Cruth'an'Chrutha

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Beware thou who seeks out the Changeling, for their nature is one of evil and scorn. They will eat your heart as soon as look upon your face, and take more from you than what you gave, in body- soul- and mind.

— The Great Wizard Lorenzo

To the world, Changelings are the boogeymen who hide in your closet, the stranger on the street looking to harm you, the monster who sleeps under your bed. All of this legend sprung from the very start of time. The concept of Changelings, before Fey had more actively descended downward into the world and spread their kind about, was a mentally ill or physically ill child born to otherwise perfectly normal parents. This child would grow up extremely slowly, morphing and twisting into a horrific beast, putting the parents under a spell to take care of them forever. In reality, Changelings- while being a race who was able to morph and change shape- were beings whom were born to a mortal X fairy parentage, or a Changeling x Changeling parentage. They are in a sense primal fairies, stripped back to the days of before they learned to combine shape shifting magic with their genetics to become the pictures of beauty that we see today. In essence, a Changeling is an ancient fairy, born in the modern world through a genetic error caused by breeding with mortals.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

A Changeling in its true Fey form posses 4 arms, two on each side. A pair of long digigrade legs with big cat like paws, hooves, or insectoid feet at the end of them, a set of large generally either spiraling, twisting, or curled horns. A singular tail ending in a tuft of fur, and have four eyes, and a gigantic pair of wings that buzz behind them. In their humanoid forms, a Changeling will only have 2 arms, but will visibly have very attractive eyes no matter which form they take, and very sharp canines. There is also a low buzzing to their voice, insect like in nature, which is the tell tale sign of a Changeling.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Criminals will often actively hunt down Changelings among populations, as the products of such fetch a ridiculous high price on the black market. Changeling horn dust can make transformation potions last forever until actively dispelled, and are thought to be able to cure fatal disease. It is also lucrative to sell their blood, it being used to brew potent illusion recipes. In criminal circles, Changeling blood is nicknamed 'Blue Liquid Gold.' A particular potent and addictive drug is distilled from their blood, leading to many addicts forking over large sums in order to get just another taste.

Civilization and Culture

Gender Ideals

Changelings are born male or female, but this means very little. They will change sexes constantly as they develop and gain control of their powers. Usually they will settle into one sex or another (or one gender at least) by the time they reach adulthood. Because of this, transgenderism is almost universally linked with one being a Changeling, leading to much bias in the topic. Gender fluidity is extremely common, as by extension is Dysphoria when one is a changeling.
Due to their shapechanging abilities, it is often hard to put any sexual label on a changeling. One might play the role of a bisexual male dwarf one day, and then a heterosexual elven maiden the next. Changelings who embed themselves deep into a community might take on aspects of that community’s culture, including their views on sex and sexuality.

History

First discovered and sought out by monster hunters on account of their powerfully potent body parts which could be used in potion brewing, Changeling's were seen as a dangerous race of Fey with no remorse for the lives they ruined chasing their extreme urges. The race itself has little to no organization on account of being so vastly hated and so little in numbers. Changelings, contrary to popular myth, are not the result of fey creatures kidnapping a child, and replacing it with their own, or from a fairy implanting a bug inside of a human baby: but are one of two options. They are either the offspring of a fairy and another humanoid, or they are the offspring of two fairies with a genetic mutation.

A changeling will, up until their pre-teen years, be indistinguishable from their humanoid parent, at which point their true heritage is revealed through their skin shifting in hue to an an otherworldly color, alongside their hair going often some sort of shade of light color. This tumultuous time is made even more stressful at this point, as often the parent will be unaware that their offspring is in fact a Changeling. Sadly, this can often lead to feelings of isolation and dysphoria, and in many cases, can cause those around them to partake in evil acts. Changelings generally end up getting killed by their families, as the stigma around Changelings is too damning to allow. The changeling will be seen as feral creatures rather than the family member they once knew. Those who grow to survive will mask themselves as other races, which will generally now possess fairy traits one may find they weren't born with. ( horns, claws, fairy wings. Changelings can alter forms in these minor ways to better suit their personal aesthetic.)

Changelings were stereotyped as bewitching creatures of legend who would sooner sap the life out of an infant than to care for it. They were a personified headpiece of everything people hated about Fey. False rumors began circulating from a few bad incidents in some major settlements that the Changelings were the cause of Fey swapping their deformed children with mortal children to be used as slaves. A gross false allegation, where the truth has gone largely uncared for on account of the fact that it doesn't matter to the general public. They are a scapegoat when ever anythings wrong, and when they are innocent, they are labeled liars.

Scientific Name

Elpî Mutatio

Lifespan

Changelings have no recorded lifespan and their true forms do not seem to age.

Average Height

In true forms, they can between 8-11 feet tall.

Average Weight

20-60lbs

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Changelings range in many different colors, often following the colors of beetles. Light colored changelings such as white, pink, blue, etc are a genetic mutation, and are considered a delicacy by many cannibalistic races of fey. Their parts go for higher values in criminal circles.

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CHANGELING TRAITS

Your Changeling character has a variety of natural abilities common with your ancestry.

Changeling Traits

Changeling

Ability Score Increase +2 to Charisma, +1 to two other scores of your choice.

Size Medium

Speed 30 ft

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Shapechanger. As an action, Changelings can alter their appearance. You may change your form to look like any small or medium humanoid. This is a physical alteration of the Changeling and last until you choose to change form again, or are killed. You gain advantage on Deception or Persuasion checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person. A successful Insight check contested by your Deception or Persuasion check allows a listener or observer to determine that you are a fake. Thanks to the fluidity of your body when you are in your true form you have advantage on Stealth checks.

Dhedes Secrecy. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You gain advantage against any spell or effect that would force you to reveal information (such as zone of truth). When you are under the influence of a spell that charms or controls you, you may make a new saving throw to end the effect if the spell’s controller attempts to extract information from you. Alongside this, You can cast either detect thoughts and Nystul's magic aura once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast both spells in this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You can cast them without requiring components, but effects of Nystul's magic aura can't become permanent if it's casted this way for 30 days.

Fey Rest. Fey don’t need to sleep. Instead, they may fill a 4 hours with some sort of light activity such as reading or writing in order to benefit from a long rest.

True Form. You possess a true form, appearing like a large bug like monster with four eyes, four arms, huge horns, and a set of dangerous claws standing anywhere from 9-11 feet tall. This form is remarkably light in weight despite its size, and possesses a set of large insect wings. When falling a great height, you can transform into this form as a bonus action, and slow your descent using these wings as if under the effect of the featherfall spell. These wings will never be strong enough to fly with.
True Savagery.When in your true form, you posses a set of large claw like fingers on each of your four hands. Your claws are natural weapons, and drain the life force of other beings to sustain yourself. These attacks are how you feed yourself. These claw attacks do 1d6 + dexterity modifier slashing damage and you can make two of them in a single action. If you have ways of making more than one attack (such as through fighters extra attack ability) you can do this type of attack an additional time. (For a total of 4 claw attacks)

Languages. Common, Sylvan

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