Dusting – HATCHLINGS

‘I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!’
Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

With the rumblings of war, Abbranor withdrew her changelings from Earth, leaving the rulers to find new ways to gather Belief and restore the land.

Travelling via All’s Well, a mysterious portal leading to the British Isles, only the brightest and bravest fey are sent Earthwards to spread belief in their kind.

These elite are known as Dusters.

Groups are sent to observe children from a distance and decide how sensitive they will be to Dusting. Children who talk with an imaginary friend, invent games in the schoolyard, write tales of adventure and read under the bed sheets past midnight are prime candidates.

Once selected, a child is sprinkled with piskie dust containing mites that consume Belief before returning to the Duster like iron filings to a magnet. The amount of Belief absorbed depends entirely on the skill of the Duster.

The use of British Sign Language through the Inspirisles setting isn’t its only defining feature. I have a love for the history and folklore of Britain, but also a passion for film and in particular, the coming of age genre. Movies such as Stand by Me, Kes and This is England have had a huge influence on my writing and on my life and I wanted to have some element of these in my setting.
My Dusting mechanic allows DMs to transport their players to any era in British history. Throughout campaigns, players will travel through the All’s Well to influence the children of Earth and restore belief in the Fey. And this isn’t restricted to contemporary culture; DMs can choose to focus on any point in our history.
For me, the 1980s are the most influential and I can imagine the Fey entering amusement arcades with the cacophonous lights and sounds of a dozen cabinets and gamblers and the youngsters whittling away their pocket money for another round of Street Fighter II. This is where I’d set my Inspirisles campaign. Where will you set yours?