Contract

A Contract is a mystical pact struck between the fae and a living embodiment of natural force, allowing the fae to call on supernatural powers.

First Edition[]

Contracts are ancient agreements made between the True Fae and living embodiments of the natural world; as with most such magics (like the Mask), these bargains extend to all creatures touched by Faerie, and thus may be learned and used by Changelings.

Each Contract is a collection of related powers, or clauses, which were agreed upon in the same bargain. Usually a Changeling must use Glamour to empower the use of most clauses, but every clause has a "Catch", a loophole in the original agreement which allows use of the power without the magical price having to be paid.

Universal Contracts[]

Changelings have an affinity for a number of common Contracts, which they find easier to learn than others. Any changelings can learn these contracts without any added difficulty.

Seeming Contracts[]

Each Seeming also has an affinity for certain Contracts that grants powers associated with that Seeming. While any changeling can learn any Seeming Contract, they find it much harder to learn Contracts that do not match with their Seeming.

Court Contracts[]

Changelings who belong to a seasonal Court have an affinity to further two Contracts associated with their season: the "Fleeting" Contracts deal with manipulation of the Court's dominant emotion, while the "Eternal" Contracts invoke physical manifestations of the season itself. Due to the mystical connection granted by a Court's Mantle, the more advanced clauses of these Contracts may only be learned by Changeling's with a strong Mantle for the appropriate Court. The less powerful clauses may be taught to other Changelings, but such tutelage is generally only given to those who have proven their friendship to the Court.

Goblin Contracts[]

Finally there are the Goblin Contracts, Black Market contracts that can be obtained from the Goblin Market in exchange for various things. While these contracts are powerful, they usually come with a huge penalty for using them, and cannot be relied on as much as the other types.

Contracts of Sacrifice[]

Lost Contracts[]

As mentioned in The Fear-Maker's Promise, there exist contracts that have since been lost to time. The only known example of this are the Contracts of Land and Domain, the only remnant of which is the Children's Contract.

Second Edition[]

Contracts are bargains that fae creatures have made with various facets of reality. The Lost are able to take these bargains into themselves, enabling their use. To do so, a changeling must either spend Glamour or take advantage of a Loophole - a part of every Contract that permits its activation without Glamour expenditure. The caster can, in fact, do both in order to change an instant invocation to a reflexive one.

Arcadian Contracts[]

These are the oldest Contracts, hailing from the dawn of Arcadia. They are divided into six Regalia, each of which resonates with a particular seeming. An additional five Regalia are listed in Kith and Kin. Each Regalia further subdivided into Common Contracts, bargains originally struck on behalf of the servants of the True Fae; and Royal ones, struck for the Strangers' own sake.

Court Contracts[]

Similarly to Arcadian Contracts, these powers can be divided into Common and Royal categories. Interestingly, when one Court is dominant, its Royal Contracts exceptionally succeed more easily. Meanwhile, subservient Courts find that their Common Contracts gain bonus dice.

Unaffiliated Contracts[]

These Contracts are either loosely affiliated or unaffiliated entirely with Courts or old Arcadian agreements.

Goblin Contracts[]

A changeling isn’t limited to riding the coattails of pacts others made; she may enter into new Contracts of her own. These are called Goblin Contracts and, as the name implies, are struck between a changeling and a goblin. Every goblin bargain is different — the goblin merchant might ask for the changeling to retrieve a lost object for him, a strand of the changeling’s hair, or simply a future favor. Whatever he asks, payment should be within the changeling’s power, though it needn’t be easy to come by.

References[]

• CTL: Changeling: The Lost Rulebook, p. 16, 21, 24, 25, 33-34, 35, 41, 74, 76-77, 88, 124-169
• CTL: Changeling: The Lost Second Edition, p. 128-162
• CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, p. 287-290, 348-350, 412-413
• CofD: Glimpses of the Unknown, p. 28-30
• CTL: The Fear-Maker's Promise, p. 2, 6, 10