| The World of Darkness role-playing game focuses on | | | | The once intimidating bruiser may have found himself |
| mortals that become inexorably caught up in the | | | | treated to the same abuse he once visited on others. |
| shadows of the supernatural in a darker reflection of | | | | Does he gain sympathy for the people he once |
| the real world. Sometimes these mortals poke a little | | | | tortured or did his Durance make him even more |
| bit too far and they end up being drawn into the | | | | callous? The handsome jock once had all the girls at |
| shadows themselves. With Changeling: The Lost | | | | his feet until a Lady of Arcadia stole him away and |
| mortals are not just drawn into the shadows but | | | | kept him as a beautiful prize that she used as she |
| bodily removed and taken away to be slaves in the | | | | desired. Does he still cherish his good looks that got |
| distant realm of Arcadia. | | | | him noticed or does he rather try to keep a low |
| Changing your chronicle from mortals to changelings is | | | | profile in case she comes back? These are just some |
| possible, and quite easy, within the new World of | | | | examples of how a character can change and these |
| Darkness rules. All it requires is adding the | | | | are questions the storyteller has to ask the players. |
| supernatural template and the character is ready to | | | | As this is an important part of the character's new |
| go - from a purely technical side. From the dramatic | | | | existence it is a good idea to run personal sessions |
| side there is a much greater shift that needs to be | | | | with each of the characters. In these sessions you |
| taken into account. Taking your troupe and turning | | | | can detail the escape, meeting up with old friends |
| them all into changelings requires a bit of effort and | | | | and joining one of the seasonal courts. If the troupe |
| will definitely change the tenor and mood of your | | | | escaped as one then run it with all the players. Just |
| chronicle in ways you may not expect. | | | | be careful not to run personal character stories with |
| When the Gentry kidnap a mortal and drag him or | | | | the other players present. Depending on the player |
| her through the Hedge to a life of servitude they | | | | these stories could take some time and there is |
| undergo an experience that is quite unlike any of the | | | | nothing worse than waiting idly by while one |
| other supernatural lines. The Embrace, while | | | | character relives his entire Durance. |
| harrowing, is quick. The First Change was just waiting | | | | While these details are important they shouldn't be |
| to happen. Awakening brings wonderment and | | | | favoured above the actual chronicle. Some players |
| confusion but rarely distress. The Durance | | | | don't care too much about how they escaped and |
| experienced by changelings, however, is a physical | | | | how they joined their court. Others like taking their |
| and emotional turmoil that can last for what feels like | | | | characters through this process. Don't bore |
| decades. The character doesn't change because they | | | | action-focused players with dramatic details, but don't |
| want to or because of some inherited gift; their | | | | gloss over the details for characters that like the |
| bodies changes in an effort to survive or through the | | | | melodrama. |
| cruel magic of their Keeper. | | | | Generally learning contracts, meeting other |
| And after all this it is only those with enough of their | | | | changelings and getting to know the local freehold |
| humanity left that manages to escape back through | | | | should be glossed over in downtime unless these are |
| the Hedge to the world they once knew. Changelings | | | | important to the chronicle arc. It is easier to assume |
| come back to earth battered, bruised and abused. | | | | that the characters went to the trouble of getting to |
| Even if they hope to just pick up their lives where | | | | know their neighbours than sitting for hours |
| they left off it might not be possible. Time has | | | | role-playing every little meeting the characters have |
| moved on, a fetch might have replaced them or | | | | with a new face. |
| they may have aged but she escaped at the same | | | | The transition from mortal to changeling is a profound |
| time they left. From a dramatic perspective this is | | | | one. Players should realise that their characters have |
| very important. | | | | undergone a fundamental transformation and that |
| How do the characters react to their new existence? | | | | the mortal self has been left behind. With a transition |
| There is no way character can return from their | | | | to changeling it is important to highlight the changes |
| Durance the same as they were before they left. | | | | but also the wonderment of their new existence. |
| Sure some measure of their personality remains but | | | | Don't harp on too much on the suffering - after all, |
| their time in Arcadia should have changed them in | | | | that is one thing all changelings are trying to forget. |
| fundamental ways. | | | | |