal colored streaks. ;or
this reason, no $eansidhe may possess an ppearance rating higher than K.
Normally, the hair o! a $eansidhe is bleached white, although some have been seen with blue or even black
manes o! unkempt or !ilthy locks. %ome are said to braid the locks o! sidhe theyQve slain into their own hair
along with troll !inger bones, redcap teeth, and satyr horns. *any carry weapons said to be possessed with
demons and devils, and others still claim that there are $eansidhe who wear armor !orged and cra!ted !rom
the skins and skeletons o! their enemies as well as the hides, skulls and bones o! various chimerical beasts
o! the Dreaming.
Birthri!hts
Death %asque4 To see the !ace o! a $eansidhe is to stare into the heart o! darkness. #! a @ithain, or an
enchanted mortal, gaAes upon the tear)scarred and twisted !eatures o! a $eansidhe, he must immediately
make a Willpower roll &di!!iculty <' and garner a number o! successes e.ual to the $eansidheQs permanent
$anality rating. #! he !ails, he will be !roAen in place !or one turn, due to his primal !ear o! death. The
Dreaming help any who botch this roll.
$eansidhe are unable to botch #ntimidation and 5eadership rolls.
1ronsoul4 #t is believed that the $eansidhe are born o! the souls o! sidhe who have murdered their kin with
cold iron weapons, and thus cursed themselves to darkness. Whatever the case, $eansidhe do not su!!er ill
e!!ects !rom holding or wielding cold iron, though they still take damage !rom wounds caused by it.
0railties
0ear :un(y4 $eansidhe may only ravage Blamour !rom nightmares, emotions o! terror and utter horror,
and sleepers su!!ering !rom phobic or !ear related disorders.
+u!h;s )urse4 $eansidhe are twisted creatures o! night and darkness, and as such, do not !unction
naturally under the sunQs light. They are unable to harvest Blamour !rom any source, and are unable to
employ rts during the day. #n !act, a $eansidhe is e!!ectively invisible during the day, and to spot one, a
4erception 8 @enning roll &di!!iculty <' is re.uired. #! a $eansidhe knows that she has been identi!ied, she
will !lee into the darkest place she can !ind.
Beansidhe Arts
"yranny
s the noble sidhe practice their arts o! courtliness and command upon their sub/ects with %overeign, so do
the $eansidhe practice their will)bending power with Tyranny. 1nlike its LparentL rt, %overeign, Tyranny
may be used on a person o! greater rank than oneQs sel!, thus do the tales o! the puppet kings spring to li!e.
Attribute4 *anipulation
< Dread
$y calling upon their legacy o! nightmares and winter, the Breater Thallain may call about them a tangible
cloak o! cold dread. ll light in the area seems to dim and bend away !rom the Breater Thallain as she
draws the chill and the shadows to her to give weight to her presence. %ome Breater Thallain have been
known to enchant items in their possession or residence with this power, thus giving magical swords and
other ob/ects an aura o! malice and darkness. The ,ealm determines who or what may be enchanted with
this power.
System4 The number o! successes on the roll determines the amount o! time the aura o! dread will last.
9 success one turn
D successes !ive turns
G successes one hour
K successes one scene
N successes O hours
While the aura is in e!!ect, all actions involving o!!ense towards the radiator o! the aura su!!er a one)die
penalty. dditionally, a person enchanted with the aura o! dread are more !rightening to others, and gain an
additional die to any dice pool involving intimidation or threats. "y#e: Wyrd
<< )ommand
True power, it is said, lies in the ability to bend minds to your will. $y invoking this power, the $eansidhe
take the will o! a victim and bend it as easily as they might bend a willow switch. Not subtle in the
slightest, this power o!ten leaves its victims with a pounding headache as well as wounded pride. The
,ealm determines who may be a!!ected by this power.
System4 The number o! successes on the roll determines how well the victim will !ollow the Breater
Thallain2s command. ;or a simple command, one success may su!!ice, but !or something e+tremely
di!!icult or dangerous, such as insulting the (igh @ing, !ive or more successes must be accumulated. The
%toryteller has !inal say on how many successes are re.uired !or a particular command.
"y#e: 0himerical
<<< Deceive
ny !ool can impose his will upon another, but it takes a true master to make a victim believe that its
actions were o! its own volition. depts o! the rt o! Tyranny know the secrets o! turning a victimQs mind
to evil, while convincing her that it is by her own will she is doing so. The ,ealm determines who may be
a!!ected by this power.
System4 The number o! successes on the roll determines how deeply ingrained into the victim2s memory
the command has been planted. With one or two successes, the victim might have a slight urge to per!orm
the action, but also with an e+cess o! !ive, not only will she want to do it, but also she will think she has
been planning to do it since time out o! mind.
"y#e: 0himerical
<<<< )ondition
The art o! creating a slave bent to your will lies in the erosion o! your chosen victimQs will. 4rolonged
e+posure to evil will slowly bend the will o! even the strongest do)gooder, and the Breater Thallain have
bent the arts o! Tyranny speci!ically towards this endeavor- "ver time, they believe, even the most adamant
o! opponents will !all to the will o! their betters. The ,ealm determines who or what may be a!!ected by
this power.
System4 The roll !or this power is an e+tended roll, and may take many game sessions to complete.
Benerally, a character must gain a number o! successes e.ual to !ive times the victim2s Willpower to
condition her to his will. botch will remove all successes, and in some cases, may even make the Breater
Thallain susceptible to his victim2s desires.
Benerally, conditioning allows most uses o! Tyranny and %overeign to succeed automatically on the victim,
as well as lower the di!!iculty o! other rolls towards the victim. dditionally, all rolls made by another
person to command the conditioned slave are made at a higher di!!iculty &%toryteller2s discretion'.
To break this power, the victim must spend at least one Willpower point a day, and stay away !rom the
Breater Thallain !or a number o! months e.ual to their Willpower.
"y#e: 0himerical
<<<<< 5u##et
The epitome o! tyranny and oppression is the ability to remove all !ree thought and action !rom a victim.
s long as the people have a mind, they can revolt against their oppressors. (aving realiAed this, the
Breater Thallain have devised a way o! removing all traces o! sel!)identi!ication !rom a victim, making the
victim their own. The ,ealm determines who may be a!!ected by this power.
