Here we will be posting random things we have found or written about Changeling: the Dreaming that doesn't fit into any other section (If it isn't metaplot or regional sourcebook info you'll find it in here).
Changeling: the Dreaming
Christopher Howard's Keys to the Kingdom Spoilers
Released on ShadowNessence Forums, February 2005
Harroth and the Scarlet Circle
Many centuries old and a captain of the Fomorian War Dream when last they
walked abroad, King Harroth Balor is an ancient and terrible nemesis in his own
right, but also wise enough to know that he is far safer using agents to act on
his behalf. As his plans come to fruition, the loss of the mortal soul taken in
exchange for the body his essence now inhabits (as detailed in Denizens of the
Dreaming) has left him particularly vulnerable at a time when his powers should
be at their zenith. Since he has come to the Autumn World, a frenzied, almost
frantic whorl of activity has surrounded the ancient sidhe. Deeper in the
Dreaming, his Dark-kin agents - the various fir-bholg, redcaps, ogres and other,
darker creatures who have flocked to his banner over the millennia - search the
Tenebrous Realms for his missing mortal essence. Meanwhile, he has recently
reasserted his birthright within his house's hierarchy, a bloody process
involving the destruction of five house elders. The antediluvian sidhe has
busied most of his noble descendents to maintaining his power within House
Balor, a process still resisted by such luminaries as the also ancient High Lord
Li-Tili (see Pour L'Amour et Liberte: The Book of Houses 2). In some ways, given
his precarious position, Harroth has moved precipitously and spread himself
thin. The most important component of the sidhe's schemes is the recovery of the
keys to open the Triumph Casque of Sorrows, an artifact that Harroth believes to
be his birthright. Harroth has entrusted this last task to his most lethal and
trusted operative, Lady Eithlinn Balor, and her servitors - the Scarlet Circle.
The Scarlet Circle are mostly Oathbound agents of the Shadow Court and almost
all of them are fanatically loyal to Lady Eithlinn and to Harroth. Indeed, some
of them look at the Balor king as a god and, while such sentiments are
premature, they may well prove prophetic. Among several members of the circle,
the quest for the keys has taken on quasi-religious undertones reminiscent of,
albeit in a twisted manner, the quest for the Holy Grail. Of course they also
believe they will be richly rewarded once they succeed. The Scarlet Circle will
be the player characters' most persistent nemeses throughout this book and are a
diverse and capable lot, though they also have various weaknesses that wise
player characters may exploit. All of the Scarlet Circle's members are explored
in the ensuing chapters and detailed in Appendix I. Lady Eithlinn Balor is the
undisputed commander of the circle and is ably assisted by a redcap assassin
named Viktor. The other members include…
Satyr's Gambit
This gambit may occur at any time in Chapters 1, 2 or at the outset of the
third chapter. At some point the Scarlet Circle's resident satyr, Biene Ficente,
will sneak away from his Oathmates and make contact with the player characters.
The meeting will be a clandestine affair and Ficente will only approach one or
at most two of the characters for fear that they will attempt to capture or kill
him. In any event, the characters will have noticed that Ficente was not at the
forefront of any attacks against them, but largely hung back - if they've seen
him at all. Ficente is a shrewd student of fae nature and will arrange the
meeting in a manner that ensures his safety. (He will try to choose the
character least likely to attack and carefully plans for a fast-escape in the
event that the parley goes sour.) Once he has managed to get across his peaceful
intentions, the satyr will tell his contact(s) that he is approaching them, at
some considerable personal danger, and will try to extract from them an oath
that they will not share what he says with Harroth's circle. Whether they
promise or no, Ficente takes the risk and confides that he is acting as an agent
of another who has an interest in the Triumph Casque - Queen Lir. (See Denizens
of the Dreaming.)
Those who know anything of the frost queen's reputation as a blood-thirsty
despot and rumored scion of the White Court will, no doubt, immediately be upon
their guard at this pronouncement, but Ficente is an impassioned and persuasive
diplomat. He will explain that, if the characters will visit the queen in her
wintry palace, Lir will entertain their request for her key. She has sworn an
oath of safe passage, both to and from her palace, for such supplicants. If the
characters so request it, he will compound her own reported word with oaths of
his own to insure that they are well treated while they are the queen's guests.
If the characters agree to this arrangement, Ficente produces a platinum badge
embossed with a stylized monarch butterfly with a curious eye pattern on its
wings. "This badge is recognized by the queen's agents and they will not harm
those who carry it, though be careful not to show it to Lir's enemies," he
confides. (Lir's enemies in the Winterweir consist of a confederation of trolls
and independent fuath tribes known as the Kiriand Alliance.) The satyr then
further directs the characters to take the Trod of Hidden Lights from the
Bullydales and her agents will be on watch to guide them to the palace.
If asked why the queen would offer such an audience, the satyr tells them that
she sees no good arising from King Harroth's attempts to awaken the loud and
brutish Red Court. Between the lines, the characters may divine that this is
also the opinion of others within the White Court at large. Ficente will warn
the characters that this proposal is their best chance to gain the key and
emphatically rejects any notion that they could gain it from her in any other
manner. He may well be right in this assertion since, by all accounts, the White
Queen enjoys a nearly unassailable position in the Winterweir. The satyr
prevaricates if asked about his own motives in serving Lir against Harroth's
interests, but the characters may divine that he is doing it out of love or
infatuation for the White Queen. The satyr will politely but steadfastly refuse
to go into details on what kind of tangled skein of oaths he has had to
negotiate in order to serve Lir while enjoying Harroth's trust. Of course the
characters are under no obligation to trust Ficente, though he genuinely
believes he is coming to them in good faith and any attempts to divine his
intentions will reflect this. Any attempt to chart this potential course with
Soothsay will render mixed results of good and bad. (Essentially it is a
high-risk, high-reward proposition.) Efforts to directly assay Lir's likely part
in events, however, are maddeningly inconclusive. Lir is one of those rare
beings who are largely invisible to Fate. The characters may agree to his terms
and take the token (or not) and then do as they will, perhaps even using him to
plant some misinformation of their own. Their course in this regard will have a
major impact later in Chapter Three.
Fields Before
A traditional changeling stronghold, over the centuries the Fieldlings have
weathered attacks by Thallain, wicked chimera and Dark-kin alike. A place of
relative safety, the Fields Before were both strengthened and weakened by the
influx of changelings after the Resurgence. Most commonly inhabited by pooka,
boggans and other sociable changelings - as well as a sizable Inanimae
population - the Fields Before has long been considered among the most
“civilized” realms in the Near Dreaming. Things have changed considerably since
the opening of the Twilight Paths in the wake of Ravana's death (see Denizens of
the Dreaming). A week of fiery storms passed through the region, wreaking havoc
on its simple way of life. Fire, black tar-like water and strange chimera rained
down from the sky, poisoning crops, and sewing fear and dissension. These were
followed by news of savage attacks from abroad. Outlying homesteads in the
Fields Behind (a transitional realm between the Near and Far Dreaming) have
played host to gruesome massacres as redcaps, emboldened Dark-kin and even worse
creatures attacked from the Bullydale Wastes and beyond. Defenses have stiffened
somewhat of late, however, and the Fields Before are once again mostly business
as usual. Noble troops and local militias have bolstered the realm's borders and
expelled most of the invaders.
While most of the inhabitants of the region are Seelie in comportment, there is
a sizeable Unseelie minority. As per ancient arrangements - and unlike many
places in the Autumn World - the noble held portions still divide overall
sovereignty by season, with the Unseelie houses holding power in the Fall and
Winter while the Seelie houses rule during the Spring and Summer. The three
preeminent Seelie powers in the region are Houses Gwydion, Fiona and Dougal,
while the three Unseelie Houses of note are Balor, Ailil and Leanhaun. The more
newly arrived families detailed in Book of Lost Houses have made overtures to
regain lost fiefdoms within the Fields, but so far with little success outside
of a few isolated counties. During the Interregnum, commoners and commoner
nobles ruled over the region. With the return of the sidhe during the
Resurgence, parts of the Fields reverted - through force, guile or diplomacy -
to sidhe rule. Noble control is still non-existent in other portions of the
traditionally commoner Fields and tenuous in others. Largely valuing their
"rights of sovereignty" over inter-court intrigue, since the Resurgence sidhe of
both Courts have been careful to maintain at least a façade of noble solidarity.
This may be changing, however.
In the northern most parts of the Fields Before, some Unseelie fae have fallen
under suspicion because a number of them acted as agent provocateurs, aiding and
abetting recent attacks from the Bullydales in an attempt to further their own
agendas. News of far-off wars and a thin stream of refugees from deeper in the
Dreaming have caused a stir within the region, though in many regions the war
still seems distant and most write off such events as “other people's problems.”
While the characteristic generosity of the Fields Before have so far
accommodated such refugees, a growing minority have argued for closing the
borders altogether. Despite this, the Fields Before are largely a safe haven and
a good place from which the characters may launch the next leg of their
expedition.
