PSCS Outlands Challenge: The Tir

Those are the 4 mythical cities from which the Gods/Tuatha De Danaan came to invade the earth. Outside of PS, I'm pretty sure that Mag Dell is Mananan Mac Lyr's, although maybe it is the Dagda's nowadays in the Planes (or always, earth myth hardly being reliable).

Maybe the hall has changed hands? My Detect Plothook spell is tingling!

Mag Mell (The Daghdha's realm)
Site: The Grove of the Daghdha
Towns: Conall, Westcote, Cromlech, Delaney

Westcote is built around an invisible fortress inhabited by a powerful sorceress Cartimandua, as well as the River of Woe, which flows into Loch Finn.

Conall is built around a magical spring. If a handful of water from this spring is thrown into the air, it causes torrential rains over a 1-mile-radius for 15 minutes. This property remains in the watger for one year after it is taken away from the site. The current chieftain is Cobhthach mac Findtan. The greatest fighter is Find Mac Airt.

Cromlech has an enchantment on it that means it can only be found by druids. The chief druid is Cathbhadh.

Lies and deception are very difficult in Delaney (Will save DC 20). Dalaney is built on the River Danu, which flows from Loch Finn to Tir fo Thuinn. There is a ford here, but no bridge. The local chieftain is Bron Mac Froech. The greatest fighter there is Loeg Mac Mane.

House of Knowledge (Oghma's realm)
Sites: The Spring of Knowledge, The Spring of Poetry, The Pool of Music, Oghma's Palace
Towns: Surcease, Song's Joy

Surcease has a magical aura that makes violence of any kind very difficult (Will save, DC 20). Song's Joy is filled with music of such beauty that anyone who enters must make a Will save (DC 20) or refuse to leave unless physically dragged out.

Tir fo Thiunn (Manannan mac Lir's realm)
Sites: Manannan mac Lir's Palace, the Grottos

Colijnsplaat (Nehalennia's realm)
Unofficial: See this site.

The Bloody Field (the Morrigan's realm)
Sites: The Lake of Sorrows, the Caverns of Woe

The waters of the Lake of Sorrows ought to do something interesting. Maybe it reopens every wound you've suffered within the last 24 hours. Or longer. Because this is the Outlands, it should do something good, too, to balance that out. Say it acts as a combination potion of Heroism and potion of Remove Fear. Add Bull's Strength to the mix, too - if you're going to venture into the realm of the Morrigan, you've earned it.

From the Lake of Sorrows flows the River of Sorrows, which has no special properties. The River of Sorrows merges with the River of Woe, which flows from the Caverns of Woe into Loch Finn.

Summeroak (Silvanus' realm)

Mag Tuireadh, the Plain of Pillars (Nuada's realm)
Sites: Nuada's Hall

The Great Smithy (Goibhniu's and Belisarma's realm)
Site: Goibhniu's Forge
Towns: Goibhniu's Rest, Macleod

Goibniu's Rest is where the petitioner-smiths who labor for Goibhniu dwell when they're not at work in Goibhniu's Forge.

No one knows why, but the village of Macleod, near Goibhniu's realm, occasionally births immortals, people who never age. Members of the Prolonger sect occasionally investigate, but they've never found any way of transferring this ability to outsiders, and outsiders aren't welcome in any case.

The Pinnacle (Dunatis' realm)

Mount Victory (Andraste's realm)
Unofficial: See this site

Bruig na Boinne (Oengus's realm)
Unofficial: See this site

Epona's Stable
Not sure if the name is official, but she lives here somewhere.

Lake Gwyll

This is a lake, Spireward of the Pinnacle. It's not detailed, but let's assume its waters have a magical effect when drunk. Anything immersed in the water turns instantly to stone (Will save DC 20). That would explain why there aren't any towns nearby.

Loch Finn

This is a lake Spirewise of Mag Mell. The towns of Delaney, Gwyllach, and Donall all border it. With so many towns built around it, the waters ought to have beneficial properties. Say there's a spirit within the waters that acts as an oracle - the Salmon of Knowledge, from the legend of Finn McCool.

Muirshead

This is an independent town located upstream from Loch Finn, but downstream from Macleod. The chieftain there is called Lugotorix, and his chief warrior is named Segovax. Muirshead has been losing citizens lately - youths, maidens, and babes - to a group of sidhe who dwell in a nearby hollow hill. They will likely continue to do so until they return some faerie cattle they stole.

Lindow

Another town, I can't find confirmation that it exists, officially. It doesn't seem to be on the map. Maybe it travels through time, like Brigadoon.

Grim's Head

Erin Montgomery's village. This isn't on the map either, but it must be near Welbey, which is on the shore of Tir fo Thuinn. So it's probably upstream on the river that runs through Tir na Og, past Nuada's realm, and into the sea. Grim's Head is known for its tradition of healers, and a nearby spring acts as a potion of healing, though the waters lose this effect when they're removed from the site. There are some public baths nearby.

Welbey

Darius the Veyl's home village, though it was destroyed by a Blood War incursion. There are a number of other villages nearby, inhabited by the Esprene. The Esprene hug the coast, living in small villages. I think of them as Celts with heavy Greek influences.

Fayrill

A secluded region just outside Tir na Og, on the banks of Tir fo Thuinn. A group of Sidhe exiles called the Quybier dwell here in castles built in hollow hills. Their castles are built of stone but magnificent, looking like the fantasy of an avaricious human king. The Quybier left Tir na Og because they were disgusted with the chaotic informality of the Tuatha de Danann; the Quybier are a people of rigid customs and stiff formality. They do not dance, sing, or play music. They are concerned with social status, political and military power, honor and responsibility to one's clan. The Quybier are rivals with other, similar Sidhe clans, and cattle-raids and other battles between them are common. The chief of the Quybier, Florien, is an embittered man. His daughter died in a raid against the nearby camp where young Ambar Vergrove lived with his mother. Though he paid Ambar a fortune in gems in recompence for the deed, he still - decades later - hasn't really accepted his guilt in the matter. Thus, the ghost of his daughter - a banshee - haunts him nightly.

Wow, Ripvanwormer, that's a ton of stuff! Thanks for posting it!

Is that all from On Hallowed Ground?

From what I'm reading the otherworlds seem to be split into 'Lands' - the Land of Shadows, the Land of Promise, the Land of Plenty, etc each with differing attributes but in D&D terms part of Tir na Og.

Following on from this, why not divide up Tir na Og into provinces, each based on one of the celtic cultures that make it up, it will help to sort through the sometimes conflicting and confusing differences between Welsh Llew, British Lud, Irish Lugh, etc.

Say:

1) Savage (Picts - primitive celts)
2) Civilised (Romanised 'advanced' celts - bards, explorers, traders)
3) Fey (Irish/Welsh, living more alongside the Fey)
4) Battling (european, more nordic warrior culture)

This way it makes more sense for a single deity to have conflicting origins - they're the origins of that people alone. Of course, each culture thinks that its way is the best and purest example, raids and outright wars can occur over disputed contests and matters of honour (anothe rcommon theme). There's still a lot of travel between 'provinces' though, and against enemies from without however, they are a united people.

If you use the 4 cities then these become more 'cultural zones' than actual places, or the seat of High Kings/High Druids.

While I get Rip's point, I'd personally like to downplay the proxy side of things - at least in Tir na Og itself. Like the Norse cycle, part of the charm of the celtic stories is that its the Gods themselves doing the deeds, making the mistakes, and seeing the consequences. I think that the Powers use Tir na Og as something of a personal playground. Their Avatars literally do ride out on adventures like the sagas say, and mortals can find them impinging on their lives with (relative) frequency.

The Tir would still have proxies of course, but they are usually:

1) Dealing with matters in the Planes at large

2) The decendants of those deities (demi-powers, or epic heroes)

3) The mortal that the Power favours at the current. Typical reasons would be out of love, because they are their chosen champion, specifically because it will yank the chain of a rival Power somehow... all these are present in the sagas, and it seems that 'favour' can be a very transitory thing.

Of course, some proxies might be very prominent persons in the realm.

That’s a good point; they’re each already really ‘The Land of…’ aren’t they? :oops: Guess I was envisioning all the Tir hanging out in one place and forgetting we actually have a Planescape setting! I still think that each of the Tir have some connection to the Land however, because it’s special beyond the individual realms that exist there and existed itself before the Powers now called the Tir lay claim to it.

Another question – do we have a definitive answer on the day and night cycles of Tir na Og? I can see it always being glorious summer in the Land of Eternal Youth, but do they have seasons? Night and day? Having an ‘eternal day’ would fit the timeless nature of the place – but would certainly have some odd connotations.

Other stuff -

Political Divisions

The reason I’d suggest a political division of Tir na Og is to create the rival kingdoms, wars, and raiding that feature in celtic myth (particularly the Irish cycle). This would allow us to have more mundane conflicts, feuds, friction, and rivalries between the nations.

I don’t suppose the cultural divisions even need to be clustered together geographically – although each would probably have a favoured area, like the Esprene (‘civilised philosophiser celts’) near Tir Fo Thuinn – it’s just a matter of rivalry between each of the celtic racial groups making it more diverse and politically interesting. Maybe it’s more a matter of detailing the four racial groups instead, but I liked the idea of them each having a champion/high king that could be chosen with great pomp and ceremony (and heroic tests and challenges).

:cry:

As to the Four Cities (Falias, Gorias, Murias and Finias), I’m now thinking more of four great stone circles and clusters of mounds; holy places for the druidic order and sacred mounds from which the Powers and Sidhe Lords come forth, and where great gatherings of tribes could take place (but not cities).

The Horned God

Do we have anything canon on Cernunnos? The description in the encyclopaedia (based on Legends & Lore I think) sums him up nicely as “nature embodied” – I think he sounds less like a standard Power of the Tir (those who worship him call on his Silvenus aspect – if aspect he is - instead), but more as a mysterious warden of Tir na Og, who predates the Tir and balances their forces in the Land.

Death in Tir Nan Og
- more in line with Celtic belief in reincarnation.

“There can be no spring without winter,” said Cernunnos, “no life without death.”

Despite being the Land of Ever Young, death is a necessary part of Tir Nan Og - but a transitory one: life is a dream, death merely the beginning of another dream.

In certain places – most notably the Bloody Field of Morrigan and the Land of Lost Heroes (see below) the dead simply rise again the next morning with all wounds healed, in a similar manner to the Einheriar of Vallhalla. In the majority of the Land of Eternal Youth however, a more natural cycle of immortality is in order.

Those who die in Tir na Og are given the normal honours of a funeral, but only after 7 days have passed. In this time he soul continues on – they are Reincarnated, as per the spell. Those favoured by the gods or considered very worthy or honourable are reincarnated in an identical form, those less worthy as new humans or as animals – and particularly worthy beasts are sometimes reincarnated as intelligent races as well. Betrayers and traitors however, are claimed by Arawn and appear (in their previous form) upon his windswept plateau before being dragged off to the Isles of the Cursed.

If the deceased returns to their old life within seven days, they are generally accepted back into their tribe without question. After seven days however, the funeral is performed and any bonds of the old life are severed; marriages, alliances, and obligations are formerly dissolved and if they return to their tribe later (or without significant memories of their past), they are welcomed with a formal ceremony of birth. This date becomes their ‘birthday’ from then on. The reincarnation tends to occur in the local area, although sometimes the Land needs a soul to be born elsewhere. In such cases the people of Tir na Og respect the need for balance and accept a new life where they are placed. Members of each cultural group also tend to be reborn into the same racial stock, unless their outlook more closely matched that of another. This occasionally leads to unusual situations when a warrior might introduce himself not only by his lineage but also as the other notable persons he has been previously.

Souls that are of particular favour or interest to a Power are often reborn in their realm, although if this is contested by more than one power, the unfortunate hero is sometimes condemned to wait on the Mount of Arawn until they escape or are rescued.

Arawn’s Mount
The Forest of Lost Heroes

As befits the God of Death, Arawn’s Mount is as far from the norm of Tir na Og as possible; this is no pleasant summer landscape bright with life, but a barren windswept plateau where only snow and the dead are to be found. Arawn is still one of the Tir however, and respects that alliance and the power which the Land of Eternal Youth brings his pantheon. Cernnunos himself has decreed that death must be present or Eternal Youth is meaningless, and thus Arawn maintains a hall in Tir na Og, overlooking the Plains of Battle just as death forever looks down on those who fight.

Arawn’s Mount is inhabited by those claimed by Arawn but not yet condemned to the Isles of the Cursed – or if possession of their souls is disputed by multiple Powers. These Petitioners languish on the snowy plateau while patrons and proxies argue, sometimes for years. Escape is difficult but not impossible, though Arawn’s minions catch many who attempt to descend. Those waiting to be condemned to the Isles of the Cursed for their deeds can in theory also earn themselves a reprieve by good deeds, but the Mount’s wintry expanse provides little avenue for heroism and redemption. The so-called ‘Lost Heroes’ soon turn upon each other for any pretext of honour, in an effort to reclaim a place in the lands below. Many also give up struggling, sitting apathetic in the snow with ice clinging to their hair.

