House Danaan

House Danaan, the 14th House, is a noble house of fae.

Original Version

The original description of the house was cut from Time of Judgment due to length, but author Peter Woodworth shared some of the cut material, along with his commentary, with fans.

Description

House Danaan is the ruling house of Arcadia, the stewards of the Tuatha de Danaan. They are responsible for managing Arcadia and the Deep Dreaming and have generally chosen not to interfere with the affairs of the Autumn World. Occasionally they can be spotted along a trod, defending travelers from various dangers in the Dreaming, and even more rarely they may approach changelings in search of recruits or to deliver a warning.

Membership in House Danaan is by invitation only: worthy fae may be given the option to join the house instead of reincarnating, and it is possible that the heretics of House Beaumayn may be on to something with their theories about death by iron. Membership is equally balanced between noble and commoner, and like House Scathach, between Seelie and Unseelie. It may be a shock for a changeling to see a friend or loved one they thought long-dead reappear in Danaan colors.

Alone among fae, House Danaan can enter the Arcadia Gate and allow others to enter or leave at will. They never lose sight of the Silver Path and cannot be forced off it; if they leave by choice they can always find their way back. They are always in peak physical condition, do not age and suffer no penalties from old injuries once healed. However, their oaths to the Tuatha mean they cannot reveal to anyone what lies beyond the Arcadia Gate, or else they are immediately stripped of their power and standing.

Time of Judgment Scenarios

The appearance of House Danaan in the Autumn World is one of the portents of the apocalypse, although their exact role in each scenario was to be slightly different.

Gods and Monsters

In this scenario, a surge of Glamour frees the Fomorians and brings about a final, world-wide war. The Danaan may be heralds of the apocalypse, or reinforcements arriving just in the nick of time to unite Seelie and Unseelie against the common threat.

The Great Purge

When the Tuatha decide to wipe out their degenerate heirs, House Danaan may come to give warning--or they may be the purge's vanguard, bound by their oaths to obey even this most hideous command.

Starlight Exodus

The final scenario presented for Changeling in Time of Judgment involves an evacuation of the Autumn World; here, House Danaan serve as guards and guides to shepherd the fae through the Dreaming when they're ready to go.

C20 Version

House Danaan
Pronounce	Da-NON
Nicknames	Pathfinders, Lost (vulgar)

For every star in the sky, there is a path to be walked. For every dream in the night, there is a journey awaiting. I swear by the stars above and the dreams within to serve House Danaan, to guard the ways of the Dreaming and blaze new trails where none exist. I will guard the travelers, guide the Dreamers, and go on until there are no paths left to follow. This I swear, and may the dragon devour me in my dreams if I fail to keep my pledge.

House Danaan was brought into official canon with Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition.

Description

When the Arcadian sidhe returned to Earth, House Danaan remained in the Dreaming, reopening ancient pathways and claiming long-lost strongholds. Only recently have they made any significant contact with the Earthbound Kithain, and as a result many fae still consider the House's existence little more than a rumor. Even among those who know that it's real, few can claim to have met a member in the flesh, with contact often conducted by chimerical messengers or other intermediaries. Partly, this is a matter of practicality, as the House is relatively small and scattered across multiple worlds, but another part is that they find the mortal world distasteful.

The House is nominally aligned with the Unseelie Court, as House Scathach is nominally aligned with the Seelie Court, but they have little interest in the intrigues of the other Unseelie Houses. They see their duty as being to serve as heralds of change, and the opening of relations with their Earthbound cousins as necessary to avert disaster for both Autumn World and Dreaming.

Alone among the Houses, Danaan has a non-sidhe as High Lord, the eshu Dice, and it's perhaps no surprise they have no problem with inducting other commoners, though Arcadian sidhe still occupy many prominent positions. Any changeling with a passion for exploration and an interest in the Dreaming is welcome in the House, with eshu, piskies, satyrs, nockers, and other curious and itinerant fae being natural candidates.

Boon

As befitting a House concerned with the Dreaming, Danaan's Boon grants House members a number of useful tools to enter the Dreaming, travel its pathways, and interact with its denizens. They are in no danger of Bedlam from simply living in the Dreaming, no matter how long they do so. They can never botch any roll that involves locating, opening, or traveling a trod. They may spend a point of Glamour to find the Silver Path after a minute's contemplation, unless it has been magically concealed.

In addition, once per session a member of the House may spend a point of Glamour to invoke the Oath of the Dragon for a scene, adding their Title rating to any Social rolls they make related to chimera and other inhabitants of the Dreaming. While this is in effect, they may converse normally with such beings, even feral chimera, within the limits of their intelligence. By ancient and sacred oath, chimera and other inhabitants of the Dreaming will not attack a Danaan under this effect, even if magically compelled, unless they witness the Danaan breaking faith and attacking, abusing or trespassing against such beings, or ordering others to do so, in which case the effect is immediately and permanently broken (Cantrips and Birthrights count as attacks, unless specific consent is given).

Flaw

Danaan's deep ties to the Dreaming causes them to suffer a form of the Mists when it comes to the Autumn World: in any dramatic moment where they must remember an important detail about their mortal life or the mundane world in general, they must make a Willpower roll at difficulty 8 (which may vary depending on circumstance), and if they botch they lose it completely and must relearn it. A similar Willpower roll must be made each week they spend in the Dreaming, with failure meaning a memory of the Autumn World slips away until refreshed or relearned. However, they may add their Banality rating to the Willpower roll, at the cost of gaining a Banality point. The memory loss doesn't cause a Danaan to lose Abilities or Backgrounds, though they may forget details relating to them, but could at ST discretion affect the difficulties of relevant rolls.

References

• CTD: Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 124-125