The World of Abadonya

Born Between Two Worlds

In Abadonya, changelings are most strongly associated with Eirlyn, where ancient forest roads, isolated cottages, misted groves, and forgotten ruins provide many places for hags to hide beyond the notice of ordinary folk.

A changeling is usually raised by a mortal family and may know nothing of her true parentage. Some are found abandoned at a threshold, while others are born into households touched by bargains, enchantment, deception, or circumstances that no one fully understands.

Most appear nearly human or resemble the mortal side of their ancestry, but there are signs: unusually pale skin, dark hair, mismatched eyes, long limbs, and an uncanny beauty that can make strangers feel they are looking at someone both familiar and subtly wrong.

The Whisper Beyond the Trees

As a changeling reaches adolescence, many begin to hear what Eirlyn folklore simply calls the Call. It may come as a voice in dreams, a melody heard only in the deep woods, a familiar whisper behind running water, or an overwhelming certainty that someone is waiting.

The Call does not force obedience. A changeling can resist it, flee from it, investigate it, or spend a lifetime trying to understand it. Those who follow may discover the hag who gave birth to them—or something wearing the shape of that truth.

Eirlyn communities that know the old stories often treat the first signs of the Call seriously. Some families hide their daughters, some seek druids or priests for guidance, and some encourage the changeling to confront the mystery before it becomes stronger.

Raised by Others

Changelings have no single nation or unified culture. Their values are usually shaped by the people who raise them. An Eirlyn changeling might grow up among humans, elves, half-elves, halflings, or another local community and may consider that culture wholly her own.

Even so, discovering hag ancestry can create a powerful identity crisis. Some changelings fear becoming like their mothers. Others become obsessed with learning what they are. A few embrace the strange powers in their blood while deliberately rejecting the cruelty often associated with hags.

Because of their uncertain origins, changelings often place great importance on chosen family. To many, the people who raised, protected, and stood beside them matter far more than blood.

A Life Defined by Choice

Abadonya's changelings frequently become adventurers because remaining in one place makes the Call harder to ignore. Travel offers answers, distance, or both.

Some seek druids, witches, clerics, or scholars who understand old magic. Others hunt hags, protect children from the same fate, or search Eirlyn's forgotten places for records of their ancestry. Witches, oracles, rogues, rangers, sorcerers, druids, and investigators are common paths, though changelings may follow any class.

Faith varies widely. Some turn to Trentula for protection in the wild places of Eirlyn; others seek Seraphim's light as a deliberate rejection of darker ancestry. Still others distrust divine judgment entirely and rely on their own choices to determine who they become.

Standard Pathfinder 1e Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: Changelings gain +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, and –2 Constitution.

Size: Changelings are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to size.

Type: Changelings are humanoids with the changeling subtype.

Base Speed: Changelings have a base speed of 30 feet.

Languages: Changelings begin play speaking Common and the primary language of their host society. Changelings with high Intelligence scores can choose Aklo, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Orc as bonus languages.

Natural Armor: Changelings gain a +1 natural armor bonus.

Claws: A changeling has two claw attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage each.

Darkvision: Changelings have darkvision 60 feet.

Hag Heritage

A changeling inherits one of the following racial traits based on her mother's hag type:

Hulking Changeling (Annis Hag): +1 racial bonus on melee damage.

Pyrophile (Ash Hag): +1 racial bonus on damage rolls with spells that have the fire descriptor. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 1st.

Green Widow (Green Hag): +2 racial bonus on Bluff checks against creatures sexually attracted to her.

Sea Lungs (Sea Hag): May hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to three times her Constitution score before risking drowning.

Gaze Blindness (Mute Hag): +2 racial bonus on saving throws against gaze attacks.

Heartstone Heritor (Night Hag): +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease.

Ice Climber (Winter Hag): +5 racial bonus on Climb checks on icy or slippery surfaces.

Inscrutable (Blood Hag): The Sense Motive DC to gain a hunch about the changeling increases by 5.

Wind Breaker (Storm Hag): Treated as two size categories larger when resolving wind effects.

These are the standard Pathfinder 1e changeling racial traits presented by d20PFSRD. The Abadonya material on this page changes only setting lore and does not alter these mechanics.

The Hidden Daughters of the Eternal Woods

Eirlyn is the region most strongly associated with changelings in Abadonya. Its enormous forests contain isolated households, old magical bloodlines, hidden hag territories, and communities far enough from one another that unusual births and disappearances can remain unexplained for generations.

Not every changeling in Eirlyn grows up in fear. Some villages know exactly what a changeling is and choose to raise her openly. Others hide the truth until the Call begins. A few old families have quietly protected changeling daughters for generations, believing that ancestry is not destiny.

Among those communities, a common saying is that blood may tell you where a road began, but not where it must end.

Return to the Races of Abadonya index to browse other ancestries.