System4 The number o! successes on the roll *1%T e+ceed the victim2s permanent Willpower !or this
power to take e!!ect. #! success!ul, the victim2s body becomes the Breater Thallain2s to control. To return to
his own body, the Breater Thallain must spent a point o! Blamour. #! the Breater Thallain is killed while in
the body o! his victim, he will gain a permanent point o! $anality and sink into a coma &see the *ists 0hart
!or the duration'. %uch is the price o! power.
"y#e: Wyrd
7lulate
%ince the dawn o! legend, the $eansidhe have been closely associated with dark, song)like abilities, which
grant them great power over their victim2s body and mind. This rt has no e!!ect whatsoever on $eansidhe,
who are immune to the beauti!ully horri!ic dirges o! their brethren.
Attribute4 *anipulation
< ha#sody
#t is said that music can soothe even the savage beast. Those who are masters o! music and song know that
this is but a ;,0T#"N o! music2s innate power. *en can be driven to hate, love, !ear and passion through
music, and the enigmatic $eansidhe take !ull advantage o! this weakness. The ,ealm determines who may
be a!!ected by this power.
System4 Depending upon the melody which the $eansidhe is playing or singing, the victim2s mind and
body will react in di!!erent ways. #! a song o! slumber is sang by the $eansidhe, the victim will slowly
grow lethargic and perhaps lose a die or two !rom rolls involving wits and .uick movements. #! a song o!
temper and passion is sang, then perhaps rolls involving combat may be increased temporarily. The e+act
e!!ects o! the song are le!t to %toryteller discretion.
<< Nocturne
#n the beauti!ul hills o! #reland, it is said that to hear the $eansidhe sing was to hear the !oretelling o! one2s
own death. Though not completely true, enough o! the legend holds credence due to this !eared power. $y
singing an epic dirge, a $eansidhe can bring thoughts o! winter, darkness and death to a target. The ,ealm
determines who may be a!!ected by this power.
System4 The number o! successes on the roll determines how badly the character is a!!ected by this power.
This power literally reaches into the victim2s mind and draws out a vision o! the most horrible death the
character can imagine, and as such, causes the character to become morbid and depressed. (er dice pools
are reduced by a number o! dice e.ual to her own permanent $anality rating !or a period o! turns e.ual to
the number o! successes scored by the $eansidhe when using this cantrip.
"y#e: 0himerical
<<< Ni!htmare Aria
"ne o! the most !eared vocal powers available to the $eansidhe, the song o! nightmare !orces the darkest
aspect o! an individual to dominance. Even animals and inanimate ob/ects are a!!ected by this. 4lants have
been known to twist and become poisonous upon hearing the notes o! this !orbidden tune. The ,ealm
determines who or what may be a!!ected by this power.
System4 The number o! successes on the roll determines the number o! hours that the power lasts. #n
@ithain, their 1nseelie 5egacy comes to the !ore with a vengeance, even more brutal and dark than usual.
;or unenchanted humans, inanimate ob/ects and plants, %toryteller discretion decides what changes.
"y#e: 0himerical
<<<< esonate
Cust as a mortal singer can !ind the pitch at which glass resonates, so can the $eansidhe !ind the pitch at
which !lesh resonates. .uick, shrill scream can render even the mightiest o! men into .uivering piles o!
broken !lesh. The ,ealm determines who or what may be a!!ected by this power.
System4 The number o! successes on the roll determines the number o! health levels o! aggravated damage
the victim&s' su!!er. dditionally, hearing is impaired, i! not destroyed outright by the awesome power o!
this song. #! the victim has the ability to soak aggravated damage, she may do so at a di!!iculty o! O.
"y#e: Wyrd
<<<<< 1nsanity;s "enor
The $eansidhe believe that the mind is merely a song that plays to the melody within a person2s soul. They
believe that by twisting this song and changing the notes in the tune that they can change a person2s inner
being. Though many don2t buy into this drivel, victims must admit that the $eansidhe have an impressive
ability to tear a mind into madness with a so!t melody. The ,ealm determines who may be a!!ected by this
power.
System4 The number o! successes on the roll must e+ceed the higher o! the victim2s permanent or
temporary $anality. #! success!ul, the victim enters the !irst stage o! $edlam. #! the victim is already in
$edlam, she will move along to the ne+t stage as her mind is twisted !urther.
"y#e: 0himerical
o_o.oc
&bee)at)ti!!)ic'
By )harles 5hi##s (tc#@.oomnet.net)
Nickname
ngels7Demons
Description
5ong has humanity pined away at the (eavens and wondered what Bod2s and %atan2s servant2s
would appear as &or goddess2s or otherwise but more on that later'. The ncient 4ersian
Soroastrians imagined beings o! unending beauty lead by rchangels and horrid monsters. The
Cudaic traditions would add their own spin cataloging many and soon 0hristianity and #slam
would add their own. The dreams o! religion having a power!ul e!!ect on the Dreaming.
%ome claim this @ith is but an o!!shoot o! the %idhe, with many o! the nobility hoping to LtapL the
legends o! their now 0hristianiAed country by appearing as beings o! Bod and Cesus rather than
Ldevil !olk.L "ther changeling scholars put them as much older. $esides, not all this @ith are
good- many en/oyed the legends o! the demonic !olk and !ound them attractive: the Lmidnight
visitsL and corruption o! the church occasionally being challenged by not necessarily evil kith and
kinain who glady called themselves Ldemons.L
!ter the %hattering many $eati!ic did make the /ourney to rcadia but a greater number were
turned away as traitors and more so !elt obligated to their beleaguered church. %o, many o! this
@ith took to the 0hangeling way. "! course the demons were not allowed as rebels and even still
they e+ist in !ar greater numbers than their counterparts in this world.
ppearance
The beati!ic are beauti!ul to say the least, appearing as per!ectly !ormed humans &usually blonde'
with an ethereal glow about their !eatures. Wings o! glorious white !eathers or bat wings are
always present upon them, most o!ten dictated by court. They wear clothing usually o! great
glowing armor &a version o! %idhe plate', robes, togas, or vestments. The demons wearing wear as
little as possible and showing a de!inite pre!erence !or leather.
