Changeling Courts

Against the depredations of the largely solitary Fae, sometimes it seems like the only advantage Changelings have is numbers. Changelings in a given area band together in a Freehold for mutual aid and protection. Responsibility for the leadership of the Freehold most often rests with a King or Queen, who reigns for a season. The major political factions are built around these seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in most temperate climes. This rotation of power, it is said, affords another slender protection to those who so sorely need it.

In Arcadia, the Gentry are masters of reality. The most basic laws of nature - that food should nourish, fire burn, and night follow day - do not apply, save at their solipsistic whims. In the garden of a Fae Lord, you might find eternal spring, the seasons might change with his mood, or it might be all seasons at once: snow on one tree, blossoms on another, and fruit hanging heavy on a third. That such things must or should obey an external cycle is a thought that would never occur to him - and what the Fae don't understand, becomes less real to them. It is said that long ago, four Changelings contracted with the seasons to take advantage of this blind spot. A Freehold neglects the proper cycle of the seasons at its peril, lest the eyes of the Gentry fasten on them once more.

Spring

the Antler Crown, the Emerald Court, the Court of Desire



What was the point of escaping if you're afraid to really  live  now that you're out? The Spring Court lives by the motto "Your desires are your own." What the Fae stole, they say, can be built anew. The best defense is to deny the pain-wracked things they became, leave behind the guilt and shame, and build lives of beauty, style, and revelry.

Crown:  Blessing of the Green. Spend one Willpower to give self or another Changeling successes equal to the monarch's Mantle rating when gathering Glamour.

Mien:  Fresh and rejuvenating. Fragrant drafts and growing plants are common.

Mantle Abilities : o Add +1 to Socialize rolls; ooo Pay one-half usual experience for Allies and Contacts; ooooo When making a first impression, may reroll once. Must keep second result.

Rituals:  At the Spring Revel, the new monarch attempts to meet at least one deisre of every guest. Contests between courtiers challenge each to produce his greatest work in his favorite medium, and measure the results by the effect on humans. The Homecoming Dance commemorates the escape from Faerie.

Summer

the Iron Spear, the Crimson Court, the Court of Wrath

The Fae will return, this Court says, and when they do, we'll be ready for them. The Summer Court hones its strength - strength of arms and strength in numbers - so that they prey will be prepared to fight the hunter. Their favored tactic is the direct application of force. Wrath keeps them ready to fight, and this court has the will to use it.

Crown:  Challenge of the Black Spear. In a one-on-one duel, spend one Glamour to gain Initiative bonus equal to Mantle rating, and avoid surprise. In mass combat, bonus is +1. Used once against a particular foe per combat, total times equal to Mantle per game.

Mien:  Heat, including visual distortions, warm, dry winds, and radiant heat.

Mantle Abilities:  o Add +4 when spending Willpower on Strength roll; ooo One free point of armor at all times; ooooo One free extra health level at all times

Rituals:  A series of official contests give each Court a chance to shine. An abundance of physical contests keep skills sharp and spirits warm in every season. Human competitions are popular, but controversial for the attention they can garner.

Autumn

the Leaden Mirror, the Ashen Court, the Court of Fear

We stole as much from Faerie as Faerie stole from us, Autumn courtiers say. Torturous as their abduction and enslavement was, it could also be wondrous, and those wonders are now theirs to use. The fearful cost already paid, they turn the Fae's own weapons against them. Fear is both another such weapon, and a lesson in indirect fighting.

Crown:  Harvest of Whispers. Once per game, for each new bit of information uncovered up to her Mantle rating, gain one Glamour point to be used on "magical" tasks. These points may exceed her usual Glamour limit.

Mien:  Sorcerous. Mystical overtones, dead leaves, killing frosts, and sudden chills.

Mantle Ablilites:  o +2 to Contract activation using Occult; ooo +1 to Empathy and Investigation rolls dealing with True Fae/Faerie; ooooo Reroll failed Occult roll dealing with magic (but not power activation.) Must keep second roll.

Rituals:  Show off discoveries or barter knowledge, tools, and services at the Fallen Fair. The lethal Hunt of Leaves or Ash Run welcomes all in running down an enemy; Autumn sponsors, then claims the bounty. Lectures and published journals are common.

Winter

the Silent Arrow, the Onyx Court, the Court of Sorrow

The Gentry can't kill or capture who they can't find. Winter courtiers know that life lies hidden and protected beneath the snow. Blend in, lie low and survive. Some do fight back, but they do so with subtlety and stealth. Many bend paranoia to practical turns. Sometimes sorrow is cathartic, but, as in most things, the courtiers hide from their own.

Crown:  Feast of Ashes. Once per game, convert one Glamour to one Willpower, up to Mantle rating. May temporarily exceed usual maximum. When activated, add Mantle rating to effective Willpower rating for remainder of scene.

Mien:  Subtle. Stark, plain, or clear. May include snowflakes.

