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The book contains several warnings of the darker adult themes within. If you apply, goriness, gruesomeness, and grossness are to be expected. Some minor sexual content may be encountered as well. Prostitution and sex slavery unfortunately exist in the city - seven paragraph descriptions of goblin breasts do not. There will be nothing pornographic, no explicit sexual violence, and the player will never be forced into any sexual situations. While I honestly don’t expect it to be an issue, if anything goes outside your comfort zone, I expect you to tell me and I’ll happily make the necessary alterations. Ultimately, this is a game and we’re all here to have fun.

If you’d like to apply read this next section carefully, because character creation will be a little different from the norm. Your submission will have three parts.

BACKGROUND: As Atticus Finch says: you can choose your friends, but you sure can’t choose your family. With that in mind, I’ve written part of your backstory for you.

• You were found 20 years ago, abandoned as a baby; your parents and exact age unknown.
• You bore certain unusual and obviously inhuman characteristics.
• As a child, somebody identified and explained to you that you are a changeling.
• Strangely, you went through puberty but have yet to receive “the call” to seek out your true heritage as most changelings do.
• You have never actually been inside the city of Castorhage and instead have grown up (or currently live) less than a day's journey away in the small hamlet of Wicken.

These stipulations are in place to give you A) an in-game reason for being uncharacteristically powerful, B) ties to the Blight, C) some nasty secrets, and most importantly D) no idea what any of those factors actually are.

The rest is of course up to you. Don’t think that because of grim setting, your character need be all doom and gloom as well. Humor is always welcome even in the darkest of places. Relationships such as mentors, friends, and enemies are encouraged and may even make some surprise appearances over the course of the game. Lastly, for inspiration you might want to peek at the altered changeling race, campaign traits, and deformity drawbacks at the bottom of this post.

BUILD OVERVIEW: Since a full statblock is a lot to ask when I’m only selecting one player, all you need to apply is a rough overview featuring classes, archetypes, campaign trait, and whatever else you want. For reference, characters will be built at level 1 using tristalt (three classes), 30 point buy, background skills, and these feat tax rules. All official material and classes are available, although some Golarion-specific options may need to be re-skinned or simply altogether inappropriate. Assume that 3rd party won’t be allowed, but if you want to use something particularly cool and thematic it can’t hurt to ask.

A word to the wise: those who manage to achieve anything that even vaguely resembles success in the Blight generally possess three qualities and it is recommended that you keep them in mind when picking classes.

• Intrigue: In the City of Secrets and Lies, an aptitude for intrigue is predictably essential. If you’ve been wanting to try out some of the more obscure “social” abilities, now’s your chance. High skill point classes with plenty of out of combat tricks will fit right in.
• Magic: The adage that “magic is power” holds true everywhere, but even more so in the Blight. Magic is carefully hoarded and tightly controlled by those who have it. Full casting classes will garner spots among the elite more easily, but careless displays of power might draw unwanted attention.
• Survivability: Even the most careful of souls find themselves in more than few scrapes. Especially going solo, you’ll want to be able to hold your own in close combat, where martial classes with plenty of hit points will do you well.

QUOTE: Finally I’d like you to include a quote in your application from some outside source that somehow relates to your character. Don’t stress about this part too much, it’s more for fun than anything else and I won’t be judging anyone on the strength of their quote. Here’s a few examples:

• ”A trap is only a trap if you don’t know about it. If you know about it, it’s a challenge.” - China Mieville
• ”All moral principles are idle fallacies.” - Marquis de Sade
• ”The healthy man does not torture others - generally it is the tortured who in turn tortures.” - Carl Jung
• ”Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.” - Mae West

Perceived Heritage: Whoever identified you as a changeling also filled your head with tales of the many different kinds of hags. You’ve always believed yourself to be the child of a specific breed of hag, a suspicion which was confirmed when you developed the associated trait. Choose one of the following: annis hag, ash hag, blood hag, dreamthief hag, green hag, mute hag, night hag, sea hag, storm hag, winter hag.
Ability Scores: Your ability scores are determined by your heritage:

• Annis: +2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Con
• Ash: +2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Con
• Blood: +2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Int
• Dreamthief: +2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Wis
• Green: +2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Con
• Mute: +2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Con
• Night: +2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Dex
• Sea: +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Con
• Storm: +2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Con
• Winter: +2 Int, +2 Cha, -2 Con

Heritage Trait:

• Annis-born: +1 racial bonus on melee damage rolls.
• Ash-born: +1 racial bonus on damage rolls for spells with the fire descriptor. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 1st.
• Blood-born: The DCs of Sense Motive checks to gain a hunch about you increase by 5.
• Dreamthief-born: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
• Green-born: +2 racial bonus on Bluff checks against creatures that could be sexually attracted to you.
• Mute-born: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against gaze attacks.
• Night-born: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease.
• Sea-born: You can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to three times your Constitution modifier before you risk drowning.
• Storm-born: You are treated as two size categories larger for the purpose of resolving wind effects.
• Winter-born: +5 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks on icy or slippery surfaces.

