Sidhe (SHE)
Firstborn of the Empyreal Gods, the foremost of the fey
Pass not in them woods alone, little children, lest you cross paths with the Smiling Prince. Break even a single twig or harm even tiniest beast, and he'll put a spell on you! Then he will take you to his house in Tír-na-nÓg -- and never will you come back!Sidhe are the foremost species of fey. Where ever they are encountered the Sidhe are regarded as the lords of the natural world. Often called "archfey", the Sidhe are at the very top of the fey social hierarchy, demanding the respect of lesser fey, beasts and plants alike. The faerie lords are able to call upon the service of such creatures -- but so too do they protect the denizens of their enchanted domains. Sidhe are said to radiate such strong auras of eerie presence that mortals find themselves either terrified or enthralled by simply looking at them, and the Sidhe might very well exert similar influence on other fey. Sidhe are masters of natural and arcane magics and hold many timeless secrets from mortals – chief among them the creation of Sidhe glass, a metallic substance capable of cutting even dwarf-forged Adamantium with ease. Contents
Dealings with mortals
Although the Sidhe are native to their dimension of Tír-na-nÓg which they rule as its undisputed lords, they can also be encountered on Amanor. They live in isolation in dense woodlands and other sheltered sanctuaries of untamed nature, erecting dark and foreboding keeps of earth and stone or forging crystalline towers from sidhe glass that reflect light in fantastical displays of beauty. The Sidhe are known for kidnapping young children from amongst the mortal races of Amanor and taking them with them to Tír-na-nÓg. There, the children grow up into into fey-touched beings called changelings, blessed with magical gifts and an extended life-span. In their dealings with mortals, the Sidhe are known to be uncompromising, deadly, and cruel. When a lord of the Sidhe issues his demands on the hapless populace of a backwood-hamlet the poor peasants have no chance but to comply without question. To raise the ire of the Sidhe by going against their wishes or, for example, simply trespassing in their sylvan realms is to court swift death or an eternity of slavery; the Sidhe are infamous for slaying mortals that displease them without a second thought, but they can also enchant mortal minds with irreversible magics and make even the mightiest of knights their obedient servants. Mortals that seek the aid of the Sidhe in times of trouble often find themselves the unwilling subjects of a geas or having to trade their children in exchange for the faerie lords’ favor. But the Sidhe are also known for having a softer side. Some lords and ladies of the Sidhe can be swayed by acts of heroism or displays of wisdom. Trials of combat are a common measuring method for the Sidhe. Perhaps even more important than any of the above, however, are games of wit. The Sidhe seem to greatly enjoy riddles and conundrums. Indeed, folk tales tell us that the Sidhe are ready to partake in a game of riddles for almost any stakes. Depending on the situation, a clever adventurer can with a single riddle prevent the execution of his disrespectful companion, save himself from being forced into service as a changeling, win a priceless fey artifact from a Sidhe lord’s own hand, or even secure the aid of an entire army of sylvan creatures and Sidhe warriors. Needless to say that the consequences of losing a game with such stakes are terrible indeed.Social structure
Sidhe are respectful of social hierarchies. They are highly tolerant of isolation.Civilization and culture
The Sidhe are divided into two different sub-species or ethnicities, both of which are arranged into loosely monarchal societies known as "courts". The Seelie of the Summer Court are creatures of summer and the sun, while the Unseelie of the Winter Court are aligned with the moon and winter. The two courts have been rivals since time immemorial. Seelie and Unseelie do not directly correlate with good and evil, though many mortals make that equation, and neither are the two courts in any other conflict of alignment with each other. Many Seelie are good and many Unseelie are evil, but their bitter opposition of each other stems not from any abstract moral concerns but rather from their queens' jealous rivalry. The timeless animosity of these two monarchs -- Titania and Morgana -- has seeped into later generations of the Sidhe, and the blood-feud between the courts is now an essential part of the very existence of all Sidhe.Below: An enchantress and a warrior of the Seelie.
Screenshot from King Arthur: The Role-Playing Wargame by Neocore Games
Below: Unseelie in a misty forest.
