Abilities

Esme has a range of abilities that vary from universal to changelings all the way down to being restricted to his kiths and seeming. Not all require him to make use of a Contract of some kind, but most are tied to the Wyrd and his amount of available Glamour. The separate kiths also all have one type of task that they excel at to the point that the amount of effort that lets anyone else succeed in the same task is an exceptional success for the changeling.

Natural to changelings is the ability to spend a point of Glamour in order to escape any sort of mundane or supernatural bondage. This is called Portaling. Grapples, handcuffs, and locked doors are examples of mundane things that this ability can escape. Supernatural bondage also requires him to basically have a stronger will, at the moment, than the force that's trying to contain him. Naturally, no Glamour means no escape, but otherwise he has that chance to escape from anything that's not made of cold iron. Cold iron is iron that has only been forged by human hands and contains no other metals or magic. All changelings have a strong aversion to it as it is immune to all forms of fae magic and inflicts serious damage even just touching it. Even if escape is achieved, that doesn't negate the consequences of doing so. If his escape meant someone else would be in danger, that person would still be in danger. Or if he had been arrested and escaped from jail then he'd still be wanted.

Changelings also have access to the Hedge. They can create gateways by spending a point of Glamour and asking for either the existing gate to open or for a new one to appear. Any door, window, archway, mirror, or another such portal that he can fit through can be a gate. The only thing preventing the gate from being used is if the point of entry is locked. This restriction also applies to exiting the Hedge, if the real-world exit is locked then it can't be exited. Once opened the gate stays open only until the intended parties pass through, so the window for anyone to follow is very small. A place that has been made a Hedge Gate will always be a Gate, but when not in use they won't be anything other than what they were naturally. Also, a new Gate leads to an unknown place whether entering or exiting the Hedge, but that Gate will always lead to that place.

Kenning is the ability to possibly detect aspects of the supernatural around oneself, though not any specific information on anything that is detected. Kenning can only be done by a changeling whose perception of the world (Clarity) is less than halfway damaged. Clarity governs how grounded and aware of things a changeling is. Undamaged, Clarity makes noticing things around the changelings much easier, but having enough damage can not only lock them out of kenning, but jeopardize their awareness and eventually lead to a coma or death if Clarity is not healed. The only way to heal damaged Clarity is by overcoming conditions caused by the damage, or by spending meaningful time with people, places, or things that changeling feels a strong connection to. These are called Touchstones.

Inciting Bedlam is the act of using Glamour to infect any person within sensory range of the changeling with a Condition born of an emotion the changeling desires. If successful, the effect results in the people affected acting in a way appropriate for the emotion they were given, though they may question the reasoning behind it once it's worn off. Failure can range between it just not working and anyone targeted turning against the changeling. This can be good or bad because it's possible to incite Bedlam completely without meaning to, which also means there's no control over the emotions and conditions used.

Harvesting the Glamour that is needed for many abilities and contracts is also natural to changelings. There are several ways to do it, but the most viable is to harvest the emotions of others. Strong emotions can be harvested into points of Glamour effectively, but weaker ones are less effective. The ways to get at these emotions are also varied. A changeling could attack a person to instill fear quickly, or they could be sympathetic to a tragedy that a person still reacts strongly to. Harvesting Glamour from people isn't harmful to them in any way, and they wouldn't even be aware of it unless he was Reaping their Glamour. Reaping involves touching a person and forcefully ripping out all of their Glamour, leaving the person emotionally ravaged and barely able to do the simplest of tasks. Doing this to a person is so morally abhorrent that any changeling who does could suffer a serious blow to their ability to perceive the world. In order to count as a person, a target must be sentient and living. Ghosts and zombie-like creatures produce no Glamour, and vampires only produce half of what a normal person would. Places that have strong emotions permeating the air are also possible Glamour sources. It is possible for negative effects to happen to a changeling when harvesting from beings that aren't human though, such as the madness of lunacy from a werewolf. (The amount of Glamour harvested, if any, is determined by the number of successes in a relevant dice roll. Depending on player preference I might use that as I play out these scenes.)

Glamour is used exclusively for various abilities, but he has to also be mindful of how much he's using because the consequences are more than just being locked out of those abilities. If Esme runs out of Glamour entirely then he'll start to suffer from starvation until he's absorbed at least a little, regardless of how much food he eats in the meantime. If his Wyrd ever increases enough then he will become addicted to the stuff and could starve by having too little instead. His pool usually only empties through use thankfully, but it still has to be watched.

