By Cloak
As always the childlings begin to beg me for one more tale before they go. A grump spits into the dying embers and settles himself, knowing that I must give in. Nearby, a young satyr pulls her sidhe companion back down to their grassy seat, waiting for me to begin. I try to stop myself from smiling. Normaly I do not crave glory, however I do find this always an entertaining game.
"Young ones, the night is late. You should be heading home."
"C'mon, Gregory! Just one more story?"
"Yeah, we've only had one all night!"
"And that didn't even have a sword fight."
"Or a princess."
"Who cares about pricesses? We want fights!"
"Yeah!"
"Tell us a good one Gregory!"
"I like princesses..."
"Darnit lad, tell 'em a tale and shut 'em up!" I look towards the greybeard who said this. An old boggan. A great doll maker in his time. Since his retirement, he only works in private. But I can see a glint in his eye, and I know that the doll Molly holds now is one of his. He too wants a tale. Without giving away his secret I laugh heartily. "All right little ones, you shall have your tale."
I stand and prepare my telling. The ocean is at my back and the fire crackles softly. The childlings wrestle for the most comfortable spot, and when they quiet I begin.
"The tale of the Fallen Ones is sad indeed. It reminds us that there are other forces we must fear besides Banality. Others that claw away from the shadows of the night. Cunning and guile are their weapons. Power is their promise. Armageddon is their dream. "Long before you were born, little ones, there was a time when the sidhe had all left us here. They remained in Arcadia and we knew nothing of what they did. When they returned the trods reopened and the dreaming flourished. However, many were not pleased when they tried to reassert their old mantle of nobility."
"We know all this Gregory."
"I know, but it is necessary that you remember. For the tale begins during the Accordance War, when the sidhe and the commoners faught and fae turned upon each other.
"It was then that the Fallen Ones appeared. At first they were noble sidhe, kind and goodly. Many were from the time before the shattering, brought to the present because of Arcadia's time distortion."
"Time dis-what?"
"Distortion. Time in Arcadia passes slower than here. While the sidhe lived in Arcadia, generations were born and died here. Many sidhe were shocked to see how much we had changed in their absence. The main lesson we learned was how to rule ourselves. The sidhe wanted to bring us back to the old ways. "This brought the Accordance War. Many fae were killed, but most regretted the killing. Some, however, thought that it was the only way. The Lightbringers were among this group. These sidhe thought that the commoners needed to be taught a lesson. Their drive, unfortunately, brought them madness. After killing several commoners they began to research new ways to conquer us. The dark voices whispered in their ears." I see young Molly shiver, and I doubt it's from the breeze. I pick her up and sit her on my lap before I continue. At least she will have her princess.
"Their descent was slow, and went unnoticed for long. As the other sidhe slowly began to see the attrocities that the Lightbringers had dredged up from the darkness, they began to question their ways more and more. When a motley of redcaps was ruthlessley slaughtered by them, the sidhe tried to cast them out. The Lightbringers then brought the fight against the sidhe as well.
"In our own city of Seattle they attacked the freehold the sidhe possesed. The baron that ruled and his wife were killed by the Lightbringers, their blood splashing on the sacred ground. Many say that the dreaming cried in agony that day as the freehold died with its lord.
"His daughter Princess Auliouna, however, had been away. She was among the first new sidhe to be born and had been hidden in safety. When she heard of her parents' deaths, she fled her haven and returned to Seattle. Taking her father's sword, she vowed to free the Dreaming from the Lightbringers -- the Fallen Ones as they were now known.
"Her battles were many and always hard. She met countless horrors, both chimaeric and real, from the pits of these fallen fae. As she travelled however, she made friends: her fierce warrior Hrothgar, the troll who had served her father in previous lives and could remember it still; the shadowy nocker Manaanan, a true sorceror with his own score to settle; and a agent of the F.B.I named Devon Maxwell, who knew much already of the Kithain and their ways. Mr. Maxwell, you see, was married to a young sidhe who had only recently had her chrysalis and was unfortunate enough to be found by the Fallen Ones. It was with the household that she carried the fight to the leader of the Fallen Ones."
I let go a little glamour here, causing the waves to crash against the point. A fine mist sprays us all. The grump grumbles about getting wet, but I know he enjoys the effect as much as the squalling childlings. After a moment I can continue, my voice lowered, comanding their attention. "The Fallen Ones had found a freehold of their own, and a powerful one it was. On top of it sat a large mansion owned by Lord Eirren Ravenglass, the supreme leader of the Fallen Ones. Manaanan had read the stars shortly before and saw the time to strike was at hand. So, in the still of night, the princess and her friends crept across the yard towards the great house.
