Category:Balor

House Balor
(Pour L'Amour et Liberte: The Book of Houses 2, pp. 103-149; The Shadow Court, pp. 63-64; Book of Lost Dreams, pp. 42-43)

Most Sidhe who hear the name House Balor regard it as little more than a jest, a cruel joke designed to aggravate Traditionalist Sidhe. House Balor derrives its name from a powerful Fomorian king named Balor of the Evil Eye, whose gaze could destroy his enemies. Most Sidhe who recall Balor's name believe that the Sidhe of House Balor intend nothing more than to aggravate the Seelie with a reference to one of their ancient enemies. House Balor have no intention of dissuading them from this erroenous notion. In truth, House Balor believe their founder was Lugh of the Long Arm, the half-Sidhe, half-Fomorian grandson of Balor himself, and a hero of the Sidhe in the wars against the Fomorian Courts. Thus, the Sidhe of House Balor believe that they are the true kings of the Dreaming; their blood is that of Fomorian and Sidhe intermingled, and they laugh at the claims of House Gwydion, or even their own allies among Houses Ailil and Leanhaun. Just as Lugh slew his own grandfather, House Balor believes it is their destiny to triumph over the Sidhe of the Seelie Court and take their rightful place as rulers of the fae.

More than any other House, the Sidhe of House Balor believe that Winter is almost upon the world. Without a strong hand to lead them, the fae will surely perish. House Balor fully intends to set itself up as overlords of humans and Kithain alike, demanding tribute and guiding the waking lands and the Dreaming through Winter with an iron fist. Until this goal can be reached, the fae of House Balor cultivate allies among the Unseelie Court, both commoner and Sidhe. Additionally, these Sidhe are always on the look-out for Prodigal races who can be converted to their cause; already they have found allies among several shapeshifter species, especially a twisted race of werewolves who call themselves Black Spiral Dancers. House Balor forms alliances with a number of murderous, dark, and twisted spiritual organizations and supernatural races; many whisper that chimera of Nightmare are found commonly in the council-chambers, and even the beds, of this House.

At their worst, House Balor are insane tyrants, desperate to seize control of mortal and fae worlds alike and grind them beneath their boot. Others, however, point to a proud history of betrayal in the past of House Balor; some optimists claim that just as Lugh drew upon his Fomorian and Sidhe magicks to destroy Balor, so is it likely that the Sidhe of House Balor form alliances with dark creatures only to betray them one day. Many insist that their convuluted geneaology cannot help but force them to knife their current allies in the back, and that, should Winter ever come, they will be staunch allies of the Seelie Court, secret infiltrators of the Nightmare camp.

For now the Sidhe of House Balor are content to plot with the Unseelie Court, forming alliances wherever they can among Kithain, Gallain, and Prodigals. While whispers link the Shadow Court to the Sidhe of House Balor, it seems as if the two organizations each have their own agenda. Many Sidhe of House Balor masquerade as members of House Eiluned or Dougal, worming their way into the Seelie Court. Most of them regard the Seelie Court as weak, and constantly probe and test it for opportunities to strike at it. Many members of House Balor enjoy politics, and are masters of treachery, though their flair for the dramatic tends to unmask them before too long, another example of their unhidable flaws, perhaps. Many of them are quite decadent and debauched, and demand total obessiance from their vassals.

Boon: The fomorian blood of these sidhe shields them from the worst effects of cold iron. Cold iron still causes them discomfort, but Balor sidhe take no penalty when performing tasks that involve contact with it. They do not lose temporary Glamour when struck with it. If slain by an iron weapon, however, their faerie souls are still destroyed. Although every Balor sidhe has a Seelie Legacy, it is always subdued. Though they can masquerade as Seelie sidhe, they will never actually become Seelie. For members of House Balor, that's a boon.

Flaw: Each member of this house has a physical, mental, or emotional deformity. Neither prosthetics nor psychological help can correct it, though it can be hidden. This Flaw can never be overcome. In addtion, a Balor Sidhe cannot have a Willpower rating higher than 6.

See also Changeling