Deal with a devil... of sorts

[Alasaria]

I am looking for ideas on what could be used to bargain with a fey. I myself am a changeling with sponsored magic, I was told id be starting from a position of power, but I'd like to get some ideas down. If you need any information other than that feel free to ask. 

[Taran]

Welcome to the boards.

What kind of Fey?  Does your character have any background that could be used (first-born child?)

What is your character trying to acquire or get from the deal?

[Alasaria]

Has yet to be decided on what kind of fey I will ve interacting with. The DM wants me to roleplay finding one. It will be either winter or wyld since I am a winter changeling. So i guess assume aggressive in some regard. I am trying to get something akin to Bob. Im still trying to decide whether I will try to persuade it into inhabiting a vessel full time, or just using it when i invoke its name in a spell. Originally it was going to be me paying 2 shifts of power during a ritual to get the demonic co-pilot power where in this fey will inhabit the spell construct. The spell was originally wings made of ice. The demonic co-pilot bypasses the need for the wings ability (which is the spell itself) and a stunt for flying with crafted wings. Shortened backstory is at 15 i was taken to Faerie where my aunt who is a winter sidhe raised me (i was a servant) when eventually she offered me power in return for furthering her agenda in the mortal world.

[Sanctaphrax]

Welcome to the forum, Alasaria.

Anyway, pizza seemed to work pretty well for Harry. Chances are more powerful fae wouldn't be bought so easily, but they might still covet tokens of the mortal world. They're bound by various rules and principles, after all, which might make it difficult for them to obtain things we can get easily. Maybe there's a faerie bound to a forest somewhere who'd really like a proper house to live in and some books to read.

And of course favours are always an option.

[Alasaria]

Before I had posted on the forums i had gone through other posts and talked to a few friends about some ideas and as a joke one said find about 7 orphan kids and offer them up. At first I was like im supposed to be a good guy or atleast seem the good guy, after i got to thinking about it, humans are generally treated better than changelings in Faerie so yeah their orphans but theyd be taken care of. What are your thoughts on that? Also thank you both, Taran and Sanctaphrax, for the welcome.

[Sanctaphrax]

Treating human beings as possessions to be bought and sold is pretty immoral even if it doesn't hurt them.

And while there's a chance that living in Faerie might be an improvement for some kids, there's also a chance that they'll be used as food or worse.

[Alasaria]

True, id probably have to find some way to deliver them straight to my patron extracting an oath they were to be taken care of if i wanted it to be a good act. I mean my character would do it but id need a good reason to. It being a good act is not necessarily enough.

[Taran]

What is your patron's goals?  What is your character trying to get out of it?

The payment should fit the benefit.

Human lives are incredibly valuable.  And if you are doing so without consent, it is shady, despite a promise made by the patron.  And forcing a promise negates some of the leverage you get out of offering the orphans in the first place.

Now, if you could do something like Peter Pan and convince them that they'd have a better life(Lost Boys), that might be different...

[Quantus]

You could always make it a huge mistake on your character's part, something they are trying to live down or make up for moving forward. 

You said you are a Changeling, so a complicated home life is likely.  How old is your character?  I could see you having a Lea in your life and accidentally leading a group of kids to the slaughter.   Say a very young you was a run-away that had a run-in with a Fae, and against the odds made a bargain that came out OK.  Maybe you had leverage you didnt realize (casual Iron, sudden emergence of your own fae powers, etc), or maybe they know your Fae parent (for better or worse) or had some preexisting bargain that imposed limits (may they are your godparent, maybe they have a non-aggression pact with your fae parent, etc).  Whatever the details, your first experience was abnormally benign, leading you to a false sense of safety. 

Then when your Crew/Gang/Posse are in trouble, you go tot he nice magic person that helped you before, and the next thing you know you sold the Lives/souls/freedom/futures/dreams/memories/strength/whatever of those who had trusted you to lead them and keep them safe.  As their entrusted and empowered leader, you'd have more metaphysical right to bargain on their behalf than otherwise.  The Price should probably be equivalent and relevant to the sort of group it was and what they Entrusted (capital 'E') to you as their leader.  Maybe you promised to lead them to a better life and brighter future, and they all loose their Dreams and all motivation; maybe the streets were rough as hell and they trusted you to simply keep them alive day to day, then you'd have their very Lives in your hands.  Maybe most of them were addicts that you kept from falling off the deep end of addiction and were keeping their identities from unraveling, so they loose their Selves and go comatose.


Whatever the case, you made one defining mistake in paying for Power with People, and now are on a redemption path trying to make it worth while, or maybe get them fixed or free or something.  It would make for a hell of an interesting dynamic with your patron.