"It was truly a frightful place. Many Nervousa stalked the grounds and it is sure that the group would have lost their senses without the mortal, Devon. He kept the chimaera at bay, being unable to see them and not believing in them. They reached the door and burst through. What they saw made the three Kithain scream in terror. The wood work was twisted and gnarled, bending in ways that made the eyes hurt. The windows bled red blood, and the banister was a length of bone. The candles that flickered all around gave a putrid odour that pulled at the stomach, and the floor screamed in agony as one tread across it. Even Devon was sickened by a smell of putrid decay and a rot that permeated the house.
"As they tried to move through the house, the bone banister came to life like a giant bone constrictor, wrapping itself around the powerful sorceror Manaanan. And Devon saw the wood work turn to a snake to attack the sorceror, for it was not chimaera, but some other, darker enchantment. Manaanan cast his most powerful spells at the atrocity, and Hrothgar ripped at it with his bare hands. Devon used his mundane bullets and Princess Auliouna her fathers sword, but nothing could stop the beast. With a final sound of his bones crunching, Manaanan fell limp in the creature's grasp. Quickly the others ran from the room, before it could claim another victim.
"Their path led them down to the cellar of the gloomy place. To Devon the stairs seemed rotten, falling to pieces, but to Princess Auliouna and the mighty Hrothgar, the stairs swayed and twisted away from any feet. It was mighty Hrothgar's great misstep that caused the stairs to break away beneath his great weight. The troll fell, catching himself by his finger tips as the stairs rose past his head. Beneath him was a pit so dark that it sucked the light from the stairway. He could hear indecipherable jibberrings in the dark and felt the silky caress of the shadows pulling at him. The princess and Devon pulled at Hrothgar, trying to bring him back up, but the weight of the mighty troll was too much. With a shriek he fell into the depths, and a maniacal laugh was the only return. Mighty Hrothgar who had battled the wicked Dauntain, the strange nervousa, and the dreaded unseen, was no more. Princess Auliouna wept for her brave soldier.
"The cellar was a twisting moss hewn maze. The floor was covered in a sea of rodents, squealing and swimming about. A strange eerie green light came from nowhere, casting slanting shadows that looked ready to pounce. Devon and the Princess walked side by side, armed with gun and sword. For a long time they met nothing except the incessent rodents. Then, on rounding a corner, they saw before them a ghostly image standing before a door. The image spoke, `Devon Maxwell, you are a honest a good man, and now I entreat you to aid me.' Her voice was soft, yet full of sorrow and many tears.
"`How may I help you?' he asked innocently.
"`My name is Annabel. Years ago I was a woman pledging herself to aid those she could, but when I unknowingly crossed Eirren Ravenglass he had me killed and bound my soul to servitude. He keeps a crystal ball hidden behind this door which is the focus of this spell. I cannot pick it up, for it is protected from me. If, however, you would take it and dash it against the ground, I would be free. I would live again and be yours.'
"Devon advanced towards the door. Princess Auliouna suspected a trap and told him so, pleading that he stop. The ghostly Annabel said only, `Please, Devon Maxwell, help me.'
"Now love between Kithain and mortal is always a tragic thing. We see the mortals wither around us as we spend more and more time within our sacred freehold. Still, it is not unknown for a Kithain to fall in love with a mortal, and all know that the sidhe are very passionate. The princess had been with Mr. Maxwell through many dangerous things and trying times, so when she shouted her love for him he knew that it was true, and with this truth he saw through the shade's lies. With the iron dagger that he carried, he ran at the spectre and sliced its ghostly form. It cried out and vanished to the shadows.
"Only one task lay ahead of them now. The two heroes came to an iron door, impervious to the forces of glamour. Devon drew his gun and shot the large lock twice, causing it to fall to the ground. The large door swung easily on its hinges. On the other side they found the truth of the Fallen Ones revealed. Lord Eirren Ravenglass stood in front of a portal twice the size of any troll. The depths of the portal reminded the princess of the hole that taken mighty Hrothgar and she shook before the essence of dark glamour that flowed forth from it.
"`Welcome, princess, to my great chamber. Your father's sword will be the perfect sacrifice to fully open my great portal!' Lord Eirren raved like a maniac while strange shapes and faces swam in the murky blackness in the portal.
"`You're finished Ravenglass. I come in the name of my father, Baron Eidwynn of Cair Carraivell.' With that the brave princess ran forward, her father's sword shining bright in the black sanctum. Lord Eirren was prepared, however. For Lord Eirren had sold his soul to dark powers, evil creatures wanting to destroy our fair world. He threw a crystal shard at the great princess and when it hit her she was encased in ice, unable to move or draw a single breath.
