Lord Rathesmere is a presumably Seelie Sidhe and High Lord of House Fiona.
Overview[]
Of all among House Fiona, I daresay there is no other so closely attuned to the Dreaming as Lord Rathesmere. He recalls clearly being exiled after loosing a duel and dragging his followers with him (though many claim they came of their own free will). More disturbing is that Lord Rathesmere claims a terrible war is brewing in Arcadia; one that may spill over into the Waking Lands. So, he uses his magnificent estate in south France, the Freehold of the Questing Blade, to train sidhe warriors of mettle to keep peace here and to retake Arcadia eventually. How he plans to get there, I have no idea, but anyone can hear the absolute conviction in this fae's words. Many younger members of House Fiona visit the High Lord and receive quests from him. Most of these would-be knights-errant end up fighting wayward chimera or odd beasts that have crept through from Arcadia, according to Rathesmere. He tries to match the skills of the hero or heroine with an appropriate task, though a few whisper that his quests are becoming progressively challenging. The High Lord, though beautiful with gold hair and brown eyes, is a little more stern than the average Fiona noble. He takes his duties most seriously. He is also renowned for his prowess as a swordsman.
There are whispers of darker stories that echo to Concordia from France. Some find it disturbing that the young champions of House Fiona are disappearing on Rathesmere's questing. Is this mere bad luck, or does Rathesmere have a different agenda than the one he speaks in court? What is happening to these knights-errant? Have they found a hidden gateway to Arcadia, or the lairs of long forgotten questing beasts? Perhaps someone will need to visit the Freehold of the Questing Blade and see... and sooner than later.