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 A Treatise on the Definitions of Siabra Antiquity, History and Heritage Foreword My name is en-Isliffell Badb Xya, and in that name you can see the oddity of the heritage I claim. My mother is the Badb princess Muirghein, and she leads our most ancient house with honour and strength. My father Xyat Chim was a Moheran noble, outcast from that clan for his insistence on using the Old Language in defiance of the Interdiction. I am glad that others among the Siabra have chosen his difficult course, though as I am no magician it is not a path for me. I will settle with merely possessing the knowledge to read, haltingly understand but not speak that most ancient and powerful tongue. In celebration of the Siabra's recognition in the policies and politics of Tir na n'Og, I have decided to release an abridged compilation of my findings as to the history and genealogy of our proud and noble faction. Just as education is a sure key to wisdom, wisdom is a sure key to strength and in teaching young ones our principles, doctrines and histories we can only benefit. I also hope to help put the lie to many misconceptions, myths and fabrications that circulate about our kind in the hopes that more may heed the calling of the shadows and come to our side. Please note that while this document may be authoritative in content, it is in no way authoritative in breadth. Collecting history is at best a pass time for me, and as such even with my advanced years I can only hope to touch the surface of the enormous and mutable past that represents Siabra existence. I welcome all who are versed in our lore to submit their wisdom so that I may work to make this treatise as representative of the truth as possible. A messenger may reach me at isliffell@ameritech.net Definitions Siabra: Certainly one of the most important words we bandy about, some would do well in knowing just what it is that "Siabra" means. In truth, it is nothing more than one of the many synonyms for "elf". By bearing this name we Siabra set forth our most fundamental principle without so much as saying a word; we are the true Elves of Hibernia, and any who will not bear our name are traitors to the cause. Thus you see an important truth: in the end the Siabra transcend the trappings of House, Clan and History and become a philosophical ideal. Any Child of Dana who embraces the truth is eligible to become Siabra. While living behind the Veil it was the Siabra, lords of the Unseelie, who ruled over all faefolk and kept the Old Laws. Underhill: Also, the Sidhe and innumerable variations (one of the more peculiar being the Land of Apples, though this is more familiar to Albion elves). Underhill is a synonym some Siabra use for the Land Beyond the Veil, or more simply The Veil. Though not our ancestral homeland (that has been lost to antiquity), Underhill represents the past, present and future of elvenkind. When the Sons of Mil drove us from Hibernia, it was to Underhill we turned, investing all our arcane wisdom to create an undying land of tranquil and eternal prosperity, a more perfect mirror of emerald Eire. So much of elvenkind has been invested in Underhill that being forced to walk upon the Terrestrial is anathema to us all. With so much of our great power tied up in that eternal summer land, we have been reduced to pale shadows of ourselves in Hibernia. Even our immortality is being stripped from us, and if we do not find a return to Underhill, our very spirits shall surely wilt inside us. The touch of the grave is not far off, I think. Curmudgeons: The Curmudgeons were a slave race beyond the veil, and served the Siabra for centuries. As a result of their reticent, ignorant and barbaric nature they eventually broke the Old Laws and rose against their Siabra masters and all faefolk. They have become a hated enemy of the Siabra as a result. Slay as many as you can of these vile beasts as an example to all who would defy our great, noble and honourable traditions. Sidhe: Refers both to Underhill and to the ruling race that inhabited it (sidhe as a proper versus common noun). It is a synonym of "elf". Seelie and Unseelie Courts: Not so much rigidly defined chivalric establishments, the terms Seelie and Unseelie originally referred more to political and philosophical inclinations of the faefolk. In these divisive days, however, the two camps are split as much by blood as by ideology. To the Celts, the terms are clear cut: seelie means "blessed", unseelie means "wicked". Most likely these definitions came about because the Unseelie frequently seek to reclaim what is rightfully theirs, while the Seelie are content to be meek and submissive. The Siabra are the titular rulers of the Unseelie: we believe in personal freedom, in our undeniable right to live our lives peacefully unmolested by invaders, and that when properly supported by the populace, the strongest and wisest make the most able rulers. In general we worship no gods, though we honour the wisdom of our ancestors, and while we honour our Queen as sovereign, we do pay great heed the words of our elders. We also actively campaign to bring more elves over to the wisdom of the Unseelie