The simplest way to access Arawn’s Hall is by climbing the plateau’s cliffs - icy, jagged, and filled with sharp splinters of stone. The pain of these shards is excruciating, as is the spiritual weight of the place, which seems to strip away a body's strength and resolve. This is not actually an effect created by Arawn however, only the absence of the bright, warming power that encompasses the rest of Tir na Og.

Those of a stealthier bent can try to approach or escape the plateau from beneath, through a series of caves said to begin somewhere in the Caverns of Woe. These passages are inhabited by Arawn’s army however, ‘the Headless Horde’ – decapitated wights and their animate flying heads. The Headless Horde are defenders of the plateau and not permitted off it unless summoned forth by spell or a great threat to Tir na Og. Whenever they leave the plateau their necks let out a pained wailing, for every footstep that falls onto the Land of Youth is painful to them. They are unwelcome allies when they march, but effective in the defence of the realm when needed.

The Plateau is covered with snow, littered with black dead trees, and framed by a featureless grey sky; everywhere is as dead and still as the depths of midwinter, and sounds echo off in the faint fog that rises often from the snow. Here and there are raised mounds in which dwell the spirits of kings whom Arawn allows to exist in relative comfort. Unfortunately less favoured dead fight endlessly over possession of the mounds, evicting ancient kings and setting themselves up in their stead – at least until another challenger arrives. Battles are also fought over the least of trinkets, as the dead of Arawn’s Mount appear only with those possessions they had as they breathed their last. Resources are scarce and viciously disputed, but the dead cannot die; they awaken the next morning with their wounds closed. The cycle of violence is endless.

At the centre of the plateau is Arawn’s Mound, a barrow higher and grander than all the rest. From here the servants of Arawn come and go, escorting Petitioners to the Isles of the Cursed (and occasionally out of them). Even the Power himself is said to come and go by this means, to watch the brighter realms below.

At the mound dwells Arawn’s Proxy, King Suibhne the Thrice-Cursed. Suibhne was the wicked king of Geilt (a primer island kingdom), who was cursed first with the mind of bird, then by visions of the Headless Horde, and now by Arawn to be his judge and rule the Mount. He mediates in disputes when two Powers argue over the fate of a soul. His interpretations are harsh and cruel, but usually impartial. Suibhne’s other duties are to keep the dead penned on top of the plateau, to lead the Headless Horde in battle, and to guard the portal that lies at the centre of the mound.

Planar travellers can bargain with Suibhne to use the portal, which is a sacred chariot drawn by screaming skeletal horses. Travellers must hold on as the chariot careens down a spiralling passageway lined with lurking undead, which runs all the way to the bottom of the Mount. Here the chariot crashes into icy a pool of seawater, and travellers find themselves in the surf surrounding one of the Isles of the Cursed.

Okay, lets try this instead - I've written up the "Four Kingdoms" as cultures rather than nations. That should allow us to have an appropriate level of politics but not the rigid boundaries. I've not tried to detail everything, but I have used just about all of Rip's previous post (he's done half the work of assigning each location to a group already ).

Noted: Editted in a couple more locations (16/02/07)

Kingdoms of the Ever Young

Tir Nan Og is home to several populous but diffuse kingdoms; their people spread across a land divided up by the realms of the Powers, not mortal politics. There are many Kings and chieftains in this land, each traditionally served by a trio of advisors: a druid to speak on spiritual matters, a bard to sing of honour and reputation, and a champion to settle disputes with ritual combat.

Some of these kings and chieftains are immigrants from the mortal world; others were born and raised in the Land of the Ever Young. Many rule little more than a single village and its surrounds, but some claim great tracks of land – often also claimed by their neighbours. Some chieftains are independent, owing loyalty only to their peoples’ tribal champions. Others serve a king. Each ruler is part is a greater nation unified not by geography but language, tradition, and culture.

There are four main racial groups inhabiting Tir Nan Og, each considering its particular lifestyle and interpretation of the Tir pantheon as most worthy. Each of the great cultures has land scattered throughout Tir Nan Og, although each also has a heartland where many of its folk reside. At the centre of each of the four heartlands is a titanic rings of stones called the Great Circle. From this edifice the policies of each nation are formed in great meetings of its tribes, lead by a triumvirate lords elected from among them by rigorous challenge in contest. This trio are not rulers, but champions and representatives of their people. Every cycle they meet at a different stone circle (each accompanied by many kings and heroes) for a mass meeting called the Kaskl to settle scores, declare or break alliances, discuss matters of justice, and engage in contests of magic, riddling, storytelling, and combat.

The Four Kingdoms dominate the politics of the region, although there are also several lesser groups as well, including the nomadic Echraidhe people of the emerald plains who worship Epona, and the warlike Artiu - the ‘bear riders’ Of Queen Andata. Each of these groups also send representatives to the Kaskl, but must struggle hard to have their voices heard.

The disseminate races of Tir Nan Og live side-by-side, but with deep divisions of outlook and lifestyle. Sometimes these differences are friendly, at other times deadly serious. Raids for livestock and honour challenges are common between neighbouring villages, but even more between neighbouring ‘nations’ - pride in your peoples’ way is considered a matter of honour in Tir Nan Og, and young tribesmen are expected to prove their strength against the foreign ways of their cultural neighbours.

Each King’s rule is near-absolute, enforced by ancient rituals and (usually) the consent of their people. At least in theory however, each king acknowledges the superior status of three high representatives of his race, known as the Trithree – the High Bard, High Druid, and High Champion. There is no ‘High King’ uniting Tir Nan Og however, and the people themselves see little need for one - Disputes are best settled between families, Kings and Queens, or between the High Lords themselves. A single leader (the ‘War King’) can be elected in times of external threat, but in the past this has usually been the Power Lugh himself, although often Morrigan is keen to challenge for the post. King Kelgaseblus of the Aidu and Mogounos of the Isarnu have also held the role.

The Trithree of each kingdom travel widely, but is based at the Great Circle of their people - a massive tor topped with three concentric rings of stone and surrounded by sidhe mounds. It is said that each of the arches formed by the standing stones are a portal to some location in the lands of its people, although only the Trithree know the secret methods of their use. The mounds are even more sacred however, used by Powers and the fey to come and go about the land. The magic of each circle must be regularly renewed by the High Druid and the local representative in regular rituals. Without these ceremonies contact with far flung settlements can be lost.

The Four Races

The Four Kingdoms are predominately human, although other humanoid races are also present – small communities of elves are prevalent among the Skalfin, aquatic races often dwell with the Esprene, and there are more than a few goblinoids among the Aidu and Isarnu. As befits a culture with strong belief in reincarnation, a tribesman’s race is not as important as their belief in the Tir.

Each Kingdom has its own dialect of the Primer common tongues. Basic communication between the nations is certainly possible, but accents can be thick and mispronounced subtleties have been the cause of more than one challenge and feud. Travellers are usually able to get by in even the most backwater settlements, however.

The Aidu

The Aidu heartland is near the Bloody Field of Morrigan, the Cavern’s of Woe, and Arawn’s Mount, but they also have fortified settlements on all of Tir Nan Og’s borders - some of them seized by force from their previous owners “for the good of the Land.” The Aidu make fine defenders of the realm; these people call themselves the Chosen of Morrigan and claim that no one is as proficient in war as they. The Aidu creed states that only through strength and strife can honour be claimed, and they are renowned for issuing challenges at the least provocation. These duels can swiftly expand to encompass whole families and even tribes, but there are surprisingly few lasting feuds. The Aidu believe in settling their differences with swiftness and finality.

Aidu are typically tall, muscular, and broad shouldered. They are somewhat ruddy-skinned and have dark hair, although there is also a profusion of redheads among them, which is thought to be a sign of Morrigan’s favour. In battle they are ruthless and passionate, and for this reason as much as their fiery hair they are called the folk of battle’s flame in bardic songs.

Aidu society revolved around the warband, bands of warriors united by Komlugja - a joint oath of loyalty. Warbands are typically formed by chieftains or groups of allied families, but many are also short-term alliances called to deal with a specific prize, campaign, or feud. Every family maintains a store of weapons and armour and the skills to use them in such ventures, and a great many craftsmen and farmers join warbands for honour and booty every year. Because of this and the Aidu’s belief that weaponcrafting is a sacred art, they demand a constant flow of weapons and armour, coal, iron, and other raw materials for their forges. Their relations with those who supply such goods are alternately threatening and friendly depending on the flow of goods. In time of need it is not uncommon to find Aidu warbands occupying mines and seizing such supplies for their needs, and sometimes rival bands battle over the same find.

The Great Circle of the Aidu is called Krew Gorias - the 'bloody stones' - and in its shadow sits the town of Five Crows where the Aidu Trithree dwell. The area is dominated by Morrigan’s faithful, and no gathering at the circle is permitted without a ceremony of frenetic and deadly combat.

The town of Five Crows contains the finest weaponsmithies in Tir Nan Og outside the smith god’s realm, or so the Aidu claim. On the motte at the centre of town is a great hall of red wood, stained with the blood of countless enemies collected by Morrigan’s faithful. Warriors who earn fame and victory in Aidu campaigns are celebrated here when they return from battle, at a great feast while captured enemies fight to the death for their amusement and the glory of Morrigan. When the Aidu are defeated however, it is their own warriors who are sacrificed instead. Morrigan’s proxies and even the Goddess herself sometimes prowl the hall, taking to bed warriors who catch their fancy. Brassy-skinned children occasionally result from these unions, adding supernatural strength to the Aidu race. There are no lords among the Fire Folk who do not claim at least a tenuous line of decent from the Battle Queen or her daughters.

Aidu law has an unusual punishment for those who commit crimes against their fellow tribesmen. Instead of paying reparations, a warrior can elect to fulfil a Skututahl or ‘Head Tithe’ for the victim. The warrior is charged with entering the Field of Battle or the lands of local enemies and returning with the heads of several opponents – the exact number and status being set by the presiding druid, based on the severity of the crime. Those who succeed are free of any guilt. Those who fail are said to be reincarnated on the Bloody Field, to work off their penance in the next life.

Notable NPCs

High Druid
High Bard
High Champion – I think that Aidu champions burn brightly and briefly

King Kelgasteblus

Kelgasteblus is a canny old warhorse who has survived the reign of many bards, champions, and druids. Among the Aidu, the High Champion is often more a warrior than a general, and Kelgasteblus has made a career of being indispensable to his High Champion. He is a master tactician and campaigner, utterly merciless in both war and politics.

Kelgasteblus is King of Five Crows and the surrounding lands. He is always quick to give public credit for his peoples’ victories to the High Champion, but everyone secretly knows the truth: Kelgasteblus orchestrates each campaign. He is mortal however, and years spent within the Land of the Ever Young have caught up with him more than once on campaigns beyond Tir Nan Og, leaving him wrinkled and ancient-seeming. His body is still lithe and strong however, and Kelgasteblus is a formidable opponent even if the heroic clash of melee is not his forte.

In his youth, Kelgasteblus was the lover of Badb and slew a child of Epona as an offering to Morrigan’s proxy, who still rides the undead beast today. In return for this act he was cursed by the horse Goddess and now no animal will bare or pull him. Instead he fights on foot or from a palanquin carried by burly warriors. In battle he uses a magical bronze Longspear of Wounding called Crueltooth, gifted to him by a grateful Badb.

Sjoestedt the Tall

Sjoestedt is an ambassador from the Powers of Asgard, in the land of Tir Nan Og to see their arts of war.

The Esprene

In the grassland and gentle hills beside Tir Fo Thuinn and in other serene places live the Water Folk of Tir Nan Og, or Esprene in their own tongue. As a race the Esprene tend to be tall, with hair of silver or gold and healthy light bronze skin. They are renowned for their beauty and eloquence, although other Kingdoms sometimes scorn their willowy frames as suitable only for rogues and maidens.

The Esprene are by and large a settled people, each village surrounded by wide fields that give way seamlessly to the wilderness. Most Esprene communities are based near to or around major water sources, for the Esprene have a deep affinity for waterways of all kinds. They congregate in more towns than the other peoples of Tir Nan Og, centres of learning and trade but still tiny and rural compared to the Planes at large. They also build great bath houses around sacred springs, in which they wash far more than their neighbours. Cleanliness is another virtue for which the Esprene are renowned.

The densest concentration of their race is found along the verdant shores of Tir Fo Thuinn, which they call Feyliriel. They have good relations with the folk of Ben-Varrey, as they seem to do with all waterbound fey. It is said that the Esprene are like the waters they love so much; beautiful and placid, but with hidden depths that are adaptable and strong enough to bare the heaviest load. They are also renowned for their diviners, whom they call Veyls. The Veyls enjoy positions of prestige in Esprene lands, often advising chiefs and kings alongside the traditional champion, druid, and bard.

