Chapter Nine: Storytelling

  Once upon a time, when the world was young and dreams were new, the border between myth and reality was less clearly drawn. Before the cold light of logic "explained" the universe in rational, quantifiable terms, people stood awed and bewildered by the natural world and its creatures. Instead of science, they used stories to explain the cycles of the seasons, the alternating rhythm of day and night, the stark finality of death and the miracle of life. As children, we shared this sense of wonder at the world around us, making up our own reasons for why thunder and lightning happened, why trees lost their leaves in the fall and why the moon and stars looked so small. We believed in the stories told to us, whether they were fairy tales or religious parables. We dreamed and lived out our stories every day.
  Later, as we grew older and learned the facts of life, the world grew less magical and wondrous. Darkness, nightmares and thunderstorms lost some of their terror and much of their grandeur.
  Changeling is a storytelling game that allows you to tap into the roots of wonder and rediscover the world through the eyes of legend. Changelings are creatures of imagination swaddled in cloaks of flesh and blood, trapped in guises of their own making. Separated from their true lives in Arcadia, the Kithain are only occasionally able to taste the Glamour they once knew as the living embodiments of dreams. In many ways, the lost children of the fae are metaphors for our lost youth, and the World of Darkness mirrors the heartless society to which we are all so resigned.
  By surrendering to the call of imagination, by daring to dream new stories, we can recapture some of our lost innocence. We can learn to laugh again, and to weep — for not all stories have happy endings — and most of all we can learn to remember. It is your job, as Storyteller, to guide the players along the path that lies between memory and forgetfulness, between dreams and reality, between wonder and Banality.

The Storyteller's Role

  Throughout the ages the storyteller has been one of the most respected members of human society. Serving as the repository for tribal history and wisdom, the storyteller remembered and told tales of heroism and hardship that shaped the character of the tribe. Creation myths, stories of the gods and tales of great champions all served to instruct listeners in the values and practices of the society. They also served as entertainment.
  The role of a Changeling Storyteller is more complex, though less controlling. Today's Storyteller expresses her art through storytelling games. She must design the plot, play the parts of others whom the characters meet and respond to whatever actions they take. However, the game's players also have a role in creating (and significantly changing the outcome of) the story. People have always responded well to stories that feature them as the heroes. They delight in hearing their names used and being asked what they want to do in certain situations.
  In fact, Storyteller games take this one step beyond — once the scene has been set and the basic plot set in motion, it is up to the players to resolve how events turn out. From the bare bones of a story, players and Storyteller work together to create something new and potentially wondrous.

Maintaining Interest

  You must understand your players as well as the characters they create. Some play to gain a sense of power; others game for the social aspects of being with friends. Many players use roleplaying as a means of wish fulfillment. Some prefer stories in which fighting deadly foes takes priority, while others like puzzles and riddles or the chance to use their wits to overcome tricky situations. Many players simply enjoy talking in character and engaging in political infighting or witty repartee. All of these different desires must be juggled and given some space in the game. Each player deserves time to do what she likes best. Luckily, it is fairly easy to accommodate all of these desires, and placing them at different points throughout the game strengthens the story and differentiates between scenes, making them more than ongoing series of fights or puzzles.
  Fundamentally, it is your job as Storyteller to see that each player gets his share of attention. While many players are vocal and aggressive, some are shy or have difficulty putting their ideas into words. You should know your players well enough to step in and ease wary ones into the action, either by having their characters notice things that busier characters miss or by focusing a part of the story around information or special interests the quiet players' characters possess. A player who is not kept involved in the story quickly loses interest and either drops out of the game or, worse yet, remains in the game but says and does nothing. Boredom is the real-world Banality that can spell death for your stories.

Preparation

  Even though the players help create the story when they play, they cannot create the background or people the story with characters to meet. The Storyteller must make preparations before running a game.
  This doesn't mean that you should create an inflexible script that pushes characters in one direction and forces them to adhere to your preconceived story path. Rather, you should have an overall idea of the story that you want to tell and have several possible ways of responding to the characters' choices.
  Sometimes — in fact, most of the time — the players will decide to do something so extraordinary that you never conceived of any storyline to cover such an eventuality. In such a case, you must roll with the punches and go in the newly unexpected direction (taking notes so you can analyze the possibilities later), either finding some way to return to the original plotline or saving it for later. Further thinking may reveal tie-ins that you would never have conceived on your own, but that strengthen the overall story. Players like to feel that their actions and decisions have a real impact on the game, and incorporating their ideas lets them know you are willing to give them control over their characters' destinies.
  You also need to prepare Storyteller-controlled characters. Each character should be memorable for one reason or another — one has hair like Little Orphan Annie, another smacks her gum nonstop, the bald guy has a liver spot on his forehead, the other has aftershave that smells like pine trees. Players should get a sense that these characters are more than just cardboard cutouts.
  Settings should be given as much life. Saying that the characters enter a dentist's waiting room is far less effective than describing the room's broken-down couch, the smell of disinfectant lingering in the air, and the high-pitched buzzing of the dentist's drill. The more evocative your descriptions are, the more believable the scenes and characters will be to the players. Unless you are a whiz at extemporaneous descriptions, this too takes preparation. It isn't that difficult, though it is best to write everything down and keep it on file. There is nothing more frustrating for players than to have their charac ters return to a place they know and be confronted with a totally different setting, inhabited by characters whose names have mysteriously changed.

Environment

  Before beginning play, prepare the area where you will be playing. Make certain there are chairs for everyone, tables or other flat surfaces (for the rolling of dice), character sheets and sufficient light. If the session is scheduled to last more than an hour or so, refreshments might also be provided, though you may ask that consumption take place during a preset break. Nothing is more annoying than trying to set a mood while someone is rattling a bag of potato chips. Ideally, nothing in the environment should distract the players.
  Aside from these mundane preparations, you should gather any props and reference materials that you'll need during the session. Also consider whether you'll need music, lighting changes or anything else to enhance the quality of the game. Establish some way of signaling that the story is beginning. Lighting a stick of incense or a candle, putting on an appropriate tape or CD, reading a poem or quote from a book, or simply saying, "And we begin...." can all be signals for the players to quiet down and give the game their undivided attention.

