Challenging the Gentry

For an upcoming game, I had planned for the players to be forced to challenge a member of their Motley (an NPC) who had gained a great amount of ability and become corrupted by it - gained a large amount of Wyrd to the point where he was becoming specifically more Fae like - thus dangerous, forcing the players to choose between killing their beloved friend and companion, or trying to help him before he kills them or attracts someone who will enslave them.

The character in question is a Chirurgeon and was "freed" from his captivity under the conditions that he must never turn down someone who asks for his medical aid, nor must a patient of his die as a result of his treatment.

My plan was for him to lose a patient, have his Keeper come to collect and to save his own ass, NPC chirurgeon challenged his Keeper for his titles and names, and win.

But I've been questioning the liklihood of this scenario (I have an awful habit of poking holes in my own ideas...) and I'd like some opinions.

The main one being - why would said Keeper accept the challenge when he already has his slave in the bag? (I'd considered having him - in his fear offer the slavery of his Motley too in his fear)
If the Fae did accept, why would he bet everything on it?

I was also wondering if the fact that the NPC in particular is of German origin and is bilingual, would that give him an advantage in "Calling down the immortal breath"

This is just for backstory, as I actually have the game itself planned out, but I do like to plausible at least when I run a campaign and give attention to detail.

Thank you for any help,

Perhaps the Other has a frailty that specifically bans him from not accepting a challange. Finding out about this little detail would be a lot of work, but plausable. Knowing that, the Chirurgeon challanged his Keeper for the right of his titles and names and whatnot and the Fae had to accept on the account of his ban.

Then comes the hard part. To actually better the Other is seriously challanging in the mortal world and nigh-impossible in the Hedge or Arcadia, but it can be done. Doing so would require outsmarting the Gentry. You can't just say "fight me to the death" because the Fae would obviously win that challange. You can't challange the Gentry to something simple, because the Gentry can easily outdo anything simple.

Here's what more research would come in handy. Finding that specific frailty of accepting challanges, the Lost might have found out that the Keeper can't stand the sight of blood (or can't cross it), hence the Chirurgeon. It can be anything really, if blood doesn't fit, like a line of salt or he can't stand on hallow ground, but we'll go with blood for now. The Chirurgeon challanges his Keeper to best him in getting a very specific item that is located at a very specific place. Sounding simple enough, and the Gentry can't turn down a challange, he accepts. Thing is, the Chirurgeon prepared the place beforehand, making sure the ground was covered in blood so that his Keeper couldn't enter. If the Lost worded his challange correctly, he could get away with it, essentially creating a challange that the Keeper could not win.

Of course, the Keeper might think of something that might make it possible for him to win, but he wouldn't be able to pull it off unless he would know about the blood. At that moment, time would be slim as the Chirurgeon would not be far behind and could freely get to the item. I'm not saying it is a sure way to win a challange with the Fae, but it makes it more probable.

If the changeling somehow knew the name of his keeper, he could force that keeper to accept.

Skari-dono:

Perhaps the Other has a frailty that specifically bans him from not accepting a challange. Finding out about this little detail would be a lot of work, but plausable. Knowing that, the Chirurgeon challanged his Keeper for the right of his titles and names and whatnot and the Fae had to accept on the account of his ban.

Then comes the hard part. To actually better the Other is seriously challanging in the mortal world and nigh-impossible in the Hedge or Arcadia, but it can be done. Doing so would require outsmarting the Gentry. You can't just say "fight me to the death" because the Fae would obviously win that challange. You can't challange the Gentry to something simple, because the Gentry can easily outdo anything simple.

Here's what more research would come in handy. Finding that specific frailty of accepting challanges, the Lost might have found out that the Keeper can't stand the sight of blood (or can't cross it), hence the Chirurgeon. It can be anything really, if blood doesn't fit, like a line of salt or he can't stand on hallow ground, but we'll go with blood for now. The Chirurgeon challanges his Keeper to best him in getting a very specific item that is located at a very specific place. Sounding simple enough, and the Gentry can't turn down a challange, he accepts. Thing is, the Chirurgeon prepared the place beforehand, making sure the ground was covered in blood so that his Keeper couldn't enter. If the Lost worded his challange correctly, he could get away with it, essentially creating a challange that the Keeper could not win.

