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 Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:55 am
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:47 pm
 [ II ]I sing of a time that is legend,
I speak of a race that is myth,
I know of a place of enchantment,
I have known the Children of Lir . . . 07.01.10. - Phase 1 of the Lost Children contest has ended. Now we must await the judges' decisions... 07.01.08. - Zomgs first fanart!! By Tweek! whee heart 07.01.01. - The Lost Children Concept Contest has begun! And so has my entry for Iarla~. Ganbatte ne! 06.12.27. - Received approval stamp from Cerena! Woohoo! 06.12.24. - Making several corrections based on first critique... 06.12.21. - Ready for the first round of critiques, yo! 06.12.14. - Quest thread created, still working on the sections. ^^;
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:48 pm
 [ III ]'This will be the last time I will tell this tale, and I
must hurry, because my brothers are waiting for
me and they say that we must soon be gone. So, if
you are listening I shall begin, and I will tell you
the tale of the Children of Lir.
'My name is Fionnuala . . .' 'I was a girl,' Fionnuala began, 'when the world was very young. It was different then; it seemed bigger and there was always magic in the air. Creatures and animals who are gone now lived then; dragons on huge wings floated in the skies, there were monsters in the sea, and silver-horned unicorns ran wild in the forest. There were witches and warlocks, magicians and sorcerers in the world and not all of them were bad. Indeed, everyone knew a little magic.
'Not all the people were human either; there were giants and dwarves, trolls, goblins, and sprites. My own family were not human folk. My father was called Lir, and he was the Lord of the Sea and ruler of the Tir faoi Thuinn, the Land beneath the waves. He was one of the ancient Tuatha De Danann, the People of the Goddess Danu, who had come from their four magical cities across the sea to this green land. My mother was the most beautiful woman in all the De Dannan tribe, and she was called Eva.
'I suppose I should begin my story on the day my two younger brothers were born. It was a bright summer's day and my brother Aedh and I were swimming . . .'The Children of Lir is an Irish legend, which tells the story of four children: Fionnuala, Aedh, Fiachra, and Conn. Fionnuala was the oldest, a year later was Aedh, and then their twin brothers. They were of the race of the Tuatha De Danann, god-like beings who existed at a time when magic was alive in this world. It came upon Aedh and Fionnuala, the day that their brothers Fiachra and Conn were born, that their mother Eva felt the De Danann Sleep come over her and she was laid to rest in a secret room in their father's Fort. Their father, King Lir, Lord of the Sea, was much grieved by this, and he turned to his children for solace. Fionnuala and Aedh took charge in caring for their newborn brothers, and slowly the years passed in this way... One day, Lir met a woman, Aife, who was his wife's sister. He began to spend much time with her, and it wasn't long before he approached Aedh and Fionnuala and told them of his attention to marry her. They were saddened by this, because they thought of their mother, but their father said Eva would wish it; she would not want them to grow up without a mother.  And so King Lir married Aife and took her into his house. In the beginning every was fine; Aife treated the four children as if they were her own. But eventually, she began to be cold to them, and Fionnuala most of all noticed this change in her. It wasn't long before their stepmother began to be cruel to them. She would tell their father how reckless and bad they were, although he would not believe her; he would only say she must be imagining things. This only made Aife all the more infuriated. One day, the children's friend the trusted right-hand to their father, Mechar, entrusted to Fionnuala and Aedh two magic stones on a pendant. He bade them to wear these at all times, for he divulged that he was growing afraid for them. He told them that recently Aife had gone to a witch woman to have her future told, and she asked if she would bare children for Lir. The answer was no; she was unable to be with child. And so, she had no claim over Lir's throne, which Mechar explained hastily... Realizing this, Fionnuala and Aedh were even more on their guard -- just as Mechar had asked them to be. Aife was still more cruel and harsh to them and their brothers. Then one day, she fell ill and took to her bed. Lir sent all the great magicians in the land to see what was wrong, but there was nothing, and all that could be concluded was that it was either an imaginary illness or one of the mind. Yet Aife insisted she was sick. This lasted for an entire year. Then, one day, while Fionnuala and Aedh were playing a game outside the Fort, Aife suddenly appeared. She was restless and cold with them, and told them to get ready because she wanted to take them on a trip. The two suspected something, and Aedh sent word to Mechar that Aife was taking them somewhere. Yet they could not disobey her; she was frightening enough in her rage as it was. They gathered Conn and Fiachra and joined their stepmother in the carriage she had had brought. They were supposedly going to their grandfather's fort, but the driver drove so recklessly that Conn and Fiachra felt ill, and Aedh pleaded with Aife to stop the carriage for a while. This she did, at the lake, and told them to swim in the water while she readied their picnic.  They did this. Eventually they went to return to the bank, only to find that Aife was not there. Thinking she might have driven away and abandoned them there, they started out of the water, knowing they couldn't remain there. And then, Aife emerged from nearby, having waited for them. They saw that she was clad in their father's magical cloak; all De Danann had one, and they only used it when about to perform serious magic. Aife then revealed her malice, saying she would be rid of the children now, as she could see that their father loved them more than her. Yet she knew she could not kill them, because her deed would be unmasked; their ghosts could tell of her treachery. She instead began an echantment, for hers was the magic of transformation. She froze them in place and worked her magic, and the children lost feeling in their bodies as the magic rolled over them. When they finally regained their senses, Aedh went at her in a rage, only to find that he made no ground. It was then the children beheld each other -- each had been transformed into a swan! Aife declared that this spell would last for nine-hundred years, and for each set of three-hundred years the children would spend their time on a different body of water. At the end, they would only change back into their human selves if they heard the ringing of the bell of the New God. Aife left, laughing at them, in her carriage.  It wasn't long before Mechar found them with his stone and realized what had happened. He went straight to their grandfather's fort, where Aife was spinning a glorious lie about how the children had been ravaged and attack by a pack of wild boar's while on the banks of the lake. At first neither Lir nor the childrens' grandfather believed him; they then had Aife look into the Mirror of Truth while telling her story, and it revealed what she had done! Outraged, their grandfather, Bov, transformed Aife into a demon-like lizard, which one of Mechar's golden eagles devoured as it tried to escape. Lir then went to the lake and beheld his children. He moved his courts to the side of the lake, where he could stay with them. And so passed the first three hundred years of the enchantment. The curse then forced the children to travel to their next destination; they last beheld their father on the shores of the lake, haggard and with tears in his eyes, for he put off the Sleep just to be with them. Their next home was in the trecherous Straits of Moyle, where the storms were so fierce and water so cold that ice would freeze their legs to the rock they stood on. After three-hundred years there, they were able to travel to the last leg of their journey, Inish Glora, a small island off the coast. On the way they passed where their father's Fort had stood, and saw that it was gone, and they wept, knowing that the De Danann had faded from the world. Luckily they found a small lake that shared the same waters as those around the island, and so were able to settle on the edge of the mainland. In that lake they met a man, who was building a hut on the side of the lake. They spoke to him, and at first he was frightened, and then he realized who the were. The Children of Lir! He was a holy man, but not such as the children of Lir knew; he was of the New God. They asked him to teach them about this New God, for part of their enchantment rested on it. And so he told them about the Christ, and this was the new god that had come to their land. The three hundred years passed. It was on the final day that a horrible thing happened. The holy man had built a church by the lake, and he had had a bell made to place in it. The children were excited about this, because when it rang, it would be the end of the spell! A man with many armed men came, and demanded the swans. He had promised them to his wife, Princess of Munster, as a wedding gift. She was a selfish and greedy woman.  The holy man said he could not have them, but the man threatened to tear down the church if he did not comply. The children came out in front of the holy man, defending him and saying the church should not be torn down. They would go to the Princess. As they were about to be placed in the cages in the wagon, they heard a bell toll. It was then that a mist enveloped them, and the men holding them dropped them out of terror, and when the mist cleared the children stood there! They had regain human form! But, it was not long after this that they left this World, having been called by their parents. They went to them, fading away, never to be seen again. Or is that really the end...? Why would any of the children of Lir return? See the Rebirth section for the full account, but the most basic reason is this: The De Danann people wish to return to this world, but because of their limited power, they can only send one. They look to those of their people that were on the last on earth before Fading, and that is the Children of Lir. The De Danann make a plan to send one of these four to the other side as the Tuatha De Danann embassy in the new world. This embassy will scout the world and see if it is ready for the De Danann's return, then return and tell what he has seen. Hence, a Fa'e is created.
