Editing Changeling: The Lost (section)

==Changelings==
So, to reiterate, Changelings are Fairies. More specifically, they're fae, and every last one of them was once a human, born on Earth, probably raised on Earth (Abducted babies and children usually don't last long and typically go barking mad if they do survive), and stolen away by god-like alien monsters to be transformed into slaves/playthings. Their souls, and indeed their personalities were shredded by thorns, and they served their usually terrible Durance in [[Arcadia]] in a mindless stupor. But on the rarest occasion, a slave catches a whiff of memory that overpowers their desire to stay in Arcadia, and they work to free themselves by outrunning, outfighting, outsmarting, outcharming or outbargaining their Keepers. They earn their sweet liberation, and can begin the healing process to mend their broken bodies and broken minds. But even so, they have to deal with all sorts of problems. Odds are that either a long time has passed in the real world since he's been abducted, leaving him anachronistically stranded, or a short time, leaving him as an adult while his family expects him to be a child. Secondly, there's a good chance that a Fetch, an identical simulacrum created by his Keeper, was left to live his life from the moment he was taken, and odds are he's not willing to give up his place without a fight, if he even knows he's a copy made to replace you (Imagine being stalked and hunted down by a monster, and OH MY GOD HE'S YOU). Even if the Changeling can get his life back on track, he's still a Changeling. He's forever changed, and being tracked by the Gentry, Changeling Privateers and Loyalists, as well as the more gutsy denizens of the Hedge, and his family is considered fair game to get his guard down; it’s enough to destroy his already fragile mental state, which is literally eroding his relation with reality.

===Kiths and Seemings===
Kiths and Seemings are more of a method of classification of what they were forced to do while in Arcadia, and what kind of powers manifested from their Durance, since no two changelings are truly alike and can fall under several categories. A changeling can look like a cat and not be a beast, or an elf-like archer can actually be an Ogre. This aspect really changes between the two editions of the game.

In first edition, your Seeming is the general class of purpose that a changeling was made to fill in Arcadia. The Changeling is granted a blessing and a curse by his Seeming, and can further expand (or eschew) his blessing with a Kith, that classifies him even further.