As his Wyrd increases Esme's powers, life expectancy, resistance to illness and toxins, and how strong his fae nature bleeds through his disguise increase. His Glamour pool started at 10 points and higher levels of Wyrd increase the pool one each while occasionally making use easier and faster. A drawback to note is that higher Wyrd adds weaknesses and odd Fae habits to his being.

Changelings can be considered to have two forms: the mask and the mien. The mask is the human appearance, generally simply them as they were before being taken unless something has changed too drastically such as height and build. It's not something that a changeling consciously creates and is instead the Wyrd protecting them. The mask can't be seen through in most circumstances, fooling even cameras and the senses easily. It isn't perfect, however, as a few small tells leak through to hint at the true nature. For Esme, those tells are the softness of his hair and a slightly musky animal odor that clings to him, as well as his teeth being sharper as though he's filed them. The mien is the changeling's true self, as sculpted both by their former master and their escape from their durance. While the mien is mostly a cosmetic change that doesn't always fully translate into physical effects on daily life, some do have things such as blades for fingers that hinder them. Esme is mostly on the cosmetic side, being a humanoid furry creature somewhat reminiscent of sugar gliders and foxes. See here for the full description. He has claws and fangs, but it's only his higher connection to beasts that makes them useful in a fight, and only when he intends to use them as weapons. His real talents relevant to his mien are the ones sewn into him by his former master, the Shepherd. He is an exceptional climber and can spend a point of Glamour while falling from a great height to possibly land unharmed. And he is very good with both singing and musical instruments, and can spend a point of Glamour to try and enthrall or inflict an emotional condition on listener. The latter is not the same as inciting Bedlam though, as Bedlam is specifically inflicting a mob reaction in those affected.

On the subject of mask and mien, a changeling may strengthen the mask with a point of Glamour to temporarily hide their mien from even the True Fae. On the opposite end, he can drop the mask and be seen by anyone as he is. Doing so normally immediately opens any nearby Hegde Gates and makes it easier for the True Fae or their servants to find him until his mask can be reformed.

While changelings have many baffling powers and items to rely on, they are effectively human when it comes to taking damage. For example, without the proper items or Contracts a changeling who was shot in the chest wouldn't have any better chance of survival than a normal human. A gunshot to the head would be just as fatal. They don't naturally heal any faster either. And being basically human in that sense, many changelings are fairly normal and have normal abilities.

As far as non-supernatural abilities go, Esme really only has some proficiency in grappling for self-defense and some basic brawling ability. The fact that he's strong for his size helps, as he's very likely to be underestimated at first. He's always been good with animals, especially rodents, though this has been improved by his durance and escape from Arcadia. He's also good at staying unnoticed especially in crowded places, due to his tendency to stick close to his more assertive friends.

A changeling's most formidable powers come from their Contracts and Pledges. Pledges are especially tricky because a person can be locked into a Pledge simply by making a promise to or around a changeling, or making an offer to one. This can be dangerous to the party that breaks the Pledge, as the Wyrd will dole out a fitting punishment should the changeling break it...but the changeling may curse the other party for being the oathbreaker as well. The benefits for Pledges are worth it though, if both sides of the Pledge are honored where applicable. Actual Oaths are an even more serious issue, as they are serious oaths made on the true name of a person, changeling, Fae, or thing. If broken the punishment is many times more severe.

Contracts are sort of like pledges that grant an immediate benefit to a changeling or his companions. They cost Glamour and a specific type of action, but can be used for free if the changeling does a specific other action in addition to the normal one. Each type of changeling also gets an added bonus to the contract. Some have to overcome an opponent, and some have to succeed. Esme began with six contracts, favoring Steed regalia as a Beast and Shield due to his nature, but has the ability to learn other existing ones or even craft new ones himself. His favored can be learned faster than others. The current ones he has are:

Walls Have Ears (Common): Esme holds an item up to his
mouth, and tells it a secret from his time in Arcadia. At the cost of 1-3 Glamour the object tells him one or more secrets in return. He can learn how the object is constructed and every weak point it has, making it easier to damage or repair it. It could tell him how to use it to its best effect,
allowing him to use it more effectively than his abilities would normally allow. Or he can see a vision of the person who last handled or
touched the object, including everything that was happening within three yards/meters of the object during the scene within the vision. As a Beast, he experiences the vision as though he were physically present, extending the range to six yards/meters around the object. This contract is free if he's in public and among mortals who could potential overhear his secret.

Seven-League Leap (Common): After hopping up and down while telling the air about athletic feats he's accomplished, he can clear a jumping trajectory of 10 yards/meters per dot of Wyrd he has at the cost of one point of Glamour. As a Beast he also adds 10 to his speed for the duration, as well as easily gaining the advantage in a chase. This contract is free if he's wearing boots he stole from an enemy shortly before he activates it.