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:51 pm
 [ IV ]The song is sung,
The tale is told,
The children returned,
and gone,
But their magic lingers on . . . Important Note: Everything below is subject to change, depending on suggestions and critiques that I receive. So please feel free to speak up if you see any glaring problems or have a suggestion for me. The most important section -- the Fa'e. Originally my idea was to create the Fa'e based off of Fionnuala, the daughter of Lir, but in my research and continual rereading of the myth I've begun to change my ideas somewhat. Basically, the Fa'e will be a reincarnation of Fionnuala, the eldest of the children of Lir. I gladly welcome skepticsm, comments, suggestions, and corrections on everything in this section. It's important to me to do this right, and so I want input. Is what I have too close to an existing Fa'e? Is it too boring, too unoriginal, too...? Or do you have praise, thoughts, anything? Talk to me about what you're thinking; I want this concept to be the best it can be! The Idea: Name: Iarlaith; Iarla for short/as a nickname. This name is an Irish male first name, which translates to "Prince/Lord of the West." Remember, the Dé Danann people came to Ireland from the West on their ships -- I thought the name was fitting. [Will work in the naming by the guardian in guardian section.] How the Crap Do I Say That: (YAR-lath); (YAR-la) Gender: Androgynous, but would appear to be an effiminate male at first glance. Since there were three brothers and one sister, I chose to make Iarla's persona appear more masculine, but retain female characteristics, such as a softer face, etc. Hair: Hair is a few inches past shoulders. It begins as a minty-green color, fading into a golden yellow at at the tips. Hair is thick; the bottom is feathery and a little wild. Idea on what the hair would look like from the front ( not the right colors, obviously ) : Click here. Ideas on what the hair would look like from the back ( again, not correct coloration ) : Click here. Ideally "his" hair would be a bit unruly and never quite cooperate. Myth Evidence for Hair Colors: In the myth, King Lir's beard and hair are green like ocean and its inhabitants that he lays claim over. Fionnuala is mentioned as having a green tint to her hair, and her brother Aedh is sometimes portrayed with minty-green hair. As for the wildness of the hair, it is a throwback to the constant storms the children went through in their time as swans, as well as their 'feral-ness' if you will of living as animals. Unique Body Features: Iarla is not a hemraphrodite; "he" is simply completely ambiguous as far as gender goes; he lacks sexual organs. Since he looks more male, he does not have breasts, but his voice has a sweet and even musical tone to it. Across Iarla's eyes and stretching across the bridge of his nose are the markings of a mute swan. In essence, the black that circles a swan's eyes and circles around its face to the other eye are present on his skin. The black thins as it crosses the bridge of his nose and widens as it encircles his eyes. Eyes: Green-grey eye color; bit hard to imagine, so see this picture for what they would look like color-wise ( apologies for the watermark ). His eyes are sharp, intelligent, "wild" -- they have an animal-like look to them, one that hints at his wariness and caution when dealing with others. Skin Color: Very fair. Personality: Iarla is very guarded and wary of people that he doesn't know. It takes a lot to win his trust, but once it is won, he invests himself completely in the friendship -- this might get him in trouble someday, if he isn't careful. He's very loyal, even fiercely so, to those that he counts among his friends. He won't cease to speak up if he feels strongly about something, no matter who his adversary is, but if the matter is small he is more likely to let it pass or say his piece and be done with it. Not too much bothers him. Once you get to know him, he's friendly and easy-going; to strangers and people he isn't sure about, he wears a silent mask. In completely new surroundings, he is skittish and easily startled. If something he distrusts gets too close, he WILL get aggressive, but otherwise he seems calm, almost serene. He is off in thought much of the time. What is it he's thinking about...? Something he has to do...but he can't remember what it is. Summing Him Up in Just a Few Words: Aesthetic (sensitivity to beauty; treasures beautiful objects and things), Altruist (unselfish interest in the welfare of others; almost always puts others before himself), Chivalrous (lives by a code of honor; is courteous, generous and honest), Courteous (well mannered, respectful, civil and polite; usually aware of what is proper and what isn't), Meticulous (extremely careful in attending to details), Passive (avoids out-right violence if he can), Pensive (musingly/dreamily thoughtful; can muse over sad and depressing things sometimes; introverted), Rover (never likes to stay too long in one place and is much happier out on the open road), Steadfast (firm in belief, determination, and adherence; very loyal; keeps promises no matter what the cost). See here for more definitions of these traits. Also, some that I've added on my own: Guarded (mistrustful of strangers; avoids seeking solace in others when he has a problem; cautious by nature), Wary (suspicious of anything unknown and different). Likes: The ocean, swimming, sleeping, daydreaming, working on small/solitary projects, watching others debate, milk, singing, writing mediocre poetry, trying new hobbies ( they don't last long ), flying when in swan form, ancient history; has an interest in religions, especially Christianity. Dislikes: Loud noises, the cold, being stuck in swan form, thunder, seeing an animal in pain, nightmares, meeting new people, working in groups ( unless he knows and trusts everyone in the group ), uncertainity, ice. Typical Outfit: Tuatha De Danann Garb
[ For after his adult quest? ] I had an idea what I wanted this to look like, but first I went back to the text to see what the peoples of Ireland were wearing around the time 1897 - 1700 BC. As you can probably guess, information for that time is pretty scarce, especially considering that it wasn't until the fifth century with the arrival of St. Patrick that Ireland began keeping any sort of written documents. Before that time, the people has essentially no writing system, and so everything was passed by word of mouth. So it's a little hard to find any records that are actually from the time period; everything was written down afterwards. But, there is some information. By reading " Chapter XVIII - Dress and Personal Adornment - Dress" of A (much) Smaller Social History of Ancient Ireland, we can get a kind of idea of what clothing was like back then. Classification of Upper Garments The upper garments worn by men were of a variety of forms and had many names; besides which, fashions of course changed as time went on, though, as I think, very slowly. Moreover, the several names were often loosely applied, like the English words "coat,' mantle," "frock," &c. ; so that it is often impossible to fix exact limitations. But the articles themselves were somewhat less vague than their names: and, so far as they can be reduced to order, the upper garments of men may be said to have been mainly of four classes A large cloak, generally without sleeves, varying in length, but commonly covering the whole person from the shoulders down.
A short tight-fitting coat Or jacket with sleeves, but with no collar.
A cape for the shoulders, commonly, but not always, carrying a hood to cover the head.
A sort of petticoat, the same as the present Highland kilt. There was nothing to correspond with our waistcoat Sometimes only one of those was used, viz. either the outer mantle or the short frock-with of course in all cases the under and nether clothing; but often two were worn together; sometimes three; and occasionally the whole four. Cape and HoodThe short cape, with or without a hood, was called: cocholl corresponding in shape and name with the Gallo-Roman cucullus, English cowl: but this English word cowl is now often applied to a hood simply. This fashion continued long: Thomas Dineley (in 1675) observed that the men, in parts of Ireland, covered their heads with their cloaks. Fastners for Upper GarmentsThe over-garments were fastened by brooches, pins, buttons, girdles, strings, and loops. Brooches will be treated of in next section. Simple pins were generally ornamented, head, or shank, or both, as seen in the figures below, of which the originals are all in the National Museum, with many others. [more information present on the page itself; very long so I'm snipping it here!] This information is hard to visualize, and there aren't any detailed pictures from antiquity that can show us what this looks like. I decided to go for a reference via the pop-culture venue, because there's just so much information with the media these days that it's very easy to track things down. And so we turn to the popular film adaption of Tolkien's genius, Lord of the Rings. The costumes for these movies are actually quite amazing, and they can work for a lot, especially in this case. The outfit that I have in mind:  __ Breaking down this outfit: fine, grey linen shirt, embroidered around neck and a smocked panel at each shoulder
leather trousers
tall soft boots Iarla never wears shoes; he is always barefoot.
long sleeveless jerkin w/braided ties
long duster/coat of heavier leather
cloak rolled up on back Obviously these pictures are meant just as a guide about what I'm thinking; they're not to be interpretted as the final say and are definitely not an excuse to drag in something mainstream. I made sure that the outfit spoke well of the descriptions from ancient celtic garments first. The colorations of the above could be changed as well. Again, this is merely a guide and in the end is all up to artistic license and interpretation. As for the brooch, that's important, and obviously will be different, something along these lines would be present on the shoulder, and as such the cloak would probably pass more in front of him than shown in the example pictures. The brooch would be colorful, with reds and golds. In his hair would be a feathered ornament, similar to this. This would be an obvious throwback to his time as swan. He would retain this no matter what outfit he's wearing. Around each of his ankles would be a silver anklet, hung with tiny silver bells. Iarla is somehow haunted and drawn to the sound; it spoke of the end of the enchantment in his past. Something like this. No matter the outfit, he would also retain these. Mechar's Stone of TruthMechar gifts the children with one of the necklaces that he gave them when they were alive; a necklace with a stone attached that lets him know the location of the wearer. When the children became one and passed into this world, the necklace disappeared. Where is it? Was it destroyed on the way in? Will it surface in the future? Other Outfit Ideas - In Other Words, What the Guy Would Wear White robes, perhaps. See these mostly random pictures of what appear to be elves for ideas about robes. Robes a common garment-type on Nemesis, and certain robes are restricted to those of certain magical ability as a mark of rank. Iarla would merely wear plain/personalized robes, however. Example sketch of a "Sunday-best" outfit that he'd probably wear. ( Colors undecided, but probably accented with velvet ). Go for Celtic, fantasy-like outfits; he's not too picky about clothes, as long as they're comfortable and he can get things done. He does have a bit of a flair for what he wears, though, so it's got to look good -- maybe being royalty in his past did it to him? Even his grubby first outfit comes off with a certain presence. Silks, velvets, and other nice fabrics are certainly appealing, as well as quality leather. Got to be quality. He IS Celtic, but he was also (a) god(s) before this, so. wink Clothing -- In Summary Wears fantasy/medieval-type outfits with a Celtic flair to them.