5i!estyle
The LangelL beati!ic believe it is their duty to aid mortals return to religion. Touched by an -ngel
isn2t /ust a show to them- it2s a li!estyle. "thers are less pleasant, with the %eelie LangelsL viewing
themselves as punishers and avengers o! all blasphemers or heathens. The LdemonsL make
corruption a way o! li!e but not necessarily true evil- !reeing up an utumn person to her baser
instincts is an act viewed by most as a good thing. Not the %eelie- alone among the @iths is the
war between them still going on. Their enmity is great.
%eemings
)hildlin!s: ngelic cherubs, they look a!ter children, calm bullies, and shoot little bows and
arrows to make grownups Lright !or each otherL !all in love. 1nseelie can be as evil as Damien
!rom the original 1men or /ust the children who point out the hypocrites and liars among mortals
and @ith. (owever, most childlings even among demons, begin as angels.
'ilders: gain Touched by an -ngel is a merit with the angels !irst getting their taste o! the real
world and su!!ering. #t is a rite o! passage with many !alling to their Ldemon sideL but others
becoming much stronger and more !aith!ul !or the e+perience. The demons put many satyrs to
shame, !ostering !orbidden desires among the hopelessly suppressed.
-rum#s: 0larence !rom *t's a onderful ,ife, these work diligently to improve the lives o! those
and make a di!!erence. "thers settle into !reehold monasteries !or .uiet contemplation. %till in this
utumn world very !ew make it without !alling to banality or their demon sides &though even then
they remain usually chaste and pious !olk'.
Demons become l 4acino !rom the Devil's -dvocate and later Damien2s seeking massive
amounts o! power to a!!ect the world. These @ith become !abulously wealthy crime lords,
masterminds, and Lpact makers.L The %hadow 0ourt becomes a true home !or these !olk as they
have !ound dreamers among the worst o! the worst.
!!inity
ctor
$irthrights
0li!ht: ll o! this @ith have the power o! ;light and can soar into the sky with the greatest o! ease
with their wings. $anality has !ar less e!!ect upon these @ith with this power and they can usually
rely on the mists to protect them.
6eavenly )harm: ll $eati!ic get D e+tra dice to put in appearance or 0harisma, even it raises
them over %i+. Demons, !or some reason, may add this to *anipulation as well.
;railties
0aith: ;aith has a power!ul a!!ect on them. Not only can they review and rapture !rom acts o! it
but it a!!ects them in great ways.
;irst demons can be turned away by True ;aith and true holy ground causes them pain &Willpower
roll to enter it unless invited )) /ust like a vampire'. ngels have a similar !railty with the Wyrm
and Devil2s children.
Worse the disbelie! o! the modern world is anathma to the $eati!ic. n atheist utumn causes
twice as much banality to a $eati!ic as a normal person would. The simple saying, # don2t believe
in Bod or %atan, itsel! i! true gives a temporarily banality point.
"pinions
Bo!!ans
*n them both: We were the !irst angels on this Earth and # don2t rightly care !or their
mas.uerading as such. %till # like what some o! them do, but no one2s going to tempt me in my
house=
An!els: True !riends among the world but o!ten too clouded by their com!ort to do real good.
Demons: The only @ith who e.emplify banality- they need to seriously loosen up.
2shu
*n them both: Their tales o! temptation, greed, love, and charity make grand stories. (owever,
once in their presence get ready !or a sermon. The demons are !un though but dangerous....
An!els: 1sually true)hearted but too !ickle.
Demons: # can show them some things that they can talk about forever....
Noc(ers
*n them both: They always are asking us to TUTV= !i+ their armor, swords, etc and worse ask us
to mind our language. TU&U' sel!)righteous TV==UT. Demons always worse o!!er to help !or a
price. # know more about this than those TMTT=
An!els: %uch vile dispositions.
Demons: # can !i+ their !laws.
5oo(a
*n them: The ngels are nice !olk and # almost !eel guilty stealing their sandals. The succubus)
looker # mistook !or a bat pooka but she was nice....Wdevious grinX
An!els: #2m sure many tricks will await them in (ell. here are my sandals2'
Demons: These guys don2t know hal! the party but they at least are willing to learn.
edca#s
*n them: ;laming sword my ass. #2ll pluck those damn !eathers= Demons, wow they showed me a
!ew things....Wdevious grinX
An!els: To +ell with you vermin' Wrips out !laming swordX
Demons: "ooo let2s do this instead.
Satyrs
*n them: #2m wary o! the succubi. They make worse our ways, but # cannot resist their charms ))
damn my nature= The angels though do not even recogniAe the purity o! our ways.
An!els: ;ornication is not the path to Bod.
Demons: They2ve been warned about us but a little low cut and it won2t matter....
Sidhe
*n them: They are traitors to our lineage, embracing human terms !or us to survive the
%hattering. %till, they are %idhe and should be treated as above the rabble.
An!els: %uch arrogance )) theirs is a divine rulership and yet they recogniAe not its source=
Demons: 5et2s show the king and .ueen how they can truly avoid banality. #2m sure the courts
have gotten a little...boring.
Slua!h
*n them: # know their secrets and # tremble !or them.
An!els: "ne cannot embrace the mysteries o! death that the devil makes up and not be tainted.
Demons: (ere2s a story !or you. #2ll even introduce you to some o! my...!riends.
"rolls
*n them: warrior at your side in an ngel is a warrior you will never regret having. 4ull the
tongues out o! their enemy2s mouths though.
An!els: %tead!ast i! occasionally a bit pagan, the noblest o! @ith a!ter us.
Demons: $lech.
>uotes
An!els: )* am the !word of 3od, foul cretin' !ent to this earth to send you to +ell')
Demons: )Care to make a deal2)
%uggested 5egacies
%aint, 4aladin, and %age are especially appropriate !or %eelie while 1nseelie are @nave, $east,
,ingleader, and ,iddler.
%uggested *erits and ;laws
(igher 4urpose, Driving Boal, True ;aith, #ntolerance, 5i!esaver, %o!thearted, and Echoes are all
appropriate !or this kith.