Regions
There are five major regions in the Fields Before. The Storyteller should
note that, because of the Firchlis, certain details may change over time. The
descriptions and maps in this chapter detail a small, though important, portion
of the Dreaming. Although the Fields Before are one of the most commonly
traveled realms for those crossing between the Dreaming and Autumn, many
changelings in this region have never visited the human world and are wary of
those who have. Much of how the characters negotiate this region will depend on
their individual needs. If a character is affiliated with a given house or kith,
then traveling through lands held by such allies is preferable where possible.
The Storyteller should consult the map with the players in order to plan out
their best passage through the Fields Before.
The Southwark Farthings: Bordering the Etesian Sea, much of the Southwark may be
described as either eminently civilized or as oppressively tradition bound,
depending on one's viewpoint. The freefae of the Southwark maintain a fierce
independence from noble rule, yet the dreams that hold sway here are largely
medieval and agrarian. Productive boggan and pooka farmland in the north and
central portions give way to a series of thriving port towns, somewhat
reminiscent of Venetian-style city-states, along the southern coast. The
bustling yet relaxed port towns see a good deal of traffic from the far-flung
corners of the Near Dreaming. The more conservative inland farmers often view
them as libertine pits of sin and iniquity - especially since they have an open
door policy for any fae (various Thallain and even Dark-kin have carved out a
niche for themselves). The coastal region is largely tolerant and diverse,
boasting a mix of fae, mostly boggan and eshu traders. Nocker guilds, aonide
artisan concerns and satyr academies are also influential here. Several sidhe
houses (mostly Dougal, Fiona and Ailil) maintain small, individual holdings both
inland and on the coast, but wield only nominal suzerainty. A class of commoner
merchant-nobles holds the true power here, and a fierce culture of cutthroat
political infighting characterizes the region's politics. Disgusted with this
trend, a growing number of regions are increasingly experimenting with more
modern, egalitarian forms of governance, free of noble control of any kind.
The Westerling Plains: The rugged and wild Westerling Plains are a magnet of
sorts for independent-minded fae of every stripe who wish to escape noble rule.
The region's lengthy western coast along the Sea of Shadows is heavily
mountainous and contains the region's few sizable towns, while low-arid plains,
badlands and desert (in the south) cover the rest of the region. Never fully
civilized, even during the height of noble power, the region once boasted
intermittent aristocratic holdings (mostly fiefs held by House Daireann and
colonies of the ancient Eiluned Irrgarten Empire). The empty husks of their
derelict castles still dominate the skyline in some places, but the current free
population largely refutes their claims to leadership. A sparse population of
various changeling kiths (mostly feral pooka), dangerous wild chimera, Nunnehi
tribes and Thallain (particularly boggarts, spriggans and ogres) populate the
plains, while fuath of the independent Forcene Confederacy cross into the
northern forests from the neighboring Wyldweir.
The Invaders
Raiders from the Bullydales have savagely attacked small towns and individual
homesteads alike. The inhabitants have been tortured and executed, their
carcasses left hanging along the roadside or outside of the town limits. Done as
much to mark territory as to spread horror, the fir-bholg chieftain Olfar the
Foul decapitates his victims, hanging their headless bodies from crudely
fashioned crosses, while the redcap warlord Neerak the Butcher prefers to skin
his victims alive. Olfar has more warriors under his command (about 80) while
Neerak's 45 warriors are better disciplined and have more advanced weapons
(technologically pitting the local fir-bholgs' superior nature magics and
Mesolithic Era weapons of stone, wood and bone against the redcaps' more
medieval-style weaponry). The fir-bholg ride large two-legged lizards while the
redcaps favor black equine steeds with fiery eyes and hooves. At present, the
two Bullydales rivals have put their differences aside in order to crush both
the remaining local resistance and various rival bands, making them the dominant
force in the region, though even stronger redcap armies from the Middlemarch are
rumored to be waiting in the wings. A band of spriggan highwaymen known as the
Dust Devils constitute one of the stronger independent forces still at large in
the region.
Olfar the Foul (Fir-bholg Chieftain)
Olfar is a primitive, but by no means a fool. Headman to
one of the most technologically unsophisticated but nature savvy fir-bholg
tribes in the Dreaming, he has the full loyalty of his followers and is
constantly watchful for betrayal by Neerak. Olfar believes that Sows was once
fir-bholg country and the ancient glomes, who have awakened in answer to his
call, would seem to lend some credence to this belief. Olfar wields a spiked
club in combat (Strength +2) and wears enchanted wooden armor that absorbs three
points of damage and magically repairs itself when washed in blood.
Ariás: Dioniae/Araminae/Apolliae
Attributes: Str 5, Dex 4, Sta 5, Cha 3, Man 2, App 2, Per 4, Int 3, Wits 4
Abilities: Talents (Alertness 4, Athletics 3, Brawl 4, Dodge 3, Empathy 3,
Intimidation 3), Skills (Animal Ken 4, Leadership 3, Melee 4, Music 2, Ride 2,
Stealth 3, Survival 5), Knowledge (Linguistics 2, Medicine 1, Nature Lore 5)
Arts/Realms: Chicanery 2, Dream-Craft 3, Legerdemain 4, Primal 5, Wayfare 3 /
Fae 4, Nature 5, Prop 1, Scene 3
Glamour 5, Willpower 6, Banality 1
Neerak the Butcher (Unseelie, Grump, Redcap Warlord)
Born to a legacy of poverty and casual murder in the
subterranean redcap city of Nixus, the Middlemarch inhabitant learned early on
to take what he wanted. Using a blend of intimidation and low charm to establish
a seasoned paramilitary band, he set out in search of new worlds to conquer.
Like most Nixian redcaps, Neerak maintains a strict code against harming fellow
redcaps; even a Seelie redcap player character that opposes him may be spared.
Unfortunately, Neerak is also a redcap chauvinist and is nowhere near as
merciful toward fae whom the Nixians consider “slave races” (basically any other
kith). An ivory death's head mask covers his face, which was hideously burned by
a former victim. Neerak's tactical acumen and artfully wielded battleaxe make
him an opponent to be feared.
Legacies: Beast / Dandy
Attributes: Str 4, Dex 5, Sta 4, Cha 2, Man 3, App 1, Per 3, Int 2, Wits 4
Abilities: Talents (Alertness 3, Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Dodge 2, Empathy 1,
Intimidation 4, Streetwise 2), Skills (Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 1, Leadership 3,
Melee 4, Ride 3, Stealth 3, Survival 3), Knowledge (Linguistics 1, Tactics 3)
Arts/Realms: Chicanery 4, Dream-Craft 1, Legerdemain 3, Metamorphosis 1, Primal
3, Wayfare 3 / Fae 4, Nature 2, Prop 4, Scene 2
Glamour 6, Willpower 6, Banality 3
The Winterweir
Situated in the Winter portion of the Forest of Lies, the Winterweir is a cold
land shrouded by mists and mystery. Home to the fuath, few parts of the Forest
are as thick and wild as the Winterweir - or as dangerous. Since the White
Court's awakening, the winter months have become increasingly longer. Once
imprisoned in the hearts of the forest's silver oaks, the old whisperers in the
Forest of Lies now spin a new brand of waking terror throughout the woods.
Several tribes of fuaths have been quick to rally to the Fomorian banner, seeing
in them an opportunity to gain power, protection and revenge. The Frost Court
occupies a frozen palace at the heart of the forest's Winterlands. Ruling over
these, Queen Lir, offspring of a fuath sorceress and a powerful Fomorian lord,
sends legates throughout the Dreaming and now to the Autumn World to spy and
make alliances. Those who oppose Lir in the Winterweir are mostly a loose-knit
confederation of independent fuath tribes and Seelie trolls known as the Kiriand
Alliance. Fighting a losing battle, they have sent out messengers to gain aid
against the Frost Queen Ø so far with little success.
Entering the Winterweir
The border between the Winterweir and its adjoining neighbors is indeterminate.
In places its border is visible from a long distance and entry is more gradual
as the traveler walks toward the snowy hills in the distance. In other places
entry is as abrupt as turning a corner in the swampy Bullydales and finding
oneself on a forest trail surrounded by a gentle snowfall - or in the midst of a
fierce blizzard.
The sky here is frequently filled with storm clouds, or is a pitch-black curtain
studded with millions of stars; intermittently a curtain of lights similar to
the Aurora Borealis paints the sky with shimmering hues. A small explosion of
steam punctuates every breath. Winter holds the realm tightly in its clutches,
but it is not omnipresent. Spring and Autumn places hold sway here and there, in
small clearings, hidden valleys and along thawing streams. The realm is mostly
swathed in night, while a pale wintry sun appears only four out of every 24
hours. Although largely a silent realm, a frequent sound is that of cracking and
crashing as ice-laden tree limbs crash to the forest floor. The land is stark,
elemental, beautiful and dangerous. In addition to forestland, there are great
frozen lakes, and mysterious ice-caverns laden with gems and enchanted silver.
