Satyr (CTD)

Satyrs are a kith sprung from dreams of revelry, lust and passion. They throw a party like no-one else, drinking, fighting and loving harder than most mortals would ever dare. They are physically adept, and like the god Pan may inflame the passions of others through music and dance, but all the revelling leaves them with little willpower to resist temptation.

Bittersweet Yesterdays
As most satyrs live on the edge of tomorrow, they have little care for stories of how the world used to be. They'd rather seek out their own adventures than hear what someone else did "once upon a time." Nevertheless, they can't deny that they are a product of their own history like all other changelings. Born of the myths and legends of Greece, the have a unique heritage that colors their outlook on the world. The same civilization that brought the glory of the Olympic games, the magic of mythic gods, and the sexual freedom of Lesbos and Athens, also created the satyrs.

Foreplay
Long, long ago, faeries and humans walked side by side, their realms coexisting in perfect balance. Mortals knew magic was a natural part of their world. They accepted faeries and monsters and mythical creatures as readily as they did trees, earth, and sky. Arcadia's political system hadn't developed feudal structure. The fae lived a more primal existence. The Tuatha de Danann ruled the fae as mortal chieftains of the British Isles oversaw their people. Strength and wisdom were revered.

Nothing restricted travel between Arcadia and Earth. The Mists had not developed; mortals still believed in the fantastic. Fae not only chose to visit the mortal realm but some even chose to live there. Mortals brought to Arcadia by loves or enemies lived there for a year and day. Wars and commerce happened frequently... fae with mortal, fae with fae, mortal with mortal. It wasn't unusual... just the way things were.

In that distant past, Simon Frost prepared to take the Arcadian throne for the Unseelie Winter but an unseelie sidhe named Zeus, filled with jealousy, claimed the throne should be his instead. Deviously, he tricked Simon into murdering a Seelie sidhe. The following upheaval nearly cost Simon his life. Zeus' plans didn't follow through quite as he had hoped, though. His plot was discovered and as his punishment, the Tuatha de Danann banished him to the mortal world forever, along with those loyal to him. Simon Frost took the throne and Zeus was forbidden to ever return to Arcadia.

Zeus didn't mourn long, though. The loss wasn't as painful then as it would be in modern times. Earth held just as many opportunities as Arcadia and Zeus began to build his own kingdom in the lands of Hellas. He constructed a castle of sunshine on Mount Olympus and made no attempt to hide his golden keep from mortal eyes, though few humans could climb those steep cliffs. In time, Zeus gathered his own Unseelie court around him and took a queen, Hera, from among his fellow sidhe. He spied on mortals by disguising his form, whether as human or animal, and revealed his true form only when it suited his purpose. Humans spread word of his magic and power. before long he had built a reputation for himself and his court. The mortals of Hellas bowed to him and called him "King of the Gods." Out of spite, Zeus named part of his new kingdom "Arcadia" so that he could say, without lying, that he ruled all of Arcadia and more, as had been his dream.

Arousal
Zeus, along with his other Unseelie sidhe underlings: Hera, Hermes, Apollo, Ares, Aphrodite, became renowned for their ruthless politics and squabbles and plotting raged constantly. To the simple shepherds and farmers of Greece, the faeries were gods and the fae saw no reason to correct them. They rather reveled in the power they had over the mortals of the time; they lived on the dreams formed in temples dedicated to them and savored the ability to wreak havoc fueled by the strength of mortal belief.

Being exiled from Arcadia, this unseelie crew amused themselves with the lives and hearts of the mortals over whom they ruled. They played tug-of-war with whole armies and tried to outdo each other with treacherous ravaging. Many unwilling mortals became the victims of their cruel games.

Greek Love
The people of ancient Greece valued freedom and love. The worked hard and played hard. In the early Greek polis, a minority of the upper class lived in urban settings. Everyone else worked the fields, harvesting grapes and olives from rolling hills, or they travelled the sea on ships carrying exports to exotic locations. A temperate climate lent itself to light clothing and only the most civilized wore shoes.

Few taboos marred their view of sex and love. They were, historically, the people to look upon homosexuality with no prejudice whatsoever. They didn't know they had embraced a revolutionary concept, they just accepted it completely because in their philosophy, nature made no distinction between homosexual and heterosexual love. They believed a person could find pleasure equally with the same or the opposite sex.

Their collective open mind permitted them to advance more quickly than any previous civilization; they accepted a different lifestyle more readily than they rejected one. Their mythology expressed their willingness to discuss all aspects of love, marriage, and sex openly. In their myths, accounts of divorce, remarriage, and adultery are recurring. Even incest appears, though it was generally viewed as a crime and ultimately punished through the workings of the Fates.

Dionysus
Among the Unseelie sidhe who lived on Mount Olympus, Dionysus had an irreverence born of the love for chaos and freedom. From the moment he arrived in the mortal realm, he caused havoc on Olympus. He spoke his mind and did as he pleased, no matter who got angry. With complete impudence, he refused to adhere to court etiquette. The other fae laugh with him until his sharp tongue turned on them. Even Zeus seemed to like Dionysus, seeking him out when he wanted to throw aside courtly manners and wallow in decadence. Dionysus was the bad boy of Olympus. Some appreciated his wit and naughtiness; others did not.