Boon of the Scuttling Spider (Common): After spending a point of Glamour, his perception of the world flattens to allow him to move on any surface that can support his weight as though it was normal, non-slippery ground. Due to the Beast seeming, Esme can also more easily restrain a target through grappling. This contract is free if he swallows a live spider beforehand.

Light-Shy: For a point of Glamour, Esme becomes nonexistent to nearly everything that would have been able to perceive him. He can't be seen, heard, smelled, or felt by anyone as long as he doesn't do anything hostile. This includes everything from attacking to yelling at someone. The only things that can detect him are machines such as cameras. This contract is free if he stands motionless in darkness or shadows for a full minute before using it.

Chrysalis (Royal): For two points of Glamour, Esme can turn into one of four animals: a harvest mouse, a butcher bird, a European polecat, and a Eurasian wolf. Most changelings only have two animals, but Beasts gain four. When in these forms he can communicate with similar animals and he has all of their abilities. He does still have access to his changeling abilities and intelligence though. This contract is free if he's touching one of the selected animal in its territory when he activates it.

Vow of No Compromise (Royal): For a point of Glamour and one Willpower, Esme can touch an injured being and slightly accelerate the healing of a serious injury to a less serious state. He gains the Stoic condition as a result, making it easier to hide his feelings from others for an undetermined amount of time but also making it impossible to heal damage to his Clarity for the duration. As a Beast, he also grants the being he touched the Steadfast condition to help them weather the next harsh situation that might have been too much for them. The contract may be used on himself and if free if he's just destroyed any representation of the True Fae, from a drawing to a True Fae's servant.

Hedgewall (Royal): For two Glamour and a Willpower, Esme can summon a 10-yard diameter per Wyrd-dot castle of thorns around himself, though the size and shape are constrained by the available space and his wishes if he doesn't screw it up. The layout is his to decide and the brambles that make up the walls are quite dangerous when touched without protection. As a Beast, his Hedgewall puts pressure on the resolve of any enemies who make it inside. A really well-made Hedgewall can be imbued with the ability to either leech Glamour from anyone who touches it but him, tangle up enemies, or just attack them with brambles. Failing in his attempt prevents the walls from forming, but a true screw-up on his part results in an untamed hedge maze forming around him...getting him and anyone with him lost inside. If he had access to the Hedge and used it there, the effects would not be constrained by obstacles and simply demolish anything in the way. Failure in the Hedge is a full screw-up regardless, resulting in not only getting lost, but also attracting a hostile hobgoblin to the Hedgewall. This contract is free if he plants a seed or sapling from the Hedge when activating it.




Esme also has a few abilities unique to him as a character. The blanket ability, called Perseverance, allows him several abilities that he uses to protect himself and others. At present, the ones he has are:

Raise to the Challenge
When Esme is about to lose in a contested action of any kind against someone, this power may activate and let him attempt to gain the upper hand with a higher chance of success. Succeeding means that he isn't overcome, while doing so exceptionally means that he not only resists but also turns things around and might even gain the advantage. Failure results in his being overcome despite his best efforts, and in failing dramatically the defeat is so crushing that he suffers additional negative effects in addition to whatever was already going to happen if he lost. This ability costs nothing and is more of a reflex than a conscious choice.

A True Companion
Through Perseverance, Esme can sense and choose to interfere with contested actions of those around him. Even if nothing is outwardly happening around him, he'll be able to feel who is involved in this contest and who is failing. This doesn't give him any sort of insight into what the clash is about or what will happen as a result of either person winning or losing, just makes him aware of it. At the cost of any direct action he could make for his own or another person's benefit, he can consciously choose to pass the effects of Raise to the Challenge to another person who is about to be overcome by their opponent. He cannot do this to multiple people at once, but he can do it multiple times over a short span though he can't act otherwise each time he does and so can't defend himself or anything. When he uses this ability, the recipient can feel the effects, as well as the fact that they are coming directly from Esme.

Roar
Esme has learned how to channel his gift, pushing the power into his voice in a roar to inspire friends or intimidate enemies at his discretion. One point of Willpower and two Aether are the price for the skill, and both Stamina and Perseverance are a must on both counts. The skills used are different though. His Aether pool is only 8 points, and he doesn't have the canon knowledge to refresh it at this point.