The Follets
(foo-JETs)
By: Monsada, The Iberian Troll of SnE
~He is deeply missed~
If something can be said about follets, it’s that they are neat and quick. They
like to make things and tasks the right way and as fast as it can be
accomplished, without losing any quality to it. Efficiency and efficacy are the
two most popular words among those of this kith.
Follets are so obsessed with both concepts that they tend to disregard all other
things, sometimes including their own safety. If anyone gets ill because of
their cooking skills, it’s because that person doesn’t know how to appreciate a
well-done delicacy. If they must deliver a message, they will exhaust their
horses or even themselves as much as they can. If they must clean a place, they
will not stop until the work is done, even if it means working until the first
light of day appears upon the horizon. This may seem like the follets are Autumn
People or even Dauntain. That is not the case, since follets tend to have such
strange notions of order that even sluagh may find disturbing. This obsession
with well-done things, makes follets great hosts and party-goers, rivalling with
satyrs in revels and with pooka in joke contests. Despite this passion, members
of this kith usually don’t like to make more lasting useful items, like pottery
or inventions. This is a fact that pleases boggans and nockers to no end — not
that they fear competence from follets, of course.
Outside Spain, Mediterranean France and Italy, follets are a very rare sight,
and as a result, their mortal mien usually resembles mortals from those regions
— men and women with black hair and a light-tanned skin. When the Inquisition
fires were alight, these Kithain hid and mingled in their native areas, fearing
that migrating to other lands would make them lose their advantage with the
familiarity of their regions. Besides their original lands, they have small
numbers in France and Germany.
Seelie follets tend to be more moderate than their Unseelie cousins. They are
prone to making things by themselves and to not meddle in others’ affairs. They
prefer to bite their tongues instead of voicing their complaints when things are
not the way they like at others’ homes, and then, when nobody’s looking, they
try to right what they see as incorrect. The Unseelie tend to be as foul-mouthed
as nockers when they perceive chaos and disorder at their and others’ homes.
They usually point to these things at the most inopportune times, usually to the
host’s dismay. It is said that some radical Unseelie follets shut up when they
see disorder in others’ home and return when everybody is asleep and wake up
everybody with strong noises or even by beating the house’s owner if the
disorder has not been amended. Of course, Unseelie follets do not themselves
correct what they perceive as others’ fault.
Appearance: Follets tend to be short of stature, with very thin
complexions and hair ranging from light brown to raven black. Their skin has a
certain yellowish tone to it, like that of a person who’s suffering an illness.
They have pointed ears that somewhat tend to sprout perpendicularly to their
slim faces. Despite their obsession with perfection in what they do, Follets
don’t have a taste for fine robes, instead preferring practical but sometimes
colourful clothes. When in court they wear sober clothes so they won’t stand
out.
Lifestyles: Follets can be found in nearly all kinds of jobs in the
regions where they are a common sight. At a young age, they may be found singing
or playing instruments in a small band that travels along the Mediterranean
coast, researching local folklore in order to write stories or simply wandering
around taking any job or selling self-made stuff in order to get a life. When
they age, however, they want to settle in one place and tend to manage a shop, a
pub or some kind of artistry school or even entering the service of a local
noble.
* Childlings tend to be very free-spirited. Although they say they
dislike rules and are somewhat little anarchists, the truth is that the little
territories childling follets call home are very neat and ordered places. Out of
these places, they tend to be little whirlwinds, provoking chaos wherever they
pass through.
* Wilders are prone to wanderings and often seek adventures through the
regions they inhabit. They usually enter motleys that travel their mother lands,
but when they leave these areas, wilder follets often abandon their comrades. At
this age, they start to seek order in all things, which can be annoying for any
fellow traveller or companion. When in wilder years, follets are excellent
messengers, scouts and even spies, and are much appreciated by people that may
require their services.
* Grumps are so obsessed with order that coexistence with them may be a
pain in the ass. They tend to settle down in a place, often setting some kind of
shop or pub. They also tend to make excellent major-domos and heralds, since
that, under their care, things tend to go smooth and ordered. Grump follets
tend to show the worst habits of the kith, being foulmouthed when things are not
of their liking, and Unseelie ones are prone to right things their own way, as
described above.
Affinity: Prop
Birthrights
* Fast as Hell: Follets are quick to react, and fast when running. For the
first three turns in a scene, follets double their Wits score when determining
their initiative dice pool. When they call upon the Wyrd or when not in the
presence of mortals or the unenchanted, they can reach speeds of up to 25 yards
+ three times their Dexterity. Also, when mounting a living or chimerical
non-intelligent creature, a follet can spend a Glamour point and double the
running speed of their mounts, again when not in the presence of mortals or the
unenchanted.
* The Devil is in the Details: Follets are very perceptive and they tend
to spot even the smallest details in any given place. They may roll Perception +
Alertness or Kenning (difficulty varies at Storyteller’s Discretion) to note any
detail important to the scene. They may even discern doors hidden through
non-magical means at difficulty 7, and magical ones at a difficulty 9 and
requiring as many successes as the caster who hid it obtained in the original
roll.
No follet can botch Alertness or Kenning rolls.
Frailties
* Hole in the Hand: Despite their obsession with order, follets tend to lose
things — they cannot help it. At the beginning of each story, the Storyteller
asks the follet’s player to roll her permanent Glamour (difficulty 7). The
player must score at least three successes to avoid the effects of this frailty.
For every success under the minimum, the character loses an object worth of as
many points of Chimera (only inanimate), Resources or Treasure (at Storyteller’s
discretion) points as the roll failed by. This roll is kept in secret by the
Storyteller, and she may choose the time when she tells the follet’s player what
object or objects the character has lost — usually these objects are the one the
follet needs at the moment the Storyteller decides to tell the player. At the
end of the story, the Storyteller may allow the player to make another permanent
Glamour roll to recover the objects (difficulty 7; one roll for each object and
the player needs a number of successes equal to the cost in points of the
object). If the player botched the initial roll, the object is absorbed by the
Dreaming and the Storyteller could require a Quest to recover what have been
lost.
Quote: I don’t know how you can live within this mayhem you call home.
You should learn from me, I have everything in order so when I do need something
I don’t waste my time trying to remember where I put it.
Ok, it seems like Miquel Redolet has some time to spend with you.
On Boggans — Sometimes they come out of their holes with good stuff. The
pity is that they seem to like getting in YOUR hole…
On Eshu — Travelling with them is a nurturing experience. The worse part
is that they tend to clean the wrong things from your place.
On Nockers — I admire the determination of these guys. If only they could
shut up their insults for a moment.
On Pooka — Where did I put that bear trap?
On Redcaps — I’m only too happy than I’m faster than them.
On Satyrs — They make great parties, but when it’s time to clean the
place they are nowhere to be seen.
On Sidhe — You may be our Lords and Ladies but, hey, where were you when
we were cleaning all this mess up?
On Sluagh — So many secrets and forgotten things they hoard… it’s sure
they need someone to classify all that stuff.
On Trolls — Don’t fool yourself, they are not fit to rule us all. They
must first open their eyes.
HOUSE BREOGHAN
By: Monsada, The Iberian Troll of SnE
~He is deeply missed~
“Come, come my children to the top of the tower. It’s cold here,
isn't it? Don't worry! The fire will keep us warm and shield us from the cold
breeze with which the ocean graces us. Sit down now and let your father tell you
a tale that you must remember in the days to come.
Years ago our forefathers, the children of Niul, had set themselves to cross the
Mediterranean Sea and enter the Land of the Serpent Gods trough the mouth of the
Nile river. They sailed down-river for days, and when hope just seemed to fade
they arrived to a place of green and bountiful lands. There, guided by a vision
of one of their leaders, they founded a colony in the blackened soil of Khem.
Due to the vitality of the river’s waters and the fertility of its surrounding
lands, the small settlement founded by our people hastily grew into a town. And
thus, some years passed and our ancestors blossomed as quickly, my sons, as they
made a terrible mistake.
Know, my children, that Khem was a strange and lush land whose tribes followed
morbid cthonic traditions. Our kin, the kin of Gaedheal, did not know that one
of those Egyptian customs was the worship of the dead. They also didn’t realize
that their treasured Nile acted as a nexus between the Land of the Living and
the Land of the Dead and that its inhabitants couldn’t quite ignore the haunting
presence of their long lost dead relatives and lovers.
I for sure, don't know what really transpired in those dark lands, but my father
told me that, being very far from their homelands, our ancestors neglected their
duties towards the deceased. You know, my children, that for each seven passing
years, one of our people must be sacrificed in order to appease the hunger of
the dead and thus maintain our well-deserved immortality through the teign,
the Tithe to Hell. And our people knew it as well. And what may have caused this
transgression? Well, perhaps, they wrongly reasoned, that by being far from home
they weren’t required to follow the ancient pacts. But don’t ever forget, my
sons, that the host of the departed don’t easily forgive any disobedience
regarding their decrees, for theirs is the unmerciful justice of the eternally
hungry. And how wrong our forefathers were when they committed such a crime! For
in a land where the dark worshipping of the dead was so ingrained, such
grievance could not pass unnoticed for long.