Claws: Your fingernails are hard and sharp, granting two claw attacks (1d4 damage each).
Uncanny Senses: You have darkvision (60 ft.) and low-light vision.
Inhuman Defenses: You have a +1 natural armor bonus, Damage Reduction 2/??? (overcome condition is unknown to you), and Spell Resistance 6 + character level.
Quick to Learn: You gain a bonus feat.
Un-Called: Having yet to experience the call so late into your life has prevented you from exploring certain avenues to further your powers. You count as a human instead of a changeling for the purposes of qualifying for feats, traits, favored class options, etc.

Since birth, you’ve suffered from a striking and sometimes hindering deformity. Choose or roll a drawback from the following list.

1. The smallest three toes on each of your feet have fused together. You take a –2 penalty on Acrobatics, Climb, and Perform (dance) checks.
2. Your incisors grow so long and sharp that you have difficulty eating. Eating takes twice as long. Consuming a potion or other magical foodstuff requires a full-round action.
3. You have an extra digit on each hand, which hampers your fine motor skills. You take a –2 penalty on Craft, Disable Device, and Sleight of Hand checks.
4. Your limbs and torso are covered with piscine scales that you must constantly moisten. If more than 1 day passes without you applying at least a gallon of water to them, you take 1d3 points of damage each hour until you do so.
5. Your skin bears a sizable scarlet mark that flushes and lightens with your moods. You take a –2 penalty on Bluff and Disguise checks.
6. One of your eyes has grown enlarged and developed a pale, milky film. Daylight seems uncomfortably bright to you. You take a –2 penalty on saving throws against light-based spells and effects, and you are automatically dazzled for 1d6 rounds when exposed to bright light or sunlight.
7. The soles of your feet are flat, and you tire quickly. You can hustle for only a half hour before becoming fatigued, and every 4 hours spent traveling by foot in a day deals 1 point of Constitution damage.
8. Your already pallid complexion grows unusually sensitive to the rays of the sun. Exposure to direct sunlight for more than 1 hour at a time makes you sickened for 24 hours.
9. The tip of your tongue is forked and stiff. You have difficulty making yourself understood. You take a –2 penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Disguise checks to fool or persuade others.
10. The painful and stiff swelling of your joints puts you at a disadvantage in combat. You take a –2 penalty on combat maneuver checks and Escape Artist checks to free yourself when grappled or pinned.
11. Your ears have stretched to an abnormal size, making you overly sensitive to loud noises. Whenever you are dealt sonic damage, you take 1 additional point of damage, and you are deafened for 1 minute whenever you take damage from any sonic effect.
12. The pupils of your eyes resemble a cat’s, and beasts cannot abide your presence. You take a –2 penalty on Handle Animal and Ride checks.
13. You grow velvety-soft fur along your back, arms, and legs that chafes and catches under clothing and armor, increasing the armor check penalty of any armor by 1 and applying a –1 armor check penalty to ordinary clothing. Clothing and armor can be specially fitted for you, eliminating the increased penalty but increasing their price by 50 gp.
14. You grow an extra row of sharp, crooked teeth. The uneven set of your jaws gives you constant headaches. You take a –2 penalty on concentration checks and saving throws against pain effects.
15. It is nearly impossible to find armor that fits your concave chest and unusually narrow, sloping shoulders. The armor check penalty of any armor you wear increases by 1, and you take a –1 penalty to AC when wearing medium or heavy armor.
