Post by Lorekeeper on Jan 21, 2007 16:56:11 GMT -8
Banality
Banality encroaches every aspect of Fae life. When a child discovers the "truth" about the Tooth Fairy, when a promising young writer is told that he has no talent and believes it, whenever joy and wonder are replaced with the dull routine of existence, it is a loss to the Fae and a victory for Banality.
Banality is the numb feeling in the pit of your stomach when you try to avoid crying, or shouting, or whatever emotion demands of you that second. It's what happens when there are no dreams to drive you, no futures beyond what you have now, and all that keeps you moving is that weekly paycheck. Shopping malls, sitcoms, and law offices are all agents of Banality. Anything that removes the wonder from the eyes of a child is Banal.
Banality replaces Glamour and supplants it with a more rigid, "sensible" outlook. This can be deadly to the Fae. They must maintain a personal balance between reality and dreams, Banality and Glamour, to survive in the real world while maintaining their Fae selves.
Pure Glamour and creations of pure Glamour cannot stand Banality at all, nor can powers derived from Glamour. Banality erodes the power of Glamour. A changeling using her Glamour to fly will plummet to the ground if spotted by someone who does not believe such a thing is possible. Fortunately, most people can't see creations of Glamour, and therefore have no reason not to believe in them.
Cold Iron
The Iron Age was ushered in with a wave of Banality. At last, humanity had managed to tie a single, unshakable reality down, and had discovered a metal that would last beyond a single human's years with care. Perhaps it is for this reason that cold iron became the physical essence of Banality.
Cold iron is also referred to as wrought iron. When iron is never heated to the point of melting, but rather simply hammered into shape, it is considered wrought. It can be heated to glowing, but not to becoming molten, and still remain "cold" iron. It is less durable than melted, or cast, iron, containing more impurities. A cold iron weapon is more likely to chip or break in combat than a cast iron or steel weapon, and it takes constant care to keep the edge or point sharp and rust-free.
The art of making cold iron implements or weapons is a vanishing one, but still practiced by some people with a desire for the classic ways of manufacture. Many SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and other Renaissance or medieval groups have people who know the art of forging iron, and some Fae kingdoms keep a close eye on such people and their dealings. However, many of these people put time and care into their creations, making each of them a work of art, infusing them with Glamour and rendering the iron safe for the Fae. Only the absolute most rudimentary crafting will create the dreaded cold iron blades the Fae fear so. Cold iron must frequently be coated with some kind of oil, such as cooking or olive oil, to prevent rust, and sharpened frequently. Cold iron will not support any kind of real shine, and will always appear dull silver-grey.
The presence of cold iron is immediately noticeable to most Fae. To those sensitive to Glamour, cold iron seems to drain the life from its immediate vicinity. A touch of cold iron will produce a burning, lingering cold sensation, and a cut with a cold iron blade produces a horrible wound on Fae. Cold iron can permanently destroy the otherwise immortal Fae soul within a changeling. Creatures and items of Glamour are destroyed by a single touch of cold iron; blocking a cold iron blade with a Chimerical weapon will leave the changeling weaponless. For this reason, all changeling fear cold iron more than anything else.
Banality encroaches every aspect of Fae life. When a child discovers the "truth" about the Tooth Fairy, when a promising young writer is told that he has no talent and believes it, whenever joy and wonder are replaced with the dull routine of existence, it is a loss to the Fae and a victory for Banality.
Banality is the numb feeling in the pit of your stomach when you try to avoid crying, or shouting, or whatever emotion demands of you that second. It's what happens when there are no dreams to drive you, no futures beyond what you have now, and all that keeps you moving is that weekly paycheck. Shopping malls, sitcoms, and law offices are all agents of Banality. Anything that removes the wonder from the eyes of a child is Banal.
Banality replaces Glamour and supplants it with a more rigid, "sensible" outlook. This can be deadly to the Fae. They must maintain a personal balance between reality and dreams, Banality and Glamour, to survive in the real world while maintaining their Fae selves.
Pure Glamour and creations of pure Glamour cannot stand Banality at all, nor can powers derived from Glamour. Banality erodes the power of Glamour. A changeling using her Glamour to fly will plummet to the ground if spotted by someone who does not believe such a thing is possible. Fortunately, most people can't see creations of Glamour, and therefore have no reason not to believe in them.
Cold Iron
The Iron Age was ushered in with a wave of Banality. At last, humanity had managed to tie a single, unshakable reality down, and had discovered a metal that would last beyond a single human's years with care. Perhaps it is for this reason that cold iron became the physical essence of Banality.
Cold iron is also referred to as wrought iron. When iron is never heated to the point of melting, but rather simply hammered into shape, it is considered wrought. It can be heated to glowing, but not to becoming molten, and still remain "cold" iron. It is less durable than melted, or cast, iron, containing more impurities. A cold iron weapon is more likely to chip or break in combat than a cast iron or steel weapon, and it takes constant care to keep the edge or point sharp and rust-free.
The art of making cold iron implements or weapons is a vanishing one, but still practiced by some people with a desire for the classic ways of manufacture. Many SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and other Renaissance or medieval groups have people who know the art of forging iron, and some Fae kingdoms keep a close eye on such people and their dealings. However, many of these people put time and care into their creations, making each of them a work of art, infusing them with Glamour and rendering the iron safe for the Fae. Only the absolute most rudimentary crafting will create the dreaded cold iron blades the Fae fear so. Cold iron must frequently be coated with some kind of oil, such as cooking or olive oil, to prevent rust, and sharpened frequently. Cold iron will not support any kind of real shine, and will always appear dull silver-grey.
The presence of cold iron is immediately noticeable to most Fae. To those sensitive to Glamour, cold iron seems to drain the life from its immediate vicinity. A touch of cold iron will produce a burning, lingering cold sensation, and a cut with a cold iron blade produces a horrible wound on Fae. Cold iron can permanently destroy the otherwise immortal Fae soul within a changeling. Creatures and items of Glamour are destroyed by a single touch of cold iron; blocking a cold iron blade with a Chimerical weapon will leave the changeling weaponless. For this reason, all changeling fear cold iron more than anything else.