So, on a moonless night, at a time when the dead wandered among the living
without restraint, the spectral executioners attacked and almost annihilated our
ancestors. Those few who survived, their hearts filled with fear, fled from the
blackened lands of Khem, led by their leader Sru. In their flight, more of our
kin were assailed and killed by the pursuing dead, who didn’t give any truce to
the survivors. The haunting taint of the wraithlike hunters had also led our
people to a murderous panic that caused them to quarrel among themselves. Know
that if the ghostly predators had attacked our people in a battleground
honorable enough to die in, canny warriors like our ancestors were, and we still
are nowadays, could easily stand against them, but with the weird power of dead,
they violated our forefathers minds. They shaped thoughts of our living kin to
their own dead likeness, turning their victims against each other. Brother
stabbed brother while he was sleeping and spouse poisoned husband while he was
eating her meagerly prepared food.
Year after year, without peace or truce, they were assaulted and murdered during
their flight from the Land of the Serpent Gods. Every time our ancestors landed
and tried to settle down on the several coasts along the journey back, thinking
that they were safe from assault, the dead persisted in attacking them.
But one day, my own father, Brath, bravely summoned the angry spirits to his
presence and they answered by manifesting their terrible visages right before
his eyes. And in this way, my father finally find out why they were so
ruthlessly persecuting our forefathers.
Brath asked if the negligence of the past had not been totally repaired with the
continuous deadly suffering of the members of his tribe. One deceased spirit
answered that the price in pain and despair had already been pain in full but
that the assembly of the dead magistrates didn’t truly believe that his kin
would ever make amends regarding the past issue. My father asked them what could
be done to dispel their wrath and the herald of the dead answered that his
people should resume the old customs and every seven years they should sacrifice
lives and pay homage to the deceased and honor the teign. He also said
that, if Brath swore a oath binding all his people to honoring the host of the
dead they would let the tribe depart in peace and show them the way of reaching
the End of the World, from where Brath and the children of Niul and Sru,
brethren of Gaedheal, could cross the maritime barrier between both worlds and
reach the Land of the Dead. According to the herald, the people should settle
down in these mysterious and legendary lands and grow blessed with prosperity
and good fortune. My father, relieved but still doubting the good will of their
assailants, asked a last question: how would the dead know when he and his clan
mates had reached the chosen point of entrance to their Land. So, before parting
ways, the deceased told him that he would die in the day of his people arrival
and that Breoghan himself would be the carrier of that news to the Court of the
Dead.
And so they allowed our departure towards their Land and after days of sailing
trough the Mediterranean Sea we reached the lands of Iberia. As the dead man
predicted my father eventually died while in a furious battle against the People
of the Western Shores, for with their expulsion from their lands we could
finally live in peace. From that moment on I assumed the command of our army and
after the battle the mantle of the leadership of our clan. I then ordered the
construction of this tower where we are standing now, gazing over the shoreline
of our lands. It’s only from this vantage point that we can better watch over
the Land of the Dead and notice their deadly movements. Only in this manner we
can prevent any unnoticed offence to the dead for as you now know the vengeance
of the ghostly host can be a harsh and untiring one.
Know that you must ensure that the ritual sacrifices in honor of the deceased
are always made. It's a taxing and ungrateful job and if word of this matter
reaches our brothers in other lands it's certain that they will persecute you to
no end and exterminate us all.
This is why, my children, I will pass unto you the secret legacy of my house,
House Breoghan, so that our brethren may live forever in these lands and thus
glorify the memory of our past deeds trough their storytelling arts.”
Breoghan
In its existence House Breoghan is a complete and wondrous mystery to the other
houses. Not even House Eiluned, the House of Secrets, really knows of its
existence for, if there are secrets capable of eluding them, this is one of
them. Commoners themselves are not that more knowledgeable in this regard, even
if some sluagh may have heard rumors about its existence. Even the members of
this kith tend to disregard tales of this secretive house as uneducated and
superstitious nonsense.
Nevertheless, the Dreaming seems to have its own ways of hoarding secrets and
the obscure truth is that House Breoghan thus, in fact, exists and the
perpetuity of its existence solely depends of its ability to remain unknown and
hidden from the other houses.
Apparently the members of House Breoghan are responsible for a succession of
criminal acts that were committed against all of Kithain society during the
mythical age. It is also said that they organized the last invasion of Ireland
and the legendary expulsion of the Tuatha de Danaan by the Milésians, being
Golam –known also as Milidh-, grandson of Lord Breoghan, who led his people to
the lands of Éire.
However, what the mists of time have covered from sight can only be observed by
the wise and the foolish. Millennia ago members of House Breoghan took for
themselves the burden of continuously conducting ritual killings to honor the
Tithe to Hell and, in this fashion, paying the teign in the name of all
the fae. Because of this obligation, House Breoghan didn’t really retire to
Arcadia during the Shattering and had to undergo the Changeling Way in order to
keep paying homage to this most sacred pact.
And this is why they must hide their true allegiance from their kith mates and
from Kithain society at large. Outside knowledge of House Breoghan’s existence
could in fact encompass its own doom. If members of other houses were to
discover that members of House Breoghan consider any noble sidhe a suitable
sacrificial offering to be made, the other houses would certainly instigate a
fae crusade that would purge Breoghan sidhe from the mortal realm.
So, sidhe from this house, in order to survive, must do anything that needs to
be done, including defamation, blackmail and murder. It doesn’t come as a
surprise then that the vast majority of House Breoghan align themselves with the
Unseelie Court.
Despite their morbid tradition, Breoghan sidhe are also watchers of the recently
departed. The wisest among these sidhe can describe how unexpected shifts in the
reality of the Lands of the Dead can inflict definitive changes on the lands of
the living, and thus affecting the Dreaming and its inhabitants. House
Breoghan’s members, in order to predict future catastrophic events, study the
dead souls of the Underworld and have become scholars well versed in the stygian
ways of their patrons.
House Breoghan's blazon is parti per chevron, sable and azure, a lighthouse
or enflamed in chief argent. (Silver flames atop a golden lighthouse over a
black and blue field.)
Boon: As watchers of the dead, Breoghan sidhe have learned to travel
through the Black Paths of Balor down into the Underworld. These sidhe can also
gain the ability to notice lurking ghosts if they succeed in a Perception +
Alertness roll (difficulty 8). In addition to these powers if a Breoghan sidhe
spends a Glamour point she can even freely communicate with a ghost for the
duration of a scene.
Flaw: Because they associate themselves with death, sidhe from House
Breoghan have retained a lot of the Underworld’s negative energies and thus are
physically and spiritually scarred by this exposure. They may show
phantasmagorical visages or perhaps the whiteness of their hair is like that of
a long dead person. Or there is always a chill breeze blowing where they stand
or their voices even seem to have the grave tones of the lost to the abyssal.
Whenever they are in a social occasion and in the company of Kithain other than
the members of their own house, these sidhe add +2 to the difficulty in all
Social rolls, except when trying to intimidate them.
Frailty
Because they underwent the Changeling Way Ritual, sidhe of this house do not
suffer from Banality’s Curse (see Changeling: The Dreaming). In fact they
suffer from another frailty:
Ocean’s Mood – Breoghan has always been a house strongly connected with
the sea and somehow the mood of its members is supernaturally influenced by the
restlessness of its waters. Whenever the closest sea changes its “mood” – from a
slight swell to a strong swell or from a strong swell to total tranquility — the
player of a Breoghan sidhe must succeed in a roll of Willpower (difficulty 8) or
he will suffer from the same “mood” as the sea. So, when a storm hits the
closest sea this frailty can cause the Breoghan sidhe to be in an impetuous mood
and if by other hand the mentioned body of water has a slight swell it can cause
the noble to enter a state of profound depression.
Affinity - Actor
Exile: The truth is that House Breoghan sidhe were not cast out from
Arcadia, but are in fact considered by other changelings as inexistent, due to
other fae’s ignorance of the house’s history and legacy. In reality they have
never even left earth during the Shattering. Some say they that, when the
sidhe’s exodus began, some of the Breoghan sidhe, who resorted to masquerading
as members of other houses in order to continue fulfilling their obligations,
departed also to Arcadia. But the truth of the matter is not known since none of
the impersonated and recently returned sidhe has approached the house to reclaim
their old identities. Of these impersonated sidhe, it is said that they have
forgotten their true identities and heritages and have thus have adopted other
houses' colours as their own. It's a blessing then that they don't remember
their true origins.
The actual leader of house Breoghan is High Lord Bilé, one of Breoghan’s heirs.
After his father soul disappeared without trace into the Land of Dead and his
brother Ith and his nephew Golam were killed, Bilé took for himself the mantle
of House Breoghan and demanded that the house should occult itself from the
outer world. From this moment on, he has governed his house as only a cunning
and astute politician could and has supervised the ancient chthonic traditions
from his freehold, somewhere in the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), in Galicia.