Has a white feathered ornament in his hair.
Wears silver belled anklets around his ankles.
Has a sword.
IS ALWAYS BAREFOOT, and no, he doesn't have Hobbit feet. You were dying to ask, I'm sure.
Is not Aragorn.
Is not an elf, even though his stepmother did have pointed ears.
Likes comfortable, workable clothing with a bit of pizzazz to them. Think royalty.
Color Scheme: Greens (light-dark), deep/rich blues, white, other earthy-colors like brown, tan, and gold.
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:53 pm
 [ V ]'There were witches and warlocks,
magicians and sorcerers in the world
and not all of them were bad. Indeed,
everyone knew a little magic . . .' Important Note: Everything below is subject to change, depending on suggestions and critiques that I receive. So please feel free to speak up if you see any glaring problems or have a suggestion for me. OKAY. Powers and rebirth, probably the most contested section in this entire quest. To start, I have read through the database already, and I used the front page of the Fa'e main thread when working on Iarla's appearance to make sure he was not too similar(-looking) to any existing Fa'e. I'm not sure about Fa'e that aren't yet reborn, but have slots, so I will depend on the public to steer me in the right direction with that. But, with powers, there are probably many that aren't listed in the database ( and are therefore useable ) but maybe using them would be like beating a dead horse. Obviously I don't want that. So, rip the powers section a new one when you get to it, that's what critique is all about. Hell, tear apart the rebirth one too while you're at it...although I'm quite fond of the idea that I have. LET'S GO. A Tale of Rebirth Full version moved to: My LJ, the only public entry there, for the sanity of those who would rather not read the full version. Because it is VERY long, and told from multiple points of view. [Revised version #1 now posted]Summary/The Quick and Dirty: The De Danann people wish to return to this world, but because of their limited power, they can only send one. They look to those of their people that were on the last on earth before Fading, and that is the Children of Lir. The De Danann make a plan to send one of these four to the other side as the Tuatha De Danann embassy in the new world. This embassy will scout the world and see if it is ready for the De Danann's return, then return and tell what he has seen. Hence, a Fa'e is created. Powers Strengths:Water Manipulator - Iarla can control water. He can shape it into certain forms, although in the beginning this power is fairly weak and he is only able to accomplish forming small spheres. As he continues to discover his power, eventually he will be able to create much more advanced forms -- although it will be some time before these will be able to "act" on their own, independent from him. When that level is reached, he will be able to shape water into a form of his choice, and create many of these, so as to distract and weaken a target. This is Iarla's main power in human form. This power inspired by: Lir, and his ability to control ocean currents and waves, as well as move entire bodies of water by a simple command.Swan Form - Swan form is both a blessing and a curse. It is an echo of Iarla'a previous enchantment in his last lives. Every three weeks, Iarla is forced into swan form for a period of 9 days. Physical, mental, emotional exhaustion, and extreme pain will force Iarla to slip into swan form as well, and he will be trapped for 9 hours' time. In this form the only magic that he can use is Swan Song, although he can still speak. This power heralds from: Fionnuala, Aedh, Fiachra, and ConnSwan Song - Iarla retains the De Danann power of song as a swan. The song at its strongest will be able to soothe storms while it is being sung, calm choppy waters, and create an enchantment-like effect over human and animal listeners. The song generates the ability for others to feel the emotions that are being sung about, such as a sad song making tears come to one's eyes, etc. While in swan form this ability is at its height. This power heralds from: Fionnuala, Aedh, Fiachra, and Conn; all of the De Danann.Wild Instinct - Animal-like sixth-sense that senses impending danger, especially via the weather. He can instinctively feel a storm before it happens, such as animals can, and can usually perceive when something is attempting to deceive him, for example, glamours and illusions. Although he might not be able to break the illusion, he will feel that something is not right. This also applies to strangers or anyone with an evil intent on their minds, seeking to do harm. This power heralds from: Fionnuala, Aedh, Fiachra, and ConnCurse Resistance - Ability to perceive, throw off, and resist curses; after living with Aife's enchantment for 900 years, this power is very developed. This power heralds from: Fionnuala, Aedh, Fiachra, and ConnWeaknesses:Ice Weakness - Although ice is a form of water, it is a different state, and Iarla cannot control it. He is also weakened by it, both mentally and physically. Whatever damage the ice spell would have done normally, it does double that when hitting Iarla. Ice Weakness applied to all forms of ice, including hail. This power inpsired by: All of the children, and their time in the icy Straits of Moyle.Cold Weakness - Extreme cold weakens him considerably, to such that if it is prolonged, it will probably force him to slip into Swan Form out of exhaustion and his inability to keep ahold of his human form. This power inpsired by: All of the children, and their time in the usually freezing Straits of Moyle.Sound Fear - Extremely loud and prolonged sounds can force Iarla into a panic; he is afraid, even phobic, of them. He may lose his wits and end up passed out as a swan by the end of the ordeal if the sound is too terrifying and continual for him to deal with. This power inspired by: Fiachra and Conn in the Straits of Moyle.Swan Form - Swan form is both a blessing and a curse. It is an echo of Iarla'a previous enchantment in his last lives. Every three weeks, Iarla is forced into swan form for a period of 9 days. Physical, mental, emotional exhaustion, and extreme pain will force Iarla to slip into swan form as well, and he will be trapped for 9 hours' time. In this form the only magic that he can use is Swan Song, although he can still speak. This power heralds from: Fionnuala, Aedh, Fiachra, and ConnExhaustion - After being weakened to the point that he reverts to Swan Form, Iarla is required to sleep deeply for a certain period of time ( time duration depends on the event ) to regain strength. During that time he is completely vulnerable. This power heralds from: Fionnuala, Aedh, Fiachra, and Conn; the Tuatha De Danann
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:54 pm
 [ VI ]'It's Mechar,' Aedh said suddenly
recognizing the figure. He pushed his way out
of the reeds and drifted over to their friend. Name: Kuraino Risth Hasturien [goes by Risth, usually, on Gaia when mingling with the commonfolk] Gender: Female Age: 20-21 Appearance: Silvery-white hair to mid-back, braided. She wears black Sorcerer's robes, complete with a cape and really cool big black boots. She wears black gloves, which she has to wear at all times because she has these icky curse things on the back of her hands. Is approximately 5'9", has dark-purple eyes that sometimes seem iridescent. She is from the Black Moon clan. Personality/Likes/Dislikes: Highly opinionated, outspoken, hates taking care of kids, and swears when in both a good mood and bad. Invests herself completely in any relationship/friendships that she has. Is outgoing, sometimes a little crazy, likes to rant when something bugs her. Always goes to something to get a problem off her chest; she can't operate keeping it all bottled up. She's got to SAY it. Likes to goof off with her family members most of all. Enjoys a good book, a good movie, and a really good meal. Thinks sex is overrated, and she's a virgin. Likes bunnies; thinks fish are stupid. Has an intense aversion to the ocean and is phobic about hospitals. Has depressive episodes, but that's what meds are for, am i rite? Anyway, she's mostly the less-than-qualified individual who is Iarla's guardian. And she really hates stupidity. ( And people who can't spell and it's like they do it on purpose. lol. )Her Home: Nemesis is a planet that exists in another universe. The solar system has ten planets, and Nemesis is the tenth. It is over ten billion miles from the Sun, made of mostly black rock. The inhabitants suffer the freezing cold with the aid of a magical crystal, the jakozuishou, which creates a shield that allows temperature moderation. The planet relies heavily on magic as well as sophisticated technology to function. The people of Nemesis are divided into hundreds of different clans, which can be identified by a symbol on a persons' forehead. These clan symbols are determined at birth and hard-wire certain magical attributes into each person, some of which help to further resistance to the cold. Currently, Nemesis exists in 00?? New Era. Its original universe was riven into pieces following the great war, where all but a handful of people perished. But time fell back on itself, and those that had died suddenly awoke again, alive, in their worlds. The universe was still split, dividing the non-magic peoples from the magic ones, until they could be reunited and the universe one again. When the people of Nemesis awoke again, the last thing anyone could remember was when they had died. But people from a huge span of time were alive again, and so time had lost all meaning. Thus began the New Era. The Black Moon clan has claimed lordship over the planet, and thus is the ruling clan. Kuraino's grandfather is the current King of Nemesis and her father, Adamant Hasturien, is the Heir to the throne. She has two brothers, and one sister -- who she is Bonded to. Not to mention the extended family. All of them reside on Nemesis. Powers: She is a Sorcerer. Yes -ER, not -ESS. Her main skills deal with dreams, illusions, and the taking of souls. Her dream power is probably the most advanced of those three. She probably won't have to use any of these really, so I'll just list them here for the sake of listing them. The Finding: Kuraino finds Iarla accidentally. Rather, she is the west wing of the Palace, a section very rarely used any more and thereby suffering from age. These little expeditions of hers are not infrequent. Sometimes, she just needs to be alone...or as alone as she can be. She felt drawn to explore there at that time, and what she discovered there...she certainly wasn't expecting. What appeared to be a dead swan was laying in the middle of the most remote room on the dusty floor. Exotic animals can be bought on Nemesis as pets ( there is no natural life on the planet ), and so that was what Kuraino first assumed it was. A loose pet that had somehow -- somehow -- gotten itself trapped inside the palace. But wouldn't someone have seen it...? She was horrified. She had always loved birds most of all, and the sight was heart-breaking. The swan looked lifeless. It didn't appear to be breathing. My gods who had let this poor thing wander all the way in here? And let it die?
