Dreamsingers: A History of the Australian Kith

By Daniel Mitchell (tempest@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au)

Author's Notes

Some of these ideas are based on the Werewolf sourcebook "Rage Across Australia," while some others are borrowed from B. J. Zanzibar's World of Darkness page. The majority of this material I made up myself. Honest.

In the Beginning...

Many years ago, thousands of years before the coming of Europeans to Australia, Australia was within the Dreamtime -- a point recognized by fae scholars as a time when the Dreaming co-existed with the real world. The Aborigines, the Dreamsingers and the Bunyip, the shapechanging guardians of the Dreamtime, all lived together, sharing their dreams and stories.

However, in 1788, the Europeans arrived. Many of the Australian natives were curious about these strange new people, and some adventurous fae (most notably the Djangwull) even went so far as to try and mix with these "Europeans" as they called themselves. Very few among them knew of these strangers, although the wise Bunyip had some fragmentary knowledge about them from their Past Lives.

Initially, the native fae helped the European fae as best they could, but soon things went bad for them. The European shapechangers, or Garou as they called themselves, chose to wage a war -- the War of Tears -- against the Bunyip. The majority of the Dreamsingers withdrew themselves from the Eurpoeans, refusing any and all aid until their Garou kin stopped the war.

The war stopped -- when the last Bunyip was killed. As a result, the Dreamsingers withdrew themselves almost completely from the Europeans. Some Dreamsingers (mainly the Baga-Djimbiri) chose to wage war on the invaders in return, while others simply divorced themselves from the Europeans, having nothing to do with them.

Today

In modern times, many of the Dreamsingers are in two minds about the Europeans. Some still see them as foes that must pay for the vanquishing of the Bunyip and the destruction of their culture; others see past their initial follies and try to help those who help their lands. The Kunapipi and Djangwull are the most notable Dreamsingers in this regard. Others, such as the Wandjina are sometimes known to help, but only after judging the potential recipient's worth. Only the Baga-Djimbiri continue their war.

Character Creation

Character creation is much like normal fae creation, but with a few differences. First, there are no Courts, nor are Seelie or Unseelie Legacies separate -- both of them are played, because the Dreamsingers view their natures as one. Also, each Dreamsinger has certain abilities that may not be taken under certain circumstances:

Baga-Djimbiri: They may never have Drive, Firearms, Security, Computer, Law, Politics, Science. These can be earned with experience points, but at triple the cost.

Djangwull: No restrictions, because they have been around Europeans for a long time.

Kunapipi: They may never have Brawl, Intimidation, Firearms, Melee. They may never be bought with any points.

Wandjina: Drive, Firearms, Computer, Law, Politics, Science. These can be bought with experience, at triple the cost.

Most Backgrounds are available to Dreamsingers, except for Retinue and Title. All get a free dot in Rememberance. Each Dreamsinger also gets four dots to spend on Arts, one of which must go into the special Art of their kith. Sovereign and Contempt cannot be taken.

The Temper values are as follows:

Youngulmanda (childling): Song 7, Willpower 3, Silence 0.

Youngulmanda (wilder): Song 6, Willpower 4, Silence 2.

Moyenda (grump): Song 5, Willpower 5, Silence 4.

The Djangwull are exception to this -- they receive the normal starting values, but Song is 1 point higher.

Song and Silence

Because the Dreamsingers transmit many of their stories and dreams in the form of music and dance, they call Glamour by a more appropriate name -- Song. They also call Banality something different too -- Silence -- which represents the gradual oppression of their culture and dreams, and also because Silence is opposite to Song.

It should be noted that accessing the Dreaming is exceedingly easy in the Outback, because many of the touches of Silence have not reached it. To enter the Dreaming in the Outback, all that is needed is a Glamour or Song roll at a natural object, and the Near Dreaming can be reached.

Hearing the Song

Dreamsingers have different ways of gathering Song than other changelings. They use Corroboree as an equivalent to Rapture and Singing as Reverie. Since the Dreamsingers always respect the Dreamtime, they do not perform any equivalent to Ravaging or Rhapsody, seeing them as destructive and harmful.

Singing: By communing with the spirits of the Dreamtime, it is possible for Dreamsingers to regain Song. The Dreamsinger needs to find a place where the natural wonder of the Australian landscape is present and spend time silently communing with it. This could range from lying in the red sand of the Outback, climbing a tree in Arnhem Land or swimming in the pools of Kakadu. The Dreamsinger decides the number of hours it will spend Singing, then rolls that many dice against their Silence. Each success allows the replenishment of a Song point.

Corroboree: The equivalent of Rapture, this allows the Dreamsinger to regain greater Glamour, but can only occur in the Dreamtime. The Dreamsinger enters the Dreamtime and then starts a corroboree (an Aboriginal meetimg where stories are told in the form of dance), enticing nearby spirits to join in. After a day of Corroboree, the Dreamsinger rolls their Song against their Silence, with 1 extra dice for every 3 spirits that have joined in. Each success replenishes a Song point; eight or more successes imbue the Dreamsinger with a permenant Song point.