High Lord Bilé is very relunctant to of abandon his freehold because he believes
that if the accursed history of his house past rulers are a fact to be taken in
consideration he will die if he tries to do so. He is largely admired by his
people as a ruler of great wisdom and quiet demeanor. As of late, High Lord Bilé
seems to be very sad and particularly gloom. His subjects thus question if the
added weight of the burden from each new death of another living being isn’t a
little too much for the stability of the soul of this apparently Seelie sidhe.
A little credit where credit is due. I did not write this. No one in my group wrote this. I discovered this one day while looking over B.J. Zanzibar's World of Darkness page. It is, in my opinion, an amazing take on the Changelings of Australia and have made it official in Our World of Darkness. I am not taking credit for Daniel Mitchell's work and I have left the last known E-Mail address for the author if anyone wishes to let him know how you feel about this masterpiece.
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
Some of these ideas are based on the Werewolf sourcebook "Rage Across Australia," while some others are borrowed from B. J. Zanzibar's World of Darkness page. The majority of this material I made up myself. Honest.
Many years ago, thousands of years before the coming of Europeans to Australia, Australia was within the Dreamtime -- a point recognized by fae scholars as a time when the Dreaming co-existed with the real world. The Aborigines, the Dreamsingers and the Bunyip, the shapechanging guardians of the Dreamtime, all lived together, sharing their dreams and stories.
However, in 1788, the Europeans arrived. Many of the Australian natives were curious about these strange new people, and some adventurous fae (most notably the Djangwull) even went so far as to try and mix with these "Europeans" as they called themselves. Very few among them knew of these strangers, although the wise Bunyip had some fragmentary knowledge about them from their Past Lives.
Initially, the native fae helped the European fae as best they could, but soon things went bad for them. The European shapechangers, or Garou as they called themselves, chose to wage a war -- the War of Tears -- against the Bunyip. The majority of the Dreamsingers withdrew themselves from the Eurpoeans, refusing any and all aid until their Garou kin stopped the war.
The war stopped -- when the last Bunyip was killed. As a result, the Dreamsingers withdrew themselves almost completely from the Europeans. Some Dreamsingers (mainly the Baga-Djimbiri) chose to wage war on the invaders in return, while others simply divorced themselves from the Europeans, having nothing to do with them.
In modern times, many of the Dreamsingers are in two minds about the Europeans. Some still see them as foes that must pay for the vanquishing of the Bunyip and the destruction of their culture; others see past their initial follies and try to help those who help their lands. The Kunapipi and Djangwull are the most notable Dreamsingers in this regard. Others, such as the Wandjina are sometimes known to help, but only after judging the potential recipient's worth. Only the Baga-Djimbiri continue their war.
Character creation is much like normal fae creation, but with a few differences. First, there are no Courts, nor are Seelie or Unseelie Legacies separate -- both of them are played, because the Dreamsingers view their natures as one. Also, each Dreamsinger has certain abilities that may not be taken under certain circumstances:
Baga-Djimbiri: They may never have Drive, Firearms, Security, Computer, Law, Politics, Science. These can be earned with experience points, but at triple the cost.
Djangwull: No restrictions, because they have been around Europeans for a long time.
Kunapipi: They may never have Brawl, Intimidation, Firearms, Melee. They may never be bought with any points.
Wandjina: Drive, Firearms, Computer, Law, Politics, Science. These can be bought with experience, at triple the cost.
Most Backgrounds are available to Dreamsingers, except for Retinue and Title. All get a free dot in Rememberance. Each Dreamsinger also gets four dots to spend on Arts, one of which must go into the special Art of their kith. Sovereign and Contempt cannot be taken.
The Temper values are as follows:
Youngulmanda (childling): Song 7, Willpower 3, Silence 0.
Youngulmanda (wilder): Song 6, Willpower 4, Silence 2.
Moyenda (grump): Song 5, Willpower 5, Silence 4.
The Djangwull are exception to this -- they receive the normal starting values, but Song is 1 point higher.
Because the Dreamsingers transmit many of their stories and dreams in the form of music and dance, they call Glamour by a more appropriate name -- Song. They also call Banality something different too -- Silence -- which represents the gradual oppression of their culture and dreams, and also because Silence is opposite to Song.
It should be noted that accessing the Dreaming is exceedingly easy in the Outback, because many of the touches of Silence have not reached it. To enter the Dreaming in the Outback, all that is needed is a Glamour or Song roll at a natural object, and the Near Dreaming can be reached.
Dreamsingers have different ways of gathering Song than other changelings. They use Corroboree as an equivalent to Rapture and Singing as Reverie. Since the Dreamsingers always respect the Dreamtime, they do not perform any equivalent to Ravaging or Rhapsody, seeing them as destructive and harmful.
Singing: By communing with the spirits of the Dreamtime, it is possible for Dreamsingers to regain Song. The Dreamsinger needs to find a place where the natural wonder of the Australian landscape is present and spend time silently communing with it. This could range from lying in the red sand of the Outback, climbing a tree in Arnhem Land or swimming in the pools of Kakadu. The Dreamsinger decides the number of hours it will spend Singing, then rolls that many dice against their Silence. Each success allows the replenishment of a Song point.
Corroboree: The equivalent of Rapture, this allows the Dreamsinger to regain greater Glamour, but can only occur in the Dreamtime. The Dreamsinger enters the Dreamtime and then starts a corroboree (an Aboriginal meetimg where stories are told in the form of dance), enticing nearby spirits to join in. After a day of Corroboree, the Dreamsinger rolls their Song against their Silence, with 1 extra dice for every 3 spirits that have joined in. Each success replenishes a Song point; eight or more successes imbue the Dreamsinger with a permenant Song point.
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
The Baga-Djimbiri are a very unusual kith. They were the closest fae kin to the lost Bunyip tribe of shapeshifters. For centuries, both the Bunyip and the Baga-Djimbiri worked to take care of the Australian landscape, sharing their stories and natures with the Aborigines. Even so, there were many things about the Baga-Djimbiri that were opposite to their brothers, the Bunyip. Far from being peaceful, they were the ones who taught the Aborigines many of their combat skills. Combative and powerful, they were a force to be reckoned with, especially when they called upon the powers of their brothers through their own Art, Rage-Call.
When the Europeans arrived and the Garou commenced the War of Tears, the Baga-Djimbiri aided their brothers as best they could, but even they could not stop the eventual extinction of the Bunyip.
In modern times, the Baga-Djimbiri are vengeful fae, and are highly aggressive toward anyone who encroaches upon their territories, especially Garou. They would make a powerful force against many threats, if someone could gain their trust. However, few are inclined to do so because of their fearsome reputation. Baga-Djimbiri have been known to wipe out whole Werewolf caerns in a single night -- many people believe that they call the aid of the spirits of the Bunyip...
The Baga-Djimbiri are powerfully built, muscular and dark. Their most noticeable trait is their eyes, which are sharp, piercing and hateful. Their skin is dark, almost black, and they rarely wear clothing.
The life of a Baga-Djimbiri is very rough. Combat is taught early on in life, and only the strong survive, for the Baga-Djimbiri are highly combative. If a Baga-Djimbiri ever lives long enough to reach Elder status, he or she is accorded much respect in the tribe.
Nature
Rage-Call
Shapeshifting: The Baga-Djimbiri shared many things with the Bunyip, including the ability to change forms. By spending a Song point, the Baga-Djimbiri can take on a form equivalent to Hispo (Str 6, Dex 6, Stam 6, +1 Perception, bite attack of Str+2, claw attack of Str+2). Reverting to human form is free.
Combat Prowess: The Baga-Djimbiri gain one extra dot in Strength and Stamina, even if it takes it over 5. Their Physical Trait maximum is increased to 6. Baga-Djimbiri cannot botch Brawl or Survival rolls.
Animal Mind: The Baga-Djimbiri are highly instinctive fae, being closer to animals than normal. As a result, they can never have an Intelligence over 2 and all tasks involving human-level thought processes are at +2 difficulty.
Djangwull: Tainted. Smell of the invaders. Some stay true, but others must die with invaders.
Kunapipi: They helpful. Do not hurt. Do not defile Sacred Places. Help where you can.
Wandjina: Strange. They come, go as they want. They find you if you need.
European Kiths: They not to be trusted. Kill as soon as you can. They must pay for stopping Dreamtime.
Garou: All killed our brothers Bunyip. All must die.
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
This Art is the exclusive province of the Baga-Djimbiri. They were taught this in gratitude by the Bunyip, who used this teaching as a way of understanding their Rage. The Baga-Djimbiri, a naturally warfaring kith, were very pleased at this, and swore eternal fealty to the Bunyip. Ths Art is most often called when the Baga-Djimbiri are battling the foes of the Bunyip.
Attribute: Strength
By concentrating, the Baga-Djimbiri are able to sharpen their senses to an amazing degree. This cantrip is particularly used to sense things that are out of the ordinary, and can also be used to detect the true nature of things. However, not all this information is transmitted in the one sense -- sometimes it comes as a sound, a smell or even a taste.
