Autumn People are mortals who unknowingly devote themselves to the cause of Banality. Ironically, though the Autumn People don't know about and don't believe in changelings, they are some of the most dangerous and persistent of the enemies of the Dreaming.
Another sort of mortal that is especially dangerous to mortals, aren't really Autumn People. Cognoscenti are mortals that know of the existence of changelings and actively hunt them. They are usually well versed in faerie lore, and can spot all of the signs that their prey is near. Any successful Cognoscenti knows what they're up against, and prepares for it. They always kill with cold iron.
Some stereotypes of Autumn People are found below, but Banality comes in many guises and Autumn People are hardly limited to the types listed. Autumn People are detailed in The Autumn People.
The Over-Protective Mother: The Over-Protective Mother usually protects a specific charge or group of charges, but may extend her influence to other children as well, if they appear to be having too much fun. This Autumn Person stifles their charge, keeping them safe, but also keeping them from the beauty and wonder in the world. Over-Protective Mothers teach their prejudice against anything mythical and magical to their children.
The Restrictive Librarian: The Restrictive Librarian keeps their libararies neat, orderly, and deathly quiet. Their libraries become morose and slightly hostile environments, where anybody seeking any imaginative books will be driven away. Those who seek books with material that the Restrictive Librarian finds questionable are likely to be disappointed, as they have carefully hidden such books and replaced them with books of minimal interest, and such material tame enough to fall within the decidedly narrow limits of what the Restrictive Librarian considers "proper values".
The Minutia Maven: At first glance, the Minutia Maven seems to be eccentric enough to be considered imaginative, but the vastly small scope of their interest is a sign of their desire for a more limited world. The Minutia Maven has a very small area of interest that they pursue with a fierce fanaticism. These areas of interest are so small and trivial that no sane person would care about them, but they consume the world of the Maven. They might collect pennies, carefully checking to see where they were minted, and telling people who give them half a chance what the difference is. They often discuss this interest with others, as they naturally assume that everyone is as fascinated with the topic as they are.
The Crashing Bore: Consisting of usually two types, the Greater Bore usually forces their limited areas of interest (often alcohol, sex, or bad live-action roleplaying games) upon others around them, demanding that they participate. The Lesser Bore usually involve themselves in other people's activities, making them as unpleasant as possible. They are always rude, and usually very difficult to get rid of. Colleges around the world are full of them.
The Suit: The stereotypical success-minded businessman. The Suit will go on for hours about various business deals, 401K plans, and God forbid that one of them is marketing a product for you. Some Suits are able to set aside their ethics and morals for the sake of serving a wealthy company. Others have no particular conscience to worry about. Obsessed with success at any price, the Suit has already sold their soul, and they're usually scouting around for a good price on yours.
Different from Cognoscenti and Autumn People, the Dauntain are the most dangerous hunters of changelings because they are changelings themselves. How they fell into the trap of Banality differs for each type (called "Dooms"), but each one is a story of something that can happen to unwary changelings. The Dauntain is the most frightening enemy, not only because they are the most lethal; the Dauntain is the enemy that you may yet become.
The Dooms of the Dauntain are presented here. The Dauntain, and their powers of Banality, are detailed in The Autumn People.
Apostates: The religious fanatics of the Dauntain, the Apostates believe that the way to Arcadia is through the Undoing. Only then is the fae soul free to return, completely severed from its mortal existence. The Apostate has taken it upon themselves to save the other fae by causing them to be Undone, thus returning them to Arcadia. All things of Glamour on Earth should succumb to Banality, as it is not the enemy, as most changelings suppose, but the instrument of salvation. The appearance of the Apostate is that of a wild-eyed fanatic.
Black Magicians: The Black Magicians have chosen the path of Banality out of a desire for power. Many of them have realized that Banality holds power as well as Glamour, and for one reason or another, they have decided to embrace this power. The Black Magician never gets all of the power they seek before the Banality they have embraced destroys them, but they always feel that they are near their goal. The fae mien of the Black Magician is sinister and menacing, with shadows looming about them, and a foreboding tone to their voice that has even brave Kithain shivering at the sound.
