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Autumn's End - 1/2000

Ex Libris Nocturnis - http://www.nocturnis.net By: Shannon W. Hennessy & Brendan Mathis, Art by Felis (email: spiraldancer99@hotmail.com, mourn@san.rr.com) Summary: The Hate Parade: Beansidhe -- The first in what will be an ongoing line of exclusive ELN interperetations of the Greater Thallain of the Dreaming...

Beansidhe
(BAN-shee) "When Madeline appeared It always rained The people locked their houses, Pulled the curtains, prayed, And painted crosses on their doors They wondered who would be the next one Last Respects began rehearsing Dressed in black with white carnations, Weeping 'til their eyes were sore" - Legendary Pink Dots, "Casting the Runes" In everything, anywhere, there is a hierarchy. Chains of command, a pecking order if you will, or a distinct division between those of power and those of a greater power whom they respectfully or resentfully refer too as "master." Those creatures completely lost to the tenants of the Seelie Code known as the Greater Thallain are hardly an exception. Born with cold hearts and vinegar flowing through their hateful veins, Beansidhe (pronounced BAN-shee) are the Greater Thallain reflections of the kith of fae nobility known as sidhe. In the hierarchy of the Greater Thallain, none challenge their dominion or pay them lesser amounts of respect than they require of their subjects. It is believed among the Kithain that Beansidhe are the reincarnated spirits of the most vile and dishonorable sidhe: those who have destroyed another noble soul effectively murdering the sidhe which the soul inhabited - with a cold iron weapon in combat or duel. It is said that the long forgotten Deathsong of the Ironfallen was sang as a condemning, final lullaby to all Beansidhe as conviction for their crime. According to fae legendry, this song not only works to effectively "Undo" the guilty party, but it also condemns their souls to return in future incarnations as Beansidhe. Legend states that only through death at the hands of a cold iron weapon can a Beansidhe free her soul from the curse of the Deathsong of the Ironfallen. Once the Beansidhe has been felled with a cold iron weapon, her soul may once again be reborn as a sidhe, but with no recollection in any way, shape or form of the time her soul spent as a Beansidhe. It should be noted, however, that the Beansidhe abide very little distraction from their mad and hateful agendas and are not normally engaged in seekings of redemption at the hands of cold iron wielding, Kithain cousins. Trolls and redcaps, both Seelie and Unseelie alike take serious sport in tracking down and hunting Beansidhe for both personal bounty as well as trophy to whichever noble House they serve whenever the opportunity presents itself. This serves a dual purpose inside Kithain society: The hunt is usually NOT ALWAYS, but usually sanctioned for the use of cold iron weaponry. The sooner a Beansidhe is destroyed, the sooner its curse is lifted and the sooner a sidhe soul can return to the Dreaming. Alternately, it is a way for the nobility to keep their armies busy, aggressive, on their toes and effective in combat while hunting a formidable enemy of all life in the Dreaming and beyond. If an army or militia is busy cleansing the realms of Concordia and the Dreaming of Beansidhe, it leaves little or no time for them to organize themselves against the ranks of nobility above them. The hunting of Beansidhe is, quite possibly, one of the single most dangerous engagements a fae can allow herself to become involved in. Beansidhe are hateful and cruel if nothing else. At WORST, theyre efficient and capable leaders above the Lesser and Greater Thallain. They retain their Arts and their Glamour and have just as many resources at their disposal as

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would a noble sidhe, if not more. Some of them have been known to command HORDES of nightmares, dark chimera, and Lesser Greater Thallain, including beasties, ogres and goblins. More powerful Beansidhe have been known to not only obliterate these hunting parties down to a single fae (who is normally spared to act as a messenger of doom to those he or she serves), but also mount MASSIVE counter-offensives against the House(s) that sought trophy or bounty on them and inflict horrific damage, both Chimerical and Wyrd. Beansidhe have also been known to hoard Treasures and Dross salvaged from bungled hunts in quantities that could impress King Solomon, much less King David. Beansidhe are EXTREMELY territorial. When theyve established a lair for themselves and their servants and allies, if any, they seldom move and protect the lair with viciousness akin to textbook xenophobia. Additionally, Beansidhe can instinctually detect the presence of Kithain (and, quite possibly, other supernatural denizens of the World of Darkness) within a five mile radius of their lairs and will attempt to purge this radius of anything or anyone that they feel is a threat or that can be subdued, destroyed, or pressed into their servitude. Beansidhe corrupt the very grounds on which they dwell. The five mile radius around a Beansidhes lair is fairly tell-tale, to those fae who know what to look for; cattle suffer from lesions, cancers and give sour milk, trees wither, warp and twist as if in agony, while brambles, thickets and thorn bushes thrive and grow strong, sleeping children bite through their tongues from their nightmares and adult Sleepers experience phobia-wracked episodes. The overall effect, after a time, is the complete and total desolation of the five-mile radius around a Beansidhe lair into a gaunt and unforgiving wilderness of land suitable to the curse of the Beansidhe. In urban areas plagued by a Beansidhe lair, electricity flickers constantly, gutter steam reeks of decayed animal matter and sewage, and only the most corrupt or hopeless dregs of humanity can sustain themselves in the area for any prolonged period of time. However, due to the isolationist and protective nature of urban supernatural denizens - such as the Rat Folk, Nosferatu, Bone Gnawers and Glass Walkers urban Beansidhe lairs are seldom, if not rare.