Courts. Dana is the progenitor of all elven kind, and all elves living today can trace their lineage back to the Mother. The personage of Dana is so ancient that even when we first came to Hibernia we were already known as her distant descendants. I will not here attempt to describe the origins or true nature of Dana, for that would be foolish and useless speculation at best. Some worship Dana as the so called Green Mother: Siabra most certainly do not. Interestingly, it was Dana's father, The Dagda, who forged the Cauldron that serves as one of Hibernia's great relics. It is said that the Tuatha de Danaan came to Hibernia from the North ages ago when one of them spotted this emerald island from the tower of his distant castle. Much of our history in Hibernia is well documented: how we arrived in Hibernia, met and were betrayed by the Fir Bolg; subsequently defeated them at the battle of Magh Tuireadh and granted these Bag Men the area of Connacht for their use; how the cursed sea creatures, the Fomorii, insinuated themselves into the Tuatha by marrying one of their sons, Bres, to the traitorous princess Brigit; how we were victorious against their armies; how our noble ruler Nuada fell in that battle and was replaced by Brigit's corrupt father Lugh. Our final defeat at the hands of the invading Sons of Mil is also copiously documented, though much of it is corrupted by Celtic propaganda. The truth is that the Mileosians sought the total annihilation of the Tuatha de Danaan, and we were so weakened by our previous two wars that we created and passed though The Veil to protect ourselves from destruction. The Old Language: I have referred to this before, as well as to the Interdiction that prohibits its use. This is a peculiarity unique to Siabra existence and the basis for the power that the Oath holds over all faefolk. The Old Language of the faefolk predates the arrival of the Tuatha de Danaan. It is a language of power and wisdom, and is the basis for much of the magic the Eldritch wield. It is also a language of absolute truth: no lie can pass the lips of one who speaks its words. It seems reasonable to believe that the Stone of Destiny was constructed by those versed in the tongue. By the time we arrived in Hibernia, the language was used almost exclusively by the Siabra. The majority of elves chose to speak the more common, simplified tongue that is an important ingredient to the Celt's language. It wasn't long before the Seelie elves began to fear the power of the Old Language, for they knew that if the Siabra spoke nothing but truth, eventually all elvenkind would flock to the side of the Unseelie. Many Siabra were slain by cold iron for using the tongue, and soon the violence threatened to escalate into a full fledged pogrom. Thus it was that a council of Siabra Eldritches cast the Interdiction, a powerful and expansive curse on all Siabra. The curse blocked us from using the Old Language as a common tongue; we could only access it for the casting of Eldritch spells. The current Siabra language is a relative of the Old Language, created by the Eldritch council so the Siabra could hang on to some fragment of their linguistic heritage. Many ancient Siabra despise that council for what they did, but the truth remains that one desperate act most likely saved us from full scale murder at the hands of our Seelie brethren. Today the Interdiction stands, though not quite in the form that was originally intended. The curse has faded with time, so that it is physically possible to speak the Old Language once more. It is shunned by most, though, for they remember the persecution we suffered and do not wish to see it visited upon us again. Oathtaking is closely related to the Old Language. Though we do not as a habit advertise this fact, it is somewhat common knowledge that to extract an Oath from one of the faefolk is to guarantee that he or she fulfills it. Whether it is the direct influence of the Old Language itself, or some more mysterious mechanism, we Siabra are now bound by our word, no matter the language we speak it in. If we break a sworn oath, if we give our word and then retract it, we will die irrevocably. There is no way around this fact, and so I advise you only give your word with great reluctance and consideration. Make as many promises as you wish and break them just as often, but never *never* swear to complete a task unless you intend to complete it! Houses We Siabra are a closely knit group, but even among us are great variations in beliefs, upbringing and personal philosophies. These variations are most often reflected in our Clans and Houses. Unlike with Clans, Houses tend to defy geographical definition. Houses are generally defined by name, though some have a distinctive associated symbol, such as an animal. I claim the Crow as my heritage, and trace my line in House Badb back to the three Sisters of War, Nemain, Macha, and fearless Morrigan. As you might imagine House Badb has produced some of the greatest Champions in all Hibernia. Houses are myriad and varied, and I cannot hope to make an exhaustive list of that intricate facet of Siabran nobility. ---- |
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