Changeling

Predominantly the Realm of flora, The Fae Lands is home to a few species of fauna with whom the Fae have a rapport. The strongest of these rapports is with the Changelings, a species of Human intermingled with faerie magic doppelgangers, who are now an offshoot separate from humanity.  While Changelings can still interbreed with humans, they do retain (however regrettable they might find it) enough similarities to be medical siblings to...

"However regrettable. Why? Why is it regrettable to be human? You're making it sound like the Changelings don't like humanity, there Bookity McPages."

— Karisma Calebdottir

I do wish you would stop calling me that.

"If wishes were horses."

— Karisma Calebdottir

... I regret teaching you the original poem for recitations... and then teaching you what it means. Child, the Changelings are part of the Fae Courts, with a Changeling Court of their own under Queen Selyka's banner. They see Midgard as a fallen place, where once nature took its courses, and we all were grateful to appease him. When you see what the humans have done to their planet from the perspective of the Fae, it gets... complicated. You've spent time with the Fae, you ought to know this, didn't any of this come up when you were with the High Princess Astraea and Liam?

"Maybe, not that anyone's going to dissent around Strae. Who questions Queen Selyka's policies when her glitter fiend daughter is around? Not many people."

— Karisma Calebdottir

You... you said dissent in the proper context. I taught you that word... you... used a word I taught you... what is this sensation thrilling through my pages? Why... it's... glee. 

"I do listen, you know. Whatevs."

— Karisma Calebdottir

Yes! Ah! I am quite chuffed. Right. Onward and upward!

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

I kid you not, one of the many variations of communication for Changelings is colour and appearance. In correlation is a form of interpretive dance. Of course Changelings also use audible language, speaking the common tongues of the Realms, but one must consider the Changeling abilities at non-verbal communication, which they do not teach to outsiders.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Each Changeling is born to a family under the patronage of one or more mighty Fae. Thus, the Changeling inhabits the characteristics of their patron in homage and fealty. This might include shifting to Court Dress with buds or leaves of their patron, aiding the growth cycle of budlings and sprouts, or for those whose patrons are wild flowers, or annuals, maintaining their seed pods and fertilization so they might pop up again next season. 

Thus, the codependency of Fae and Changeling can most be seen in the Nasturtium or wildflower families, whose Changeling charges act more as the keepers of continued populations. 

The Changeling Court is presided over by the Royal Family, whose patron is High Queen Selyka and the High Princess Astraea.

Coming of Age Rites

Changelings put pageantry into everything, this includes Changeling families, who remain under the patronage of what most consider 'High Fae' or, the Tall Ones... trees. I mean the trees and longer lived Fae. Upon coming of age, a Changeling from a high born family is usually formally presented first to the Changeling Court, and if they are found to be of good breeding, poise, delicacy of tone, talent in displaying the Faerie Magic they learned and rather anything but a dumbass, the Changeling Queen decides whether they will be presented to the Fae Court of High Queen Selyka. 

This is an insurmountable honour, which only the choicest of Changeling youths get to experience. It makes quite the stir, which then excites the Changeling's prospects on the highly competitive and often arranged marriage market. 

Fae not gifted with higher patronages consider meeting their closest Fae Patron as their coming of age festival, and the events usually involve parties, celebrations and songs.

Funerary and Memorial customs

The deceased are planted in the budling beds of their patron Fae, so their bodies might become the nourishment of the newest (or continuing and needy) generations. It is this cycle of give and take, where Fae feed the Changelings and the Changelings feed the Fae, which creates such a strong bond between them. 

Those few Changelings, who die outside of the Fae Lands are often entombed in giant leaves and returned to the Fae Lands. If this is not possible for whatever reason, Changelings choose to be buried nearest the largest of trees, or those places on Midgard which still retain nature magic. 

Common Taboos

Wood

The largest taboo of all is the chopping down of trees for building supplies & fuel. You wouldn't want your sainted moth-

"Next example, Book."

— Karisma Calebdottir

I apologize, it wasn't meant to be specific but a turn of phrase... Changelings view the way Humans and other Folk use trees in their Realms as barbaric blasphemy, the only thing worse than building furniture out of the deceased trees is burning them for fuel. You can see why they don't particularly get along with The Carpenter... No Changeling worth their shifts uses furniture or anything made of plant based material, other than the cotton, linens and petals of their clothing. 

Salad

Eating a salad of leaves and chopped vegetables is preposterous. 

Midgard

Most Changelings are several generations removed from their Human ancestors, to the point where the majority of Changelings would rather consider Midgard a terrible nightmarish myth, not a vacation plan. The sensibilities after the War have not changed, most Changelings are isolationist to an extreme degree and wish to remove themselves as much as possible from any humanity which might be left.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Changelings are magical shapeshifters. Thus, they stretch the bounds of any traditional beauty by shifting their appearance in outlandish ways, favouring fashions that mimic their floral ancestors.

Major organizations

The Changeling Court is presided upon by their Queen, her Consort and courtiers from across the most noble and magically inclined families in the Changeling community. Queen Rosethorn rules under High Queen Selyka of the Fae Courts, and is often seen with pageantry and pomp making her way up Crown Grove  to attend High Court. You never attended official Changeling Court functions, did you?

"I happen to be thirteen, not nineteen. Much too young and ill behaved for that ballroom and table manner stuff. Besides, I prided myself on being an outward nuisance and was never invited."

— Karisma Calebdottir

  Perish the thought.

Descended from humans blessed with Faerie Magic, Changelings are isolationist shapeshifters in the Fae Lands. 

Encompassed species

• Fae

Related Locations

• The Fae Lands

Family Names

In honour of their faerie magic origins, Changeling families organize themselves either by initial patrons, or by floral affiliation in their Family Names. The Hawthorns, Clematines, Rosewaters and Alder-Firs are some examples of naming convention.

Magic

Gifted in nature-based magic from their Fae progenitors, Changelings are unique amongst humans for being born with magic as part of their souls, rather than requiring an instilling of various Realm energies or 'divine spirits'.

Dress Code

Wonderous tailor Fae exist, who pluck custom petals to create fantastic Changeling fashion. As creative as Changelings get with their shapes, so too they dress with pomp and prettiness. Even Changeling Warriors wear enchanted armour made of leather or hardened casings cast off from patron Fae.

Cuisine

As deference to the Fae, Changeling cuisine is mushroom, meat and fruit based, using only vegetables, which can be harvested without say, slicing lettuce leaves from a lettuce faerie. Their lives are short enough.