In many places – particularly in places where Western culture is dominant – the Hedge lives up to its name, appearing as a thick hedge of thorny brambles, but it may take many forms. However it appears, be it swamp or desert or jungle, the Hedge is always wild and seldom safe; its thorns tear at the mind and soul as well as the body, leaving a Changeling's memories and often identity in tatters.
Within the Hedge are paths called trods which lead from gateways to other significant locations. Many trods run close to the mortal realm, which is visible when it is near. Others lead deeper into the Hedge, to Hollows – stable areas claimed or cultivated by Changelings or other fae creatures – or to Arcadia, the realm of the Fae. It is impossible, however, for any but the True Fae themselves to enter Arcadia from the Hedge; while mortals can blunder into the Hedge on their own, they only enter Arcadia when taken by the Fae.
The Hedge is full of life; as well as the thorns there are many plants, including mystical Goblin Fruits of many kinds. There are also creatures of all shapes and sizes, which the fae refer to as Hobgoblins. Whether these creatures are native to the Hedge, or are creatures originally from Earth (or possibly even Arcadia) who have been warped by prolonged exposure, is debated by the fae, though many agree that these explanations are not mutually exclusive. Most Hobgoblins are hostile, though a rare few are relatively benign and may be befriended by Changelings.
Changelings may enter the Hedge through gateways which exist in any number of places, and may even create their own through the power of Glamour. Any portal – be it a door, window, or merely a gap in a fence or mundane hedge – can be a gateway. Some gateways have existed for centuries; some older gateways may even be opened, accidentally or otherwise, by mortals. These most commonly require a key, a specific combination of objects, circumstances and/or actions that must come together to open the gateway. Changelings do not need a key.
Entering the Hedge
Anyone, changeling or otherwise, can enter or leave the Hedge via an appropriate gateway. Any opening, archway, doorway or even reflective surface is a potential gateway, provided it is large enough for the changeling to pass through. It merely requires a changeling or other fae being to activate it.
Activating a gateway is not complicated. A changeling merely needs to touch part of the gateway and make some sort of request to be admitted. A knock or a verbal request ("Let me in, damn it!" is acceptable, as are more polite overtures) is sufficient. The player spends a point of Glamour, and the gateway opens, provided that it can. A door that is locked, bolted or rusted shut does not open for the changeling, which is why most fae use archways and other open apertures rather than doors. It remains open for a number of turns equal to the changeling's Wyrd after the gateway is no longer being used. For instance, if a changeling with a Wyrd rating of 1 activates a gateway and four of her friends use it, the gateway remains open for one turn after the last changeling has passed through it. While a gateway is open, anyone can blunder through it.
Leaving the Hedge through a gateway works much the same way, and if the changeling has kept the mortal world in view enough to keep a sense of perspective, the changeling can create a new one in the same way. If a changeling turns her back on the mortal world, though, she must find an active gateway, and this can take a great deal of time and perseverance.
Gateways do not stay open long, but once a door, archway, mirror or any other entrance is made into a gateway, it remains a gateway forever. A changeling making use of an existing gateway can forego the Glamour expenditure and simply command the gateway to open (this requires a successful Wyrd roll, though, so weaker changelings often find it more expedient to use the Glamour). In areas where changelings gather or the Fae are active hunters, gateways become more common. This, in turn, leads to people getting lost in the Hedge more often, which leads to more legends, which leads to changelings gravitating to the area in hopes of finding their fellows, and the cycle goes on.
Why, then, do gateways become commonly used, if changelings can so easily open new ones? Part of the reason is because one never really knows what is waiting in the Hedge. If word gets around that the entrance to the antique store leads to a safe place in the Hedge (or to a particularly tasty goblin fruit tree), that doorway becomes more commonly used. Repeated use of a gateway, especially under specific conditions, can form keys over time, allowing mortals and other beings to access the Hedge. Some rulers also pass laws within their domains stating that changelings may only create gateways with permission. This might seem like an abuse of power, but it does serve a useful purpose — if changelings are not creating new gateways into the Hedge, they find it easier to notice when new gateways are created leading out of the Hedge. Since it tends to be the Others or newly arrived changelings who create such gateways, this can be extremely helpful information to have.
Leaving the Hedge
Escaping the Hedge is simpler than entering, but by no means easier. To escape the Hedge, a changeling either needs to find an active (not necessarily open) gateway, or find a suitable door, archway, mirror or what-have-you to make into a gateway. Finding either from the Hedge is easy enough as long as the changeling can still see the mortal world through said gateway. If a changeling so much as turns her back on the mortal world, though, perspective is lost, and gateways simply become part of the landscape, while mortal-world features disappear entirely.
A changeling can search for an active gateway, and will probably find one, given enough time. This requires an extended action. The roll is Intelligence + Investigation + Wyrd. The time that each roll represents varies based on how familiar the character is with the surrounding area.
| Familiarity |
Time Required Per Roll |
| Very familiar; neighborhood in which the changeling lives or claims domain |
One minute |
| Somewhat familiar; section of hometown or ally's domain |
10 minutes |
| An area visited only infrequently |
30 minutes |
| Area visited only once or described in some detail |
One hour |
| Unfamiliar area or enemy's domain |
Three hours |
The number of successes required likewise varies based on how long the changeling has been in the Hedge.
| Length of Time in the Hedge |
Successes Required |
| Less than one hour |
2 |
| One to eight hours |
5 |
| Eight to 24 hours |
8 |
| 24 to 48 hours |
10 |
| 48 hours to one week |
15 |
| More than one week |
20 |
Mortals and other supernatural beings can search for gateways in the same manner, but their players suffer a -3 dice modifier to the roll, as if they were attempting an unskilled Mental task. If such a character becomes practiced enough in traversing the Hedge to warrant an Investigation Specialty in "Hedge", this penalty no longer applies. Non-fae can only search for gateways in this manner. They cannot Navigate the Hedge in the same way that changelings can.
Comments