Angelus Morningstar

Dream Shard
Book of Peerage

Author: A ngelus Morningstar

Additional Writings: John Newman Acknowledgments
Artwork: Gavin Hargest Lost Shards are fan- made products designed for use with
the World of Darkness book, Changeling: the Lost.
A bsence of trademarks from copyrighted materials does not
constitute a legal challenge to the original owners. A ny
original material is the intellectual property of A ngelus
Morningstar unless otherwise credited.

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Angelus Morningstar
House of Rhapsody
Illusion is the First of All Pleasures
In ages of old, the bards were the keepers of truth and
fiction. The power of the storyteller is a powerful thing,
and with them is the balance between truth and lie. The
skalds and rhapsodes of the House of Rhapsody know how
to use each as a weapon. They know that truth is a terrible
thing. With it, a person can bring low an empire, can undo
words of love, shatter illusions and bring about stark and
horrible realizations. Many will claim that it is better to
suffer the unhappiness of truth than to endure a lie, but the
House of Rhapsody knows this isn't true, like so many
things about the world, what we tell ourselves is not the
truth, but the simple little lies that make the unbearable
more reasonable. In fact, the greater the truth, the worse it
is to deal with.
The Rhapsodes attest that humanity’s never- ending
quest for the ultimate truths is its greatest fallacy, for every
individual is a product of society, culture, family and peers
– in essence a fabrication. In fact, the House of Rhapsody
took this claim even further through a manifesto written by
its founding member called the Manual of Perfidy. In this
treatise, seven fundamental beliefs of society are taken and
rendered into nothing more than a fiction of its own – own
that humanity accedes to in order to survive. Its final
position reduces everything to a convenient fiction
cultivated in opposition to a harsh and senseless reality. In
such a devastating and unreasonable reality, a person must
put aside pure reason and cultivate some sensible fictions.
Just as adults often tell lies- to- children couching things
they cannot comprehend, deal with or otherwise explain in
cute euphemisms, society itself has wrapped itself in lies- to-
adults, such as love, honour, justice, mercy and beauty.
Without such things, we are little more than lumps of clay
and playthings of the Fae. This the Rhapsode knows as
sooth, and recognises that humanity, and individuals alike
are moved, made and destroyed by the fictions they live by,
whether it is their own personal narratives, or the great
social narratives of religions, ideologies, and histories.
The House of Rhapsody says that the foundation of any
society, and in fact any individual is their fiction. When
telling a story or fiction, what is important is not whether
the story told is true or false, but whether it contains
substance, meaning and evocation. For, it is from these
simple stories that our individual and collective dreams are
born. The close association between fiction and dreaming
has not been lost on the House. They have seen how the
dreams of one person have given birth to world- shaking
narratives, and how dreams have a way of propagating
themselves from person to person through their retelling.
The relationship between dreams and fiction goes even
further, where some of the Houses’ greater philosophers
have told stories of the veil of Maya, and other narratives
that suggest that reality itself is merely one of the more
commonly accepted fictions.
In fact, the House takes a particularly unique
interpretation of the Wyrd, suggesting that it is the
embodiment of the flow of narrative. Whereas humanity
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accounts events through the linear progression of time, the
march of seasons, the turning of years and the stay of the
centuries, the House claims that all of Faerie, moves
according to the flow of narrative, rather than history; that
the Wyrd is a tempo measured by destiny and fate. In this,
the Rhapsodes claim to make their mark. Whereas
humanity live according to the entropic flow of time,
changelings are freed from the fiction of time and given
power to set their own measure, empowered to forge their
own fictions by their own pen. A truly canny narrator can
even write their own fiction in such a way as to sway and
move masses.
The ultimate agenda of the House of Rhapsody, is to
wage psychological warfare against the Gentry, using the
dreams, hopes and ideas of the human masses as their
arsenal. The Rhapsodes know they cannot turn and fight
the Others alone, but they can manipulate and cultivate
stories about the Fae in the collective consciousness of
humanity. When asked, the Rhapsodes will point to the
fairy tales of old, and show how hidden in these simply
parables are coded warnings, secret gleanings and hidden
messages about the Gentry that are taught from generation
to generation.
