A Hundred Cousins: New Changeling Kiths

"The Alabaster Fawn" by Nikulina-Helena (resized) is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

 

 

The following kiths were created for first edition Changeling, and many were made for Victorian Lost, based on historic concepts. They can be adjusted for second edition with little difficulty, or they can be alternate concepts for kiths already established in my kith revamp system.

Beast

Wolpertingers — An uncanny mix of animal and artificiality, these unfortunates were transformed into beasts and then “stuffed” by their Keepers and kept as trophies. While some were largely immoveable during their Durances, most were allowed rolling eyes and some were placed into different poses from time to time. Often referred to as “dermies,” they can benefit from returning to a Stuffed State: Upon spending a Glamour point, a dermy gains a +3 bonus to any efforts to remain quiet and still and go unnoticed, or to impress an onlooker by physical appearance alone. Making any noise nullifies the blessing.

Destiny: Wolpertingers first appeared with the explosion of taxidermy in Victorian decor and became fairly common, and though they are less plentiful in freeholds of the modern world, they have not entirely disappeared. It is rumored that the Victorian amusement in placing mounted animals in tableaux of civilized life were inspired by dermies who were caught with their Masks down.

Created by: Kismet Rose

Elemental

Moppets — An array of children and adults are taken for “play” and display and fashioned into living dolls. Some of them are “loved” intensely by their Keepers or at least valued as part of a collection. Their boon is being the Silent Friend: Upon being told a secret, a moppet can choose to spend a Glamour point to make the target feel noticeably better, granting a +1 to all Composure rolls until the moppet releases the target or reveals the secret. The moppet can maintain the bonus for a number of targets equal to their Wyrd; during this time, the moppet gains +2 versus attempts to force them to betray a confidence. If they use the ability on themselves, they must not reveal their chosen secret in any way to maintain the bonus. Secrets must be substantial and burden the character emotionally to warrant the moppet’s soothing.

Destiny: Early moppets were fashioned with stone, corn husks, wood, and/or cloth and didn’t always have defined faces. Not long before the Victorian era, moppets started to be made with wax, porcelain and more recent, popular materials. During the 1800s when dolls exploded in popularity and distribution, more moppets seemed to find their way back from Arcadia than ever before. Modern moppets are shaped out of plastic more often than not, but a few continue to reflect the old ways of doll-making.

Created by: Kismet Rose

Elemental or Fairest

Confections — These changelings are fed on the richest desserts in Arcadia until their skin becomes chocolate, their lashes spun sugar, and their eyes like caramel swirled in white gumballs. They can confer Sweets for the Sweet: by spending one Glamour, a confection can allow another to taste the lost delights of Arcadian delicacies. They can pull off a small piece of themselves for the target to consume (without causing physical damage) or activate the ability through an exchange of bodily fluids, like a kiss, but the ability requires the target to consume the sweet. The target can choose to make a Stamina + Resolve roll to resist the effect, which reduces pain penalties and all Intelligence, Wits, and Resolve dice pools by one for the scene. The confection can intoxicate one target per point of the confection’s Wyrd rating.

Created by: Nate Light and Kismet Rose

Fairest

Athyas — These changelings are marked by a terrible beauty that reaches into the subconscious minds of those who look upon them. Their sleek flesh gleams mellowly of bronze, silver, or a gemstone’s colored radiance, though some manifest a glowing nimbus around their perfect limbs. Their blessing (and some say their curse) is the ability to Pique the Passions: the character can spend a Glamour point and roll Presence + Empathy vs. a target’s Resolve + Composure in an attempt to arouse their emotions. The target must be within 50 feet (or line of sight, whichever is closer) and can only be marked once per day. If the target fails, the intensity of whatever they are feeling is doubled (or tripled, if the character rolls an exceptional success). 1 success = 1 turn; 2 = 1 hour; 3 = 6 hours; 4 = 12 hours; 5 = 1 day. The character has no control over which emotion is stirred or how the target expresses it.

Created by: Kismet Rose

Kinderlings — Some young children are chosen for their remarkable purity and beauty and are carefully cultivated to remain petite, pleasant, and idealistically precious. By and large, kinderlings do not grow to full adult height or size, and all of them retain softer skin, shinier hair, and other hallmarks of preteen childhood. A few rare escapees keep all of their baby teeth. These youthful and sweet features grant them Adorable Absolution: Upon spending a Glamour point, a kinderling obtains a +2 bonus on all Social rolls that benefit from being cute, helpless, and apparently innocent. This bonus also extends to rolls to charm and pacify animals. The effect lasts for the scene.

Destiny: Kinderlings arose from the mid-1800s as the Victorians increasingly began to consider children worthy of special status and protection. The less children were expected to work and the more they were sheltered and idealized, the more kinderlings seemed to gain prominence. After a few of them were uncovered as terribly successful Loyalists, many became wary of the kith at large. The Anti-Gentrification League in particular held kinderlings as further proof that Fairest should never be trusted.

Created by: Kismet Rose

Ogre

Ya-te-veos — These are generally stout changelings with plant-colored and textured skin. They have tendril-like appendages, from their serpentine arms to slithering hair to additional, unnatural growths. They are named for man-eating plants from explorers’ tales and they retain their reputation with their Vicious Embrace: By spending a Glamour point, they release a sticky coating along their limbs that grants them a +1 bonus to grapple an opponent. Further, they blend with natural surroundings and gain a +1 to Stealth or Survival rolls to go unnoticed in sufficient greenery. Additionally, Oath and Punishment is not considered an affinity Contract for ya-te-veos; they have a connection to Contacts of the Wild instead.

Destiny: Ya-te-veos were known by different names in the folklore that came out of worldwide exploration in the sixteenth century, particularly in places with notable forests and jungles. They were brought back to “civilized” society as curiosities by adventuring changelings commonly during the reign of Victoria. Since most were from foreign indigenous races, some freeholds set about the task of modernizing ya-te-veos, whether or not such tending was needed. The ogres avoided some of the worst treatment through their appreciation of plants and their uniquely personal way of making their displeasure known. Ya-te-veos came forward more often into the mid twentieth century, though they appear to be rare in recent decades.

Created by: Kismet Rose