For centuries tales of fish women and men have abounded in various partsof the world, and most of them have been explained off by the lusty minds of lonely sailors or similar things. I am here to tell you not that those stories are all true, oh no. However, there are a number of legends that abound from more ... reliable sources and some of those sailors were lucky enough not to have imagined their chance encounter.
We are as alive as you are, and probably having more fun doing it too.Our courts are as effective, probably more so than you landwalkers, and far less bothersome and complicated.
Mer have a unique connection to the Dreaming due to the fact that they have had less exposure to Banality and their Grottos are better protected (harder to get to). Mer reincarnate much like most changelings except that their faerie soul travels from Earth to Arcadia and back in between. This results in every other incarnation being born on Earth and the remaining in Arcadia.
When Mers are in their "mermaid" form, their mortal seeming is that of a large fish. The type and size of fish will vary, but it must be native to the area, and the player and storyteller must agree on it.
Mer characters can choose to pick Any of the backgrounds a European changeling can normally, however Title will not apply to the land-bound Sidhe Courts, but rather the Mer-Courts of the Undersea. Mers may choose any of the Arts in Changeling: The Dreaming, Nobles: TheShining Host, Dreams & Nightmares, and the Changeling: Players Guide except Spirit Link. However, they most often pick Chicanery, Dreamcraft, Legerdemain, and Wayfare. In addition to these, they have their own art: Binding.
Following are the most common general terms in use among Merfolk, as they differ from changeling society as a whole.
* Atlantis -- the center of Mer society and fame. Within it's walls are the source of the Glowstones, used to stabilize new Grottos and helpmaintain their strength. (equivalent to Tara-Nar)
* Commoner -- any Mer without a title, or another changeling. Most Mer don't acknowledge European Royalty except when travelling through their territory and sometimes not even then...
* Fishie - a nickname for wilder Mers.
* Glowstones -- the source of a Grotto's Glamour. (Balefire)
* Grotto -- a place that is infused with Glamour. (Freehold)
* Hatchling -- a newly awakened changeling of any age. (Fledge)
* Honker -- a derogatory term for Selkies.
* Landwalkers -- all changelings not commonly found in the water (exceptions are Selkies, Kokua, Yunwi Amai'yine'hi [Water People], and Water Babies)
* Sea Hag -- a nickname for a grump Mer.
* School -- a family or group of friends that are mostly commoners. (Motley)
* Tadpole -- a nickname used for childlings. Most childlings like it less than a child likes to be called a "kid".
All Mers have blue eyes of varying shades. In their fae seeming Mer shave swirling, large blue eyes that flow and ebb just like the water they originate from. Their ears are wide, pointed and webbed, just like their fingers and toes. They have gill slits along the jawbone and down the sides of the neck perceptible only when used. Their hair is wet until the day they die or until they are Undone.
* Childling mers are playful and shy, yet curious. They tend to play their games from behind the scenes, giggling wildly at the fools onstage.
* Wilder "fishies" are just that, wild. They are more obvious in play,but are more cautious in all other matters except love.
* Grump mers are the most likely to spend their last days hiding out in deep ocean realms they fashion themselves to hide from Banality and wait out Winter. It is known that a few of these poor souls have disappeared, leaving nothing behind, not even their "Grottos". It is said some blame the Hidden Ones, but that is just a rumor ... isn't it?!
Mer are quite possibly the most wide-spread kith. They live in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Carribean Sea, and various largerivers in North and Central America. A few have been known to frequent the Amazon. Most tadpoles and grumps stay in one place for long periods of time, while the fishies tend to "migrate". They can be found as lifeguards, scuba divers, oceanographers, river quality inspectors, artists, etc.
Actor
* Silver's Gate -- The Mer were the last to leave Earth for Arcadia and they have a greater connection to both than most of the other fae. They start off with one dot each in Remembrance, Gremayre, and Lore.