Story Ideas

  There are hundreds of sources for story ideas. Books, plays, movies, television, fairy tales, news stories, overheard conversations — all of these can provide rich fodder for countless stories. Even old stand-by tales can be revamped and enjoyed. Rather than having a dragon kidnap the princess, have a psycho kidnap someone's sister. Better still, let the character's sister disappear while traveling abroad. Tracking her down, the characters find that she's been kidnapped by a wilder duke, who adores her. How will they handle that? Rescue her, Rambo-style? Diplomacy? What does the sister think about all of this? And what if the kidnapper is Unseelie while the sister is Seelie, or what if she is only mortal kin who has been enchanted by him?
  It is just as easy to take a setting as a plotline and use it to power the story idea. A story placed in a setting like that of the movie Cliffhanger would emphasize the difficulties of the terrain and weather, while one set aboard a cruise ship would raise problems with the passengers and the question of how to escape on the high seas.
  Storyteller-controlled characters are another source of inspiration. Obviously, this is so when a great villain is involved (particularly a recurring one), but even nonthreatening characters can present obstacles to the characters. Perhaps the duchess doesn't care for pooka. How will the characters (who have two pooka among them) ever manage to persuade her to help them?
  Finally, there are the heroes of the story themselves. Working from the characters' histories and backgrounds, you can create stories that are tailored to the characters and designed either to showcase their strong points or to play on their weaknesses. This can be one of the most rewarding sorts of stories, for it shows the players that you are paying attention to them. If one character is showcased in one story, however, subsequent stories should focus on someone else, thereby giving everyone a chance to shine.

Elements of Changeling

  As in any of the Storyteller games, Changeling has story elements that help define and enhance it. Many of these elements are woven into the background of the story being told, and often the players will not even realize consciously that these elements exist. Without them, however, the story lacks cohesion and direction, no matter how cleverly the plot itself is constructed, and you will miss the grandeur and depth they evoke.

Theme

  Themes are unifying ideas around which stories may be built. Whether they are simple ones such as "we must all work together to survive," or complex, universal ones such as "rationality has killed the romance inherent in the human soul," themes provide anchors for the plotline and touchstones for the characters. Thinking about different ways to express the theme in setting, events and characters can provide you with numerous storylines, plot twists and subplots.
  There may be more than one theme in a story. Combining two or more similar themes can often bring them into sharper focus and give each greater resonance. Conversely, themes that seem to be working at cross-purposes may often strengthen one another through their juxtaposition. Changeling, as a whole, has several recurring themes: alienation from both the "untainted" fae and normal humans, walking a tightrope between the world of Banality and that of dreams, the wonder of imagination and the Dreaming (amazement, awe and sadness for its loss), the terrors and joys of creating dreams that take on substance, and the erosion and eventual death of childlike innocence. These are but a few of the themes inherent in the setting, yet each holds the possibility for dozens of other variants.

Isolation/Alienation

  Changelings are orphans, exiles from Arcadia. Though born into human families, they are not human. They are beings of dream and nightmare, each born of a unique story. They live in an invisible world no human can see. No one understands them; many of them don't even understand themselves. Under Banality's relentless assault, they gradually lose touch with their faerie sides and forget who and what they truly are. Very few make it to adulthood, for Banality stalks them like the icy breath of winter — and because they are touched by Banality themselves, their true fae brethren see them as tainted and lesser beings.

Family

  Because changelings do not remember their ties of kinship to other changelings, each is in some sense an orphan, without a true family. Each changeling must craft a family of kindred spirits. Fosterage — the adoption of a changeling into a faerie household — provides a substitute for a birth family, sometimes the only substitute. Other changelings form close ties through oathbonds.
  The question of family is the fundamental question of childhood, thus it is a dominant theme of Changeling. How does a changeling relate to his human family? What kinds of problems arise among human families with changelings in their midst? It is possible that changelings may work even harder to promote harmony within their mortal familiesbecause of their sense of "difference." The dramas of the Greeks, the plays of Shakespeare and many modem works revolve around the dynamics of the family — one of the most powerful and universal themes of all.

Romance

  Fairy tales and troubadour ballads abound with tales of true love and unrequited love — princes who awaken princesses with kisses, lovers who share enchanted fruit, and fairy queens who steal the hearts of mortal knights. Certainly Changeling reflects those stories. It is a world of epic legends, and romance is its lifeblood. Courtly love has its place in changeling society, and a hopeful suitor might be set to a series of seemingly impossible tasks that he and his friends (the troupe) must fulfill to win his love's affections. No changeling lover ever accepts a suitor without demanding proof of that suitor's love. Great love stories have been interwoven through many of the most enduring tales (Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere, or Tristan and Isolde), and including some aspect of these in a Changeling story may provide just the background needed to set the tone.

Wonder

  When you think of changelings as children, everything begins to make sense. Children display a wide-eyed wonder and nonjudgmental acceptance of the most unbelievable things. Anything and everything is possible to a child: Santa Claus and his reindeer fly through the winter sky bringing presents to good boys and girls, daddy is going to win a kajillion dollars in the lottery, Bethie is really a princess in disguise, and that little brown acorn is actually a best friend named Terwillikin. All children share an innocent hope and belief that they are really immortal and that wishing on a star can make anything happen. Changelings do too. Their world is peopled with fantastic beings, including themselves. They can create chimera out of their imagination, and their dreams take shape and become real. Changelings are immortal, though their human bodies age and die, and wishing on a star just might be the key to unlocking ever more fantastic delights.

Nightmares

  No fairy tale would be complete without a terrible foe or magical beast for the heroes to battle. Just as changelings can create fabulous and marvelous chimera, so can their darker emotions and dreams escape their control and run amok. Though these creations might have no substance in the real world, they can harm changelings and send them reeling back into the protective clutches of Banality. And sometimes the foe is not chimerical — powerful changeling enemies may oppose the characters, or worse, Banality may be creeping upon them in far less fantastic (but far more deadly) forms, such as incarceration in a mental institution.

Freedom/Wildness

  Changelings are spontaneous beings. Many are primitive and wild. They are creative, given to new ideas (how could they not be when each is to some degree the physical representation of a dream?), but while they often promote beauty and freedom, they can as often be wildly destructive and potentially harmful. Some changelings don't know the difference between the two extremes, but like selfish children serve their own whims at others' expense.

Madness

  What happens to changelings who never discover their true heritage? Worse still, what if they or someone close to them believes them mad? After all, nobody else can see the things they do; nobody else is chased from the house by their own nightmares. How else can you define insanity?
  When changelings forget what they are, or fall so far into Banality that they have difficulty reasserting their faerie natures, madness is a logical explanation to them. In a world where no one believes in the truth of their existence and where all the most wondrous things are ephemeral, how can anyone retain her sanity?

