Changeling

Changeling is a major character and protagonist in World of Rayne. He was not a part of the original cast but came into being in mid-2009, about a year after the story was developed. Since then, he has continued to be fleshed out and developed, especially after his appearance in Fire the Canons.

Biography

Changeling was created for an outdated method of obtaining sacrifices to Tsoriken Aname. About twenty years before the beginning of the story, Hent's magicians used a complicated spell and ritual granted by Aname to conjure changelings. These false doubles would be placed in the homes of woodland elves or occasionally fire elves, replacing babies who would then be used as sacrifices. These changelings were all found out sooner or later, either due to their distinctive eyes or their abnormal behavior--except for Changeling himself.

Changeling was meant to replace Akyro when he was two years old, however, when the time came Akyro's brother used Azene's Prayer (granted for the death of their father) to send the changeling away. It managed to survive long enough to be found by a patrolling Malentian soldier and brought back to Hent. Impressed by the young changeling's tenacity, Hent kept him as an apprentice and henchman, calling him only by the name of Changeling.

Hent raised Changeling on bloodshed and torture. He taught him from a young age to kill stealthily and began using him as his most prized assassin when Changeling was only thirteen. Now, Changeling is known and feared across most of Talaea; Hent used him strategically to impress his strength and mercilessness upon as many people as possible.

At the beginning of World of Rayne, Changeling is completely accustomed to regular abuse of all types, and has little choice but to use his expert skills for Hent's every whim, as the king holds Changeling's secrets over his head as leverage. When Rayne arrives, however, Changeling is caught off-guard at how much she knows about him. A mixture of anxiety and curiosity draws her to him and he is unable to kill her. Over the weeks of intermittent meetings as he stalks her and Akyro to Asensio, he slowly falls in love--an emotion he was led to believe he was incapable of feeling.

Appearance

Changeling looks almost identical to Akyro, with subtle--yet very noticeable--distinctions. He is lithe and wiry, every muscle trained for stealth. While his haircut is similar, Changeling has one long, thin braid identifying his many years of military service to Hent. All officers have the same kind of braid. Changeling also possesses the eyes of his kind instead of woodland elf eyes--black with lurid blue irises. Perhaps most notable of all is his expression and mannerisms. A lifetime of abuse has taught him to reign in his emotions completely, making him a mask of indifference and cruelty.

When in public, Changeling always wears a long, sleeveless black cloak over the rest of his clothing, hiding his body. He also wears a distinctive white collar identifying his service to Hent. These collars are also used as traps; each has a thread of magic attached to a barrier around Hent's palace, and if a servant tries to leave without permission, the collar will contract and strangle them on the spot.

Changeling has woodland elf anatomy because he is a virtual copy of Akyro, so he possesses many woodland traits, such as the markings on his face, a lack of body hair, and a heightened sense of hearing.

He has a myriad of scars on his back and thighs, from Hent's abuse.

Trivia

• Because he was created with the body of a two-year-old, Changeling is technically two years younger than he looks at any given time--at age 25, he has only really lived for 23 years, and so on.
• Rayne gave Changeling the name "Talimoriram", or "Tali" for short, meaning "love and light in the dark". The shortened version is also wordplay meaning "walking light".