The culture of the Lost is a culture of survivors. Changelings are people who have been enslaved,
and often they were betrayed or tricked into that enslavement. This makes trust a problem. The
only people most changelings feel they could truly ever trust are other changelings but that can be
a terrible weakness. Not every changeling on Earth is free, and not even all free changelings are safe
to trust. Some choose the life of a Privateer, hunting their fellows for the rich rewards available from
the Fae or the local market’s slave auctions. Choosing your friends carefully is a major survival skill.
However, trust has to be found somewhere, and Changelings have an extra tool to help establish it:
Pledges. Changelings can make a promise binding, weaving magic around the words which punishes
any who dare to break their word. Changeling culture is built around these mystical promises. Some
measure of safety can be found in a promise of mutual protection or friendship, and it is on those
bonds the groundwork of changeling society is built.
The Freehold, the changeling ‘government’ of the city is built around four Seasonal Courts, each an ancient association bound with oaths to the very concept of Summer, Spring, Winter, and Autumn. These Courts are feudal in structure, and rule of the cities Freehold is passed from monarch to monarch as the season’s turn. Membership in the Freehold is not mandatory, but its laws only protect those sworn to its banner, and its resources are only available to members.
In our game most of the players have chosen a Court and joined the Freehold, but neither are necessary for your character.
