OverviewAt first glance, the rough, iceclad volcanoes of Iceland have been replaced with a lush arboreal island, but go inland and you discover that it is just a facade, and that the interior of the island is nothing but empty stone, save for one circle in the exact centre.
Each sunrise, noon, and sunset, the henge in the centre of the circle pulses with a blinding light, and whatever is waiting on the other side comes through. |
FriendsNone. Whoever rules Tír na Nóg is still on the other side of teh breech, and does not communicate. Nor do the Tír na Nóg warriors speak, other than to threaten.
Enemies |
Denizens
Bauchen
Bauchen are short, spindly beings with exaggerated features. Once adult, they are covered in pieces of rough iron armour, fresh from the smelters, and it burns into their flesh. Their skin slowly grows back over it, giving them a macabre appearance, as if the metal is eating it's way out. They generally wield two rough, barbed blades that are nearly as tall as they are. Fachen A fachen has a distorted, mis-shappen body, with only one wide leg, much like an elephant's on which it balances. As long as it is touching the earth it cannot be moved or unbalanced. It also has one arm, which sprouts randomly from it's torso, and one eye. It has no ears, nose, or mouth. It's skin appears to rot, and if touched can cause severe burns. A fachen has a stout metal chain stapled to it's hand with an great iron pin, and it whirls it about and uses it as a whip. Fuath Fuath are amphibian beings covered in heavy fur with a shaggy mane down their back, and have webbed toes, a spiked tail, and no nose. They typically come out only at night, or remain deep in the water, as sunlight distresses them greatly. While they are fine in salt water, fast-moving fresh water is also know to distress them. They will not, for some reason, come near high-grade steel, so they are rarely seen near human settlements. Their weaponry and armour varies, but they prefer light knives and spears that work as well under as above water. |
Joint-Eater
These are possibly the strangest and most deadly of the faeries that have so far dared to cross over into our world. Upon arrival through the portal, the joint-eater has only an ephemeral form, and does not directly attack anyone. Rather, they phase into their victim, and float inside their stomach, consuming the majority of their food, growing stronger while their victim grows weaker. Once their victim is weak enough, they can take control of its mind, controlling it until they eventually die. Knocker Knockers are about two feet tall and grizzled, and live exclusively underground. They look most like smaller versions of little old men, and wear tiny versions of miner's or mechanic's garb. They prefer to live under areas where tools can be got at easily, and the loss of random tools or food is often the first sign that knockers have taken up residence nearby. They are, however, not benign. they are sent out by their rulers to find and exploit weaknesses, and left alone, almost always cause massive accidents, explosions, or cave-ins. Merrow These creatures were the basis of the mermaid and siren myths, but they are not beautiful. Short and squat, their bodies are covered with shimmering scales and have webbed hands and feet that are covered in suckers. Their faces are more reminiscent of fish than maidens, but when they stay just under the surface, their scales glisten and give them the appearance of a spirit. This, coupled with their wondrous, echoing singing, is likely why so many are trapped by them when they go to investigate. Once they have ahold of something, it is very hard to prise it from their grasp. |
Pictish Beasts
Once thought to be a crude illustration of an unknown beast, the truth is much stranger. Stones depicting this beast dot the shore of what was formerly Iceland, and anywhere else that the Tír na Nóg have a presence. The pictures of these beasts come off the stone when tresspassers are sensed, leaving behind a bare stone. The beasts are virtually indestructible, and the only sure way to kill one is to destroy the stone. Wildman Occasionally, raiding parties will capture humans and drag them back through the portal. What happens to them on the other side, is unknown, because even though they inevitably return, they no longer understand human speech, but instead revert to a sort of primal language, and take no notice of anything other than their needs, The one exception to this is when they see technology of any sort, even so much as a shovel. Then they go beserk, attacking anything they believe to be associated with the technology, women using surprising brute force, and men using nature magic that they seem unable to comprehend. Once berserk, they seemingly notice no pain and are immune to any form of persuasion, but once they have taken enough physical damage, they lie senseless for at least a day. |