Humor

  Changeling stories should never be unrelentingly serious and dark. Lusty satyrs, lying pooka and nasty redcaps all have as great a role to play as the most genteel sidhe, and interactions among commoners and nobles can lead to hours of amusement. Think of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, with its gleeful pranks, and you have a pretty good idea of faerie humor. Of course, in the hands of certain kinds of changelings, humor can be quite vicious. Imagine Kevin, the child from Home Alone, as a redcap.

Mood(s)

  The mood of a Changeling story is a combination of setting, ambiance, presentation and situation that evokes an emotional response in the players. It may be merry and carefree, dark and brooding, ominous or bawdy. In many ways, the mood and theme work together, one serving to anchor the other.
  The nature of the mood is often subordinate to how it is used. A tale of whimsical tricks and pranks would be ill-served by a mood of somber sadness, and a story of desperate pursuit racing against a time limit would not work if set in a mood of mirthful slapstick.
  It is best to set the mood from the very start, either through music, lighting or tone of voice. Playing a lively song might cue the players that the story will be fast-paced and light-hearted. Lighting a candle and incense, striking a bell or intoning a solemn chant could serve to begin the session and let the players know that the mood is serious and mystical.
  Maintaining the mood can be harder than establishing it. Some players invariably try to break a serious or scary mood by joking or talking out of character. Many such players are actually embarrassed at their own emotional responses, and are trying to make light of them. Concentration on the mood and a refusal to break the tension can sometimes bring such players back into the story. If all else fails, just ignore the player's outburst and keep going. Players who are involved in the story and mature enough to appreciate the power of mood will work to keep it intact.

Suspension of Disbelief

  Players must immerse themselves in the story without feeling foolish or self-conscious. They must also believe in the details of the story being told. This doesn't mean they must literally believe that giants exist, but only that they must be willing to suspend their disbelief for a time. Thus, you must create and evoke a believable world and then draw your players into it.
  Changelings do not exist purely in mundane reality — they also exist in places that are free from the constraints of normalcy and Banality. They interact with amazing beasts born of dreaming and shaped in fantastic and horrific ways. Faerie freeholds and chimera are places and beings made from dreams. It is essential that you use great care in describing these places, for dream creatures and dream weapons are as real and solid to changelings as any car or skyscraper. Players must accept the reality of chimera and faerie Glamour in order to experience the full depth of fae existence. It is up to you to make it real to them.
  One of the best ways to do so is to use all the senses when describing the scene. Though we tend to get most of our information through visual cues, other sensory input is crucial to making something feel real. Describe the warm, luxurious feel of a changeling's fine velvet cloak; the cold, constricting touch of his chainmail; or the icy chill of Banality pouring forth from a cold iron weapon. Emphasize the birdsongs on a lazy, sunny day or the strange rustling in the underbrush. Tempt the players with the thought of tasting lemon sherbet or the salt spray from the ocean. Try to make them smell freshly baked bread or the stench of the wounded and dying. Better still, bring a piece of velvet or a feather to the game and pass it around, play an environmental tape softly in the background, light some incense or bring a carton of lemon sherbet to the gaming session.

Conflict

  The heart of any story is conflict. No one cares about a story in which a girl walks to the store and buys a loaf of bread. However, if she is a starving orphan trying to feed two younger siblings and she makes her way through a snowstorm despite her broken leg, the story is more likely to hold our attention. Conflict does not necessarily imply combat; it simply means that there are obstacles to be overcome. In Changeling, many different kinds of conflict are possible. Some of these are:
  Seelie vs. Unseelie: This is the classic dichotomy of the fae — the essential, fundamental battle. The conflict might be between opposing courts or an inner struggle to assert one's dominant nature over one's unconscious nature.
  Changeling vs. Mortal: This conflict might be the battle between the changeling's faerie and human sides; alternatively, it might involve conflict with Banality-infected mortals or hunters seeking fae trophies.
  Changeling vs. Vampire: Changelings believe that vampires are the descendants of a bloodthirsty, mad faerie. As half-living/half-dead beings, they are repositories of Banality and have forgotten their faerie origins. They are seen as traitors and dangerous foes.
  Changeling vs. Werewolf: Werewolves are believed to be a race of changelings, and though they have left the company of their brethren, they are always welcome back. Because of their ferocious battle against the darkness, however, they have been struck by Banality and are divorced from the Dreaming. Werewolves and changelings occasionally compete for wild areas.
  Changeling vs. Mage: A few mages were once changelings themselves, but have become lost in their own paradigm. Some mages are friendly toward changelings; others want to harm them, destroy them or experiment upon them.
  Changeling vs. Wraith: Once changelings could bring the souls of dead artists to the Dreaming and let them go on creating after death. Now the realm of the dead is a closed and terrifying place. Who knows what strange plans the legions of the dead might have?
  Grump vs. Wilder vs. Childling vs. Themselves: The generation gap is keenly felt even among the fae. Grumps are responsible and trusted, though filled with Banality. They see wilders and childlings as irresponsible and untrustworthy. Wilders have begun to taste Banality and feel the beginnings of the aging process. They struggle to maintain their youth and beauty, battling wildly against grumpdom and resenting the freedom and innocence of childlings. Childlings resent the control their human (and sometimes faerie) parents exert over them. Each group has its goals and desires, and these can conflict sharply.
  Each group is also prone to internecine feuds. Some changelings may even be at war with themselves, hating their mortal seemings or recessive Legacies.
  House vs. House: Though the sidhe are powerful, they do not always get along. Many resent House Gwydion's arrogance, and some believe House Liam ought to be eradicated altogether. Lesser families with ties to the noble houses squabble more than their patrons over rank and privilege.
  Noble vs. Commoner: Many commoners see the sidhe as outdated, unnecessary busybodies. For their part, the nobles hardly know what to do with common faeries who no longer know their proper place in society, but instead insist on something called democracy!
  Ravagers vs. Muses: Many changelings believe that there will always be more Glamour to be had. These changelings, known as Ravagers, are despised by those who believe that Glamour is gradually disappearing from this world. At some point in their lives, however, most changelings find that they must Ravage in an emergency situation. How does one deal with such need?
  Changelings vs. Banality: One of the main occupations of changelings is keeping Banality at bay. Autumn People serve Banality without knowing it, while Dauntain actively hunt changelings (whether they recognize them as such or not).

