Changeling

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Changeling: the Lost

The Freehold has been in place since before William Penn, and as such is frequently called the Anglicized version of the original Lenape name for the place and the Freehold on it.

The original Lenape name was Sakimauchheen Ing, 'To Make a King Place', which Anglicizes to 'Shackamaxon'.

Changelings have a hard enough life, what with having had their lives stolen, their bodies changed, and their souls shredded on the Thorns. What, then, would cause them to want to live in Philadelphia, of all places, the city where they throw batteries at Santa Claus and riot so hard that they collapse awnings on buildings and set cars on fire when The Birds win a Super Bowl?

Well... that's kind of why, actually. Consider:

  • In Philly, it isn't weird to live in a house with your polycule or other group of friends well into middle age. It's not that housing prices are awful (they are: cost of living is actually similar to Portland, OR) or that rental laws aren't the greatest (they're not, but Philly at least has a tenant's union these days) but just that this is kind of expected, actually.
  • The city is brash and weird and tells you to your face what it expects. For those whose Durances took away from them the ability to understand social niceties, this is super helpful, actually!
  • Nicknames: there's a huge culture in Philly for calling people by nicknames. It's not unusual to know someone for eight years and only know their nickname, like Patchie or Bee or Yetti or Spider. (No, really.) Pick your name or nickname - it won't stand out in Philly.
  • The freehold is old and well-established, which gives a lot of stability and structure for newly-escaped and veteran Lost alike.

That's not to say that life as a Lost in Philly isn't without its perils and pitfalls -- it is. There are other things lurking in the darkness, and not just Huntsmen, plus, living in a city isn't easy at the best of times, even when you're human. Additionally, the social safety net in Pennsylvania isn't the greatest, either. That's why the Freehold has several jobs that really focus on making sure that the members of the Freehold are provided for.

Welcome to Philly.

Note

All Changeling Sphere PCs are expected to be Freehold members. This applies to Changelings and Avowed PCs. If you wish to play out the process of Oathing, that's fine, but the process should take no longer than a chapter (that is, a week RL). Staff will arrange for roleplay opportunities if people wish to Oath on-screen, but otherwise, once a PC has been in-play for a week, they are assumed to have met with the Crowns and Oathed to Shackamaxon Freehold. You may enter play already Oathed and must enter play already Oathed if you have been in Philadelphia for more than a week IC, but the maximum time a PC can be in play and un-Oathed is one week.

All Changeling PCs are expected to choose a Court within a Season. This also applies to Avowed. This is an IC expectation. You can be a probationary member of the Freehold for a Season if you are Courtless and this includes backstory time; after that, you are expected to choose a Court or get out of town. We will not be utilizing any Courts except Seasonal on From Dusk Till Jawn.

The Hollows

The Freehold maintains a Stable Trod which runs from Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley down through Philadelphia to Cape May on the Jersey Shore. Each Court maintains a Hollow as well as a single old Hollow off of South Broad Street. There's a door in a hallway off of the lobby of South Broad Apartments at 203 S Broad Street that looks like it leads to the electrical controls, and does, but if the correct knock is given - changed weekly by Winter - it opens to a homey little village in the Hedge. Small cottages, a small garden of extremely generic and tasteless Goblin Fruit which only restore glamour in their native state.

Staff

Rules and System

Please click through to read the House Rules for From Dusk Till Jawn's Changeling Sphere.

Current Plots

  • Silver Threads - The Autumn King disappears, and still-ensnared Helldivers begin appearing in greater numbers. Are the two connected by mere correlation, or does some causation exist?

Past Plots

  • Gentryfication - A Bridge Burner was revealed within the Freehold, and the Lost must apprehend or kill her as well as undo the damage she has done to the city's dreams.
  • Deep Roots, Weak Branches - A plague overtook the local Hedge, and local Freeholds are close to war as a result.
  • Winter Crowning 2022 - Exactly what it says on the tin.

Joining the Sphere

We try to make life easy. Here are some basic guidelines. You can find the full Approval Guidelines here.

Formatting Your Approval Ticket

  • Use the formatting here -- it is required and we will return your ticket to you if you don't use it. This makes sure we don't forget anything.

Sheet

  • Changelings use the template here
  • Fae-Touched use the template here
  • Do not change the formatting on your sheet or your application will be returned! You can use whatever format of sheet you wish for your personal reference but submitted sheets must all use this format. Use the 'extra space' tab for any overflow.
  • Changeling: the Lost 2.0 core rules + 275 XP
  • Mantle and Goodwill are both capped at 3 at character creation; no justification is required for Mantle up to 3
  • Make sure your Frailties and Favored Regalia are listed where they belong on the sheet!

Backgrounds

  • Forbidden Concepts: Changeling cops, officers of the law, prison guards, prosecutors or bounty hunters are forbidden concepts. The daily and persistent Clarity implications of working in such a profession simply make such concepts untenable.
  • Antagonistic concepts, including former antagonists. We will never have current or former Loyalist PCs of any stripe. What you did during your Durance was one thing. What you did outside of it is another.
  • Bullet points are fine; please just give staff enough to work with on crafting stories
  • Choose from setting Gentry or create your own.
  • Please detail how you were taken, what you did, what you remembered to allow you to escape, and how you escaped
  • What do you do for your Court, or why don't you currently belong to one?
  • You can't start with Wyrd 10, and we recommend people start no higher than 5 or 6. Where are you going from there if you start at Wyrd 9? You're there already.
  • Want ties to NPCs? Talk to staff! This is encouraged. You may not purchase True Friend for Setting NPCs. You may purchase Mentor for Setting NPCs with staff approval. Crowns may not be purchased as Mentors at character creation, and must be earned in-character.
  • You may be a newcomer or a longtime resident - please see the Notes on Freehold membership. You may not be someone who has been present in Philadelphia and not a member of the Freehold.
  • You may only start with one of the bottom 2 positions on each Court page -- the Page position or the one above it. All other Court positions must be gained IC. All characters are Pages of their Court if they do not have another position. No one with a Court Mantle is without a position/job/expectations in their Court.
  • Frailties must have some sort of thematic connection to who your PC is. Please don't just pick a frailty off of a list - be able to connect it to your PC's Durance or evolving status as a fae creature. If you pick "sunlight" as a major bane for your mermaid PC, be able to explain why that makes sense.

Wiki

  • Please make one, they are mandatory for final approval!
  • Give us a description for your character's mien as well as either a description of your Mask or images of a played-by. You must also add a brief description of your character's Mantle.
  • Please include at least 3 RP hooks and basic biographical information in order to help other players approach you for RP!
  • If you need help, please ask on Discord! We can set up a very basic wiki for you to fill out if you need help.

Theme and Society