Redcaps

*“What size are those boots, hmm? Go on, tell me. Or I can snap your foot off at the ankle and find out.”*

The Dreaming is full of nightmares, but redcaps are what fae children fear. Named for the bright red caps they used to dip in the blood of their enemies, redcaps long ago gave up such quaint beginnings. Instead, they embrace their heritage as the kith born out of nightmare itself to become the most terrifying, disgusting, fiercest fae around.

At their hearts, redcaps are rebellious and headstrong, and vicious to anyone they perceive as the ruling body they must oppose. A redcap is only happy when she is making mortal and Kithain alike recoil in terror or digust, and while a single redcap can be a disruptive presence in any court, a group of them can become a violent tide not even the wisest ruler can stop. Redcaps only feel understood among their own, and gather in gangs called corbies. Each corby carries its own name, and redcaps spread the symbol and name of their gang far and wide to strike fear in their enemies. Come nightfall, anyone in the way of such a nightmarish host ought to get out of the way, unless they’d like to find out what being digested feels like.

Considering their reputations and natures, it’s a wonder redcaps haven’t overstayed their welcome in changeling society. Yet despite their brutal nature, redcaps are as much a part of fae life as any other kith. They serve as terrific fighters with a dedication to freedom and independence that makes them ferocious allies against common enemies. Those who can stand to get to know redcaps often find that beneath that grotesque exterior beats the heart of an oft-misunderstood redcap, simply seeking a place to belong among others like them. Still, getting beneath their exterior is difficult, and many redcaps embrace their darker natures, becoming the shadow counterpoint to the Seelie Court’s noble warriors. Their vicious and upstart nature keeps redcaps out of the politics of court life, but they’re widely known for sowing dissent and unrest in the name of standing up for themselves and their kith. Only the most patient redcaps work within the system, and often end up destabilizing things from within, just on principle. Only the strongest of fae can keep a redcap down, and never for very long. Eventually, a bound redcap shakes itself free, and then the true mayhem begins.

## Appearance

Redcaps come in all shapes and sizes, but all share the same gray, rubbery skin, blood-shot eyes and yellowing, uneven teeth. Their bodies are often thick, with stocky shoulders and legs. And who can forget their signature mouth, full of blood-red gums and razor-sharp teeth, ready to rip apart flesh and grind bone? Redcaps dress in rough and ready clothing, and always sport a splash of that terrifying red in their wardrobe.

## Lifestyles

Anything tough and dangerous is a good job for a redcap. Many live and work in the worst parts of cities, and stick with their corbies for maximum terror in one place. Redcaps look for work anywhere they can throw a couple of elbows and create mayhem, as bouncers, private security, gang members, and hired muscle. The Unseelie pays well for leg breakers and, though it’s not an exclusive arrangement, many redcaps survive thanks to busting heads for the Unseelie.

## Seemings

### Childling

Redcap childlings are the horrible tiny terrors, the young misanthropes that try and gross out the other kids by eating something they shouldn’t. While a childling, a redcap learns just how far she can push her luck before both mortals and fae alike get angry. She also learns the most important lesson: nobody trusts a redcap, and so she can trust no one in return. These childlings often delight in picking on other Kithain to test them, seeing how much they can take before being utterly disgusted or terrified.

### Wilders

Once the relative innocence of the childling period wears off, a redcap who has come into her wilder years is a nightmare in the making. Redcap wilders come together to build up their gangs and start to raise hell. These redcaps graduate from antics that push the borders of good behavior right into horrifying acts of violence and distaste. Whatever place the redcap has carved out for herself in fae society will be tested here, and she rebels, attacks, and destroys unless contained, curtailed, or defeated.

### Grumps

A veteran redcap who survives long enough to become a grump is either a respected member of the community or a nightmare given form. A grump’s den is littered with whatever she couldn’t be bothered to consume, and anyone seeking her advice or aid might come away a limb, or a life, short.

## Revelry

Nothing gets a redcap going faster than a new taste experienced for the first time, or the sweet horror on someone’s face when they’re scared, disgusted, or unnerved by surprise. They feast on the discomfort of the just-over-the-line horror film, the bar room brawl gone too far, or a brutal hunt celebrated in bloody, delicious flesh.

## Unleashing

A redcap letting loose and Unleashing is accompanied by the stench of all the things they’ve eaten, rotted together inside them, and the metallic tang of the blood that once stained their headgear red. Anyone present might feel the urge to be sick, or else just find something to hide under and quake.

## Birthrights

### Dark Appetite

Redcaps can eat anything. Full stop. Their horrific jagged teeth are hard as metal and their digestive systems are best left up to the imagination. A cross between a shark and a Kithain garbage disposal, redcaps can eat anything they can put their mouth around, and chew larger objects down into smaller pieces to ingest. Tough or toxic materials (waste products, jagged metal, wood, etc.) take a point of Glamour to keep down. Redcaps prefer meat, animal or human, but once the hunger gets going, they will eat anything. Do not ever place anything in front of a redcap’s mouth you wouldn’t mind losing.

Should a redcap attempt to use his Birthright in combat, the player must spend a point of Glamour. The base damage for the bite is Strength + 2 (difficulty 5). A redcap may also try to sever a limb in a fight, which requires five successes on a Dexterity + Brawl roll (difficulty 8), or three successes if the victim has already been grappled. If successful, the attack inflicts a minimum of three health levels of damage in addition to any damage rolled, and the redcap comes away with a mid-fight snack.

### Bully Browbeat

Redcaps are so frightening they can Intimidate anything, from mortals and unenchanted supernatural beings to imaginary or chimerical creatures. The difficulty of all Intimidation rolls is reduced by two, and they can never botch Intimidation rolls.

## Frailty

### Bad Attitude

Nobody likes a redcap, just on general principle. Whether it’s their eating habits, their issues with authority, or just their tendency for destruction, redcaps are often targeted by nobles for exclusion from freeholds. If something goes wrong, the redcap is the first suspect. This stigma comes with a +2 difficulty (or greater) penalty on any roll involving social situations other than Intimidation.