Chapter concept

twisted_thinker97

Songs and silence

Ailean the Lost – The Changeling’s Tale

Long ago, in the remote Scottish village of Ard Mòr, nestled within the shadow of the Briarwood Glen, there was a boy named Ailean. Born to a shepherd and his wife, he was their pride and joy, a spirited child with a bright smile and an insatiable curiosity. Despite the village’s warnings about the Glen—whispered tales of the Sìth who dwelled within—Ailean could not resist its allure. The forest called to him with its ancient trees and unseen wonders.

On the eve of Samhain, when the veil between worlds was thinnest, Ailean disappeared. The villagers searched, their lanterns casting flickering shadows against the misty woods. At dawn, he was found sitting at the edge of the Glen, his eyes distant, his expression vacant. He spoke little, his once-joyful laughter now replaced with eerie silence. His parents rejoiced at his return, but they soon noticed something was wrong.

This boy was not their Ailean.

He shunned the iron tools his father used, ate voraciously but remained gaunt, and cried in the dead of night with a sound that didn’t seem human. The village elder, an old woman named Moira, declared what the villagers feared most: Ailean had been taken by the Sìth, and in his place, they had left a changeling—a hollow mimicry of the boy they loved.

Moira urged the family to act swiftly. Tradition dictated that the changeling be exposed to the flame, forcing the Sìth to return their stolen child. But Ailean’s parents, hearts heavy with love and grief, refused. They could not bring themselves to harm the creature wearing their son’s face.

As the years passed, the changeling grew resentful. He felt the village’s fear and hatred, the cold stares and whispered prayers. Even his parents, though kind, were distant, unable to look at him without longing for the child they had lost. Consumed by this pain, the changeling returned to the Briarwood Glen, vowing to find a way to reclaim his place in the human world.

But the forest had changed. The Sìth no longer danced in its groves, and the mists grew thick and impenetrable. Alone, the changeling wandered the Glen, his rage festering like an open wound. Over centuries, he became something else—no longer bound by the Sìth who created him, but a being shaped by abandonment and sorrow.

When the Entity found him, it offered him a cruel purpose. Drawn to his fractured soul, it promised to grant him the power to trap others in the same despair he had known. The changeling accepted, becoming Ailean the Lost. His haunting cry echoes through the fog as he hunts survivors, a chilling reminder of what happens when humanity’s fears are left to fester.

Now, Ailean roams an eternal Glen conjured by the Entity, a grotesque parody of his childhood home. He is no longer the boy who wandered too far—he is the embodiment of loss, betrayal, and the inhuman wrath of the forgotten.

Survivor 1: Ewan MacCallum

Description: Ewan is a tall, broad-shouldered man in his late 20s, with short, fiery red hair, piercing green eyes, and a face scattered with freckles. Years of working the land have left him muscular and resilient. He carries a quiet strength but is fiercely protective of his sister, his only family.

Backstory:

Ewan MacCallum grew up in the shadow of the Briarwood Glen, a place steeped in ancient stories and warnings. As the eldest of two siblings, he inherited the responsibility of caring for their family farm after their parents passed away in a fire when Ewan was only 18. The tragedy forged an unbreakable bond between him and his younger sister, Isla, as they worked tirelessly to rebuild their lives from the ashes.

Though pragmatic and grounded, Ewan harbored a quiet fascination with the Glen. His father had told him stories about the Sìth and changelings, but Ewan dismissed them as old tales meant to scare children. That changed one night when Ewan, then 16, ventured into the Glen to find his sister, who had wandered off chasing fireflies. He found her near the edge of a misty clearing, frozen and staring into the darkness.

Though Ewan managed to carry Isla back home, she couldn’t explain what had happened. From that day forward, she was haunted by vivid dreams of a pale, gaunt figure with glowing green eyes watching her from the shadows. Ewan didn’t speak of it, but he too began to feel a presence when he was near the forest, as if unseen eyes were always watching.