The Cursed: These are changelings that hate an enemy so deeply that they have sworn the most vile of all fae oaths, the Oath of the Undoing, against them. This oath sets them on the path of Banality, as they have sworn to first Undo their enemy and then to slay them with cold iron. To turn back is to become oathbroken, so the Cursed is a Dauntain that has truly doomed themselves. The fae mien of a Cursed Dauntain is truly frightening: their teeth and fingernails become wicked fangs and claws, their eyes flash dangerously, and they are filled with a violent energy and a tangible hatred. For them, Banality is not a cold dead thing, but alive and burning with rage.
The Lost: The Lost has fallen to Banality by the simple denial of their fae nature. When first undergoing the Chrysalis, some changelings do not have anyone to help them through what they are experiencing, and many choose not to accept it. Writing it off as some sort of drug trip, or delusion, they become bent on destroying anything that threatens their belief system. Usually able to spot other changelings, but believing them to be delusional, the Lost becomes one of the most dangerous hunters, seeking to have changelings Undone for their own good. Many Lost Dauntain do not have a fae seeming at all, it having long ago withered away. Those that do will look like famine victims, looking more and more emaciated and sick with each changeling they "cure", until they are Undone.
Nihilists: The Nihilist is the Dauntain that remains unaware of the damage they cause. The hunter that does not conciously hunt. Nihilists have seen the encroaching Banality coming, and decided that it wasn't worth fighting against. Having given up, they wait and fall deeper into despair, infecting areas around them with Banality. A Nihilist might have the damage they have caused pointed out to them, but this may only drive their depression even more. The Nihilist grows smaller within their fae mien, seeming harmless and withdrawn to other Kithain, except for the aura of despair that infects those that approach them.
Typhoids: Typhoids become infected by Banality, often through no fault of their own but just by misfortune or the actions of others. These Dauntain are victims as much as they are predators. The most common form of Banality infection is through prolonged contact with Autumn People, though it can come through having their Glamour destroyed by a Dauntain or banal chimera, or through ingesting a vampire's blood. A Typhoid's fae mien varies depending on what the source of their infection was, and tends to make them resemble that source.
Burnout: This power is used to block out certain thoughts and feelings. It may also be used to instill some banal desires.
Stultify: This Agenda can alter the target's perceptions in order to immerse them into a banal mindset.
Webcraft: This power strengthens conformity and stasis. Due to a printing error, Webcraft was left out of The Autumn People but was printed in Changeling Player's Guide.
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Agendas might be considered "banal Arts", in that they are powers that Dauntain use to further the cause of Banality. There are three Agendas: Burnout, Stultify and Webcraft.
*Mindblock. Causes the target's mind to block out one topic of the user's choice, making them to forget a skill or causing them to be unable to think about a subject that normally interests them.
**Heartbind. Makes the target unable to feel one positive emotion.
***Obsession. Makes the target become obsessed with some normally boring activity.
****Acquisition. Causes the target to become obsessed with collecting samples of one specific type of object, something very limited in scope.
*****Geek Out. Makes the target lose interest in something they were greatly interested in, and replaces the interest with an enormously dull or obnoxious hobby.
*Rosetint. Makes the target to suddenly change their minds about any one subject they had previously hated. They will not only find value in the subject, but they will try to persuade others to come around to their newfound viewpoint.
**Dull Impulse. One dull task will become the focus of the target's attention for while the Agenda lasts. They can do other things during this time, but will resist attempts to deter them from performing their primary duty.
***Proselytize. Like Dull Impulse, but now the target will try to get others to join them in their banal activity. If enough others join in, the effect could be expanded to include ideas and loyalties, rather than simple tasks.
****Procedural Addiction. Causes the target to become fascinated with how an activity is accomplished to the point that they analyze every step in painstaking detail. The task takes twice as long to perform, and the target may have to recite each step as it is completed.
*****Micro-Management. Causes the target to create minutely detailed routines for everything, and then teach the procedures to others.
*Weave Web. Allows the user to make a substance physically stronger and more resilient.
**Overwhelming Wincing. The caster can become so overwhelmingly dull that they can actually cause physical discomfort in others.
***Warp Will. The user undertakes an activity that causes those around them to become extremely bored, reducing their Willpower or Glamour.
****Wend Your Way. The caster makes any one process so complicated that others can't figure out what he's doing, and they become easily distracted from it.
*****Cry "Woof". The caster may summon a Weaver Spirit (see Werewolf: The Apocalypse Second Edition or Mage: The Ascension Second Edition for details on Weaver Spirits).
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