A Year and A Day: Dracae
Changeling: the Dreaming
Homebrew Rules
Character Creation Guide Download: Dracae.pdf
Quoth the Dracae:
“I was thinking… that girl over there, do you find her pretty? Prettier than me? Excuse me for a second…”
Kith Excerpt:
The World’s waters hold many a story of Watery Fae. The Selkies, the Mer-Folk, the Sirens, and countless others beckon from the deep, imploring men to join them in their mysterious aquatic kingdoms. Not all of them inhabit the oceans, however. The Dracae (and their more unsavory cousins the Korrigan, below), represent the chill of Rivers, and the liminal lands of a river’s shore.
Once prolific across all of Brettonia, and through Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Dracae now are limited to what was once the land of the Gauls. These French Fae are similar to their more ocean going relatives the Merfolk (see Blood-dimmed Tides). The Mermaid’s milk, and life cycles are similar. Their major difference lies in how they gain Glamour/Éclat. The Appearance is similar as well. Dracae look like mermaids, save that their fish halves are predominatly fresh-water specimens. Glimmering silver-salmon, dark and spotted carp, even the odd sturgeon are all breeds boasted by the Dracae. The Chrysalis like-wise, involves a day at the river and a large fresh-water-fish. Not too dissimaar from the Mer.
Outworld appearances aside, the Dracae can prove to be spite-ful, petty, vindictive, and more than anything, shallow. They are beauties in their own right, as any Mer, yet they cannot stand the thought that someone might be prettier. In the old days, they would wait near the shore and wait for attractive maidens to come and wash clothing, if there was even the glimmer of the mortal woman’s beauty surpassing the Dracae, then she would use her birthright of transformation to appear as a something gold. Then, she would lure the unsuspecting mortal into the water. Once within grasp, the Dracae would pull her in and dunk her in the muck at the bottom of the river in spite. The more Croquemittaine (Unseelie) would even drown the hapless lass. A life-or-death situation might raise them from their vapid mind-set, and many do form real and lasting relationships with others, but at the end of the day, they are still shallow creatures.
Nowadays, the rivers have fewer mortals washing their clothing in their waters, and the Dracae find it is easier to head into town to get a make-over. That being said, old-habits die hard, and the georgous woman down by the river-side with the resting-bitch-face may yet be a Dracae, and will still torment those more lovely than she.
Flavor
“People are taken aback by a confident, pretty girl who knows what she wants in life and isn’t going to let anyone get in her way. And you know what it’s all about? Jealousy.”
– Summer Altice