Years later, Ewan and Isla were thrust back into the Glen’s darkness. While hunting for a missing lamb one foggy evening, Isla vanished. Desperate to find her, Ewan followed her cries into the heart of the Glen, where the mist grew unnaturally thick. There, he glimpsed a figure—tall and gaunt, with eyes like embers. Before he could react, the world shifted around him, pulling him into the Entity’s realm.

Now, Ewan fights to protect Isla once again, driven by the same unyielding determination that has defined his life. The horrors of the Entity’s trials only fuel his resolve to keep his sister safe, no matter the cost.

Survivor 2: Isla MacCallum

Description: Isla is a young woman in her early 20s, with long, wavy dark red hair and the same piercing green eyes as her brother. Her smaller stature and softer features mask a quiet determination and strength that has grown from years of hardship.

Backstory:

Isla MacCallum was only eight when her parents died in the fire that destroyed their family home. She barely remembered the warmth of her mother’s laughter or the way her father would hum as he worked, but she remembered Ewan’s unwavering presence. Her brother became her protector, her anchor, and the only family she had left.

Though Ewan carried the burden of responsibility, Isla always felt a pull to the mystical and unknown. Her favorite tales were the ones their father told about the Briarwood Glen—the Sìth, changelings, and the mysteries hidden in the mists. She would often venture to the forest’s edge, daring the unknown to reveal itself.

One night, when she was nine, Isla chased a trail of fireflies into the Glen. There, she saw something she could never forget: a pale figure with hollow eyes and a faint, sorrowful glow. Frozen in fear, she felt its gaze pierce her, a silent plea that she didn’t understand. Ewan found her moments later and carried her home, but Isla was never the same.

The dreams began soon after. She would wake screaming, her mind filled with visions of the forest and the pale figure, whispering her name. Though the dreams faded with time, Isla always felt the forest’s pull. When she was 22, her curiosity got the better of her, and she ventured back into the Glen, hoping to understand the connection she couldn’t escape.

That was the night she disappeared.

When she awoke, she was no longer in the Glen. The forest was darker, the air colder, and shadows moved in ways they shouldn’t. She was trapped in the Entity’s realm, forced into a horrific game of survival. To her relief, Ewan was there too, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the pale figure—the changeling—was watching them both.

Now, Isla fights alongside her brother, relying on her resilience and sharp mind to outwit the horrors of the Entity’s trials. She knows the changeling wants something from her, and though she fears the truth, she refuses to let it destroy her family.

Connections to Ailean the Lost

•Isla’s childhood encounter with Ailean reflects his lingering connection to humanity. Her presence stirred something in him, a memory of the boy he once was, drawing her back to the Glen years later.

•Ewan’s protective nature mirrors Ailean’s resentment of abandonment, creating a psychological link between them as Ailean seeks to prove that no one can truly protect those they love.

•Both siblings are caught in a cycle of trauma tied to Ailean’s existence, making them key figures in his trials as he wrestles with his fractured identity and wrath.

The Changeling: Killer power and perks

Power: Stolen Reflection

The Changeling uses mimicry and disorientation to disrupt survivor cohesion and exploit their mistrust. With abilities to replace survivors, dash silently, obscure objectives, and confuse even coordinated teams, the Changeling ensures no one feels safe.

Special Ability: Echo of the Taken

The Changeling can replace a downed survivor with an Echo Survivor—a mimic of the original survivor that behaves like an injured survivor.

•Upon activating Echo of the Taken, the downed survivor is teleported to a hidden location, while an Echo takes their place.

•The Echo wanders the map, interacts with objectives, and runs when spotted but cannot heal or sabotage.

•Survivors can dispel the Echo by interacting with it, causing it to shriek and expose the aura of the nearest survivor for 5 seconds.

•The Echo lasts for 45 seconds or until dispelled.

Cooldown: 12 seconds after each use.

Special Ability: Spectral Dash

The Changeling can charge forward silently over a long distance with precision.

•Hold the Power button to channel for 2 seconds and dash up to 20 meters at 140% movement speed.

•During the dash, press the Ability button to shift direction once, allowing a sharp turn mid-dash. Survivors see a faint flicker when the shift occurs but cannot detect the new direction.

