Musing Thresholds:

Just as there were different Muses in Greek mythology, each a patron of a particular art, so each changeling can have a specialty by which she inspires artists to create to create awesome works and thereby Glamour. This specialty, called a Musing Threshold, usually reflects the changeling’s own tastes, and the ways in which she is inspired in life.

Each player should choose a Musing Threshold for his character during character creation. A changeling shouldn’t have more than one Musing Threshold. A character who begins without one can gain a specialty during play, and a character’s specialty can change during the course of a chronicle.

At the beginning of a story, each player can establish a goal that he intends to fulfil with his Musing Threshold to earn Glamour. It might be to coach a dancer to master a difficult move, to help a singer hit a note or to encourage a painter to complete a long-unfinished piece. Alternatively, the player doesn’t have to specify a subject whom his character inspires, but that his character simply seeks to be inspirational wherever he goes during the story, and gains Glamour as a result.

See the Musing Threshold Table below for examples of how changelings can specialise in motivating artistry.

Musing Threshold Table

Inspire Creativity:

 The character loves to inspire creativity in all those around her, especially those who hold potential to be great artists. She often strives to inspire not just one artist, but a group of artists to work together to create a mutual piece of art. Many different minds working together toward one goal can be trying at times, and the character’s guiding vision unites the artists.

Create Hope:

The character is an optimist of the highest sort and tries to keep hopes alive. This might involve searching for people in seemingly hopeless situations who are ready to give up. The changeling tries to come up with another solution to the problem at hand, or picks up their spirits.

Create Love:

The character believes that love can make everything work out in the end, and gains strength by playing matchmaker or by resolving problems in relationships. She has the patience to listen to the laments of the heartbroken, and tries to keep couples together or to makes individuals give romance one more try. As long as the subject keeps trying and believes in the changeling’s advice, the musing works.

Create Calm:

The character believes that possessing a calm spirit can resolve most situations, and she tries to keep people cool to help them gain insight on their situations.

Foster Trust:

 The character believes that the world can be a better place with a little trust and understanding. He tries to encourage people’s faith in each other so that everyone can work together and achieve what they need to, or sometimes to get involved with life and people again.

Helping Those in Need:

 Some people are lost or need guidance to get back on their feet. People who need the character’s aid include runaways who need someone to believe in, addicts trying to quit their addictions, and neglected children who need self-esteem. Helping them to stand on their own makes the character whole.

Foster Dreams:

 This variety of musing involves inspiring people to dream of things that they want to achieve. If they believe in their dreams and strive to get what they want, their dreams may become reality.

Ravaging Thresholds:

It is a simple matter to tear, wrest or rip Glamour from a mortal, and it can be as satisfying as any epiphany. Such an assault taints the epiphany with the psychic anguish of the victim, mixing pain with Glamour - a delicious meal for many Unseelie changelings.

This form of psychic rape is called Ravaging. Unfortunately, mortals don’t have an infinite supply of Glamour, and they need time to replenish their creativity. If their Glamour is stolen from them, it will take much longer than usual for them to rejuvenate.

Seelie tend to view Ravaging as an unnecessary evil, and they frown upon anyone who practices it. The Unseelie consider Ravaging a necessity, since Ravaging brings about change, even though it occurs through suffering and destruction.

Most changelings who Ravage use simple psychic assault to gain Glamour. However, some Kithain have exotic and perverse tastes. Ravaging Thresholds are specialised methods used by some Unseelie to spice up their Ravagings with anguish. They put extra effort into their Ravagings to make them an art form. Each player should choose a Ravaging Threshold for his character’s Unseelie side during character creation (even if the character is Seelie, there may be times when they are forced into their Unseelie aspects).

A character’s Ravaging Threshold is usually based on her past, and is often the result of some emotional trauma that she suffered. The Threshold chosen is often a means to get revenge on the world. Possible Thresholds are provided blow. Inventive players or STs are encouraged to come up with additional ones.

Ravaging Thresholds Table

Exhaust Creativity:

The character delights in exploiting others, or is contemptuous of the talents of those who are more creative than he is. He employs others to create for him, but this art is ultimately corrupted, buried or wasted. The Dreamer then burns out, wondering why he wasted his time on such frivolity.

Destroy Hope:

The character is fatalistic and Ravages by destroying hope. This might involve watching over someone who is in a hopeless circumstance and is ready to give up fighting. The predator talks the mortal out of taking action that would improve her life.

Destroy Love:

The character no longer has illusions of love, and gains strength from preventing others from finding it or trusting in it. She typically has a repertoire of techniques for “breaking people up”, such as seducing someone’s significant other, providing photographic evidence of infidelity (real or fabricated), and sending flowers with a note that says “Good-bye…”. The Ravaging succeeds as long as the prey’s attempts to fall in love fail.

Create Anger:

The character prides herself on maintaining her composure, and delights in driving others to anger. By wearing down an individual’s self-control, she drives him to self-destructive acts of violence.

Break Trust:

The character must break the trust that exists between two people. The character has had his trust broken, and now others must suffer as he has. The character’s prey ultimately trust no one, becoming isolated from the world.

Exploit Dependence:

The character prides herself on her self-sufficiency, and she flaunts it by making others dependent upon her. Victims might be neglected children, teenagers supplied with a steady diet of cheap video games and bad food, or kept lovers who worry about satisfying her needs. The character destroys anyone who becomes dependent upon her, and is fulfilled as they waste away.

Destroy Illusions:

The character is jaded, and the sight of innocence disgusts him. This type of Ravaging is often performed by childlings, who have been known to get “good kids” in trouble and spread the “truth” about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.