The Esprene are famed for their peaceful and friendly merchants, who ply the lakes and waterways of Tir Nan Og bringing news and new stories as well as trade goods. Alongside their mundane watercraft, the Esprene have recently acquired a spelljamming helm and their first flying ship, a majestic barge of golden wood called the Immrama Bel (‘voyage of the sun’) will soon be ready for its maiden voyage.

Prominent Esprene communities surround Oghma’s House of Knowledge, where gentle Esprene bards compete endlessly with the wilder style of their Skalfin neighbours, and the town of Grim’s Head in the realm of Diancecht. Here engineers and healers compete to create works for the glory of Diancecht, and the town is also famed for the Pool of Slane, whose waters can heal any wound. Grim’s Head is also home of former Society of Sensation Factol Erin Montgomery, and several Sensates pilgrimages have been made to the site of her birth, much to the annoyance of the locals.

The Palace of Sulis

In gentle emerald hills lies another famous Esprene holding: The Palace of Sulis is great bathouse of white marble, which was raised for the glory and honour of Queen Sulis, a local fey ruler who controls the springs. In exchange for a ‘palace’ raised in her honour, the people may bathe in her warm healing waters, which are said to rejuvenate the spirit in the same way that the Pool of Slane in Grim’s Head regenerates the body. On the three days and nights of the full moon however, only fey and gods may use the complex. The Palace is locked up as tightly as a fortress under siege at such times, and the Petitioners who serve there never have any memory of what goes on, save for a vague and dreamlike state of wonder.

The Blackened Coast

This area adjacent to the Feyliriel was ravaged by the forces of Za'rafas the Tanr’ri. Many villages were raised to ground in the attack, including Welby (whose most famous resident was Darius, the last Factol of the Sign of One). Although the invasion was defeated, the demons cruelly sowed the ground with salt, acid, and other evil substances to prevent any regrowth. Druids work dedicatedly to restore life to the area, but its ruins are a hiding place for monsters and outlaws. Warriors are always required to help keep the druids and new settlers safe.

Ruadh’s Mound

A few foaming waves on the surface of Tir Fo Thuinn are the only sign of Ruadh’s Mound, a magical underwater tower whose nine-pointed peak sits just below the surface. The tower is constructed of pink shell, a solid tapering column without doors or windows. The only entrance is through the kelp-covered mound on which it sits, through a lightless maze filled with water (and aquatic monsters). At the maze’s centre is a gap leading into the air-filled tower.

The Mound moves around on the sea bed, but usually stays close to shore. Its tower is occupied by nine wizards, each an alluring young maiden who spends most of her time asleep on an enchanted bronze bed. If awoken by explorers, the maidens will feast and entertain their guest for nine days, even taking male guests to their bed. Visitors who entertain the maidens for nine full days earn their help and allegiance in their current quest – both their knowledge and significant magical might – but they are factious and demanding allies. Those who ignore or mistreat them suffer their wrath.

The Mound is named after the hero who first discovered it and earned the help of its inhabitants.

Notable NPCs

High Druid
High Bard
High Champion

Majgenbikko

Among the many alliances maintained by the Esprene is one with Flowering Hill, realm of Sheela Peryroyl. Bands of traders pass back and forth between the realms, and halflings are not too uncommon a sight. One such visitor decided to stay:

Ben Surefoot is a halfling hero from the Outlands, said to be descended from angelic stock. The other tribes may laugh at his stature, but he was a skilled adventurer before he came to Tir Nan Og and his talents are still growing. Ben is popular at feasts, although to his chagrin this is more to do with his charm and novelty value than his worth as a hero. He hides his frustration behind a wide smile however, and just works twice as hard. Those who underestimate his prowess in battle have been very surprised in the past, for Ben combines all the skills of a Tir barbarian and a halfling rogue. He is a master of the Táin Bó - the cattle raid.

Most recently, Ben entered a wager with several heroes from across the Land of the Ever Young – including Mogounos the Mighty - on who could perform the boldest deed within a month. Ben was victor, but not without repercussions. Although he managed to harness and ride Blodeuwedd the owl proxy of Arianrod through three Powers’ realms and back to Oghma’s House of Knowledge, both Blodeuwedd and her Power have sworn enmity against him. The diminutive hero is far from downcast however: He claims that all great heroes anger at least one god, and the story of his exploits has been told all the more for their outrage.

Although regarded mostly as a curiosity in other lands several patrons have found his services useful as an agent, although he is welcomed most by the Esprene and Skalfin. Both these tribes have employed him as a spy: The halfling seems friendly and harmless, but is small enough to slip away from a feast unseen. The folk of Tir Nan Og call Surefoot Majgenbikko, which means “the big small man.”

The Isarnu

The mountains of Tir Nan Og are home to the Isarnu, the people of iron.

The Isarnu are generally lithe and agile, as at home as goats in the high places of the Land. Their skin is a little paler than the norm; but covers tough and brawny limbs. Otherwise their looks can be quite varied, but they usually wear their hair long and wild. In old age their manes and whiskers fade to an iron grey, but never to white. The Isarnu generally live in small family groups rather than large tribes, or as gangs working mines and forges. They are second to none in metalworking and smithing, and many of them serve in the forges of the Tir. So famed is their proficiency with metal, they are commonly known as the Iron Folk.

Their name also comes from a vital role they played in a war with the Sidhe long ago. Their cold-iron blades and sling stones were a great weapon against the fey, but their opponents have never forgotten the role the Isarnu played. Most fey seem to avoid Isarnu lands.

Each clan of smiths or miners guard the secrets of their craft jealously, and the Isarnu are famed for their suspicion of outsiders. They also have long memories for quarrels and some Isarnu even measure a family’s stature by their number of feuds. After the working of iron, the Isarnu are renowned for being factious and disputatious, arguing on any subject for hours on end. It’s a common saying outside their lands that those who quarrel long and bitterly “argue like an Isarnu.”

Despite their reputations, the Isarnu provide good - if often rough – hospitality to visitors. They brew a number of powerful spirits that are second only to their ironware as trade goods, and have a copious capacity for feasting without ill effects the next morning. Their crafts have made them rich, but the Isarnu are generally firm believers that wealth is measured by your gifts, not your horde. They like to put their wealth on display, usually fine goods and generous gifts to guests and friends. Such things are practical as well as decorative however. They have little affection for useless things.

The Iron Folk can also be found travelling throughout Tir Nan Og. Some serve as wandering smiths, crafting or teaching as circumstance demands. Others trade iron and steel or finished goods, travelling in well guarded caravans. Travelling Isarnu also hire themselves out as mercenaries across the land, joining the feuds of others. Isarnu bards and druids make a decent living acting as intermediaries between mortals and the fey, but they’re always a second choice to those from Skalfin lands.

The Isarnu have numerous customs for warding off unwanted spirits, fey folk, and sidhe. Foreign guests are expected to honour their hosts’ wishes and indulge in such practises too. Visitors can expect to be spiting, salt throwing, wearing clothes inside out, and putting iron weights in their shoes at night when visiting Isarnu lands. Many visitors suspect that this is something of a game played on them by their hosts, but the Isarnu themselves deny that their rituals are anything but deadly serious.

The Isarnu dialect is a rough brogue, which some have compared to the braying of a goat. Their bards sing in a loud wild style that’s not often appreciated beyond their own lands. The Isarnu claim that to truly appreciate their songs, the listener must hear them accompanied by echoes off the mountains and the clang of hammer and pick.

Notable settlements of the Isarnu include Macleod (whose rumoured immortals are said to be a ‘blessing’ from Morrigan, so that they will not die by any means other than violence), the town of Donall by Loch Finn, and the villages of Conall and Westcote in the Daghda’s realm of Mag Mell.

There are also large numbers of Isarnu in all the mountain realms, such as Goihniu’s Great Smithy, Mount Victory, The Pinnacle, and Oengus's realm of Bruig na Boinne.

Karbonegh

The great stone hall of Karbonegh has always been a place of danger and strife. It has been home of monsters and outlaws, Firbolgs and Fomorians, of dark sidhe and wicked wizards. Over the centuries the iron folk have learned to give the place a wide berth but keep a watchful eye upon it. No one knows what attraction the place has evil beings, but there are many rumours of a powerful magical artefact buried deep beneath it.

The latest occupants are invaders not from the Lower Planes but Mount Celestia. A force of celestials from the Seven Heavens evicted the hall’s most recent inhabitants (a band of Fomorians lead by a human wizard called Forgal the Clever) but then refused to depart claiming that the keep required the protection of the Highest Good. The iron folk initially tried to repel the army themselves but failed. Now their Trithree are calling for an army to be raised from all the tribes to remove the interlopers. The matter is unlikely to be resolved before the next Kaskl and in the meantime the angels are digging in and fortifying.

High Champion – Mogounos the Mighty
High Druid
High Bard

Mogounos the Mighty

Mogounos is of the line of Bres the Beautiful, and thus Fomorian descent. A giant in every sense of the word, each fibre of his being seems larger than life. He is nine feet tall and as wide as three men stood abreast, and has emotions on just as large a scale. Mogounos claims to be the strongest mortal in Tir Nan Og, and there are none currently to dispute that title.

Mogounos is High Champion of the Isarnu, and his giant form is one of the main reasons that Aidu raiding has not turned into a full-blown invasion for iron. Since he took office twenty cycles ago no other High Champion has ever bested him in trial by combat, and no challenger has come close to defeating him and taking his rank. Fortunately Mogounos is a simple soul and not given to abuse the political powers of his role – though he’s clever enough to know that he could. He’s not afraid to use his strength to enforce his opinions if he thinks the cause is just, however.

Mogounos’ strength and fighting prowess is legendary – so much so that there are warriors across the land (but mainly among the Isarnu) who revere him as the Demipower of Might Personified. Mogounos himself makes no secret of his ambitions to Powerhood, but it is rumoured that Cernnunos himself came to the High Champion with this prophecy: that he might not rise to Power unless one of the Tir of equal measure fell. Mogounos originally took a practical approach to this problem and twice challenged Lugh himself to combat. Although easily defeated by the God on both occasions, in each case Lugh won by trickery and skill, not raw strength. Since their last encounter (which it took him a whole year to recover from, during which time the Isarnu lost an important mining village to the Aidu), Mogounos has turned his attention elsewhere and is showing more patience - at least for now.

STATS – I’m working on these

The Skalfin

The Skalfin prefer to dwell in the deep forests of Tir Nan Og, beneath a lush canopy of leaves so total that it turns the brightest sunshine to a dim emerald hue. For this reason they are sometimes called the Shadow Folk, but the name also stems from their reputation for cunning, trickery, and close relations with the fey.

Skalfin society is strongly orientated around the family, and an extended family that goes on to encompass all those of Skalfin blood. No Skalfin is ever denied hospitality by any other (even if it is grudgingly given), and even deadly enemies feast each other and present their opponents with gifts. Indeed, the custom of gift giving has been elevated to a high art by the Skalfin, who use it almost as a second means of war.

The Skalfin dialect is particularly melodic and suitable for song and poetry, and their bards are rightly famed. Both they are the Skalfin druids are also famous for their ability to deal with troublesome fey, and such constant close contact with them inevitably leads to unions and half-breed offspring. Many Skalfin are gifted with second sight or a talent for prophecy and curses. Sorcerers and enchanters are also common among them.

The Skalfin have their share of warriors, but these are renowned more for their stealth and trickery than great strength. Opponents of Skalfin warbands have often cursed their guile and mastery of guerrilla tactics, and its often said that for every Skalfin warrior you see, two more are lurking in the shadows. The Shadow Folk are also famed for their archers, especially an order of master bowman called the Mac Ibar, whose name means “son of the yew tree.”

Skalfin ‘towns’ may have populations of equal size to those of their neighbours, but are typically spread across a much wider area, with each small knot of houses blending seamlessly with the forest. The arrangement of each settlement also takes great pains not to anger or disturb the local sidhe – residents have been known to build their houses with doors facing each other front and back so that fey processions can march through, or knock out a corner of their house that intrudes upon a fey’s land. These customs are not done in vain, for it is a rare and unfortunate Skalfin house that does not see fey visitors. Most communities show some magical evidence of sidhe favour (or disfavour), such as the towns around Loch Finn, all of which have benefited from the Salmon of Knowledge, which dwells in the lake they border.

Notable Skalfin communities include Muirshead, which was long ago won from the Isarnu in a challenge of High Champions (and the Isarnu still want it back), and the towns of Delaney, Gwyllach, and Donall around the River Danu and Loch Finn. It is hard to be certain exactly what other settlements there are in the Skalfin heartland; they seem to move around and change size and layout. Some merely cannot be found, but others literally move or utterly disappear for a time. The most famous of these is the town of Lindow – which is so difficult to find that many are unsure if it really exists.