System: The person receiving the sense determines the Realm. It is possible to use this with Nature or Prop -- the object in question will often act strangely in response to the sensory input. Scene may be used to either give the sense to more people or to give the power to an area. The number of successes determines the amount of information available; 5 successes will tell the caster anything.
Using this power, the Baga-Djimbiri can call upon the most obvious aspect of their brethren the Bunyip -- the aspect that the Bunyip tried to understand and defeat within themselves known as the Rage. When invoked, the Rage allows the Baga-Djimbiri to perform mightly battle deeds, but also exposes them to the risk of frenzy.
System: Actor or Fae are the main realms for this, but Nature can be used to give it to normal animals. For each success gained, the Baga-Djimbiri is imbued with a Rage point. This Rage may be used in the same way as a Rage point normally would.
This is a powerful ability, usually called upon during great battles with their foes. This power allows the Baga-Djimbiri to regenerate wounds received in combat, even aggravated wounds.
System: Actor or Fae are the usual realms for this, but it may also be used on any other thing to heal it gradually. Each success gained allows the Baga-Djimbiri to heal 1 wound of any type, including aggravated at any point. This lasts for the whole scene.
This fearsome ability allows the Baga-Djimbiri to take in a Bunyip spirit and assume their form known as Crinos to some degree. This cantrip is invoked only under the most dire of combat circumstance, and is often the reason why the Baga-Djimbiri can wipe out whole caerns of Garou.
System: Actor or Fae are the only realms usable -- Scene can be used to imbue multiple people with this (Storyteller discretion). The number of successes determines the relative power and duration of the merging. The form may be dissipated before the alloted time by either spending 2 Willpower or Counterweaving.
|
Successes |
Duration |
Rage |
Attribute bonuses |
Delirium |
|
1 |
1 minute |
2 |
Normal |
Normal Delirium |
|
2 |
10 minutes |
4 |
+1 Strength and Stamina |
Normal Delerium |
|
3 |
20 minutes |
6 |
+2 Strength and Stamina |
-1 penalty to Delerium |
|
4 |
30 minutes |
8 Rage |
+3 Strength and Stamina; +1 Dexterity |
-1 penalty to Delerium |
|
5 |
1 hour |
10 |
+4 Strength; +1 Dexterity; +3 Stamina |
Will cause Delerium in anything |
This awesome cantrip requires a corroboree lasting from sunrise to midnight without stopping. At midnight, a sacrifice of an enemy of the Bunyip is performed, which allows the Bunyip to take on their physical forms until sunrise. This cantrip is only used when a dire threat to the Dreamtime and to Gaia is spotted, such as a Black Spiral Caern, Technocracy Construct or Nephandi Labyrinth.
System: The knowledge of this cantrip is highly restricted. Once the sacrifice is performed, the caster spends a permanent Dream point and all participants roll their Dream against their Silence. Every 3 successes summons a Bunyip spirit back from the dead until sunrise.
However, only certain creatures are worthy of sacrifice. The only things that can be sacrificed to call the Bunyip are a Black Spiral Dancer, a vampire, a Nephandus, a Dauntain or an Autumn Person.
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
The Djangwull, or Daughters of the Morning Star, are very charismatic and outgoing fae. In the Dreamtime, it was said that the Djangwull were born from the songs of the Aboriginals as they migrated to Australia. As a result, the Djangwull became exemplary performers, often standing out in corrborees and other performance endeavours. Over time, the Djangwull also learnt about the finer points of seduction and socializing. The average Djangwull could definitely give an Eshu or a Satyr a run for their money in terms of performance!
The War of Tears threw the Djangwull into disarray. On one hand, here were these strange people from a distant land with all sorts of new tricks and performance styles for them to learn. However, these were also the same people bringing death, pain and Silence into their world. Eventually, they decided to embrace the new world, while maintaining the connections of the old.
More than ever, these fae are responsible for teaching the Europeans about the ways of their people, while learning the ways of the strangers at the same time without incurring Silence. This is a difficult balancing act, but it is one that the Djangwull have perfected over time. Their performance and social skills are beyond compare.
The Djangwull are very attractive, almost haunting fae, leaning toward revealing, colourful clothing. Their voices are highly pleasing to hear.
The Djangwull naturally gravitate toward performance-based occupations, where their true penchant will show. They also enjoy socialization a great deal.
Fae
Dreamsong
Performing Grace: The Djangwull are graceful, smooth performers. Any cantrip designed to hinder their performing skills automatically fails. They cannot botch Performance rolls.
Sociability: Djangwull are renowned social creatures, which some say is related to their voice. Any skill which involves the use of their voice is at -2 difficulty.
Secrets: Djangwull are notoriously bad at keeping secrets. If one is told to a Djangwull, the Djangwull must roll Willpower (7) to avoid blurting out the secret to people.
Baga-Djimbiri: Such uncultured heathens. Why do they insist on destroying this great new culture when they could learn so much from them?
Kunapipi: These are wise and gentle fae. All should respect their ways.
Wandjina: Such strange people. I guess it will be difficult for anyone to learn about them.
European Kiths: Such interesting people. We still have much to share with these people.
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
Dreamsong is the Djangwull's Art of performance. Since they are such consummate performers, it is quite unsurprising that they have their own Art devoted to enhancing their performances. Although it is not the same, it is the closest that any Dreamsinger will get to the art of Sovereign.
Attribute: Charisma
This cantrip allows the Djangwull's voice to appear anywhere that she can imagine. The only restriction is that the place where the voice is to appear must be one she knows.
System: Nature and Prop are usually used; Scene allows the voice to appear in an area (or on multiple objects as a secondary realm), while Actor and Fae may be used to make the voice appear either in place of her voice or inside his head. The number of successes determines the duration that the voice may stay:
|
Successes |
Duration |
|
1 |
1 turn |
|
2 |
1 minute |
|
3 |
5 minutes |
|
4 |
10 minutes |
|
5 |
30 minutes |
With this cantrip, the Djangwull can imbue an artwork or performance piece of her own with an emotion. Only one emotion may be placed within an art medium at any one time.
System: Nature and Prop are the usual realms for this cantrip. The number of successes gained determines the depth of the emotion and the duration the emotion is felt.
By talking and using this cantrip, the Djangwull may make people feel any one emotion. This can be used to help sway opinions or just to make the Djangwull look important to others, or even to intimidate.
System: The realm is determined by what the emotion is to be felt toward. The number of successes, like Empower, determine the depth and duration of the emotion. If the depth of emotion is powerful (4+ successes), at the Storyteller's discretion it may return when the stimulus evoking the emotion is present again.
This dangerous cantrip allows the Djangwull to emit a powerful shriek, which damages all nearby. It is rare for this cantrip to be used, but it is an extremely effective "last-resort" attack.
System: The epicenter of the sound wave determines the realm, but it must be something that can make a noise by itself (so a tree could serve as the epicenter, but not a dagger). Each success spent increase the radius of effect by 5m (from a base of 5m) and does one die of damage due to the ear-splitting shockwave. Any being with heightened hearing activated when this cantrip is cast takes double damage. The caster is immune to this effect.
This awesome cantrip allows the Djangwull to literally sing, paint, mould or otherwise artistically create chimera of any sort. It is a very draining cantrip to use, so it is rare for it to be used. There is no time restriction -- the longer the Djangwull takes, the stronger the chimera.
System: The only realm that can be used for this is Fae. The bunk for this cantrip can only be some form of art, such as a painting, sculpture, carving, song, dance or tune. Each hour that the bunk is enacted, the Djangwull must roll their Song against their Silence -- each success gains a Chimera point. Failure means that no points are gained this hour, while a botch at any time strips all successes and destroys the artwork.
Furthermore, after every 5 successes gained, the Djangwull must make a Stamina + Performance(or Crafts) roll at difficulty 5. Failing this roll increases the difficulty of all subsequent rolls by 1, while a botch stops the cantrip but does not strip points. A botch on this roll, however, also prevents the Djangwull using the relevant skill for 1 week per botch.
Artwork that is created in this fashion becomes Dross. Music pieces created in this way give out spontaneous Song when performed (Storyteller decides the amount given out, depending on the power of the chimera created with it).
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
The Kunapipi are gentle, reserved fae, dedicated to helping others. It is rare for a Kunapipi to be seen, but if one is, it is a sure sign that someone is very weak.
The Kunapipi are renowned healers and can cure any aliment known -- or so it is rumored. They are the fae of Dreamtime legend associated with rebirth and the gift of life. Foolish is the one who refuses the aid of a Kunapipi.
During the War of Tears, the Kunapipi frequently ministered their aid to the Bunyip and the Baga-Djimbiri -- however, they also aided any Garou that found them, since they had difficulty refusing their healing skills to anyone. When the Bunyip were slaughtered, the Kunapipi decided to withdraw their aid from all people, not just the Garou, and went into hiding. Recently, the Kunapipi have come out of hiding and rededicated their lives to healing everyone. They are a forgiving kith, and find it very difficult to refuse aid to someone -- as difficult as people find violent action in the presence of a Kunapipi.