Of course, the Keeper might think of something that might make it possible for him to win, but he wouldn't be able to pull it off unless he would know about the blood. At that moment, time would be slim as the Chirurgeon would not be far behind and could freely get to the item. I'm not saying it is a sure way to win a challange with the Fae, but it makes it more probable.

The problem in this is that the Frailties of Keepers usually only apply to a single Actor.  In this case, the Keeper would either switch Actors to one that can cross the blood, or send out a wisp-pack of water elementals and drudges to clean up the mess.

On top of that, no one is even sure if Changelings can have Titles.  After all, getting Titles and their cool powers is the reason some Changelings get Wyrd 10 and then lose all their clarity to return to Arcadia.  If you could become a Fae any simpler way, it would mean that the growth to Wyrd 10 for Fae wannabees is unneccessary.  Granted, in Faerie, there are exceptions to every rule.  Even still, for a Changeling to not only challenge the keeper, win, and get a Title out of it.. that's going to be a totally abnormal and unique circumstance.  You may not even need to justify it--It's never been done before, and may never happen again.  Any other Changeling that does something similar will most likely fail horribly.  Even the one or two that win would have to be VERY powerful.  For this to happen at all for a Changeling that has Wyrd under 10 will be a shock.  The whole Freehold would unite against him, because of the danger and power he has.

Of course, a more reasonable and likely situation is that he Changeling in question was actually an Earthbound Fae.  It had spent several individual lifetimes on Earth, and was eventually captured by this Fae Keeper of his.  The Keeper in question realized what he had on his hands--He counted on it, because he hoped to lure the Changeling into a Legend and devour his Title without the "Changeling" even realizing what was going on or even that he was Fae.  However, the Wyrd smiled upon this poor little Chirurgeon.  Despite not being experienced, or even that powerful at the time, instincts took over--He thrashes the snot out of this Fae, because the Fae didn't expect a real challenge from a creature diminished by its time on Earth.  And so, the "Changeling" reawakens as Fae (Perhaps still not even realizing what he really is, just assuming he is now a very powerful Changeling).  He gets the extra Titles.  His original Titles are out there somewhere (Perhaps united under the True Fae he once was, meaning there are now two Fae out there with the same name, each the Nemesis of the other).  Even still, he'd spent enough tie on Earth to be infected with Clarity (I like the Fae to call it Banality, but then again I am a huge Dreaming fan). 

If you go with that approach, you don't really need to justify it.  You just need to figure out a cool way of dramatically revealing the truth to the PC motley.

Cleverest of Things:

The problem in this is that the Frailties of Keepers usually only apply to a single Actor.  In this case, the Keeper would either switch Actors to one that can cross the blood, or send out a wisp-pack of water elementals and drudges to clean up the mess.

Yeah, it's not perfect :-p

But antother thing that might work, if we assume a Gentry could (and I think a Gentry can). Given the scenario I suggested, the Gentry wins the challange without anyone knowing and decides to do a little experiment. He disappears (probably into the Hedge) and the Chirurgeon suddenly has amazing powers nearly on par with the Others. Thinking he had beaten his Keeper and gotten the Fae's Titles and Names, what he doesn't know it that the Gentry actually gave the Chirurgeon the power and got out of his way. Why? Only the Gentry truly knows, but one reason might be to just see what would happen.

At first, the Lost might be wary, it might be a trick. But then nothing happens, so one step at a time he starts using this power full on. Eventually, it draws attention, and the Chirurgeon gains enemies who are perhaps too frightened to come too close, or the Freehold gets too afraid of him. So the PCs get involved, try to stop things before they get out of hand.

The Gentry allows the Chirurgeon to build up the power, learn how to use it, make enemies or just plain frighten the locals. Create some infamy. When the lone Lost is about to do something catastrophic to the frightened Freehold, the Gentry snaps his fingers and removes the power from the Chirurgeon, leaving him as volnurable as he was to begin with, perhaps even more so. The Freehold might think it is a trick, or that he might get his whammy back pretty soon, while the Fae sits and watches as the masses tear the Chirurgeon apart.

