Trapped on Earth and exiled from Arcadia, changelings have adapted to a human world. Balancing a mortal life against a Kithain existence has a profound affect on a changeling’s personality, but there are other factors as well. How a fae is perceived by her peers is strongly influenced by her age.

As part of their price for living in this world, changelings age at the same rate as the mortals around them. There are legends of fae who have lived for centuries, but the world discourages such a blatant display of magical power. Youth is highly prized in Kithain society. With youth comes innocence, trust and belief in the magical.

The Kithain have very pronounced expectations on how age affects identity. The age at which one undergoes the Chrysalis strongly influences how a changeling is perceived. All Kithain are considered to belong to one of three categories, which are collectively referred to as seemings.

Childlings, the youngest of the Kithain, aren’t always as innocent or naïve as they seem. Though physically between the ages of three and thirteen, many are wise beyond their years. Some have lived countless lifetimes; they simply don’t realise it in their current state. As outsiders to much of adult life, they often see things in adult society that their elders cannot.

In many ways, childlings are just like mortal children. The world is their playground. They love the spectacle and pageantry of faerie life. Their elders may mistakenly think of them as passive and peaceful, but with so much Glamour and energy coursing through childlings, they can be hellacious forces of chaos. The worst are vicious and feral; the best can be startlingly imaginative.

The wonder and innocence of childhood brings childlings closer to the Dreaming. Banality affects them the least of all changelings - they live in a never-ending faerie tale. Some may exist in a slightly dark or tragic tale, but even the grimmest are suffused with magic. Unfortunately, this also means that childlings often have trouble being taken seriously by older changelings, especially those who worry endlessly about the troublesome game of life. Noble childlings encounter this difficulty as much as commoners do.

Confronted with mortals who insist they know what’s best for them - such as teachers and parents - childlings are forced to hide their faerie identities. If the pressures of the mundane world grow too great for them, they have no choice but to run away from home and seek out a freehold that will look after them.

Childlings enjoy a certain degree of privilege in Kithain society. They’re nurtured, taught and encouraged. Because they’re learning, they’re often forgiven for their misdoings. Inexperience, however, shuts them out from many adult activities. The solution is to live in a dream of their own. In their own private reality, playtime never ends.

Anyone between the ages of 13 and 25 is considered a wilder. Typically, they are rebellious, devious and hedonistic. They are by far the most numerous of the Kithain. Because of this, they often strive to be the leaders of both the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts. After all, the childlings are too young, and grumps obviously don’t have the energy. What other choice is there?

These wild, young Kithain have lost the naiveté of childlings, but they haven’t yet succumbed to the cynicism of grumps. Nonetheless, they tend to be arrogant and full of themselves. Known for their daring and adventurous ways, wilders love to be young. Mortal culture fascinates them, especially its creative aspects. Their perspective on creativity becomes more acute, and the Glamour of music, movies or anything on the cutting edge draws them like moths to a chimerical flame. When the fires of creativity consume them, they fully realise what it is to be alive.

That flame can sometimes be a little too compelling. Burnout is a wilder’s greatest fear. They don’t want to miss a moment of their enchanted existence. After all, growing old brings with it Banality and eventually the Undoing. The most extreme wilders would rather die than lose the memory of what it is to be young and fae.

Living on the edge, wilders follow ambitions that propel them into positions of responsibility without authority. Rebelling out of desperation is the natural response. Those who still hang on to a second mortal life also feel an overwhelming need to escape. Those who don’t are consumed by their passion. Either way, wilders live lives filled with constant energy and motion. Chaos and adventure fuels their very essence.

Grumps are the “grown-ups” of changeling society. Having lost the innocence of their early years, many become irascible and bitter. They miss the pleasures and Glamour of youth. Since Kithain are very sensitive to Banality, age destroys their idealism as they grow older. The average grump is still less banal than the average mortal, but by Kithain standards, they are seen as stubborn and sedate…and react accordingly.

One in 20 changelings is a grump. They prefer to be called greybeards, but among childlings and wilders, the name “grump” has stuck. By their late 20s, most greybeards fall before the onslaught of Banality and lose their changeling essence. The most unfortunate are Undone: they lose all memory of their changeling lives. If a greybeard has been able to hold off this fate for long, he has no doubt gained a degree of wisdom. The staunchest changelings find ways to stave off this slumber, even though they may find it difficult to set aside their mortal lives in the process.

Greybeards see themselves as the most reliable and responsible of the Kithain. They often assume the duty of caring for childlings, as wilders think they have more important things to do. They are also keepers of tradition and lore, and they are eager to pass on this knowledge to the young. If only the young would listen more often…

When the burden of the mundane world becomes too great, the easiest escape from the ennui is the intrigue of the noble court. These fae see themselves as the moves and shakers in the higher echelons of the court, even if the wilders - or their rulers - think otherwise. Though they realise much of Kithain society is hopelessly antiquated, they have grown to appreciate it. There is wisdom in the rituals of the Kithain, and the greybeards treasure it.

A changeling’s age also determines his starting Glamour, Willpower and Banality.

Beginning Glamour: 5.

Beginning Willpower: 1.

Beginning Banality: 1.

Beginning Glamour: 4.

Beginning Willpower: 2.

Beginning Banality: 3.

Beginning Glamour: 3.

Beginning Willpower: 5.

Beginning Banality: 5.