DOPPELGANGER (version 2)

By Brendan Dalton (beemanfunk@hotmail.com)

Background

The Doppelgangers have only been around for 27 years and are the result of a sick Progenitor experiment. A war party of Eshu, Pooka, and Trolls sought revenge on a facility of Progenitors who had sent some humanoid clones to destroy a local freehold in Boston. However, the Kithain were lead into a trap, and were captured. They succumbed to the horrific experiments of the Progenitors and ran the risk of being permanently Undone, but the Progenitors were aware of this. They had become normal looking fae with six arms instead of two with various features of their former selves, like Arabic features, to blue skin, horns, animal features, etc. In conjunction with the Void Engineers, they set forth to the Dreaming to try to revitalize their creations. Unfortunately, the Dreaming itself was not pleased to have the Banality-tainted abominations in its domain. However, since they were former changelings, it decided to allow them to escape. When they escaped, they managed to capture one of the Progenitors and forced him to come up with a way to turn them back to normal.

They returned to the Waking world and he began to experiment. However, he was unsuccessful in finding a cure. A few days passed, and to the dismay of the former fae, they started to leak out into a gelatinous form in both their mortal seeming and their fae miens. They slowly began to melt away into nothing. Many of them were driven insane and fell into Bedlam. One of them jumped out a window of a 4-story building but managed to survive. That was a major breakthrough in finding a cure for their ailment.

The Progenitor had discovered that glass imbued with Glamour would stabilize both forms if it were to be absorbed into their bodies. He also found that the one that had fallen from the building turned into a huge breeder of fae souls with six arms that found suitable hosts. After seeing the tragic suffering of what he put the changelings through, he reformed and became a Son of Ether dedicated to protecting the Doppelgangers. They decided to be called that because of their ability to mimic any sample they could get. He works with Nockers on finding a way to revert the original fae that he and is former fellow colleges deformed. He is currently on the Technocracy's hit list.

Appearance

Most range from looking like Eshu to Troll, or a mixture of both. The only difference is that they have six arms, three arms on one side and three on the other. Their clothing also ranges from Arabic to Spartan, depending on their personality.

Lifestyles

Depending on what side of them is more dominant they will try to emulate. They always have a craving for adventure like the Eshu, but their court can determine if they are more Pooka-like or more Trollish. Their legacies are the same as any other, but their Seelie legacies could be Pooka-like, and their Unseelie legacies could be more Troll-like and vice versa. This makes Doppelgangers very unpredictable.

Seeming

Childlings can't get enough of morphing into various people and objects. Whether they are prankish or honorable, Seelie try to make other children feel good by protecting them from bullies or making them laugh. Unseelie childlings are somewhat the same; however they either try to make certain kids the butt of all of their jokes, or make sure that no one tattles on another and upholding the "Code of the Playground" through brute force.

Wilders range from stand-up comedians to the bouncer at the front exit. Seelie Doppelgangers are either the life of the party, or a friend you can trust. Unseelie are funny but also obnoxious party crashers, or hang out with the wrong people for all the right reasons.

Grumps tend to let their "Pooka/Troll" Legacies subside for a bit and embrace the spirit of adventure. They still tend to make jokes along the way, or become extremely dedicated to their quest at hand.

Affinity

Actor

Birthrights

Mimicry: Doppelgangers have the ability to take a sample of a living being or object and transform into that object or being by spending a point of Glamour. The Doppelganger gains all the powers, advantages and disadvantages of that being. (If he had the blood of a vampire, he would take the same form as well as have all the disciplines as that vampire as well as have a beast and be susceptible to fire and sunlight etc.) Once he takes that form, all of his Birthrights/Frailties and fae magic become dormant, with the exception of turning back into its original form. The form is not a shield from Banality, and for each hour that the form is taken, (with the exception of other fae) the Doppelganger must make a roll of his permanent Glamour of a difficulty of his permanent Banality + 3. Failed roll causes the Doppelganger to revert to her original form while a botched roll causes her to gain a temporary point. He can sustain any form for 6 hours before he must feed on Glamour imbued glass.