The inhabitants of such villages rarely seem to notice or care about these changes, although some simply have no memory of their time away. Such people are thought to have been ‘borrowed’ by their sidhe neighbours.

Prominent NPCs

High Champion – Loeg Mac Mane - or maybe the warrior-maiden Scathach?
High Druid - Mug Ruith, a legendary druid of Munster, wore a hornless bull's hide and an elaborate feathered headdress and had the ability to fly and conjure storms?
High Bard - ???

Fand of the Glass Barge

The enchantress Fand married a sidhe lord, but has lived alone for many cycles. She resides in his tower - a still living tree and the hollow mound beneath it, whose walls are made from its polished roots. Fand is a wizard and artificer who owns several constructs made from enchanted glass, including a barge, a chariot, and a horse. These conveyances carry her to the Prime in search of mortal heroes to ensnare in the quests and schemes of the Tir, and for this service she is gifted with many powers and treasures by the Gods. Some of these heroes she takes as lovers for a time, for her lord and husband has been gone for so long that he is thought certainly dead – not even the magic of the Veyls of the Esprene have been able to discern his fate.

Twrch Trwyth

Twrch Trwyth was a mortal king so stubborn and irascible that he was transformed into a massive fhorge. Brought to Tir Nan Og by the enchantress Fand, he has grown to even greater size, strength, and irritability over the cycles. Many have sought the challenge of bringing Twrch down but few succeeded – and even then he always reincarnates back into his own form.

It is said that only one thing in all the Planes can free Twrch from his curse, but what this thing may be is not known. In the meantime the Powers and sidhe lords have a strange and unique purpose for him: They thrust magical artefacts (often the object of a quest) into the fhorge’s tangled mane, which brings them endless amusement as heroes chase down the mighty boar to try and snatch them back.

Minor Kingdoms of Tir Nan Og

Although dominating the area, the Four Kingdoms are not the only culturals groups present in Tir Nan Og.

The Echraidhe

Nomadic worshippers of Epona.

The Artiu

Andata rules the itinerant Bear Folk who wander Tir Nan Og in mercenary warbands. They are similar to adventuring parties but on a larger scale – usually a dozen to three dozen warriors mounted on the broad backs of celestial bears and dire bears. The Bear Folk - also called the Artiu in their own tongue – are mercenaries, serving whatever cause brings a smile to their mouths or food to their bellies, but are honourable nonetheless. They prize their freedom greatly, and are dedicated to the defence of Tir Nan Og. Many of the Artiu are seized by Riastarthae (warp spasm) in battle, and it is rumoured that several of them can take the shape of bears as well.

The Artiu have good hearts but little sense of reserve and no courtesy to those who are not honourable warriors. They are a wild folk, unwelcome at quieter villages especially in the lands of the Esprene. As a rule they are loud, physically intimidating, prodigious drinkers and feasters and brawlers. The Artiu resemble Aidu race, but even more broad-shouldered and stocky, with blond and light brown hair. Golden haired aasimar are a common sight among the Artiu, and seen as a sign of the Bear Lord’s favour. Some believe that the Artiu shapeshifters mate with their bears, producing such celestial offspring.

The Artiu Queen is called Andata, a mortal adventuress who earned the favour of the Bear Lord of the Beastlands, who allowed her to take several of his kin with her as retainers. The bears of the Artiu are not just mounts; they are loyal companions and fellow warriors. The bears wander freely through their camps, butting into tents, feats, and conversations as if they were lords and their human’s servants. Their deeds (and deaths) are honoured as if they were not men, not beasts. The Artiu primarily worship the Bear Lord but also honour the whole of the Tir pantheon.

Despite a warrior’s distain for such things, the Artiu can be a powerful force in the politics of the Four Kingdoms. Andata’s mercenaries do not play sides in the feuds and rivalries of Tir Nan Og, often fighting upon both sides of a dispute, but Andata and her lords have become aware that the threat of withdrawing her support from one of the Four Champions (and promising it to another) is a powerful tool to get her own way. Ambition is stirring in the heart of Queen Andata, and she dreams of one day being crowned as High Queen of Tir Nan Og. For this reason she now courts Mogounos the Mighty, strongest of the High Champions.

The Ouybier

A secluded region just outside Tir na Og, on the banks of Tir fo Thuinn. A group of Sidhe exiles called the Quybier dwell here in castles built in hollow hills. Their castles are built of stone but magnificent, looking like the fantasy of an avaricious human king.

The Quybier left Tir na Og because they were disgusted with the chaotic informality of the Tuatha de Danann; the Quybier are a people of rigid customs and stiff formality. They do not dance, sing, or play music. They are concerned with social status, political and military power, honour and responsibility to one's clan. The Quybier are rivals with other, similar Sidhe clans, and cattle-raids and other battles between them are common.

The chief of the Quybier, Florien, is an embittered man. His daughter died in a raid against the nearby camp where young Ambar Vergrove lived with his mother. Though he paid Ambar a fortune in gems in recompense for the deed, he still - decades later - hasn't really accepted his guilt in the matter. Thus, the ghost of his daughter - a banshee - haunts him nightly.

PS... I'm currently tinkering with some statistics (Mogounos, Kelgaseblus, Ben Surefoot) as well as a couple of adventure seeds, including something on epic regarding Lir. What sort of things are you wanting, Clueless? Or are you just happy to have whatever we throw your way?

PPS: As far as I'm concerned, sidhe is really just the celtic word for "magical monster" and covers a whole raft of beings - although in D&D terms it might easilly be a social class or specific race of fey.

Helloooo? Anybody else still here?

I’m not trying to be strictly accurate here (it’s not really possible given the limited info available – and we have numerous different cultures to contend with), but I wanted an overview that reflected the general celtic/D&D/PS style… with plenty of room for DMs to use their own creativity. This is all still rough, and any rules I’ve included are even rougher!

Note that I’ve moved away from calling the different cultural groups ‘kingdoms’ to referring to them as ‘tribes’

If everyone’s happy with it, this will all probably need amalgamating/editing together properly with my other post, Rip’s stuff, and everyone else’s contributions

As a side point, thanks to the traditional Celtic popping into and out of the otherworld (and their belief in reincarnation) we have the opportunity to populate the realm with all manner of ‘real’ Celtic heroes from history and legend. The chance for PCs to share a feast with Cu Culain, Scathach, and Finn MacCool (not to mention Lugh himself) should add to the fairytale ambience of the place.

PS: Giving its close connection to the Positive Energy Plane, when we get to detailing the planar traits of Tir Nan Og (as in MoTP), I think it wouldn’t be out of order to maybe give everyone Fast Healing 1 – unless the wound was done via Draíocht/breaking a geas - or with a cold iron weapon?

Minor editing: 01/03/07
Life in Tir Nan Og

Life is good in the Land of The Ever Young. The days are warm and sunny, the nights bright with twinkling stars and the sound of feasting. These are magical days as recalled by old men of their youth, and the magical nights spoken of by lovers about when their love was young. It is often described as “overflowing with life”- like a dream its colours are brighter its lines sharper – things seem simply more real. The trees are taller and greener, its mountains are higher, and its rivers are like sparkling sapphire serpents. Tir Nan Og is nature as verdant and beautiful as it can be, even if sometimes it is the savage beauty of a thunderstorm or the flash of gleaming fangs.

In Tir Nan Og the vigour of youth and summer never leaves the land or its inhabitants. Game is plentiful, the forest bountiful. Every grain produces fine bread, every grape produces prime vintage wine. Mundane disease is entirely absent and every body is at the prime of its life. Inhabitants may earn the wisdom of advanced years but their bodies do not age even a day while they bask in the land’s embrace. In fact, those who come with age and infirmity find the aches and pains of their body washing away within a month or two of arrival, but sadly this does not last beyond the borders of Tir Nan Og, Tir Fo Thuinn, and the realms of the Tir.

Contrary to popular belief beyond its borders, there is death in the Land of Eternal Young. All the savagery and amorality of nature runs wild in its emerald glades, and can be as deadly as it is beautiful. The balance must be respected in all things, administered by the druids and enforced by the Powers. For every blessing there is a curse, for every hero and villain.

Death & Renewal

“There can be no spring without winter,” said Cernunnos. “No life without death.”

It may be called the Land of Eternal Youth, but Tir Nan Og is not the land of immortality. Death is a necessary part of existence there, albeit a transitory one. To the Tir tribes life is a dream, and death merely the beginning of another dream.

Those who die in Tir Nan Og are given the normal honours of a simple funeral. The soul however, continues on – their souls are Reincarnated, whether they be man or beast. Mortal ties are supposed to be severed even if the deceased returns in a body of the same race, but the land seems to reincarnate those with powerful connections together - in new lives with similar strong connections. Brothers, enemies, and lovers seem to find themselves born again with very similar (or sometimes diametrically opposed) relationships.

Souls that are of particular favour or interest to a Power are often reborn in their realm, although if this is contested by more than one Power, the unfortunate hero is condemned to wait on the Mount of Arawn until a decision is reached (or they escape). Betrayers and traitors go straight to Arawn whatever their allegiance however, appearing in their previous form upon his windswept plateau.

Rituals of Rebirth

Ceremonies vary greatly between tribes and even families. Nothing is set is stone (or ink), and rituals are done to honour the deceased and their return to the land. Traditions may be honoured but they may also be changed. Druids always preside over these ceremonies and are the final arbiters of what is good and proper.

In general the deceased body is laid to rest in a sacred place, everything is prepared, but the corpse is not sealed away or burned. If the reincarnated soul returns within seven days, they preside over their own funeral before rejoining the tribe. If returning in an identical form they are welcomed back as the same individual, but usually the person is adopted as a new member of the tribe. Sometimes this ceremony is official, in other places a simple matter of common knowledge.

A new body has the bonds of its old life are severed: Marriages, alliances, and obligations are formerly dissolved when the funeral of their previous body takes place. Reincarnated men and women are considered to be of the same bloodline as their ‘predecessor’ however, and a warrior might introduce himself not only by his lineage but also which other notable persons he has been in previous lives.

Reincarnation tends to occur in the local area, although sometimes the Land needs a soul to be born elsewhere. In such cases the people of Tir Nan Og respect the need for balance and accept a new life where they are placed. Members of each cultural group also tend to be reborn into the same racial stock, unless their outlook more closely matches that of another.

But in certain places, other rules apply.

Most commonly these are sacred battlegrounds – the most famous of which are the Bloody Field of Morrigan and the Forest of Lost Heroes. Here the dead simply rise again the next morning with all wounds healed, in a similar manner to the Einheriar of Ysgard. Some tribes use these battlegrounds as the site of their wars and challenges, both to please the Morrigan and in the belief that those who make unworthy challenges or who fight dishonourable will not be reborn. Other tribes believe that Morrigan takes worthy fallen opponents to the Field of Battle instead of reincarnating them, and use them for this very reason (particularly among the Aidu). As always when visiting the Tir tribes, travellers should seek the advice of bards and druids on local rituals and their meaning.

Other places have their different powers over the dead: There is a bay on Tir Fo Thuinn where those sunk into the gentle waters are reborn as silver-scaled salmon, returning year after year to spawn - often visited by their former relatives. In Skalfin lands there is a stone circle that transforms any body laid upon its altar into a living wolf, if the body is covered by a wolf hide cloak on the night of the full moon. These are but two of many examples to be found across the Land of the Young.

Mounds are another common resting place. They are not treated as burial places however, but as offerings to the Sidhe, who often claim the body and soul of heroes for their own purposes. Heroes can sleep for millennia within sacred mounds, emerging with vigour and youth and wielding sidhe weapons in time of need.

Loyalty and Allegiance, Kin and Tribe

No one stands alone in Tir Nan Og. They are also part of a family: a village, a kingdom, a tribe. The Tir tribes are ‘pack animals’ and are expected to respect the order of things and support their allies in right and wrong. This network of allegiance can lead to individual quarrels being taken up all the way to Kings or the great council of the kaskl.

The basic unit of the family is simply called ‘kin’ and encompasses two generations in any direction from the individual, including either gender. A person’s loyalty and liability extends through sons and daughters to grandsons and granddaughters, through fathers and mothers to grandfathers and grandmothers, up to uncles and aunts, down to nephews and nieces, and across to cousins – and that assuming any relations by marriage choose to stay uninvolved! Families can usually field quite a force to back their members in quarrels. Entire small villages can end up divided, on one side or another of some feud.

Members of a kin are expected to support any other remember both in general life, in the law courts, and in war and claiming vengeance. Kin are also responsible for any fines charged to one of their number – regardless of how they feel about the defendant.

All tribesmen (and women) owe allegiance to the land of Tir Nan Og, both their spiritual bond with the land and its physical representatives the Powers, Sidhe, and kings, chieftains, and other dignitaries who maintain the connection through ritual and divine mandate. The High Lords of the tribes command the most respect of all, because they embody the covenant that exists between the land, its inhabitants, and the Tir. But almost all natives of Tir Nan Og consider themselves servants of that place (and of the Tir who are its representatives) and behave in accordance with that allegiance.

