Lore: Fae (Scientific version)
Contents
Fae Lore seen from a Scientific Point of View
Changeling, unlike other games, has an extreme invisible belief-oriented factor inherent in the game. Since "Outsiders" can be as varied as the character concepts we can imagine, the interpretation of data constituting bona fide Lores is extremely flexible when it comes to the faerie aspects of the World of Darkness. Since Outsiders who have this lore might have very different levels of Banality, this "Outsider" Faerie Lore has been composed in two parts. The first part of each lore point is how Lore data might be understood by those with a Banality of 6 or less (roughly). The second part of each point, in the brackets [], represents those with Banality of 7 or higher (roughly). Since other character types have no Banality mechanic, players and STs should consult Changeling sources to estimate the Banality of character types from other games, and these Lores should be role-played with an appropriate level of doubt or rational disbelief as per that determination. This could result in character with the "Outsider" Faerie Lore speaking of what they know in terms as innocent as the first part of each point, as scientific and skeptical as the latter part of each point in brackets [], or anything in between (most likely for characters with pseudo-Banality ratings from 6 to 8]. It should be understood by players that the Mists are a much more effective concealment factor than the similar effects in other games (Masquerade, Delirium, Paradox, etc.) because the Mists are a sentient self-preservation aspect of the Dreaming, which in turn is a powerful sentient creature. Unlike data associated with other games, the Mists have the power even to remove text and data from paper or computers, alter physical, chemical, magnetic, and electronic recordings, and to remove or alter memories toward a failure to record, recall, or document evidence of Fae existence. For this reason, many specifics of this Lore are perhaps not as specific as they might be for other games’ "Outsider" Lores.
:●○○○○ Novice:
Those with just a hint that something is funny is going on that science doesn’t explain
•Stories of faeries and faerie magic are based on something real and mysterious in the world that might not exist today. [Fairy stories and accounts of faerie magic are creative attempts to explain real phenomena that we still don’t have the ability to quantitatively explain, or that we can’t detect because they do not occur in the modern era.]
•Dreams really do have magical qualities and power. [Dreams are not simply random neural impulses with no consequences beyond the human mind – they do have some unexplained external effects on the physical world. This sort of energy is not well-understood by current science.]
•Faeries of some kind really do exist, but they’re invisible! [Based on certain documented patterns in physical anomalies, it is probable that some sort of physical laws govern "faerie magic". These anomalies may alternatively be directed by conscious thought of beings we can’t detect with our current scientific measurement methods, or even by as-yet unclassified energies correlated with the physiology of human thought.]
•Information from alternative culture texts and folklore about accounts with "Faerie", especially including major Norse and Celtic mythological references. [These sources are hardly accurate, but can be analyzed for patterns that might help us better direct our efforts to study these anomalous phenomena.] •Knowledge of a few traditional remedies for or wards against faeries and their magic from "superstitious" folklore. [At this level, a more Banal person would likely deny the viability of any "wards" from superstitious folklore, except to concede that certain acts might change the state of mind or environment to be more favorable for people to avoid confusion or accidents while tired or intoxicated.]
:●●○○○ Practiced:
Those who have a fair bit of knowledge from some research or minor encounters•Information from alternative culture texts and folklore about accounts with "Faerie", including major Native American and Slavic mythological references. [These sources are hardly accurate, but can be analyzed for patterns that might help us better direct our efforts to study these anomalous phenomena.]
•Faeries are especially fond of children and untamed wilderness settings. [The anomalies known by many as "fairie magic" are documented mostly in the presence of children and/or rural areas. This is likely a function of cultural tendencies in rural areas to attribute unquantified phenomena to supernatural forces, as per superstitions. It is also likely that factors related to child psychology and social development contribute to deliberate hoaxes by children; furthermore, parents’ natural wishes to protect their children from harm or to avoid blame for neglect of their children likely motivate them to corroborate such supernatural accounts in order to avoid legal or social retribution.]
•There are fewer faeries around today because most people no longer believe in them, and that weakens their power. ["Faerie" encounter claims are markedly reduced in number in the modern era due to broader access to education and a generally more rational and enlightened society.]
•Faeries and human dreams go hand-in hand – they affect one another. Faeries know our dreams, and often try to make them come true, though sometimes they choose our nightmares as well. ["Fairy" manifestations frequently are described in terms of human dreams. The phenomenon apparently tends to be remembered in a similar manner as people generally remember dreams they have in their sleep. The brain’s interpretations of the phenomena as memories are formed in the human mind tend to incorporate "remembered" experiences from dreams and to appeal to the basic emotional desires and fears of the person experiencing them.]
