The human mind sees patterns everywhere. We learn by them, teach by them and when they do not exist, we invent them, seeking to understand even random events through imagined structure. An object dropped will fall to the ground. Time moves forward; people are born, age and then die. It is more than a casual expectation. The basis of human views on reality is built around them to the extent that insanity is sometimes described as expecting different outcomes from identical situations. However, none of those logical scientific explanations can predict the mad pavannes of Faerie. From the moment humans cross the Hedge, they are stepping out of their world physically, philosophically and even theoretically. All previous assumptions are potentially invalid, and the corresponding grip on “reality” that came with a firm set of rules begins slipping away.
For changelings who have survived a durance in Arcadia and returned to the mortal world, the rules have changed not once, but twice. Their time in Faerie swept away the certainty of the “real” world, and upon returning they must learn how to balance the human and fae realities, hopefully without losing themselves in the process. This balance, called Clarity, is one of the most important factors in a changeling’s life. Too much Clarity, and he is in danger of losing touch with his fae self. Too little, and he risks insanity and finds himself uncertain of the reality of the world around him.
Just as waking reality is often easier to remember than even the strongest experiences encountered in a dream, the bizarre experiences a changeling undergoes in Faerie are muddled upon a changeling’s return to the mortal world. This confusion is unavoidable. The human part of the changeling simply cannot cling too tightly to the utterly Fae environment it was thrust into, leaving a changeling doubting, questioning or simply not remembering the majority of his durance in Arcadia. Often this is seen as a mixed blessing. While it is a relief to not be constantly assaulted by the cruelty and terror that is part and parcel of dealing with the True Fae, foggy and incomplete memories often leave changelings wondering as to what truly happened to them. If they are barely able to contend with those memories they possess, what greater horrors did they undergo that lie suppressed below the surface?
For changelings who have survived a durance in Arcadia and returned to the mortal world, the rules have changed not once, but twice. Their time in Faerie swept away the certainty of the “real” world, and upon returning they must learn how to balance the human and fae realities, hopefully without losing themselves in the process. This balance, called Clarity, is one of the most important factors in a changeling’s life. Too much Clarity, and he is in danger of losing touch with his fae self. Too little, and he risks insanity and finds himself uncertain of the reality of the world around him.
Just as waking reality is often easier to remember than even the strongest experiences encountered in a dream, the bizarre experiences a changeling undergoes in Faerie are muddled upon a changeling’s return to the mortal world. This confusion is unavoidable. The human part of the changeling simply cannot cling too tightly to the utterly Fae environment it was thrust into, leaving a changeling doubting, questioning or simply not remembering the majority of his durance in Arcadia. Often this is seen as a mixed blessing. While it is a relief to not be constantly assaulted by the cruelty and terror that is part and parcel of dealing with the True Fae, foggy and incomplete memories often leave changelings wondering as to what truly happened to them. If they are barely able to contend with those memories they possess, what greater horrors did they undergo that lie suppressed below the surface?
