Laughing Ones

Laughing Ones are capricious, shapeshifting hobs that revel in tricking those that climb onto them for a ride.

Overview
"Need a lift?"

Given the distinct lack of simple transportation within the Hedge, a weary traveler might be tempted to make use of the horse just off of the road. These gullible souls would soon learn not to trust anything within the Thorns. The moment a Laughing One is mounted, it will bolt, running off of the path as far from the rider’s destination as the hob can manage.

Being potent shapeshifters, these hobs are capable of other forms as well, but they prefer any they can use to trick unsuspecting passerby — a riding beast or a beautiful human are among the most common.

Character Sheet
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 5, Resolve 2 Physical Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4 Social Attributes: Presence 3, Manipulation 5, Composure 3 Mental Skills: Investigation 1, Medicine 2 Physical Skills: Athletics (Running) 5, Brawl (Defense) 2, Stealth 3, Survival (Navigation) 4 Social Skills: Animal Ken 3, Empathy (Seeing Weaknesses) 4, Expression (Singing) 3, Intimidation 3, Persuasion (Temptation) 5, Socialize 3, Subterfuge 5 Merits: Fast Reflexes 2, Fleet of Foot 3, Iron Stamina 3, Striking Looks 4 Willpower: 5 Initiative: 9 Defense: 4 Speed: 20 (species Factor 8 in all forms) Health: 9 (static despite form size changes) Weapons/Attacks:

Special Abilities
Shapeshifting: Laughing Ones are able to take on new forms at will. They can emulate natural weapons, movement modes (e.g. swimming or flying) and in some cases may even gain armor. They may swell up to Size 10, but not beyond that. Each Laughing One has a ban that limits its shifting in some way. For some, it may be as simple as “cannot take the form of any birds,” while others may have to show certain coloration patterns in each shape, or may only be able to change shapes in certain situations. Knowing this ban often enables someone to hold a great deal of power over the Laughing One, whether it means the creature is easier to identify regardless of the form it takes, or the creature can be “locked” into a form by preventing the circumstances required for the Laughing One to change from coming about. Because of this, the metamorphosing hobgoblins are very secretive about their bans, and few will even admit to they (or others of their kind) having such limitations