"`Foolish girl, you shall be easier to kill even than your father.' Lord Eirren majestically approached the princess, crossing in front of the portal to do so, but he had forgotten about the mortal Devon Maxwell. Devon ran forward and plunged his iron dagger deep into the shoulder of the lord. Lord Eirren cried in out rage, trying to throw the mortal into the dark portal, but Devon's grip was strong and he dragged Lord Eirren with him. They fell together into the void.
"The princess was released from her spell when the evil lord disappeared. The order of the Fallen Ones was without a leader and fell to chaos. Princess Auliouna never settled to rule her city. She continues to hunt the last remnants of the Fallen Ones still. Some say that Lord Eirren lives still, commanding his followers through terrible oracles. Some say also that the spirit of Devon Maxwell haunts the Fallen Ones wherever they may be.
"Well little ones, there is your tale. Now, off to your beds with you!" I say smiling. Molly hugs me and the other childings thank me, all except Willy who says it was the most boring tale he ever heard and he wished he had stayed home with his mother. Childling pookas were never great critics. After they are gone, the grey beard stands up and stretches, spitting into the fire once more. I can hear his joints crack like the firewood as he moves.
"A good tale lad. Next time, tell 'em the truthful endin'."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Eh? You haven't heard? The princess was found dead in the Kingdom of Apples, and the Fallen Ones have been gathering newly awakened sidhe of late. The princess didn't win the war, only a battle."
He lights his pipe and walks away whistling. The sidhe and satyr slowly wander off. In the wee hours I sit listening to the crackling wood, wondering about the changing seasons.
Once the Lightbringers were among the nost noble of sidhe. However, their lust for rulership and personal pride proved to be their damnation. They were involved in many battles during the Accordance War, but are remembered most for two events. The first is known as the Marketplace Massaquer. In the city of Seattle, late one night, a large group of Lightbringers came upon a much smaller group of redcaps. The redcaps were slaughtered in the ensuing battle. In the atrocities commited during the Accordance War such a thing might have gone unnoticed, but as the tale goes, the Lightbringers not only slaughtered the redcaps, but toyed with them, running them through an insane gauntlet and then causing them great pain with lengthy torture. Other sidhe became aware of this, as they had other acts by the Lightbringers, and denounced the Lightbringers, casting them out. The Lightbringers were at first stunned and then enraged. In a night raid they attacked the great freehold in Seattle and killed all inside. The commander of the Lightbringers, who were now being referred to as the Fallen Ones, the former Lord Eirren Ravenglass personally killed the King and Queen. It was then that Lord Eirren realised the sidhe were weakrning and must be taught their lessons. He took his followers out to cull the week, and renamed them the Crusaders.
What Lord Eirren did not realize was that the King's own daughter, Princess Auliouna, was not in the freehold at the time of the assault. When she returned, she took up her fathers sword and vowed to avenge her parents. Her own crusade took her over most of Concordia, from the Kingdom of Pacifica to the Kingdom of Apples; through the Kingdom of Northern Ice to the Kingdom of the Burning Sun. On her travels she was assisted by her friends. First was the mighty Hrothgar, a troll who had served her father in a previous life before the shattering. In the Kingdom of Apples she met Manaanan the Sorceror, who saw through the stars the path that would lead them to success. He had lost his own oathcircle to the brutality of the Fallen Ones, and so put aside his distrust for the sidhe princess to exact his vengeance. In the Kingdom of the Burning Sun they met Devon Maxwell, an F.B.I agent who had been married to a sidhe that had died on the end of an iron blade held by one of the Fallen Ones. The four of them together made a unique oathcircle both then and now.
To Princess Auliouna's surprise, their path returned them to Seattle as they neared the final confrontation with Lord Eirren. It was in the lord's very house that mighty Hrothgar and Manaanan the Sorceror met their untimely deaths. But deep in a subterrainian maze, Devon Maxwell and Princess Auliouna learned the truth of the Fallen Ones. Lord Eirren had been seduced by powers of darkness. His soul was sold and now he was trying to open a portal to his dark master's realm. Sacrificing himself, Devon Maxwell pulled Lord Eirren through the portal that was opened only one way. Princess Auliouna escaped.
Many thought this to be the end of the Fallen Ones, but Princess Auliona knew better. She continued to hunt them down, trying to save them if possible. Of late they have been looking for new sidhe to bring into their ranks. Several sidhe have fallen into their grasp after being found during their chrysalis. These fae are not Dauntain, but changelings still. Their souls have been sold and minds are warped, but they are still of the Kithain.
