Ancient and Accepted Order of Bridge Masons

Requirements: Wyrd 2+, Crafts 3+, Crafts Specialty: Construction

Origin tales:


 * 1) A long time ago, there was a large group of changelings that ran from Arcadia. Yet they found they could not escape to Earth for the Gentry had placed too many traps and barriers on the ground of the Hedge. The first of the soon-to-be bridgemasons took the items of Arcadia and forged them into materials that would stay in the air regardless of gravity and began to build a great bronze bridge across the Hedge Sky. When they got half way across, they ran out of the materials and instead forged themselves into the bridge so the others could escape. The Bronze Bridge collapsed after they made it nearly to earth and so the mastercraftsmen perished along with it, but the survivors took their teaching and forged bronze rings for themselves from the original bridge, which the Bridgemasons wear to this day.
 * 2) One of the Gentry once stole a mason and ordered him to build a fortress. As he worked, he waited until the Gentry was asleep and then built the fortress around his Lord, sealing him in. Knowing this would not be enough, he then twisted the first fortress he built to have many hidden places and in one he stored the still sleeping Lord.
 * 3) While it is the threat of the Gentry changelings fear, the armies of humans once sieged a freehold. The first bridgemason opened many hidden doors to the Hedge, then twisted their destination so that hidden places inside the fortress could keep them safe from the mortals without risking the hedge.

Legends:


 * 1) In the Middle Ages, the Bridgemasons built prisons for the Lost. Freeholds cast their traitors and intolerable madmen inside jails worked from bare rock and (as it cannot be Wyrdbuilt into place) hand-bolted cold iron. The so-called Wyrd Gaols are ruins now, filled with stone wreckage, rotted wood and sinister tales. The Wyrd's touch lingers; it changes animals and desperate people who live in the ruins. In the shadow of an old Wyrd Gaol, there are always rumors of talking foxes, sinister trees and witches' huts.
 * 2) Some of the Gravewights tell a story they learned from the Ghosts. That in the underworld there is no sky, just an endless series of caves. And in these caves there is a portal to the hedge. Long ago it was said the True Fae would rob even the souls of the dead for slaves through this gate until a Bridgemason found it. They dedicated their life to building the Fortress in the Eye of Time so no more of the Dead could be taken. The Dead now man the walls, though they remember the Bridgemasons and still have a debt to be called in.
 * 3) Once there was a Bridgemason who wished to build a wall around Arcadia. He recruited many motelys to help defend his creation as he worked. In the end it was not possible to do in his lifetime, but if you approach Arcadia the right way you might find the wall still standing in defiance of the Gentry,

What We Do in the Shadows:

A Bridgemason is a changeling who has focused on mastering the Arcane power of Wyrdbuilding. They know how to call upon the Wyrd to help them shape objects much like how Wyrdshaping can be done on the Hedge. Many believe the original skills come from learning how trods were built and there is some overlap. However, the Bridgemason has turned their talents to the art of building fortresses and homes for the Lost.

Many of the Lost come back from Arcadia with nothing. A fetch took over their life, everyone thinks they are dead, or even years have passed throwing all they had to the wind. A Bridgemason can offer an alternative to living in a basic Hollow by building elaborate structures to suit the unique needs of their clients. The true power is when they do it on Earth, though their tricks must be hidden from mortal eyes. This has led to an air of secrecy for owners of such treasures, who are very careful to let only trusted allies see the true wonder of their home.

The Bridgemason’s final use is in War. The ability to quickly build a fortress before an army arrives is very useful. Even on Earth, their ability to leave hidden doors and openings throughout a changeling’s abode means that they can retreat from angry mobs or armies safely, or at least safer.

Mask & Mein:

Bridgemasons tend to dress with an eye for the job, wearing whatever a normal carpenter might wear at their job. In the modern world this would mean overalls, gloves and a tool belt, but a middle ages Bridgemason would wear a blacksmith’s apron and protective gear for the forge or a laborer’s outfit.

A Bridgemason is big. Even if they were small or slender, once they take on the position of a Bridgemason they begin to grow taller, broader, with more defined or bulging muscles. What separates them from other strong changelings is their hands grow and take on a stony exterior. Despite their look, their fingers are as nimble and sure as ever. It is traditional to wear their bronze ring on their left hand.

