VE - Hagspawn - Changeling

Changelings are the children of malevolent hags, born with occult magic and the potential to hear a psychic Call.

Tales of children stolen away and replaced by monsters exist across countless cultures—but the true monsters are the hags who bring these strange children into the world, either directly as their birth parents or indirectly when strange magic from their coven rituals affects babies in nearby villages. Such a child faces no end of challenges, often beginning life as an abandoned or orphaned outsider.

Though a changeling generally resembles an ordinary member of their ancestry, their distinctive eyes—each a different color—set them apart. One of their eyes matches that of their father's lineage, while the other matches the color of their hag mother's, often in an unnatural shade such as violet or vivid green. Not everyone with differently colored eyes is a changeling, but this manifestation of changeling heritage makes it difficult for them to hide their nature and can lead to banishment. As they come of age, they manifest other characteristics from their mother, including supernatural abilities. Darkvision, clawlike fingernails, and innate magic are the most common.

Changelings can be any gender, but women in particular are vulnerable to the Call, a psychic influence that urges them to abandon their mortal life, join the hag's coven, and eventually become a hag themselves. Changelings who understand their heritage often fear the Call and work to resist its pull. Those who remain ignorant of their origin may find themselves subject to a terrible compulsion without knowing why.