* Call of Poseidon -- Because of the deep connection with the ocean and, it is told, Poseidon himself, Merfolk have gifts granted them by the sea. All Mers can breathe under water and shift their legs into a fishtail while totally wet (e.g., in the shower/bath, in a river, in a waterfight, etc.) by rolling their Glamour (difficulty 6) with only onesuccess needed, successes determine how fast. In their "mermaid" form, their mortal seeming is that of a fish (appropriate to the tail colorations). In this form, not only can they breathe under water (theycan breathe underwater in either form) but they can also share this ability with others by spending a temporary point of Glamour for each person being affected and keeping physical contact with them for theduration. If their guest isn't enchanted they will need to enchant them (spending additional points of Glamour). This Birthright is in effect in both the changelings fae mein and mortal seeming.
* Mystery of the Sea -- Mer eyes are deep with the lore and mystery of the sea (and their connection to the Dreaming). To other changelings and enchanted mortals, this is a wonderous and beautiful sight. Looking into a Mer's eyes is a feeling of wonder, awe and peace. To resist being mesmerized, any other changeling or enchanted mortal must roll Wits +Alertness (difficulty of the Mer's Glamour +4, maximum of 10). This difficulty decreases by 1 for each successive look. Any Mer may choose to dampen this effect by rolling their Willpower (difficulty of their own Glamour) to lower the difficulty of the resist roll. Mesmerized people can be released by breaking eye contact. For the Mer to do this themself, they have to make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) and spend a temporary point of Willpower to break the contact. To them, this connection allows them to be a momentary bridge between the mystery of the sea and the spark it brings to another's imagination, giving them the same feeling as the mortal to a lesser extent, making it very hard to break.
It is entirely possible for others to make this eye contact willingly and on purpose. When this is done the Mer may break off at any time and the other person may do the same with a Willpower roll (difficulty 5 + their Empathy). This can become addictive to enchanted mortals, lovers,and grump changelings (because of the closeness it gives them to Glamour).
"We wander the depths with the confidance that we will find something new and wondrous to see on our journey. You wander your land wishing there was somewhere else to go. Whatever you do, don't look down here for solutions, look to those precious stars of yours."
* Boggans -- Some of the best craftspeople you'll ever find, but one warning: If you want it to look interesting, you'd best do it yourself.
* Dragonkin -- Noble and beautiful creatures, they guard our grottos with genuine intent and care.
* Eshu -- These guys are great! Do you have any idea what they are willing to give up to here stories from another world ... ours.
* Clurichaun -- Drunkard idiots. They visit only when they fall in the water in a drunken stupor. However, if one sings or plays close enough to the shore, most of them are amazing musicians.
* Ghille Dhu -- The distance from water that I would need to go to seeone is not worth the curiosity that inspires it.
* Nockers -- They make great scuba gear and boats ... too bad we don't need any. However, most of their contraptions do look nice sitting in the corner as sculptures. They are artists, not mechanics.
* Pooka -- Fellow shapeshifters. Fellow nothing else. They get under fin and are the worst ... or best liars you'll ever meet.
* Redcaps -- Something tells me they don't take their tunafish out of a can.
* Satyrs -- Lusty lot they are! The easiest to summon, and some of the most fun. But, sample only, do not cater to addiction.
* Selkies -- Our not so distant cousins, the Selkies embrace not only the ocean, but the land as well. Theirs is a dangerous pastime and noble cause so help them when it is needed, otherwise stand clear least they drag you down with them.
* Sidhe -- The Mer-Courts of Undersea would laugh if they saw these mockery of nobility, disregard their commands and instead teach them their lessons in humility.
* Sluagh -- Ick! Perhaps it would be best if they climbed back into their holes and hibernated until Winter.
* Trolls -- Awesome warriors! Even the worst are honorable. Little detail though ... I've never met one that didn't sink to the bottom rather than take his armor off.
The Mer have been studying the ways of the mind and the many ways tomanipulate it for millenia. In addition to being very proficient at Sovereign and Chicanery, they have their own Art that explores the inner unknown.
At level four, Neptune's Eye manifests itself, becoming a third eye in the middle of the forehead. it is solid, not having a white, pupil, andiris. The color is determined by the Court the character follows, and how strongly. White is unerringly Seelie, black is unforgivingly,chaotic Unseelie, and varying shades of blue give degrees. Use the Seelie Code and Unseelie "Code" (or Manifesto for Shadow Court members) to determine the shade. The stronger the dominant one is followed, the darker or lighter the color.
Perception
Gaia's Eyes allows the mer to perceive things through the targets senses. After success is determined, the caster chooses which senses he receives while the successes determine how many and how long.