•Survivors hit by the Changeling’s path are inflicted with the Hinderedstatus effect for 3 seconds.

Cooldown: 12 seconds.

Special Ability: Veil of the Lost

The Changeling can shroud itself and nearby objectives in an eerie fog.

•Press the Power button to become invisible for 10 seconds. While invisible, the Changeling’s red stain, aura, and figure are hidden, though faint whispers can be heard by nearby survivors.

•While Veil of the Lost is active, all generators and hooks within a 16-meter radius are also obscured, forcing survivors to rely on memory and communication.

Cooldown: 20 seconds.

Special Survivor Action: Unveiling Ritual

Survivors can interact with each other to identify an Echo Survivor.

•Performing the ritual takes 8 seconds.

•If performed on an Echo Survivor, the mimic vanishes, revealing the downed survivor’s aura for 10 seconds.

•If performed on a real survivor, both survivors become Oblivious for 6 seconds due to lingering confusion.

Power Summary

The Changeling thrives on psychological pressure and deception. By replacing survivors with Echos, turning invisible, obscuring objectives, and disorienting survivor teams, it creates chaos on the battlefield. Even coordinated groups must tread carefully to avoid falling into the Changeling’s traps.

Let me know if you’d like perks, lore, or a killer description added to complete the design!

Perks for The Changeling

1. Fading Progress (Passive Generator Slowdown)

“You can feel their hope slipping away, replaced by dread as the unseen closes in.”

•Whenever a generator is repaired for more than 50% of its total progress, its aura becomes dimly flickering for 6/8/10 seconds, and it regresses at 100% of the default regression speed while not being actively worked on.

•This effect ends once the generator reaches 60% progress or higher.

2. Specter’s Gaze (Anti-Looping)

“The presence of something otherworldly forces them to second-guess their every move.”

•Each time you vault a window or break a pallet, all survivors within a 12/14/16-meter radius gain the Hindered status effect, reducing their movement speed by 3% for 4 seconds.

•Survivors who vault a window within the area of effect suffer from an additional 1% movement speed reduction for the same duration.

3. Eerie Whispers (Information)

“Something unseen watches over them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.”

•Every 30/25/20 seconds, the aura of the survivor furthest from the killer is revealed for 3 seconds.

•If two or more survivors are working on the same generator during this time, all survivors working on the generator have their auras revealed for 3 seconds instead.

Survivors perks:

Survivor Perks for Ewan MacCallum

Ewan’s perks are centered around resilience and fighting back against the killer, reflecting his protective and determined personality.

1. Last Stand (Escape Perk)

“You won’t go down without a fight.”

•After completing at least one generator, you can instantly break free from the killer’s grasp the next time you are picked up.

•This effect can only be used once per trial and is disabled when the Exit Gates are powered.

2. Defiance (Stun and Blind Boost)

“Every moment of resistance weakens their resolve, even if it comes at a cost to you.”

•All stuns and blinds you apply to the killer last 1/2/3 seconds longer.

•For every stun or blind you inflict, you suffer the Hindered status effect (movement speed reduced by 10%) for 8 seconds.

3. Adrenal Surge (Healing and Repair Boost)

“The closer the danger, the harder you push through the pain.”

•While inside the killer’s terror radius, your healing and repair actions are 20% faster.

•The bonus increases to a maximum of 30/40/50% depending on proximity to the killer (closer proximity grants higher bonuses).

Survivor Perks for Isla MacCallum

Isla’s perks emphasize support, resourcefulness, and tactical escapes, reflecting her clever and empathetic nature.

1. Boon: Seeing Shadows (Aura Reading Boon)

“Sometimes, the enemy’s greatest strength is also their greatest weakness.”

•Press and hold the Active Ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it, creating a Boon Totem.

•While in the Boon’s radius, the killer’s aura is revealed to all survivors.

•All Boon Totems blessed with this perk are unstable and will break automatically after 90 seconds.

Range: 24/28/32 meters.

2. Enduring Hands (Item Efficiency Perk)

“You’ve learned how to make what little you have last.”

