"I asked him to marry me, and he said yes. That night I thought, no more secrets, and I let him see my true face. He called me a devil and was gone before dawn. I still wear the face he loved. I can't bring myself to take it off." — a changeling of Aetheria
Changelings are fae. Long ago, the fairies made them to be their eyes and ears, able to take on any face so they could walk among other peoples and carry word back to the fonts. When the fairies retreated into hiding after the War of the First Races, the changelings stayed in the world.
They're true people wearing borrowed faces. But devils also hide in false skin, and most folk can't tell the two apart. A changeling who's found out is often met with fear, so many never show their true face to anyone.
Names
Changelings often carry a true name, a soft fae name they share only with those they trust, and then a different name for each face they wear. Examples:
- Mirel, true name, known in the markets as "Signora Velis"
- Ysra, true name, known in the north as "Sable"
- Nim, true name, who has worn more names than they can remember
Changelings by Homeland
Aetheria
In Aetheria, changelings work as traders and diplomats, about 2 to 3% of the people. A face that changes to suit the room is a great advantage at a bargaining table.
Glacithar
In Glacithar, changelings are elusive infiltrators who serve as spies or mediators, about 3 to 4% of the people.
"Twelve years we were married. On our anniversary I finally showed her who she'd married. She didn't scream. She just asked me, very quietly, what I had done with the man she loved." — a changeling of Glacithar