Successes:One sense per success, maximum of five. Duration is ten minutes persuccess.
Type: Chimerical
This cantrip allows the caster to summon someone from afar. Use of this cantrip requires the use of two Realms (one for the target and one for the destination) and therefore a point of temporary Glamour must bespent (even if the target and destination Realms are the same). The target will do everything they can to get to you as soon as possible. Similar to the Level four vampiric Discipline Summon (see Vampire: The Masquerade).
Successes:
1 Success: Target may be up to 100 feet away.
2 Successes: Target may be up to one mile away.
3 Successes: Target may be up to 100 miles away.
4 Successes: Target may be up to 1000 miles away.
5 Successes: Target may be anywhere on the planet.
Type: Chimerical or Wyrd
Mind's Eye allows the mer to speak mentally to one or more people at a time, transferring conscious thought, emotions, and visual images instantly. With four or more successes the caster can read the mind of the target without the target consciously sending. With five or more successes thoughts and memories can be found without relying on what the target is currently thinking about. Adding additional people to the mental link will require a point of Glamour to be spent for each additional person (regardless of whether the Realms are different).
Successes:
1 Success: Allows the caster to send/receive visual images/One minute.
2 Successes: Allows the caster to send/receive emotions and visual images/Five minutes.
3 Successes: Allows the caster to send/receive thoughts, emotions and visual images/Fifteen minutes.
4 Successes: Allows the caster to send/receive/read thoughts, emotions and visual images/One hour.
5 Successes: Allows the caster to send/receive/read/scan memories,thoughts, emotions and visual images/One scene.
Type: Chimerical or Wyrd
At this level, the mer may now do more than bring emotions out and read thoughts, they can heal scars in a person's psyche. This allows the caster to remove Bedlam, derangements, Quiet (see Mage: The Ascension),or bring someone out of frenzy (see Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse; also useable on the House Gwydion or House Scathach Flaws), psychological flaws (the character still must pay the required experience points to buy it off), stun damage, etc. This cantrip may never be used to remove House Flaws (with the above exception), Frailties, or any other equivalent weakness. Casting this cantrip can only be done once successfully to a single person. Failure to affect target gains the caster one temporary point of Banality. Failing the cantrip gains the caster two temporary points of Banality and botching gains the caster three temporary points of Banality.
Successes:
For each success the target's difficulty to resist frenzy lowers by one.Rage roll difficulties are increased by one.
For every two successes a First Threshold Bedlam trait can be removed.
For every three successes a Second Threshold Bedlam trait can beremoved.
For every four successes a Third Threshold Bedlam trait can be removed. The target can resist with a Glamour roll (difficulty 8) tocancel successes from the cantrip.
For every two successes a derangement can be removed. The target can resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) to cancel successes from the cantrip.
For every two successes a mage's Quiet pool is reduced by one. The target can resist with a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) to cancel successes from the cantrip.
Type: Wyrd
Soulbind means just that. The caster can either possess a target, or switch two different target's minds and bodies (two realms). Possession leaves the casters body vulnerable, in a coma-like state, and entirely unuseable by the caster as the caster is now in someone else's body. Resistance is possible with a roll of Willpower (difficulty 8).Switching minds and bodies requires a point of Glamour to be spent (regardless of whether the Realms are different). Switching minds allows both targets to resist. This cantrip affects the function of objects and things that don't have a "mind".
Successes:
1 Success: One round/One minute.
2 Successes: Two rounds/Five minutes.
3 Successes: Three rounds/Fifteen minutes.
4 Successes: Four founds/One hour.
5 Successes: Five rounds/One scene.
Type: Wyrd
Bunks for the Art of Binding represent the insight and manipulation possible as well as adding classic and more modern methods of summoning,viewing, controlling and healing others.
* Level One
Boink! - poke your target in the eyes with two fingers.
** Level Two
Ouwwch!! - poke yourself in the eyes with two fingers.
Be Healed! - Slap the forehead of your target and announce their change of mental condition.
*** Level Three
Come'ere! - mime grabbing your target and declare a challenge.
**** Level Four
Gift of an Idol - create a figurine of your target and give it to them.
***** Level Five
Declaration - Declare your actions and true intentions to a crowd.
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