__q_:ooq:_e_q.:
By Dar(haw( (dar(haw(@ael$hame.t$s.net)
uthor2s Notes
# was trying to decide what ma/or writing pro/ect to tackle ne+t, recently, when # !ound in the
depths o! my stories a piece that # wrote a !ew years ago, that # meant to work more on )) #2ve
adopted that as my ma/or pro/ect !or a while, and it got me to thinking.
,ereading it, now that #2ve learned 0hangeling, #2ve decided that the story might be readable as a
story about a triple)0hrysalis )) three !riends all driven into an understanding o! their !ae natures at
the same time.
#denti!ying the kiths o! two o! them was !airly straight!orward )) one is a %idhe, though #2m not
certain which (ouse #2d peg her as. The second is a horse 4ooka. The third, though, has been
giving me trouble, because while he2s an animal shapeshi!ter, he2s most de!initively not a 4ooka.
This is my !irst)dra!t writeup o! his @ith- #2ll accept suggestions i! anyone wants to give them to
me. #! nothing else, # hope it generates some good spin)o!! ideas.
The @ith is something o! an unholy amalgamation o! Troll, ,edcap, and 4ooka....
Description
The legend o! the Wild (unt is one that lives in many places, in some !orm or another- in many o!
those legends, the &presumably 1nseelie' riders upon their wild steeds are accompanied by
(ounds. There are several traditional !orms !or those (ounds )) black with !laming eyes like the
horses, or white with red ears, are the most common.
The (ounds are strongly loyal creatures, relentless in the pursuit o! their target and protective o!
their masters. They are slightly more likely to be 1nseelie than %eelie, however- the (unt is
dangerous, and when the (unt rides, what matters is that the prey is caught, not the niceties o! the
procedure.
(ound bound by an "ath or by his own !orm o! loyalty will uphold that "ath with a devotion
that a Troll could respect. (owever, should a master prove incompetent or unworthy o! the service
o! the (ounds, the (ounds may well turn on him be!ore any other.
ppearance
The (ound !orm varies depending on the legendry, but in any case is large, with a tinge o! a red
glow to his eyes in the !ae mien. The most common colorations are white with red ears and coal
black.
(ound in human !orm will most o!ten apepar to be a very directed, meticulous person,
occasionally with a concealed violent or vicious streak. To the !ae, their eyes have a !aint
luminous cast, their ears are pointed and slightly !urred, and their !ingers are tipped with blunt
claws. They also have pointed teeth. %ome may grow slightly more bestial in appearance,
depending on how deep into the Wild (unt they delve, gaining a wol!ish muAAle or !urred limbs
and body.
5i!estyle
(ound will surround himsel! with people to whom he will give a pro!ound loyalty, provided
they can match his own need !or success. Not all (ounds are driven to battle- artistic achievments,
romantic ones, political, all can be su!!icient to satis!y the .uesting soul o! the (untsman2s (ound.
%hould any o! his ac.uaintances prove themselves unworthy, either by re!usal to accept a
challenge or a violation o! a promise to the (ound, he will leave them. particularly pro!ound
violation o! trust may, itsel!, be a challenge, however, one which the (ound cannot re/ect.
%eemings
)hildlin!s: 4uppies, all. 4ups o! this @ith are, like the childlings o! many other @iths, under!oot,
e+ploring, tussling, trying to !igure out where their particular goals lie. They are likely to !ollow
older people around, particularly e+perienced (ounds, learning by imitation and study. *any are
boisterous and challenging, and most are almost always ready to play, though their notions o! play
may be rougher than those o! other children.
'ilders: Wilders are prepared to meet the world head)on and take its throat in their teeth i! need
be. They can grow obsessed with particular goals, trying always to beat the record by a little bit.
%ome grow introspective, testing themselves against internal standards, while others test
themselves loudly and triumphantly against the accomplishments o! others.
-rum#s: The (unt needs its great leaders, and the Elder (ounds are that to the lesser ones. s
those who may have set the records against which the younger ones strive, they perpetually guide
and train the youngers, growing to set the accomplishment o! the 4ack above individual prowess.
!!inity
Nature
$irthrights
Sha#e o$ the 6ound: Each (untsman2s (ound can shi!t between the human !orm and the !orm o!
the (ound. 5ight)colored humans more o!ten become white hounds, while darker ones become
black, but this varies. (ounds can attack with bite and cloaw, though the claws are blunt and hurt
their enemies !ar less- their claws are %tr damage, their bites %tr8D. This change costs one point o!
Blamour, and cannot be per!ormed in the presence o! the unenchanted.
-i$t o$ the 6unt: (ound, when tracking, cannot be diverted !rom his target, gaining 8D
Willpower to resist distraction or misdirection. (e gains the ability to locate his .uarry when
hidden with a 4erception 8 @enning roll, which can give a direction even whent he .uarry is out o!
sight. #! the .uarry is utiliAing magical de!enses to conceal himsel! &such as ?eiled Eyes', this
becomes a resisted roll. 5ess literal .uarry, such as a solution to a problem, can also be pursued
with this birthright. The 8D Willpower is the same, but to gain any sort o! insight into a more
metaphoric .uarry has a di!!iculty on the @enning roll o! 8D.
(untsman2s (ound cannot botch thletics rolls.
;railties
)ry o$ the )hallen!e: When con!ronted with a challenge to his capabilities, a (untsman2s (ound
must take up the gauntlet. This is not like the Eshu2s recklessness, but rather a need to test the
(ound2s limits and awareness o! his capabilities. 0hallenges will most o!ten come in the !ields o!
physical prowess, whether combat or athletics, such as sprinting, but i! a (ound has a di!!erent
specialty, he will be especially sensitive to 0hallenges !rom that arena. The need to respond to the
0hallenge can be resisted with a Willpower roll at di!!iculty <.
#! betrayed by an "athmate or loyal companion, the (ound will consider that to be a 0hallenge
not merely to the (ound2s abilities, but to his integrity, and cannot make the Willpower roll to
avoid taking up the gauntlet. t the very minimum, the (ound will attempt to dissociate himsel!
!rom the betrayers, but may consider the o!!ense to be e.uivalent to a 0hallenge to the Death, in
which case he will act to redeem his integrity by working against the betrayer, pre!erably
challenging to a Duel.