Beyond Kin is the rest of your family or clan, which is usually lead by the member with the highest Enech (see ‘honour’, below). He or she keeps the family in order and adjudicates minor problems, and is your chief representative to the local ruler.

Chieftains rule individual villages or itinerant clans, and may or may not owe allegiance to a King or Queen. The main difference between a mere chieftain and royalty is wealth, and Enech. A ‘king’ may rule no more land than his chieftain neighbour, but will have much more gold and silver to give as gifts, better feasts, better equipped warriors, and at least a few men of renown. Kings are also often called such because they were once royalty on the Prime.

Both chieftains and kings are served by three advisors, a bard to provide knowledge, a druid to provide wisdom, and a warrior to be their champion. From the ranks of these councillors (and occasional independent challengers) are chosen the Trithree of each tribe, who represent their culture in political dealings with the other folk of the Land of Youth, and who organise the great meetings of their tribe (the Kaskl) at its largest and most powerful stone circle.

Honour

The code of honour of Tir Nan Og is called Enech, which is roughly equivalent of to a mix of social status and public responsibility. The peoples of the Tir have little in the way of civilised concepts of ‘fair play’ as embraced by Knights and paladins, honour among the tribes is simply a matter of public respectability and reliability, rarely concerned with something with civilised definitions of good or evil. The worst villain in the land may have high Enech if he pays his debts promptly, shows skill and bravery in battle, and respects the gods and law of hospitality. If he pays recompense for his crimes, then they may even earn him more honour - a cunning and ruthless warrior is an asset to his people. The chief components of Enech are bravery, not lying (which is different from being circumspect or not giving the whole truth), showing hospitality, being reliable in word and deed, and respecting the Powers, Sidhe, and Land.

Actions done in secrecy do not add or subtract from Enech, it is strictly a public matter. Public statements by Kings, champions, druids, and kinsmen can affect it, as can the songs of bards. In fact, the bardic arts are considered integral to arbitrating the rise and fall of Enech. Many a hero has rued hard words to a bard and found his honour besmirched. Unfortunately there are few ways of official complaint against bards or druids, but others (even Kings) may be challenged in the rite of Enech Cath.

Enech Cath

The Tir are prideful of their honour and ability and quick to anger if either is questioned, and for offences against this a man may call for Enech Cath – an ‘honour battle’ to refute a claim against him or prove a point. A warrior’s family is expected to support them in such matters, and duels can rapidly escalate into mass battles between families, bloodlines, and even whole tribes. Those not of a fighting class may request a champion to fight in their stead, usually from among their kin – but they can also appeal to their clan chief, local chieftain, or king as well.

Each settlement has a place set for such battles, with its own significance and associated rituals. Locations can be as varied as the village square, a sidhe mound, or a log balanced across a waterfall. Some places and tribes also have their own customs for honour battles, requiring that the combat be conducted at a certain time, or in a certain way.

Cath Enech always has witnesses – at least one of which should be a bard. It is usually to the death, although being Tir Nan Og this death is often only temporary (at least for natives). Many locations have magic that raises bodies the morning after (like Morrigan’s Bloody Field) if they fight honourably, although some also guarantee that a fallen combatant does not return.

Law & Justice

Law among the tribes is presided over by the local king or chief, but most duties are carried out by his councillors –almost always his bard, his champion, and his druid. In the absence of any of these parties, the lord is permitted to take on their role, but cannot appoint another to the duty without permanently dismissing the previous incumbent from his service.

Tir law rarely bans an act, and concentrates mainly only on what reparations are required afterwards to balance accounts between those involved. It covers the usual crimes of murder and theft, as well as local offences such as unfair challenge, falsely claiming honour, quarrels over inheritance and tribal boundaries, cowardice in battle, and failing to provide hospitality. Matters are dealt with openly at the ruler’s court, and all those with a stake in the outcome may attend – even those normally unwelcome, such as tribal enemies. In this case they are accorded safe passage and hospitality if it’s requested, albeit often the bare minimum.

Death and imprisonment are only rarely issued as punishments, as these are seen as a matters best left to the Powers. The will of the gods is always sought by the presiding druid (in Esprene lands a Veyl is sometimes used) before such sentences are carried out. The most common form of punishment is a fine.

Fines are known by several names - ‘honour tithe’, ‘blood price’, ‘woe gift’ and other titles. The severity of the crime and the status of the victim combine to calculate the exact amount that must be paid, which is often high. Druids arbitrate this process on behalf of the lord (who should know the relative wealth of the parties involved) and they also advise both sides of the dispute. Many druids mediate disputes to prevent them ever coming to court; fines are harsh in order to discourage official complaints and because not only the guilty parties are liable: the defendants’ kin are held equally responsible for paying. Blood Price is usually set out in séts – an official measurement of fine, each equal to half a cow.

The Legal Process

When an accusation of wrongdoing is made, a day is appointed on which the charge is to be answered. Although this may be several days (or even weeks) away, defendant and accuser are permitted their liberty until that date – although they are required to swear surety (a promise to appear at the appointed time) before the lord or his advisors. This may involve a Quest, Geas, or Arcane Mark spell being set upon them if the Lord so demands, but this is a grave insult to the person’s honour, only issued if someone’s Enech is known to be poor.

Oaths are also required at the beginning of proceeding to ensure that only truth is spoken and this is also sometimes enforced by magic. The weight of a testifier’s oath is based on their Enech, modified by their knowledge of the crime, defendant, and victim. Those with a vested interest in the result (like family) are weighed higher, but everyone has a maximum “oath value” that is determined by their social rank.

Many witnesses are typically called, and it’s not uncommon for a legion of kinsmen, friends, and allies to appear giving testimony on their sides’ behalf – even if they’re just ‘character witnesses’. The testimony of family and tribe weighs heavily in court because they are as liable as the defendant. Their capacity to support their side in any blood feud that will surely follow an irresolvable case is also strongly considered. Because of these tenets strangers, outlaws, and those without any kin suffer badly under Tir law, and unscrupulous locals sometimes make fraudulent claims against such folk for their own enrichment.

All laws and punishments are based around the group – be it kin, tribe, or kingdom. Crimes against property are not considered as serious as those that threaten individuals. Crimes that threaten people and groups are punished (and come to trial) far more than quarrels between individuals, which are seen largely as their own affair. The Tir view criminals with little stigma; as long as they are considered men of high Enech, what others class as murder and thievery may actually enhance their reputations.

Laws are not static and unchanging in Tir Nan Og, but evolve alongside the needs and beliefs of those who use them. Like religious rituals they are never written down but live in the hearts and minds of the people. Because of this they can vary somewhat from tribe to tribe and village to village, but travelling bards and druids keep the codes generally unified. A traveller has to watch out for local laws (often based on local rituals and taboos) that they can fall foul of, especially when travelling far from the protection of one’s family.

Trial by Combat

Those who find the law against them may issue an honour challenge to settle the matter by trial by combat, but this has to be agreed by both sides and the presiding authority. Duels are typcially to the death, but other contests are occasionally allowed too - with the defeated admitting their guilt and taking any punishment owed.

Widespread Laws of the Tir

A few laws extend all across the Land of The Ever Young:

1) Heckling of a lord or other dignitary in public is forbidden. Those who persist in such actions suffer a variety of harmless but humiliating punishments: Tearing up their cloak, being forced to quaff sour ale, having their feet beaten with nettles, and the like. These punishments are usually administered immediately (and with gusto) by the gathering they have interrupted. Those who persist may find this public lack of respect costs them Enech.

2) Tain Bo is not a crime.

3) It is forbidden to write down religious doctrine.

4) Physical assault on druids and bards is strictly forbidden. These arbiters of oaths, custom and Enech are beyond the challenge of common people and even many kings and champions. Druids and bards who throw their weight around are usually dealt with by members of their respective professions, but there are several ways for local lords to make their displeasure known - withdrawing patronage, applying minimal hospitality, even outright exile. Chieftains and kings can also appeal to the High Druid or High Bard for assistance.

5) Sacred groves, mounds, and stone circles may not be interfered with.

6) The smithing of cold iron is forbidden without the local druid’s blessing, to ensure peaceful coexistence with the sidhe. Cold iron smuggling is usually punished with death by sacrifice.

Glam Dicin

One of the most serious punishments used is Glam Dicin, the druidic ritual of being “struck headless”. This is not a physical beheading, but the far worse exile from the bonds of kin, clan, and tribe, and expulsion from the religious rituals that are the core of Tir life.

Those under Glam Dicin receive no support from their kin and so have no legal support. They may not be brought to trial or bring claims against others; they may be dealt with as the other party sees fit. Their kin receives no blood price for their death, and the offence of a relative being cast out is so terrible that many kins offer an equivalent amount to whoever can eliminate them. They also receive no hospitality and may not join any Fianna or other reputable organisation.

The Headless suffer under a curse bestowed by the Draiocht of the Land of Youth: Those under Glam Dicin do not benefit from any beneficial druid spell unless the druid knows that the target is Headless and chooses to include them anyway. Harmful spells and magic from other sources affect them normally.

The Headless are not reincarnated if they perish while under Glam Dicin, instead being claimed by Arawn when they die, to serve in his army of the Headless Horde. Druids can lift this curse posthumously however, which is often the only forgiveness such people can receive.

The Aidu are a little more forgiving than other tribes. Where most drive out or murder those under Glam Dicin, the Aidu allow them to continue within the tribe, in a special Fianna. This warrior brotherhood accepts only those struck Headless, offering them a chance for redemption by fighting in Morrigan’s name. They receive scorn and diatribe from other honourable warriors, but at least they are tolerated. In exchange for this, those who die fearlessly and surrounded by the blood of the Aidu’s enemies are granted reprieve from service in Arawn’s Headless Horde, instead being reincarnated as Petitioners on her Bloody Field.

Magic & Ritual

Magic is as prevalent in Tir Nan Og as the motes of sunlight which glitter on its streams: Druids and enchanters wander the land, animals grow to massive size, heroes venture through magical glades, forests, springs, and islands, and even stay-at-home folk may cross paths with powerful sidhe or see the gods themselves riding by. Magic flows along leylines and through mighty stone circles, from sacrifices and from the deeds of heroes. The folk of Tir Nan Og live simply but not mundanely; to them there is no difference between magic and mundane events. Each part of life has a magic all its own.

Spiritual rituals are a part of daily life and one of the primary duties of tribal kings – some of which can claim their lives. Druids are the arbiters of almost all these rituals. In Tir Nan Og, clerics are seen more as Champions with special powers than priests. Clerics usually have a focus outside the Land of Youth, or specific duties with a Power’s realm. The Tir priesthood is made up mainly of druids.

Religious observances are not dry rituals and hidebound rotes, but wild and passionate dedications to the life of the Ever Young Land. Those who take part in them almost always claim that the moves and words came instinctively, and that the dance dances them not the other way around. Rituals connect the tribes to the land, supplying an instinct and connection to their world.

Although druids administer them, Kings, champions, and others are also responsible for many rituals. Rites such as the first successful hunt of the year, the first batch of mead, and the first birth are all important ceremonies to ensure a tribe’s prosperity, carried out by whoever is so blessed. Rituals also take place before battles, contests, and great feasts to draw the blessing (or avert the wrath) of the Powers, and empower the land – “to brew the Draocht” as the druids say. Many of rituals concern Cernunnos, who is seen as the avatar of the land itself, yet he is rarely named. Instead they call on him as Silvanus, the Forest Father.

Druidic Rituals also have their savage and dark side. Human sacrifice goes on in time of need. Victims (often those blamed for angering the Sidhe or brave volunteers – especially kings and champions) are trussed and ritually tortured before being bound with staves, twisted willow, and hazel withies. Other rituals add strangulation with a sacred rope, burning off the hair, and piecing the body with bronze knives. The body is then ritually returned to the elements: Burned on a pyre, sank into a bog or marsh, entombed, or cast high into a tree… often while they are still alive. Death by sacrifice is a test of resolve, but not seen as an end. Victims of the sacrifices are often never seen again, but the tribes believe that they are reincarnated as fey or join body and soul with the Land. Theirs is a vital, welcome, and heroic fate to preserve the magic of the land.

But aside from such desperate times the sacrifice of animals is much more common, especially sacred bulls, swans, and other beasts favoured by the Powers. Sacrifices of wine, mead, and feast food are equally as commonplace, though of lesser ritual significance. They left in reverence to the appropriate sidhe and Powers at a special location, usually a glade or mound. These rituals are rarely purely ceremonial: fey and even the Powers themselves frequently collect such offerings; neglect of these duties can bring very real and immediate consequences for a tribe.