Princess Auliouna was recently found dead, and rumor has it that Lord Eirren is somehow communicating with his Crusaders again. Unfortunately, those who know are already lost.
Wilder: Crusaders are the most common. They are as proud as any sidhe and as high spirited, but towards the single goal of domination.
Grump: Crusaders are also uncommon. Most Crusaders do not live so long. Those who do are revered among their kind and are often reffered to as High Priests.
Midnight Whispers: If a Crusader can find a sleeping victim, he can whisper into the sleeper's ear and set hypnotic commands. These commands can be no more than a short sentence and must be completable within the next 24 hours. This costs a willpower point to use.
Eshu: The Storytellers spread hatred for us among the other Kithain, but are great fonts of information. Learn from them.
Nockers: If we could have them work for us. . .
Pooka: They are like spoiled children. They must be spanked.
Redcaps: Their crimes cannot go unpunnished. They must be discplined and made to serve our will.
Satyrs: Seduce them to our teachings, and through them their Kithain lovers.
Sidhe: Traitors! Now they are no better than the commoners. Someday they will see that we have been right all along.
Sluagh: Disgusting creatures. They are a pestilence to Kithain.
Trolls: Win them over to our side. Their loyalty is great, and prowess moreso. Without their body guards around, how would the sidhe fair?
Dauntain: These creatures must ultimately be destroyed, or they will drag us down. In the meantime, we often seem to come up with similar goals. Allies in times of need. Dispose of them when their usefullness has run out.
The first type of infernalist fae that I met were ones who had been corrupted into their path. Other forces had taken time to beat resistance out of them and convince them to follow their dark future. Often these ones seem to stay as foot soldiers and peons. Their drive is not truly in what they do, they have just lost all hope. A few times I have seen such fae rescued and dream again, but more often I found they withered away in the darkness. I have even met some who almost returned to us, but like the child who runs into the light from a dark basement, then cries in pain as the sun blinds them, they ran from salvation. These are what we most often assume the infernalists are, misguided angels. Unfortunately that is not always true, not to mention some do find the drive for their new "lives," and rise in their infernal rankings quickly.
The Second type are those who chose their path for many reasons. Some do it for sheer power. Others do it because they are under the illusion they will be on the "winning team." But whatever their reasons, these infernalists are to be feared. They are crafty malevolent corrupters. They serve terrible masters who grant them great powers in return. There is little hope for these former fae, as they have in fact chosen their path, turning from the true Dreaming into the Nightmare lands beyond.
What powers could these beings possibly offer to change a Kithain so drastically? Some appeal to bodily pleasures, others to wealth or fame. However, the most crafty appeal to much deeper dark things that at one time root within us all: revenge, craving, envy. The seven deadly sins are good examples of where the corrupters look.
Even more than quick roads to any of these, the corruptors can grant incredible powers. I have detailed some below:
Several investments that are detailed in the Book of Madness work just as well for fae. Body Armour and Lightning Speed are obvious examples. Imps are popular among sidhe infernalists, and more than one satyr has been lured by the Path of Lust and Torment.
On A more fae note, here are some specialties:
Reweave the Dream: (4pts)
This investment allows the infernalist to simply reweave anything created by chimaera. By spending a willpower point and succeeding in an opposed glamour roll, the infernalist changes the chimaera into whatever he desires. Some restrictions apply, ie. a nonsentient chimaera cannot be made sentient with this and mass cannot be added, but it can be lost. The process seems to be very painful to living chimaera and if they do not succeed in a willpower roll, they go insane. They can still serve their new infernalist master, they are just a step closer to nervousa.
Personal Chimaera: (3-7pts)
The infernalist is granted a very personal chimaera. The infernalist and chimaera are connected with an empathic and telepathic link. They always know where the other is and how the other is fairing. These chimaera are always sentient and usually animated. As well, the chimaera can usually courrier messages between the infernalist and his dark master. A weak chimaera is 3 pts while a very powerful chimaera, such as a dragon, is 7pts.
Iron resistence: (5pts)
This awesome power grants the infernalist resistence to Iron. Each time this investment is taken, the infernalist gains one die to roll against any iron based attack.
Birthright: (4pts)
Appealing to envy for another Kith, the dark lord grants the infernalist a birthright, ie granting a sluagh the appearance of a sidhe. This is of course never exactly the same. Eshu still arrive slighty quicker, Sidhe always manage to have the rouge slightly redder. Little things still stick out. (rolls normally made easier are not quite so easy, a +1 bonus instead of a +2, although the ability never to botch is still there)
Deny Banality: (2pts)
After failing a check versus banality, the infernalist may spend a point of glamour and make a second check.