There was a deep fear that the faeries would snatch away a child or a relative and replace them with one of their own, an imposter. The belief was so strong and the fear so deep that it sometimes even led to the murder of children or relatives who were thought to be changelings.
Weaknesses. Connection to their mother – Killing a mother changeling will cause its children to die instantly. Fire – Setting a changeling on fire will kill it. Mirrors – A changeling's true form is revealed in a mirror.
Changelings were fairies who had been left in place of a human child or baby who had been stolen by the fairies. The child was taken for one of three reasons; to act as a servant, for the fairies to receive the love of a human child, or for malice/revenge.
The changelings left by the Mamuna were said to have a noticeably different appearance; an abnormally large abdomen, unusually small or large head, a hump, thin arms and legs, a hairy body, and long claws. Mamuna changelings would also get their first set of teeth prematurely compared to a human baby.
They have large colorless eyes circled by thick black rings. Their hair color is most commonly a light shade of silver followed by platinum and blonde. In rarer cases, their hair can be pale shades of green, pink, and blue. Similar to elves, changelings lack body and facial hair.
Changelings born from two changeling parents are born in their natural form: pale, slender, with colorless eyes and white hair.
By RAW changelings revert when they DIE but not when they are unconscious (it would be hard to maintain a long term masquerade if you revert when you sleep!). I bet suggested that a piece of a Changeling — such as cut hair — WILL revert, but that this is slow and may take up to 24 hours.
Changelings don't inherently recognize each other. If they don't want to be recognized then when they do something suspicious it would be an insight check against the changelings deception, which the changeling has advantage on. A changeling could have expertise in insight from divergent persona.
Powers & Abilities
In their human forms, the Changelings also appear to be immune to the effect of sunlight just like Stalklings, regardless if they are in their troll forms as well, thus making them the perfect spies for the Gumm-Gumms.
A changeling's true form is revealed in a mirror. Fire - Setting a changeling on fire will kill it.
Changeling blood is green, unlike most other animals. Changelings, despite their thinly and seemingly fragile frame, are capable of surviving otherwise fatal injuries thanks to their magical abilities.
The true form of a changeling is a bit paler than a typical human with slightly elongated limbs. Their eyes are colorless and ringed by black as pictured in the artwork above by Julia Zhuravleva. They have no body hair, but the hair on their head can be platinum, white, or silver.
The Gift of Water is the blessing of the Waterborn. The changelings blessed with it can spend one point of Glamour to allow the changeling to breathe underwater and swim at a terrific rate (equal to twice the character's Speed rating) for the rest of the scene.
The short version is that a Changeling can shapeshift to a form that can produce sperm to impregnate someone, and can shapeshift to a form with a uterus and eggs to get pregnant, but a pregnant Changeling cannot shapechange to a form without a uterus without ending the pregnancy.
As for being tattooed, changelings can definitely be tattooed, and they can just as easily erase the tattoo with a moment's thought.
Changeling Traits
Age: Changelings reach adulthood at the age of 16. Their fey heritage allows them to live much longer than humans, up to 200 years.
Most changelings don't know they're changelings.
Though they may always feel somewhat different or removed from human life, most changelings are too young to understand who they truly are.
Unlike doppelgangers, which are entirely genderless, a changeling does have a default gender that manifests in adolescence, but each changeling can adapt his or her form to be of either gender, hermaphroditic (both genders simultaneously), or entirely genderless.
When the human part of a changeling dies (Banal Death), the fae self may live on, but that changeling will never come into existence again. Commoners are reborn into another human host who has a different appearance and upbringing from the previous mortal seeming.
A changeling can eliminate or add traditional physical disfigurements - such as scars or birthmarks - when changing shape.
Changelings are a species of elf-like demons with pale skin and pointy ears. They are connected to the forests in which they dwell. Changelings are known to place their young in the homes of mortals so they can grow up in safety.
Changeling Appearance
Their true skin is usually grey or pale white, and their facial features are blank slates to an unnerving degree. They're typically thin and gaunt, and their hair is usually silvery with an occasional green or pink tint.
Appearance. In their true form, or their form "at rest", changelings have pale skin, colorless eyes that can be completely white or completely black, and white or silver-white hair.
Languages: Changelings begin play speaking the primary language of their host society and Common. Changelings who have high Intelligence scores can choose from among the following bonus languages: Aklo, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Orc.