#! a gathering o! the Wild (unt is called in the vicinity o! the (ound, all (ounds within earshot
must attend, or gain a point o! temporary banality. They must run with the (unt in their (ound
!orm, or gain banality as well- all (ounds must spend at least a part o! %amhain and *idsummer
Night in their (ound !orm, regardless o! whether the (unt rides in their vicinity )) these are the
traditional nights !or the (unt to ride, and to deny that is to deny what it is to be a (ound.
"pinions
Bo!!ans: They are duti!ul, loyal, and hard)working- these are worthy traits. They do not rise to
the challenges o! their living i! it threatens their com!ort, which lessens their worthiness.
2shu: They accept no law but their own, and give their loyalty only to the road. (aving no goal,
they wander without purpose. They will accept the challenges their road gives them, though,
which can make o! them acceptable packmates.
Noc(ers: They see only the challenge o! incomplete creation, but they strive to master that
challenge above all.
5oo(a: 1ndirected, !oolish creatures, who attempt to distract their betters !rom more important
tasks with their !rivolity.
edca#s: They understand con.uest, but not devotion.
Satyr: "! those !ew who manage to reach beyond the un!ocused hedonism o! their kind, some
understand the worth o! constancy and !ocus. The others eat shamelessly o! what the (unt brings
them and rut in the grass beside their unearned !east.
Sidhe: Those who are worthy o! service, serve well. Those who prove themselves incapable, take
the throat. Those who claim to rule should have the strength to earn respect and keep it.
Slua!h: They do not hunt. They are not o! our world, unless it is in the ghosts the (unt might
bring them.
"rolls: n "ath is a living thing, not a stone. Devotion is a virtue, but !oolish devotion to that
which has gone is not. # pity them their inability to strike back at those who treat them with less
than their worth while still keeping the the letters o! promises made.
_:ommn_oo_om_oc
Dreams are !luid, emphatic creations o! the mind, transcending all classi!ications and the ;ae are e.ually
inde!inable. #n the past the strict boundaries o! 0ourt, title and @ith served to regiment how the 0hangeling
nation viewed itsel!, but each o! these characteriAations proved ultimately !alse. 0hangeling2s can change
court many times in their lives and the transition !rom 0ommoner to Noble takes nothing more than a
ceremony, what then o! the delineation o! @ith? "nce the spiritual ;ae nature o! the Dreaming was
encompassed within the material !lesh o! the 0hangeling way some o! the speci!ics o! human genealogy
crept into the mi+. child born o! a 0hangeling and a mortal or one born o! two 0hangelings might be
either @inain or another 0hangeling, and the details o! a @inain is well documented in 45567 the
Enchanted. The details o! 0hangeling o!!spring are a little less concrete however. What would happen i!
two 0hangelings2 o! di!!erent @ith mated and the 0hild were a 0hangeling too? What @ith would the 0hild
be? While it might be easier to assume that there were a N:7N: chance o! the child being o! the same @ith as
either parent, in the %pikeyverse there is a third option, that the 0hild is a (ybrid, containing aspects o!
both Dreamed @ith.
61S"*3
Nobody really knows when the ;irst (ybrid was born- there is at least one Wilder who managed to survive
the hunts by being a member o! (ouse $alor. That being said, nearly all (ybrids have been murdered by a
secret society, as has anyone who witnessed their birth. %imply knowing the (ybrids is enough to invite
death among the 0hangeling2s and so those !ew who work !or their protection keep their lips sealed and
struggle to keep others out o! their dangerous !ield. The down side o! this secrecy is that mothers are
unaware that the possibly o! a (ybrid even e+isting let alone where to !ind help i! they give birth to one.
The control o! in!ormation and the 2disappearance2 o! 0hangeling who discover the truth means that almost
nobody suspects their e+istence, but should the 0hangeling nation as a whole discover the truth it would
send shock waves through the community. ;irstly the blurring o! the lines between kith2s, especially the
perceived pollution o! the %idhe bloodlines, would call much o! what the 0hangelings believe about
themselves into .uestion. Nobles o! (ouse Bwydion who !irst discovered the e+istence o! (ybrids !oresaw
a mass breeding program by %idhe who !eared the oblivion o! death. This (ouse had secretly thirsted a!ter
a way to retain their immortality without the humiliation o! the 0hangeling way ritual and they knew
members o! their (ouse would see this as an ideal survival plan even i! it came at the e+pense o! the %idhe
@ith as a whole. Within a generation, they argued, the %idhe would be replaced by %idhe hybrids, creatures
that were in e!!ect nothing more than 2pretty 0ommoners2. !ter several secret meetings with
representatives o! the other (ouses- Dougal, Eiluned, ilil and 5eaunhaun agreed to support the Bwydion
suppression o! in!ormation. (ouses 5iam, %cathatch and $alor were not invited to attend the meeting and
(ouse ;ionna stormed out o! the meeting in disgust only to discover that they had been tricked and that
they no longer remembered the reason !or the shadow council.
This is not to say that those houses all support the murders, !ar !rom it. This meeting was open only to a
!ew old school tie Nobles, all o! them considered reactionary and anti commoner in their outlooks. Even so,
once support had been agreed and the creation o! the 0rimson elite sanctioned, no discussion about the
slaughter o! the #nnocent (ybrids was even discussed. (ouse Bwydion made that decision alone. @nights
who had already proved themselves in the night o! the #ron knives were given the earliest missions to root
out (ybrids and to ensure news o! these creatures did not leak out. They were sanctioned to use all means
necessary and since that night they have been systematically murdering @inain born o! two changeling
parents in order to prevent (ybrids undergoing their 0hrysalis.
#n the three decades since the night o! the #ron knives and the creation o! the 0rimson Elite, the (ybrids
have been a closely guarded secret. What little in!ormation did !ilter out was .uickly suppressed or
discredited as paranoia and New ge nonsense. ;or most 0hangelings, (ybrids attract the same amount o!
scorn as 1;"2s do in the waking world. The !avourite tactic o! 0rimson Elite spin doctors is to claim that
(ybrids would be a banal creation, !ollowing as they seem to do the rules o! genealogy over the whimsy o!
the Dreaming. This alone is enough !or most 0hangelings to accept their impossibility.