•Faeries tend to gather at magical faerie places, and they really do have kings and queens. [The anomalies attributed to "faeries" are, in fact, tied to specific locations and people. Those who claim to know of "real faeries" insist that there is some sort of hierarchy among "fairy folk", and that it, like the stories made up about "faeries", entails a monarch of some sort.]
•Faeries can be warded against with holy symbols. [The faith placed in religion by many likely changes a person’s psychological state, steeling them against fear or irregular mental effects. This seems to offer a resistance to those encountering so-called "faerie" phenomena.]
•May have knowledge of one or two fae (i.e., kithain, nunnehi, inanimate, etc.) Arts, Bunks, or Birthrights, or any obvious effects of some Treasures. This information will not be detailed. "He called the ball silly names to make it mad, and it jumped down out of the tree without him even moving to get it." [Has either experienced or heard/read an account of one or two encounters with so-called "faerie" phenomena, including vague descriptions of the anomalies. "It seemed that he used some sort of telekinesis to get the ball out of the tree, because the tree was still and he wasn’t touching it – he was just taunting the ball. Yes, I suppose it could have been a small gust that knocked it down by coincidence."]
•Believes any faerie creature will have the same sorts of powers as others. [Has not detected any differentiation between which individuals or places are associated with which effects, and so expects a wide range of phenomena.] •Faeries claim to be directly connected to the Tuatha de Danaan, elves, dwarves, giants, goblins, Fomorians, etc. of ancient faerie myths. [Those who think themselves to be "faeries" also believe themselves to be tied to fictitious figures from ancient superstitions and fantastic folklore.]
:●●●○○ Competent:
What a successful and dedicated "faerie" believer or a diligent Hunter might know•Faeries hide themselves from mortal ken, and their dream-magic helps them make mortals forget. [Apparently because of an incompatibility between rational study and the energies tied to so-called "faerie" phenomena, such anomalies are very difficult to clearly document. Also, these phenomena seem to disrupt many optic and electromagnetic effects, thus making it difficult to record with sophisticated equipment, and the bioelectrical-neural side effects leave researchers with foggy memories at best.]
•Information from alternative culture texts and folklore about accounts with "Faerie", including many obscure aboriginal Asian, African, or South American mythological references. [These sources are hardly accurate, but can be analyzed for patterns that might help us better direct our efforts to study these anomalous phenomena.]
•Like some faerie folklore says, one actually can resist faerie magic by convincing themselves that it has no real power against them. It’s not as simple as not clapping your hands, but it does seem to drive off faerie creatures. Cold Iron, but not wrought or cast iron, seems to be the most effective ward there is against the fae. [Individuals encountering a ‘faerie" anomaly can minimize or prevent its effects by reinforcing a rational frame of mind in the moment. There is also some property of unalloyed crude iron that dampens these anomalies, but that property is not retained after it has been wrought or cast. Given the many unique chemical and atomic properties of iron versus other elements, this is perhaps not surprising, even though it is not completely understood.]
•May have knowledge of one or two faerie-specific terms, but does not understand what they mean aside from their literal meanings or definitions. [May have knowledge of specific terms used by people who think themselves to be "fae", but has no understanding beyond literal definitions.] •Faerie magics can be horribly wrathful, and are very unpredictable to mortals, being so alien to human thought that they might even seem whimsical. Faeries are definitely very passionate creatures, for good or for ill. [All so-called "faerie" phenomena seem to exhibit patterns interpreted by many as analogous to extreme emotions or arbitrary disorder. This is likely tied to the mental states of people who claim to have had "faerie" encounters, and most certainly has to do with the psychological health and emotional instability of those who fantasize that they are "faeries".] •Probably met and talked to several faeries. [Has probably encountered several who believe themselves to be "faeries", even it they did not admit to that belief in dealings with the character who has this lore.]
•Faeries can sap a mortal’s will and enchant them into doing their bidding, and most mortals are helpless against it. [Many of those having direct encounters with "faerie" phenomena report that they have committed acts against their will or quite deviant from their normal habits. Even many of those who suffer memory loss from such encounters have been witnessed performing such uncharacteristic behavior. The emotional sensation is described by those who have experienced this as a loss of will accompanied by a willingness to obey another’s will (usually this other is one who believes himself to be a faerie, or the associate of such an individual). Victims seem to have little defense against these mind-altering effects.]
:●●●●○ Expert:
What an Arcanum Scholar would know•The majority of those who believe themselves to be faeries of some kind refer to themselves as "kithain". There are other terms that apply to certain groups, but it’s unlikely a character knows those terms at this level. [There is a covert subculture among those who believe themselves to be "faeries", and they reinforce each other’s delusions. The most common self-referential term in this group is "kithain", with some errata and variants from cell to cell.]