Kunapipi are generally of average build, with soft, welcoming features. They dress in simple, durable clothing and appear very serene and gentle.
Kunapipi generally lean toward any profession which involves healing others in some way -- usually health care or even psychology. They are odd, in that they are the only Aboriginal kith that will freely associate with mortals -- one is just as likely to see a Kunapipi in the Outback as one is in a city somewhere.
Actor
Kenship
Serene Presence: The Kunapipi are naturally calm and gentle fae, and this frequently affects those they deal with. By rolling Charisma + Empathy (diff of Banality), the Kunapipi can project an aura of calm from her, with a radius equal to her Song in meters. No violent action of any sort is permitted within this aura, unless the aggressor rolls Willpower (8) and gets more successes than the Kunapipi did.
Emotion Sense: Kunapipi are highly attuned to the feelings of others. By concentrating (and spending a Song point), the Kunapipi can sense the emotional state of anoyne in her sight. This usually registers as a colour (Storyteller description), so interpretation does require some creative thought.
Call of the Suffering: Kunapipi find it very difficult to resist healing someone. To do so requires a Willpower (8) roll. Also, they automatically start with the Flaw: Soft Hearted. This may not be bought off or removed by anything, including cantrips.
Baga-Djimbiri: They are brave warriors. If only they could see that there are other ways to solve problems than violence.
Djangwull: Such graceful artisans of song and dance! If only they were more careful about who they shared things with....
Wandjina: Mysterious and elusive, but they always seem to find me when I need them.
European Kiths: We help them just as we would help any of our brethren. We cannot undo what they have done to us, but through patience and healing we will rectify the mistakes of the past.
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
Kenship is the ancient Kunapipi Art of healing not just the ailments of the body, but also those of the soul. It is the reason that the Kunapipi are so widely regarded as healers and so sought after by those who know of them.
Attribute: Intelligence
This is the cantrip that the Kunapipi are so renowned for. With it, a Kunapipi is capable of healing someone with but a touch. It is a very powerful cantrip, which some say can heal even the wounds inflicted by cold iron.
System: Any realm can be used except Scene. The Bunk requires a touch of some sort. Each success against the recipient's Banality allows one level of damage to be healed. Aggravated damage may be healed as well, but requires spending one Song point per level healed. This may be used by the Kunapipi on herself.
This is an unusual cantrip -- it places the recipient in a state of hibernation, slowing down the major functions of the recipient. It is usually used when the help of the Kunapipi is not enough to heal the wound there and then, or if the subject is dying. Occasionally, it may also be used to aid the Kunapipi if she is attacked.
System: Actor or Fae are the usual realms for this cantrip. Each success after the first slows down the vital functions of the target by the number of successes: 2 successes slow them down by half, 3 to a third and so on. This may be used aggressively -- each success after the second reduces the number of actions available (2 successes mean 1 action every 2 turns for example).
By using this cantrip, a Kunapipi can create special places of calm and peace. Many Kunapipi use this cantrip on their dwellings as a way of ensuring that no violence occurs around it. Once such a place is set up, the place becomes a natural channel for healing and peace.
System: Nature, Prop and Scene are usually used for this cantrip. Multiple castings are cumulative, but a maximum of three castings is permitted in any one area. Each success may be spent in one of three ways:
People with a high Silence (7 or greater) are capable of eroding this Place by rolling their Silence against the caster's Song. Each success weakens any one of the three categories by one. If this ever happens, the caster is allowed to recast once to try and repair the damage, but the difficulty is at the attacker's Silence.
This cantrip allows the Kunapipi to heal a wide range of mental afflictions. Whether these afflictions are natural or induced by magical means does not matter, as all can be healed.
System: Actor and Fae are the main realms for this. By rolling against the afflicted one's Silence, the Kunapipi can weaken or even (with 5+ successes) abolish any mental ailment. The exact effects of this cantrip are left to Storyteller discretion, but obviously the more succeses gained, the weaker the mental affliction. The only ailments that cannot be cured by this cantrip are:
This awesome cantrip requires much meditation and preparation on the part of the Kunapipi. It allows any person who has died in the past 48 hours to come back from the dead. This cantrip is used exceedingly rarely, as it can kill the Kunapipi -- those who survive this cantrip are awarded much respect.
System: The Bunk for this cantrip requires the intact body (it must be recognizable) and a full day of preparation, meditation and singing from the Kunapipi. It can only be cast in a Place of Calm. The difficulty is the recipient's Silence, modified by the following:
One success is all that is needed to bring someone back from the dead. A maximum of (10-recipient's permenant Silence) Song points may be spent on lowering the difficulty. Failure does not bring the body back from the dead.
Botching this cantrip is catastrophic. Each "1" in the botch inflicts two aggravated wounds and weakens the Place of Calm by one point in all categories. The aggravated damage incurred in this fashion may only be healed by the body's natural healing processes. The damage to the Place may not be repaired until a year has passed or the Kunapipi involved performs a Corroboree and gives all Song gained to the spirits that attend.
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
The Wandjina are highly mysterious kith. Elusive and secretive, they often show up when least expected. In the Dreamtime, it was said that the Wandjina guided the Aborigines to Australia, showing them where best to settle.
Nowadays, the Wandjina still fulfill their role as guides for the lost and hopeless. The take personal care for those they guide, ensuring their safety until their charge reaches their destination, at which the Wandjina fade away into the land like ghosts.
When the Europeans came, the Wandjina initially guided the Garou and Kithain to the others of their kind. When they saw the havoc that the Europeans caused to their fellows, the Wandjina stopped guiding the Europeans. They still bear the sadness that they contributed to the deaths of the Bunyip, however slightly.
It is rare for someone to see a Wandjina, but when they are seen, their assistance is never refused. The Wandjina are silent yet sturdy travellers, guiding those in need as safely as they can.
The Wandjina are very tall, close to eight feet, and their skin is a light brown. Their faces are very odd: the only facial features ever seen on a Wandjina are the eyes, which are pitch black. Otherwise, the Wandjina have no mouths, noses or other facial features. It is rare to see a clothed Wandjina.
The Wandjina learn the Australian wilderness from birth, so that they can recognise the signs of safety, danger, food and water. They learn to read the land and to guide others safely too, for these are what the Wandjina are dedicated to.
Scene
Landsong
Camouflage: The Wandjina are known to appear and disappear from place to place. By spending a Song point, the Wandjina may fade away from sight and be completely invisible. Any violent physical action renders the Wandjina visible, otherwise the invisibility may be dropped at will. Once activated, anyone trying to see the Wandjina must roll Perception+Kenning (diff of Wandjina's Song).
Landreading: Because the Wandjina are skilled guides, they never get lost and automatically know where people are going. Also, by rolling Perception + Survival (difficulty 6), the Wandjina can spot features such as safe paths, food, water and danger. Wandjina cannot botch Survival or Stealth rolls.
Silence: Because the Wandjina have no mouths, they are unable to speak. This is identical to the Flaw: Mute.
Baga-Djimbiri: Brothers of the long-lost Bunyip. They are what the Bunyip were not.
Djangwull: We do not see them much. Have they lost contact with the Dreamtime?
Kunapipi: Very helpful and caring. Always ensure that they get where they need to.
European Kiths: Always see into their hearts before you guide them.
By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)
Landsong is the art of reading and receiving aid from the land itself. It is known only by the Wandjina, who teach it through the use of pictograms because of their inability to speak. This unusual method of teaching makes it harder for non-Dreamsinger kiths to learn the Art (all castings at +1 difficulty). This art is commonly used to aid the Wandjina in their roamings and guiding.
Attribute: Perception
Although the Wandjina have no mouths, some people have reported that the Wandjina have spoken to them. All sources consulted say that the voice of a Wandjina is very faint, almost a whisper carried by a gentle wind. All these incidents of the Wandjina "speaking" are a result of this cantrip.
System: Actor and Fae are the usual realms, but Nature or Prop can be used to make the voice come from an object. Each success allows the Wandjina to speak one sentence in a faint whisper -- five allows this effect to last for a whole scene.
This cantrip allows the Wandjina to locate any object, person or place that he has seen or knows of. The Wandjina use this cantrip to assist those that they guide, so that they may unerringly guide their charges to their destinations.
System: Any realm is used for this cantrip, depending on what the Wandjina is to guide his charges to. The more successes the Wandjina gains, the faster and more unerring the Wandjina can locate the destination or person.
This cantrip allows the Wandjina to gaze into the eyes of another person and see her memories. Such memories are usually projected onto the face of the Wandjina, so that the target can also see what the Wandjina sees. Use of this cantrip is rare unless the Wandjina suspects the motives of any of his charges.
System: Actor and Fae are usually used, but Nature can be used to see into animals. Each success gained can be spent in one of two ways:
The memory is not only seen by the Wandjina; it is also projected onto the face of the Wandjina so that the subject can see what the Wandjina sees. This ability can penetrate memories disguised by magical means (Fugue, Mists of Memory, Depths of Will etc), but the difficulty is increased by half the number of successes gained on the casting of the disguising influence, rounded down.