Bequeathal:

Bridgemasons tend to be very active when it comes to recruiting but only to a point. They encourage changelings to learn the necessary skills to do the job but they keep their numbers to a hard limit. They try to keep no more than three to a freehold and the previous Bridgemason’s token ring is passed down to the next Bridgemason when they join.

Heraldry:
Token: The Bronze Ring [1-5]
 * This ring looks like a slightly tarnished bronze ring with faint tracing on the outside. Once activated, the ring shines faintly in the light and the tracery appears to be writing in an unknown language. This token, upon activation, allows the Bridgemason to add special features up to their token rating to a structure they are in the process of building.


 * These features are:


 * Secret Passage - This allows you to link two rooms to one another that have no business being linked. You work around details like plumbing and load bearing walls.
 * Bigger on the Inside - Allows you to maximize the space of any enclosed area to be about 25% larger than it should be.
 * Pool on the Roof - This allows you to place a feature in a location that is not architecturally sound with no negative repercussions.
 * Off the Grid - Whether it's a natural gas line, a geothermal generator or solar panels, your building just works when it comes to utilities and requires no money/paperwork to maintain.
 * Panic Room - There is a room somewhere in the structure that is reinforced, has a blast door, supplies to last two weeks at minimum, and supplies of oxygen in case things really go wrong. The panic room is built for a single person; adding more people reduces the length you can hide there.
 * Luxurious - The furniture, carpets/floors, and items are top of the line and are extremely comfortable. There is always a tiny flaw in the materials; the bed is slightly too warm or you can’t find the perfect spot to sit on the sofa, but it's still miles above anything else.
 * All features must be in the structure being built.


 * This token can be used in both the Human World and the Hedge.


 * Catch: The Bridgemason is working alone or with other Bridgemasons. If this changes during construction, the glamour cost must be paid.


 * Drawback: The building has some trivial flaw that marks it as supernatural to the correct set of eyes. A successful Intelligence + Crafts roll by someone with the Changeling Specialty in Occult may give this building away for what it is.

Blessings


 * [1] This blessing lets the changeling regain 1 Glamour whenever she regains Willpower through her Needle in direct pursuit of her role. She may spend the Glamour immediately on anything she likes or store it in her heraldry token for later use. The token can store up to her Wyrd in Glamour. If she can neither spend nor store it, it’s lost. All stored Glamour empties at the end of the story.


 * [1] Choose one of the following specialties: Crafts (Masonry, Carpentry, Architecture), or Investigation (Hidden Rooms, Mazes)


 * [1] Additional Thread.


 * [1] Bridgemasons work alone or in groups. Every hour, one Bridgemason can complete Wyrd x 4 Size points of construction at the cost of 1 point of Glamour. The building (or other construction) must touch bare earth or natural rock. He has to have all the required materials on hand, though exact sizes and shapes aren't necessary. His power can bend and cut sections with precision. He doesn't need any tools, but he needs to know how to build his project. For complex constructions, this requires an extended Intelligence + Crafts roll based on the difficulty of the project, just as if he was a normal foreman. An engineer or architect can assist with detailed plans, providing up to half of the necessary successes. Bridgemasons can take breaks in the midst of construction, but must always work continuously for at least an hour at a time.
 * Bridgemasons can also use Wyrdbuilding to alter or destroy existing constructions at the same rate as they can build them, though faster demolitions (still taking no less than an hour) might work if the character targets a vulnerable point.


 * No mortal can witness the construction process, even via photographs or video, or else it fails. Once a witness sees the process, the project erodes at the rate of 20 Size points per hour, regardless of Structure or Durability. This nullifies work in progress. If a mortal sees how a Wyrdbuilt construction was put together after the fact the whole thing gradually falls apart; examination reveals perfectly normal (though at times, unlikely) flaws in construction.


 * Wyrdbuilding can't be used to construct anything out of cold iron.


 * (Conditional)


 * [1] Stone Sense: When entering a building for the first time a Bridgemason automatically is aware of the existence of any hidden rooms. They may not be aware of how to access them or where they are but they receive a +5 bonus on finding and accessing them.

Touchstone: A craftsman of some kind whose art has lost relevance

Clarity Curse: Clarity attacks suffered while Wyrdbuilding for the sake of one's self or other Bridgemasons damage dice equal to ranks invested in this Merit.

WP: Once a scene, gain a WP when you use Wyrd Building for a mortal.