The Brotherhood of the Coast
Long ago the Fae folk, deeply concerned that the veil between their world and the world of the mortals was shifting convened a gathering. From all over the world each tribe of Fae sent a contingent to the gathering. There were Boggarts, Brownies, Ballybogs, Will"o"wisps, Gnomes, Leprechauns, Drakes, Salamanders, Selkies, Pixies, Slyphs, Trows, Phookas, Fachans, Undines, Fir Darrigs, Beansidhes, Leanan Sidhe, Kelpies, Dwarves, Trolls, Goblins, Spriggans and Mermaids and preceding over the gathering was the Green Man. None of the Fae could ever recall in their time, or any time before theirs a gathering like this.
Mortals had been advancing rapidly, and were quickly forgetting the ways of the Fae in favor of believing only that which one could explain. Men forgot who it was that had gifted them with fire, the knowledge of farming along with everything else the Fae had blessed them with. No longer were gifts of thanks left on their thresholds. No longer did the fires burn brightly at Beltane. No, man had forgotten all this, and instead of moving respectfully through the world, now he tore through the world with the sword of conquest, only wishing to bend the will of the world and all in it to his will.
Some of the gathered tribes called for a war with man, some said to punish them with drought and famine. The Green Man advised against both, as he felt that man had already broken the veil enough that any open aggression against man would ultimately fail. The Green Man instead decided that the Fae would allow themselves to fade into the mists of legend, that they would all migrate to the mystic islands (Known to man today as the British Isles.) where they were still revered.
The Queen of the Leanan Sidhe however approached the gathering with a proposal. There were still many uncharted islands scattered throughout the seas where the Fae could live freely, if they did not wish to live with man, but there would have to be a measure of protection against man taming the seas as he had the lands. "If man believes in us not, let us use man against himself to protect the secrets of our seas from himself." She proclaimed.
The Green Man, who had been watching the waves roll upon the shore while the Queen of the Leanan Sidhe spoke saw the wisdom of her words. The Green Man asked for each tribe of the Fae to bestow one blessing of power each upon the men who would be selected to help protect the dominion of the sea.
Each tribe did as the Green Man asked, though some as was their nature gave blessing which were more of a curse. In the end it was decided that there would be thirteen of these men, never any more and never any less. The Selkies, with their keen interest in man were tasked with selecting the men who would make up the group. The men would be blessed by the Green Man above what gifts the other tribes had given, with unnatural long life, though it seldom happened that way as the bloodthirstiness the Kelpies had blessed them with caused most men to find premature deaths at violent ends.
To be continued:
Long ago the Fae folk, deeply concerned that the veil between their world and the world of the mortals was shifting convened a gathering. From all over the world each tribe of Fae sent a contingent to the gathering. There were Boggarts, Brownies, Ballybogs, Will"o"wisps, Gnomes, Leprechauns, Drakes, Salamanders, Selkies, Pixies, Slyphs, Trows, Phookas, Fachans, Undines, Fir Darrigs, Beansidhes, Leanan Sidhe, Kelpies, Dwarves, Trolls, Goblins, Spriggans and Mermaids and preceding over the gathering was the Green Man. None of the Fae could ever recall in their time, or any time before theirs a gathering like this.
Mortals had been advancing rapidly, and were quickly forgetting the ways of the Fae in favor of believing only that which one could explain. Men forgot who it was that had gifted them with fire, the knowledge of farming along with everything else the Fae had blessed them with. No longer were gifts of thanks left on their thresholds. No longer did the fires burn brightly at Beltane. No, man had forgotten all this, and instead of moving respectfully through the world, now he tore through the world with the sword of conquest, only wishing to bend the will of the world and all in it to his will.
Some of the gathered tribes called for a war with man, some said to punish them with drought and famine. The Green Man advised against both, as he felt that man had already broken the veil enough that any open aggression against man would ultimately fail. The Green Man instead decided that the Fae would allow themselves to fade into the mists of legend, that they would all migrate to the mystic islands (Known to man today as the British Isles.) where they were still revered.
The Queen of the Leanan Sidhe however approached the gathering with a proposal. There were still many uncharted islands scattered throughout the seas where the Fae could live freely, if they did not wish to live with man, but there would have to be a measure of protection against man taming the seas as he had the lands. "If man believes in us not, let us use man against himself to protect the secrets of our seas from himself." She proclaimed.
The Green Man, who had been watching the waves roll upon the shore while the Queen of the Leanan Sidhe spoke saw the wisdom of her words. The Green Man asked for each tribe of the Fae to bestow one blessing of power each upon the men who would be selected to help protect the dominion of the sea.
Each tribe did as the Green Man asked, though some as was their nature gave blessing which were more of a curse. In the end it was decided that there would be thirteen of these men, never any more and never any less. The Selkies, with their keen interest in man were tasked with selecting the men who would make up the group. The men would be blessed by the Green Man above what gifts the other tribes had given, with unnatural long life, though it seldom happened that way as the bloodthirstiness the Kelpies had blessed them with caused most men to find premature deaths at violent ends.
To be continued: