House Beaumayn

House Beaumayn is a noble house of Sidhe aligned with the Seelie Court. They were imprisoned in Arcadia but were allowed to return to Earth with the Second Resurgance.

History
House Beaumayn counts as its founder a sidhe knight named Jalendrel, a great warrior and a prophet. According to legend, Jalendrel met Gwydion the Grey outside a village under attack; Gwydion did not understand why Jalendrel stood by weeping instead of trying to help, until a great monster rose up from underground, driven out of hiding by the burning buildings. Gwydion and his entourage were taken by surprise, but Jalendrel leapt into action and slew the beast. He explained that he had foreseen all these things in visions and knew they could not be changed: that is why he wept.

House Beaumayn's fortunes waxed until the Sundering: they were respected for their wisdom as much for their strength in arms. But then Duke Geremin lead a group of Beaumayn warriors along with the First Crusade, and fell in love with an eshu princess named Zubaidah. Her murder with an iron weapon drove him mad with grief. For two hundred years, no one heard from him, and he was presumed dead.

Then he appeared to two brothers, Brandell and Markesh, and swore them to secrecy before telling his tale. Geremin claimed he'd had a vision of his beloved, and that she'd told him iron was not the end of fae souls--in fact, it could purify them of Banality, and thus death by iron was a great gift. He pleaded with this two lords to carry on his work of finding the "Iron Road" in order to stave off Endless Winter, then committed suicide with an iron dagger.

The two brothers--and eventually the entire House--split over whether to believe Geremin's claims. A minority, lead by Markesh and called the Harbingers of Exodus, did begin experimenting with iron weapons and ritual murders. The rest, siding with Brandell, held to the Escheat and tried to stop the Harbingers' gruesome activites. This schism was hidden from the rest of the fae, as Geremin had made both lords swear to tell no one outside the House. When the actions of the heretics came to light, all of House Beaumayn was put on trial and sentenced to eternal imprisonment in Arcadia, while their memory was struck from the world. They were only freed with the Second Resurgence when it became clear that the nobles already on Earth were losing the battle against Endless Winter; if they could defeat the Fomorians and purge the Unseelie, House Beaumayn would be redeemed.

House Culture
Beaumayn is the outcast of the Seelie Court, remembered as either murderous madmen or those who aided and abetted murderous madmen when they are remembered at all. The spell that caused other fae to forget the House's existence is a mixed blessing, since you can't discriminate against someone if you don't remember they exist.

The Harbingers of Exodus are still active within the house, and still believe that the Iron Road will lead all fae back to Arcadia. In keeping with the ancient oaths, the rest of Beaumayn fight the Harbingers in secret--this is their mess to clean up.

Except for the Harbingers, House Beaumayn keeps to a code of ethics called the Code of Jalendrel regarding how their power of prophecy should be used. They generally do not share their visions with outsiders, but are obligated to share them within the house. There are also times they must stand by and allow destined events to transpire, no matter how terrible.

House Beaumayn is the absolute enemy of the Shadow Court and the Thallain, and the feeling is mutual. These dark fae can actually sense the presence of a nearby Beaumayn, and they will do their best to make their life miserable.