Changeling Chronicles and the Hero's Journey

  In Changeling, you are telling a grand story, an epic story that should be filled with mythic resonance and wild adventure. One way you can imbue your stories with this kind of epic feel is by understanding mythic structure. Although there are certainly many ways to put together a rousing story, it is difficult to do so unless you know the way that myths are usually constructed.
  One kind of myth structure is called "the Hero's Journey," and is an archetype for many adventure and fantasy stories. Even if you don't force a story through a specific sequence in the Hero's Journey, you can pick and choose elements from it and thus enrich your game.
  The Hero's Journey is easier to understand if you think of it not as a single specific story, but as an archetype for a story. If you are just starting out storytelling, you may want to try creating a very basic chronicle based very specifically on the Hero's Journey. A strict structure will keep you focused and keep your players interested, as they feel the age-old excitement and power of the myth.
  The Hero's Journey has 12 stages, which, though they traditionally fall in a specific order, may be arranged any way that seems appropriate to you as a Storyteller.

1. The Ordinary World

  Our heroes (Elharn, Vivianne and Gavin) are found in their Ordinary World: a local bar. The night is boring, things are stable, nothing much is going on. Little do they know that things are about to change. The bar closes, and they make their way home.
  Description: The mundane world and Banality are perfect for highlighting this stage. Certainly, changelings must regularly return to the Ordinary World whether they like it or not. It is important to establish the Ordinary World, thus providing contrast to the magical world of fae wonder in which changelings will be participating.
  Suggestions: Set this stage in a home, a workplace, anywhere that's calm, boring, secure. Of course, if the character is strange, let his "Ordinary World" also be strange. A character's prelude is very, very important when establishing his Ordinary World.

2. The Call to Adventure

  Suddenly, a group of Unseelie attack! Black arrows fly everywhere, but before the characters can respond, the Unseelie bowmen are gone. Why did they attack! What's going on?
  Description: Suddenly, something happens to warn the characters that things will never be the same again. A new element enters the story, and the characters realize that their Ordinary World is no longer insulated from reality and change. The king orders them to investigate something; one of their friends is kidnapped; an ancient treasure is found.
  Suggestions: A Call to Adventure should be something that very clearly and simply involves the characters. This is crucial if you want to get them into the story. The Call to Adventure can be subtle, but should always be noticeable.

3. The Refusal of the Call

  "Shouldn't we go tell the duke about this?" Elharn asks. "Nah, let's not get involved. Besides, it's dangerous," Gavin says. "Let's get out of here!" Vivianne says, running. The characters flee back to the safety of their apartment.
  Description: Even though the Call to Adventure has been made, our heroes are reticent to leave the Ordinary World. They refuse, turning away from their destiny. But only for a time — their destiny awaits them in the form of a mentor.
  Suggestions: This stage largely depends on the characters' own reactions. Still, you may voice the refusal through Storyteller characters. Of course, another kind of Refusal of the Call is to denigrate what's going on: "Gee, that's not really too bad. What's the problem?"

4. Meeting with the Mentor

  The old eshu Gregory waits for them in the darkness of their apartment. Though Unseelie, the wizened grump is highly respected. "You wilders don't understand what you're involved with, do you?" he says, moving through the room, staring at the heroes one by one with his midnight eyes. "The Thunder Lords have targeted you for destruction."
  "What have we done to them?" Vivianne asks.
  Gregory's voice rolls out of the darkness: "Why, my friends, it is not what you have done, it's what you will do that concerns the Lords." He pulls his cloak tightly around him. "They have foreseen your destiny, and. it pleases them not...."
  Description: A mentor appears to explain the Call to Adventure and set the characters on their journey. The mentor character is usually older and wiser or more powerful than the characters, although this does not have to be the case. A mentor is someone who helps the characters learn their new standing now that the Call has taken place. A mentor may even be a thing: a book, a map, a treasure — anything that helps the characters along and sets them on the path to adventure.
  Suggestions: Fight the urge to give away a lot of the plot through the mentor. Mentors are their own characters — frequently they are heroes who have already made their own personal journey. Although mentors will occasionally accompany the heroes into the story, they will frequently vanish without warning. Do not let the characters turn the mentor into a crutch. The character is a facilitator, but shouldn't do the players' thinking for them.

5. Crossing the First Threshold

  It is late at night. The chain on the door to the warehouse parts easily with pair of bolt-cutters. "Are you sure about this?" Gavin asks.
  "Sure about it? Hell, I'm not sure I should even be here. But we have to find out what the Thunder Lords have planned," Vivianne whispers.
  They step quietly into the old warehouse. Crossing to a stack of crates, they make their way around them, following the dim light of the EXIT sign in the far left corner. A tiny penlight flashes on in Gavin's hand. "Look at all these boxes of gardening equipment. I thought you said—," Gavin begins. Vivianne scoffs, "Heh! Garden equipment? Yeah, right. Look at this!" She places the Stone of Opening on the cratetop, and the wood creaks as the nails loosen and the top comes free.
  "Just as I thought," Vivianne says, barely suppressing a shiver as she senses what is within. Gavin's penlight shines down on the flinty reflection in the box.
  Elharn curses under his breath. "Cold iron swards! This time the Shadow Court's gone too far."
  The lights in the warehouse suddenly flare on, illuminating every shadow. A man — no, Kithain, definitely — in a black trenchcoat steps forward. As he does so, the three heroes hear the click of three crossbows, strung and cocked, a second before three more Kithain surround them on all sides.
  The Kithain in the trenchcoat smiles wickedly at his captured prey. "Greetings, and welcome to my humble abode. Unfortunately I cannot ask you to stay for hospitality..."
  Description: Crossing the First Threshold is the entrance into the Special World, the part of the story where things start to get strange and dangerous and remain that way until the characters leave the Special World in Stage 10, the Road Back. Clearly the characters can no longer return to their quiet, private lives. Now they must confront the Guardian of the Threshold, a character who represents the danger they face. They must defeat the Guardian, or circumvent him, to continue. For the first time the characters must confront the fear they sensed in the Refusal of the Call and move through that fear to the Special World.
  Suggestions: This is a stage where many Storytellers feel the need to threaten the characters. Resist the urge to threaten them so much that they die. Still, you can go quite a fair way toward endangering them and then offer an escape route should they near death. It is a good idea to use the First Threshold as a means of introducing either the central antagonist or her plans — if nothing else, it should foreshadow the kinds of conflict to come.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