Through the crafting of new tales that infect the
human psyche in même fashion, the House of Rhapsody
can hope to infuse humanity with new information and
tales to prepare them against the Fae. The affinity of
stories, rhyme to the unreason of dreaming has cultivates
for the Rhapsodes an intuitive love of dreams, and it is not
uncommon for a Rhapsode to become a proficient
oneiromancer. Indeed, the House of Rhapsody has a
developed reputation for producing some of the finest
oneiromancers known to the Lost. However, the House’s
foremost reputation comes from being spinners of tales,
master propagandists, potent heralds, shills and
mouthpieces. For each member has learned to understand
all the arts of fiction, from subtle lies, deception and
misdirection to propaganda, misinformation and many
other arts of psychological warfare.
Many of the practices of the House of Rhapsody
revolve around the artful telling of lies. Each Rhapsode is
taught to cultivate lies like living stories. One must never
be so gauche as to lie all the time, as that is merely being
contrary. No, to be an artful liar, the many members
cultivate certain expressive obfuscations; learning to speak
with circumlocution; the application of riddles and rhyme;
the purveyance of masks, make ups, and disguises. Though
beyond this simple training, nearly every Rhapsode has
come to be fond of the art of telling stories in its own right;
with so much of their work caught up in the fabrication of
meaningful fiction, it can be a powerful outlet to find some
non- urgent form of literary expression that they can pour
their creativity into. Typically, this will be in the form of
poetry, oration, rhetoric and debate, but the occasional
Rhapsode has found harmony in song and sonnet to.
Angelus Morningstar
Whatever the device, there is a fixation on oral
communication.
The Rhapsodes are like spiders in the dreams of mortal
minds, which spools its threads of intrigue throughout a
vast network of mortal agents. The greatest strength of the
House of Rhapsody is that even these agents work for the
Rhapsodes without realizing. They have managed to
cultivate a reputation as masterful manipulators, and
consequently unforeseen political machinations are
sometimes levelled as the product of Rhapsode
interference. Whenever a treaty turns sour the House of
Rhapsody are suspected of tainting the negotiations. When
feuds or fights lead to the death of one of the court, the
courtiers whisper darkly whom they suspect as being the
traitor. In the worst cases, every single black act and every
single dark mark is levelled at the manipulations of the
House of Rhapsody leading to witch hunts of the worst
sort. Of course, some changelings posit that the subterfuge
of the House lies not in their deeds, but a carefully
cultivated reputation instead. A s a courtesy, and in some
effort to counter- act this terrible reputation, the House of
Rhapsody avow not to use their arts of manipulation to
directly affect the politics of a local freehold, sometimes
even formally pledging so.
Titles: Lord or Lady Rhapsode, often Maestro for less
formal occasions. A lso, Marquis ( male) or Marchioness
( female) for those who have earned special acclaim ( see
below) .
Prerequisites: Wyrd 2, Manipulation 3, Expression 3 &
Subterfuge 2
Joining: The House of Rhapsody demands one major
thing from their supplicants, namely; adaptability and a
talent for performing. Those who can demonstrate a
delicate sophistication and an aptitude for dissembling are
quickly noticed.
Such individuals are usually carefully solicited by the
order and will be tested by being set an elaborate web of
fiction. The objective of this trap is to lead the potential
candidate away from the true objective and see if they can
unravel its complexities. Usually these lies are decidedly
more comforting than the stark realization of truth, and
only those with a certain mental fortitude can turn
willingly towards the unpleasant truth. Sometimes it will
be uncovering an unpleasant truth about the changeling
herself, or even confronting her with facts about her
durance in Faerie or the nature of her mortals ties. Only
certain people can truly face the naked truth, and the
Rhapsodes seek to ensure that those who face it are
prepared. Thus, the Rhapsodes see themselves as guardians
of the truth.