*[[Furry|'''Beasts''']] were taken and transformed into animals and monsters, usually by having their bodies and minds swapped around at their Keeper's discretions. They aren't very smart but they get shit done, and enjoy better animalistic perceptions and a sort of animal magnetism. In 1e their flavor of animal is determined by Kith; most are fairly literal (Broadbacks are based on working animals, Hunterhearts on predators, etc), but some are more metaphorical (Truefriends are based on loyal animal companions and beloved pets, Riddleseekers on beasts as symbols of intelligence/wisdom/learning). In 2E, they gain an extra dot of any Resistance attribute. They can also move faster and deal lethal damage in unarmed combat, but have to spend Glamour to do so if they're affected by any condition related to fear. Additionally, they risk Clarity loss if they hurt someone because they acted without thinking. 
*'''[[Grimdark|Darklings]]''' were abducted when they broke some seemingly random and arbitrary rule that the Fae set in place (which can be pretty much anything). They're grimderp boogeymen, nightmare creatures, and various other fantastic things that go bump in the night. They're also smart and sneaky. The sun messes with their Contracts. Their 1e Kiths are all about specific flavors of spoopy, from slender men wriggling through the pipes to creep into your bedroom and drag you away to life-sucking monsters to Freddy Krueger-style slashers (complete with blade-hands!). In 2E they gain an extra dot of any Finesse attribute and can spend Willpower to disappear into some insubstantial substance (this also costs Glamour if there are witnesses). However, they risk Clarity loss if a secret or some other important information they know turns out to be false. 
*[[Golem|'''Elementals''']] were transformed into some kind of element, hence the name. They're not really social capable or smart, but like the Beasts they can get shit done, and they can make themselves tougher with glamour. Naturally, their 1e Kiths focus on what specific kind of element they turned into, from the classic elements like fire, earth, air and water to more esoteric ones like steel, pollution, ice, etc. In 2e they get an extra dot in a Resistance stat and can act through their element if surrounded by it at a range of up to 3 yards, although this requires Glamour if their Willpower is less than half of its maximum. They risk Clarity loss whenever they are coerced or otherwise forced to act against their will.
*'''[[Elves|Fairest]]''' were treated like treasures or pets, beloved to the very limited extent that the Gentry can love anything other than themselves. Other Changelings scoff at the supposedly terrible Durances of the Fairest (how could being treasured and adored be all that bad?), but the Keepers can express “love” in some really fucked up ways. The Fairest are too often cruel and manipulative, and while some may try to fight such tendencies, the book pretty much says "nah, man. They're all bitches". Their 1e Kiths focus on exactly why their beauty was important; living art piece, courtesan, star in the night sky, noble warrior, and more. In 2e they gain an extra dot in a Power stat and can spend Willpower on behalf of other characters (albeit for a Glamour cost if the recipient distrusts them), and risk Clarity loss if their actions or inaction cause harm to their allies. 
*[[/tg/|'''Ogres''']] were forced to serve brutal Durances that made them big and strong, whether it was fighting in a gladiatorial arena or building houses at the end of a whip. Though not necessarily stupid, Ogres tend to get pissed much easier than most other Seemings, and have a tenden-'''I WILL REND THE FLESH FROM YOUR BONES AND BOIL YOUR ENTRAILS IN A STEW, HUMAN''' But seriously, they may act gruff but many just don't want to be hurt any further than they have been already. Although this may seem a fairly narrow Seeming, it's got a surprising amount of 1e Kiths, from the fairytale troll living under the bridge to Bigfoot-esque wilderness monsters to living stone golems to the magical, embittered hags who lay curses. In 2e they gain an extra dot in a Power stat and can temporarily cause the Beaten Down tilt on opponents in combat, but have to expend Glamour to do so unless they're fighting on someone else's behalf. They risk Clarity loss if they frighten anyone who's not their enemy. 
*'''[[Dwarf|Wizened]]''' were the literal slaves, and the subjects of constant humiliation at the hands of their Keepers. They're usually "less" in some way, whether they're thinner, shorter or just less substantial. If you want to play a tradesman or a more traditional class ( 1e Kiths include stuff like Soldiers, Blacksmiths, etc), this is the seeming for you. They're also hella fast, so they're perfect if you want to play a character with a nimble Mien. In 2e they gain an extra dot in a Finesse stat and can turn any material into any other material as long as they have the right tools (or Glamour to jury-rig said tools), so they can literally spin straw into gold. They risk Clarity loss when taken off-guard by unpleasant surprises.
*'''[[LARP|Grimm]]''' were made for 2e, found in the companion book ''Dark Eras: A Grimm Dark Era'' (no, I am not making that up). Grimm start out as very, very boring humans.  No ambition, no imagination, just heaps and heaps of dull, dependable pragmatism.  In other words, the absolute last people who'd attract the attention of the True Fae-- this is given as the reason they're so rare.  All Grimm tell a similar story of their escape: They had a fantastically awful durance, yet slowly but surely began to see clues and patterns that led them to freedom-- fairytale logic.  On the way out, they struck a deal with the Hedge itself to forever immerse themselves in the stories mortals tell, playing myriad different roles vastly more colorful and vibrant than their real dreary selves. Their blessing is that once per session, Grimm can gain a point of Clarity when, without being asked, someone treats them as they would anyone else in their assumed role.  Their curse is that have a Clarity breaking point whenever they do something counter to their role.  And it's not as if a Grimm can do without a role-- role-less Grimm have to reroll all successful dice for actions eluding the True Fae and Huntsmen, and take the worse result.
**Grimm were unfortunately made for a book before the gameline they were for was finished, and as a result their crunch is kind of a mess: They don't have favored Contracts like other Seemings do, they don't get a bonus dot to an Attribute like other Seemings do, and their blessing doesn't quite gel with how the Clarity system ended up working in 2e.  Then there's the issue of "roles".  It's established that Grimm take on lots and lots of roles, but how exactly this works isn't really clear.  The text states that while embodying a role they appear as that role, so no costuming is needed, but how exactly roles can be switched and how often this can occur is left undefined.  The qualifications for taking a role aren't stated either, and in fact the text implies there are none: "Cinderella is Cinderella whether or not she can clean. Sinbad is Sinbad even if he doesn’t know how to sail."  This is to justify the fact that roles don't confer any kind of bonus to actions, but it seems like it's asking for arguments about whether or not a Grimm is really adhering to a role.  If you want these guys in a game it's probably best to either work out a set of house rules for them or wait for a future revision.

In second edition, Kiths are no longer linked to specific Seemings, so now it's possible to be something like an Ogre Chatelaine. Still, your Kith does define a particular blessing and a skill that you can get exceptional successes with more easily, both of which are broadly based on what you did in Arcadia (e.g. a Bright One might have served as a lantern). While 12 are outlined in the core rules, there's also a system to make your own Kiths as you see fit.

===The Mien and the Mask===
A Changeling's permanently transformed form is called a Mien. Because they're tied to the Wyrd, their Mien changes with their Power Stat, Seeming, Kith, Court Mantle, Entitlement, age and what-have-you. Their human disguise in the real world is called their Mask. When dealing with mortals, what's left of your soul forms a sort of disguise that hides your monstrous nature from the normies as long as you have Glamour reserves. The Mask retains your original form, looking like how you used to look like as a mortal, but with minor details (An Ogre looks fatter, a Beast will have leathery or calloused skin and horns will be invisible, while a Fairest may be taller or have [[DFC|a sort of strange attraction that draws people towards her]]). Higher Wyrd means more of your Mien seeps through the Mask, so very powerful Changelings doubly have a hard time fitting in with people (at that point they've got frailties up the ass, meaning, say, they run in terror from blue clothing or break out in zits when the moon is out, in addition to a diminished mental state where they lose Clarity every time they sleep.)