Oppidan Lycians are born from artificial objects created by humanity.
Overview[]
They have an innate creativity that never fails to impress changelings, finding new angles to problems and hidden solutions to puzzles. There’s no physical dilemma they can’t work out a way to overcome given enough time. They’re the artists and inventors of the Lycians, but while their original works are universally impressive, they love to tinker with and improve things created by humans. They take things apart and put them back together just to see how they work. Oppidans have favorite mediums to work in that vary from Guise to Guise. Stuffed animals tend to work in fabrics and are renowned needle workers, while mechanical Oppidans usually deal in diesel or clockwork contraptions, and those born of woodwork are customarily skilled carpenters.
Appearance & Lifestyle[]
Of all Lycians, Oppidans tend to have the closest personal relationships with mortals. They’re born of the things humans love the most — favorite toys, prized possessions, creations imbued with the pride of their creators. Oppidans are doted upon by their mortal owners, who are rarely aware the object of their affection is actually alive. These Lycians, in turn, love their humans as a child loves a parent.
Oppidans love to be in the thick of things. Wherever mortals gather, at least one of these chimera can be found. They involve themselves in human affairs, making sure things turn up at just the right time or running interference to defuse a conflict. They’re incredibly loyal and will do what they can to make sure things run smoothly for people who have earned their trust. They fight with every ounce of strength to protect their human from Nightmares. For their changeling friends, Oppidans are invaluable allies, using their skills to keep equipment in working order and helping changelings overcome whatever obstacles present themselves.
| “ | Looks like you could you use a hand with those Nightmares. Good thing I'm here! | ” |
- Humanoid: Humanoid Oppidans act directly on their human’s behalf. They love playing with small children and keeping babies from accidental harm. They patch holes or mend tears before their person has any idea something is wrong. They even keep household appliances working well past their standard obsolescence. Humanoids are protective of those they care about. Monsters lurking under the bed or hiding in the closet don’t stand a chance with an Oppidan on guard duty. They keep anyone who means harm at bay. Mortal intruders are in for a shock when the entire house itself fights back against them.
- Animal: Animal Oppidans are most in tune with mortals’ mental and emotional state. If they like a person, they will be there for her whenever she needs support. They help things run a little more smoothly by placing lost items where she’ll find them and keep hallways clear so she doesn’t trip. If she’s sad, they make sure her favorite mug and the hot chocolate mix are in easy reach. Animals who have been spurned by a person get their revenge in subtle ways. Keys are never where she put them, and clutter always manages to obstruct her path.
- Mythic: Mythic Oppidans care just as much about the mortals who give them life as other Oppidan Shapes, but they focus more on safeguarding their people from the clutches of Banality and dangerous creatures of the Dreaming. They build elaborate defenses to ward off nightmares and keep hostile changelings away. They create and leave unexplained mysteries and happy coincidences around for their chosen humans’ speculation. If they notice their person getting stuck in a rut, they kick him out of it. Mythics might engineer a dead car battery to force their human to use a shared ride service and meet people he wouldn’t otherwise. They might cause a power failure to his computer to get him to go outside — whatever it takes to shake up the status quo.
- Example Guises: A teddy bear ensures her child has nothing but pleasant dreams. An old Vespa saved from the junk store takes the form of a spirited mechanical pony and ensures his rider arrives on time. As long as the handyman uses his favorite tool, an old beat up wrench awakened as an industrious rusty spider, he can fix anything. A wooden phoenix, born from a homemade coffee table built from reclaimed wood, tirelessly keeps the room looking fabulous. The wolf in the wall of a home that’s sheltered four generations keeps watch over its family.
Birthrights & Frailities[]
Birthrights[]
- People Person — Of all the Lycians, Oppidans are most directly born from humanity’s dreams and creations, giving them unparalleled insight into people. Oppidans receive 2 additional dots of Empathy, even if this raises their Empathy above 5. Additionally, they cannot botch Empathy rolls when reading humans, changelings, or chimera bound to a human.
- Ghost in the Machine — As humanity’s creations, Oppidans have an innate understanding of anything built by human ingenuity. By spending a point of Glamour and touching an object, they fully understand how it works and what, if anything, is malfunctioning. The difficulty of any roll involving the object is reduced by 1. This ability lasts for a scene.
Frailities[]
- Separation Anxiety — Oppidans feel lost without people or their creations around. Each day that passes without seeing a person or one of their creations (besides themselves) reduces the Oppidan’s Willpower by a point. When her Willpower is reduced to 0, overwhelming panic sets in. All rolls suffer a +2 difficultly until she sets eyes on a person or object, which steadies her again.
References[]
- Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Player's Guide, p. 154, 155.