Once they have passed this little initiation, the new
Rhapsode is asked to swear the formal oaths of the House,
and groomed to be worthy of the role as a maestro of
fiction.
Mien: The attire of the Rhapsodes is highly varied.
Each and every- one of them, however, wears a mirror
about their person. It can be as blatant or discreet as the
Rhapsode likes, such as a glittering crown of mirror shards,
a mighty shield with a mirrored surface. The other feature
that a Rhapsode cannot do without is their mask. Each
Rhapsode has at least one mask, some designed to
completely cover their face like ornate hood, others are
more Venetian masks that are worn over their eyes, and
others not even worn upon the face at all.
So too, does their Mien change. Their eyes take on a
certain mirror- like quality, reflecting the nature of
whatever they see. Within these eyes, something
quintessential about who they observe will manifest. Beasts
will see something feral and savage, Wizened will see eyes
of great age and wisdom, Elementals might see a flinty steel
or glimmer of fire, Ogres see a glint of ferocity and fury,
while Fairest a beauty glimmer and glow and Darklings see
rounded black stares. A s the changeling’s Wyrd gets to
higher levels, they Mien begins to blur slightly, as though
attempting to see them through mist, smoke, haze or
vapours. It becomes difficult to see the perfect outline of
features and markings, shrouding their features.
Background: Theoretically speaking, anyone with the
right suave affair could be a member of the House. Each of
the different Seasonal Courts has offered new and unique
methods of how to cultivate fiction. The courtiers of
Summer are trained to powerful Oneiromachists ( dream
warriors) , or Hedge Duellists for the Houses’ honour. The
courtiers of A utumn are cultivated as the main
propagandists, using the techniques to create powerful
fearful tales to surreptitiously warn humanity of the Fae.
The courtiers of Winter typically maintain the networks of
subterfuge and misinformation, creating lie upon lie upon
fiction, to keep both the House safe and the mortals they
protect. Finally, the courtiers of Spring are the well versed
diplomats and emissaries, they are the troubadours and
wandering minstrels that carry the stories with them.
Similarly, the obvious choices amongst the Seemings
are both the Wizened and Darklings who have a penchant
for such deceit. In close suit are the Fairest ( especially
muses) whose social graces often allow for masterful
manipulation. Beasts, Ogres and Elementals are less
common, though sometimes the cunning of the Beasts and
Ogres, or the enigmatic inscrutability of the Elementals
make for a reasonable and disarming rogue.
In terms of A ttributes, characters should demonstrate
high levels Finesse A ttributes, particularly Manipulation
and Wits. In contrast, characters should not have high
Power A ttributes, especially Strength and Presence as these
character’s have a terrible tendency to dominate and
overwhelm their opponents, which is an undesirable
method to the softly focused Rhapsodes. One must direct
the attentions of the Freehold without actually being the
focus of it. Naturally, Rhapsodes favour both Subterfuge
and Expression, but must also excel at Empathy.
Occasionally, a Rhapsode will dabble in the arts of Larceny
for whatever nefarious purpose.
Organization: There is rarely ever more than one or
two Rhapsodes in a single Freehold. Though each
individual Rhapsode may stand alone, they are never far
from the words of their fellows. Long ago, they developed a
startlingly proficient method of communication, using the
Hedge itself as a medium, this network is a far spanning
connection known as the Web of Lies.
Beyond this, the Rhapsodes have a very informal
arrangement. Gatherings of Rhapsodes is rather like a
Münchhausen competition, where each of them attempts
to spin the largest and wildest lie imaginable. Such gambits
can run to the impossibly absurd, where the claims are
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Angelus Morningstar
laudably false and the objective is to be as convincing as Bardic Gift
one can despite them, to the obtusely arcane, where the
The privilege granted by membership in the House is
objective is to hide a real truth amongst a plethora of
the alluring and enthralling qualities granted. These
falsehoods.
features are part of their Mien, but also leak through the
On occasion, the gathered Rhapsodes will nominate
Mask. How this manifests is different for each Rhapsode,
amongst themselves a candidate of great worth and repute,
some have mesmerizing eyes one could lose oneself in,
champions of the arts of deceit. To these individuals they
others have entrancing voices with lyrical and silver
award the title of Marquis or Marchioness. Such accolade is
tongued qualities and yet others have bedazzling auras,
to demonstrate that they are a paragon of what the House
where slips of light and shadow and dizzying colours fugue
espouses, and usually comes with a descriptive attachment.
the opponent’s mind.
