Changeling

Lexicon

The fae have a distinct patois that draws on many different tongues and gives many new shades of meaning to mortal words. One can often identify a changeling's age or station by listening to the parlance he uses.

Common parlance

Following are the most common general terms in use among changelings.

• Arcadia-The land of the fae; the home of all faeries within the Dreaming.
• Arts-The ways of shaping Glamour.
• Autumn, the-The modern age.
• Banality-Mortal disbelief, as it affects changelings and their Glamour.
• Bedlam-A kind of madness that falls upon changelings who stray too far from the mortal world.
• Bunk-The price Glamour exacts for its power.
• Cantrip-A spell created through Glamour.
• Champion-A warrior chosen by one of higher rank to fight in his stead. A champion always wears the token of his patron, which he keeps if he wins the duel.
• Changeling-A fae who spends most or all of her existence in the physical world, apart from Arcadia and the Dreaming.
• Childling-A child come full into his changeling nature; this lasts until he becomes a wilder, around 13 years of age. Childlings are known for their innocence and affinity with Glamour and are well protected by other changelings.
• Chimera-A bit of dream made real; unseen by mortals, chimera are part of the enchanted world. Chimera may be objects or entities.
• Commoner-Any of the changeling kith who are the sidhe.
• Dauntain-Human faerie hunters, deeply twisted Banality.
• Dreaming, the-The collective dreams of humanity.
• Dreamrealms-The lands comprising Arcadia and its surrounding realms.
• Enchant-To imbue a mortal with the power to b see chimerical objects.
• Escheat-The highest faerie laws.
• Fae, Faerie-A being indigenous to the Dreaming (though not always a current resident thereof).
• Fathom-A deep-seeking, protracted use of the Art of Soothsay. Also called "the Taghairm."
• Fior-A contest, the point of which is to determine justice.
• Fledge-A newly awakened changeling of any age.
• Freehold-A place that is infused with Glamour. Important to all changelings, freeholds are proof against Banality--for a time.
• Gallain-1) "The Outsiders," those who may be Kithain but whose origins, customs and magical ways are not understood. 2) Any inscrutable creature of the Dreaming.
• Glamour-The living force of the Dreaming; changeling magic.
• Grump-A changeling of elder years, usually beginning at about the age of 25. Very few changelings reach this age-most succumb to Banality long before.
• Hue and Cry-1) A hunt called out against a criminal. 2 ) The call of all changelings to come and defend a freehold.
• Kin-Human relatives of a changeling who do not possess faerie blood.
• Kinain-Human kinfolk of a changeling who possess faerie blood and frequently have strange magical "gifts" because of it.
• Kith-All the changelings of a kind. One's kith determines the nature of one's faerie guise and soul.
• Kithain-Changelings' self-referential term.
• Liege-One's sworn noble sovereign, whether I baron, count, duke or king.
• LongWinter, the-The prophesied eradication of all Glamour.
• Mists, the-1 ) The tendency for mortals to forget the effects of Glamour and the presence of changelings after a very short time. The Mists protect changelings from being discovered. 2) The tendency for Banality-tainted changelings to forget their faerie lives.
• Mongrel-A changeling who grew up apart from other fae and without a patron or guardian of any sort. Mongrels are prime candidates for Bedlam.
• Motley-A family or gang of commoners.
• Noble-Any changeling raised to noble title; although nobles are traditionally sidhe, lately commoners have begun receiving noble positions.
• Oathbond-The mystical bond created by the swearing of an oath.
• Realms-The five aspects of the world with which changelings have affinity.
• Retainers-Any servants of a liege.
• Saining-"The Naming"; a ritual performed on a newly awakened changeling to determine his kith.
• Tara Nar-The great freehold castle of High King David. Beneath it is the Well of Fire, from which all balefire comes.
• Trods-Magical gateways, faerie roads; some lead to other freeholds, some to the Dreaming itself. They are opened only at prescribed times.
• Vassal-The sworn servant of a liege.
• Vellum-A specially preserved chimerical hide on which changeling scribes write.
• Wilder-A changeling of adolescent years, usually from age 13 to age 25. Known for their wild undertakings and loose tempers, wilders are the most common changelings.
• Yearning-Also called "the Gloomies," the Yearning is the utter longing for Arcadia that overcomes grumps as Banality encroaches upon them.

Vulgar Argot

These are the words most frequently used by commoners and have been picked up by wilder exiles (even those of the noble houses). They tend to be somewhat crude and abrupt and carry with them a certain disregard for tradition and rank. Many of these terms are very ancient, others are quite new, but all of them are quite in vogue among wilder nobles. During the Interregnum many commoners formed or joined circuses in order to escape the stupefying Banality of mortal society, and much vulgar argot originates from that culture.

• Churl-A vassal; insulting if used to describe a noble.
• Codger-A word for grump.
• Callowfae-Self-absorbed faeries with no purpose higher than that of play; often said in reference to childlings, insulting if used to describe any other changelings.
• Chiven-Craven, cowardly or wimpy.
• Chummery-A particularly hospitable freehold.
• Cozen-To cheat someone or steal something.
• FancyPants-A nickname for sidhe or any self absorbed noble.
• Foredoom-When a use of Soothsay prophesies very bad news.
• Jimp-To create a faerie token or charm.
• Mew-A commonerfreehold, typically controlled by a motley.
• Mux-To really screw up something; to add chaos and disorganization to things. "You really muxed things up this time!"
• Sots-Mundane people. "Sothead" and "Sotbrain" are popular epithets.

Old Form

These are the terms used by nobility (especially sidhe) and more sophisticated grumps. These words are seldom used by younger exiles, but are still fashionable vernacular among the older members.

• Burgess-A mortal; sometimes used to refer to commoners.
• Chrysalis-The dawn of fae consciousness, the great awakening into one's changeling nature.
• Clarion-A call to war made by a noble to his vassals.
• Covey-A group of changelings united by an oathbond.
• Crepusc-The period at the end of any faerie festival when activities have begun to die down, but the night is not yet over. It is said to be a particularly mystical time, when the perceptive will discover many secrets.
• Dan-Fate: one's destiny and karma.
• Draocht-Cantrips and other changeling magic.
• Driabhar-A treasure, usually one of great power.
• Entrant-A worthy rival, one assumed to merit prolonged struggle and respect.
• Fuidir-The vassals to whom one owes fealty.
• Fychell-1 ) A chesslike game played by nobles. 2) A stylized dance popular among grump nobles.
• Gloam, the-l) The blackest part of the night.2) Midwinter's Night, also called "the Gloaming."
• GoslingA childer changeling or very young faerie.
• Graybeard-A grump; a term of respect.
• Grandame-A powerful female sidhe, often used when speaking of a queen.
• Knarl-A special magical knot that serves as a type of ward.
• Laud-To receive the glory of courtly acclaim. Often some sort of token is bestowed as well.
• Mot-An adage, maxim or saying.
• Privy Council-The inner council of a liege and his high-ranking vassals.
• Retrorse-To revert to one's mortal seeming.
• Reune-A noble rendezvous, often a secret negotiation.
• Trollop-A promiscuous fae.
• Voile-Chimerical clothing, garb, jewelry.

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