Wechselkind
Wechselkind are animated puppets crafted by powerful Fey magic, designed with meticulous precision to resemble the mortal children they replace. A creation of ancient and eldritch tradition, most wechselkind originate from The Twilight Court, where illusion, deceit, and emotional manipulation are wielded as art forms. These wooden or cloth-bodied constructs are not mere dolls—they are living entities, imbued with a spark of magic and memory, and tasked with filling a place left empty by the abduction of a true child.
Their purpose is sinister yet subtle: to delay discovery. When a child is taken into The Feywild—usually by agents of the Twilight Court or malicious fey tricksters—a wechselkind is left behind. Often indistinguishable at first, these impostors speak, move, and mimic the child’s habits with uncanny detail. Their personalities are cobbled together from whispers of the original child’s essence, gathered by magic or gleaned during the abduction itself. But over time, cracks form—sometimes literally. Emotions become erratic, memories falter, and strange behaviors emerge.
Physically, wechselkind appear almost Human at a glance, though prolonged observation reveals too-still skin, eyes that glimmer like polished glass, and joints that flex like marionette limbs. In moments of intense emotion or distraction, their true forms may reveal subtle stitching, exposed wooden bones, or the faint scent of lavender and moss. They do not bleed, but may weep petals, threads, or glowing ichor.
While originally soulless constructs, many wechselkind develop independent consciousness over time. Some awaken to self-awareness and struggle with their existence—caught between roles as impostors and as people in their own right. Others remain loyal to their creators, functioning as spies, saboteurs, or agents within the mortal realm. A rare few seek redemption, abandoning the courts that birthed them and aiding adventurers in freeing stolen children or fighting the Fey.
Their magical nature makes them difficult to detect without powerful divination or fey-sight, and many families remain unaware for years that their true child is gone. This illusion is both practical and cruel: it prevents swift rescue while allowing fey lords to manipulate events from afar, often tying the destinies of mortal families to the schemes of the Fey.
In combat or times of threat, a wechselkind may unleash bursts of raw enchantment or illusion, warping perception or entrancing foes with haunting lullabies. Some possess a connection to the shadowy corners of the Feywild, slipping between realms for brief moments or vanishing into mist and moonlight.
Feared by many and pitied by some, wechselkind are the quiet casualties and living tools of fey ambition. In the corners of nursery rooms and the depths of forgotten woods, their glassy eyes still watch—waiting for a command, for a truth, or for a name to call their own.
