Qareen
The qareen (pl. qurana’) is the quintessential academic. Qurana’ have the gift and curse of eidetic memory, and other Jinn refer to them as “walking libraries.” Like all changelings, they can only recall pieces of their past lives, but what they remember they can describe as accurately as yesterday’s lunch.
They are rational thinkers, preferring logic above passion, and discourse over argument. Qurana’ are well aware that there is more than one side to any story, and they crave to understand every tale in its entirety. Qurana’ are paradoxically considered both trustworthy and treacherous, because they are unable to speak falsely. They can omit details or remain silent if they choose, but they will never lie. However, almost any secret told to one of the qurana’ might as well be a matter of public record, as they seldom withhold information they feel is relevant, even if it was shared in confidence.
Qurana’ thrive in roles as administrators, lawyers, accountants, historians, teachers, reporters, or town gossips. Any task that requires mental precision and vast networks of knowledge is best handled by a qareen. Qurana’ form deep bonds with a select few people, and these relationships can heavily influence their moral alignment. When a qareen falls in love, they are loyal to a fault, and do not always notice that their love has affected their perception.
Sedentary life suits the qareen, but companionship will call her away from her ivory tower. Even when they are studying, qurana’ are averse to solitude, and prefer the knowledge that comes from experiencing life with other people to what can be learned from a book. Qurana’ view the seemings not as phases of life but as different outlooks on knowledge: learning (childling), understanding (wilder), and teaching (grump).
| Qareen | |
|---|---|
| [No Symbol Available] | |
| Name | Qareen |
| Plural | Qurana’ |
| Pronounced | kuh-REEN |
| Dream of... | Knowledge of Ages |
| Affinity | Time |
| Birthrights | Timeless, Bear Witness |
| Frailties | Burden of Truth |
Kith Notes[edit]
Appearance[edit]
Qurana’ are modest by fae standards, and tend to prefer comfortable and simple clothing. In their fae mien, even young qurana’ soon appear quite frail or elderly, complete with gray hair and deep wrinkles, their skin seeming thin as parchment or cracked like dried clay. It’s said that the best way to judge a qareen’s actual age is to look into their eyes, which tend to give the clearest impression of their lifespan so far. Their chimerical attire is often simply draped natural fabric in muted, neutral colors, with minimal adornment.
Revelry[edit]
They love listening to stories, and although qurana’ prefer the plausible over the fantastical, every walking library needs a fiction section. They have difficult crafting their own tales, however, and whenever repeating a story they have heard, they unfailingly cite its source. In addition to learning, qurana’ love to pass on the truths they have learned. Teaching others what they have witnessed gives them a sense of purpose.
Unleashing[edit]
In the wake of a qareen’s Unleashing, there may be a faint scent of papyrus in candlelight, old books, and a residue of fine, swirling sand on the ground. A feeling of the turning of ages and the weight of history is also common.
Kith Mechanics[edit]
Affinity[edit]
Time
Birthrights[edit]
Timeless[edit]
They receive the Faerie Eternity and Eidetic Memory Merits for free during character creation. In addition, thanks to their natural scholarly bent, they cannot botch Academics or Gremayre rolls.
Bear Witness[edit]
Like falling into the past, qurana’ can relive any memory they have experienced with perfect clarity. Sometimes, however, words cannot accurately express the truth, so by spending 1 Glamour a qareen can telepathically share their memory with a single target. With a target’s consent, and by spending 1 Glamour, a qareen can also enter another person’s mind to observe their memories. “Visiting,” as they call it, carries with it certain risks, because most non-qareen memories are imperfect, often fuzzy around the edges, and reflect a subjective experience. For this reason, inexperienced qurana’ find Visiting to be a thoroughly disorienting experience. The Storyteller may require the expenditure of Willpower points to visit particularly old, damaged, incomplete, or traumatic memories.
Frailty[edit]
Burden of Truth[edit]
They can choose not to answer a direct question, and they can attempt to lie by omission if they do answer, but they are completely unable to actively say something untrue. A qareen’s silence is often as damning as another’s accusation, and even the idea of misleading others makes this kith uncomfortable. Qurana’ suffer a +1 to the difficulty of all rolls related to tricking or deceiving others through speech. What’s more, qurana’ are so dedicated to truth above all else that they must roll Willpower (difficulty 6) to willingly withhold important relevant information in a crucial moment, even if sharing it would embarrass them or put them at a disadvantage. (They are not obligated to speak if doing so would break a fae oath, or directly cause someone’s death.) Alternately, they may forego the roll and keep their silence at the cost of triggering Banality instead. They must make this decision before rolling.