Changeling the Lost: Las Vegas

The craggy baked rocks bit into Stella's knees as she stumbled. White hot pain seered up her body. The two koi that lived in each of her eyes blinked passively at the jar before they swished their tails creating tears in the corners of Stella's green eyes. Her scaled fingers, sizzling on the rock like a salmon on a frying pan, flexed against the brittle surface as she strained to hear passed the wooshing thud of her heart.
They were still out there, she knew it. The Faerie Hunting Party that had farretted her and twelve other changelings out of the lodge they'd all taken refuge in, was still out there tracking them. She should have followed the rest when they turned left at the tree of dead man's nails, but in her frenzy she hadn't been paying attention. Now she knew she would die. A fish in the desert never lasts too long. She couldn't stop though, she knew deep down that frying up in this strange Hedge desert was better than living in those enchanted ponds of Arcadia...so she pressed onward.
In the distance, her stinging parched eyes saw a small rise and beyond that.......
Could it be? No surely it was just a mirage.
A glittering lush verdant jungle spread out across the desert floor, slicing it open with it's glittery greens as if to put it to shame. The sound of water falling against rocks mixed with the harmony of bird songs and animal sounds. Again the little swimmerskin wept, this time out of joy as she hurdled, nearly tossing herself down the sand dunes towards paradise.
She was curling up into the fetal position in a pond of liquid crystal when the Greeter found her.
"Nothing better than a bath eh dear?" He asked peering over his whiskers as he polished his monocle on his threadbare waistcoat.
Stella looked up at the other changeling and smiled the doped up smile of a creature enjoying respite. He wore a suit from the 20s that looked vintage and a wreath of stars around his brow. There was something odd about him though.
It was little things that Stella noticed as he led her back out of the Hedge and towards the Freehold where he promised her sanctuary. Little things like the way his lush coat of fur seemed to shimmer and shine in every place but the crooks of his arms, where it seemed to mold and wilt. The way his amber eyes sparkled with mirth and jovial good will and yet were rimmed with just the slightest bit of bruise like purples and reds. The way his muzzle curled up in a grin as he whistled and his whiskers twitched and shivered nervously. It was in the way he bowed low out of respect to the tall woman named Lola when they entered the Freehold, hunger and desperate need flashing in his cat eyes. And she could have sworn she saw the clear plastic corner of something in Lola's palm as she shook the cat man's hand and thanked him for saving Stella. Even this radiant creature that seemed to tap dance on the edge of masculinity while piroetting in a field of feminine grace seemed some how stranger than even Stella was used to.
Things were different here in Las Vegas....Stella could feel it in the shivering of her scales. Better...but different.
Las Vegas Changeling is a game of struggles and corruption. You should expect to see your character involved in storylines that will run the gambit of slaying proverbial dragons to conquering the modern day woes. While storylines will be rich and varied expect to see the following common threads:
* Intrigue: A situation in which you as the player are forced to use your brain to untie the knot that lay before you.
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*Choices: Many storylines will force you the player to make tough decisions about your character. Do you blindly hold on to your loyalties and skip into that cold dark night with nothing but your motley pledge to keep you safe? Or do you arm yourself with choices that may or may not affect your friendships and ties with others.
*Deception: We fully encourage players to have their characters lie, cheat, steal, twist, double cross, back stab, sell out and be part of other nefarious tasks and deeds to both PC and NPC alike.
A rich world and city setting awaits you down the rabbit hole. Don't be late.
Recommended reading:
*Neverwhere - Neil Gaimen
*Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind {C
*Kushiel's Dart - Jacqueline Carey
*American Gods - Neil Gaimen
*Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin
All and all this game will be a tribute in a way, to Neil Gaimen as his works have affected us the creating ST team so much that we cannot begin to imagine a world without his influence.
Links Out Into the World
Setting Specific Information
Changeling House Rules
Character Creation - Las Vegas Changeling
The Silver Key Freehold
Changeling PCs
Category:Changeling