Changeling
Changelings are outcasts of two societies, belonging fully to neither. They are adrift in our world and their very nature seems to tug them in opposite directions at once.
Bastards of The Fair Folk
To say the Fair Folk had always been reclusive would be an understatement, but they maintained ties with our realms, for their own indecipherable designs, for millennia. Long before the first monolith rose at Stonehedge, they were visiting us, whispering in the woods, dancing in secluded groves and grottos, and leading travelers astray. And for as long as there been contact between our world, there's been, changelings. Some claim they are the replacement babies placed in the empty cradles after the Fey abduct a human child; Life spawned by magic with no other purpose than to be a decoy. Then there's who think they are the lovechild of humans and Fey, which requires believing the Fey are capable of love. There are others who believe changelings are entirely human children who were taken to the realm of the Fey when they were still young and changed forever by it. The truth of the matter is known perhaps only to the Fey, and they aren't keen on sharing it for free. But whatever it is, we know most Changelings spend their early years clueless about being anything other than humans. Creative, if a bit aloof and easily distracted children prone to mood swings that would give any parent whiplash.Life as a Changeling
As Changelings past through puberty, the little hints of strangeness that they carry as children tend to mature as much as their bodies. Some Changelings are lucky enough to be able to 'pass' as humans, and those can more easily integrate modern society with less concern. But even with them, if one looks close enough one will notice that the green of their hair is not a dye and that their eyes are slightly too big and too round. They might notice that the disconcert they had when looking at them was caused by the fact their tongues seemed slightly pointers, or because the shade of purple in their lips is not just lipstick. But for other changelings, what makes them inhuman is much harder to hide: Antlers, sharp ears or entirely black eyes. There's no single unifying physical trait shared by all changelings, as each is a bit different than the next, and often in different ways. Changelings that can pass as humans tend to find jobs, live in cities and struggle to survive just like any other person, supernatural or not. A few of them become famous musicians, painters, and poets, though their constant inconsistency might get in the way of a profitable career. Other simply find odd jobs here and there and try their best to survive day to day. But for those who can't disguise themselves without magic or overt coverage, the only choice is to live in the wilds, away from human society. Deep in the woods, one can find their camps, trailers, and tents. Living in these camps is usually just surviving, as it's not easy to away find food when one relies on hunting, fishing, and gathering, and is ostracized from the boons of industrialized society. Often these camps rely on the charity of city dwelling changelings. For Changelings are nothing if not community oriented. Being perhaps the most common type of supernatural creature, they are still rare and have trouble relating to others that are not of their kind. As such, when they find each other they tend to stick together, or at least keep each other at arms reach.Types of Changeling
While Changelings are as varied and different between themselves as there are colors to paint with or stars in the night sky, they share a few characteristics depending on where the Fey touch on their blood comes from. And as such, they are often classified as one would classify the Fey:- The Seelie
- The Unseelie
- The Wyldfae
- The Sidhe
The Link
When two or more changelings spend too much time together and emotionally connect, they can experience something called the Weld, or Link. The Weld is a telepathic bond that allows Changelings to communicate to each other over small distances, but as the Weld grows stronger, they might also be able to commune in deeper ways, sharing emotions and in extreme cases, even sharing control of their bodies. The nature of the Weld and it's original purposes is unknown to most Changelings, but its strength seems to be directly proportional to the trust and emotional connection between two or more Changelings.Vulnerabilties
The common wisdom of the fey having a disdain for Iron is not too far off the truth. Changelings, as fey-blooded creatures, have a strong physical rejection of iron and iron-based alloys. Touching something made of Iron will cause them to feel physical pain, like touching a hot surface, and prolonged contact can cause tissue damage similar to chemical burns. Wounds caused by Iron are slower to heal and often more deadly than a similar wound caused by other means. This means changeling have a fondness for plastics and other materials that can be used to replace iron, in their clothes, utensils and furniture.
Genetic Descendants
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