For Intimidation, the Intimidation rating is obviously needed, but Esme has no experience there whatsoever currently. This actually hurts his ability to use an intimidation roar, especially since he has to push against the Resolve and Composure of his adversaries. Success cripples all actions of his adversaries for the duration of the encounter, inflicting a -2 in gameplay terms, while doing so exceptionally would also result in them gaining a negative condition that fits the situation on top of that. Failure would be entirely ineffective at intimidation while impairing his ability to act, inflicting a -1 to himself, but failing dramatically would actually benefit the enemy in the same way that succeeding in Inspiration does for allies.

With Inspiration, Expression is the rating of choice. There is nothing to contest here as an ally wouldn't need to resist the attempt to bolster them. Success means that any of his friends and allies that are present are inspired by the roar. They are given the resolve to push themselves harder, which means a +2 to all actions. Exceptional success also adds a positive condition that fits the situation as he manages to inspire far more confidence than he had intended. Failure results in the roar's message not coming out right, causing both him and his allies to falter in their abilities for the duration of the encounter, mean a -1 for all of them. Failing dramatically reverses the roar's intent completely, affecting all allies as though he had used Intimidation on them instead.

Personality

Esme is a quiet, meek, and mostly well-mannered young man who enjoys the companionship of friends and family, and does his best not to aggravate others. His meekness is most noticeable when he's dealing with new people or with situations in which he doesn't know how to proceed, where he often looks to familiar faces for guidance. This usually results in him being more of a follower in any group that he's fallen in with, though he does make a good confidant. He's modest, honest, and he just wants to be accepted as a good person. This is the Esme that most people know.

The root of the above traits is both a good upbringing and a genuinely good nature...but is also largely from a madness that stems from his time in Arcadia. All changelings are mad in some way, having at least one thing about them that's somewhat twisted. Esme's happens to come from a persistent fear of abandonment, and that if he screws up or isn't useful enough he'll be cast aside and abandoned. He knows that if his friends are truly his friends they wouldn't do that, but it does very little to ease the insecurity. Part of that also comes from the fact that changelings are slow to trust as well. As a way to offset this, he defines himself by being a good source of support for others and a loyal friend. He easily puts his needs aside for the greater good, until he just can't anymore, even when it's potentially dangerous for him to do so.

Esme really dislikes conflict, and would rather it never be a necessary step to take. Instead, his nature is generally to assist those who can and lend his power rather than risk getting in the way or being needlessly hurt. But he will literally throw himself at a problem when pushed, especially if he feels that a friend is in immediate danger. He doesn't consider this bravery, however, simply desperation in the moment.

Despite the constant trouble that he finds himself in, Esme prefers a simple and quiet life. He's content just doing chores or learning about the world he's found himself in without getting bored. He likes things to be as straightforward as possible. He also tries to extend the same courtesy to others, but his honesty doesn't mean that he's without secrets. As a changeling, his life is very secret to most without him outright lying about things.

While he's not the sharpest with planning or academic knowledge, Esme is fairly good at thinking and reacting to things on the fly. He often has good instincts and usually plays to his strengths, avoid risk where possible. He's usually prudent and has a good sense of when he's in a potentially dangerous situation, but can unfortunately be offset by the fact that he usually struggles to keep his composure in these situations at times. Being a changeling of a more bestial nature, Esme is sometimes prone to acting without thought and, like all Beast changelings, this can seriously damage his grip on reality if such actions somehow harm people he cares about.

When it comes to romance, Esme struggles a lot with the idea. He had a notion that one day he would find a nice woman and settle down to start a family, as all good men do. But he never really had the confidence to even speak to a girl before he was taken, and especially wouldn't dare to approach a man with his affections. Now truly out of his element after his Durance, he can't even fathom who he would be with or approach. He tends to develop crushes on anyone that he's close to and spares him a little bit of kindness, regardless of gender, but his paranoia about abandonment generally keeps him from expressing more than friendly affection. He's very open with affection such as hugs or cuddling with anyone that he's comfortable enough with and who will reciprocate.

As a changeling, Esme's mindset has altered no longer operates on the standard scale of morality. Morality can fit into it and being too immoral can skew his perception of the world dangerously, called Clarity, but what is moral or not is a bit...odd. For example, a serious potential hit to his Clarity is could be finding out that someone lied to him about something important, but on that exact same level is accidentally killing a human, or just killing another changeling in general. He wants to be good, but good in some cases is changed by something as simple as whether or not the being they have to kill is a person, a monster, or a thing.

The best way to summarize Esme as a person is to call him a well-meaning, anxious person who would do almost anything to ensure the well-being of those he cares for. His biggest fear is to be left alone and unwanted, with being dragged back into Arcadia being a close second. He's useful to have around, if his baggage can be tolerated, but he can't really be "fixed" when it comes to the way he is.