Appearance
The general appearances of Beansidhe are very similar in almost every aspect to the sidhe, from whom they originate, while accentuating the more sinister visages of their kith. Beansidhe are elegant and beautiful in the same way as a summer sky before a cyclone; they normally adorn themselves in classical (albeit modified) sidhe clothing, haberdashery, finery and/or armor of deep, dark colors such as gray, black, deep indigo, violet or maroon and have the same elfin features and dream-like physical countenance of a sidhe. Their flesh is usually chalk white or ashen gray and their faces are "scarred" in a fashion, from the constant shedding of tears that is associated with, or attributed to the misery obligatorily assigned to their existence. This scarification causes the areas under the eyes of a Beansidhe, as well as the length of her cheeks, to take on gunmetal gray or, in some cases, even coal colored streaks. For this reason, no Beansidhe may possess an Appearance rating higher than 4. Normally, the hair of a Beansidhe is bleached white, although some have been seen with blue or even black manes of unkempt or filthy locks. Some are said to braid the locks of sidhe theyve slain into their own hair along with troll finger bones, redcap teeth, and satyr horns. Many carry weapons said to be possessed with demons and devils, and others still claim that there are Beansidhe who wear armor forged and crafted from the skins and skeletons of their enemies as well as the hides, skulls and bones of various chimerical beasts of the Dreaming.

Birthrights
Death Masque: To see the face of a Beansidhe is to stare into the heart of darkness. If a Kithain, or an enchanted mortal, gazes upon the tear-scarred and twisted features of a Beansidhe, he must immediately make a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) and garner a number of successes equal to the Beansidhes permanent Banality rating. If he fails, he will be frozen in place for one turn, due to his primal fear of death. The Dreaming help any who botch this roll. Beansidhe are unable to botch Intimidation and Leadership rolls. Ironsoul: It is believed that the Beansidhe are born of the souls of sidhe who have murdered their kin with cold iron weapons, and thus cursed themselves to darkness. Whatever the case, Beansidhe do not suffer ill effects from holding or wielding cold iron, though they still take damage from wounds caused by it.

Frailties
Fear Junky: Beansidhe may only ravage Glamour from nightmares, emotions of terror and utter horror, and sleepers

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suffering from phobic or fear related disorders. Lughs Curse: Beansidhe are twisted creatures of night and darkness, and as such, do not function naturally under the suns light. They are unable to harvest Glamour from any source, and are unable to employ Arts during the day. In fact, a Beansidhe is effectively invisible during the day, and to spot one, a Perception + Kenning roll (difficulty 8) is required. If a Beansidhe knows that she has been identified, she will flee into the darkest place she can find.

Beansidhe Arts
Tyranny
As the noble sidhe practice their arts of courtliness and command upon their subjects with Sovereign, so do the Beansidhe practice their will-bending power with Tyranny. Unlike its "parent" Art, Sovereign, Tyranny may be used on a person of greater rank than ones self, thus do the tales of the puppet kings spring to life. Attribute: Manipulation Dread By calling upon their legacy of nightmares and winter, the Greater Thallain may call about them a tangible cloak of cold dread. All light in the area seems to dim and bend away from the Greater Thallain as she draws the chill and the shadows to her to give weight to her presence. Some Greater Thallain have been known to enchant items in their possession or residence with this power, thus giving magical swords and other objects an aura of malice and darkness. The Realm determines who or what may be enchanted with this power. System: The number of successes on the roll determines the amount of time the aura of dread will last. 1 success one turn 2 successes five turns 3 successes one hour 4 successes one scene 5 successes 6 hours While the aura is in effect, all actions involving offense towards the radiator of the aura suffer a one-die penalty. Additionally, a person enchanted with the aura of dread are more frightening to others, and gain an additional die to any dice pool involving intimidation or threats. Type: Wyrd Command True power, it is said, lies in the ability to bend minds to your will. By invoking this power, the Beansidhe take the will of a victim and bend it as easily as they might bend a willow switch. Not subtle in the slightest, this power often leaves its victims with a pounding headache as well as wounded pride. The Realm determines who may be affected by this power. System: The number of successes on the roll determines how well the victim will follow the Greater Thallain's command. For a simple command, one success may suffice, but for something extremely difficult or dangerous, such as insulting the High King, five or more successes must be accumulated. The Storyteller has final say on how many successes are required for a particular command. Type: Chimerical Deceive Any fool can impose his will upon another, but it takes a true master to make a victim believe that its actions were of its own volition. Adepts of the Art of Tyranny know the secrets of turning a victims mind to evil, while convincing her that it is by her own will she is doing so. The Realm determines who may be affected by this power. System: The number of successes on the roll determines how deeply ingrained into the victim's memory the command has been planted. With one or two successes, the victim might have a slight urge to perform the action, but also with an excess of

