Håpe

Håpe

Type	A small sanctuary community for changelings
Government	Communal Council
Location	Isonhound
Inhabiting Race	Changelings. Their appearance can range from any kind of race depending on the day / story / activity / etc.

Håpe (pronounced /"hoːpə"/ ) is a small community of changelings formed after the tragic torching of their previous community, Black Hollow, by the citizens of Goldcrest  

Culture

Beliefs On Shapeshifting

The changelings of Håpe believe the reasoning behind their shapeshifting abilities is that they are meant to be story-tellers. They help carry on the tales of many that may have originally been lost to time or help share the stories of any lives they deem interesting. Because why harm or steal the story of someone else?

All changelings in the community understand that their abilities can be used in a harmful manner (assassination, lies, thievery, forgery, spying, political intrique, etc.) but all within Håpe believe these to be an absolute and total bastardization of their skills. They believe they are not meant to replace / steal the lives of someone else because then that would not only rip away the valued life of a changeling, but also cut short the story someone else was crafting within the world that all inhabit. Eventhough this belief is widely held within the community though, that does not stop outsiders from viewing the existence of any changeling as a threat their to security and life.

The community does don the appearance of others though as a way to express emotions, play characters when telling stories or memories, establish a new persona, play games, etc. These actions are viewed as acceptable because they are not meant to be permanent and are used to create moments of connection through temporary changes. For example, it is viewed as acceptable within the community to don the appearance of an old man you saw when you are describing a story they old man told you; it is NOT acceptable to don the old man's appearance, dispose of him somehow, and then take over his life. This act is viewed as destructful, selfish, and a risk for all changelings everywhere.

RULES

Håpe was formed with the idea of recreating a community for changelings to not only survive, but also thrive. In an effort to maintain this goal, the sanctuary established rules to follow:

(Rule Format)

• Rule
  • Explanation for the rule

1. No unnecessary contact with the outside world.
   • With the sacking and rapid torching of Black Hollow, the Håpe changeling's previous home, this rule was decided as a non-negotiable so as to not have outsiders enter and risk another destruction of home territory.
   • Though letters are normally not allowed in most circumstances, there have been exceptions made. To have letters be sent to Håpe, one must label the destination address to "Vite Olson of Black Hollow". The letter will then be delivered to a home owned by Vite Olson in the new community of Black Hollow (not made of changelings this time...). Every other week, ONE individual will be chosen from Håpe to don the chosen appearance of Vite Olson and head to the house for letter retrieval.
     • Vite Olson is the name of a fake person created by the Håpe citizens and serves solely for the purpose of needed communication.
     • The home is located on the farthest outskirts of Black Hollow so as to both make the trek there shorter and also to minimize a chance of suspicion.
2. Establish a helpful role within the community and provide wherever you see a need.
   • With the town being made of so few individuals, this was deemed necessary to ensure everyone is determined to see the town succeed. (and ensure that future generations will have the same goals going forward)
3. If an outsider manages to get into Håpe, all must take on a form seperate from their birth-appearance until the outsider is dealt with. If spotted in birth-appearance by an outsider, ensure they are unable to tell others of this location.
   • While this rule may feel a bit strict or cold out of context, it is one born out of an anxiety from those that have recently seen their original home and loved ones be turned to ash. The idea of them donning a seperate appearance is to ensure that no-one sees them as changelings and therefore do not rat out the community to any others.
4. Conflict amongst community members is expected at times, but conflict MUST NEVER end in a violent life-threatening outcome.
   • The idea behind this rule is to establish that it is okay for people to disagree and to even bicker/fight. Infact disagreements are needed sometimes to help keep the community growing properly. But there is no need for it to ever end in the death of another community member and will lead to immediate discussions if that opportunity does arise.
5. Every life is important to the maintaining not only of the community but also to the great story of the world.
   • Every life is deemed very important in this community and any death is viewed as a great tragedy because not only does it mean there is one fewer community member, but it also means that their stories are cut short; unable to be written anymore.

Notable Places

Local tavern - the Stoic Mask