Lethargia
Lethargia is one of two possible initial phases prior to the onset of a Changeling's Chrysalis.
Overview
Usually, there are one of two initial phases before the Chrysalis. Either the changeling experiences an event so traumatic that the fae soul stirs, or the mundane runs into a banal brick wall in their life. They hit an emotional dead end, which is more often experienced with grumps: Nothing else to do but sit around in their boring little mechanized world and punch time-cards.
This dead-end point is called "Lethargia."
Changelings in Lethargia are like "Heavy Sleepers" without the massive Banality. These Kithain are changelings in denial. They unconsciously reject anything that does not fit in with their banal reality. These bozos laughingly refer to the Dreaming or anything else supernatural as "New Age nonsense," or "too silly." In a world in which vampires and werewolves battle for everything from world domination to control over TV networks, one might encounter situations that defy a rational explanation. Lethargia changelings unconsciously place safe barriers between themselves and the Dreaming. A changeling in Lethargia may be talking on the phone or placing ads in the local paper to sell their car while doodling forests with scenes of strange animals and monsters. Before they hang up the phone, they ball up the paper and throws it in the trash, not even glancing at it. Or They may pass a street corner, and just barely fail to notice the sidhe in the alley who just leapt up three stories to the roof of a house. They are not quite capable of seeing the Dreaming... yet.
Still, the farther you run away from your Dán, the more you run toward it. The Lethargia changeling eventually either sinks into Banality or pops themself out of their stifling conditions, right into the Onset phase.
References
- CTD. Changeling Players Guide, p. 163.