The Hidden Born
The first type of Huldufolk is the simplest to understand: if two Huldufolk have a child together, that child is a Huldufolk, “Hidden Born”. With two Huldufolk parents, the Hidden Born have the closest relationship to Huldufolk society, having been raised entrenched in it, sitting on their parents’ knee.
Advantage: Due to their upbringing, the Hidden Born have an advantage in Huldufolk society itself compared to other Huldufolk, especially when dealing with the Patrons. Unlike the Lost Twins, who live in two worlds, or The Stolen, who have been sucked from the human world into the world of the Huldufolk, the Hidden Born have always been part of Huldufolk society. There is no learning curve or blind spot — this is who they are. As a result, the Hidden Born are more likely to take excel in positions of leadership than other Huldufolk their age.
Disadvantage: While the Hidden Born have a firm grasp on Huldufolk society, they don’t have a close relationship with normal human society. They might have a fair understanding of humanity and how it works, but there’s a difference between what you’re taught by others or learn from a distance, and what you learn from being entrenched in the culture. When it comes to relating to humans, or being able to inject themselves into human struggle and manipulate the world, the Hidden Born are at a disadvantage compared to Lost Twins or Stolen, often having difficulty keeping up with human trends, or even an understanding of idioms and behaviors that are decidedly human.
Traditions (coming soon): It only takes two Huldufolk having a child to make a Hidden Born. Some Hidden Born, however, come from long lines of Huldufolk born among Huldufolk, separate from humanity. Among these family traditions, certain traits have born out of those lineages, harkening back to the “dark” (and fantastical) ages of the Huldufolk as mythical creatures living in humanity’s periphery.
Playing a Hidden Born means you’re choosing to make mortal society your blind spot. You’re rooting yourself in Huldufolk society and politics, and accepting that the other Huldufolk get an advantage dealing with mortals. It also means you have a bit more room to lean on the fantastical themes of Huldufolk. It’s completely normal for Hidden Born to have elf ears, live in the woods, and show up to gatherings medieval fantasy style clothing (or rough spun linens, or furs, etc), if that’s what you want to do.
In an origin like the “Hidden Born”, where a supernatural race of people are born in what could be seen as a more “pure” way than their brethren, it’s important to take careful steps to avoid showing them as superior to their peers. Yes, the Hidden Born are born of two Huldufolk; yes, they’re better at navigating society; but these abilities are entirely about their upbringing, not their birth. If one of the other types of Huldufolk were raised solely in Huldufolk society from a baby, they would be exactly the same.
Similarly, it’s important that the Hidden Born aren’t just better than the other types — they have both clear advantages and clear disadvantages. There is no “right” way to be a Huldufolk — or at the least, that right way is not definitely the HIdden Born.