  At the Toybox Cafe, the characters relax. "Good job getting us out of there, Viv," Gavin says, still rubbing the wound where the cold iron bit him. Virianne nods. "I'm worried that the Thunder Lords are going to try to stage an assassination — what if they go after Duke Aeon?" she says quietly. "We need to find more about them. I wish we could get data on that truck they escaped in," Elharn adds.
  "You kids, don't you know anything about operational security?" grumbles a troll in the comer. He is obviously an old one, a grump, wearing a ratty old Army coat. Stepping over to their table, the immense Kithain extends his hand to Elharn, who shakes it firmly. "M'name's Tor. You may have heard of me. You folks shouldn't oughta be talkin' 'bout the Lords here — this is near their turf and, well, the walls have ears. Why don't you meet me in the park in 20 minutes? Make sure you're not followed," Tor says, quietly and evenly. He smiles at Elharn and, without another word, exits the Toybox as unobtrusively as he came in.
  Description: This phase sees the characters gaining new information about their journey, finding new friends, falling into crises and generally getting into trouble. This is the longest stage of the 12. Care should be taken to give tests, allies and enemies a structure of their own. It's a good idea to set this phase in a bar or open area to take advantage of the wealth of character interaction opportunities. Your job as Storyteller in this phase is to educate the characters about the Special World they've entered, introduce them to the players of the story (if that hasn't yet happened) and give them an inkling of what's to come.
  Suggestions: This is the stage where you can bring in the character's Backgrounds, especially Backgrounds like Contacts, Retinue, Dreamers, Resources, Mentor and Gremayre. You should challenge the characters, present enemies and give them the allies they need during this phase. The characters should obtain more and more information about the story and learn of the impending crisis.

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

  "I've got a bad feeling about this," Gavin whispers. Vivianne scoffs, "Please, you sound like a bad pulp fiction novel. Keep quiet. Remember what Tor said — this place is swarming with chimera!" The characters make their way through the dark redwood forest, toward the hidden Unseelie fortress there. Little do they know that they are watched by numerous dark eyes in the trees, eyes that report back to the Thunder Lords themselves.
  "What's the name of this Unseelie lord who lives here?" Gavin asks. Elharn rumbles, "Blackthorne. He is said to have a personal harpy chimera who serves him." "A harpy?" Gavin asks querulously. "Gee, I'll just go get a beer and wait for you guys, okay?"
  Description: Your characters finally understand what they need to accomplish. They have found all the pieces of the puzzle during the previous stages (especially Stage Six); now they just need to put the puzzle together and act on it. In this stage, they prepare to descend into the Underworld, the belly of the beast, the Inmost Cave, where their very souls will be tested. Unlike the First Threshold, this is a very real danger that lies in front of them.
  Suggestion: This stage shouldn't be too foreboding or heavy-handed, or the tension you are trying to build will be lost. During this phase, you play on the characters' fears once again, trying to get them to realize that this is the major focus of all that has come before. If the characters aren't concerned at this point, they are either foolish or you haven't done your job building the tension.

8. The Supreme Ordeal

  "You should' ve stayed in your own fief, Sir Knight!" Blackthorne sneers from behind his great helm-mask. The black sword in his hand glows with an unearthly radiance. "My loyalty to Duke Aeon is unquestioned! I will not allow someone to plot his doom!" Elharn shouts, struggling to parry the great Unseelie lord's blows. Vivianne watches from the sidelines as, seemingly in slow motion, Blackthorne penetrates Elharn's defenses and thrusts five feet of black chimerical steel into Elharn's breastplate. "Foolish boy, Duke Aeon is as good as dead. Already I have placed a dagger at his heart — have you've met his newest personal guard? It is only a matter of time before cold iron pierces that bastard Aeon's heart," Blackthorne gloats.
  Description: This stage is the downbeat, depressing part. This is when the heroes have seemingly lost all. The characters face their greatest enemy, their worst failing, and do not succeed. They are struck down, cut off, lost. Even if it is only a symbolic death, the characters must "bottom out" and face the greatest darkness.
  Suggestions: This can be a very depressing time for your players. Make sure that you don't torture them too long with it. However, remember that the bleaker you make the Supreme Ordeal, the more exciting and triumphant the last few phases will be.

9. The Reward

  "Well, Blackthorne, you've defeated a new knight. Are you ready to fight an old man-at-arms?" Tor asks, stepping from the shadows and bringing his huge battle-axe to bear. "Why, Sir Tor, what a remarkable surprise. What brings you here?" Blackthorne says, his voice not at all pleasant. "I am here as a witness, a witness to your treachery. You are undone, dark lord," Tor rumbles. "I'm afraid it is you who are undone, Tor," Blackthorne counters. "My crossbowmen are aiming at your heart even as we speak."
  "Call them off, Blackthorne!" Vivianne growls, pressing a cold iron dagger to the knight's back. She smiles as he freezes and lifts his hands slowly into the air, motioning the black-liveried crossbowmen to withdraw.
  Description: Your characters have hunted the enemy into his lair, faced death, and lived to tell about it. They gain vital pieces of information or actual treasures that will help them complete the story. Although the heroes have not yet completely won, all is not lost, and they are now closer than ever to achieving their goal.
  Suggestions: Don't dawdle in this stage; you want the players to continue on to one of the most exciting stages: the Road Back. If you hang out in the rosy glow of the Reward for too long, you will find your story's momentum slowing and your players becoming bored.

10. The Road Back

  "I can't believe he let us get away," Elharn says. "He didn't let us get away. Don't forget his great ravens. They're somewhere in the forest," Gavin says worriedly. "Take it easy, Elharn," Vivianne clucks. "Give the Heather Balm time to work."
  "My truck is parked over in those trees, if we can make it," Tor says, coming up behind them. Then, suddenly, all around them, hundreds of cawing ravens swoop down in a swarm.
  "Run!" Gavin yells, diving for some underbrush.
  Description: The Road Back takes place after the characters' central assault on the antagonist. They still haven't won — they're rushing toward the ultimate climax of the story. Usually the Road Back is fraught with danger.
  Suggestions: Keep the pace moving on this one — make it exciting. There should be movement, a stressful, adrenalin-filled chase. Don't let this part get bogged down with combat — that will kill your story's momentum.

11. The Final Threshold

  "And so you see, Your Grace, Lord Blackthorne has been plotting your demise for many weeks now," Tor says, his new charges standing next to him.
  The duke leans forward, his blond locks falling around his face. "And how was this to take place?" he asks quietly.
  "If it please Your Grace," Virianne begins, "there is reason, to suspect the newest member of your personal guard—"
  "I see. Have Corain brought to me immediately!" the duke orders.
  From above the hall, on the balcony, comes a reply: "No need, Your Grace. I am already here. Now, if everyone would please step away from His Grace. There is no need for anyone else to get hurt." A sidhe by his look, Corain has the eyes of a cold-blooded murderer. In his hands is a carefully cradled three-shot crossbow, its quarrels tipped with cold iron.
  Description: Even though the characters have come this far and are almost near the end of their story, they must once more come face-to-face with death and overcome it. They must be threatened, purified by the final risk, the final danger. The "final scare" common to many horror movies exemplifies this stage. After this, they are "resurrected" — the changes that the story has wrought upon them become clear.
  Suggestion: This is the climax of the story, so play it up. Your players should be on the edge of their seats. You have worked hard to get here, and you should enjoy the momentum of the story you've created.

