Pooka
Few fey, and certainly even fewer mortals, are able to resist the sweetness of the Pooka. The Seelie among their number are often nothing short of adorable, and even their Unseelie tend to be a strange mixture of sweet and sinister. Much of this is owed to the Pooka's shapeshifter heritage; every Pooka has a single type of animal that he can transform into when no one is looking. In their Fae seeming, most Pooka possess the ears, tails, beaks, horns, and even some facial features of the animals they shift in to. Even in their human guise, most mortals find themselves reminded of a certain animal both by the looks and the behavior of the Pooka they meet.

Ironically, Pooka are notorious liars, terrible pranksters, and generally ne'er-do-wells. They are simply unable to take the world seriously, and the end result is that most people find themselves alternately charmed or annoyed by their behavior of Pooka. All fey know that Pooka are unable to tell the entire truth; it is simply anathema to them. Some Pooka choose to exaggerate whenever they speak, others contradict themselves, and a small number almost never speak at all. The end result, however, is that anyone who takes a Pooka at face value is in for a surprise.

On the occasional moments when Pooka are serious enough to give a relatively straight answer, they explain that they consider themselves to be an active force against the Banality of the world. For every misdirected, enchanted, jinxed, confused, befuddled, and tricked mortal, a little more uncertainty enters the world, and the waking lands are a little bit more safe for the fey. Opinions on the "altruism" of the Pooka are varied, as one might guess.

In truth, despite their bad reputation, Pooka are fun-loving, and very rarely have malicious intent. Most of them are more than ready with a heartfelt apology if someone is truly hurt, and Pooka are only too happy to make amends for their actions. They simply cannot understand why anyone would take them so seriously, however, and so they can be a bit on the thoughtless side.To a Pooka, it's all in good fun, so there's no point in worrying every second about whether or not someone was offended. Pooka speak their minds, in a veiled fashion, and always seem to be able to get their point across, despite their prohibition for telling the truth.

The good nature of Pooka is a powerful force of the Dreaming. Few can deny that having one around lightens the spirits of others. Even stranger, fate sometimes deals a strange hand to those who travel with Pooka; many Pooka simply do not face the dangers that others do, as if the Dreaming itself occasionally worked to protect them from harm. They make as many mistakes as anyone else, but the results are less lethal than one might expect from throwing a banana cream pie at a Redcap, or leaving a banana peel for a Troll to slip on.

Many Pooka find it difficult to blend in easily in mortal lands, and more than a few cause trouble almost everywhere they go. Among the fey, they often find employ as jesters, troubadours, and other entertainers, and more than one Pooka has found double employ both as a seer and fool for a court. Pooka don't have much insight into human nature, but they have an uncanny ability to get others to reveal more than they wanted to. Perhaps it's the soft eyes, or the perpetual winning smile, or the animal features, but whatever the cause, Pooka seem trustworthy, even to people who should know better.

Pooka appreciate anyone with a sense of humor, and are staunch defenders of Dreamers, especially children. Though their word is less than reliable, a Pooka swears an Oath with the same gravity as any other fey, and as readily. Pooka are loyal beyond all else to their friends; while tricks are one thing, betrayal is almost unthinkable to these fae. Unless it'd be funny. And the Unseelie have a strange sense of humor.

Pooka tend to be highly eccentric, and their sense of fashion mirrors this. Many Pooka tip their hand towards their animal nature in clothing, but as often as not, they simply dress in foppish clothing, or whatever suits their fancy. Mediocrity is never a prized trait among Pooka; change is good, and the best changes are those that shake up the people around them. Certain playful Pooka even radiate an animal sensuality which is hard to explain; more than one Sidhe or Satyr has dallied with a beautiful feline or vupline Pooka, only to find that, as one might expect, long term relationships are not their strong suit. Pooka are best in laissez-faire friendships, and are always interested in meeting new people. Sometimes only to get into more trouble...

Each Pooka has an affinity with a single type of animal. When no one is looking at her, she can shapechange into that animal's form, or back from it, in one turn. Turning into animal form costs a point of Glamour, but turning back is free. A Pooka has all of the animal's natural abilities in this form, although it's only possible to assume the form of a mundane animal. The animal form of a Pooka tends to be reflected both in the fae seeming and the behavior of the Pooka.

People may trust a Pooka, but no one in their right mind would believe one. No matter how important an issue may be, a Pooka must mix in a lie. Pooka who tell the whole truth come closer to going Banality. In certain extremely grave situations, a Pooka may be able tell the truth for a while, but they find it to be a draining experience, on the whole. Different Pooka have different styles of lying; some say the opposite of what they mean, while many Unseelie purposefully tell the truth now and again to throw listeners off-guard.