Cianán Líathdhuine (ˈkʲiə.n̪ˠaːn̪ˠ ˈl̠ʲiəhˌɣɪnʲə)
Ard-Rí of Oileán Fiáin
"I suggest you travel more and do something interesting. Maybe it will rub off on you."
Cianán Líathdhuine is the Ard-Rí of Oileán Fiáin, a position he has occupied for the last twenty years. Before his election to the high seat, he was an adventurer, artist, and warrior, and he is a living legend among the Fir Fáinne.
Early Life
Cianán Líathdhuine was born in the kingdom of Fennell, in a small village on the southern coast. He spent his childhood much like any other child in a fishing village, and by his own account was bored stiff of it by the age of seven. That's when he ran away to the city of Baile Oíche and began his adventures.
That first round of adventures lasted about three days. During that period he learned how to pick a pocket and gamble at dice, and was pretty bad at both of them. Then his mother, who had spent those three days tracking him down hauled him out of a dockside tavern by his ear. One sailor attempted to stop her, due to the debts Cianán had just incurred, and she left him wheezing and sobbing in her wake. Later, Cianán would report that if his mother had taken up adventuring, the monsters of the world would all have been put to useful work or fled in terror of the prospect of fighting her.
An Adventurer and a Mercenary
When Cianán was 17, he left home for the second time, this time with his mother's blessing after promising to send money home. He wanted to see more of the world than Oileán Fiáin, and crossed the Skìth Channel to Ynys. There, he signed up with the Eiðbundinn and spent the next decade as a mercenary adventurer, taking on the jobs no other organization would dare tackle. He traveled all around the Great Ring during this period, including multiple excursions into The Middlesea, and even visiting the Madinat al-Brunz, deep inside the mysterious Al-Kubra.
A Hero of the Realm
After a decade of wandering, Cianán longed for home and returned to Oileán Fiáin. There, he turned the expertise he had gained among the Eiðbundinn to hunt and slay the Fir Bolg monsters that raided the kingdom out of the Dream. For his efforts, he was given the title of Ard-Fiagaí by the Rí of Fennell, marking him as a hero of the realm, and person to be given the highest respect and honors by all.
The Lord of Strange Beauty
When Cianán had half of his right foot eaten by a barghest, he decided it might be time to retire from the monster-hunting profession. He was 37 years old, and had decided that growing old was better than dying young after all. While most monster hunters faded into obscurity, Cianán found a new career as a sculptor. His subjects were drawn from his adventurous life, and he sought to capture them in their glory, finding the elements of beauty that came together into a monstrosity. His work caught the attention of Queen Fíodhna of the Night Court, and she commissioned several sculptures of her Unseelie courtiers who had never been properly captured by other artists. She was thrilled by his work, and named him "An Tiarna Áilleachta Aisteach" which means "The Lord of Strange Beauty". For the next fifteen years, he was a member of the Night Court, as the Queen's personal sculptor.
Ard-Rí of Oileán Fiáin
When the old Ard-Rí began to show failing health, Cianán decided that he was ready for yet another career change. He undertook a journey across the island, meeting with the Rís of each kingdom and the monarchs of each of the Fae Courts. He did not actively campaign for the position, so much as he made sure that they all knew he was there and willing to undertake it. When the Coiste Ríochta met to select the new Ard-Rí, four of the five members voted for Cianán, with Riordan MacClachlan of Eirin as the only objector. He was named Ard-Rí of Oileán Fiáin at the age of 53.
During his tenure as Ard-Rí, he has skillfully negotiated several trade treaties with the nations of the Great Ring, and with the Fae Courts of the island. Most notably he was able to enlist the aid of the Deep Court in repelling the raiders of the Reginnsþjóð, making the coastlines of Oileán Fiáin one of the only places safe from their depredations. Despite being over seventy years old, he has no intention of resigning the throne of the Ard-Rí anytime soon.
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
The story about his mum made me laugh out loud. I want to hear more about her. XD I hope she would be proud of the man he became.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
I'll have to put in a stub for her so she comes up!