Doppelgangers can never botch on Athletics or stealth rolls.

Aegis Shield of Banality: Because of their origins, Doppelgangers have a tolerance to Banality higher than normal changelings do. If a Doppelganger is about to suffer a point of temporary Banality, he may spend a Glamour point and a Willpower point to prevent the gain of that point. However, should the Doppelganger do this for more than three times a month, he must make a Willpower roll, difficulty starting at 5 and increases each time the roll is made. A failed roll can lead to (Storyteller's decision) a point of permanent Banality the Doppelganger will go through the first threshold of Bedlam. A botch can lead to two points of permanent Banality and any number of temporary points of Banality depending on the number of ones rolled, or the Doppelganger will succumb to the second or even third threshold of Bedlam. (Again, Storytellers decision).

Frailties

Binding Glass Mold: There is something about enchanted glass that keeps Doppelgangers from loosing their shape and form. Every day, the Doppelgangers must spend a Glamour point to enchant a solid piece of glass of no less than 2ft by 2ft. If the Doppelganger does not do this every day, he will begin to melt into a gelatinous form and begin to loose 1 dot in Stamina. If he loses all of his dots in Stamina he will start to lose a health level every day until he has expired. His Appearance will drop to 0 if his Stamina is reduced to 0, since he cannot maintain a pleasing form.

Outlooks

Doppelgangers try to fit in with the rest of the Kithain society. This makes it very hard due to their unpredictable natures. They particularly want the acceptance of their former brethren.

Boggans: They're ok. Quite accepting of who we are as long as we accept their hospitality, however their gossiping causes the others look down upon us.

"All they are looking for is acceptance and friendship. A friend in need is a friend indeed, but they can be quite erratic. One day they stick by your side, the next thing you know, they do what they can to make a fool of you."

Eshu: Quite the tale weavers are these dashing adventurers. They are our 'precursors' if you will. Emulate their ways.

"It's hard to con one who has three ways of thinking whether it is one way or all three. That is something to be admired, but if they really want the acceptance of the others, they shouldn't try so hard and let their spirit guide them."

Nockers: If trying to make the world easier by creating machines to make things easier, why is it so hard? I don't care much for their cynical attitude either. Although I will admit, some of their creations are fascinating to watch being built or in action.

"Doppelgangers? What a bunch of six-armed freaks! They also have some multiple personality disorder or something. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm talkin' to an Eshu, a Pooka, or a Troll."

Pooka: Sometimes I am torn between liking the outrageous pranks they play, or tolerating their constant lying. You can't tell whether a Pooka likes you or not. Funny stuff.

"With six arms, eating glass, and having the brains of Eshu, Trolls, and us, they sure can be good for a laugh. What a bunch of LOSERS!"

Redcaps: Ruthless, ravenous, overbearing, pigs with an obsession with blood. The only way they could possibly show you respect, is if you beat the living crap out of a whole gang of them and they come in armies.

"It sure was funny when we tried to initiate one of those in our gang. He started to puke his guts out after we had a gorge-fest. Of course, that was also after I belted him in the stomach."

Satyrs: Probably the most open-minded out of them all. They're fun to hang out with, because usually just hanging out entails parties that require days of cleanup afterward.

"They got the Spirit, they got the fun, and they have the trust. Now they just need to keep each of them on all the time."

Sidhe: To be welcomed by the Sidhe means you're a leader and they must really like you. They do seem a bit arrogant at times, and when the others see you accepted by the Sidhe they think you're a brown-noser.

"I envy their ability to shield themselves from Banality better then others, but their appearance makes up for their protection."

Sluagh: How can one find acceptance if one cannot find one to accept? Solitary, reclusive, and mysterious, they seem to not care for recognition by the others.

"How interesting that they came about. I would have never guessed...."

Trolls: They stick to their ground, and will show appreciation to anyone who is true to their word. They could lighten up a little.

"I see these folks as strong warriors and hard working. However, they seem a little untrustworthy, due to their 'unusual' behavioral changes."