Screenshot from King Arthur: The Role-Playing Wargame by Neocore Games
Naming traditions
Male names
Grimmal, Bélchú, Gels, Aradin, Ouberac, Imlerith, Geridwe, Claddagh, Árdghal, Cinnéidigh, Ruari, Cónan, Eoghanan, Goban, Agastas, Ainniléas, Cathbhar, Beccán, Cinnseallach, Aogan, Ceallach, Coilean, Daibhi, Fedelmid.Female names
Yismyll, Uathach, Cliodna, Bodhmall, Fedelm, Noichrid, Achall, Sirona, Aimend, Souhaun, Eilísh, Noirin, Láimseach, Daróma, Riada, Romlaith, Derbail, Oonagh, Finnabair, Atracht, Fiannaith, Giolla, Deacair, Lasairíóna,.Titles
Sidhe lords that deal often with other races might adopt nicknames that resemble titles, such as The Grey Baron, The Lady of Silence, The Wolf Lord, The Princess of Dusk or The Smiling Prince. Such Sidhe lords forego the usage of their real names to keep it secret from mortals, referring to themselves only by their title.Name generators to use
Sidhe are lifted from real-world Celtic mythology, so I recommend the following name generators:- Irish (Gaeilge) name generator by FantasyNameGenerators.com
- Celtic Scottish name generator by FantasyNameGenerators.com
- Celtic Welsh name generator by FantasyNameGenerators.com
Rules
See: Seelie and Unseelie.
SYNONYMS
Si, Shee, faerie lords PHYSICAL INFORMATION
Anatomy
Bipedal humanoids.
Average height
2-3 meters.
Average physique
Lean and lithe but nonetheless possessed of great strength, constitution and agility.
Body tint, color and markings
Seelie are dark skinned. Unseelie are white skinned.
Special characteristics
Nobody knows what the faces of Sidhe look like. When a Sidhe speaks two overlapping voices are heard, the other echoing and powerful, and the other a breathy whisper.
Perception and senses
Exceptionally highly tuned senses. Ability to sense magical auras, planar portals, positive and negative energy as well as the presence of primordial entities. LIFE-CYCLE
Reproduction and birth
As eternals Sidhe are not born biologically.
Growth rate and stages
The Sidhe are eternals but nonetheless have a lifecycle of sorts; the older a Sidhe grows the more distant it grows from its kin and the closer it feels to the primal essence of nature. At some point every ancient Sidhe exiles themself from society and wanders the deepest reaches of Tír-na-nÓg until lost -- never to be seen again.
Mortality and death
When a Sidhe dies violently they leave behind no corporeal remains. Their bodies and belongings crumble into brittle flakes of dust that resemble dried leaves. These remains cannot be animated nor soulbound, but a Sidhe's soul can become a Banshee. ECOLOGY
Origin or ancestry
Creation of Amanor.
Distribution
Sidhe are mainly encountered in their homeworld Tír-na-nÓg, but rare individuals can be encountered on Amanor as well as the Outer Planes.
Habitats
Sidhe prefer woodlands, but they can thrive in any habitat that is natural and life-sustaining.
Population
Unknown.
Si, Shee, faerie lords PHYSICAL INFORMATION
Anatomy
Bipedal humanoids.
Average height
2-3 meters.
Average physique
Lean and lithe but nonetheless possessed of great strength, constitution and agility.
Body tint, color and markings
Seelie are dark skinned. Unseelie are white skinned.
Special characteristics
Nobody knows what the faces of Sidhe look like. When a Sidhe speaks two overlapping voices are heard, the other echoing and powerful, and the other a breathy whisper.
Perception and senses
Exceptionally highly tuned senses. Ability to sense magical auras, planar portals, positive and negative energy as well as the presence of primordial entities. LIFE-CYCLE
Reproduction and birth
As eternals Sidhe are not born biologically.
Growth rate and stages
The Sidhe are eternals but nonetheless have a lifecycle of sorts; the older a Sidhe grows the more distant it grows from its kin and the closer it feels to the primal essence of nature. At some point every ancient Sidhe exiles themself from society and wanders the deepest reaches of Tír-na-nÓg until lost -- never to be seen again.
Mortality and death
When a Sidhe dies violently they leave behind no corporeal remains. Their bodies and belongings crumble into brittle flakes of dust that resemble dried leaves. These remains cannot be animated nor soulbound, but a Sidhe's soul can become a Banshee. ECOLOGY
Origin or ancestry
Creation of Amanor.
Distribution
Sidhe are mainly encountered in their homeworld Tír-na-nÓg, but rare individuals can be encountered on Amanor as well as the Outer Planes.
Habitats
Sidhe prefer woodlands, but they can thrive in any habitat that is natural and life-sustaining.
Population
Unknown.
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