The best known example is Lord Carabas, creator of the
By spending a point of glamour, then for the duration
Manual of Perfidy, as it was a lie so great that people would
of the scene, a Rhapsode's Mantle becomes more directly
accept it as the truth behind the House itself. For this he
infused with their Mask ( meaning more of their Mantle
was awarded the title of the Marquis of Perfidy.
begins to slip through) . This transformation colours the
Outside of the formal titles, the House of Rhapsody
Rhapsode’s appearance with the energies of the Court,
employs a number of internal titles to denote a kind of
making it harder to read anything but that season’s
rank. Each of the ranks of the House resembles that of a
radiance.
chess piece. Pawns are the changelings who are
This has a two- fold effect, it causes a negative modifier
manipulated by the House of Rhapsody, but not members
equal to the Rhapsode’s dots in Mantle on any test
of the House itself. Rooks are those who collect and
attempts to discern the true motivations, or break through
decimate disinformation amongst the various freeholds and
their lies. It also invests the emotional resonance of their
collect information back for their own use. They are often
Mantle into any performance they give, allowing them to
trained in the arts of espionage and capable of reasonable
add their dots in Mantle to any test related to telling a
self- defence. Knights are the next rank up, for they are the
fiction story they are telling, but it will colour the story
assassins, and contaminators of the games of the courts.
with the emotional affinity of that Court.
Knights are reasonably trusted to work on their own
without higher supervision. Bishops, they are the ones who Rumours of the House of Rhapsody
oversee large regional plots and set in motion the wheels of Characters might hear the rumours below about the
the various games. They are often well versed in magical Inquisition spoken in hushed tones:
arts and provide many philtres and concoctions for the · The House of Rhapsody are nothing but a dirty
House’s use. Rumour exists that the leading roles of the bunch of liars, cads and scoundrels. Never let them
House are overseen by a King and Queen, but their roles, hear you say that.
duties and identities lie at the centre of a web of lies. · The truth is questionable. The House has been
Concepts: Flowering knaves, man of riddles, keeper of subsisting on lies and deceit for so long they can no
secrets, venomous courtesan, the manifold masquer, the longer tell what exactly is the truth any more.
court gossip, war propagandist, peace propagandist, dream · The House has been collecting secrets on you, and
merchant. they're going to use it as blackmail if you don't take
Privileges care of it.
Privilege into the House of Rhapsode grants an ability
gained from the way their Mien manifests.

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Angelus Morningstar
Inquisition Ferrum
I Vow To Seek Out those Lost who would serve their old
masters.
In every freehold are tales of changelings who work for
the Others. Whether they are Loyalists of their own
deluded free will, or coerced into taking the part of traitor
doesn’t matter to the changelings caught up in their
schemes. The constant paranoia of changeling life is due,
in no small part, to these betrayers. Someone you trust
today might sell you to the Fae tomorrow. The oaths and
pledges that form the backbone of changeling society help
to ameliorate this threat amongst changelings dealt with
regularly, but nothing but quick wits, or quick feet, can
protect a changeling who is set upon by privateers.
Privateers recognize no mortal or changeling authority, and
willingly deal with the Others exchanging information,
favours and captured changelings in return for the table
scraps left for them by the Fae.
Occasionally a Loyalist or privateer will work in the
open, privateers raiding freeholds or Loyalists too powerful
to be directly confronted, but far more insidious is the
traitor that lurks in the background of a freehold, reporting
back to their true masters and sowing discord in the fragile
society. Changelings do their best to guard their own
backs, and those of their motley, but some of the Lost take
this watchfulness one step further and actively investigate
and engage these traitors in their midst. The very best of
these investigators belong to the Inquisition Ferrum.