Draiocht

Many rites are concerned with Draíocht, the ancient nature magic of Tir Nan Og. Bound to the Land of the Ever Young since long before even the Fomorians held Tir Nan Og, it is a primal magic that sustains the bountiful land. Cernunnos is thought to be master or warden of its powers, although the druids claim that he taught draiocht to a few mortals when the Planes were young. This knowledge slowly spread and draiocht became known as ‘druidic’ – a simpler and more controllable version of the Horned God’s power.

Draiocht is bound up with the leylines and stone circles that criss-cross the Land of Youth, and also the Prime worlds where the Tir hold sway. It is not a magic that can be learned from a grimoire or memorised like a cleric’s divine gifts, and even most druids have forgotten its gifts. It exists in and of the Land of the Ever Young itself, and mortals can only welcome or reject it when it comes.

The effects of Draiocht are well known even if they are not called by that name by outsiders: The common occurrence of Dire Animals in Tir Nan Og, the agelessness that protects the Land’s inhabitants, the monstrous Riastarthae (‘warp spasm’) that sometimes grips barbarians when they rage, and the many strange effects that bless enchanted springs, glades, and mounds across the realm and the mystic isles of Tir Fo Thuinn.

Exactly what produces and maintains these magics is unknown, but the many rituals of Tir Nan Og are clearly bound deeply to the matter. Neglect of an age-old ritual even once can bring the sudden failure of a village’s bountiful crops or its magical protection, and invoke the wrath of Power and sidhe alike until recompense is made.

Draíocht is a Deus Ex Machina of DMs using Tir Nan Og, a reason behind the ubiquitous magical effects that feature in celtic myth and an excuse to bless or curse PCs for their actions. Most Draíocht effects mimic a standard spell, although their duration tends to be set by circumstance rather than a strict number of rounds or minutes - warriors might enjoy a Bull’s Strength spell for as long as a certain battle lasts, for example.

Draíocht effects come from the land itself (or perhaps from Cernunnos), and follow its needs rather than the desires of those affected. It balances the forces of Tir Nan Og and rewards those who act in harmony with the place. Its primary use will be to instigate adventures for PCs, and also to display fate, destiny, and the ‘will of the gods.’

Draíocht effects can be called upon by mortals, but the chance of an answer is small – say 1% per character level, 2% for druids – with the results uncertain and there is always a price to be paid, much like the use of Wish spells. Responses are rarely instantaneous or obvious even if successful, but usually long lasting – locking the participants into their fate.

War & Diplomacy

Relations between Tir Nan Og’s communities typically exist in one of three states, and may even move through them in an endless cycle. A village - and sometimes by extension the kingdom or tribe – is usually either friendly and welcoming, in rivalry, or at war with a neighbour.

Friendly Relations - People from either village or tribe are welcome in the other, with true hospitality shown (and enforced by the Lord if necessary). Joint events such as feasts, marriages, and raids may well be organised. Alliances here are generally very old and well established.

Rivalry – The community watches its neighbour carefully for signs of attack, and watches its own behaviour for signs of weakness that could be exploited. Travellers should be careful of rouses designed to impinge the honour, status, and wealth of a rival village. The occasional cattle raid might also occur, but this is usually a matter of ‘counting coup’ rather than outright attack.

Raids are just one aspect of a competitiveness which can take many forms. These may be as simple as Esprene farmers trying to raise the greatest crop, to a cycle of ever more expensive gifts and feasts, to Isarnu festivals where its champions compete in brutal competitions of strength and endurance. Sooner or later someone usually crosses a line and the rivalry explodes into outright war, but occasionally tensions are just laughed off and things become more friendly. This state also typically exists after warfare ends.

Outright War – The two tribes or villages are in direct conflict. Neither side travels to the other’s territory without a very good reason, and that reason is usually a raid. Conflict usually restricts itself to raiding and ambushes in the wilderness, but if both sides have enough warriors a time and place for battle may be arranged. Conflict can also be resolved between Champions, over a reward or recompense agreed before hand.

Battles between the tribes are typically bloody affairs – especially if there are any petitioners among the combatants. Having no fear of death, most warriors hurl themselves into battle with fearless wild enthusiasm, sometimes clad in nothing more than their own skin. Bards are present at all battles to record the deeds of the combatants and declare any changes to their Enech – like druids they are treated strictly as non-combatants unless they chose to clearly arm themselves as warriors and fight. Druids are accorded this respect even if they do fight, although their contribution is more in magic than in melee. Most druids confine themselves to advice or magical rituals and spells before the battle. Those who unleash offensive magic or physical attacks are usually targeted by enemy druids.

Use of Charioteers

The tribes of the Tir make extensive use of chariots in warfare. Lords, heroes, and bards all make extensive use of these vehicles for different reasons, which are used as much to identify prominent persons on the battlefield as for their military value. Chariots are most commonly drawn by a pair of horses, but teams of four or six are also common. A basic war chariot is valued at around 40 cows but far more elaborate versions are available, sometimes equipped with scythe-blades on its frame or wheels.

Charioteers are prized warriors among the Tir. Charioteers are not just drivers; they often act as advisors, companions, and bodyguards and can sometimes be almost as prestigious as the hero they serve.

Other Customs & Traditions

Perhaps the most famous Tir tradition is the Tain Bo, or cattle raid. Even friendly villages often engage in it to keep their warriors practiced and sharp. Young warriors in particular are encouraged to prove their strength and cunning by returning with a neighbour’s cattle. Sometimes these are friendly affairs, at other times brutal and bloody. It is no crime to steal cattle in such a raid, although other damage done can still be prosecuted.

Carnyx

A carnyx is an animal-headed trumpet of bronze, usually with a long serpentine haft. They are usually carried into battle by the lord’s herald (often a bard). Carnyx are often enchanted.

Cernnunos

Cernnunos is the warden of Tir Nan Og, master of the land and it’s Draíocht, teacher of first druids, captain of the Wild Hunt. He is considered separate from and beyond the Powers who currently call it home. Its known that he served the giants who held the Land before the coming of the Tir, and he will continue to be its warden when these Powers are gone as well. He is a shadowy, almost sinister figure who represents the untamed and uncontrollable wildness of the realm. He judges and maintains the balance of Tir Nan Og, and when this balance is threatened he rides forth with his bloody and terrible Wild Hunt.

Cernunnos normally appears as a hulking, hairy, and savage, looking human with the antlers of a stag. Among the priests and druids, his name is considered too holy to invoke. Instead they call him Silvanus, a safer and more understood deity. Cernunnos himself is not considered a Power – instead he is druidism, its avatar and that of the Land.

Currency

Coin is considered of little worth outside the lands of the Esprene, and many people primarily use barter even among the Water Folk. Even barter is sometimes too strong a term for the Tir view, which mainly relies on an honour system of gifts and hospitality. Amounts below the value of a torc as not even considered worth recording.

The basic unit of currency is the cow, worth approximately 10gp. Other common trade goods are the Isun – a bar of iron or steel marked with the craftsman who forged it. A basic bar is worth around 5gp, but those of mastersmiths are valued far higher. Larger dominations include the chariot (200gp) and a night of feasting (about 15gp each, er night).

There is also an officially unit of compensation called a sét that equals half a cow.

Entrails

Divination by entrails is a favoured method practised by druids in Tir Nan Og, and a properly sacrificed animal counts as the right material components for most divination spells.

Fiannas

A Fianna is an alliance of warriors who swear allegiance to each other, above even ties of tribe and kin. They usually swear allegiance to a cause or a single master as well – usually a king, a tribe, or a High Champion. Their patron provides a dun (hall) and equipment, and legal support, and the Fianna is expected to repay this hospitality with acts of heroism and glory. Many heroes join Fiannas, and those who do not are often courted by them.

In many ways, Fiannas are the Tir equivalent of prestigious knightly orders from more civilised lands. They are proud and colourful bands of warriors, always ready to roughhouse with rivals and meet any challenge. They also have a rather exclusive attitude to new members; many have elaborate rituals or criteria that any applicant must fulfil. The Mac Fionn for example, in addition to demanding great skill as a warrior and poet, asks that any prospective new members undergo the following three tests:

First to defend himself or herself with only a shield, from within a waist-deep hole, while nine men threw spears at him. So much as a single cut upon his body would be enough to deny him entry.

Second, to run through a gauntlet of branches without ever slowing down – leaping one as high as his forehead, ducking one as low as his knees, and pulling a thorn from his foot without ever breaking stride or slowing.

Thirdly, to be chased through the forest by the Fianna with his hair braided. If caught by them, or snagged on a branch, of if his hair-braids were disturbed, the applicant failed.

Notable Fiannas

The most renowned Fianna in Tir Nan Og are the Mac Fionn, based among the Skalfin tribes and the Clan Baíscne of Isarnu, both of whom once served the same mortal kingdom –they are now deadly rivals who take every opportunity to challenge each other and engage in Tain Bo and sabotage. Several Fiannas serve the Powers.

Other notable Fiannas include ‘The Companions of the Silver String’ (a band made up of heroic bards who act in the service of Oghma) and the Mac Ibar bowmen of the Skalfin.

Komlugjas

A lesser form of Fianna also exists, just small bands of adventurers trying to make their way in the world. Such Fianna’s are regarded as of far lesser status, and called Komlugja, after the oaths of mutual loyalty they swear. They act as mercenaries and adventurers, involving themselves in trouble and disputes across Tir Nan Og in exchange for glory and hospitality (and loot). Many are little more than bands of brigands and troublemakers, but most are simply independent-minded folk trying to make their way in the world.

Fostering & Hostages

Alliances are more commonly maintained by fostering, where the sons or daughters of a tribal leader are raised by a neighbour of equal status. They are also sometimes known as hostages, and employed to ensure the good behaviour of the parties in question (but especially the fosterling’s home village). Sometimes these hostages are exchanged to further cement an existing alliance, but more often they are to insure a less stable one. If either side attacks the others, the hostage can be slain. This usually provokes outright war of course, but by then the chieftain’s son or daughter will already be dead.

Geasa

A Geas is powerful manifestation of Draíocht that takes the form of a vow, obligation, or ban placed upon a person. Most geasa bring divine punishment down on anyone who breaks their particular taboo, usually in the form or weakness, ill fortune, death, or disaster – sometimes on the person in question, sometimes on their whole family, kingdom, or tribe. Unfortunately most people are unaware of their specifics of their geasa, and take great pains to learn them and keep them secret; for an enemy that could turn a hero’s geas upon him is almost assured of victory.

There is also a type of geas, much rarer, called a Death Geas. This states how or when a hero will be killed. It may be as simple as “at night” or as complicated as “under neither sun nor moon, neither clothed nor unclothed, with one foot upon a bathtub and another on the back of a goat.”

Druids often bestow geasa upon heroes, and both they and bards are skilled at determining any geasa on a character, although they rarely tell details to anyone other than the bearer. Nevertheless, men can proudly claim their number of geasa they have, and this can increase their reputation; geasa are seen as a right and proper thing for Tir heroes.

Below are several sample geasa of both types. Note that several of them can be interpreted multiple ways. This is deliberate and a common feature of the sagas.

May Never wear a helmet
May not don a dead man’s jewellery
May not give his name to a stranger before they have given him theirs
May not sleep with a man who has not defeated her in battle
May not throw a spear that he has not caught from another man’s cast
May not wield a weapon that another man has bloodied
May not leave a feast before midnight
Must not eat alone
Must eat beside and open door
Must not swim in Tir Fo Thuinn beneath the light of the full moon
Must not be in bed at dawn on a certain feast day

Sample Death Geasa

Can only be killed by a kinsman
Can only be killed by a woman
Can only be killed by Isarnu steel
May not be killed beneath sun or moon
Can only be killed on sacred ground
Will not be killed by Fire
Will be killed by a dead man
Will drown
Will be killed by a door
Will be killed by their own offspring

Occasionally truly mighty heroes or gods have a Death Geasa that is ridiculously specific, such as: “Can only be killed by an arrow shot by a blind maiden, while the victim is mounted on a red fhorge, facing backwards, on the morning of a day sacred to Lugh.”

Of course, being unable to die is not the same as always being victorious – defeated heroes might end up terribly wounded or even maimed, even if they automatically pull through in the end. It’s also wise to remember that the tribes have many generations of experience in dealing with geasa, and are very skilled in exploiting them, getting round them, and tricking opponents into breaking them.

Those slain by their death geas (and sometimes by breaking a normal geas) do not reincarnate or appear in any Powers realm. It is believed that Cernunnos himself binds their souls directly into the Land of The Ever Young.

Fidchell/Gwyddbwyll

Fidchell is a board game played across the Land of the ever Young, by sidhe, god, king, and commoner alike. Most sets are made of simple wood and bone, but some boards are extremely valuable, crafted for kings out of silver and gold. Magical Fidchell boards are also not unknown.

Gwyddbwyll is a very similar game that originated in Skalfin lands. The differences are subtle but adherents of both games are fanatical in defending their ‘superior’ version against the ‘foreign’ one. Both games have been played for so long that no one can remember which is the earliest.