12. The Return

  "And so, in recognition of your protection of the person of His Grace and the sniffing out of the vipers who would bring ruin to this court, I am pleased to announce that you three are to be initiated into the Order of the Silver Lion, for conspicuous valor in the service of Duke Aeon. May he always have such protectors!" Lady Alyssa, the chamberlain, proclaims in open court. There is a great cheer, especially from the commoners, as the three go forward to accept their tokens of honor.
  Afterward, Tor brings them all aside. "The Shadow Court is growing more and more powerful. I had not understood this until today. Although the duke still ridicules it and thinks its members buffoons, I think we have seen differently," Tor says softly to them, lest they be overheard.
  "What can we do?" Vivianne asks, fingering the silver brooch that she now wears as a cloakpin. "There is but one thing to do, milady Vivianne," Elharn grumbles. "We must clearly stand against this new threat. We must do whatever we can. We must stand fast against the Shadow Court, wherever its power grows strong."
  "Just as long as we don't have to go near those damn ravens again! Geez!" Gavin chimes in. The other three share a quiet laugh as the musicians strike up an air in the dance hall.
  Description: The adventure is over, and yet there must be a denouement. Rewards and recognition need to be given. Most importantly, however, the characters need to realize how they have changed and what they have accomplished. As well, you need to establish the foundation for another story in ending this one.
  Suggestions: This is actually a crucial point, so don't relax just yet. Enjoy the moment, but remember that you must tie up all of your plotlines and provide a satisfying resolution. Celebrations are common in some stories, but you can still have a downbeat ending if the story demands it. Let the story unfold naturally.

Some Final Advice on Using the Hero's Journey

  First of all, don't cling to the structure. Don't be too obvious when you're using it. Mix it up a little, or a lot. Use the Hero's Journey as a tool, not as a crutch. If you blindly follow its structure from point to point, your story will seem hollow and unfulfilled.
  On the other hand, get to know the structure well. Look at popular movies and analyze their structure in terms of the Hero's Journey. Movies like Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz are very clearly modeled on this structure.
  Finally, simply recognize that all stories do have a structure of one kind or another. When you stop just throwing together encounters and actually create a coherent story using a structure, you encourage your players to respond emotionally and build their expectations for the next story you tell.

Story Concepts

  These are a few ideas for stories. Not all of them will suit every group, but feel free to experiment with them to achieve the ends you desire.
  • In The Shadow of the King
  Every noble has a "tail": a retinue of courtiers, knights, servants and sycophants. This retinue is a hotbed of intrigue. In this story concept your characters become immersed in the backstabbing and social machinations of the court. Is murder in the offing? Noble characters have an obvious edge, but commoners (because of their social invisibility) have a different sort of advantage.
  • The Lost Ones
  A community of changelings has not been heard from in some time, and your lord requests that the characters stop by to see what's up. It may be nothing — they may just be busy — but when has that ever been so? The Escheat demands that changelings be retrieved if they are lost. What will your characters do to get the community back?
  • A Pooka's Request
  A respected pooka shows up at the characters' freehold,offering great treasure and glory to any who care to throw in with him. What follows is a far-ranging quest for a chimera the pooka swears holds the answer to a riddle he's been trying to answer for years. Do you dare trust such an untrustworthy mentor?
  • Childling Found
  A new changeling has been found — a childling born to very strict parents. She may even be abused by her family. Is it right to take the child from her kin — and if she is taken, who will take care other? What of the giant paulag cat chimera who guards her and won't let anyone come near?
  • A Sword of Ill Substance
  The characters stumble upon a shipment of cold iron in an Unseelie motley's part of the city. Do they steal the shipment, leave it where it is, or fetch one of the Seelie nobles?
  • The Search for Inspiration
  The characters, on the lookout for new sources of Glamour, find an artist or performer to muse. Nurturing talent isn't always as easy as it sounds. Several problems could occur, from drug dependency to money problems to marital strife to falling prey to Ravagers. The characters must somehow preserve and inspire their artist, either directly or indirectly.
  • A-Ravaging We Will Go
  Even the most scrupulously fair and caring changeling occasionally finds herself in need of a quick fix of Glamour. Ravaging is often the only answer. This can be a quick-and-dirty swipe job (leaving the characters feeling guilty) or a joyous bust-out party where everyone has a blast and the victims wake up with headaches and a temporary increase in Banality.
  • Righting Wrongs, Battling Beasties
  The quintessential fairy tale or hero's quest may be unabashedly offered for an evening's entertainment. Whether rescuing a damsel in distress (imagine combining Changeling with elements from the film Speed) or rounding up stray chimera that have broken loose from the characters' dreams (oops!), this one is for action fans.
  • Defending the Homefront
  In this story, the characters must defend a faerie freehold or trod from attackers. This could involve a straightforward battle or might become a battle of wits against city planners bent on bulldozing the area. For a true threat, have the usurpers be wily vampires or mages.
  • Mysterious Happenings
  The characters must investigate a mysterious disappearance — either of a person or object — and hopefully retrieve whoever or whatever is lost. Another changeling may have taken the object of their quest; alternatively, a normal human may have made off with a powerful and potentially dangerous artifact that he thought was a mundane item. Dauntain may have kidnapped another changeling to question her about her friends. The characters must recover the missing person or item before irreparable harm is done.
  • Summoned to Court
  The characters are summoned to a festival at the Seelie (or Unseelie) Court. Proper dress is expected, though they are allowed to bring their Harleys for the chimerical jousting. Naturally, none of them knew until this morning that the festival is a birthday celebration for the duke. Where do you get a present for a guy who can create whatever he wants out of thin air?

Chronicles

  A chronicle is really nothing more than a series of interconnected stories that tell a larger tale. Each story within the chronicle tells a part of the tale, but the stories all taken together make up the greater story. Just as with each story, the chronicle should have an overall theme and mood, the characters should remain consistent, the antagonists should be clearly defined (though not necessarily obvious at first), the setting described and the projected beginning, middle and end outlined.
  It isn't necessary to plot out every story in the chronicle or cover every eventuality. In fact, it is better to leave a lot of the middle ground fairly hazy, giving the players room to add their ideas and deviate from the plot. As the stories unfold, you can incorporate new elements into the overall design and strengthen the original concept. Chronicles should allow for deviations from the course — you can always rope the characters back into the main tale during the next session.
  As the stories progress, however, it is important that they become broader and broader in scope, with tougher villains, more dastardly plots, grander settings and ever more vital goals. Each story should be more compelling than the last, as the characters move toward solving the final puzzle or overcoming the final obstacle, and their actions should have greater significance. The main issues raised by the chronicle must be dealt with in some fashion, though less immediately important subplots can be left unresolved to serve as starting places for new adventures.

