Rhapsody is one of the four ways of Epiphany that Changelings use to harvest Glamour.
Overview
Rhapsody is an Unseelie means of epiphany that is strictly forbidden by the Kithain. A changeling can imbue so much raw Glamour into a mortal that they burn like a Roman candle; all their creativity goes into one, final, glorious masterpiece. This is the last creation that the artist or Dreamer is capable of as they are left drained forever after.
All Kithain, Seelie and Unseelie, forbid this form of epiphany because it destroys any possibility for more Glamour in the future. It also destroys the mortal's life so thoroughly that they may become an enemy of changelings subconsciously, if they survive. Many Rhapsodized mortals succumb to exhaustion, suicide or stress-related ailments.
The work of art that results from Rhapsody contains copious amounts of Glamour (the item is considered to be a special form of Dross), and when the work is destroyed, the Glamour is released. (And this is added insult to injury for the artist—not even their greatest creation is allowed to live on.)
Unknown to most fae, House Leanhaun specializes in and is in fact dependent on this type of Epiphany.
System
One to five points of Glamour are invested into the victim. (Members of a motley or clique can each donate some Glamour to the victim and reap shares of the Rhapsody.) The mortal makes an Attribute + Ability roll (difficulty 7) to create their masterpiece. A number of dice is added to this pool equal to the number of Glamour points invested by the changeling(s).
For each success rolled in creating the work, a Seelie changeling gains one point of Glamour, while an Unseelie changeling gains two points when the object is destroyed. If a group donated Glamour to the Rhapsody, each contributor regains the Glamour they invested (if there is enough to go around), and any remaining points are distributed on a point-by-point basis (single points awarded to Unseelie contributors become two points automatically.)
However, for every "one" rolled on a botch during the work's creation, the artist gains a point of permanent Banality and no one gains any Glamour.
Questions
The part about destroying the resultant work seems added on, perhaps by a bitter Unseelie fae with feelings of inadequacy. How does one destroy a performance or a more ephemeral work?
References
- CTD. Changeling: The Dreaming Second Edition, pp. 215-216.