16. Your throat balloons out like a frog’s, and your voice comes out as an odd croak. You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks and on Perform (act, oratory, and sing) checks.
17. An oozing sore has developed on your face that refuses to heal and makes you more susceptible to illness. You take a –2 penalty on saving throws against disease.
18. Your flesh grows bark, and your major joints have become gnarled and knotted like tree limbs, causing you to move slowly and stiffly. You take a –2 penalty on Reflex saves.
19. Your thin, almost translucent skin is delicate and tears easily. You take 1 point of bleed damage from slashing attacks that deal at least 1 point of damage to you.
20. A massive patch of multicolored warts covers much of your face. People cannot help but stare, and they always remember you once they’ve seen you. You take a –4 penalty on Disguise checks.
21. Your unruly hair grows with alarming speed. If you do not spend 1 hour trimming and grooming your hair every 48 hours, it snarls in nearby foliage whenever you are outdoors, imposing a –2 penalty to your Armor Class and on attack rolls and Stealth checks.
22. Your limbs are thin and frail. You take a –2 penalty to CMD against disarm, grapple, and trip attempts.
23. Your bones shatter as easily as glass. You take 2 additional points of damage each time you are hit by an attack made with a bludgeoning weapon.
24. One arm is turning to stone, though you retain limited mobility. You take a –4 penalty on all skill checks requiring the use of two hands and on attack rolls when wielding a two-handed weapon or fighting with two weapons.
25. The joints in your unnaturally long thumbs have fused, and you often fumble objects. When you retrieve a stored item, you have a 10% chance of dropping it.
26. Your knees bend backward like a bird’s, which makes many athletic movements difficult to master. You take a –2 penalty on Climb and Swim checks, and your running speed is only three times your regular walking speed.
27. A tenacious patch of fungus has sprouted on your back, weakening your system against toxins. You take a –2 penalty on saves against poison effects.
28. Your misaligned eyes affect your ability to judge distances. You take a –2 penalty on ranged attack and damage rolls.
29. When you get flustered, heat builds up in your face until it glows with inner fire. You take a –4 penalty on Diplomacy and Perform checks when in the presence of 5 or more creatures.
30. Your ears curl up like dried leaves, and you experience difficulty picking up sounds. You take a –2 penalty on hearing-based Perception checks.
31. Your curving, claw like fingernails grow so long so quickly that they impede you in dangerous situations. You take a –2 penalty on Escape Artist and Sleight of Hand checks.
32. One of your legs measures noticeably longer than the other, and you lose your balance easily. You take a –2 penalty to CMD against bull rush and trip attempts.
33. Your eyes have swollen to mere slits. You take a –2 penalty on sight-based Perception checks.
34. You develop a shaggy pelt about your neck and shoulders that makes you overheat quickly. You take a –4 penalty on checks and saves to resist environmental heat effects.
35. You grow a tail that you can’t easily conceal and that thrashes violently at inconvenient moments. You take a –2 penalty on Disguise and Stealth checks.
36. You grow vestigial gills. While they grant you no ability to breathe in water, they make it harder for you to catch your breath. When you are fatigued, it takes 12 hours of complete rest to recover. When you are exhausted, it takes 2 hours of complete rest to become fatigued.

