Christine Beard

SampleChristine Beard file Credits Dedication Writer: Christine Beard Christine: For my father, who sparked my interest in gaming; Developer: Peter Woodworth for the Long Island crew, who welcomed me to my first table; for Editor: Dixie Cochran Peter, who helped me take my first steps on this path; and most Artists: Brian Leblanc, Bryan Syme, Melissa Uran of all for Sean, who has always supported me, no matter what I got myself into. Thank you all for everything you’ve done for me. Art Director: Mike Chaney Peter: For Meg, because she's always there when all my best Creative Director: Richard Thomas stories begin. This book is also dedicated to the amazing players and Based on Changeling: The Dreaming, 20th Anniversary Edi- Storytellers of Jeweled Birds, Winter's Edge, Liberty City Rising, tion, written by: Christine Beard, Charlie Cantrell, Maggie Carroll, What the Puck, Stained Glass Hearts, Eternal Harvest, the New Jackie Cassada, Matthew Dawkins, Shoshana Kessock, Ian Lemke, Dream, Innocents Lost, and all the other chronicles that kept the Jonathan McFarland, Matthew McFarland, Morgan A. McLaughlin Dreaming alive for the last 20 years. Dream on! McFarland, Krister M. Michl, Nicky Rea, Holden Shearer, John Snead, Vera Vartanian, Amy Veeres, Peter Woodworth

© 2017 White Wolf Entertainment. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire, World of Darkness, Vampire the Masquerade, and Mage the Ascension are registered trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment. All rights reserved. Vampire the Requiem, Werewolf the Apocalypse, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Promethean the Created, Changeling the Lost, Hunter the Vigil, Geist the Sin-Eaters, V20, Anarchs Unbound, Storyteller System, and Storytelling System are trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Entertainment. SampleThis book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural file elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised. Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com/ Keep up to date with Onyx Path Publishing at http://theonyxpath.com/ 2 Changeling: The Dreaming Jumpstart Part One: Cantrips 10 Scene 2: A World of Dreams 4 Casting Cantrips 10 Imagination’s Graveyard 23 Unleashing 11 The Warehouse 23 Themes 4 Bunks 12 Goals 23 Nothing Lasts Forever 4 Arts 12 Characters 23 Every End is a Beginning 4 Realms 14 Scene 3: Fireworks 24 Mood 4 The Boardwalk and Beach 24 Neither One, Part Three: Goals 24 Nor Quite the Other 4 Yours to Keep 16 Characters 25 One Foot In, One Foot Out 5 What’s Inside 16 Scene 4: Seemings 5 Background 16 ...Quietly into the Night 25 Kiths 5 The Cast 16 The Captured Freehold 26 Courts 5 The Cresthaven Court 17 Goals 26 Houses 6 Deepwood Glen 18 Characters 26 Lexicon 7 Thallain 18 Conclusion: Aftermath 26 Part Two: Unseelie Uprising 19 The Motley 27 The Rules of Play 8 The Freehold 20 The Locals 27 An Opening Chapter 21 Erissa Brightwood, Rolling Dice 8 Setting Up 21 Autumn Sidhe 28 Dice Pools 8 Scene 1: Errant Sharely, Piskey 31 Difficulty 8 A Tangled Web 22 William Ashe, Sluagh 34 CombatSample 9 file Goals 22 Cid Steelskin, Troll 37 Injury and Healing 10 Characters 22 Glamour and Banality 10 Lily Stoneheart, Redcap 40 Table of Contents 3 Part One: A World of Dreams

