Ghille Dhu
The seasons change, and with them change the ghille dhu. Spirits of the green and nature, the ghille dhu were once thriving creatures that shifted their natures based on the season. Born in spring, they would pass from strength in summer to aged, learned creatures in autumn, and taught their wisdom in winter, only to die and be reborn from their bowers again. This was the cycle of the ghille dhu.
The Sundering changed all that. The ghille dhu’s cycle of life was disrupted, letting them age prematurely or be born as full-grown adults. Insanity gripped many ghille dhu, who put themselves to death rather than suffer this tortured existence. A desperate few followed the commoners after the Shattering and took on the Changeling Way to try and reconnect with nature and the Dreaming. This desperate act saved only a few, and at a high cost. When ghille dhu encounter Banality, it sends them spiraling from one seeming to another, from Spring to Summer and Autumn, until finally their short lives end in Winter and death.
| Ghille Dhu | |
|---|---|
| [No Symbol Available] | |
| Name | Ghille Dhu |
| Plural | Ghille Dhu |
| Pronounced | YEEL doo |
| Dream of... | Nature, Seasons |
| Affinity | Nature |
| Birthrights | Nature's Bounty, Spin the Wheel, Rose and Oak, Wisdom of Ages |
| Frailties | The Kiss of Death |
Kith Notes
Appearance
These tragic fae have embraced their short lives as a chance to help reconnect the Dreaming to the natural world. Their bodies change as they age, from green, fresh skin to wizened old bark by the ends of their lives.
Revelry
Ghille dhu can regain Glamour from wandering alone in the forest, or by tending to other trees and plants.
Unleashing
A ghille dhu’s magic calls up moss, flowers, and grass that grow even in concrete or plastic. These plants fade and die as soon as the Unleashing ends, but the scent of pollen or decaying plant matter (depending on what the Unleashing accomplished) lingers.
Kith Mechanics
Affinity
Nature
Birthrights
Nature's Bounty
Like the Nunnehi, ghille dhu may harvest Glamour from nature[1]. Ghille dhu of all seemings possess this Birthright.
Spin the Wheel (Spring)
Once per season[2], the player may reroll a single roll without spending anything to do so. Only Spring-seeming ghille dhu possess this Birthright.
Rose and Oak (Summer)
Summer ghille dhu gain a dot each of Appearance and Strength to represent their beauty and power, even if this takes them over five. Only Summer-seeming ghille dhu possess this Birthright.
Wisdom of the Ages (Autumn)
Once per season[3], an old ghille dhu may tap into her connection to the Dreaming and its natural cycles to meditate over a question regarding the fae. She must seek out a natural spot and ask her question; this requires a Willpower roll. Simple yes/no questions are difficulty 7, with anything more complex at a higher difficulty, set by the Storyteller. Should the roll botch, no more answers can be given on the subject. The difficulty increases by one for each additional time the ghille dhu asks a question in that season, and woe to the ghille dhu that tries to push her luck. Only Autumn-seeming ghille dhu possess this Birthright.
Frailty
The Kiss of Death
Ghille dhu rapidly age from seeming to seeming due to the crush of Banality. Should a ghille dhu suffer chimerical death, she automatically ages to her next seeming. Every time the ghille dhu gains a dot of Banality, her player must succeed at a Glamour roll (difficulty equal to the ghille dhu’s current Banality rating), or the character passes into her next seeming. Once she passes beyond Autumn, the ghille dhu’s body dies.
References
- Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition, pp. 446-447