Slowly she knelt down next to the stark white body of the bird, scooping her gloved hands around its sides and bringing it up into her arms. The elegant neck hung over her arm. It wasn't breathing...but it was warm...had it just died? Right here? Kuraino's eyes welled up. What the hell -- how could no one have seen it come so far in?
Standing up, she held the bird to her chest, feeling strange for some reason. This didn't make any sense. This bird was just too big to have gotten in here and not be seen...wasn't it? It didn't seem starved, nor did its body look broken. Why had it died?
"Maybe it died of fright," she murmured to herself, not really thinking that that explained much. She walked carefully from the room, making sure not to move the swan's body if she could help it. There was something about it...
Was it really dead?
Its eyes were closed. The smooth feathered head hung over her arm, listless. Gods it seemed like it would wake up any second. And yet, it looked like it had already left the world.
Already she was passing down the dimly lit hall towards her rooms -- or someone's rooms. What was she going to do with this...bird? Someone was going to ask. But she couldn't just leave it there! What if it was just hurt? And even if it was dead....
It was so warm, in her arms. She decided to take it to oniisan. He'd know what to do with it, right? Kuraino didn't dare examine the bird by herself...but if it was hurt, she could probably heal it.
"This just figures," she muttered to herself, slipping through a seamless door in the nearby wall and striding along the dark corridor on the other side. Shortcuts were always a good thing at times like this.
She managed to get to oniisan's rooms without running into anyway. There'd definitely be questions if someone saw her carrying some dead bird around. 'But it might not be dead...it isn't dead,' she thought in her head. Even though she had no idea why.
"Oniisan!" she called out, standing outside his door. She considered knocking with her head for a moment. It might work better.
Oniisan -- Lapis -- opened the door. The look of surprise that registered on his face was instant. He had his dark-blue hair pulled back, behind his shoulder, and he was considerable taller than her. He wore the same black robes that Kuraino did...being a Sorcerer.
"...What...Kuraino...what the hell is that?"
Kuraino shot him a depressed look. "A swan, what's it look like?" She held out the bird to him, still in her arms. Lapis looked affronted. "...Uh. What are you doing with a swan? Are you planning to eat that thing?"
"What?! No! ...I found it. I was just...wandering around. It was lying on the floor..." She brought it against the black fabric of her robes, giving Lapis a pitiful look. "...How could anybody eat a swan?"
"...I don't know but -- wait, you found it? Here?" Lapis scratched the back of his head, while Kuraino narrowed her eyes at him. She'd known she'd be in for some teasing walking around like she was, but how could he even joke about eating it?
"Yes, I found it," she added, trying to cushion the poor animal's head. It looked pathetic like this. Lapis leaned against the doorframe, with something of an amused look on his face. Kuraino knew he had some other smart reply coming.
"Well what are you going to do with it? ...It looks dead."
Kuraino frowned. "...I thought it was...I mean, I think it is...I don't know. It's warm. I don't know if it's really dead."
Lapis gave in, although he did it grudgingly. "All right, all right, bring in here and let's look at it..."
The door swung open and Kuraino hustled in, not wanting to stand out in the hell any longer. Maybe if she laid it on something stuff, made it warm, it would wake up? But was it hurt? And why...
"Here, let me see it. Put it over there," Lapis instructed. Kuraino laid the swan out on some cushions on the couch, being as careful as she could. It was then that she saw it: its chest was rising, and falling. It was breathing. "It's alive," she whispered, surprised.
The words had just barely left her mouth when the swan's body began to glow. It seemed bathed in a white light, which blotted out its entire form. Kuraino jumped back, yelling out in surprise. The hell! And then, even more insane, the light-outline of the swan began to shift and change, and as the light faded...there was a human there. A human baby. Laying on oniisan's couch.
Immediately Kuraino clung to Lapis, while he clung to her, and both fairly screamed. A BABY? HOW? And where was the swan?!
"Oh gods what the hell," Kuraino got out, staring at the tiny baby's form. It appeared to be human, but it had strange black markings across its face...and no clan symbol.
"Where did you find it again?" Lapis asked faintly. Never mind explaining a swan, explaining a baby...that was OUT of his league.
The baby itself lay quiet, naked and curled up like most babies are. Then, it began to cry.
Kuraino felt like crying herself. She hadn't bargained for this. She'd been carrying a swan back here, not a baby, and now this! It seemed like it was a child who could shape-shift...like like Tal-ojisan, and Auron-oniisan. But it was so young! And where had it come from...?
"Okay, we need to go find someone, right now," oniisan said, shifting uneasily. "You grab the baby, and I'll go get someone who might know what the hell this is about."
"What? Ohhh no. You can't leave me alone with it!"
"You found it!" Lapis hissed. "And cover it with something!"
The baby was crying louder now, creasing its tiny face and clenching its eyes tight. Kuraino felt ill. She didn't know the first thing about babies, and this one had just...showed up out of nowhere. On the verge of panic, she began to wring her hands, looking around for something to cover the wailing baby with. "Don't leave me alone with it!" she pleaded to Lapis again, still looking for a blanket. She couldn't find one, but she found a circular pillow, and she quickly ran over and put it on top of the baby.
The baby didn't like that. It started to flail its arms and legs, and cry louder. Kuraino pictured herself crawling into a little hole and never coming out again.
Lapis didn't want to get too close; he was already at the communicator punching in the number code to call whoever it was he had in mind. Kuraino watched him frantically. "Help," she said hoarsely.
Oniisan looked over his shoulder at her, and his eyes grew wide. "Hey that's one of my good pillows!"
"Well there's nothing else okay?!" Kuraino said, picking up the pillow momentarily to see if the baby was -- as its crying attested -- still underneath the pillow. It was. And, much as she didn't want to look, she noticed something that could not be explained. While the baby was flailing, it was giving her a great look of down south, and there was nothing -- yes, nothing -- there. It wasn't a little baby girl, and it sure wasn't a little baby boy.
Kuraino shoved the pillow back on the baby and her face shot up to Lapis, red as anything. "Oniisan," she hissed. "...It..."
"What??" Oniisan asked, distracted as he was trying to talk into the communicator at whoever he had called. "One second, okay?" He finished explaining the suspicious circumstances and the baby, and then he nodded and shut off the communicator. Then he turned back around. "...What did you say?"
"The baby," Kuraino squeaked out. She really felt like she was going to die now. She pointed down at the baby's Sensitive Area. Lapis grew quite pale. Kuraino knew he wasn't good with this kind of thing.
"What? What's wrong with it?" he said.
"There's...it's...there nothing there. It's not a boy...and it's not a girl."
This very revelation was so insane -- even more insane than finding a dead swan and having it turn into a baby -- that Lapis looked close to fainting. Kuraino sympathized wholeheartedly. She interrupted his silence with, "Who did you call?"
"Lucky you, your dad's coming, and if he doesn't have an explanation for this...I don't know what to think."
Kuraino looked down at the little body on the couch. She was now fairly shoving the pillow on it, and she quickly took it off. The baby hadn't stop crying. What should she do? Tell it a bedtime story? Sing a lullaby? Oh come on!
Out of desperation she put her gloved hands on the tiny shoulders, saying, "Please stop crying, please stop crying," and for some strange reason, the baby began to stop. It sniffed very loudly and still looked miserable, but it became quieter. Kuraino dropped her head, sighing with relief. The crying was about to drive her mad. With that, she removed her hands. And then -- the baby started crying again.
"Hug it," Lapis said, plainly amused at this turn of events. "Maybe it'll stop alogether."
"What? No! I don't even know what it is!" At this the baby howled louder, as if insulted. Quickly Kuraino shoved her hands on its tiny arm, and it seemed calmed. She stared at its little face, with the black markings across its eyes. Raising an eyebrow, she had just begun to say, "Hey...that black on its eyes...it looks kinda of like --"
There was a knock at the door, and Lapis hastened over to it. He opened the door a crack, and then quickly ushered in Papa -- Adamant, Kuraino's father. His silvery-white hair was the same color as Kuraino's, and it just barely touched his shoulders.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Kuraino & Azure
art by luciole
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:22 am
 [ VII ]For Fionnuala, Conn and Fiachra were gone,
and in their places three snow white swans
floated on the still waters of the lake.
