Duchy of Truth and Loss

Duke or Duchess of Truth and Loss

Lords of Summer p. 121-124
Wyrd	●●
Court	Winter
Preqs	Resolve ●●● Investigation ●●● Winter Mantle ●
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To many changelings the greatest horror of their captivity strikes upon their return, when they discover that not only was no one aware of the horrors they suffered, but their friends and families did not even know they were gone. Instead, changelings must face a soulless fae-made imposter who has been living their lives and is often now their bitter foe. In an effort to prevent such horrors, the Dukes of Truth and Loss hunt down fetches before the changelings they ape return from Arcadia.

Mien

Dukes of Truth and Loss value functionality over appearance and tend to wear clothing that is easy to move in and within which they can conceal weapons, lock picks, small surveillance cameras and similar devices. Most favor dark-colored clothing and because a few Fetches are profoundly dangerous and attempt to hunt them instead, most always carry various weapons and other useful gear with them at all times. The primary changes to a duke's mien are their armored breastplate and the face-shaped token (see below). In addition, their fingers lengthen and become somewhat skeletal and claw-like in appearance and their faces take on a slightly predatory appearance.

Many Dukes of Truth and Loss are bitter and somewhat brutal changelings who see killing fetches as a way to both strike back at the fae and a method of causing the mortals left behind to suffer a lesser version of what happened to them. Others honestly believe that fetches are a danger to humanity and that ridding the world of them is a good and just act. Some dukes also feel sympathy for fetches and wish to let them know the truth behind the lies of their existence, while also taking care to remove them from the mortal family and friends that they think they have.

Privilege

Dukes of Truth and Loss gain two two-dot tokens upon their initiation. The first is a Hedgespun raiment. This two-dot raiment is armor that always has the mien of an elegantly simple leather breastplate that looks more like a heavy leather vest than actual armor. It is decorated with polished bone buttons, which are each carved in the form of a smaller and simpler version of the same doll face as their other token, the False Face of Truth. To mortals, this armor appears to be either a simple but well made suit jacket fitted with Kevlar armor or a long coat with similar armor. Although not immediately obvious as armor, mortals trained to look for concealed armor, like most criminals and law-enforcement personnel, notice the armor if they make a successful Wits + Investigation roll.

The False Face of Truth ●●
This token always comes in the shape of a small badge or pin, around two inches in diameter, made in the shape of a disturbingly inhuman-looking doll face that appears to be made from painted porcelain. The face’s mouth is slightly open. If the changeling touches a drop of blood or a strand of hair to the face, the changeling using it instantly knows if this person is a fetch, a changeling, or a mortal. This token is one of the very few ways to tell a fetch from an ordinary mortal.

Action: Instant
Drawback: After every use, the changeling must then feed the face a small amount of her own blood. Doing this simply requires the changeling to place her finger against the face’s mouth. It drinks a bit of blood and does one point of bashing damage to the changeling. The token cannot be used again until it has been fed.
Catch: Any mortal or other character using this token without the requisite Glamour expenditure or Wyrd roll must feed the face at least a tablespoon of the target’s fresh blood to determine if the target is a fetch. In addition, before he can use it again, the user must feed the face a sufficient amount of his own blood, which causes him to suffer one point of lethal damage.

Joining

The first step in joining the Duchy of Truth and Loss is correctly identifying someone who is a fetch. Lacking the token that all properly initiated Dukes possess, prospective members must use a mixture of careful observation, keen deduction skills, and intuition to locate a likely fetch. Then, the prospective member must explain how she decided that this person was a fetch to three Dukes, who decide if her methods were sufficiently meticulous, or if she was merely lucky. The Dukes check and see if the target actually is a fetch. If the prospective member is correct, then these three Dukes tell her to go and deal with the fetch as she sees fit. The Dukes wait nearby, in case the fetch tries to escape or if the changeling calls for help. Anyone who can correctly identifies a fetch and successfully deal with it in the manner they choose is eligible to become a member. Changelings who fail at this task cannot try again for one year.

For their first few hunts, new members must work with experienced dukes who critique their performance and prevent them from either letting a fetch get away or mistaking an innocent person for a fetch. If the new Duchess does well, she is permitted to work on her own. If she does poorly, the more experienced Duke remains with her. Initiates who are insufficiently careful or competent are stripped of their rank. Hunting fetches is a dangerous business. Some Dukes who sufficiently distrust or dislike the new member that they are observing are said to be deliberately slow in coming to the aid of their apprentice.