Fiachra is a Seelie Sidhe Grump of House Dougal and the King of Connaught in Hibernia.
Overview[]
When the sidhe returned to Earth in 1969, they had to inhabit human bodies to survive the onslaught of Banality. While most sidhe chose attractive hosts, Fiachra decided to inhabit a body whose mind was gone and whose body was far from perfect. Fergus O'Reilly was a failed prize fighter whose last bout in the ring had cost him his left eye and had left him in a permanent coma. Had he ever awakened, he would have been a drooling vegetable anyway. Fiachra performed the ritual of change and became Fergus O'Reilly.
He soon learned that Fergus had all the talent necessary to make it; he'd just never had the drive or the proper training. The prize fighter's body stood him in good stead in the battle between the sidhe and the commoners for control of Hibernia. One-eyed Fiachra became the terror of Kithain who thought they could take advantage of a handicapped sidhe. Though he is fierce in battle, he is equally quick in forgiveness, and commoners under his rule have no cause for complaint that he is not receptive to their suggestions or responsive to their needs. In many ways, he is more like the commoners he rules, without the pretensions so frequent among some of the sidhe.
After the brief war, he set about crafting a replacement for the eye he was missing, trusting to his own smith-craft more than those available through the medical profession. Constructed using Glamour, the new eye has vision every bit as sharp as the natural one, giving him perfect vision again, with one exception: he has trouble with depth perception. While he's perfectly able to tinker and craft, and mingle without bumping into the furniture or stepping on his guests' toes most of the time, he cannot adequately judge road conditions and so cannot drive; a cruel fate for someone as fascinated with automobiles and trains as he is. He adores spending time aboard anything that moves fast: fast cars, fast trains, even fast horses are the love of his life. If he could figure out a way to own his own jet without causing comment, he would.
His love of tinkering has led him to study the Art of Legerdemain, a fact which he keeps concealed from all but close friends. He has great knowledge and skill and is quite a powerful sorcerer, but he prefers to save his Glamour and solves most problems through intelligence and hard work. because of this and his less than grandiose appearance, many people tend to underestimate him. Their mistake.
When Hibernia was split into its four traditional provinces, Fiachra hoped he would get to rule Ulster because of its concentration of industry. He felt that he would be best suited to understand the province and to deal with the Troubles there. He was very disappointed when he instead received Connaught, but wasn't about to let the others know. Being sent to a backwater where the roads are often potholed, blocked by sheep, and sometimes all but nonexistent, he did the only thing he could: he began patronizing car rallies and narrow gauge trains. He is concerned that some of the new industries, which he promoted, are beginning to radically alter the countryside, spoiling what was a severe, wild beauty. The proliferation of bed-and-breakfasts and the recent takeover of many ancient sites in the name of "preservation" (i.e., making them a tourist trap) has him quite worried.
And if he didn't have enough problems on the homefront, he has begun to hear disturbing rumors about some of his neighbors in Ulster. Reports of blatant Ravaging that has gone unpunished have led him to begin a quiet investigation. Though he hesitates to offend King Finn, he truly believes that the wilder king may have need of his greater experience.
Image[]
In his mortal seeming, Fergus has light brown hair and intense brown eyes. He favors the tweed jacket, wellingtons, flat cap, and knitted sweater look that most people think of as "typically Irish," but which is actually western Irish workingman gear. Appearing to be about 30 years old, he is of average height, though more muscular than than some others his size might be. Set down among similarly dressed men, he would be hard to pick out but for two details. He lacks the deeply etched facial lines that speak of a life spent working in the open, and his nose has that particularly squashed look that so many prize fighters seem to acquire. Nonetheless, he has the sort of looks that are labeled "ruggedly attractive."
In his fae mien, Fiachra seems several inches taller, though he retains his muscular build. His hair lightens, becoming more blond, and his eyes deepen into an almost impenetrably dark brown, giving him a piercing, somewhat unsettling gaze... no mean feat when one of his eyes isn't real. When he is forced into court attire (which he wears out of respect for his subjects when holding court or attending court elsewhere), he can actually look quite handsome.
Personal[]
Fiachra has made the best of becoming the King of Connaught, and truth be told, the region suits him. He has little patience with pomp and ceremony as an everyday diet. He leaves that to King Bran of Leinster. Of course, the occasional ceremony is good for everyone. He's done his best to encourage the more mundane aspects of life to take on a little Glamour. Car rallies, train rides, horse racing... now these are fun! Anyone who ever accused him of being too serious and practical has obviously never seen him attending any of the festivals in Galway. He knows how to have a good time, he just doesn't muck it up with all sorts of unnecessary frills. Working dreams that are honest, straightforward, and untainted... that's the way he likes it.
Treasures[]
Fiachra has the Kingly Treasures of Connaught (crown, scepter, and seal), which he tends to keep locked in a treasure room and often forgets he has. His most cherished treasure is a computer he has infused with Glamour that he uses to help him design new chimerical cars and trains, which he then "creates." His private gallery is filled with these chimerical replicas along with the race tracks they compete on. He has access to any number of small treasures, which he awards to the who help better the kingdom in some way. He uses only chimerical armor armor and swords as he never wishes to be responsible for a changeling's actual death. Against physical threats from non-changelings, he is more than adequate armed with his boxing skills and cantrips.
Stats[]
Court: Seelie
Legacies: Bumpkin/Fatalist
House: Dougal
Seeming: Grump
Kith: Sidhe
Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4
Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3
Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 3
Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl (Boxing) 4, Dodge 2, Empathy 3, Instruction 3, Intimidation 3, Kenning 3, Subterfuge 2
Skills: Animal Ken (horses) 3, Crafts 4, Etiquette 2, Firearms 1, Leadership 3, Mechanics 4, Melee 4, Repair 2, Security 2, Survival 3, Temporal Sense 3
Knowledges: Computer 3, Dream Lore 2, Enigmas 2, Finance 2, Investigation 1, Law 2, Linguistics (Irish Gaelic) 1, Medicine 2, Military Science 3, Mythlore 3, Politics 2, Science 2
Arts: Dream Craft 1, Legerdemain 3, Primal 3, Soothsay 4, Sovereign 4
Realms: Actor 2, Fae 4, Prop 5, Scene 2
Backgrounds: Chimera 4, Contacts 5, Dreamers 3, Gremayre 2, Holdings 5, Resources 3, Retinue 1, Title 6, Treasure 4, Trod 4
Glamour: 7
Banality: 6
Willpower: 6
References[]
- CTD: Immortal Eyes: Court of All Kings, p. 84-85