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| Species | Fir Bolg |
| Order | Faerie |
| Classification | Vaettir |
| Court | None |
| Sphere | War |
| Origin | All faeries are born Nameless and must be given a True Name; firbolgs have war-like Names |
| Lifespan | 2,000 years |
| Habitat | Forests, bogs, and plains |
| Food | Meat-heavy human fare |
| Description | Fir bolgs appear to be humanoids with distended bellies. |
| Procreation | Fir bolgs reproduced sexually with each other and other fey. With other vaettir, it follows the child-bearing parent. |
| Esoterica | Fir bolgs are beings of oalkhaylaoataa (which they call ag troid), poioumenon, dream energies, and uafas. Like all faeries, they are users of The Tradition, a form of poioumenonic lore empowered by dream energies. They also use other Damaskain powers, mijjit, blood energy, viscera, gebvel, shebv heya, mansam, anger resonance, spirits, kor, fate, ethereal energy, white tiger aether, bestial aether, earthpower aether, rubedian aether, arnum infernum, glory energy, long path energy, radiance, hegnh, nourishment, euergasia, light of justice, aifaellem, entropy, and seasonal aether. |
| The Tradition | Fir bolgs have these basic fey powers:
If a fir bolg has touched a weapon before, they can summon it at will by snapping their fingers. Fir bolgs carry special sacks that, if filled with clay or soil for a fortnight, can carry fifty times its carrying weight/volume for a year and a day after the soil or clay is poured out. Fir bolg's bellies are very tough. |
| Glamour | Fir bolgs can glamour themselves minimally using certain ancient rhymes. They usually do it to make themselves look a little bigger and more intimidating. |
| Weaknesses | If they do not speak their True Name backwards into that same mirror in half a minute, fir bolgs lose their True Names. They have a fortnight to recover it or they become a target of the Wild Hunt, become a boggin or hag, or are corrupted into another kind of fey. Iron or steel will bind a fir bolg into powerlessness. An iron horseshoe nailed over a door will bar a faerie from entering a house. Most fir bolgs detest tobacco smoke, and it can be used to stave them off. This is just a preference, however, and not a weakness. Iremia can harm them. |
| National Culture | The fir bolg were once rulers of a massive country. A major ecological and environmental cataclysm, invasion and war, and economic collapse brought the end of their country, and the survivors became nomadic for a time. The country was revived some centuries later when a group of the nomadic fir bolg tribes returned and sought to revive it. Another invasion came, and in the ensuing battle, they were completely driven away. In their own stories, this was the tuatha, and for this, they hold a long grudge. Their ancient leader, Sreng, cut off the hand of the tuatha king, but was defeated and later died as morrigans, spirits of war, overcame him. The tribes that tried to revive the country had been enslaved in another country and forced to carry sacks of clay or soil, reviving the rocky, barren farmlands. They brought this knowledge back with them; now, many fir bolg tribes settle in one area to become farmers. The fir bolg tribes are split into five major clans: the Gann, the Sengann, the Gegann, the Rudraige, and the Slanga. When they had a country, these clans chose a High King. Since the loss of their country, the clans have only a historical and cultural legacy. Every fir bolg knows their clan, but there is no structure to them other than recognition of familial relationship. Instead, each tribe is led by a mala, or sack-bearer, who carries a bag of the soil of their ancient homeland. The mala is a chieftain with direct matrilineal connection to the last High King, and thus to the last clan chieftain. Each mala has a council of elders to advise them. Fir bolg tribes belong to either the fir domnann, or people of the earth (farmers), and the fir gailioin, or people of the river (nomads), who are mercenaries. The farmer tribes settle in any area they can, only avoiding tuatha lands. They belong to the Court that accepts them, usually as peasants. Their tribes are heavily conscripted for the militaries of the different Courts. The nomads follow the rivers of the continent, wandering and taking jobs as warriors-for-hire to any lord of any Court, except the tuatha lords. Fir bolg children are raised by their parents. They are taught to fight, farm, and trade from a young age, and by the age of 16, they are considered adults. Courtship is based on displays of prowess and athleticism; marriages are rare but those who have children together usually stay together. All genders are respected as long as they can fight. The color of a fir bolg's breeches is indicative of their tribe. Every tribe has a color day, la datha, where they celebrate their tribal culture each year. All fir bolgs believe one day they will have a new High King to unite them. |
| Court Culture | Fir bolgs have no base court. |
| Other Courts | Fir domnann settle in the lands of Courts and become part of them, assimilating quickly. Fir gailioin sell their services to Courts, but maintain their national culture. |
| Mortal Interactions | Fir bolgs rarely interact with mortals. They treat mortal nations as separate Courts. |
| Notables | Sreng, Great Warrior (deceased); Seolus Ironsword, legendary warrior (turned into an unseelie by the Hunt); Mathair Bolg, Fir Bholg Manifest |
| Special Classes | Fir Gailioin (warrior), Fir Domnann (farmer), Mala, High King |
| Sample Stats | PRO 14 ATH 11 STR 12 AWA 9 WIL 8 ROG 9 Weapon Summon 14 Steed Summon 9 Glamour 3 Vanish (30 seconds) Sack 9 |
GrandGuignol
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