Note that some traits mention “friendships.” Regardless of whether you pick one of these traits, you’ll start the game with a certain number of friendships to represent your preexisting connections and contacts in the Blight. Friendships will be fleshed out after I have selected a character.

Almost Killed: You fell in a river, were hit by a runaway horse, fell from a tall building, or something else. Choose one of the following penalties: lose 5 ft. movement or permanently lose 1 point of Constitution. However, your instincts are sharper as a result, giving you +2 Dexterity and a +1 bonus on all Reflex saves. You have odd nightmares about the event that somehow manifest themselves in the dreams of others, who find it impossible to save you.
Trader’s Apprentice: A trader raised you. Choose a Profession skill and gain Skill Focus for that profession as a bonus feat. You also know the name of a banker in Castorhage who’d let you borrow up to 100 gp.
Mirror Marked: Whilst you were young, you suffered from recurring nightmares in which you were drawn through mirrors into a strange dreamscape. You gain Knowledge(???) as a class skill (to be reveal later in the campaign), as well as an insight into the real world about you, granting you a +1 to all Perception checks due to an uncanny sixth sense you’ve developed. Furthermore, you are deeply affected by the experience and cannot abide being near mirrors. Whenever within 20 ft. of a visible mirror or other strongly reflective surface (even water), you make all Will saves at –1.
Raised by Beer Slops: You were raised in the bars and taverns. Choose any Perform skill and consider it a class skill. You make all interaction checks with landlords or tavern owners (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate or Perform) with a +2 bonus.
Isolated Beauty: You are uncannily beautiful, even for a changeling, but many other children ignored you for it which caused you nightmares. Add +1 Charisma. Whenever you are in a situation where a colleague or friend is not within 60 ft. and you must make a Will save, you do so with a –1 penalty.
Choir Child: You have an incredible singing voice. You gain Perform (sing) as a class skill and Skill Focus. However, the brutality for perfection meted out on you has scarred you. You make all saving throws to avoid being shaken at –2.
Cliche Orphan: Cruel adopted parents raised you, and you left home early. You are independent, but a bit of a loner. You make all Diplomacy checks to influence attitude at –2, but gain the Toughness feat and a +1 bonus to all Will saves.
Devotee of Mother Grace: Very religious adopted family who found great solace in the order of things in the church of Mother Grace raised you. You gain Knowledge (religion) as a class skill, or gain a +2 bonus to Knowledge (religion) checks if you already have it as a class skill. Your inherent faith is strong and, once per day as a free action, you can utter a prayer to Mother Grace that grants you +1 bonus to any saving throw, skill check, or attack roll.
Educated: You were remarkably well-educated for a country child. You gain the Skilled ability as though you were a human.
Freakshow Touched: You were raised in a freak show that toured the countryside and have become quite the performer, adding one to your starting Charisma. However, in the tough backstage life you had, you were never fed enough; you make all saving throws against disease or exhaustion effects with a –2 penalty. The show has since disbanded but you developed an extra friendship with one of the acts, who has since sought their fortunes in the city.
Guild Child: You were raised by someone with guild connections and have a potential benefactor that you could call on in the city, granting you an extra friendship. Choose a Profession or Craft skill and consider it a class skill; if you already have those as class skills, gain a +2 bonus to one of your choosing.
Kissed by Angels: Despite the unfortunate circumstances of your birth, you seem to have been born with a natural magnetism. Cats sit in your lap, children stop crying and laugh when you enter a room, and frosty discussions thaw when you talk. You make all checks for Bluff, Diplomacy, and Perform, as well as any other such check your GM deems appropriate, as though your Charisma was 2 higher than it actually is. Some petty people find such lucky folk annoying, and become jealous of them, of course.
Shadow’s Friend: When younger, you used your natural darkvision to explore dark places. Your night vision is excellent, and you have an almost sixth sense when operating in darkness. You gain a +2 bonus to Perception checks when in dim light or less, and operate as though you had the uncanny dodge ability while in those lighting conditions. If you already have such an ability, it improves in such conditions. You find daylight unpleasant, and prefer to wear tinted lens when the sun is at its highest.
Mill Child: You spent much of your childhood working in an uncharacteristically large mill in the country. You are very adept at getting through small spaces. You consider Escape Artist as a class skill; if you already have access to it, you gain a +2 bonus to it. You also make all Acrobatics checks to move through threatened or enemy spaces with a +2 bonus.
Riverchild: You have grown up on the banks of the Lyme River, and frequently interacted with halfling boatfolk making their way to and from Castorhage. You gain a +2 bonus to Swim checks a +2 bonus to all checks for Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Perform when interacting with boatfolk, and gain Profession (sailor or boatman) as a class skill. You also gain River Cant as a bonus language.
Seventh Child of a Seventh Child: Your adopted mother was a seventh child who only bore six children and fate must’ve falsely believed you were her seventh. There is something decidedly odd about you; odd things happen around you, and occasionally unpredictable events occur — cats bristle and flee from you, plates fall on floors when you enter the room, or a clock strikes thirteen. This does not have a mechanical effect, but will be woven into the game from time to time. In addition one of your adopted siblings now lives in the city, acting as an extra friendship.
Dreams of the Depths: When young, you had constant nightmares about an unearthly ocean, and it had a profound and unsettling effect upon you. These dreamlike depths call to you, and you find it oddly consoling to have objects from there or even odd things from the mundane sea about your home or person. You gain the clerical Water domain granted abilities icicle and cold resistance at 6th level. You do not have the bonus spells unless you are a cleric with the Water domain, in which case you cast all domain spells at +1 to the DC of their saves. There is something oddly clammy and brackish about you.
Wicked Stepsisters: Wicked stepsisters who delighted in using you as little more than a slave raised you. You gain one of the following feats based on how you handled them. If you confronted them, gain Persuasive. If you often ran and hid from them, gain Fleet. If you tried to learn from them, gain Deceitful. A while ago they left for Castorhage to make their fortunes and meet their “prince charming,” so they must still be lurking somewhere in the city.