"Tish!" Nikodemus said, smacking his lips in irritation.<br/>"I'm not made of glass, I'm just old. Discussions like these is the only exercise I get these days, do you really think I would miss it just because I might be a bit sleepy?"<br/>Ember could feel Pylea gently squeeze her arm, and in the corner of her eye she could see her friend give her a discrete wink. Ember got the message, this rebuke was all bark and no bite, just the rumbling of an old man frustrated with the betrayal of his own body and not something one should take personally. And sure enough, Nikodemus was his old, pleasant self in the wink of an eye.<br/>"Speaking of people made of glass, let's touch upon Elementals for a bit. I have mentioned Elementals and Ogres before, so I will just talk about them briefly."<br/>"Elementals are the Changelings most changed by their Durance, at least when it comes to physical change. Their bodies are primordial elemental forces made flesh. Remember that they are creatures of flesh and blood though, no matter how they look. An Elemental with skin of marble or gleaming steel may or may not be more resilient to injuries, but if you do manage to prick them they will bleed." Pylea nodded vigorously.<br/>"We sure do. I banged my head once and I was quite shocked, let me tell you! It looked like glowing, molten lava, but it was blood sure enough." Nikodemus nodded.<br/>"Yes, the change to Pylea's blood is cosmetic only. An Ironskin's blood might be slow flowing and the color of rust, and a Treeskin's blood might look like sap. But despite this, they aren't that different from the rest of us. What sets them appart is their kinship with their patron element. Pylea can feel Fire whisper to her, even when not using a Contract.  But the cost for this seems to be a decreased ability to read creatures of flesh and blood, which might explain why Pylea can't seem to help putting her foot in her mouth all the time."<br/>Nikodemus smiled at the beautiful Elemental, as if to say he loved her just as she was, shortcomings and all.<br/>"What to say about Ogres? I think you have understood by now what's the main thing to remember when dealing with Ogres, or any Changeling for that matter: appearances can be deceiving. Many of our most revered defenders have been Ogres, their bodies do give them a decisive advantage when it comes to physical activities."<br/>"Tell me about it!" Pylea giggled. "You wouldn't think it, but some of them can be quite yummie, especially if you have a thing for bad boys."<br/>Nikodemus rolled his eyes and sighed.<br/>"Thank you Pylea for that enlightening insight. It will be invaluable information for Ember, I'm sure."<br/>The old goat was clearly being sarcastic, but Ember could tell by Pylea's grin that her friend did indeed consider this information extremely valuable.<br/>"What to talk about next, I wonder? Oh yes. The Darklings."<br/>Ember could see Pylea shiver as Nikodemus spoke, as if the mere mentioning of Darklings brought back frightening memories. But she could tell that just as with kids telling ghost stories around the campfire Pylea's fright wasn't entirely unpleasant.<br/>"Darklings are the boogiemen of myth, the things that go bump in the night, the monster hiding in your closet or under your bed. While they actually rarely skulk around in people's homes like that, it is reasonable to assume that they once were those very kids who no one believed when they swore there were a monster living under their bed."<br/>Nikodemus coughed and Pylea quickly offered him a mug of water which he accepted with a grateful smile.<br/>"Not every Darkling is abducted as a child, of course. Those taken as adults are often abducted as punishment for some rule or law they supposedly have broken. Claiming ignorance is always useless, it is as if the Gentry is just looking for ways to justify their abuse."<br/>"The one thing all Darklings have in common is their kinship with the night, with darkness and shadow. They seem to favor dark, possibly underground, places. They are among the stealthiest of our kind, able to slip in and out of people's homes with no one the wiser."<br/>Nikodemus locked eyes with Ember, giving her a somewhat more serious look than usuall.<br/>"I trust you have learned enough by now to not mistake an affinity for darkness with an affinity for evil?"<br/>When Nikodemus was satisfied with her response he moved on to the last of the Seemings.<br/>"Last, but not least, are the Wizened. They are often overlooked, they tend to blend into the background, both by choice and by being dismissed by Changelings who doesn't know better. No wonder then that they have a reputation for being foul-tempered and grumpy."<br/>Nikodemus stared up at the ceiling, as if his thoughts were somewhere else, but he never skipped a beat. His role as teacher was obviously so dear to him that he could lecture for hours with only a minimum of concentration.