Tir na nÓg
Demographics
The Floating Island of Tír na nÓg is a stronghold of the Tuatha de Danaan and as such is largely populated by the People of the Mounds. Other Sidhe, Korrigan and Formorian peoples reside here in smaller numbers with special permission, while permanent Bediz residents are almost entirely unheard of, restricted to a few select individuals, known as Echtrae .
The majority of residents are soldiers and sailors, with artists, craftsmen and poets making up a large minority. The halls of Manannán mac Lir are largely dedicated to the pursuit of the arts and abudance, a constant flurry of feasting, singing and dancing. Craftsmen of all varieties are welcomed with open arms to the Golden Halls, although the constant activity quickly exhausts mortals, sometimes to the point of physical collapse. Mortals who remain in Tír na nÓg eventually become Milliget and Sidhe.
Time Maddened Fae have become a growing challenge for the blissful halls of the island, leading to both rejection of the lifestyle and flurries of manic inspiration. Tír na nÓg's reputation as a home of the arts and sciences has led it to become a beacon for those afflicted with the "Human Condition", which has led to great gatherings of creative energy, but also confrontations with the more detached revelers.
Government
The great admiral of the Tuatha de Danaan, Manannán mac Lir and his wife, Fand Goldenhelm, are the de facto leaders of the floating island and its armada of Windships, the greatest of the Faerie Isles. It is rumoured that Manannán was once a Bediz, although the truth of his past is lost to time. Every 7 years, a tournament is offered, the victor being allowed to take the throne of Tír na nÓg. To this day, none have defeated Manannán. The laws of the Golden Fortress are largely enforced by the elaborate social obligations and ere-hud of the Tuatha de Danaan.
Inhabitants of Tír na nÓg are granted eternal youth, but in doing so become bound by the same ere-hud as the sovereign; they must never again touch the ground, restricting them to the island, faerie ships and skyships. As a result, Sidhe from other regions, such as Emain Ablach, accompany the fleets as ground troops and agents. Only every 300 years, for 3 days, can this be safely avoided.
Defences
The citadel is defended by two fortresses with curtain walls ringing the island and its heart. The first, the Bronze Gate, made of magically reinforced bronze walls with a silver keep, thatched with brilliant white feathers. A constantly burning oak bonfire sits in the centre of the courtyard, without need for replenishment. The Bronze Gate serves as the stables for the cavalry of the Tuatha de, the greatest force of horsemen outside of the Wild Hunt, full of white winged Nightmares.
The Second fortress, located in the interior of the island after the forest, is the Silvergate, similar in construction to the Bronze Gate. The main population center is located within its walls, towers of silver, gold and bronze amidst spires of glowing crystal.
Infrastructure
In addition to the Faewylde, found in the forests and flower-covered fields of the island, there are three regions. Along the bronze wall that encircles the isle are agricultural fields, plotted in a picturesque landscape resembling Bocage. Every night, the harvested food and livestock are found anew, fully replenished in their fields and pastures, an unending harvest. Mills, farms and orchards are scattered through the landscape.
In addition to the ramparts of Bronzegate and Silvergate, and parallel roads alongside them, the countryside is crossed by a network of county lanes and woodland pathways. Windship spires are scattered across the landscape, crystalline structures of glistening glass and gem rising from the earth.
Through the forests and meadows leads to the great city of Silvergate, the major population center and home for the arts. Great academies of the arts, unending kitchens preparing the finest meals and impossible musichalls rise above the city, the foremost architecture of the Sidhe giving home to its artistic center. The Lightning Trail makes a sudden and violent appearance in the midst of the crowded city, carriages bursting in and out of reality with a great sonic boom that rattles the metallic walls of the settlement. Silverkeep, the home of Manannán mac Lir, rises above the city atop a hill, a massive castle of opulence, white spires rising high into the air, joined by arched bridges with impossible supports.
A great canal of golden water winds through Silvergate and out to the fields, filled with pleasure barges and riverside entertainment.