•Information from alternative culture texts and folklore about accounts with "Faerie", including many obscure aboriginal Australian mythological references. [These sources are hardly accurate, but can be analyzed for patterns that might help us better direct our efforts to study these anomalous phenomena.] •May know some kithain-specific terms (as words – not by meaning). [May have knowledge of several specific terms used by people who think themselves to be "fae", but has no understanding beyond literal definitions.]
•Faerie power is the magic of dreams, and they somehow exist in connection to the collective dreams of mortals. Hopeful and imaginative people are more closely tied to this power. [So-called "faerie" phenomena have some sort of correlation with the neurology associated with dreams. Those prone to active or intense dreaming are more prone to these anomalous "side effects", including a greater susceptibility to the expression of those who exhibit the "faerie" identity fantasy.]
•Faeries come in many kinds, each known as a "kith". (Knows the names of 2-4 of the common major kiths, and that different kiths have different weaknesses and powers, but with a lot of inaccurate details). [The covert group suffering from the shared delusion that they are "faeries" divides itself further into different breeds of "faerie", called "kiths". (Knows the names of 2-4 of the common major kiths, and that different kiths exhibit different anomalous qualities, but with a lot of inaccurate details).]
•Faeries like fun places, artistic and natural settings, creative people, and places where there are usually children, such as playgrounds. [So-called "faerie" encounters are usually reported by those frequenting recreational venues, as these tend to be the people least concerned with being seen as irrational by others. Those believing themselves to be "faeries" also appear to frequent such places and associate with such people.] •Faeries have kings, queens, dukes, knights, and so on, just like in medieval faerie tales. [The "faerie" subculture styles itself after medieval monarchies in a sort of collective Quixotic tendency.]
•Some faeries like modern free-thinking better and rebel against their nobles. [Apparently the Quixotic tendency isn’t entirely unified in the "faerie" subculture, and some style themselves after revolutionary heroes rather than archaic nobles. Still, it seems this condition entails an inherent self-aggrandizement.] •Has an understanding of the standard Arts (those featured in The Shining Host plus Metamorphosis) and what they can do – think general overview with very little actual detail. Also knows that certain objects can hold magic. [Has a categorical understanding of how the most common of the so-called "faerie" anomalies behave (those Arts featured in The Shining Host plus Metamorphosis). Also knows that certain objects can manifest similar anomalous behavior.] •Knows that there is much more "faerie magic" going on all the time than is known, but that it is almost all invisible to mortals. [Knows that most of the effects of "faerie" anomalies is actually invisible and currently undetectable to research equipment.]
:●●●●● Master:
What someone with a strong family history tied to faerie folklore and ancient traditions or what a life-long dedicated occultist might know•May be able to name most of the standard kiths and give short descriptions (Equal to the descriptions in the Shining Host or The Shining Host: Player’s Guide). [Knows the more specific self-referential terms used by most of the common subdivisions in the covert "kithain" subculture, the patterns they exhibit in behavior, as well as what unusual effects tend to manifest in their presence. (Equal to the descriptions in the Shining Host or The Shining Host: Player’s Guide).]
•Information from alternative culture texts and folklore about accounts with "Faerie", including almost all extant mythological references, even the most obscure. [These sources are hardly accurate, but can be analyzed for patterns that might help us better direct our efforts to study these anomalous phenomena.] •May know some kithain-specific terms (as words with very rough understanding of their true definitions and significance). [May have knowledge of several specific terms used by people who think themselves to be "fae", and has a limited understanding of their significance and specialized definition to these people beyond literal definitions.]
•Understands the basics of the Changeling Way reincarnation cycle without knowing what its called. [Understands that the covert "faerie" subculture is at least centuries old, and includes in its beliefs an ancient ritual belief in reincarnation and past-life memory.] •Knows the very basics about kithain culture (i.e., basic ideas behind the power of Oaths, justice by Fior, etc.). [Knows the basic ethical tenets of the covert "faerie" subculture and internal self-government and retribution principles.]
•May have heard rumors of the kith-specific or rarer Arts (Skycraft, Aphrodesia, Infusion, Kryos, Spirit Link, Inanimae Slivers, Shadow Court - highly unlikely! - etc.). [Has a categorical understanding of how the more obscure or specialized of the so-called "faerie" anomalies behave (Skycraft, Aphrodesia, Infusion, Kryos, Spirit Link, Inanimae Slivers, Shadow Court - highly unlikely! - etc.).]
•Knows that many faeries fear the end of humanity’s hopes and dreams is coming in some kind of cosmic change, and that nobody will believe in them at all anymore. [Knows that some portion of the covert "faerie" subculture has an apocalyptic belief that they will be disbelieved out of existence – as if people would actually stop existing if people didn’t believe in each other’s existence! Bah, that’s nonsense!]
