Togail an Ainm

The Togail an Ainm is the ritual by which a Changeling passes into the next phase of their life.

Overview

The sidhe call the ritual for a changeling to pass on to the next phase of life the Togail an Ainm (which means “raising up the name” in old Scots Gaelic). Most other kith simply refer to the ritual as Gailday, the Togail, or by the seeming that the changeling is assuming (Wilder-day or Grump-day). By any name, the ritual is basically the same, although the nobility tend to carry theirs out with as much pomp and circumstance as possible. The rite is both a celebration of all the changeling has done and achieved and a somber recognition that, in passing into the next stage of life, the changeling leaves a bit of their innocence behind them and draws one step closer to Winter.

A changeling recognizes when it is time for the Togail through Kenning. They sense that the time has come for them to move on with their life. Anyone with Kenning can make a Perception + Kenning roll (difficulty 4) to notice a Kithain who is nearing the time of their next Togail.

The changeling and their close friends and family (those the changeling wishes to invite) gather at a chosen place, usually the freehold of the local noble, for the celebration of the passage. Oftentimes, a changeling enchants their mortal friends and family to allow them to witness their Togail, even if they won’t recall it as anything more than a dream.

The celebration of the Togail an Ainm is not unlike a mortal birthday party, writ large. The noble hosting the ritual calls the changeling to appear before the court and formally announce to all gather guests that they are ready to move on to the next stage of their life. The changeling often symbolizes this by giving away things from that part of their life to friends and family to show they are no longer needed.

As part of the process of growth and change, the changeling also leaves behind some of their childhood innocence, which takes the form of Glamour. This usually appears as a bright puff of flame or shower of sparks that bursts forth from the changeling’s fae mien and is absorbed by them in a glittering cloud. The changeling gains two points of permanent Banality.

The Quest

Because of the great gain in Banality caused by the Torgail, many changelings (especially wilders) choose to undertake quests shortly after the rite in order to lower their current Banality and compensate for what they will take on with the passage of age. Some consider this adventure something of a “last hurrah” for the changeling at that point in their life, while others see it as a grand, romantic gesture in the face of mortality to keep the spirit of Glamour alive.

A changeling may be accompanied by friends and allies on the quest, but ultimately it is a task they must perform alone. If the changeling succeeds in their quest, they may lower their permanent Banality by one.

The Dreaming Present

It is customary to give a changeling presents on their Togail, just as on a mortal birthday. One special gift always comes to the Kithain from the depths of the Dreaming, created from some of the Glamour liberated on this special day and offered to the changeling as a sign of the new life and duties they are taking up.

The contents of the gift are up to the Storyteller, but nearly always reflect the changeling’s needs and inner self at the time of the Togail. It might be a chimerical item or companion, or a treasure. Some gifts are taken as signs or omens about the changeling’s future, and more portend some great deed or terrible doom coming for them.

The present always appears in an indirect and discreet way through the workings of Glamour. It might simply appear as a brightly wrapped box among several others for the changeling to open. It is also very common for the Glamour of the Dream Present to invest itself in another gift that is offered to the changeling by one of their loved ones. A gift that is given with love and affection can become infused with Glamour and enchanted to be a great boon to the changeling in the time ahead.

The dream present may also appear in a less direct way as a fulfillment of the changeling’s greatest need at the time. If a childling is greatly troubled by one of their parents being missing and away from home, the gift might bring that parent back into their life and restore hope and happiness. If the changeling needs to succeed at an important task, the gift may provide the right kind of help at the right time to see that they do.

The Storyteller is encouraged to be creative when making up dream gifts for the characters and getting the player’s input to find out what they think the best gift for the character might be.

Togail Boon

It is customary for the local noble to grant a changeling a special boon on their Togail, a tradition that the sidhe take very seriously indeed. Depending on the relationship between the changeling and the noble who rules the area they dwell in, the boon might be a simple gift or favor, or it might be turned into a social or political tool for the complex maneuverings of the faerie courts.

The noble will grant anything that is within their immediate power to the changeling who asks for it, but greedy changelings should be careful what they wish for, because they might just get it and wish they hadn’t. The boon must be something that the noble can reasonably grant, and the changeling making the request will be judged by others on the worthiness of what they ask for.

It is common for a changeling to request forgiveness of a noble on their Gailday for some past offense, either for themselves or another, and this is usually granted unless the offense was a very serious crime. Even in such cases, a noble may offer the criminal a chance at redemption as part of the boon, calling for a quest or other deed to clear their name.

Social advancement is also another use of the boon, and some changelings (mostly sidhe and trolls) request to be allowed to begin training as knights of the court. This is a very common request for childlings becoming wilders and, again, is usually granted by the noble, since the changeling still has their worth to win their spurs.

Other boons are for the Storyteller to judge, considering the motives of the noble involved. Some typical boons include asking for the release of an enslaved mortal, requesting permission to court someone under the noble’s care like a fledge or relative, asking permission to bring someone (mortal or fae) into the noble’s holding, a boon of dross, the noble’s attention on some important matter, or some similar favor.

Usually it is the noble of the area where the Kithain lives who grants the boon, but technically it is whatever noble the changeling chooses to appear before on their Gailday who grants the boon. Many changelings go on quests to appear before important or famous nobles on their Gaildays to ask boons of them. High King David sees many changelings who travel great distances to appear before him for their Torgail and ask boons, and it is considered a great honor to be allowed to appear before the High Court for such an occasion.

Oaths

The Togail is often a time of making or renewing oaths to friends, family, and liege. Some few changelings also use their Togail boons to get out of oaths they have sworn to that noble. Although doing so is never officially held against a changeling, it does carry a subtle prejudice with it.

Never Grow Up

Some changelings stubbornly cling to their current status and refuse to accept the fact that the time has come for them to take part in the Togail. Wilders are especially notorious about this, wanting to hold onto their youth for a long as possible, but some childlings have been known to refuse to “grow up” and take up the role of wilder. This is especially true of changelings who have spent considerable time living in freeholds, many of whom are already bordering on Bedlam.

Changelings who refuse to go through the Togail begin to quickly slide into the first stage of Bedlam (or further if they have already entered Bedlam), and wrap themselves up in the trappings and wishes of the lives they cling to. Such a changeling can become lost if they are not helped to accept their duties and responsibilities and take part in the rite. No changeling can be forced to take part in the Togail, but others can attempt to persuade, cajole, or convince their friend to do so, usually after some treatment to take them out of Bedlam and restore their wits.

See Also

• Torgail Ainn
• Fior-Righ

Reference

• CTD. The Enchanted, pp. 50-52.