Founded by a motley of changelings who suffered at the
hands of a Loyalist, the Inquisition Ferrum looks inside
changeling society for hints of outside threats. The name of
the order speaks volumes about the order itself. The root of
the word inquisition is inquiry, which is defined as a
systematic investigation. Ferrum is the Latin word for iron,
and iron is poison to the Fae. Thus through their works of
investigation, the Inquisitors hope to poison the works of
the Others in the mortal world by targeting their spies and
mercenaries.
Unlike most noble orders, the Inquisitors work in
secret. They present no public face, and their true numbers
are unknown, even to themselves. This secrecy extends
even to their mien, which, unlike other entitled
changelings, exhibits almost no visible change ( see Mien
for details) . There are a number of valid reasons for this
secrecy, but chief among them are two facts. No one likes
being spied upon, or enjoys being the target of suspicion.
Further, knowledge of being investigated might lead
changes in patterns of behaviour or allow a guilty subject to
lie low until the investigation has ended. Neither of these
is helpful to an Inquisitor. The other, and most important,
reason for secrecy is the very real threat of reprisal. The Fae
don’t like having their schemes thwarted, nor do Loyalists
or privateers like thinking of themselves as prey rather
than predator. Only by keeping their work a secret do the
Inquisitors have any chance to continue that work beyond
a single success.
Each Inquisitor operates in his own way. Some
Inquisitors form motley specifically for forays into the
Hedge to make attacks on known privateer lairs. Some
Inquisitors work alone, slowly gathering information about
suspected Loyalists before either indirectly unmasking the
Loyalist for what they are, or taking more direct measures.
One Inquisitor might be the trusted advisor to a Court,
while another might appear to be a social butterfly, using
connections made at parties and events to further his hunt.
Regardless of method, all Inquisitors work towards the
same end; disrupting the activities of the traitors in their
midst.
Regardless of the secrecy surrounding the Inquisition,
whispers about them circulate amongst changelings. Stories
of privateer Hollows burned out, of known Loyalists left
bound and gagged for a freehold to find, as well as darker
tales of torture and mass killings are told as cautionary tales
by Loyalists and privateers, who hate and fear the
Inquisitors. Worst of all, the Fae have heard the name
Inquisition Ferrum. The greatest fear of every Inquisitor is
to be captured by the Gentry. Loyalists and privateers
would likely kill even a suspected Inquisitor out of hand,
but the Fae are more fiendishly creative. A fter being
dragged back to A rcadia the suffering of an ant that chose
to defy the gods would be legendary and eternal. It is for
this reason that the Inquisition avoids encounters with the
Others at all cost. A ny Fae can tell at a glance if a
changeling is ennobled, and any entitled changeling
without obvious markings of an order in their mien is
probably in for serious trouble.
Titles: Inquisitor ( male and female)
Prerequisites: Wyrd 2, Investigation 3, Subterfuge 3
Joining: Because the Inquisition Ferrum is a secret
order, joining is more difficult and dangerous than with
other orders. Each Inquisitor is tasked with the
responsibility of finding and training new members on his
own, and only a changeling that has proven himself to be
trustworthy ( no small feat amongst the Lost) and has
already taken the fight to a Loyalist or privateer will be
considered for membership. Before being approached by an
Inquisitor, the candidate will undergo thorough
investigation and scrutiny. Secret tests of the candidate
may well be set up that place the candidate in danger, or
that test their loyalties in oblique and difficult ways. This
period of candidacy can last as long as an Inquisitor deems
necessary. Once the Inquisitor feels the changeling is
worth the risk of approaching he will arrange a meeting to
speak with candidate alone about joining the Inquisition.
These meetings are always arranged in such a way as to
conceal the identity of the Inquisitor from the candidate in
case the changeling refuses the invitation. Popular methods
for such meetings include phone calls and Internet instant
messaging, while more extreme methods include outright
kidnapping to interview the candidate while he is
blindfolded and bound. If the invitation is refused, the
Inquisitor advises the changeling to tell no one of the offer
and not to seek out the Inquisitors identity. Persistent
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Angelus Morningstar
curiosity is met with unpleasantness; even up to the death
of the changeling that had been considered a candidate.