This cantrip allows the Wandjina to implant dreams into the mind of a target. The dreams are generally another way of the Wandjina to guide the travellers to their destination and is usually used when the Wandjina must depart the travellers for some reason for a time, or to set up a meeting place. The target will dream of the place until it is reached.
System: This is similar to Dreamtime Compass, in that the realm used is dependent on what the destination is. The more successes the Wandjina gains, the clearer the dream is.
This cantrip allows the Wandjina to temporarily warp the shape of an object or person. This cantrip does not allow shapechanging -- only alteration of the current shape. Thus, a tree could be made to bend over and provide shelter, but could not be made to become a bush. It is very rare for non-Dreamsinger kith to see this ability, as it is kept as secret as possible by the Wandjina.
System: Prop and Nature are the usual realms used, however Actor and Fae can be used to warp people and Scene can be used to warp multiple objects. Successes may be spent on either the degree of warping or the duration, and multiple castings are cumulative.
|
Successes |
Amount of warp |
Duration |
|
1 |
Insignificant warp (a branch may bend a little out of the way; a rock could be made smoother) |
1 turn |
|
2 |
Noticeable warp (a branch could be made to bend down so that others could climb on; rocks can be made soft enough to leave footprints if stepped on) |
1 minute |
|
3 |
Large warp (a hole/cleft/small cave could be made in a tree, rock or ground while a large object was pressed through) |
1 hour |
|
4 |
Very large warp (a tree could be made to bend backward if pushed; a rock could be reshaped to make a large cave) |
1 day |
|
5 |
Immense warp (a tree could be reshaped into a dwelling; a rock could be made to act like water) |
1 week |
Peter Woodworth's House Beaumayn FAQ
1) "Where did Beaumayn come from?" Yes, the name is derived
at least in part from the Arthurian legends. No, that doesn't mean their founder
was Lancelot, nor that he was a sidhe of their house for that matter (though
rest assured they certainly found his whole "noble knight fated to do wrong"
angle interesting and not unsympathetic). Why? Well, I've always liked playing
with history and legend a bit, and so I figured it would be a nice treat for
those who know their legends and such. Plus, it just sounds neat. ;-)
2) "Why French?" Why not? I don't pretend to be an authoritative scholar on the
subject, but even in my amateur research I found that quite a few of the legends
and legendary figures that I thought of as typical "English knights-and-ladies"
were actually begged/borrowed/stolen from the French (or at least, from the
cultures and regions that would eventually become modern France). Not to mention
the prominence of France during the Crusades that formed such a large part of
the House's history. Throw that in with their natural affiliation with New
Orleans in Concordia (French origin, French-speaking, cold iron everywhere) and
the fact that I had a contact in France helping me out the entire time (everyone
say hello to Dame Lillian, yes she's real), and it was too good to pass up.
3) "What about New Orleans, anyway? Did [Pete] not pay attention to the fact
that it was covered in Kingdom of Willows, or what?" There are several answers
to this: 1) Ruling the Principality of Jazz doesn't necessarily mean the
brothers rule the entire region. I always thought of it more as ruling the
cultural heart of the city - Rue Bourbon, Preservation Hall, etc. 2) It's been a
while since Kingdom of Willows came out, and if nothing else the BoLH was
supposed to throw another change-up at Concordia, so the Beaumayn landed in New
Orleans - not coincidentally a heart of shady Unseelie and Thallain activity.
(Happy hunting, lads and ladies! ) 3) The brothers have recently had to
surrender their formal power in the area in the fallout from the revelation,
although they might well retake their lands if they find out some of the
Duchess' connections. 4) Not only are Nicky and Jackie the developers of the
line, and therefore the ones who can veto anything we write if they feel it
disagrees with the letter or the spirit of the line, but they also wrote Kingdom
of Willows in the first place! If they didn't object to me putting the House
there, I'm taking it as a sign it's OK with the "official" timeline. ;-)
4) "Didn't the Beaumayn brothers appear before, in The Shining Host?" Yep.
Caught me there. Brendan was my personal character in the playtest chronicle we
played for The Shining Host (the MET book, not the TT one), and has always been
a favorite character of mine since. House Beaumayn actually first appeared in
that chronicle, as a plot twist right at the very end of the game, and so when
Nicky and Jackie approached me about doing a house for BoLH, I can't tell you
how much I jumped at the chance to do it and make House Beaumayn "legitimate" at
last! (By the way, those of you coming to the LARPs at GenCon this summer just
might have a chance to meet Brendan ... keep your eyes open for our blazon. ;)
5) "Aren't the Harbringers of Exodus just Apostate Dauntain?" While their
philosophies are quite similar in some respects, the scary part is that the
majority of the Harbringers (Vandermere included) are perfectly normal Kithain -
their beliefs are certainly twisted, but they show no other signs of being
actual Dauntain. Which brings up a bunch of interesting questions, not the least
of which being if that means their might not be some truth to their claims ...?
Anyway, sorry for the ten-page rant, but I kept seeing the same questions
popping up and so I figured I might be able to help out a bit, so I hope it
worked. Again, thanks to everyone who has voiced their support of BoLH and House
Beaumayn - you guys have all helped one of my dreams come true! Also, thanks to
Nicky and Jackie for letting me tackle this and Kithbook: Eshu at the same time
- you two are amazing beyond any thanks I can offer. Thanks to the other authors
who wrote sidhe houses never to be forgotten. Finally, thanks to Krister for
being patient enough that even my legendarily slow response to his email didn't
deter our friendship; Aesin and Beaumayn forever! ;-)
"So was it foretold, so shall we uphold!"
Here's some more stuff concerning Beaumayn from the Peter Woodworth:
Well, that depends on a few things. First of all, remember that what the House
was arrested and tried for was the fact that the Harbringers had been devising
unholy rituals and rites with cold iron, which they believed would send faerie
souls to this new paradise. That would imply that not just any old death with
cold iron would really do, but rather only ones inflicted as part of specially
prepared weapons and ceremonies. At the same time, neither myself nor Nicky &
Jackie felt it would be a good idea to put in an example of such a cold iron
ritual, lest the twink monsters get a hold of it and start gakking everyone in
their game with cold iron right and left "because it's part of the ritual."
So here's what I would say to do: if any Beaumayn (or for that matter, any sidhe
in general) just wastes someone with cold iron - no fancy stuff, no particular
ritual to it - give 'em the normal penalty. After all, if it were that easy, the
Harbringers would've killed off everyone a long time ago. If, on the other hand,
as part of your chronicle the Harbringers have actually managed to unearth some
of the old rites and manage to perform them on some hapless fae soul, you might
want to hold back on the Banality penalty ... or at least make it seem like you
are to keep your players scared.
Ultimately, it's up to you and what you want for your game (and how you want the
question answered regarding the "truth" of Geremin's Heresey, if you want to
answer it at all) - if you want the Harbringers to come off as the hollow,
misguided bad guys characters should all think they are, enforcing the penalty
keeps them from running around whacking people. On the other hand, if it doesn't
appear to incur such a penalty, then maybe there's something to what they say
after all ...
Here's some hints for Fostering a Beaumayn through their Fior-Righ: Fostering:
As detailed in a brief passage in the chapter, the Beaumayn are very practical
when it comes to Fostering a young one. The most important part is the recording
of a fledge's past dreams and visions; at least one of these will always center
around a dark star, and it will be one that the fledge feels is important enough
to mention (even if they don't understand exactly why at the time). After those
have been recorded and the fledge has been Sained into the House, the rest is
usually performed in a rather perfunctory fashion: the fledges are told of the
House's history, Jalendrel's Code, Geremin's Heresy, the Brother's War, the
imprisonment and the Caul of Silence, as well as anything else the mentor feels
is necessary, and then the two typically part company to pursue their own
quests.
Fior-Righ: Beaumayn don't put as much stock in this tradition as they used to;
their disillusionment with the Gwydion and some of their fellow Seelie Houses,
while not nearly enough to push them into the Unseelie camp, has definitely
shaken up some of their sense of tradition. However, particularly when a
high-ranking member of the House has returned, a Fior is still necessary, if
only to make sure they are worthy of the title. The Beaumayn tell their fledges
that they are going to hunt and then mock-combat with a number of fellow House
members masked as "Thallain" and other enemies; however, about halfway through
they use intricate illusions to convince the fledge that some dreadful event has
occurred (a portal from the Nightmare Realms opens, some of the Thallain are
real, etc.) and then gauge them on how they react to this suddenly "real" series
of threats. Sometimes they even let the fledge think the test has ended, then
show them a glimpse of one of their elders as a Thallain or the like, to test
their composure and ability to hunt as opposed to blindly flailing at anything
they see. The test is likewise deliberately rigged to test a Beaumayn's weak
areas as well as their strengths; one well-schooled in the fighting arts might
do well once the actual mock-fighting