He almost immediately earned Hera's enmity and he made no secret that he cared little for her either. Most of his political scheming was geared towards undermining her schemes and authority. The two exchanged harsh insults regularly and the tension hung thick when they were both in the same room. She began to plot his death, tried, and failed. Everyone suspected Hera was behind the attempt on Dionysus' life but no one could prove it; her cunning and position protected her. Zeus, unable to either punish his oath mate or protect his friend, decided it might be best if Dionysus left Olympus for a while.

Hermes, who was quite fond of Dionysus, accompanied him to the mortal court of King Athamas of Orchomenus where Dionysus hid himself in the woman's quarters by disguising himself as a girl. He lived there some time and learned the secrets of mortal women. Hera discovered him, though, when she spotted him romping naked with a servant girl in the garden one day. Dionysus fled again and this time Zeus instructed Hermes to give him into the care of the Hyades nymphs: Macris, Nysa, Erato, Bromie, and Bacche.

Dionysus lived with the nymphs on Mount Nysa for many years in Hellan Arcadia where the tended him in a cave, pampered him, and fed him honey. While there he invented wine, one of his most acclaimed achievements. His resentment toward Zeus and Hera grew over the years. He tried repeatedly to contact Zeus but the King of the Gods dodged the missives, trying to blame his distance on Hera's lingering anger. Dionysus saw through the excuses, though, and realized his old friend was embarrassed by him. He realized the reason he was sent away was not for his own protection but to ease tensions in the court.

Feeling used and betrayed, he gave himself over to self-gratification, adopting a devil-may-care attitude, and immersing himself in physical pleasure. Everywhere he went, he hosted gatherings steeped in wine that ended in rousing orgies. Tales of the celebrations spread through the land. Often, in direct parody of Zeus, Dionysus visited his lovers or danced in the moonlight wearing goat pelts. The reference to Zeus' tendency to visit his lovers disguised as an animal to avoid Hera's wrath did not go unnoticed by the Olympian court and they whispered it behind Zeus' and Hera's backs, snickering and pointing.

Many mortals joined Dionysus in his revelry, traveling with him, caught in the perpetual dance. Music and sex, laughter and wine filled their days and nights. This went on for years below Mount Nysa. Dionysus and his followers drew women from the surrounding farms into their celebrations with beautiful music and promises of divine ecstasy. Many of these women, called Maenads, left their families to join Dionysus and his growing cult. His popularity grew quickly in the rural areas. some farmers offered him their daughters in exchange for knowledge of vinting. Not many of these young women complained about their new life. The served Dionysus of their own free will and when they chose to leave, no one stopped them.

Pan, The First Satyr
Men and women danced around bonfires, naked, arms raised to the stars. Eventually they wandered off with lovers into the darkness or joined writhing piles of bodies in the red-orange light of the fire. Dionysus reigned over it all in his goat-skin cape. He wore the skull of a male goat on his head, its horns sharply silhouetted against the flames, all in mockery of Zeus. He had little respect for the King of the Gods. This small bit of irreverence became a not-so-private joke among his followers and it gave him some satisfaction to nub his nose at Zeus and Hera.

Everything he did he did big; throwing himself wholeheartedly into his endeavors, succeeding more often than not. Eccentric, pursuant of his desires, with little care for what others thought of him, as a leader, Dionysus was larger than life. His exaggeration and showmanship earned him many followers and his charisma was hard to resist. And so he built his legend.

Parents, simple and superstitious, whispered in the somber hours of the night about the horny god with goat's legs that might come for their daughters. The told of the wine cults, embellishing the tale as it spread across bonfires and mugs of honey mead. Young men and women fantasized about steamy visits from the goat-god. Before long, all that belief solidified. Their dreams danced to a debauched tone with images of feasts and drink and flushed nakedness. Erotic music encouraged a dream-dance with goat-legged men and women that beckoned the farmers and their wives from their normal dreams of harvest. In this way the legends of the goat-god and his vine cult affected the Dreaming and produced a new kith. The first satyr was born in Arcadia and he called himself Pan.

From Greek Saturos
The term "satyr" eventually came to be the name of the kith born half-fae and half-goat. They never learned to shapeshifter like the pooka but remained caught somewhere in between one and the other. Several related kith fall into this category: the satyrs themselves (half-goat), minotaurs (half-bull), centaurs (half-horse), and hern (half-stag). Only the goat fae remain relatively common today. The others have virtually disappeared. Unsubstantiated reports of sightings keep the hope alive that they still exist, hidden away. Most fae scholars, though, claim they left the mortal world long ago and may be found in Arcadia when, and if, the gates reopen.

Earthly Pleasures
Eventually Pan made his way to Earth to seek more primal pleasures. Others followed his lead. Soon he heard stories about Dionysus and his vine cult. Out of curiosity, Pan and several of his fellow satyrs joined the sidhe. Dionysus was ecstatic to find others in philosophical agreement with him and welcomed them to his side. Although Pan remained reticent and unwilling to trust the sidhe for a while, the two became partners of a sort and, eventually, shared the Oath of Clasped Hands.