Aedh looked down into the water
at his own reflection ... and the small,
delicate head of a swan looked back up at him . . . When the childrens' stepmother, Aife, changed them into swans, they took the form of a mute swan. This is information relating to the species, some of whose traits will be seen in the reborn Fa'e. The Mute Swan ( Cygnus olor) is a common Eurasian member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. DistributionThis bird is found naturally mainly in temperate areas of Europe and western Asia. It is not migratory, although some populations must move in winter when waterways and lakes freeze. They are sometimes found at the coast, particularly in winter, rather than solely being birds of inland waters. The Mute Swan is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. However, in places their numbers are increasing and can be troublesome. In the United Kingdom, following a ban on the use of lead weights by anglers in the 1980s, numbers have increased radically and both farmers and river managers express concern about their impact; an adult swan can eat 4Kg of vegetation a day, and a flock of them can strip a field of young oilseed rape, for example. For aesthetic reasons, this species is often kept in captivity, in areas where it is not native, in order to decorate parks and ponds, and escapes inevitably follow. The descendants of such birds have become naturalised in the eastern United States and Great Lakes, much as the Canada Goose has done in Europe. In some locations, such as Chesapeake Bay, the numbers of these feral birds have increased to the point where they are considered pests because they compete with native birds for habitat and food. AppearanceAdults of this large swan range from 125-155 cm long with a 200-240 cm wingspan. They may stand over 1.2 m (four feet) tall. Males are larger than females and have a larger knob on their bill. The Mute Swan is one of the heaviest flying birds, with males (known as "cobs") averaging at about 12kg (27 lbs.), and females (known as "pens") more than 9 kg (20 lbs.). An exceptional Poland cob weighed almost 23 kg (50 lbs.), surpassing the longer-bodied Trumpeter Swan to make it the heaviest waterfowl ever recorded. Its size, orange-reddish bill and white plumage make this swan almost unmistakable. The most similar species is Whooper Swan, but that has a yellow and black bill, and lacks the curved "swan" neck, is longer and heavier and lacks the characteristic projection above the bill. Young birds, called "cygnets", are not the bright white of mature adults, and lack the bright orange bill. The color of the down may be a dull white or gray, and controversy exists over whether the color is related to their gender. There are no recognized living subspecies of the Mute Swan. The morph immutabilis ("Poland Swan") in which the cygnets are dull white is not a subspecies as it occurs in all populations. However, during the Pleistocene, a paleosubspecies ( Cygnus olor bergmanni) existed; it differed only in size and is known from fossils found in Azerbaijan. BehaviourMute Swans nest on large mounds that they build in shallow water in the middle or at the edge of a lake. These monogamous birds reuse the same nest each year, restoring or rebuilding it as needed. Male and female swans share the care of the nest, and once the cygnets are fledged it is not uncommon to see whole families looking for food. They feed on submerged aquatic vegetation, reached with their long bills. This bird can often be found in colonies of over 100 individuals such as at the southern tip of Öland Island, Ottenby Preserve, in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea (Hogan, 2006). Although this bird can be tame, especially to those who feed it daily, it is aggressive in defence of its nest, and its size and impressive hissing make it a formidable adversary for animals as large as a fox; a grunt, on the other hand, may be a positive signal. There have been many reports of Mute Swans attacking people who enter their territory. Their wings are believed to be so strong that they can break a person's arm with one hit, although the evidence for this is weak. The Mute Swan is less vocal than the noisy Whooper and Bewick's Swans; the most familiar sound associated with Mute Swan is the whooshing of the wings in flight once this bird has laboriously taken off from the water. The phrase swan song refers to this swan and to the famous ancient legend that it is utterly silent until the last moment of its life, and then sings one achingly beautiful song just before dying; in reality, the Mute Swan is not completely silent. Unlike Black Swans, Mute Swans are strongly territorial. The familiar pose with neck curved back and wings half raised, known as busking, is a threat display. The Mute Swan is protected in most of its range, but this has not prevented illegal hunting and poaching in some countries. Trivia!The Mute Swan is the national bird of the Kingdom of Denmark.
All Mute Swans in the UK (with the possible exception of those in Orkney and Shetland) are considered the property of the British monarch, except for flocks owned by the Vintners' and Dyers' Companies. See Swan Upping.
The Mute Swans in the moat at The Bishops Palace at Wells Cathedral in Wells, England have for centuries been trained to ring bells via strings attached to them to beg for food. Two Swans are still able to ring for lunch. Bell Ringing Swans Of Wells, England Official Website.
There is rich iconographic and literary evidence for Celtic bird-goddesses who took the form of swans. Similarly, swans are highly revered in Hinduism (see the trivia section of swan). The Roman Julius Caesar noted that the British tribes thought wild geese and swans "unlawful" to eat or kill. By medieval times, though, swans were considered an edible form of poultry. Nowadays they are a protected species in many countries.
Both the Ancient Britons and the Anglo-Saxons believed that a swan's wings throbbed and sang with a human voice when they flew.
A Mute Swan was believed to have been the first species of bird to have died from the H5N1 'Avian Flu' virus in the UK, when a swan carcass was found in Cellardyke, Fife in Scotland in March 2006. However it has turned out to have been a Whooper Swan. Some More Pictures[ x] [ x] [ x] [ x] [ x] Text procured from Mute Swan at Wikipedia.org.
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:25 am
 [ VIII ]'I am going to work the most powerful magic
that has been worked in this land since it was first made.'
'And what magic is that?' Fionnuala whispered . . . When Aife placed the enchantment on Fionnuala and her brothers, she set stipulations for how long it would last. She had also placed a geasa on them, which is a special spell that makes a person do something they don't want to. In this case, she decreed where they would span each of the three-hundred years of her curse, and they were bound to her words. This section gives an account of what those places look like, where they are, and a more in-depth look at what happened while the children were there [if applicable]. Lough Derravaragh This was the first part of Aife's curse; the children of Lir were bound to the lake near their father's De Danann Fort. Information about the lake: "The Annals of the Four Masters state that in the Age of the World 2859 Loch Dairbhreach and Loch Ainminn in Meath sprang forth (the Age of the World 2859 corresponds with 2336 B.C.). Lough Derravaragh (or Loch Dairbhreach as Gaeilge meaning "The Lake of the Oaks" is located 10 kilometres north of the county town of Mullingar and 3.5 kilometers south of the town of Castlepollard. Lough Derravaragh, sometimes known as Donore Lake, lies 210 feet above sea level and encompasses an area of 3,051 acres. The outline of the lake is winding and intricate; it is some 10 kilometres long and very narrow except at the north end where it widens out to circa 4 kilometres. At the northern end the lake feeds into the River Inny while at the southern end it nestles between three hills: Knockeyon, Knockbody and Knockross. In the 1700 and 1800s the area was extensively sheeted with wood. There was an abundance of ash, oak, birch, alder, holly and laburnum growing on the hills surrounding the lake. John O'Donovan in the Ordnance Field Name Books (1837-183 cool states that according to tradition the lake was named after a daughter of the celebrated navigator and necromancer Manannan Mac Lir" ( AAI). 'And so we began the first tree hundred years of our enchantment on the cold waters of Lough Derravaragh.
'Our father and grandfather and the greatest wizards and magicians in all the known world came and tried to turn us back into our human forms, but no one succeeded. Aife had set the spell in a certain way, a way that only she could undo, and of course, she was gone now. We were trapped.
'Our father moved his court to the banks of the lake, and the finest scholars and teachers in the world came and taught us. We learned many things, but most of all, we learned to sing. And soon our music and songs became known through the length and breadth of Banba. People came from miles around to hear us sing.
'There was a certain magic in our voices, and if we sang sad soungs, nearly everybody cried, but if we sang happy songs, then everyone laughed and smiled.
'But the first three hundred years soon passed. We did not feel the time slipping by, but one morning I woke up and I just knew that we had to leave. We hadn't aged, but our father had . . .'The Straits of Moyle The Straits of Moyle are the second leg of the enchantment, and the most dangerous part. Essentially, the Straits of Moyle "( Sruth na Maoile in Irish and Scottish Gaelic) is the name given to the area of sea between northeastern Ireland and southwestern Scotland. The distance is short, and from certain areas it is possible to sight land on the other side of the straits in clear weather conditions" ( Wikipedia). 'The three hundred years we spent in the seas of the Strait of Moyle were the hardest of our enchantment. It was a terrible place. We were always cold, wet and hungry, and sometimes it got so cold that the sea froze in a solid sheet all around us and the skin of our feet stuck fast to the icy rock.
