Before we talk about the IC role of the kinain, a brief OOC warning: playing kinain characters is challenging, and is not necessarily the best introduction to Changeling as a sphere. You’re much better off than the ghouls and the kinfolk are relative to the Vampire and Werewolf spheres, but your role is almost always going to end up being a secondary one when compared to the kithain characters; you definitely won’t have the same capabilities, and you probably won’t be able to take advantage of all the opportunities the sphere offers. Moreover, particularly in the sidhe-dominated northern half of the city, a kithain character is likely to be seen as more of a servant than an equal. That’s not necessarily a problem (and not all Changeling characters will feel that way) — unequal relationships can be fun! But be aware of what you’re getting into, and certain that you’re comfortable with that, before you apply for a kithain character. A kithain who’s new to the world of the fae has similar benefits in terms of being easy to get started with, while offering more opportunity for growth.

What Kinain Do

In some ways the kinain have it pretty great in London. They get to enjoy the benefits of fae sight and fae magic, while being insulated from the worst effects of Banality. It’s not all positive, though. The kithain of the city don’t have that same luxury, which leads to them often relying heavily on their cousins to handle matters that are just too mundane for them to tolerate. And while that level of reliance can be gratifying — someone else depending on you often is! — it can also end up being a heavy responsibility, not to mention a huge pain. Many of the fae nobility have unrealistic expectations when it comes to their kinain liegemen and liegewomen, and being awakened out of a sound sleep at two in the morning to cater to someone else’s whims is the kind of thing that gets old fast.

Yet they often have little choice. As arrogant and inconsiderate as the kithain can sometimes be, they’re also more or less the only game in town. Kinain who refuse to help can be bullied by their faerie relatives or ostracized from the larger fae society, which can be a hard thing to take for people who already exist in a liminal space with the Dreaming on one side and the Autumn world on the other. That’s assuming that they aren’t simply forced into compliance by someone wielding the Art of Sovereign — and almost anyone who knows Sovereign can use it effectively against the kinain.

Life in London is a series of dilemmas for these almost-changelings. They can live north of the river, in the County of Boadicea’s Tomb, and have a place in the fae hierarchy and the protection of the higher-ups, all according to tradition … as long as they’re content with that place being at the bottom of the pecking order. Or they can live south of the river in the County of the Fallen Castle, where their place is whatever they can earn and work for … although it’s the very rare kinain who can outdo their kithain cousins when it comes down to a contest, and the fae of the Fallen Castle love settling disputes with contests. Whichever of the two they opt for, they can be sure it’ll only be the first in a long series of difficult choices.