The fae dabble in half-truths, misleading statements and omission of facts. These creatures rarely lie outright, though, lest the Wyrd punish them for their falsehoods. While the Lost have learned to navigate the often-misleading river of truth, even the sharpest among them will still fall prey to hearing what they want to hear, or believing things that might be true even if they cannot be verified.
As such, any freehold is going to have its share of urban legends, campfire tales, Hedge myths and fairy stories. Some of them are harmless, and some of them are traps, but you often can’t tell which is which until it’s too late.
The following rumors are things you can use to fill in the background of your particular chronicle, or you can use them as jumping off points for things your players need to investigate. None of these rumors are required to be true, however; the only thing that’s certain when it comes to the fae is that nothing is permanent, and everything changes. So it really is up to you, as the Storyteller, to decide if any of these things are true, and if so, how your players discover that truth.
To use the list, either roll d100 for a random result or select appropriate ones manually.
Here are some sample results:
91. Some Lost whisper that drinking glamour from the same person (especially if you’re doing so without a pledge, and without their knowledge) can lead to a strange, unwanted bond forming between the two parties. This so-called “drinking bond” can lead to a changeling being filled with the thoughts and feelings of their target, filling them up with memories and experiences that aren’t theirs and eroding the Lost’s already fragile sense of self, and grasp on reality. While there’s not a lot of evidence for this happening, most Lost tend to keep a varied glamour diet… or at least to harvest with someone’s permission, just to be safe.
92. Moonlight is not to be trusted. This superstition was started by an unnamed darkling centuries ago, but there are still a number of Lost who swear by it. According to this rumor, moonlight, and especially light from a full moon, can shine through the Mask under the right circumstances, exposing a changeling’s true nature. A new moon, though it sheds little light, can open doorways into the Hedge. While it might sound like a collection of old wives’ tales, these beliefs are often accurate enough that many changelings don’t want to tempt fate beneath a cloudless sky.
93. Thousands of people go missing every year, and even in this age of cell phones, camera drones and satellite imaging, most of them are never found again. While a lot of people may fall through cracks in the earth, or end up on the wrong end of exposure in the elements, many among the Lost believe that a number of these missing persons are swallowed up by the Hedge. And while some might wander into the Thorns without knowing any better, those who are well and truly lost might start talking to themselves as they tramp through the empty expanses of the world, begging to be found. And when the Wyrd hears that, it might honor that request in a way the wanderer never would have guessed.
Released: 13th May 2023 Pages: 21
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“Whispered Words Sharpen Knives”