'During those times we sang the songs of our people, for the sounds of our voices would crack the ice and calm the wind. You see, there was a magic in our music, and that magic would often draw the sea creatures to us, and they would bob in the water listening. We saw some strange things too . . .'It was also during this time, it is said, that the Children of Lir brought a whale to the side of their rock in the Strait, and conversed with it. Eventually, they taught the whale language, which he taught to his people, and this is how the whales communicate in modern times. So it is written : The Whale Conn spotted it first. He tilted his long slender neck from side to side, trying to make out the shape, and then he scrambled up the rock to the highest point and stood looking across the waves. Fiachra wondered what he was doing. 'What do you see?' he asked. His twin gave a little shrug of his wings. 'I'm not sure. Come up here and look.' Fiachra flapped his huge wings and ran up the rock to perch beside his brother. 'What is it?' Conn pointed with the tip of a wing. 'You tell me,' he said. Both swans stared out across the waves, looking at a long, broad black and grey shape in the water that seemed to be slowly drifting close to them. It looked like an island, and yet there were no islands even close to their rock. It didn't look dangerous and yet . . . these were dangerous waters; you never knew what might happen. Once a huge chunk of ice had been swept up against their rock during the night. The noise had been terrible -- a sort of high-pitched screaming sound -- but what was even more frightening was that bits and pieces of the ice had scattered all around the rock, and they had been as sharp and as cutting as glass. Another time a long, many-oared wooden ship with a huge square sail and a monster cared at one end, had come quite close to the rock, and the ben on board -- big men with yellow hair and plaited beards -- had fired arrows at the birds just for fun. And so the children had learned to be very cautious and careful. Conn took one last look at the thing in the sea, and shook his head. 'I had better get Aedh and Fionnuala.' Fiachra nodded. 'I'll stay up here and watch.' While his twin had gone to look for the other two, Fiachra noticed that the strange black object was not just floating aimlessly in the sea -- if it had, the sea currents would have pulled it in a different direction. No, this thing was purposefully moving straight for the rock. He said this to Aedh when he and his sister climbed up over to look. His older brother nodded. 'Yes, it is coming here. I wonder what it is?' he murmured, almost to himself. 'Perhaps it's an island,' Fionnuala said, 'I once heard about islands that float about on the surface of the sea, moving with the waves and the currents.' Aedh looked across the sea again and nodded. 'You could be right. It's certainly big enough to be a small island.' The strange grey and black object came closer and closer, and now they could see that parts of it were covered with sea-shells and barnacles, and there were long strands of seaweed trailing behind it. Aedh was just shaking his head, and saying, 'I really don't know what it is,' when the island moved! It came right up out of the water and loomed over the four terrified swans on the tiny rock like a black cliff. Only this cliff had eyes and a huge mouth full of teeth. It was a whale. Small black eyes stared down at them, and then the huge mouth opened and the whale spoke -- with a voice that was so tiny that it made the children laugh. 'I heard your singing,' the whale squeaked, 'I followed it here.' Fionnuala bobbed her head. 'I am sorry we laughed then,' she said, 'but we thought you were going to attack us, and then when you spoke ... well, your voice is ...' She paused, and looked over at Aedh. 'We were expecting a bigger voice,' her brother said. 'Most people do,' the whale said. 'It's not really fair; here I am, the biggest creature in the world, and I have the smallest voice.' 'It's quite a nice voice though,' Conn said, suddenly feeling sorry for the great creature. 'What's your name?' he asked. 'My name is Jasconius,' he said, 'and I will be famous some day,' he added. 'How do you know?' Aedh asked. 'Because one of the other whales can read the future in the seaweed, and she said that one day I would meet a very great holy man, and I would be remembered forever.' Jasconius' voice, which had risen higher and higher as he spoke, disappeared into a squeak. 'Can you sing?' Fionnuala asked suddenly. 'I don't know,' Jasconius said. 'I've never tried. But your singing is lovely. I heard it many miles away; some of the other whales heard it also, but we thought that too many of us might frighten you.' 'Sing something,' Fionnuala urged him. 'Your voice is very pure, very lovely ...' 'What will I sing?' 'Try this,' she said. '"We sing of a time that is legend, we speak of a race that is myth, we know of a place of enchantment ..."' Jasconius tried to sing the words of the ancient song, but his voice was so thin and high that some of the words were lost. And then Aedh had an idea. 'Whistle it,' he said. 'whistle the tune.' Jasconius tried it. At first nothing happened, and all that came out were wet, watery spluttering sounds. And then he got it right. His whistle echoed out across the waves, thin and ghostly, hauntingly beautiful. The seabirds dropped from the sky and landed on his broad back to listen to the lovely sound. Rouch sleek heads broke the surface of the water as seals popped up to see what was making the noise. Even fish threw themselves wriggling up into the air to see where the sound was coming from. The whale whistled, and whistled, and whistled, and the sound rolled on and on, changing and changing and changing. The children of Lir sang along with it, and their music was so beautiful that even the choppy waves calmed down. They sang all through the afternoon and on into the night. At last, when they were all out of breath, they stopped, and one by one, the sea creatures slipped away, the birds took to the skies again, and once again the waves began to lash up against the rock. Jasconius the whale bobbed his huge head and his small eyes sparkled with delight. 'Thank you,' he said simply, 'you have given me a great gift.' He backed away from the rock and slowly rank beneath the waves, but before he disappeared completely, he said, 'I'll teach the other whales.' Thus the children of Lir taught the whales to sing.  Inish Glora is a small island part of a chain of larger islands call the Inishkeas off the west coast of Ireland: "The west coat of Ireland is dotted with many islands. These islands were the last outpost of traditional Gaelic language and culture. The islands also figure prominently in Irish history, mythology, and legend. The founders of the Catholic Church in Ireland retreated to beehive cells on the islands to live a life of sparse meditation. Saints Brendan and Columkille founded churches on the islands. The Inishkeas (Goose Islands) are located about two miles off the coast of the Mullet Peninsula in County Mayo. The Inishkeas were abandoned in 1933, after a sudden, fierce storm known as the 'Terrible Western Tragedy' killed over fifty fisherman on the west coast of Ireland in 1927. Fourteen men from the Inishkeas perished in the storm, and their families were not able to continue on the islands. . . . The four swans represent the Children of Lir, one of the earliest Irish myths. The Children of Lir were transformed into swans by their evil stepmother and banished to the islands for 300 years. They were, however, allowed to keep their beautiful voices, and ever since then, it has been illegal to kill swans in Ireland" ( Dean HS). They turned away then and headed west for Inish Glora. It was evening before they reached the island and the sun was sinking down into the sea in a magnificent sunset of brilliant reds, golds, pinks and even a touch of blue and green.
Inish Glora was tiny island off the western coast of Banba. It was uninhabited except for a small colony of seals and hundreds of sea-birds of all shapes and sizes. There wasn't a rock on the island that wasn't touched by white streaks.
The four swans circled the tiny island a few times; after the silence and loneliness of the rock in the Straits of Moyle, they were deafened by the screaming and cawing and chattering of the sea-birds. They at last found a tiny nook under the cliffs and soon fell into an exhausted sleep just as they had done on their last journey three hundred years ago.
They awoke to hear the howling of the wind whipping in off the Western Ocean and the pounding of the waves on the rocky beach. After three hundred years on a stormy sea, they knew the signs: there was a storm brewing . . .The children are able to leave Inish Glora proper and settle in a lake that hugs the shore on the mainland. Their stepmother decreed that they must spend their time "in the waters about Inish Glora," and so the childrens' geasa isn't broken, since the mainland lake was connected to the sea by an underground river. Thus, it was the same water that washed over Inish Glora. In this way they were able to find a much more comfortable place to say. During this time, they met a holy man by the name of Mochaomhog, or Mocha for short. He was a follower of the Lord Christ, which was the New God that had come to Banba. 'Are you a holy man?' Fiachra asked.
Mocha nodded. 'I am a follower of Our Lord Jesus Christ,' he said and made the same crossing sign in the air.
'Tell us about this Christ,' Fionnuala said. 'When our stepmother enchanted us, she said that we would not be released until the bell of the New God was heard in our land.
And so Mocha sat down by the side of the lake and spoke to the children of Lir about the birth and life of Jesus, and he spoke of the followers of Christ and of Patrick, who had carried the word to Erin, and whose follower Mocha was.It was in this way that children spent their time in the lake and learned from Mocha, and Mocha himself built a small church on the banks of the lake. The day that Mocha finished the bell to be placed in the church, Lairgren, the King of Connaught, arrived with his men to demand the swans. His wife, Dessa, wished it. As Mocha refused, Lairgren threatened to destroy the church, and so the children of Lir chose on their own to go with him, and to spare Mocha's loss. It was then that Mocha rang the bell, and the children regained their human forms. And then the magical breeze blew away again and slowly, slowly, slowly the mist began to disperse in a light blue cloud.
The swans were gone.
And in their place stood four small figures; three pale-skinned men and one delicately beautiful woman. The woman stepped forward and smiled. 'We are the children of Lir,' she said, her voice as sweet as a song.