Once a candidate agrees to join the Inquisition, he is
placed under strict oaths of secrecy before the Inquisitor
reveals himself. Changelings entering this phase of training
with the Inquisition are referred to as Initiates or A colytes.
A n Initiate is trained in a variety of skills during their
training with an emphasis placed on information gathering
skills and the art of detecting spoken and written lies. No
Initiate joins the Inquisition without a fair degree of
competence in investigation and subterfuge, but their
training sharpens these abilities to a razor edge. A lthough
fighting can play an important part in the life of an
Inquisitor, more important is the ability to identify the
goats from the sheep, so training in the more physical side
of inquisitorial activities is only encouraged if the Initiate
shows no current aptitude for self- defence.
There is no set time period for the training of an
Initiate. A particularly gifted student might spend only a
few months under the guidance of an Inquisitor, while an
Initiate with rawer skills may require several years of
training before they are ready to face the challenges of the
Inquisition alone. Once an Inquisitor is satisfied with his
student’s abilities, the Initiate undergoes one final test.
This test varies from Inquisitor to Inquisitor, but the most
common test is to track and catch a Loyalist or privateer
and bring them to justice. When this last hurdle has been
overcome the Initiate stands before his teacher who makes
the final decision of competence. The secrecy surrounding
the Inquisition allows for no council or membership
committee, every Initiate admitted into the order as a full
member is inducted by a single Inquisitor.
Mien: Inquisitors carry no emblem, and the style of
dress chosen by Inquisitors tends towards the more sombre
and serious end of local fashion, but not always. A s stated
above, the mien of an Inquisitor undergoes very little in
the way of changes that might announce his entitlement.
Having an obvious mark or badge would be antithetical to
the secrecy that surrounds the Inquisition and their work.
Nevertheless, there are slight changes to the mien of an
Inquisitor that an incredibly well informed and perceptive
observer might notice to aid them in identifying an
Inquisitor.
The mien of an Inquisitor takes on a slight dulling of
features, as though the changeling was trying to avoid
notice by fading into the background. The shining scales of
a Draconic might lose their lustre, or a Gargantuan might
seem to shrink slightly. The changes are always in a way to
make the Inquisitor less obvious. A s their Wyrd increases
the changes to mien increase in other subtle ways. The
footsteps of an Inquisitor seem to make less noise than
normal and leave only slight tracks, their eyes take on a flat
sheen that only reflects what they see, never what they
feel, and humans they pass that are guilty of some awful
secret ( such as kidnapping, murder or torture) feel uneasy,
as though someone were watching them.
Background: A s a result of their manner of
recruitment, the majority of the Inquisition is made up of
changelings with similar backgrounds. Most fought
personal battles against Loyalists and privateers before they
were entitled, and a high percentage of Inquisitors have
lost prized possessions, friends, and even family members,
6
to the machinations of their betrayers. A lthough many
Inquisitors were viewed as candidates after their first battle
with a Loyalist or privateer, some became candidates after
they aided an Inquisitor during his battle with a traitor
providing both physical and intellectual assistance. Even
before induction, Inquisitors were changelings with
concrete notions of loyalty and morality that found the
ideals and methods of Loyalist and privateer forces
repugnant.
Socially, the Inquisition is made up from changelings
from every Court, including the Courtless. The flavour of
an Inquisitors Court has an effect on the way they fulfil
their duties. Inquisitors of the Summer Court respond to a
threat with direct physical action, members of the Spring
Court use their charm and charisma to single out a target,
while A utumn Court members seek to terrify and bewilder
a traitor, and Winter Court Inquisitors work from the
shadows, never revealing themselves to their foes. The
Courtless members of the Inquisition feel themselves to be
superior hunters because they may attack a threat from
multiple angles without feeling the urge to respond in a
manner consistent with a specific Court ideal. Needless to
say, Inquisitors belonging to Courts decry that idea as
nonsense.
