Berin O'Donnell is a Sidhe Grump of House Scathach and King Meilge's Captain of the Guard in the Kingdom of Willows.
Overview[]
When the sidhe returned from Arcadia, they encountered the sidhe who never left Earth: House Scathach. It soon became clear that the returnees looked down on the Scathach, hardly considering them sidhe at all because they had mixed their blood with mortals just as the commoners had. Many Scathach sidhe were determined to prove themselves. Some, though, resented the arrogant elitism of the returnees and rebelled against the role assigned them.
Berin O'Donnell was of the latter. Denied a place by King Barabas (and, in truth, disgusted by the king's lack of morals), he offered his services to Duke Meilge. The Eiluned duke saw beyond Berin's house to his noble heart and desire to serve an honorable master and immediately accepted Berin's service as head of his personal guard. Berin has no idea of Meilge's true nature and is himself Unseelie only because of his anger over the treatment of the Scathach. Since most of the nobles in power are Seelie, he hopes that supporting the Unseelie will lead to justice for his house (and for the commoners, who also face discrimination by the haughty sidhe).
When Berin met Sabrina, he was so impressed by her beauty and knowledge of the arts that he introduced her to Meilge, believing his liege would invite her to court. He hoped she would care for him, but doesn't resent her marriage to Martin Corvald. Instead, he holds to the proprieties of courtly love; worshipping her from afar. Though he has heard stories against both Sabrina and Meilge, he refuses to believe they could be evil... after all, they are his close, personal friends, and Sabrina is his unattainable lady love. His love for her keeps him from speaking to her concerning his desire for her; a true irony considering how many lovers she's had. Though Unseelie, Berin follows the Seelie Code of honor and believes that Meilge and Sabrina do also.
Unknown to Meilge, Berin uses his position to keep the king's rages in check... at Sabrina's request. While he doesn't fully understand Meilge's true personality, he does know that his king suffers from fits of depression and rage. He tries to be there whenever these fits occur so that Meilge will not embarrass himself. He has no idea that by controlling Meilge at such times, he's actually working for the Shadow Court.
Silent and skilled in combat like most Scathach, Berin also has a gentler side. He collects puppets and is always willing to perform for faerie childlings or mortal children. As Meilge's bodyguard and captain of the king's personal guard, he has cultivated an impressive knowledge of security techniques. He excels at both the Primal and Wayfare Arts.
Image[]
Berin is almost six feet tall, well-muscled, and exceptionally strong. He wears his dark-brown hair in a warrior's knot at the base of his neck and has a neatly trimmed mustache and beard. He prefers armor and shield to courtly attire. When he must don such garb, he invariably wears black accented with silver. Whatever his attire, he is never without his sword (unless outside the freehold in normal clothing).
Personal[]
While Berin supports the Unseelie cause because he hopes its more democratic stance will return his house's lost respect, he himself is a strict proponent of the Seelie Code. He believes that the fae are inherently good and that those who act selfishly or in an evil manner are merely temporarily misled or mentally unbalanced. Because of this optimism, he always gives people the benefit of the doubt, and is often rewarded in his expectations because they appreciate his trust. Of course other times, his beliefs lead to him being royally screwed over. He doesn't let that change him; he simply doesn't trust those particular people again.
Despite his optimistic views, he doesn't let his personal beliefs interfere with his job. He isn't a naive fool, despite what others may think. When he's on duty, he is supposed to question the movements and motives of anyone acting suspiciously. He also makes certain that the security is as tight as he can make it. He is secretly a member of the Red Branch Knights, one of the reasons he protects Meilge so well.
Treasures[]
Berin owns a sword that bestows Sovereign 1 (Protocol) on any sword battle he engages in. The Protocol so enforced acts as if cast with five successes. In essence, this effect guarantees that those who fight against Berin (and Berin himself) abide by all the courtly rules and etiquette expected. It does not make anyone abase themself to the Scathach knight.
War in Concordia[]
Despite the fact that he was not charged with the protection of the High King per se, Berin remained rigidly on guard during Meilge's masquerade ball. He failed to notice when Meilge and the king left during the final dance, though. He blames himself for allowing the High King's disappearance, thinking he might have prevented it had he been more vigilant. He has no idea that Meilge spiked the single drink Berin consumed with the same Glamour-rich poison, Dreambane, he used to make David suggestible and does not recall that the King of Willows told him to "look the other way and forget that you did so." Berin's guilt makes him fanatically eager to locate the missing High King... a consequence Meilge failed to foresee. Under the proper questioning, Berin might throw off the effects of the drug and remember (dimly) that someone interfered with his duties.
References[]
- CTD. Kingdom of Willows, pp. 102-103.