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:26 am
 [ IX ]'But, Father,' Aedh said in a whisper,
'we are the People of the Goddess,
we cannot die, we are immortal.' In General "In Irish-Celtic mythology, the Tuatha Dé Danann ("People of the goddess Danu") are the Irish race of gods, founded by the goddess Danu. These gods, who originally lived on 'the islands in the west', had perfected the use of magic. They traveled on a big cloud to the land that later would be called Ireland and settled there" ( Enclyopedia Mythica). They are also thought to be real-life figures who came from the west and settled in Ireland. Wikipedia combines both modes of thought in its article on the Dé Danann: "The Tuatha Dé Danann ("peoples of the goddess Danu") were the fifth group of inhabitants of Ireland, according to the Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of Invasions) tradition. They are thought to represent the gods of the Goidelic Irish; their Christian transcribers' interpretations generally have reduced their stature to historical kings and heroes.A poem in the Book of Leinster lists many of the Tuatha Dé, but ends "Although [the author] enumerates them, he does not worship them." Goibniu, Creidhne and Luchta are referred to as Trí Dé Dána ("three gods of craftsmanship"), and the Dagda's name is interpreted in medieval texts as "the good god." Even after they are displaced as the rulers of Ireland, characters such as Lug, the Mórrígan, Aengus and Manannan appear in stories set centuries later, showing all the signs of immortality. They have many parallels across the Celtic world. Nuada is cognate with the British god Nodens; Lugh is a reflex of the pan-Celtic deity Lugus; Tuireann is related to the Gaulish Taranis; Ogma to Ogmios; the Badb to Catubodua" ( Wikipedia). The history of the Tuatha Dé Danann is long and intricate, citing the battles that this race supposedly fought against current settlers in Ireland and against legendary kings and invaders. Although the full history isn't really needed to appreciate the myth of the Children of Lir, it is still extremely interesting, and I present here just so that one can really appreciate the basis for the myth as well as appreciate the tiny scope that the myth of the Children of Lir encompasses. Bolded parts of the article serve as helpful or important information relating directly to the myth. Legendary History - Wikipedia The Tuatha Dé were descended from Nemed, leader of a previous wave of inhabitants of Ireland. They came from four northern cities, Falias, Gorias, Murias and Finias, where they acquired their occult skills and attributes. They arrived in Ireland, on or about May 1 (the date of the festival of Beltaine), on dark clouds, although later versions rationalise this by saying they burned their ships to prevent retreat, and the "clouds" were the smoke produced. Led by their king, Nuada, they fought the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh (Moytura), on the west coast, in which they defeated and displaced the clumsy and ill-armed Fir Bolg, who then inhabited Ireland. Nuada lost an arm in the battle. Since he was no longer perfect, he could not continue as king and was replaced by the half-Fomorian Bres, who turned out to be a tyrant. The physician Dian Cecht replaced Nuada's arm with a working silver one and he was reinstated as king. However, Nuada was dissatisfied with the replacement so he turned to Dian Cecht's son Miach, who made him a new hand of flesh and blood. Dian Cecht slew his own son out of jealousy. Because of Nuada's restoration as leader the half-Fomorian Bres complained to his family. The Tuatha Dé then fought the Second Battle of Magh Tuiredh against the Fomorians. Nuada was killed by the Fomorian king Balor's poisonous eye, but Balor was killed by Lugh, who took over as king. A third battle was fought against a subsequent wave of invaders, the Milesians, from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (present day Galicia and Northern Portugal), descendants of Míl Espáine (who are thought to represent the Goidelic Celts). The Milesians encountered three goddesses of the Tuatha Dé, Ériu, Banba and Fodla, who asked that the island be named after them; Ériu is the origin of the modern name Éire, and Banba and Fodla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland.[Note*: This is why the children refer to Ireland as 'Banba'.]Their three husbands, Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine, who were kings of the Tuatha Dé at that time, asked for a truce of three days, during which the Milesians would lie at anchor nine waves' distance from the shore. The Milesians complied, but the Tuatha Dé created a magical storm in an attempt to drive them away. The Milesian poet Amergin calmed the sea with his verse, before his people landed and defeated the Tuatha Dé at Tailtiu. When Amergin was called upon to divide the land between the Tuatha Dé Danann and his own people, he cleverly allotted the portion above ground to the Milesians and the portion underground to the Tuatha Dé. The Tuatha Dé were led underground into the Sidhe mounds by The Dagda. They survive into modern-day Irish conscienceness as gods and goddesses, the Sidhe, and the mysterious fairy-folk of Irish mythology.The Tuatha Dé Danann fought against the witch Carman and her three sons. They are said to have brought chariots and druidry to Ireland.An especially interesting aspect of Tuatha Dé Danann is the following, as explained by Wikipedia: "The Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé DanannThe Tuatha Dé Danann brought four magical treasures with them to Ireland: The Dagda's Cauldron
the Spear of Lugh
the Stone of Fal
the Sword of Nuada **These four treasure can be linked to the four elements, and four suits, found in Tarot and throughout pagan mythology. The Cauldron (or Cup) represented water. The Spear (or Wand) represented fire. The Stone (or Coin) represented earth. The Sword represented air. These symbols still carry over in modern playing cards, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades respectively" ( Wikipedia). Of these sacred talismans little is actually said in the myth of the Children of Lir, but no doubt the children themselves knew of these things from their father. Of these treasures, this is said: " The Tuatha's skills in the arts and domestic life were even respected by their conquerors the Milesians. It is said that the Tuatha had four great treasures or talismans that showed their skills in arts, crafts and magic. The first treasure was the Stone of Fal, which would scream whenever a true king of Ireland would place his foot on it. The next talisman was the Magic Sword of Nuada, a weapon that only inflicted mortal blows when drawn. The third treasure was the Sling-shot [or spear] of the Sun God Lugh, that never missed its target. The final treasure is the Cauldron of Dagda from which an inexhaustible supply of food came forth" ( Irish History and Culture). An especially good summary of all things Dé Danann from Timeless Myths -- ALL of which applied to the Lir myth: Quote: The Tuatha Dé Danann ("People of the Goddess Danu") were one of the mythical races who settled in Ireland before the arrival of the Milesians, the ancestors of modern Gaels. The Dananns were descendants of the goddess Danu. Her son Dagda was their most powerful leader of the Dananns. The Tuatha Dé Dananns were a race of deities as well as race of heroes. They were skilled in art and science, poetry and magic. They were said to come from four mythical cities: Falias, Gorias, Finias and Murias. When they came to live in Ireland, the Dananns received four magic treasures or talismans, one from each city. Before the Tuatha Dé Danann migrated to Ireland, they had learned all their skills from for four wizards/bards (druids) from these four cities. Morfesa from Falias, Esras from Gorias, Semias from Murias and Uiscias from Findias. (See the Druids of Danu) After the Milesians defeated the Dananns, the Dananns either retreated to Tir na n-Og ("Land of Youth") or they continued to lived on the land with the Milesians, but their homes (subterranean palaces) were hidden by magic from the eyes of mortals. Their homes were commonly called Sidhe ( síd or sídh) or the Otherworld. Another name for the Tuatha Dé Danann was the áes sídhe or the "People of the Sídhe". In the Otherworld, the Danann remained young and seemingly immortal. Immortal in the sense, they can live a very long life and remain young, but they can be kill and destroy, just like any mortal. There were frequent visits of the Dananns with the mortals. Sometimes they aided mortals, while other times they seek their destruction. Sometimes they sought marriage with mortals. Most of the times, the Dananns would come to the surface and meet their lovers, other times the mortals were allowed to live with them. In the Ulster Cycle, the Tuatha Dé Danann was still seen as Celtic deities. However, in the Fenian Cycle, the Dananns had degenerated into nothing more then fey people; in another words, the Dananns became the "Fairy People". The Tuatha Dé Danann became frequently associated with fairies. Because of the Christian influences in the myths, some of them died in old age when they leave the Otherworld; that they were baptised before their death. (It should be noted that the fairies in Celtic myths (especially Irish, Welsh and Arthurian myths) had nothing to do with tiny pixie with wings that are found in folklore and children fairy tales, like Tinklebell in Peter Pan or the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. The fairies found here were human with supernatural power. Modern interpretations of fairies tend to prettify them, particularly during the Victorian period (19th century) in Britain. In early Irish and Welsh literature, they could be tall or short, beautiful or ugly. They can be benevolent beings, but at other times they can be frighteningly cruel or malign. Morrigan and Morgan le Fay would not be considered fairies in the modern sense.) If you are interested in the mythical history of people who settled in Ireland, read the Book of Invasions. Please note that I have limited the number of Tuatha Dé Danann who appeared in Irish myths. I have only provided description for those who play an important role in Irish mythology, because there are just too many Dananns for my small page. ( Timeless Myths)  Tuatha Dé Danann in The Children of Lir In the myth directly, the Tuatha Dé Danann are the race which the children, their father, their mother, stepmother, and grandfather all herald from. Everyone in the story up to the time that the children leave their father's Fort is Tuatha Dé Danann. As such, there are certain characteristics of the Tuatha Dé Danann that are present right in the myth and will be explained here. The Dé Danann "Sleep" -- Dé Danann are immortal. At a certain point in their lives they will feel the Sleep come upon them, and they will retreat to a special room that is magically sealed, where they will Sleep until they awaken. As said in the myth: 'What is Sleeping, Father?' Fionnuala asked, suddenly deciding she didn't like the beautiful blue room.
'The human people would call it death,' Lir said slowly.
'But, Father,' Aedh said in a whisper, 'we are the People of the Goddess, we cannot die, we are immortal.'
Lir nodded his great head and his grey-green eyes clouded with tears. 'Although we may be immportal, little Aedh, we still need to rest. And that rest can last for up to a thousand years or more! I suppose you might say it is a sort of death.'If a Dé Danann feels the Sleep come upon him and does not heed it, he will begin to age. While Sleeping, Dé Danann can still sense things. Death -- Although Dé Danann are immortal, they can be killed. If they are not, they will live forever. Mechar is forced to explain this to Fionnuala and Aedh, as he fears for their lives after seeing Aife's wrath: 'But we are Dé Danann, we cannot be killed,' Aedh protested.
Mechar shook his head. 'Of course you can be killed. All that would happen is your ghosts would not rest until your murderer had been caught and punished. But you would be very much dead, I'm afraid, and no amount of magic would be able to bring you back.'