<br/>"One thing few seem to realize about the Gentry is that they are static creatures, they never change. Oh I know what you are thinking, old Nikodemus has obviously gone a little soft in his head. How could he claim that such mercurial creatures as the Fae never change? Valid points, but I stick to my previous statement. Sure, a Fae lord might find it amusing to play a benevolent angel for a decade or two, or change his appearance and behavior in some other way, but that is not true change. It's merely play acting, their core remain the same and sooner or later they will grow bored with the game and their new toys. Then the flock of the "angel" are in for a nasty surprise."<br/>"The reason why they never change is that they lack the imagination for it. From what I can tell the Gentry are incapable of having a single original thought. Yes, I can hear you protest again, the Gentry don't seem to lack imagination when it comes to coming up with new inventive ways to torment their captives, right? Well...they may lack imagination, but they are more or less eternal, and they are quick learners. Over time they are bound to amass a vast store of cruelties to draw from. Where did they learn it though? The answer isn't a comfortable one, for I believe the answer is...us."<br/>Nikodemus paused for effect, a wave of sadness seemed to grip him and made him look more ancient than ever.<br/>"It isn't as if the Gentry has monopoly on cruelty, is it? No, humans seem to do well in that area to, and has done so throughout recorded history."<br/>Nikodemus frowned as he seemed to lose his train of thoughts.<br/>"What were we talking about? Oh yes, the Wizened. We are getting there, although I am admitably doing it in a rather round about fashion."<br/>"Because they are incapable of original thoughts, the Gentry are also unable to create. Sure, they can try, and often do, but the result is always the same. Their creations are always flawed in some way. The song they wrote might've had a lot of potential if not for those hollow notes that keep grating on your nerves. The statue they carve out of an exquisite block of marble is a true masterpiece...until one uncarefull hammerblow cracks it from top to bottom. This is of course a source of great frustration for the True Fae, and here is where the Wizened come in."<br/>"The Lords and Ladies of the Fae is as greedy as humans, they desire beautiful clothes, jewelry and other things that help them display their wealth and status. What do you do if you can't make these things for yourself? To the Fae the answer is an easy one: you get someone who can. The Wizened are mortals who are abducted for their artisan skills, or ordinary people who better learn a craft quickly if they want to survive. The Wizened are the forced labourers of Arcadia, the smiths, the cooks, the tailors, the brewers, the artists and poets. Some have even less glamorous living conditions, forced to sweep floors and wash mountains of dishes with the scraps from their master's table as their only reward."<br/>The sad look on Nikodemus' face told Ember that he considered the Durance of the Wizened a particularly bleak one.<br/>"In time they get supernaturally skilled at what they do, and not only what we normally consider a craft. At one of the hospitals in New York works a Wizened Chirurgeon who can work with flesh and bone as if they were made of clay. He would even put the good doctor Frankenstein to shame!"<br/>As jokes went it wasn't even a particularly funny one, but the girls couldn't help but smile, though it had more to do with the fact that the old goat had made an effort at all.<br/>"Many Wizened have a foul mood, they are grumpy and quick to take offence. Many seem to suffer from some sort of inferiority complex and interpret the things you say in the worst way possible, viewing your actions through eyes clouded with suspicion. Sadly, they have some grounds for their suspicions. They tend to be overlooked by the other Seemings, as do their contribution to Changeling society. Often you don't even notice they are there, blending into the background but hearing everything that is said. You could do a lot worse than a Wizened as your source of information. Quite a few of them are also unnaturally small in stature, no doubt the source of the stories about gnomes, dwarfs, gremlins and imps in human folklore."<br/>Nikodemus shrugged.<br/>"They can be difficult to deal with, but it's often worth it. Getting one of them to trust you is no small feat, but if you manage it you most likely have a friend for life. But be wary of crossing them. They do not forget. No one can bear a grudge as a Wizened."<br/>Nikodemus smiled a gentle smile. It was easy to see that he loved his Changeling brothers and sisters, flawed as they may be. As for Ember, she was starting to realize just how rich and wondrous this new world that was opening up for her really was. But would it be worth the prize, the loss of her mortal life and all memories of her past life? Time would tell.<br/>"Time for us to let the old Goat rest, I think," Pylea whispered. "If you have any more questions you better ask them now, he'll be asleep before long and these days he can slumber for quite some time."<br/>