The skills acquired by Inquisitors will vary from one to
the next depending on their particular methodology, but
Inquisition characters place emphasis on Investigation and
Subterfuge skills and specialities, with secondary emphasis
placed on Physical skills for when a fight turns bloody.
Mental A ttributes are generally high, and Merits such as
Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, A llies and Contacts are all
considered useful for obvious reasons.
Organization: The Inquisition is formed into local cells
that have very little communication with outside members.
There are secret phrases and signals that allow members of
different cells to recognize each other, but large- scale
cooperation is rare. Who can tell if the Fae have
compromised a cell from another city? Inside each local
cell every Inquisitor is considered equal and when they
meet, in what are called Congregations, each Inquisitor
takes a turn in reporting what his investigations and
activities have uncovered. Because of the nature of the
Inquisition, Congregations are called on an irregular basis
when an Inquisitor has a particularly important piece of
information to share, requires assistance, or wishes to
celebrate a victory with his peers. Congregations are
generally small, including no more than two or three
Inquisitors, and Initiates are never invited.
If physical force is required beyond the capabilities of
the lone Inquisitor, or he and his unsuspecting motley, the
Inquisitor seeks outside aid. No more than one Inquisitor
will ever be present in a fight. The numbers of the
Inquisition are too small to risk an entire cell being wiped
out by a surprise counter- attack or trap. Where they are
available, Inquisitors take advantage of the services of the
Tolltaker Knighthood, but in freeholds where the
Tolltakers have no presence, there are usually changelings
willing to perform dirty deeds for a price, no explanations
required. If the situation is especially dire, and local
changelings are unwilling or unable to help, an Inquisitor
will turn to mortals to serve as foot soldiers. A number of
Angelus Morningstar
Inquisitors have found local police to be an excellent
source of help, with the right kind of encouragement.
Concepts: ex- cop, social butterfly, power behind the
throne, disciplined vigilante, private investigator,
information broker, retired military Special Ops, watcher
in the shadows
Privileges
The following token is available to all Inquisitors.
Excruciator ()
Excruciator is a catch- all word for any small item that is
designed to cause severe mental or physical pain while
leaving behind no, or minor, traces of its use. The token
itself can take the form of thumbscrews, long twisting
needles, blackmail pictures, or any object intended to cause
pain that will fit into a coat pocket. When activated an
Inquisitor needn’t use, or even show the token to his
subject, he must merely be touching the Excruciator as he
questions his subject. For the remainder of the scene while
touching the Excruciator, the Inquisitor gains +2 to any
Subterfuge rolls made while questioning his subject.
A dditional activation costs must be paid for each
additional subject the Inquisitor wishes to question during
the scene.
Action: Instant
Drawback: Changelings are bound to fate and time in
strange ways. Perhaps because the fate of so many people
over most of recorded time has been decided by use of
instruments of torture the echoes of their pain come to
haunt changelings who use such devices, even in a passive
manner. Whatever the reason, Inquisitors suffer one level
of bashing damage per scene whenever they use the
Excruciator to question a subject.
Catch: If a changeling chooses not to, or is unable to
pay Glamour to activate the token, he suffers an additional
level of lethal damage from use of the Excruciator. A
physical device, such as a thumbscrew, will latch onto the
character as they touch it, while more psychological
objects inflict extreme mental anguish that causes the
changeling to commit damage to himself.
Rumours of the Inquisition Ferrum
Characters might hear the rumours below about the
Inquisition spoken in hushed tones:
· A n Inquisitor was caught red- handed standing
over the bodies of a group of mortals. He managed to
escape and since then more mortals have been found
killed with the same MO in other towns.
· The Inquisition actually works for the Others by
tracking down and eliminating Loyalists and
privateers that have betrayed the Fae.
· The Inquisition has begun killing Kings and
Queens of the Courts in a scheme to take over
changeling society. Once they take control they plan
on forming up armies of changelings to scour the
Hedge clean of privateers, Loyalists and worse.