Of course, you probably haven't envisioned it like this, but my point is the Keeper giving the Chirurgeon powers for no actual reason and then taking it away when the Lost actually needs it. Why? Damn if I know.

Skari-dono:

Yeah, it's not perfect :-p

But antother thing that might work, if we assume a Gentry could (and I think a Gentry can). Given the scenario I suggested, the Gentry wins the challange without anyone knowing and decides to do a little experiment. He disappears (probably into the Hedge) and the Chirurgeon suddenly has amazing powers nearly on par with the Others. Thinking he had beaten his Keeper and gotten the Fae's Titles and Names, what he doesn't know it that the Gentry actually gave the Chirurgeon the power and got out of his way. Why? Only the Gentry truly knows, but one reason might be to just see what would happen.

At first, the Lost might be wary, it might be a trick. But then nothing happens, so one step at a time he starts using this power full on. Eventually, it draws attention, and the Chirurgeon gains enemies who are perhaps too frightened to come too close, or the Freehold gets too afraid of him. So the PCs get involved, try to stop things before they get out of hand.

The Gentry allows the Chirurgeon to build up the power, learn how to use it, make enemies or just plain frighten the locals. Create some infamy. When the lone Lost is about to do something catastrophic to the frightened Freehold, the Gentry snaps his fingers and removes the power from the Chirurgeon, leaving him as volnurable as he was to begin with, perhaps even more so. The Freehold might think it is a trick, or that he might get his whammy back pretty soon, while the Fae sits and watches as the masses tear the Chirurgeon apart.

Of course, you probably haven't envisioned it like this, but my point is the Keeper giving the Chirurgeon powers for no actual reason and then taking it away when the Lost actually needs it. Why? Damn if I know.

Oooo, that sounds really good.  I think that a Fae could pull something like that off through a Pledge, perhaps one he does during his dramatic death/defeat scenes.  "Argggh!  You have defeated me!  Now you.. you will bear the burden of my power, the weight of godhood.. my hands are the only things keeping it from you, and the only things that could take it back.."

Cleverest of Things:

The problem in this is that the Frailties of Keepers usually only apply to a single Actor.  In this case, the Keeper would either switch Actors to one that can cross the blood, or send out a wisp-pack of water elementals and drudges to clean up the mess.

Are we sure about this? What manifests a fraility exactly? Is it the specific Actor? Is it the Title? Or is it the True Fae? Just my personal opinion, perhaps, but I tend to assume its at worst option number two and at best option number 3. I think otherwise the whole concept becomes far, far too trivial to even warrant having.

nothri:

Cleverest of Things:

The problem in this is that the Frailties of Keepers usually only apply to a single Actor.  In this case, the Keeper would either switch Actors to one that can cross the blood, or send out a wisp-pack of water elementals and drudges to clean up the mess.

Are we sure about this? What manifests a fraility exactly? Is it the specific Actor? Is it the Title? Or is it the True Fae? Just my personal opinion, perhaps, but I tend to assume its at worst option number two and at best option number 3. I think otherwise the whole concept becomes far, far too trivial to even warrant having.

If I recall, the only time Frailties are mentioned is in Autumn Nightmares. As far as I know, we haven't got an official word on what Manifestations this applies to.  For example, Props already have built in weaknesses.  The Actor section makes no reference to Frailties, but may assume you will give Frailties to your Actor based on their Wyrd (As is true for Changelings).  For Wisps, there isn't reallyer any reference at all to weaknesses, except their inability to gain exp and grow.  As such, it really sounds like the Frailties depend on your Manifestations.  After all, if some kind of Elemental Lord picks up conflicting Titles, could you justify an elementally based Frailty?  If his Fire Avatar is weak to water, should his Water one be weak to water, or something unique, like electricity?

Candystriped:

The main one being - why would said Keeper accept the challenge when he already has his slave in the bag? (I'd considered having him - in his fear offer the slavery of his Motley too in his fear)
If the Fae did accept, why would he bet everything on it?