Magic is everywhere — you just need to know how to look. and the unimpressive. Just because it won’t last doesn’t mean it It’s in the twinkle of an old man’s eye as he tells stories to isn’t worth experiencing, and just because one person’s memories his grandchildren; it’s in their laughter as they delight at his will fade doesn’t mean their friends and loved ones will forget. tales. It’s every force that brightens the daily grind, the flashes of inspiration that forge masterpieces of all kinds. You’ve noticed Every End is a Beginning these special moments all your life — something about them Changelings exist in a cycle of reincarnation. Even when has always soothed your very soul. You find your best company their fae natures fade, their mortal lives go on, and upon death among those with the wildest imaginations, the biggest dreams, their souls are reborn anew in different bodies to eventually and the most resilient hope. In a world bogged down with the awaken again. Changelings will mourn the loss of one of their boring and choked with the mundane, you seek the stars shining own, but also acknowledge that in time their friends will return in the darkness, and bring their light to others. and resume their journeys again. Such is the world of Changeling: the Dreaming. Mood Themes Though fraught with dire situations and erupting conflicts, The World of Darkness is an eerie reflection of our own the defining tone of Changeling is one of hope. While they are reality, where gothic horror and punk rebellion go hand in hand, not blind to it, changelings look at the despair and the uncer- and monsters war and scheme just out of mortal sight. In Change- tainty around them and decide that instead of wallowing in it, ling, the darkness is still there, but instead of diving headlong they will persevere despite all the forces against them, and do so into it, both the players and their characters are seeking the best with a smile. All is not lost so long as there is a single Dreamer ways to stave it off for as long as possible. Being a changeling is somewhere, or a single balefire lit. all about the ride, not the destination, and the impact you can make before your light snuffs out. Neither One, Nor Nothing Lasts Forever On the surface, the world of Changeling can seem an almost Quite the Other whimsicalSample place, full of magical creatures and fairy-tale plots, but Life as a changeling is one of duality;file you exist as a fae soul at the heart of every changeling’s life is one simple truth: nothing in a mortal body, cut off from your ancestral home of magic and lasts forever. Rather than succumb to grinding inevitability and lose dreams, and forced to blend in with the mortals around you. themselves in Banality, changelings fight the forces of the mundane The problem lies in your dependency on magic, or Glamour,

4 Changeling: The Dreaming Jumpstart to survive: Without it, your fae half slips away, conquered by ¶¶ Eshu: Nomadic storytellers who speak often but give away the omnipresent forces of Banality and unable to persevere in little in the process. Usually in the right place at the right time. the face of an unbelieving world. You thrive among others like ¶¶ Nockers: Foul mouthed but inspired crafters of unmatched yourself, all of you working together to preserve what Glamour ability. still exists in this Autumn World. Most precious of all are those mortals who do believe. These Dreamers bring Glamour back ¶¶ Piskies: Flighty and cheerful individuals, notable for their into the world, and without them there is no way you and the lack of notability. Have a tendency to “acquire” things that other changelings can survive. aren’t theirs. ¶¶ Pooka: Excitable pranksters that sport minor animal features. One Foot In, One Foot Out Known for twisting the truth and limited shapeshifting. What changelings have that mortals lack is the ability to see the ¶¶ Redcaps: Rowdy, aggressive types. Can consume anything Glamour all around them. The Dreaming can infuse items, locations, without repercussion. and even beings with its power, and the result is often something beauti- ful to perceive. On those rare occasions outsiders witness something ¶¶ Satyrs: Followers of passion of any variety, and famous for they can’t accept, the Mists invariably cloud their memories, turning their parties. Identifying features include furry legs, hooves, magic into special effects and a fearsome troll knight into a big man horns, and endless appetites. in odd clothes, and ultimately pushing away what cannot be. ¶¶ Selkies: Mercurial and melancholy. All selkies possess a sealskin that grants them their power, and cannot use their abilities Seemings when not in contact with it. While her mortal body ages, a changeling’s fae soul exists ¶¶ Sidhe: Ethereal leaders of changeling society. Unique among outside of linear time. While the most common progression for changelings, sidhe are split into two groups, Arcadian and changelings is to move from childling to wilder to grump, some Autumn. Arcadian sidhe are recent arrivals, are susceptible changelings may remain in one Seeming their whole existence, to Banality, and considered out of touch with commoners. or even skip stages of the progression entirely. Though uncom- Autumn sidhe are changelings as usual, less “perfect” than mon, it’s also possible for changelings to move from an “older” Arcadians, but more relatable for it. seeming back to an earlier one. Childling: Everything is new and exciting to a childling, and ¶¶ Sluagh: Quiet collectors of knowledge and secrets. Not par- they are prone to fits of passion without considering repercus- ticularly social, but invaluable for what they know. sions. They flit wildly from one pursuit to the next, often leaving ¶¶ Trolls: Honorable and devoted. Gentle giants until they have behind messes for others to clean up, bringing magic to others reason not to be — in which case, run. around them, living in whatever whim catches their interest in that moment. Seelie childlings are exuberant and excitable, and Unseelie childlings are more prone to mischief and tantrums. ourts Wilder: Wilders embody fearlessness and lofty aspirations C — a dangerous combination for anyone in their way. The call to All changelings identify with one of the two courts: Seelie or adventure is strong in wilders, and the status quo is never good Unseelie. The two hold different ideals to be paramount, and a enough. Seelie wilders often throw themselves into political changeling’s choice of court often speaks to his personality. While movements or artistic endeavors, and Unseelie wilders are at the moving between the courts is not as taboo as it once was, the cutting edge of counterculture and underground movements. practice is still rare, and changelings who shift are often viewed Grump: Grounded and patient, grumps build strong founda- with wariness by both their old friends and new allies. tions and have the will to see far-reaching plans through while The Seelie Court childlings play and wilders explore. Their curiosity tempered by wisdom, they not only have the knowledge to complete their The Seelie Court values community and harmony above all goals, but the means to make them last. Seelie grumps make ex- else. It exemplifies the ideals of new life, order, and light. Seelie cellent teachers and guides, fostering the next generation, while changelings carry with them the warmth of summer and the Unseelie grumps are masterminds who enjoy disrupting things renewal of spring. They adhere to strict rules of society, fearing in ways subtle enough to never be caught. the consequences of a world without rules. The Seelie Code consists of four tenets: Kiths ¶¶ Death Before Dishonor Changelings are divided up into 13 families. All of the members ¶¶ Love Conquers All of the same family are called a kith. Kiths include: ¶¶ Beauty is Life ¶¶ Boggans:Sample Cozy caretakers, gossips, and lightning-fast crafters. file ¶¶ Never Forget a Debt ¶¶ Clurichauns: Also known as leprechauns. Brawlers, revelers, and fastidious collectors.

