Changelings live as mortals until a certain point when they become awakened to their fae nature. This "Chrysalis" can occur at any point in their lives, although the older and more banal one becomes, the less likely it is to occur. Tragically, some changelings never realize their true nature, their faerie souls lying dormant until their next incarnation. Perhaps even more tragically, some deny the insane visions that their Chrysalis shows them, and never obtain an understanding of what they are. Many of these become "Dauntain", and are among the deadliest enemies of changelings.
Changelings interact with things that are invisible and intangible to the unenchanted individuals that only see the mundane world. These things are called "chimera", and may take practically any imaginable form. All changelings also have a fae mien that cannot be perceived by the unenchanted, other changelings and chimerical creatures will automatically see it and recoginize the changeling as a member of their kith by it.
All changelings belong to a Court, either Seelie or Unseelie. A changeling's court determines much of their behavior (or vice versa, it could be said). The Seelie are those that respect tradition, and form. Honor, love of beauty, and abiding by the laws of the fae (the "Escheat") are basic Seelie philosophies. The Unseelie mock tradition. Freedom, and doing whatever you have to to get ahead are basic Unseelie philosophies.
All changelings are born into "kiths". A kith is the type of changeling that they are. Brief descriptions of all kiths follow:
Clurichauns (CLOOR-ih-kawns): A kith that is common only in Ireland, clurichauns developed from the dreams and legends of leprechauns. They are excellent performers, and collectors of oddities. They are able to vanish from sight in the "Twinkling of an Eye" if you take your eyes off of them for even a moment. They also have tremendous natural insight as to just what to say or what not to say in a given situation. They are quick drunks, and either mean or morose when in that state. Clurichauns are detailed in Immortal Eyes: Court of All Kings.
Ghille Dhu - (YEEL-doo): Another uncommon kith, seen mostly in the British Isles, these fae come from the legends of the "Green Men" of English myth. Green skinned (in their fae mien) and tied inexorably to nature, the ghille dhu are able to harvest Glamour (the power behind faerie magic) from nature itself. They also have powers that change at different times of their life. The children (Spring) are lucky, the youths (Summer) are strong and attractive, and the adults (Autumn) are able to divine answers to perplexing questions. Every time they are slain by chimerical means, they advance to the next stage, until (after Autumn) they are undone, and the faerie spirit is lost until physical death allows them to go on to the next incarnation. The ghille dhu are detailed in Isle of the Mighty.
Merfolk -(MER-foke): The mer are the fae of the seas. Arrogant enough to make the sidhe look downright humble, they nevertheless have had to swallow their infamous pride some in recent times to come to the land-dwelling fae for assistance in dealing with the threats to their domain. The merfolk are all linked to a marine animal which their lower body reflects, usually being some sort of fish tail, but this splits into legs when they venture onto land. Merfolk gain some advantages of the creature they are tied with, usually have gills (though some tied to marine mammals or amphibians have to surface for air periodically), and all possess a peculiar alien beauty. Banality is very fearsome for them (indeed, losing one's fae nature at the bottom of the ocean is fatal), and certain skills are unavailable to them due to their being cut off from mortal society. There are three noble houses of the merfolk (see Noble Houses) and three Arts known to few outside the merfolk (see Exclusive Arts). The merfolk are detailed in World of Darkness: Blood-Dimmed Tides.
Piskies - (PIS-kees): Piskey in the singular. Cute changelings that love humans, children in particular. They have long silver hair, olive-brown skin that becomes more craggy and dark with age, large pointed ears, and large luminescent eyes of usually gray or green. Piskies are very dextrous, and very perceptive when it comes to others emotional states. They have a tendency to steal anything that takes their fancy though, and are just as quick to forget that they had taken anything. Piskies are detailed in The Fool's Luck: The Way of the Commoner.
Selkies - (SELL-kees): A kith found only by sea shores, and only near waters that seals inhabit. This kith inherits a seal skin from another selkie, usually resembling a mundane piece of clothing. When putting it on and submerging in the water they become seals. They are excellent swimmers, and able to move more freely in the water than on land. They also possess an "animal magnetism" making them extremely seductive to members of the opposite sex. They gain Banality for every day that they are away from the sea shore though, and won't be found very far inland. The selkies are detailed in Immortal Eyes: The Toybox.
Changelings are faerie spirits born into mortal bodies. They live in two worlds at once, one mundane, and one fantastic; they must walk the knife's edge between these worlds lest they fall into the traps that each lays for them: forgetting their faerie nature, by becoming too entrenched in the Banality of the mundane world; or falling into Bedlam by delving too far into the insane realms of the fantastic world.