Mantle Abilities:  o -1 from rolls to notice the character unless specifically looking for him, or character chooses to suppress power for scene; ooo +1 to all Subterfuge rolls; ooooo As o ability, but -3 total penalty.

Rituals:  The Winter Market provides a safe, confidential alternative to the Goblin Market. Concealed identities are mandatory at The Winter Formal masquerade. The controversial Radio Free Fae disseminates anonymously information they believe all Lost should know.

Courtless

Not all Changelings acknowledge a greater purpose or set store by social constructs. Whether fresh from the Thorns or jaded by long years in Changeling society, the courtless are those without any Mantle. They lack natural allies, but also natural rivals.

Each seasonal Court offers one series of Contracts to play upon its chosen emotion, and one to manipulate its natural aspects. Only the most trivial seasonal Contracts are accessible to outsiders, however. Further progress is limited by your Mantle, a progressive Merit (each dot paid for as you go.) The higher your Mantle, the more invested you are in your Court's philosophy and the more important its goals. Characters wanting more access to their Court's powers must devote themselves more fully to the cause. The Storyteller is the final arbiter as to whether or not a person's actions justify an increase in Mantle. As a general guideline:

Mantle 1  - Nominal membership. Characters with this rating might make only token efforts to support their season. May purchase two dot seasonal Contracts. Gains first Mantle ability and a minor effect to the mien.

Mantle 2  - Recognized. A character's service at this level is reliable, if unremarkable. May purchase three dot seasonal Contracts.

Mantle 3  - Noteworthy. Court philosophy is a major part of this character's outlook, and the Storyteller may require active pursuit of significant Court goals. May purchase four dot seasonal Contracts. Gains access to second Mantle ability. Character becomes eligible for Court "crown" benefits, if chosen as monarch.

Mantle 4  - Leader. Character shows great initiative in support of her season, and likely sets the goals that lower ranked members pursue. Has full access to all Contracts of her Court. Effects of Mantle on mein increases.

Mantle 5  - Fully committed. Court goals are paramount, almost certainly superseding any internal or interpersonal goals which may be in conflict. Gains final Mantle ability.

Characters whose actions support a Court, but who are not members of it, may instead be granted Goodwill by players from the friendly Court. Characters with Goodwill may buy seasonal Contracts as if they possessed a Mantle of that court two dots lower than their Goodwill rating. A character may only possess a Mantle from one Court at any given time, but he may have Goodwill from as many Courts as he can keep happy. Players with higher Goodwill ratings than Mantle may be looked at suspiciously by members of their Court, who wonder where their loyalties truly lie.

Both Mantle and Goodwill represent social standing as well as a supernatural bond. A character's full Mantle rating, or half her Goodwill rating (rounding up) may be added as a bonus on non-magical social rolls to interact with other members of that court. A character's Mantle rating is directly, visibly backed by the season and cannot be ignored, but Goodwill is more of a social construct. The subject of such a social roll may choose to noticeably snub the character, removing any bonus to the roll due to Goodwill, but risking his own reputation if the snub came without sound cause.

Tied as they are to to natural cycles, the four seasonal Courts presented above have little power in areas where that cycle is drastically different. Instead, Courts based on local cycles or philosophy spring up in these areas. Most of these Courts are regional in nature, and are restricted from player characters without a Storyteller approved concept. Still, a few have gained traction outside the places and times where they first arose by virtue of philosophies that transcend such distinctions. Players interested in portraying one of the two Courts below should seek out a mentor in character to induct them during play.

Dusk

the Glacial Axe, the Umbral Court, the Court of Dooms

Things can only get worse, the Lost of this Court say. Doom is coming; all that is left to us is to decide how to meet it. Live well today, for there may not be a tomorrow. Either brave or terminally stubborn, members of this fatalistic court know they cannot cheat their ultimate fate, so they strive to accomplish great things in the time left to them. Only by embracing the inevitable can they control their own destiny.

This Court thrives in times of adversity. Membership dwindles when times are prosperous for the Lost - often seeming to die out entirely - but the Court is always renewed (or re-created) when things seem darkest.

Emotion:  Fatalism

Contracts:  Entropy

Dawn

the Bloody Rose, the Auroral Court, the Court of Salvations

Changelings cannot live for survival alone. There must be some thought given to the big picture, or society will disintegrate. Small sacrifices may suffice to protect the status quo, but great positive change is possible only through great personal sacrifice made at the proper pivotal moment. Dawn courtiers have faith that such change is possible. They strive to create the moments that allow change, and dedicate themselves to the sacrifices that they hope will bring it about.

Of course, when that crossroad arrives, there's no guarantee that it will be the Dawn courtier whose sacrifice is needed, or that the true nature of that sacrifice will be immediately apparent. It is then that the Freehold discovers how practical, pragmatic, even cold an optimist can be. After all, much evil has been done in the service of "the greater good," and members of the Dawn Court are as liable to self-interest as any other.

Emotion:  Hope

Contracts:  Potential