Finn MacClachlan (fʲiːnʲ makˈklaχlan)
"I do appreciate the quiet of the Barrow-Maze. The ghosts are quite relaxing compared to Uncle's courtiers." - Finn MacClachlan
Finn MacClachlan is the heir to the throne of Eirin, and nephew to the current Rí, Riordan MacClachlan. His mother is Síle Slougánach, Riordan's half-sister. She is nearly three decades younger than her brother, and he married her off to Ciarán Slougánach of Fennell when she turned sixteen. A decade later Riordan chose to name Finn Slougánach as his heir on the condition that he come to live in Cruachánáil and take the surname MacClachlan. Although only nine at the time, Finn imposed a condition of his own - he would not move away from his twin sister Fíonna. And so it came that the twins left Baile Oíche and moved north into the heart of Oileán Fiáin.
Children of the Night Court
Ciarán Slougánach was his sister's delegate to the Night Court of the Fae, and Finn and Fíonna had grown up in those shadowed halls. They were quiet and self-possessed children who explored their new home silently, often appearing in unexpected places without making a sound and observing the people of Cruachánáil intently. They have the ability to communicate with each other wordlessly, and can even manage spontaneous simultaneous speech, which was considered a delightful trick by the Night Court, but unnerved the people of Cruachánáil. The servants found them distressing, an impression that has not faded with time or age. Once the twins discovered the Barrow-Maze and the strange castle of Dún Wentā, they spent most of their time exploring these paired labyrinths, and may be the leading human experts on them alive today.
While they were initially interested in the Shadow Court of the Fae, that interest faded when they learned more about them. Instead of being kin to the Night Court, the Shadow Court holds those Fae who still long to rejoin the more prestigious High Court, but have not been forgiven by Queen Áine. The twins have since avoided the Shadow Fae, privately considering them to be somewhat pathetic.
King-in-Waiting
Despite spending many hours exploring the Barrow-Maze with his sister, Finn has not neglected his education and preparations to become the Rí of Eirin. In the decade he has lived in Cruachánáil he has spent countless hours with tutors and in his uncle's court, observing and learning the skills required of a monarch. He has asked to also be allowed to visit and observe the workings of the court of the Ard-Rí in Baile Ríoch, a request which his uncle has vociferously denied. This incident led to the longest separation ever between the twins, as Fíonna slipped quietly out of the city and went across the lake to Baile Ríoch herself, to learn what she could of the other court on her brother's behalf. Since that incident, Finn has been notably cool towards his uncle, and Fíonna has contrived to never be where Riordan can see her, even though they are frequenly in the same room.
Relationships
Librarian's Note - Creepy Twins
There are a suprising number of stories about twins who are disturbing to those around them, especially as children, more than seems warranted. My investigations indicate that these children are being impacted by an Invasive Narrative; they are channelling a trope of creepy twins that has crossed over from other worlds via the Dream.
Related Articles
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.
I like the idea that Finn and his sister have probably been influenced by the creepy twins trope. Such a fun thing that can happen in your world. Finn sounds like an interesting young man. I wonder that he will be like as ruler.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
I can't resist the urge to use tropes from outside the setting, so I built a structure where they slide in and make sense ;) Finn and his sister are some of my new favorites, and I expect to be using them for new fun stories in the future.