Chronicle Concepts

  Like the story concepts given above, these are just a few ideas to get the Storyteller started. They are broader categories because they represent ongoing stories rather than one- or two-session adventures. Each may suggest other ideas for variant chronicles.
  • The Saining
  The characters discover that they are changelings. How does this affect their lives? What changes will they make? This kind of story is best for a first chronicle. It should begin with a prelude in which each character discovers (or at least suspects) her true nature. The chronicle may follow the characters through the discovery of their true natures, the search for others of their kind, and their tutelage under the local ruler's watchful eye.
  • Intrigue
  With so many possible factions (both at court and away from it), there are numerous opportunities for intrigue. Intrigue need be neither epic nor villainous in nature; it might merely be the petty maneuverings of court toadies and flunkies. The characters might be used as pawns in the schemes of one or more rival factions, or they might turn the tables on the ambitious courtiers and expose them for the plotters they are. Honor is very important in changeling society, and exposing a traitor or self-serving individual could also involve defending a lady's honor, engaging in duels or carrying sensitive documents from one location to another. Possibilities for stories abound.
  • The Quest
  Many good tales are stories of epic quests — for a particular item or place, to discover a forgotten bit of knowledge, or to find a certain person. Usually, but not always, there is some sort of time limit involved (the heroes must make it to the Armageddon Bell before the stroke of midnight on December 31st or all is lost), and a number of obstacles or conflicts are placed in the heroes' way. The characters need not realize at the start that they are engaged in an epic quest; many such stories start small (old Bilbo gets a trinket from Gollum and passes it on to Frodo).
  • The Long Autumn
  This chronicle could evolve in a number of different ways. Perhaps the characters are older changelings, weighed down by Banality and longing for renewed vigor and innocence. Is there some substance or magical item that can restore their Glamour and erase their acquired Banality? What about the creeping tide of Banality that is slowly eroding all Glamour in the world? Can the characters overcome their own slide into forgetfulness long enough to reverse the tide and bring real Glamour back into the world?
  • Tending the Seeds
  As crime increases, taxes inflate and welfare benefits vanish, the characters' home city becomes a brutal hellhole of despair. Glamour begins to dry up, and even the freeholds' balefires flicker and ebb. Banality rises to an all-time high. Is this the Last Winter of the legends? Or is there hope for this Glamour-starved city? Your characters must rise above their apathy to help inspire creation, imagination and merriment, or risk losing their precious freeholds.
  • A Call to Arms/The Peasants are Revolting
  This dual chronicle can be played with two groups. One group plays a band of commoners, the other a band of nobles. The commoners have decided that the nobles aren't fit to rule the Kithain and must therefore be removed from power. The nobles, ever interested in retaining their rightful power and sovereignty, have decided to react with force. Both groups fall into open conflict, usually spilling over into physical violence. One Storyteller can coordinate things between the groups, although it's best to have two or maybe even three Storytellers keeping track of events in both chronicles. Is it possible to find some middle ground and thus reestablish peace? Or are the two sides going to bash it out to the death?
  • The Court of Love
  It's springtime and the entire court is filled with the strains of romantic love. Love affairs form, resolve, are interrupted, broken and renewed. Soon politics are interwoven with desire and love, knotting into a complicated tangle that no one fully understands.
  • The Mirror Crack'd
  A giant magic mirror hanging in the liege's treasure chamber has mysteriously shattered. All of the pieces of the mirror, except one, have disappeared. The court treasurer explains that the mirror contained 100 special dream-worlds. After a little experimentation, the characters discover that their mirror-shard enables them to travel into some of these dream-realms to hunt for other "exits" — which should theoretically be located at places where other mirror-fragments exist. Of course, then the characters have to negotiate each shard's return, but that's up to them. Each dream-realm is more exciting and strange than the last.

Ending a Chronicle

  All stories must come to an end. Wrapping up a chronicle, particularly one that has lasted for months — or even years — requires a special touch to make it memorable and satisfying for all. The conclusion of a book or a film usually involves a significant confrontation (sometimes, but not always, a battle) with the fundamental source of conflict, resulting in either victory or defeat. Besides providing a convenient resolution, this "final conflict" also serves as a catharsis in which the emotions and tensions that have built up over the course of the chronicle are finally released.
  Unlike faery tales, which end with the phrase "and they lived happily ever after," a chronicle does not always end so fortuitously. In the World of Darkness, there is always a sense that the enemy has not been entirely defeated. For changelings, the constant threat of Banality casts a pall on even the happiest occasion and dampens the greatest victory with its miasmic presence.
  The players should be left with a very real sense of accomplishment and satisfaction while keeping open the possibility that some loose ends still exist. This can be done through a series of denouements, or winding-down sessions, in which characters finally have the leisure to consider their future. Will they stay in touch with the friends and allies they have met during the chronicle? Have romances blossomed between characters, and will these liaisons wither when excitement no longer fuels their passions? Will some characters be lost to Banality for a time?
  Often, after a chronicle has ended, it is helpful for you to sit down with your players and discuss the aftermath. If the players wish to continue watching their characters develop, they may have some ideas for new chronicles that can spring from the glowing embers of the old chronicle's finale. You may wish to take your turn as a player, creating a character to fit in with the troupe and giving another player the opportunity to act as Storyteller.
  Although melancholy always surrounds the end of a chronicle, it helps to remember that no story ever truly ends. Each story simply forms the background for a new story. The stock ending for fairy tales should really be "they lived happily ever after until...."

Advanced Techniques

  The following techniques are for those troupes who enjoy more complex stories. They are particularly useful in Changeling, where dreams become reality and otherworldly magics and fantastic beasts are the norm. If used correctly (and sparingly), these techniques allow the creation of stories that no participant will ever forget.

Dreams

  When using this technique, you roleplay out a character's dream. This dream can be specific to one character or shared by the troupe. With either option, the characters take the roles of beings in the dream — either themselves or other characters who might be symbolic or literal — and act through the dream. The dream may be like any other dream — with strange settings, illogical events and people coming and going at random — or may seem entirely straightforward. The characters in the dream may not have as much control over events as they normally would, and may not even realize they are in a dream until things become overtly bizarre.
  The truly wonderful thing, however, is that these dreams might come true (usually in chimerical form). What happens when every dream forms chimerical beings or alters reality? This is a good way to shock the players and put them off their guard.