Beyond Silvergate, the Druid's Wood, the sacred core of the island and its magical fountain, the source of its power.
Assets
The Golden Citadel of Tír na nÓg is a center of Sidhe culture, as boasts an impressive array of wealth on par with any lord of the Sidhe or the Korrigan. Additionally, the Great Windfleet of the Tuatha De is stationed here, shining ships with white hulls and crystal sales standing out against the blue skies.
Guilds and Factions
The Sidhe Courts of Summer and Winter vie for cultural and political dominance in the Golden Citadel, each trying to outdo the other with ever greater displays of art, music, cooking and architecture. Artists and Craftsmen of all races find themselves under the patronage of the Courts, given everything they desire and showered with praise. However, this rarely lasts, as the temperamental Sidhe quickly grow bored, discarding their playthings or ignoring them. Many a performer has collapsed onstage from exhaustion, met with the indifferent apathy of the patron that obsessed over them only a short time before.
While the Courts profess great differences between themselves, to the outside observer, these are largely superficial within Silvergate.
The Windfleet, the aerial forces of the Tuatha de Danaan, mark a third faction that holds itself above the petty one-upsmanship of the Courts. They value engineers, warriors and craftsmen.
Architecture
Silvergate, the largest city of Tír na nÓg are constructed of precious metals and thatched with white feathers, glistening in the sun above the clouds. A center of the arts, the Sidhe of the Golden Citadel take pride in pushing their architecture to the limits, enlisting humans or time-maddened creators of all races, fulfulling the fever dreams of artistic expression without limit. This has led to the city have a rather mismatched, yet somehow harmonious, mixture of extravagant buildings without seeming rhyme or reason.
In the countryside, the house are more humble, with farms marked by pristine stone and plaster cottages and mills.
Geography
The Golden Fortress of Tír na nÓg is located to the west of Emain Ablach in the Faerie Islands, held high in the sky by powerful faerie magic. To set foot on the island, a guest must be given permission to visit by an inhabitant of the citadel, lest they be lost in the mists of the Faerie Sea. Ships can only approach the island along the Mag Mell (The Plain of Honey), caused by the reflection of the Sun along the ocean's surface, and leave only by moonlight. A journey to Tír na nÓg takes 3 days, regardless of the starting position of the voyage. Certain individuals, such as the Queens of Summer and Winter, the Huntsman Hellequin, the King of the Formorians, and the Witch-Queen of Fjallkonan are granted the special privilege to make the journey in 3 hours. The wicked, and those with treachery in their hearts may find the journey taking 3 years or longer.
Tír na nÓg is a large island, suspended in the air, anchored by golden chains. The majority of its landscape is made up of flower-covered meadows and forests, idyllic to invited guests protected by Hospitality, but sinister and twisted to trespassers. These lands are especially dangerous to humans who ignore the rules of hospitality. The flowery meadow is full of bees, ready to attack those who draw the anger of the Tuatha de, the forest becomes a dark maze of twisting branches and unseen predators.
In the very center of the island is a Druids' Wood of 9 hazel trees of deep purple amethyst, ringed around a massive tree of silver branches and golden apples, planted by the Nathair sages of Kastell Distrein. Songbirds of every pitch and tone can be heard singing from its branches. A enchanted drinking horn is suspended from its branches, offering boon or destruction to those who drink the golden liquid of the nearby fountain. 5 streams run from the fountain, their cascading waters considered the most melodious sound in all Faerie, capable of enticing those who hear it into a peaceful daze.
Natural Resources
The resources of Tír na nÓg seem endless, constantly replenishing with the dawn. It is a land of plenty without cares or worries for sustenance. However, these treasures cannot be taken from the island without special circumstances and turn to dust upon touching the ground.
Alternative Name(s)
The Land of Youth, the Golden Fortress
Type
Citadel
Inhabitant Demonym
Tuatha de Danaan
Location under
Owner/Ruler
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