"62 )1%S*N 2+1"2
s the ultimate e+pression o! the %idhes !ear, the 0rimson Elite are charged with preventing knowledge o!
the (ybrids reaching the commoners. The !oundation o! the 0rimson elite, in !act the entire policy o! the
hybrid problem, is conducted in secret and has never been discussed in any o!!icial manner. #t is !air to
assume that the ma/ority o! the %idhe remain as ignorant o! the Truth as do the 0ommoners and only those
considered 2trustworthy2 and 2sympathetic2 to the pogrom are made privy to the e+istence o! either the
hunters or the .uarry.
"riginally no more than a unit within the ,ed $ranch the 0rimson Elite have grown to become a secretive
and autonomous 2black ops2 !orce with its own !unding and tactics. *embership is highly covert and not
even the ,ed $ranch knows o! its e+istence within its own ranks. While it is assumed that the leadership o!
the 0rimson Elite are also highly placed members o! the ,ed $ranch, none o! them have been identi!ied.
!ter the attack on the %nowdonia ;reehold le!t a hand!ul o! survivors and thus revealed the e+istence o!
the 0rimson elite to the Troll2s o! the ap nnis !amily the eradication o! (ybrid children has been more
di!!icult. $oth groups search !or (ybrids and when !ound the targets li!e is o!ten decided by which o! the
two task !orces arrives !irst. %ince the 0rimson Elite came to the attention o! the %nowdon underground
they have had to !ight several battles with the Trolls o! that organisation and they have changed !rom mere
assassins to heavily armed tactical units. 0ounter intelligence, misin!ormation and a continuing smear
campaign against the Trolls takes as much time as the tracking, e+termination and cover up missions
themselves.
"62 SN*'D*N %ASSA)2
While the e+istence o! (ybrids had been kept a very closely guided secret, eventually a mistake was made.
mother !leeing her persecutors !ound sanctuary among a company o! Trolls in the %nowdonia ;reehold.
Carl %nowdon saw no reason to keep the e+istence o! these children a secret and because o! his openness he
soon attracted several (ybrid2s !leeing the 0rimson Elite. Too late the Troll descendants o! the Biantess
$lack nnis realised how much !ear these children engendered among the %idhe nobility and plans were
made to hide them away !rom danger deep within the great Welsh mountain. 0ontacting his allies, /arl
%nowdon sought to discover the identity o! the 0rimson clad @nights who were responsible !or the (ybrid
genocide but the answer came all to suddenly.
#n dead o! night the 0rimson elite stormed the gates o! his !reehold in numbers !ar too great !or the Trolls
to de!eat. s the Carl and his house were slaughtered or sent to their deaths at the bottom o! a cavern, the
%idhe knights murdered their charges. ll the (ybrids were killed and their mortal bodies burnt and all but
a hand!ul o! the household similarly butchered. "nly the Carl, his nephew and a hand!ul o! Troll youngsters
survived the madness and it took them hours to climb out o! the cavernous depths within the mountain.
!ter the brutal and criminal attack the %nowdonia !reehold became untenable and so /arl %nowden and his
!ew surviving !amily members travelled to 5ondon and sought the sanctuary the ,egent o! (ouse ;ionna.
%ince then, the ap nnis !amily have been the driving !orce behind ;ionna2s armed !orces. The training in
0hivalric war!are and courtly honour !or which they were !amous has become the guiding !orce behind the
Troll and %idhe units o! the ;ionna army and the ,egency palace guard. (e has shaped his loyal trolls into
the %nowdon underground, a team o! skilled special !orces trained to smuggle (ybrids and those who know
o! them away !rom the 0rimson Elite. %nowdon2s !orces garner a great deal o! respect !rom other
0hangeling2s, whether they know about their secret mission or no, but the ap nnis hold a dark secret.
(aving his eyes opened to the dishonour o! the ,ed $ranch in such a heart wrenching way and his own
!rustration at !ailing to prevent the massacre mi+ed with his guilt at surviving the battle has driven Carl
%nowdon deep into his 1nseelie nature. (is driving goals, once centred on the ways o! 0hivalry and
honour, are now bent towards vengeance. 4rotecting (ybrids is not enough !or the heart broken trolls, the
memories o! their !amilies lying in ankle deep blood has led to a more proactive desire. The intelligence
gathered to counter the 0rimson elite is also employed in the assassination o! the their numbers and their
allies. nyone the %nowdon underground suspects o! being involved with the 0rimson Elite, and their
!ervour re.uires little proo!, is singled out and soon !aces death by #ron weaponry. #n their bitter .uest the
ap nnis Trolls have aligned themselves with members o! the *onkey2s paw and other anti Noble coteries.
They maintain a secret bunker o! #ron weaponry and lend support to $ella tri+ the weapon smith who
!orges these items !or them. (ow much the knowledge o! this practice spreads or how much e!!ect
%nowdon2s unyielding hatred has e!!ected the hostilities is currently unknown.
63B1D )6AA)"2S
(ybrids were created as a plot device and as an N40 @ith, that being said # !ollowed my usual practice and
concentrated on story !low and @ewlness over rules and uni!ormity. (ere are some guidelines which, being
about as reliable as my train o! thought, you should !eel !ree to ignore. ) %pike
!!inity: ;ae
#irthrights ) chose one each !rom each parental @ith.
&railty ) both ;railties. The (ybrid su!!ers the ;railties o! both parents. #n the case o! (al! %idhe
0hangelings the !railty o! $analities curse is replaced with the (ouse !railty o! their parents. dditionally
very !ew (ybrids outside o! (ouse $alor can e+pect to hold a title or to be recognised by their (ouse.
=12'S *N 63B1DS
(ouse ;ionna The (ouse o! the ,egency supports the (ybrids and the %nowdon underground !or
several reasons. ;irstly the (ouse is !ar closer to the mortal realm and to the
0ommoners than most other (ouses and secondly they were le!t out the original
council to discuss the problem.
(ouse Bwydion (ouse Bwydion !ear the (ybrids almost as much as they !ear the ;omorians or the
coming winter. They are behind the 0rimson elite and the Benocidal pogrom to
e+terminate all (ybrids. Their position at the top o! the heap o! %eelie (ouses has
meant that several o! the weaker houses have adopted the same stance.