Flashbacks

  Flashbacks are a way to roleplay scenes in a character's past and thereby present a new perspective on the current story. This is a particularly valuable technique for Changeling stories, because changelings are reborn again and again in different mortal guises. Characters may not remember their last incarnation or even that they are changelings. Flashbacks may provide clues to the characters' true natures, allow them to unravel plots against them by heretofore forgotten rivals, or give hints to the location of an artifact hidden in a prior mortal life. Old loves, enemies, great friends and valued faerie companions can all be introduced through flashbacks. The events that occur must be controlled fairly strictly by the Storyteller, making the characters actions and choices less free, but the flashback is primarily intended to provide the characters with information, not to let them change the past.

Parallel Story

  Parallel stories are stories unconnected to the main story being told, but which share a theme with the main tale. Players are asked to create a new set of characters, or are given Storyteller-created characters to play. Though the parallel story may be set in an entirely different environment or time (or even involve characters who are not changelings), some aspect of it will reflect upon the main story, clarify events within it or emphasize its theme. Players get a break from the main story, get the chance to play different characters for a while, and get a better grasp on the original story. This technique should be used sparingly lest it become stale.

Rival Factions

  In this technique the players create two sets of characters — rivals to one another, but with similar or identical goals — and play through two sides of the same story. The two groups don't necessarily encounter the same events all the time (that would be boring), but occasionally cross paths or make deals with Storyteller characters to create problems for the other group. Eventually, one group or the other will win, or the two will learn to compromise (either with players handling two characters or by combining characters from the two groups into a third consensual group). This technique is for advanced and mature Storytellers and players only; players must not utilize knowledge gained by the rival group.

Play Within a Play

  Utilizing elements from the parallel story, yet unique in that it takes place within the confines of the original story, the play within a play is a short vignette that obliquely comments on the action or interactions of the main tale. Shakespeare used the play within a play in Hamlet to ferret out a murderer, and in A Midsummer Night's Dream to entrap the faerie queen Titania and comment on the blindness of love. Storytellers could use this technique for similar effects or simply to insert comic relief into a serious story.

Troupe-Style Play

  Particularly complex chronicles may benefit from troupe-style play, in which each player controls more than one character. Usually this involves creating a primary character and one or two secondary characters who are played in particular circumstances. Even so-called secondary characters may play major roles in chronicles, for they are often chosen to accompany primary characters due to specific skills they alone have. The whole idea is to create a group that can work well together. Another reason for troupe-style play is to let the Storyteller have a break and play a character other own in someone else's chronicle (preferably in a shared background).
  Changeling is well suited to the idea of troupe play, since there are inherent class differences among the characters anyway. Changeling society is built upon a feudalistic model in which each person has a hierarchical relationship (equal to, above or below) with each other person. In such a society, one character might be a sidhe baroness, two others might be redcap and pooka commoners, and a fourth might be an eshu in service to the baroness. The players of the pooka, redcap and eshu may have other characters who are nobles (or other commoners), while the baroness' player may in turn play a nocker in service to some other player's character.

Tarot or Suggestion Box

  Sometimes a plot can be given a new twist through a randomizing agent. A Tarot card drawn at random from its deck may suggest a scene or symbols to be inserted in the story. Alternatively, the players may write out desired plot twists, story suggestions or character developments and put them in a suggestion box from which the Storyteller may draw. Even flipping through children's picture books, encyclopedias or comic books may suggest a new plotline or way of telling the story. Doing so on the fly is only for the very experienced or those who feel very comfortable "winging it," but can be quite rewarding.

Other Time Periods

  Changelings are immortal, even though their mortal bodies age and die. It is possible that a story begun when the characters are childlings may have elements that recur when they are wilders, and are not fully resolved until they are grumps. Naturally, dozens of other stories occur in between the recurring one.
  Alternatively, since changelings incarnate more than once, they may have begun the story long ago, gone through several mortal seemings, been drawn back together by mysterious forces to battle old foes, aged and died, been reborn and drawn together again. In this case, they would play through each different time period, perhaps even beginning before the Shattering.

Going for Broke

  There is no reason why Changeling must be played on Earth or in the World of Darkness setting. Changelings in space battling alien threats are no less believable than anywhere else. How would changelings have affected Middle-Earth or Valdemar (Mercedes Lackey's Heralds series)? What would they be like on Deep Space Nine? Could cyberpunk changelings overcome the Banality inherent in turning themselves into metallic samurai? It's up to the Storyteller (and her players) to decide what they'd like to do with Changeling and where it should be set. Just remember that copyright infringement is a serious matter.

Crossover Potentials

  Other supernatural creatures inhabit the World of Darkness. Creating mixed troupes of changelings, werewolves, mages, vampires and even wraiths offers unique possibilities for chronicles and stories. The magickal Tradition of the Dreamspeakers may have relations with the Nunnehi; should one of these mages discover that the fae still exist, any number of stories could result. The Garou may be drawn to changelings because of their intimate connection to the remnants of the Wyld, while some Kindred may seek to establish ties with changelings in order to maintain their own fragile Humanity. Wraiths and changelings both inhabit a dual world, and this common psychological ground may create a sympathetic bond.
  Here are a few story ideas:
  • The Inquisition comes to town, forcing the local changelings to ally with Kindred, Garou and others to prevent their discovery.
  • A Garou sept opens a caern in what is also a changeling holding. The two groups can either go to war or learn to coexist, perhaps strengthening the Glamour/Gnosis of the area. (What if the area is also located on an ancient burial ground that serves as a haunt in the Shadowlands?)
  • A lonely Malkavian succeeds in passing herself off as a changeling — at least for a time — and earns the trust of a wilder clique. What happens when her ruse is discovered? Will she still be accepted by her friends?
  • A Dreamspeaker finds her way into the Dreaming and encounters a group of changelings. Can they join forces to fight the Technocracy's latest Banality-fueled assault?
  • A childling and a child-wraith become fast friends and decide to go "adventuring" together — to the consternation of everyone who knows either of them.

Final Words

  Never be afraid to experiment. There is no "right" way to tell a story, no "correct" setting or mood. All stories and all dreams have some merit and validity. Feel free to experiment and experience the whole Dreamsong, not just a small part of it — and remember that through your creativity, you may be providing a changeling with the Glamour she needs.