Epiphany is a catch-all term among the Kithain for methods of acquiring Glamour from Mortals or producing it themselves.
Overview[]
Changelings require Glamour to maintain their tentative connection to the Dreaming. Without Glamour, they would quickly be lost in the Mists or, even worse, become Undone and lose all that makes them fae. They need to seek out Glamour constantly: find mortals who possess or are capable of creating it, and either inspire, plunder, or brutally and permanently rip it away from them. A few rare Kithain are even able to tap into their mortal halves to create Glamour for themselves, without needing to steal it from someone else.
An epiphany is a near-overwhelming rush of sensations, ecstasy, and emotions that flood into the changeling as they connect directly to the Dreaming for one brief, fleeting moment. A particularly intense epiphany can cause a changeling to switch Court affiliations or change in personality, at least temporarily.
Bedlam is always a danger for those Kithain who become too greedy in their musing. If a changeling gains too much Glamour too quickly, madness can take possession as their mind retreats from mundane reality and into chimerical reality. This is why grumps sternly and repeatedly remind childlings to keep their greed for Glamour under a tight rein. Interestingly enough, childlings are able to handle more Glamour than either wilders or grumps can, perhaps because society, whether mortal or fae, tends to let children and their imaginations have free rein.
The type of mortal who is able to generate Glamour, a Dreamer, is usually an artist or person with special creative insights. Anyone from a writer to an actress to a chef or children can generate it. It takes a certain rare connection between a mortal and their dreams to create Glamour. Most people have too much Banality to tap into the Dreaming successfully.
Types of Epiphanies[]
There are four widely used means for epiphany, even though one is expressly forbidden by both Courts.
A fifth method, Reaping, is like a more extreme (and fatal) form of Ravaging. It is used primarily by Adhene and Fomorians.
Spontaneous Glamour[]
Occasionally, when a Glamour-induced work of art is enacted (such as a breathtaking performance in a play, a virtuoso musical performance, or a moving poetry reading), spontaneous Glamour is created for all who witness the accomplishment. The Storyteller decides how much Glamour was released and how much changeling witnesses can absorb. No roll or system is needed.
Some performances might infuse more Glamour into an Unseelie than into a Seelie changeling or vice verse. The nature of the performance, whether it is dark and brooding or light and happy, makes all the difference. However, all Kithain should gain some benefit from attending such an event. Fae with Musing Thresholds appropriate to the work of art or performance may gain additional Glamour, at the Storyteller's discretion.
References[]
- CTD. Changeling: The Dreaming Second Edition, p. 212.