(ouse Eiluned (ouse Eiluned holds no love !or the (ybrids, but neither does it agree with the
Bwydion that they will be the down!all o! the %idhe. To Eiluned the control o! the
hybrid conspiracy o!!ers all sorts o! opportunity and so they work within the
conspiracy !or !ear o! being le!t out o! the loop. That being said, the Eiluned
inclusion has allowed the (ouse ;ionna o! 5ondon some insight into the society.
(ouse Dougal (ouse Dougal, as in all matters, !ollowers Bwydion2s lead and washes its hands o!
the more weighty political issues in !avour o! its own pursuits.
(ouse 5iam (ouse 5iam, in 5ondon at least, is happy to !ollow (ouse Bwydion. ;earing to rock
the boat a!ter so recently being accepted as an ally by the Breat (ouse, 5iam seems
willing to sacri!ice its morals so long as it is !ae and not *ortals being e+terminated.
(ouse $alor Never included as part o! the %idhe nation by their peers and cursed by alienating
de!ormities (ouse $alor has not only sided with the (ybrids, they have begun to
actively recruit them into their (ouse. 4ug, the #n!amous $alor anarchist, has visited
several ;reeholds across England to speak with suspected (ybrids and he is known
to be part o! the problem as Bwydion sees it.
(ouse 5eaunhaun The *uses o! (ouse 5eaunhaun have little i! any real issues with the e+istence o!
(ybrids. While the representative o! their (ouse who attended the original council
backed the Bwydion pogrom they have had almost no e!!ect on the policy since that
night.
(ouse ilil The 1nseelie masters o! intrigue dine out on the (ybrid issue, knowledge o! which
and details over the .uestionable acts committed by the 0rimson elite giving them a
vast amount o! leverage. #n many ways the ilil share the arrogance o! their
Bwydion counterparts but their constant games o! brinkmanship will always
outweigh their personal distaste !or the hal! breeds.
....................
$oggan There is something o! a maternal instinct in the $oggans and this is instantly
apparent amongst those !ew $oggans who discover the truth about the (ybrids. They
want to nurture and protract the unlucky in!ants and will show /ust brave a $oggan
can truly be when it comes to it by hiding !leeing (ybrids and their !amilies.
Eshu The widely travelled Eshu are perhaps uni.uely aware o! how !ar the knowledge
about (ybrids has spread and can also play a ma/or role in the underground railway
that smuggles (ybrids out o! danger.
Nockers Not known !or either their altruism or !or taking direct action on behal! o! others the
Nockers remain in the background o! the (ybrid debate. *any are involved with the
*onkey2s paw rebellion against the %idhe and thus, in their own way, they support
the hybrids.
4ooka cause o! panic among the %idhe, a secret that has cost lives, a threat to the very
nature o! 0hangeling sel! view, i! hybrids didn2t e+ist the 4ooka would have
eventually made them up.
,edcaps While the ma/ority o! the ,edcaps could give a shit about @ith, they still look out !or
their own. They also relish the opportunity to stick it to the %idhe and so the (ybrids
present an opportunity to cause their enemies a great deal o! trouble.
%atyr The Wise and carnal satyr see the wider picture and recognise the possible
catastrophe that may well yet result in the %idhe tactics. %everal in!luential %atyrs
have tried and !ailed to bring the knowledge o! the hybrids to the wider attention o!
the 0hangeling nation.
%luagh The Whisperers have always had a link with children, although this hasn2t always
been a benign relationship they are a positive !orce !or /uvenal growth and survival.
The secretive nature o! the %nowdon underground relies a great deal on the %luagh
networks and the anti Noble !eelings o! that group attract many o! the dark ones to its
banner.
Trolls #t is the Trolls o! the ap nnis line that are at the !ore!ront o! the battle to protect the
(ybrids !rom the 0rimson Elite and the (onourable nature o! these giants tends to be
outraged at the %idhe attempts at genocide.
1N0A%*7S 63B1DS
4ug
*a+amillian %chrodinger
*ephistopheles
;ounder o! (ouse $alor&?'
N$ ) The concept o! the (ybrids !lies in the !ace o! 0hangeling2s cannon. #t does however !ollow !rom the
mood o! my particular setting in which lineage and ;amily are primary. 4arts o! the 0hangeling books
suggest that all 0hangeling soul2s are reincarnated ;ae !rom be!ore the %undering or ;ae returned !rom
rcadia and that no new 0hangelings are born7created. # don2t know i! this has been stated as cannon in any
;> or discussion, but i! you as a %toryteller take this view then (ybrids are impossible. #n the %pikeyverse
the breeding o! two 0hangelings2 is likely to lead to the birth o! a new 0hangeling, a new ;ae soul within a
*ortal body. "nce # had revealed that the ;ionna lineage !rom 5ady Evelynn, through ,egent %haugn to the
4rince regent 0athal and several other illegitimate o!!spring o! his promiscuous !ather this .uirk was
undeniable.
5ater in the Bame a 4ooka maid became pregnant by a certain %cathatch Nobleman and the .uestion arose as
to what @ith, i! any, the 0hild might be. "bviously # could have /ust ruled that the child was born @inain and
avoided the dilemma, but with my own precedent set and the possibilities !or storytelling that the idea
presented, # opted !or a %idhe74ooka hybrid. ;rom that event # back !illed a history o! (ybrids appearing
throughout the 0hangeling nation.
*uch o! the (istory and premise !or 0hangeling2s in the %pikeyverse hangs on the acceptance o! the
possibility o! (ybrids, the 0rimson Elite, the ap nnis trolls and entire (istory o! the %nowdon !reehold are
based on this concept and it is an integral element o! the 0ivil War. (ere is a basic e+planation o! the
(ybrids and the way they e!!ect the %pikeyverse, i! you decide to use any o! these ideas in your own
chronicles you !irst need to !i+ in your mind the truth o! 0hangeling breeding and the possibilities o! new
;ae souls being born. ) %pike
moo@c
-ame4 0hangeling: The Dreaming
by dban de 0orcy
(ouse (a!gan, o! the shadow 0ourt
The %hadow 0ourt has a dark heart. "ld grey things o! death and misery dwell amongst them.
The young, the ignorant, call them LWights.L The old know better.