- (BAW-guns): Practical, gossiping, craftsmen. Boggan's in their fae mien appear to be short, fat little people with an extra set of eyebrows on their foreheads, and large noses. They excell in all manner of craftwork, and physical labor and are able to complete such tasks at astonishing speeds if left unobserved. They are also able to determine much of who's who and what's what in any social gathering through a combination of gossip, and a natural intuition called "Social Dynamics". Boggans, Seelie or Unseelie, must help those who are truly in need. 
- (EE-shoo): Originating in Africa, the eshu are the storytellers, travellers, vagabonds, and adventurers of the fae. The eshu love stories, and live them as well, often taking on roles such as the Clever Thief, the Swashbuckling Hero, the Gallant Pirate, or the Mysterious Sorceror. Whatever role they choose, most eshu play their part to the hilt. Fate smiles on the eshu, as they are able to find their way to any destination intuitively, arriving at the most dramatically appropriate moment. They are great and wise storytellers as well, and often masters of forgotten lore. They tend to be overconfident, however, and feel that if their path has led them to danger, they should meet it head on. 
-(NAW-kers): The mechanics, miners, and smiths of the fae. Their fae miens are goblinesque in appearance, having pasty white faces, with red cheeks and noses, large pointed ears, and shocking white hair. They are the only changelings capable of creating "forged" chimera (chimerical items with some more durability and resistance to Banality than most), and are able to frighten malfunctioning machinery into working, usually by kicking it around and swearing at it. Nockers are among the most unpleasant fae, even the best of them tending to have insulting attitudes, and no manners. Much of this may stem from the fact that whatever they make is always flawed in some way. The flaw may be insignificant, but it is always there. 
- (POO-kuhs): The shapechanging tricksters. All pooka are tied to a specific type of animal, and in their fae miens will have aspects of that animal (whiskers, scales, feathers, ears, tails, etc.). They are able to shapechange into that animal, if unobserved. They are also great listeners, and can often persuade people in conversation to tell them some of their most protected secrets. They have a problem telling the truth though. The truth simply isn't interesting to a pooka, and they feel that they must always improve on it in some way. 
- (RED-kaps): Brutal, and violent, these are changelings born not of dreams, but of nightmares. In their fae miens they have gruesome grey skin, are stocky and short, and have large, flat, misshapen teeth. They are able to bite through and digest practically anything. They are also able to tap into the nightmares that created them to give them an edge in intimidating anything. Nobody likes redcaps though. Usually, not even other redcaps (though they still often congregate in gangs). 
- (SAY-ters): The half-men-half-goat creatures from Greek myth. Satyrs are wise, though better known for being lecherous, drunken pleasure seekers. Satyrs playing an instrument have the ability to cause listeners to lose their inhibitions, and join the party. They are also superb athletes, and can run at great speeds. They have a tendency for wild mood swings though, and have trouble resisting temptation on those rare occasions when they even try. 
- (SHEE): The nobles, and traditionally ruling race of the fae. They left the Earth centuries ago when Banality first began to gain strength, and only recently returned, but have no memory of Arcadia, or why they left again. They have tapering pointed ears, fine angular features, and striking eye colors in their fae mien. They are superhumanly beautiful, and able to strike awe into the hearts of enemies. They also have some protection from the Dreaming against cantrips that may make them look foolish. They are more terribly affected by Banality than any other kith though, having had less time to become inured to it. 
- (SLOO-ah): Thin and pale and smelling of death and decay in their fae miens, these fae exist to strike fear into the hearts of wrongdoers, children in particular. They are able to escape from practically any bonds, other than cold iron, and can contort themselves into disquieting shapes. They have incredibly keen senses, and are able to see through illusions, and see unembodied wraiths as well. The sluagh are often tolerated by other kiths only for the knowledge and secrets that they so prize. They are unable to speak above a whisper though, due to an ancient curse upon their kith. 
- (TROLS): In their fae miens trolls are gigantic, usually between 7-9 feet tall. They also have bluish skin and ridged horns on their foreheads. Honorable and stubborn, they are the protectors of the fae. Their strength and might is legendary, and so is the strength of their will to do their duty. While all fae are magically bound by the oaths that they swear, trolls hold to their oaths even more stubbornly, and will lose their Titan's Power should they ever break an oath or contract.
