Contracts of Hours

The paths to and from Arcadia twist through time and space. Changelings may return after a decade in Arcadia to find only four days have passed, and the reverse is also common. These Contracts represent bargains struck to gain some control over the fickle nature of Faerie time. Actually walking into and out of past and future is impossible for changelings (and probably even the Gentry), but changelings can draw on these Contracts to achieve notable results all the same. The Contracts of Hours are considered affinity Contracts for all changelings.

## Restoration of Dawn Beauty (•)

This Contract allows the user to transform an old, dingy or corroded object into a younger object in better condition. Wilted flowers suddenly appear newly picked, yellowed, cracking paper becomes crisp, white and new and corroded metal becomes shiny and smooth.

* **Cost**: 1 Glamour
* **Dice Pool**: Wyrd + Craft
* **Action**: Instant
* **Catch**: The changeling or some member of her family owned this object before the changeling was abducted.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: The object ages rapidly and crumbles to dust.
* Failure: The clause fails, and the device is unaffected.
* Success: With a touch, the changeling causes any object up to Size 3 to become as if the object were newly made. A careful examination by either experts or scientific instruments confirms that the object is of very recent manufacture. A pair of old shoes with worn-out soles and brittle shoe leather appear newly made with unworn soles and freshly tanned leather. This clause has no effect on living creatures. However, it can make the decaying remains of plants and animals appear freshly dead. However, this clause does not repair any damage that is not caused by age and does not replace any missing parts other than small pieces that have been worn away or tiny bits that have flaked off from age or corrosion. An old book that was torn and charred by a fire appears to be a new book that was torn and charred by a fire. The changeling must touch an object to affect it.
* Exceptional Success: The object is also cleaned of all dirt and stains, and becomes more resistant to age, lasting three times as long as normal under normal use.

## Frozen Moment (••)

The changeling can freeze an object in time for a few minutes. The object cannot be moved or harmed for the duration of the clause.

* **Cost**: 2 Glamour
* **Dice Pool**: Wits + Wyrd
* **Action**: Instant
* **Catch**: The changeling performs this clause at sunrise or sunset.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: The object flies violently across the room, possibly shattering or harming someone or something else.
* Failure: The Contract fails, and the object is unaffected.
* Success: The changeling touches an object and freezes it in time and space for up to one scene. The changeling can determine precisely how long he wishes for an object to remain frozen in time. While the clause’s effects last, the object is completely outside of time — the object cannot move or be moved and is immune to all damage. A water glass that the object dropped when this clause is used upon it remains hanging immovably in mid-air with the water unspilled until the duration expires. Also, no time passes for an object, so if an alarm clock was ringing when it was frozen, it remains silently frozen in time for the duration and then finishes ringing as soon as the Contract expires. The changeling can use this clause on any object up to Size 3, and much touch the object to use it. This clause cannot be used on living or undead creatures.
* Exceptional Success: The object can remain frozen in time until the sun next rises or sets.

## Thief of Days (•••)

This Contract causes an inanimate object to rapidly age by the character staring at the object. In a few moments, the changeling causes the object to age and decay as if years or decades have passed.

* **Cost**: 2 Glamour
* **Dice Pool**: Wyrd + Investigation
* **Action**: Instant
* **Catch**: The changeling knows the name of a former owner of the object, who’s now dead.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: Some object the changeling carries or wears suffers the effects of this clause.
* Failure: The clause fails, and the object is unharmed.
* Success: By staring intently at an object no more than a number of yards equal to the character’s Wyrd away, the changeling can cause the object to corrode and decay. Each success rolled on this clause causes one level of damage to the object, ignoring the object’s Durability. If the object is examined by experts or specialized instruments, all damage caused by this clause appears to have been perfectly natural and to have been caused by the ravages of time. The changeling can affect any object up to Size 10 with this power, but this clause cannot be used to affect living creatures. Tokens and other fae objects cannot be affected by this clause, as they are partially outside time.
* Exceptional Success: Beyond the advantages gained by rolling multiple successes, no special bonus is gained.

## Flickering Hours (••••)

The changeling learns to alter the rate time passes for her while she is in the Hedge. She can cause time to pass either faster or slower for her and her companions while they are in the Hedge.

* **Cost**: 2 Glamour + 1 Willpower
* **Dice Pool**: Wits + Wyrd
* **Action**: Instant
* **Catch**: The character smashes a clock, watch or other timekeeping instrument as she activates the clause.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: The character loses control over the dilating time; she may find upon her return that far more or far less time has passed than she had hoped.
* Failure: The clause fails, and time for the character passes the same in the Hedge as in the mortal world.
* Success: The character can change the rate that time passes for her and her companions while they are in the Hedge. She must use this clause when she enters the Hedge, and the altered time rate affects her and any companions who enter the Hedge with her. She can cause time to pass either faster or slower in the Hedge, with the degree of difference based on how many successes she rolls. If she rolls three successes, she can cause time to pass either four times faster or four times slower for her and her companions while they are in the Hedge. She could spend eight hours in the Hedge, and when she returned to the mortal world, either 32 hours or two hours will have passed. This Contract is an excellent way to pass time quickly or to retreat to the Hedge to sleep, heal or find time to finish an important project in an unnaturally short amount of time. The one limit on this Contract is that this differential time rate affects everyone who accompanies the changeling on that particular trip into the Hedge; this differential time rate ends for all of these characters as soon as any of these individuals leaves the Hedge.
* Exceptional Success: Beyond the advantages gained by rolling multiple successes, no special bonus is gained.

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## Leaping Toward Nightfall (•••••)

The changeling causes a person or object to jump forward in time. The target instantly vanishes and reappears at the predetermined time. No time at all passes for a person or object sent forward in time.

* **Cost**: 4 Glamour + 1 Willpower
* **Dice Pool**: Investigation + Wyrd or Investigation + Wyrd vs. Composure + Wyrd
* **Action**: Instant or instant and contested
* **Catch**: The changeling uses this ability when the object or person is touching or moving through a gateway into the Hedge.

Roll Results

* Dramatic Failure: The changeling accidentally slows herself in time for one scene. She reduces her Speed and Initiative rolls by half (round down) and gains a –2 penalty to all Dexterity and Wits rolls for the scene.
* Failure: The Contract fails, and the target does not move forward in time.
* Success: The changeling sends the target forward in time. She can use this Contract on any object of Size 10 or less or on any person or supernatural being. Sending living beings ahead in time requires a contested roll. The changeling must touch the target when using this Contract. The number of successes determines how far into the future the changeling can send the person or object. The changeling can determine down to the second precisely how far in the future she wishes to send the target, as long as this time is less than the maximum allowed by the number of successes she rolls. The target appears at the future time in the exact same space the target occupies in the present. If some object occupies this location in the future, the target appears as close to its original location as the target possibly can. One serious drawback to this clause is that the changeling cannot retrieve the target earlier. Once the target has been moved forward in time, nothing and no one can gain access to the target before the clause’s duration is up.
* Exceptional Success: Beyond the advantages gained by rolling multiple successes, no special bonus is gained.

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\* Add one week per additional success.