The lords o! (ouse (a!gan are almost unknown to both the nobles and the commoners o! the !ae world-
being part o! the nobility o! the %hadow 0ourt, LWightsL are truly made o! the stu!! nightmares are born.
long time ago, there happened a great tragedy in rcadia- the Night, an entity o! the Nightmare ,ealms,
attacked the !ie!s o! a Noble (ouse called (ouse (a!gan. (ouse (a!gan was wiped out, and all o! their
members disappeared. $eing an 1nseelie (ouse interested in death, the dead and the 1nderworld, !ew
@ithain missed them. %ome whispered horrible tales, saying that the house !ounder, (a!gan o! the
$lackened (eart, had summoned himsel! the Night and embraced the horrid creature to become a 5ord o!
Nightmare.
(a!gan himsel! had been !or centuries a rival o! rawnn- the Welsh ruler o! the 1nderworld, and it was
said that he wanted !or himsel! the power o! the dead.
"ne day, a !og !ell over the tombs o! the ancient kings o! (ouse (a!gan, and silence covered the lands,
which had withered in absence o! a ruler. Nobody dared to go to the ancient barrow !ields to investigate
what was happening- and so, a night o! ill omen, the doors o! the ancient tombs opened, and the (a!gan
castle was rebuilt, and a new blaAon rose on its battlements. The lost sidhe had returned to rcadia... but
they were not as they had been.
War raged !or years between the (a!gan sidhe, twisted beyond hope, and their !ormer brothers and sisters.
The Wights commanded terrible rts, and were sorcerers as dangerous as the Eiluned themselves. $ut it
was then the Bolden ge o! rcadia, and the %eelie and 1nseelie 0ourts triumphed over the shadows, and
0astle (a!gan was ruined, and Wights were disbanded, and hunted and killed on sight. They went on
hiding, and became a mere shadow, something o! times long past, and best !orgotten. $ut the %hining (ost
remembered.... and !eared their return.
nd then came the %hattering, and the changeling way... and !or the ne+t O:: years, the Wights disappeared
!rom the minds o! the commoners... With the ,esurgence, the %idhe returned to the world. nd with them,
in the wake o! the steeds o! the %hining (ost, returned the Wights, riding Nightmares and !ell beasts.
lways care!ul, the Wights went again in hiding under the leadership o! their (igh 5ord, 5eglod the
Necromancer. nd so they waited, plotting and scheming, until they were contacted by representatives o!
the %hadow 0ourt.
The Thallain were delighted with the arrival o! the Wights- unruly and vicious as they are, $ogies,
$oggarts and the like are no match in either !erocity or cunning !or one o! those Nightmare 5ords. 1nseelie
and %hadow %idhe were less delighted, .uickly seeing them as rivals, and a tense state o! rivalry and cold
hostility e+ists between both @iths.
The original (ouse, (ouse (a!gan, was totally destroyed by the Night, and !orgotten by the %eelie nobility.
#ts blaAon was struck and discredited, and it can only be !ound in the most ancient o! the !ae te+ts, as itQs
supposed that it was slaughtered around the O: or Y: .D. The Wights kept the name, but raised a new
blaAon, one that is not accepted nor widely known by the %eelie nobility.
Bla.on4 #n a purple !ield, or, engraved an ashen butter!ly.
A##earance4 Wights are ghostly and ethereal in their !ae miens- they tend to be clad in chain mail armour
and battle)dress, so it2s uncommon to see them in other attires. Their human seemings tend to look like
craAed psychos, vagrants, or dark, terrible strangers not healthy to be asked .uestions.
+i$estyle4 Wights are e+tremely greedy and territorial- so, their mortal /obs tend to be those o! watchers,
security guards and the likes. They are attracted to graveyards, and they tend too to be cemetery guardians.
5ike the %idhe, Wights possess human bodies when they undergo the 0hrysalis, as none o! them went the
0hangeling way. Wights tend to posses noble titles, but they are only accepted by the %hadow 0ourt and
the most depraved members o! the 1nseelie houses.
)hildlin!s4 0hildling are monsters- darkly ethereal creatures, they love to play trick)and)treat
with goblins, beasties and 1nseelie Nocker 0hildlings.
'ilders4 Wilders begin to accept their duties in the %hadow 0ourt, and are best described as Dark
4aladins. When Wights become wilders, they begin to hoard gold and /ewellery.
-rum#s4 Brumps are horrible, shadowy beings. Nothing can be say about them, because there is
nothing to be seen inside their !ull plates and chain mail. #! you look inside the helmet o! a Wight
grump, you will /ust see two pinpoints o! red light, his eyes.
A$$inity4 5ike %idhe, Wights have no spent enough time on Earth to posses an a!!inity.
Birthri!hts4
%astery o$ Shadows4 Wights are adept at stalking and hiding. They cannot botch %tealth rolls, and su!!er
no penalties in partial or total darkness.
Dar( oyalty4 Wights are as impressive and terrible as %idhe- when enraged, most people have to roll
Willpower &<' to stand to them. Wights cannot botch Eti.uette or #ntimidation rolls, and any 0antrip
intended to make them look embarrassed !ails automatically.
%asters o$ %a!ic4 Wights are masters o! the ;ae rts, and gain 9 e+tra success on all their 0antrips. They
are also said to know a !orbidden Dark rt called LNecroticsL, related to death and the 1nderworld.
0railties4
6orrid as Sin4 #n their human seemings, Wights cannot have more than D points in ppearance. #n their
!ae mien, their e!!ective ppearance Trait is :, and they !ail all ppearance rolls.
6ated by the Sun4 (elios hates and loathes the Wights- in direct sunlight, Wights cannot 0all upon the
Wyrd, and have a 89 di!!iculty to all rolls.
Blac(ened 6earts4 Wights are repelled by innocence and pure !eelings- they cannot gain Blamour using
,everie, and must resort to ,avage, ,hapsody or ,apture.
>uote4 L>uiet be hand, and mouth, and spirit, until the %ky grow dark and Winter be here. %ilent be
Blades, and Trods, and ;reeholds, until the Night is upon us, !orever.L
Designed by: ;abiZn [lvareA, aka dban De 0orcy
Tested and played during the chronicle LThe @ingdom o! the shen ,osesL