Part One: A World of Dreams 5 The Unseelie Court ¶¶ Beaumayn: Seelie. Occultists and monster hunters, occasional receivers of prophetic visions. Run the risk of becoming the By contrast, the Unseelie Court believes change is inevitable hunted. and should be embraced. Its members value their individuality ¶ and independence. They hold firm to their ability to choose what ¶ Danaan: Unseelie (nominal). Wanderers of long-forgotten they wish to do, and chafe against practices they deem frivolous or paths and realms. Less likely to lose themselves to the Dream- unnecessary. The four tenets of the Unseelie Code are as follows: ing, but more likely to forget important, mundane things. ¶¶ Change is Good ¶¶ Dairaenn: Unseelie. Always willing to take in a weary soul, but adamant that all their services be paid for in full. Cross ¶¶ Glamour is Free one, and it will be the last thing you do. ¶¶ Honor is a Lie ¶¶ Dougal: Seelie. Inventors and crafters, always looking to ¶¶ Passion Before Duty improve the world around them. The higher-ups invariably try to improve themselves, to unsettling results. Houses ¶¶ Eiluned: Seelie. Curious and skilled casters. Can identify all Changeling politics draw their lines along the families of kinds of magic, but have a tendency to stick their noses where the sidhe rulers. Each house has ties to one of the two courts, they don’t belong. and has its own traditions, beliefs, and practices. The houses are: ¶¶ Fiona: Seelie. Passionate about everything, especially romance. ¶¶ Aesin: Unseelie. Strong bonds with wildlife, but uncomfort- Literally impossible to scare them, but their obsessive natures able with their mortal forms. mean they’re usually their own undoing. ¶¶ Ailil: Unseelie. Manipulators and politicians, and highly ¶¶ Gwydion: Seelie. Honorable and honest to a fault, and expect skilled at both. Can never admit they’re wrong, even if they’re it from others. Can spot any lie without trouble, but won’t ever really wrong. forgive or forget any slights, and will make sure to pay it back. Sample¶¶ Leanhaun: Unseelie. Known fileas muses, and love to inspire ¶¶ Balor: Unseelie. Vicious and cunning, tempered against all things nasty. Horribly deformed in various ways, but bear mortals. Particularly charismatic but have a voracious appetite their deformities as marks of pride. for Glamour, and suffer terribly without it.

6 Changeling: The Dreaming Jumpstart