•All items you use deplete 10/15/20% slower, extending their overall lifespan.

•This perk also increases the efficiency of add-ons that restore item charges by 25%.

3. Unyielding Sprint (Exhaustion Escape Perk)

“You move without hesitation, even if it costs you in the end.”

•After successfully unhooking or freeing a survivor from the killer’s grasp, both you and the freed survivor gain a 250% movement speed boost for 5 seconds.

•Both survivors suffer from the Exhausted status effect for 40/35/30 seconds after the sprint ends.

This perk cannot be used while Exhausted.

Map Breakdown: Briarwood Glen

The Briarwood Glen is a dense, eerie forest corrupted by the Entity. It blends natural beauty with oppressive dread, incorporating traditional Scottish elements into a foreboding environment. The map emphasizes deception, disorientation, and tight navigation.

General Layout

•Size: Medium-sized map with a mix of tight areas and open clearings.

•Key Features: Winding forest paths, natural barriers, and corrupted Celtic landmarks.

Map Zones

1.The Village Ruins:

•The remnants of a small Scottish hamlet, abandoned and overtaken by nature.

•Features:

•Collapsed Cottages: One or two ruined buildings, offering looping opportunities with broken walls, pallets, and windows.

•The Well: A central landmark with a deep, ominous well, serving as a vertical structure survivors can circle for temporary safety.

2.The Fae Ring:

•A large clearing in the forest surrounded by glowing mushrooms and mist.

•Features:

•Stone Circle: A corrupted standing stone circle in the center of the glen. Its tall stones provide partial cover for survivors, but limited visibility makes it a risky location.

•Trickster’s Path: Small, hidden paths leading into the surrounding woods, ideal for quick escapes or ambushes.

3.The Overgrown Shrine:

•An ancient Celtic shrine overrun by moss, vines, and Entity tendrils.

•Features:

•Boon Totem Hotspot: A high concentration of totem spawns in this area, making it a key location for both killers and survivors.

•Blocked Passages: Natural barriers like fallen trees force players into chokepoints, increasing tension.

4.The Changeling’s Den:

•A decrepit, vine-covered cabin deep in the Glen, serving as The Changeling’s lair.

•Features:

•Basement Spawn: The basement frequently spawns here, making it a dangerous area for survivors.

•Mirror Traps: Unique decorative elements, like cracked mirrors, that reflect distorted visions of survivors or killers nearby, adding to the map’s psychological tension.

Aesthetic and Ambiance

•Visuals:

•The map is shrouded in a perpetual mist, with faint blue and green glows emanating from totems and corrupted landmarks.

•The forest feels alive, with moving shadows and faint whispers that intensify near key locations like the Fae Ring or Changeling’s Den.

•Audio:

•A haunting mix of whispers, distant screams, and wind rustling through the trees.

•Survivors hear faint, eerie melodies when near the Fae Ring, tying into the Changeling’s mythological roots.

Unique Gameplay Elements

1.Fae Mists:

•Certain areas of the map are shrouded in thick mist, making it harder to see distant objects or players.

•Survivors and killers alike can use the mist for stealth, creating high-tension moments.

2.Natural Loops:

•Winding paths, fallen logs, and dense underbrush create natural loops for survivors. These areas reward clever pathing over standard pallet-and-window gameplay.

3.Totem Interactions:

•The Overgrown Shrine offers multiple totem spawn points in a concentrated area, leading to dynamic totem plays.

Map Hooks and Generators

•Hooks:

•Corrupted by the Entity, the hooks in Briarwood Glen appear as twisted tree branches covered in vines and glowing runes.

•Generators:

•Generators are overgrown with moss and roots, with faint Celtic carvings glowing when powered. Their natural camouflage makes them harder to spot in certain areas.

Overall Playstyle

•For Survivors:

•Survivors must navigate the dense forest paths carefully, using the natural environment to evade the killer. The Fae Ring offers high risk and reward for bold players.

•For Killers:

•The map’s winding paths and misty zones provide opportunities for ambushes and disorientation. The Changeling, in particular, thrives in this deceptive environment.