Fionnuala, who had pulled a dead leaf off a tree and had been twirling it between her fingers, suddenly threw the remains on to the green-scummed water of the lake. 'But surely that would stop her from killing us. I mean, surely she knows she would be found out.'
The tall man nodded. 'That's true. But she could have you kidnapped and taken to the four corners of the world,' he said quickly, 'and what would you do then? All I'm asking you to do is to be extra careful, especially when your stepmother is around. Promise me?' he asked softly.Fading -- By the time of the end of the myth, the Dé Danann have faded from the world as the New God takes prominence in Ireland. The children are witness to this, and it is the end of the myth were the children also "die" that Dé Danann truly leave the world. The children comment on the fate of their race: On their way over the country they changed direction slightly and flew south, looking for their old home. They flew over Lough Derravaragh where they had spent the first three hundred years and while at the same time it had seemed so large, now it, too, looked even smaller, as if it had shrunk over the years. They flew above where the White Fort should have been, but there was nothing there now; the Fort with its shining towers and its roof of beaten gold was gone and in its place was a low grassy mound with bushes and trees growing on it.
And the children of Lir wept there, for they knew the Age of the Tuatha Dé Danann was gone, and with it, a lot of the magic had gone out of this world.Magical Cloaks -- Every Dé Danann has an anicent, magical cloak that is his or hers, and with it their power is boosted considerably. They are able to perform their most powerful magics with the aid of their cloaks. . . . But what made the four children stop and stare at her in fright and curiosity was that she was also wearing a long, flowing cloak which glittered and shimmered with strange designs.
And the children of Lir knew that the Dé Danann people only wore these ancient cloaks when they were going to work some powerful magic.
Something about the cloak was familiar and then Fionnuala suddenly realized what it was. She pointed, opening her mouth into an 'O' of surprise. 'That's our father's magical cloak.'
Aife strode down the beach a few quick steps. She was barefoot now and she barely made a sound on the rough sand pebbles. She smiled, a cold, frightening smile.
'Yes, this is your father's cloak. This cloak is woven from the mists of morning and the dew of evening, from the first shafts of sunlight and the last rays of twilight. The foam of the sea spray and the fresh salt smells have gone into it, and it is made up out of the strength of a sea storm and the gentleness of a sea breeze.' Aife spun around suddenly and the cloak twirled about her, and then she held up part of it in her hands. 'It is the most powerful magical cloak in these islands.'
'Why are you wearing it, stepmother?' Aedh asked quietly.
Aife leaned forward and her hard eyes narrowed. 'Because I need its strength,' she said. 'I am going to work the most powerful magic that has been worked in this land since it was first made . . .'
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:28 am
 [ X ]'We learned many things, but most of all, we learned to sing.
And soon our music and songs became known
through the length and breadth of Banba.
People came from miles around just to hear us sing.
'There was a certain magic in our voices,
and if we sang sad songs, nearly everybody cried,
but if we sang happy songs, then everyone
laughed and smiled . . .' Songs that inspire me or make me think of Iarla will go here. 3nodding
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:30 am
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:31 am
 [ XII ]And the magic begins . . . This section is to briefly discuss why I chose to create the quest. I was, essentially, looking for a new roleplay community that was intense, welcoming, had a lot of depth and history, and was something that interested me. I absolutely love learning about myths ( Norse/Celtic are my favorites ) and I'm majoring in creative writing at university. I wanted an environment that had really, well, good writers, and the community was open and frank with each other. Writing is what I do, and so I wanted something really juicy. I like the challenge that Fa'e presents to me; how it pushes me to come up with all of this. I also like the intensity and the creativity involved in the shop. And that's pretty much my reason(s). I chose the Children of Lir as my myth because I grew up hearing it ( I'm Irish ) and I just love the story. It's always been my favorite, so I chose it. I've been on Gaia for two and a half years now, and I own the character Kikue in the shop Island of Dr. Moreau ( IoDM for short ). You can look up my character there if you're ever feeling daring? ;D Aaand that's pretty much how/why I came up with this thread <3.
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:32 am
 [ XIII ]If you would like to leave me a critique, suggestions, or comments in this thread, I will post your Gaian name here with a link to the page your critique is on so that I can find it easily and reply to it. Please consider giving my idea a critique if you have the time to spare! heart
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:35 am
 [ XIV ] [Please excuse pixelation, this is the best image I could locate of the book.] Scott, Michael. The Children of Lir. London: Mammoth, 1992.This is book is a short novella retelling the myth of the Children of Lir, complete with black and white illustrations by Jim Fitzpatrick. After much fruitless online searching, I was able to find a lot about Jim Fitzpatrick himself and the renown he is held in considering the retelling of Celtic and Irish myths. As such, I was able to locate the book pictured here, and seeing as Mr. Fitzpatrick himself had illustrated it, I was sure it would be a reputable version of the myth. I wasn't disappointed. This book is being used as my chief source and basis for my quest; there are several online sources that I can provide that match up to it. I haven't listed them here because I find that online sources can often be conflicting and sometimes even unreliable. However I do have a few that verify the retelling of the myth as seen in this particular book. Many of the quotes in this thread, spoken from Fionnuala and her brother Aedh as well, are from the beginning of various chapters in the book and are therefore © Michael Scott. The image in the first post ( of the children as swans ) is © Jim Fitzpatrick. For more information on his work, visit his website. You can even view an online version of this particulary stunning artwork here. If you find you're interested in procuring a few volumes of his artwork, support the artist and buy the books! (: You can find a few on Amazon.com.  Green, Miranda J. The Celtic World. New York: Routledge, 1996.From the synopsis: " The Celtic World is a detailed and comprehensive study of the ancient Celts from the first evidence of them in the archeological and historical record to the early post-Roman period. The strength of this volume lies in its breadth and originality with material drawn from all over pagan Celtic Europe, and contributions from British, European and American scholars, much of it new research published for the first time. Relying on archeological evidence and the comments of Classical writers, a vivid picture of Celtic life emerges through the exploration of this people's language, literature, art and religion as well as their trade, industry, political organizations and technology. The book addresses some important issues -- Who were the ancient Celts? Can we speak of them as the first Europeans? In what form does the Celtic identity exist today and how does this relate to the ancient Celts? This volume brings together all the disparate and linked strands of evidence of a popular and ancient people in a book composed by active researches in the field. It is an invaluable resource for both students and academics and for anyone interested in the Celts. Miranda Green is a Lecturer in Celtic studies at the University of Wales College of Cardiff and in Archeology and History at Gwent College of High Education. She was written extensively on the Celts." A total of 839 pages comprises this book. It's enough information to make your head spin!  Fitzpatrick, Jim. The Book of Conquests. Great Britain: Dragon's World Ltd. (Paper Tiger), 1978.
Fitzpatrick, Jim. The Silver Arm. Great Britain: Dragon's World Ltd. (Paper Tiger), 1993.Citation information above may not be completely accurate, as I only have one of the books in my possession (the other is forthcoming). These two books are by the artist who did the artwork for my primary source, The Children of Lir. However, in these books he not only does the artwork but the writing. Both books are companion books to each other, The Book of Conquests being the first part and The Silver Arm being the second. These are pretty much a compilation and retelling of the Tuatha De Danann myths in chronological order. I plan on using these to further flesh out and give depth to Iarla's memories as he begins to discover his background. These stories also gives an idea about the ideas and morals of the people. Not to mention the artwork is just fantastic! Most of Fitzpatrick's works are quite hard to locate, especially outside of Britain, but I was able to obtain a copy of each (although it was pricey, it was worth it). Jim Fitzpatrick writes about both books on his website: "THE BOOK OF CONQUESTS 1978. THE SILVER ARM 1981. CELTIA was a successful book, running into three editions and it brought my work to the notice of a London publisher PAPER TIGER in 1976. They expressed interest in producing books of my mythological paintings in full colour and we agreed that I should produce THE BOOK OF CONQUESTS for them. I had long had the idea of retelling the sagas of the Tuatha Dé Danann in illustrated form and now here was the opportunity to realise that dream! Little did I know that the next five years of my life would be totally dominated by this project and its sequel, Volume Two of the CONQUESTS trilogy, THE SILVER ARM. That period of time divided up roughly as follows: one full year for research and development of ideas, one year writing and finally three years of continuous, exhausting and demanding drawing and painting." - From Publications - Page 2 on his personal website.
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:38 am
 [ XV ]Concept of the Fa'e © Anya XD!
All other Fa'e characters © their Guardians
This Fa'e concept © me, Risth [a.k.a. Kuraino] Special thanks to: Cerena, for offering helpful insight, suggestions, and encouragement right off the bat! Black Duvet, for encouragement and being my awesome ally in support of Princess Tutu ;o [whole 'nother story there] Ithiltari for just being cool. Check out her own Fa'e quest here! We like piratez. Nessylove because we are in total agreement about Boromir. Her quest thread is here! Lucifer Force because SHE IS JUST AWESOME OK. She's my long-lost twin. She doesn't have a quest thread...lawl BUT you can see her Fa'e Callix's journal HERE. He's French! Tweek for drawing me my first piece of Iarla fanart! l;afjdk whee heart Main Fa'e thread can be found here~.
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