Both names mean “wooden wisdom.” Skill with these games is considered part of a civilised man’s upbringing, and most warriors, bards, druids, and kings are proficient in it.

Headhunting

Honour is gained in battle by claiming heads, often tied to a warrior’s belt by their long hair or passed to a trusted companion to hold (often a bard). In this way, a man’s claims of prowess can be verified.

Particularly famous heads are kept and preserved after the battle, often displayed on poles are gateposts outside a hero’s home. There are several incidences of Draíocht spontaneously enchanting heads so displayed: Shouting warnings when attacked, revealing a visitor’s allegiance by shouting greetings to their kin, or condemning villains who claimed them falsely or slew them by dishonourable methods.

Hiraeth

Hiraeth is a rare affliction that attacks those who leave Tir Nan Og. The brighter colours and powerful buoying life-energy of the place gets into a body, which suffers withdrawal symptoms when it tries to leave. Hiraeth can affect both natives and visitors, in much the same way that some people find the lure Elysium.

Hiraeth manifests as a longing to return to the lands of the Tir, a kind of homesickness. Colours and sounds seem dulled and lifeless, and victims often sink into a deep depression – or spend every spare moment lost in their memories of the place.

Hospitality

Travellers can expect to find hospitality wherever they travel in Tir Nan Og. The Tir believe that a major component of Enech is the way they welcome guests. Travellers can expect to be housed and fed by their hosts, who often also provide them with a full feast, entertainment, and gifts.

Known enemies may be fed and watered only grudgingly and with minimal good grace housed, but no host would dare eat better than their guest if he would be known as an honourable man. Many people pride themselves on giving only the best to their guests, and extended stays or large parties may be very expensive indeed. One’s kin should be on hand to help however. Guests are also entitled to protection from their hosts. Some people have battled against even their own kin to protect someone under their protection.

In exchange for this hospitality, guests should act with good Enech. They must deal honestly and honourably with their hosts, and aid them in any defence of the hall. They are also expected to return the hospitality in the form of providing entertainment or gifts for the duration of their stay.

Iomáint (‘Hurley’)

Iomáint is a popular fast-paced outdoor sport played with a tough ball and long-handled wooden axes. The rules vary from village to village, but typically involve a field with a hole or post at either end, which the ball has to be brought into contact with using the sticks.

In most varieties the ball can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air, or struck on the ground with the stick. It can be kicked or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass) for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry the ball for more than three steps has to bounce or balance the ball on the end of the stick, and the ball can only be handled twice while in his possession. The game is rather rough but always played unarmoured (and frequently while wearing just a loincloth). It is particularly popular among the Fiannas.

Skalfin hero Cu Culain once played a particularly bloody game alone against 150 men - and won.

Literacy

The tribes of the Tir have a distrustful attitude to literacy. Words on parchment also have no honour and no champion to back them up – so how can they be judged true or false? Writing down important things - especially anything religious or philosophical – is also strictly forbidden. Things that are important should be remembered and spoken, not allowed to be forgotten because they have been scrawled on paper. Even the technologically advanced Esprene keep very few records.

Where absolutely necessary (often on magical runes, scrolls, etc) the Tir tribes use ogham, a series of simple vertical marks. Individuals known to use writing other than ogham or simple trail markings will find their Enech suffering as a result.

Names

Most Tir have only a single name, although in certain circumstances may refer to themselves by their home village or tribe. It’s also very common to include your father or mothers name (whichever is most famous) when announcing yourself. The terms both ‘mac’ and ‘ap’ mean son of – ap is more favoured among the Skalfin and Esprene, while mac is more common among the Isarnu and Aidu, although there a no set rules.

Certain bloodlines have grown so famous that they are also used as a surname, especially if the family is so large that it may be spread across several settlements. A good example is the prosperous Clan Montgomery, whose itinerant trader-priests can be found all across Tir Nan Og.

Names of the Powers

The Tir go by many names, and their deeds are tales regarding them are often subtly different among different tribes. Their worshippers see nothing strange or problematic in this: Their Powers are active on several worlds, having similar adventures in different times and places in an endless cycle. Of course, every tribe thinks its particular variants are the best, but strife over the exact truth behind the tales is very rare.

The same reasoning applies to the very name of Tir Nan Og. In some dialects it means the Land of the Young, in others the Land of the Ever Young, The Never Old, of the Land of Eternal Youth. It is said that a planar traveller once asked Cernunnos himself which of these meanings was the truth, but the Horned One answered that they were all poor translations of the same great concept, the name of a dream of men and beast and Power alike.

‘Sidhe’

To many outside Tir Nan Og, the words ‘sidhe’ and ‘fey’ are interchangeable. Many sidhe are indeed fey, but the term in fact stretches across a number of species of varying power – from humble ‘house spirits’ like kilmoulli to the Powers themselves.

Sidhe means “mound dweller” and is a reference to the sacred hollow hills and raised mounds that dot Tir Nan Og. These are used as resting places, magical batteries, dwelling places and gates to fey realms and halls – but these all describe their strong magical connection to the land. To a scholar of the Tir then, a sidhe then is a fey that has a strong connection to the Land of The Ever Young. In several sources, even the Tir themselves are described as sidhe who became Powers when they forged a link with Tir Nan Og.

Skyclad/Waod

The tribes of the Tir have a relaxed and open attitude to nakedness. Both men and women commonly walk around bare chested and even fight in the nude, which they term as “going skyclad.” Tir Nan Og’s Petitioners are particularly fond of going into battle this way, as they are protected by the natural resilience (damage reduction) of the Outlands. Many mortal inhabitants also fight naked save for war paint – having no fear of death because of Tir Nan Og’s dead are reincarnated.

Magic to protect a warrior is common. Woad of Armouring and Potions of Barkskin are common creations by druids in time of war, and arcane enchanters also make Potions of Armour and various protective magical items like bracers and amulets as well.

Tathlums

Also known as a “brain ball” this weapon is crafted from the fresh brain of a prestigious enemy, worked like dough and mixed with stone dust and quicklime into a magical sling bullet.

The Hero's Portion

At every feast is honoured the rite of the Hero's Portion. The most tender and succulent meat of the roast is given to the guest with most Enech. Oftimes this is disputed, and duels over the Portion are common - and sometimes of epic proportions.

The Rite of the Sacred Branch

In the lands of the Aidu and Isarnu, the Law of the Sacred Branch is often observed. Tribal druids spend the majority of their time in a sacred glade, guarding a particular branch that is the symbol of their office. Any other druid may challenge for their rank by cutting down this branch and returning it to their lord. The resident druid loses their place if this occurs. For this reason certain druids are reluctant to abandon their lairs, guarding it with many traps and summoned beasts when they must travel. No intelligent mortal being may assist them in the defence, but they may summon whatever aid from nature that their powers allow.

Women in Tir Nan Og

In some tribes females are still regarded as machines for making babies, but otherwise women enjoy an equal place in the Land of the Ever Young. They are typically more associated with hearth and home than the battlefield, but no law bars females of any race from rising to any position. In fact Queens are more renowned for the cunning than Kings.

The role of the wife in Tir society is to protect their home, their children, and support their husband… but many women employ their skills in extreme ways to achieve those ends. They may go to war to prevent their family being ravaged by enemies, challenge rivals who threaten the sanctity of their union to Enech Cath, or (especially among the Aidu) follow their men-folk into battle, to stab them with knives if they dare retreat.

Arranged marriages are rare among the common populace, but sometimes feature in the politics of families, tribes, and kingdoms. No law enforces them however; brides must be bribed or persuaded into marriage – they cannot be forced. Some religious rituals involve ceremonial marriages as well.

Ynysoedd

Ynysoedd is a custom held all across the Land of the Ever Young. It is the Tir name for the Rule of Threes, which is held in great reverence here, but especially among the Skalfin. The folk of Tir Nan Og always list things in groups of three, such as describing a warrior maiden as “one of the three greatest fighters among the skalfin” or describing a man by his three chief virtues.

That's it for now. I might also throw out a few stats and magic items, etc... but otherwise I really must get back to the PS Introductory Adventure....

Some "planar" history for the Tuatha really does need adding to the mortal myths, especially to explain their take-over of the realm. So good luck to anyone who can find your stuff!

And this part was by me:

Before any life existed, there were two entities. They have many names. One is called the Good God, Mathonwy, and Eochaid Ollathair, but most commonly he is called the Daghdha. The other is called Manogan, Cythrawl, and Duach the Dark, but most of all he is called Arawn.

The Daghdha is the principle of energy turning toward life. Arawn, the principle of destruction tending toward void, counterbalances him. Neither begrudges the other's role, as each complements the other. "Without my evil," says Arawn, "goodness couldn't shine so brightly." And the Daghdha agrees. Together they form the abred, the cycle of life, death, and rebirth which the druids revere. Between them they created a world, which they named Annwn.

Both Arawn and the Daghdha made for themselves wives, and because of the presence of the Daghdha both were able to conceive.

Many children were born in Annwn, and many generations, each a race of gods eager to create new worlds.

The first race, the Partholanians, were creator gods similar to the Daghdha; they were named for their leader, the god Partholan; they also included Partholan's father Sera, his brother Starn, Sarn's son Tuan, and Partholan's wife, the goddess Dealgnaid. The Partholanians joined their powers together and created a world with three lakes, nine rivers, and a plain which they called Senmag. They added more features as their reign continued.

The second race, the Fomorians, was closest to Arawn in nature; they were misshapen and destructive, masters of dark magic and plagues. They poured out of Annwn under the leadership of their first king, Fomor the Footless, and fought the Partholanians over the world they had made. For a time, Partholan drove them out of the world, killing Fomor and banishing them into a darksome netherplane some would later name Carceri, but the Fomorians created a wicked plague which killed every living thing on the world, including the Pantholanian pantheon; they gathered at Senmag to bury their dead, and all perished there of that wicked disease save Tuan, and Tuan, with no mortals to believe in him, was left weakened and aging, slowly falling into true death.

The third divine race to emerge from Annwn was the Nemedians. The Nemedians, too, were creators aligned with the Good God, close kin to the race of Partholan. They were led by Nemed, son of Agnoman, a son of Sera who had not left Annwn with the Partholanians. They came to the world Partholan and his kin had made, but in emerging with their divine might they broke the barriers the Partholanians had made, and the Fomorians were able to return to the world as well. Their divine power also rejuvenated Tuan, who transformed into a stag and joyfully sung to them a song of their coming and his transformation; he also sorrowfully sung of the death of the Partholanians and their creations, and warned that now the Fomorians would be able to return. Nemed named Tuan the king of all deer and set about recreating life on the new plain. For a time, thing went well, but then the Fomorians crawled out of their prison under the leadership of their new leaders, the brothers More and Conann. Nemed won four great battles against them, but again the Fomorians created a plague, which killed Nemed and all but 2000 of the world's people. The Fomorians forced the rest of the population to give them a tribute of two-thirds of all the milk and two-thirds of the children of the land. At last, the Nemedians rose in revolt under three semi-divine chieftains. The greatest chief, Fergus, killed Conann in single combat, but More arrived at that moment with a fresh Fomorian host, utterly routing the Nemedian army. Only thirty escaped, led by a chieftain named Britan, who created a new demiplane from the mists of possibility. They waxed in numbers for a time, but Britan's powers were too weak to sustain them, and ultimately the remaining Nemedian gods died.

With the Fomorians now the unquestioned masters of the remaining world, Tuan hid from them disguised as a black boar, and for a time ruled all the other boars as their king.

The next race to arrive were the children of the god Semion, son of Stariat. They traveled through many barren worlds, attempting to bring them to life by carrying bags of fertile soil from Annwn to them by hand, but their powers were to weak for this to succeed. At last they came to the world created by the Pantholanians in three groups, calling themselves the Fir-Bolg, Fir-Domnan, and Galioin. They did not even attempt to challenge the rulership of the Fomorians, but instead lived in the regions the Fomorians did not think worth claiming. With their coming, Tuan became a sea-eagle. During the time of this race, a powerful druid hierophant named Birog prophesied that the High King of the Fomorians would be slain by his own grandson. Then she placed herself in an enchanted sleep, to awake when she was most needed.

Then a new generation of gods was born, stronger than their diminished predecessors. In the darkness of Annwn was born the bright son of Arawn, Belenus (who was also called Beli). To the Daghda was born a son, Math, and a daughter, Brigantia (who was also called Dana). It suited everyone that Brigantia and Belenus should be wed; their children were known as the Tuatha de Danaan, combining the strengths of both the Daghdha and Arawn. The Tuatha, led by their king Nuada, included Oghma, Penardun, Diancecht, Eri, Nynniaw, Peibaw, and many others. Together, they wafted into the world on a magic cloud, near the Firbolg camp Moyrein. Tuan became a salmon, and would transform no more until the gods departed from the world.