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five, not only will she want to do it, but also she will think she has been planning to do it since time out of mind. Type: Chimerical Condition The art of creating a slave bent to your will lies in the erosion of your chosen victims will. Prolonged exposure to evil will slowly bend the will of even the strongest do-gooder, and the Greater Thallain have bent the arts of Tyranny specifically towards this endeavor; Over time, they believe, even the most adamant of opponents will fall to the will of their betters. The Realm determines who or what may be affected by this power. System: The roll for this power is an extended roll, and may take many game sessions to complete. Generally, a character must gain a number of successes equal to five times the victim's Willpower to condition her to his will. A botch will remove all successes, and in some cases, may even make the Greater Thallain susceptible to his victim's desires. Generally, conditioning allows most uses of Tyranny and Sovereign to succeed automatically on the victim, as well as lower the difficulty of other rolls towards the victim. Additionally, all rolls made by another person to command the conditioned slave are made at a higher difficulty (Storyteller's discretion). To break this power, the victim must spend at least one Willpower point a day, and stay away from the Greater Thallain for a number of months equal to their Willpower. Type: Chimerical Puppet The epitome of tyranny and oppression is the ability to remove all free thought and action from a victim. As long as the people have a mind, they can revolt against their oppressors. Having realized this, the Greater Thallain have devised a way of removing all traces of self-identification from a victim, making the victim their own. The Realm determines who may be affected by this power. System: The number of successes on the roll MUST exceed the victim's permanent Willpower for this power to take effect. If successful, the victim's body becomes the Greater Thallain's to control. To return to his own body, the Greater Thallain must spent a point of Glamour. If the Greater Thallain is killed while in the body of his victim, he will gain a permanent point of Banality and sink into a coma (see the Mists Chart for the duration). Such is the price of power. Type: Wyrd

Ululate
Since the dawn of legend, the Beansidhe have been closely associated with dark, song-like abilities, which grant them great power over their victim's body and mind. This Art has no effect whatsoever on Beansidhe, who are immune to the beautifully horrific dirges of their brethren. Attribute: Manipulation Rhapsody It is said that music can soothe even the savage beast. Those who are masters of music and song know that this is but a FRACTION of music's innate power. Men can be driven to hate, love, fear and passion through music, and the enigmatic Beansidhe take full advantage of this weakness. The Realm determines who may be affected by this power. System: Depending upon the melody which the Beansidhe is playing or singing, the victim's mind and body will react in different ways. If a song of slumber is sang by the Beansidhe, the victim will slowly grow lethargic and perhaps lose a die or two from rolls involving wits and quick movements. If a song of temper and passion is sang, then perhaps rolls involving combat may be increased temporarily. The exact effects of the song are left to Storyteller discretion. Nocturne In the beautiful hills of Ireland, it is said that to hear the Beansidhe sing was to hear the foretelling of one's own death. Though not completely true, enough of the legend holds credence due to this feared power. By singing an epic dirge, a

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Beansidhe can bring thoughts of winter, darkness and death to a target. The Realm determines who may be affected by this power. System: The number of successes on the roll determines how badly the character is affected by this power. This power literally reaches into the victim's mind and draws out a vision of the most horrible death the character can imagine, and as such, causes the character to become morbid and depressed. Her dice pools are reduced by a number of dice equal to her own permanent Banality rating for a period of turns equal to the number of successes scored by the Beansidhe when using this cantrip. Type: Chimerical Nightmare Aria One of the most feared vocal powers available to the Beansidhe, the song of nightmare forces the darkest aspect of an individual to dominance. Even animals and inanimate objects are affected by this. Plants have been known to twist and become poisonous upon hearing the notes of this forbidden tune. The Realm determines who or what may be affected by this power. System: The number of successes on the roll determines the number of hours that the power lasts. In Kithain, their Unseelie Legacy comes to the fore with a vengeance, even more brutal and dark than usual. For unenchanted humans, inanimate objects and plants, Storyteller discretion decides what changes. Type: Chimerical Resonate Just as a mortal singer can find the pitch at which glass resonates, so can the Beansidhe find the pitch at which flesh resonates. A quick, shrill scream can render even the mightiest of men into quivering piles of broken flesh. The Realm determines who or what may be affected by this power. System: The number of successes on the roll determines the number of health levels of aggravated damage the victim(s) suffer. Additionally, hearing is impaired, if not destroyed outright by the awesome power of this song. If the victim has the ability to soak aggravated damage, she may do so at a difficulty of 6. Type: Wyrd Insanitys Tenor The Beansidhe believe that the mind is merely a song that plays to the melody within a person's soul. They believe that by twisting this song and changing the notes in the tune that they can change a person's inner being. Though many don't buy into this drivel, victims must admit that the Beansidhe have an impressive ability to tear a mind into madness with a soft melody. The Realm determines who may be affected by this power. System: The number of successes on the roll must exceed the higher of the victim's permanent or temporary Banality. If successful, the victim enters the first stage of Bedlam. If the victim is already in Bedlam, she will move along to the next stage as her mind is twisted further. Type: Chimerical
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