Dionysus later developed a wanderlust and left Hellan Arcadia, accompanied by a group of maenads and satyrs, and travelled across ancient Greece in search of new experiences, leaving his mark wherever he went. He helped those he encountered fight their enemies and taught mortals to make wine, mead, and beer. He took his philosophy of intoxication and freedom across the peninsula; spreading his seed, gaining followers, and building his legend. His "rites" became increasingly popular as his cult spread across Europe, North Africa, and Asia. He became the acknowledged hero of all satyrs and the closest thing to a leader they ever had.

When Dionysus finally returned to Olympus, the fae of Zeus' court honored his accomplishments and welcomed the satyrs into their midst. (Having seen the strength and numbers of Dionysus' followers, they couldn't do much else. ) He had left Mount Olympus in shame but returned a hero and a valued courtier among the Unseelie "gods."

Unseelie Pan
The fae of Arcadia ridiculed Pan and the first satyrs when they appeared there, hating their base natures and not accepting them as anything more than animals. Pan's Unseelie legacy did little to help his cause. His laziness and less-than-sophisticated manners built him a reputation.

Pan like nothing more than to eat, drink, and screw. He lounged about the verdant forests of Arcadia and seduced other fae with his animal magnetism. The sidhe were simultaneously attracted to and repulsed by him. One sidhe in particular, Echo, returned time and again to his side, though she proclaimed loudly in court that she hated him and would rather rip her own heart out than feel his touch. Everyone learned the truth, though, when Pan left for the mortal realm and she mourned for years. She later followed him there but that's another story.

Pan's bitterness at his rejection by the faeries haunted him throughout his days. He developed a careless attitude that influenced future satyr philosophy. He felt honor meant little to the hypocritical fae who had turned against him and so adopted a posture of self-gratification and unhindered pursuit of his passions. He romped through the forests and hills of Greece, eating when he was hungry, sleeping when tired, and taking women when he felt the urge. Why not? He had no place, after all, in either fae or mortal society. Both called him monster and maybe they were right.

What few knew, though, was that he had a quick mind and many talents, including the ability to divine the future. He loved witty conversation almost as much as he loved sweaty sex, but few took the time to talk to him. When he got lonely, he taunted herdsman and farmers just for the mockery that they yelled at him. He often developed sentimental attachments to the more quick-witted among these mortals and returned often to share clever insults and sharp repartee with them.

When he arrived in Greece, he found a friend in Dionysus. The ridge had been abused, though not as painfully as Pan had been. The sidhe still had hope that he would return to Olympus someday. Pan laughed at his idealism but stayed at his side just to see what would happen. Dionysus taught Pan that their passions had a place in the world. As maenads and other mortals flocked to join the vine cults to spread their philosophy through the world, Pan had to admit his friend's victory. Only when the fae of Olympus accepted Dionysus and the satyrs into their court, though, did Pan truly understand what his friend had accomplished.

The Beginning of the End
Time passed. Alexander the Great conquered Greece and the lands to the east. Grecian philosophers and scientists asked questions and found answers that had nothing to do with magic or wonder. Zeus and his court had less and less sway with the people. The Mists swallowed the golden castle at the summit of Mount Olympus and spirited it away from the eyes of mortals; only those of faerie blood could find it. By 330 BCE, belief in the old gods had been superseded by a growing interest in philosophy and science. Then people didn't need "gods" to explain the world. Dionysus and the satyrs abandoned Zeus and migrated north into the lands of the druids.

The Celtic Conversion
It didn't take long for Dionysus and the satyrs to get a hoof-hold among the tribal peoples of Western Europe: Germany, France, and the British Isles. Stories of them chasing young women in the woods or leaping around Beltaine fires spread rapidly. Legends of the horned god were abundant and the satyrs felt at home. The land was still unpaved and the people still had no fear of the urges that drove them.

Raiders form the north raided the isles constantly. The satyrs had learned to fight beside Dionysus during his travels but they had never experienced the brutality of the northern tribes. Their love of physical competition, fostered among the greeks, became frenzied bloodlust when faced with opponents who took no prisoners and pulled no punches. Side by side with the Britons, the satyrs fought to preserve their new home. Tales of their heroism and fervor in battle reached Arcadia and they reacquired the the respect of the nobility and earned the boon of return to the land of the fae. A few chose to travel to Arcadia. Others remembered the ridicule, the stuffiness of the sidhe, and the boring hours of pompous discourse in the courts and chose to stay in the mortal realm.

Years passed. The Greek pantheon slipped into memory. Satyrs fed the dreams of the Celts. The persevered. Even Dionysus remained, though he changed and forgot his origins. Some deemed him Hern the Horned God. Early Christians called him Satan in trying to stamp out the old pagan religions. Eventually even Dionysus slipped away into the Mists and became legend, even among his satyrs.

Goats to Know

 * Agatha
 * Maxim the Astounding