The Tuatha sent one of their number, Nissyen, son of Penardun and god of peace, to treaty with the Firbolgs; the Firbolgs sent a warrior named Sreng. Bres suggested the two races ally together to overthrow the Fomorians, and thenceforth divide the world between their two pantheons. The Firbolgs, who feared the result of this, proclaimed their loyalty to the Fomorians and, under the leadership of their king Eochy mac Erc, attacked the Tuatha de Danaan on the Plain of Moytura. The battle was fierce: Nuada lost a hand and Nissyen was killed, but with a combination of their sorcery and healing arts the Tuatha prevailed. The Firbolgs, now much more willing to treaty, agreed to cede the rest of the land to the Tuatha in exchange for being allowed to retain the kingdom of Connacht.

Because of his mutilation, Nuada could no longer be king, though Diancecht, god of medicine, had made him a new hand of silver. In his place was named Bres the Beautiful, the son of the goddess Eri and an unknown father, whose body was unquestionably perfect and unmarred. Bres, though, was a poor king, bowing to all Fomorian demands, asking for bloody sacrifices from the land's mortal inhabitants, and refusing to give hospitality to visiting chiefs, druids, or bards - he rewarded only the greedy and gave charity to none. It was the bard Corpre who, with his witty satire, discredited Bres' debased faith, making a mockery of it. Accordingly Bres dwindled, his beautiful body becoming a ratlike parody of its former self as Corpre's version of him replaced his previously perfect image in the public mind. Soon he was no longer fit to be king and Nuada, whose hand had regenerated thanks to the arts of Miach son of Diancecht, regained the throne. This was to be the last healing that Miach mac Diancecht would perform, because shortly thereafter Diancecht killed him in jealousy for performing a healing even he could not manage.

Bres went to his mother Eri; he begged her for advice, and to tell him the name of his father. Eri admitted that his father was Elatha, a king of the Fomorians who had come to her secretly when the Tuatha still lived in Annwn. She gave her son a ring that would identify him, and together they went to the Fomorian court.

Elatha recognized his son, whose deformed visage was not seen as ugly by the Fomorians, and gave him an army with which to destroy the Tuatha de Danaan. Joining the army, Balor, High King of all Fomorians, came roaring out of Carceri. It was said that Balor's single eye could kill anyone with a glance. With this aid the Tuatha de Danaan's attempts at rebellion were crushed, and even with Nuada's leadership they could not resist them. The Daghda himself joined them in their next battle, each blow of his spear destroying whole ranks of Fomorians, but still Balor could not be defeated.

Back in Annwn there were three brothers: Kian, Sawan, and Goibhniu the Smith, all three of them sons of Belenus and Brigantia who had chosen to remain behind. Kian had a magic cow capable of giving enough milk to feed an army, and everyone longed to posess her. One day Kian and Sawan came to Goibhniu's forge to have weapons made for them, and Kian left Sawan in charge of the cow. At that moment, Balor appeared in the form of a small, red-headed boy, and asked if he could please please sit on the cow for a minute. Sawan thought this would be okay, so he let him; Balor immediately transported the cow back to his palace, leaving poor Kian utterly cowless.

Kian didn't know what to do - what is a man without a cow? Goibhniu suggested that he go a certain sacred grove where it was said the druid Birog lay dreaming, and wake her up by beating on his shield with his spear. Kian thought that was a pretty good idea, so he did that. Birog awakened, and knew the prophesied time had come.

"Your enemy is Balor," she told him. "Because he knows his grandson will one day betray him, he has locked his daughter Ethlinn in a tower cared for only by women; she does not even realize that another gender exists. You are not strong enough to destroy Balor on your own; nobody is, until the prophesy is fulfilled. So this is what we will do: we will enter the tower disguised as women and you will seduce Ethlinn. Your son will help you get your vengeance."

"Forget vengeance," said Kian. "Will I get my cow back?"

"Yes, yes," said Birog. "Vegeance, and also a cow."

"Let's do this," said Kian.

Birog brought them both to Balor's stronghold in the mortal world and used her magic to disguise them both as women. They rapped on the door and demanded that the sisters of the tower give them shelter.

"Fine," said the Fomorian women, plotting treachery against their guests.

That night Kian snuck into Ethlinn's bedchamber. She wasn't bad looking for a Fomorian; she even had more than one eye. Kian thought it must be her mother's genes. He shed the illusion.

"Oh!" said Ethlinn. "You're a funny-looking woman."

"And you'd make a funny-looking man," said Kian.

"What's a man?" asked Ethlinn.

"Let me show you," said Kian. And he did. The next morning both he and Birog were gone.

Balor eventually found out that his daughter had given birth to three sons; he ordered these be drowned. The oldest two, Dylan and Nwyvre, were plunged into the ocean, but the third, Lugh, was rescued by Birog. Dylan later became a minor sea-god; when he finally died at the hands of Goibhniu, all the seas wept for him. Nwyvre is said to have ascended into the sky.

Birog brought Lugh to his father, who had him fostered by his brother Goibhniu. Goibhniu taught him every kind of art and craft. He grew quickly, twice as fast as a normal child. When he was the size of a youth he was sent to Math, son of the Daghda, who taught him magic; he learned seamanship from Manannan, son of the personified ocean Lir; he was given a position in the court of Annwn himself, who taught him many other things until he had grown to manhood.

When Lugh was grown, Birog took him to Tara, the palace of Nuada. He asked the Tuatha there if they needed a carpenter, or perhaps a smith, a warrior, a poet, a harper, a physician, a spencer, a magician, or basically any other occupation he could think of. The Tuatha said no, they already had those: Luchta was a brilliant carpenter, Creidhne was a smith, Oghma the Binder was a warrior, a poet, and a harper in one, Diancecht was a great physician, and so on.

"Do you have a guy who can temp for everybody?" Lugh asked.

The Tuatha conferred. "No, we don't. Sure, kid; we can use a temp worker."

Lugh was much more than that. Filling in for Nissyen, who was still dead, Lugh stood before a council of chiefs and told them they should refuse to give the Fomorians any more tribute. "We have something precious," he told them. "Something they can never have."

"What's that?" asked a skeptical chief.

"Magic items," said Lugh. "Lots and lots of magical items." He showed them what he had brought with them from the Underworld - a magical boat and horse from Manannan mac Lir, and a magical sword that could cut through any armor. And many more, which his father could probably get for him. That was good enough for the assembled chieftains, who declared Lugh their new war leader against Balor and his hordes.

The story of how Lugh and Kian tricked the clan of Turenn, sons of the god Turenn and Brigantia herself, into getting for them the Apples of Immortality, a magic pig-skin that heals every wound and sickness, a magic spear, and many more magical pork products is too long to go into here. At the end, Lugh had gotten rid of a pesky blood-feud and the Tuatha de Danaan had themselves a truckload of mystic artifacts. Lugh got Goibhniu to come to Tara and help the Tuatha de Danaan craftsmen Luchta and Creidhne keep everyone's weapons in excellent shape. With the healing magic and Diancecht, the Fomorians were at a decided disadvantage despite Balor's ray of destruction.

Then Lugh saw an opening: Balor's eyelid was sinking out of momentary weariness. Lugh sprang toward him and, ignoring his magical weapons, pierced Balor's brain with a stone. The other Fomorians fled in terror, and the Tuatha de Danaan banished them back to Carceri. Somewhere, the druid Birog sighed in relief and passed into her next life.

As it turned out, Nuada had somehow lost his hand yet again, and without Miach to regenerate it he was forced to abdicate his kingship to the hero of the hour, Lugh.

The Tuatha de Danaan ruled the world for centuries, adding to it and enriching it with their creations and their songs. As the years passed and civilization expanded, the highest of the Tuatha left the world to younger generations. With the aid of the Daghdha they created a still newer world, Tir na Og, where the gods could rule forever young and undying far from the influence of Arawn. The descendents of the Tuatha de Danaan were eventually defeated by younger races of humanity and retreated into Faerie, but the gods were remembered and ruled on. One day the King of Salmon, Tuan, woke up as a human being and told his story, which was the history of the world itself.

But Kian never did get his cow back.

Clueless, I'd like to see some of this kind of thing for the other pantheon group realms in the other planes as well: Olympus, Asgard, Heliopolis, Vanaheim, the Great Mountain of the East, Arvandor, the Golden Hills, Erackinor, Nishrek, Clangor, and the Green Fields.

I'd also like to see and take part in a forum attempt to give the Hindu gods a group realm in Mount Sumeru. It has long bothered me that they are all scattered among the planes though their mythology puts many of them in one place.

Maybe something to consider?

Would it make sense for Cú Chulainn to act as a proxy in the Tir na Og? I am thinking he would fit well as a servant to the gods Morrigan (who caused his death and to whom he owes a debt) and/or Lugh. As far as working up a D&D class for him, I think portraying him as a Barbarian (with a couple levels of Rogue perhaps) would work best.

I also think the realm of Cernunos, the stag-horned god, should be part of the Tir na Og. It should be rather wild and primitive, a primeval forest overrun with screaming petitioners in Pictish warpaint. His realm might even serve as a source for the Wild Hunt.

Finally, if people are interested I'd be willing to put together an adventure hook involving cattle raids. Each "civilized" town should have a couple of sacred (read: legendary) animals that are worth stealing--as well as dying for.

If any of these ideas sound worthwhile, let me know and I'll be happy to write them up.

Clueless (and anyone who cares to have input),

I'm working on write-ups of two rival towns in the same sub-Realm of the Tir na Og. I'm working from the perspective that the communities of this sub-realm of pre-Christian Irish legend have a strong symbolic connection to their cattle herds, and as the herd's health goes so goes the health of the given town. The goal of the adventure hook will be for PC's to cool off the rivalry, and help both towns prosper by getting their legendary bull and heifer to conceive offspring that will unite them.

I'm also considering the issue of the formorians of Irish mythology. I've thought of casting them as ogres or goblinoids (I know D&D has its own brand of formorian giants, but I'm making these hooks for lower-level characters so I was thinking of going with the goat-headed pre-Irish monster-men described by medieval sources) and having them act as an impending threat to the towns in another adventure hook.

Regarding CuChulainn. How many levels would be appropriate? I'm figuring that while he was a great warrior on his own, he was rather young when he died and he had a lot of divine help (both willingly from Lugh and unwillingly from Morrigan), so thinking Barbarian 9/Rogue 4 for my first effort.

If you, or anyone else, have any thought, please share them, as I'd like to produce something that mee the community's tastes.

Hmmm...

Maybe those levels in Rogue I had in mind should be replaced with levels in Sorcerer, keeping the selected spells combat-oriented. It would work, as CuChulainn is never portrayed as wearing armor and the Sorcerer magic could represent the gifts given to him (albeit reluctantly) by Morrigan.

I flat out don't like the idea of CuChulainn as a 20th level character. It makes him untouchable and repellent to me as a DM, as I prefer low to mid-level campaigning (which is what the Outlands is all about in theory). Also, I think jumping him to 20th level or something similar fails to acknowledge that he has divine origins/assistance, chalking it up to experience (which he doesn't have) rather than the help he receives from beyond the mortal coil.

Ok, here's my first effort to stat CuChulainn as a Proxy of the Tir (and/or Morrigon and/or Lugh...the jury's still out on that). I'm particularly interested to know if the magical gear is too much. Also, I'm wondering if his Hit Points shouldn't be a bit higher, I gave him full points for the 1st level and half of the total possible for every other level.

CuChulainn, Male Human Petitioner (Proxy), CG
Character Level: 13th
Class: 9th/4th Barbarian/Rogue
Initiative: +6
Movement: 50 (Medium 30, Barbarian +10, boots of striding and springing +10)
Armor Class: 19 (Dex bonus +2, heavy wooden shield +2, Bracers of Armor +3, Crow’s Feather Fetish +2)
HD (hp.): 9d12+4d6+26 (hp. 98 )
Attacks: BAB +12/+7/+2
Gift of Morrigan +17/+12/+7
Gift of Lugh +17/+12/+7
Masterwork longsword +16/+11/+6
Damage:
Gift of Morrigan 1d6+5 (+1 Con dmg.)
Gift of Lugh 1d6+5 (double distance, thrown)
Masterwork longsword 1d8+3
Special Qualities: Fast movement, illiteracy, rage 3/day, uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +4, DR 1/--, trapfinding, evasion, sneak attack 2d6
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +5
Abilities:
Str-16 (+3), Dex-14 (+2), Con-14 (+2),
Int-10 (+0), Wis-12 (+1), Cha-11 (+0)
Skills: Climb +18, Handle Animal +12, Hide +9, Intimidate +12, Jump +18 [+23], Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +5, Survival +13
Languages: Common, Old Irish
Feats: Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack
Equipment: Bracers of armor +3, Crow’s Feather Fetish amulet of natural armor +2, boots of striding and springing, heavy wooden shield, Gift of Morrigan wounding shortspear +2, Gift of Lugh distance shortspear +2, masterwork longsword