Aos Sí – Irish fae, or Aos Sí, are supernatural beings of Irish mythology.
The character's true name is Brian Boru, but he was raised as Steven Lafferty so that he could not be tricked by the Aos Sí into revealing his true name. When he was a little boy, he was snatched, and a changeling was left in his place. The reason for this was that the Queen of the Aos Sí wanted to protect the boy as she foresaw that his line would unite the country and protect the Aos Sí from a terrible war. This is referring to Brian Boru (c. 941–1014), who was the high king of Ireland who consolidated power over much of the island and defeated a coalition of Irish and Norse forces at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, and would be remembered as a national hero who fought against Viking invasions and brought a degree of unity to the fragmented Irish kingdoms.
When he was with the Aos Sí, he learned many things, such as dual-hand fighting, invoking cantrips, their language, how they are tied in to the world, and the rules to live by when living side by side with the Aos Sí.
These rules are:
- Honesty and Promises: The Aos Sí are often portrayed as inherently honest (though they can be tricky with their wording), and they view promises and contracts very seriously. Breaking a promise to them can have severe consequences.
- Names and Power: Sharing your "true" name gives them power over you. Characters often use given or "conditional" names when dealing with them.
- Gifts and Hospitality: It is generally ill-advised to accept gifts or food from the Aos Sí. Eating or drinking in the fairy kingdom (the "Anthill") can trap a human there forever, as they become bound to the land and unable to return home.
- Etiquette: Being polite and never insulting them is important, as the Aos Sí are forces of nature and can be both helpful and malicious depending on how they are treated.
- The Power of "Thank You": Saying "thank you" is often discouraged because it can imply a debt or an end to a transaction, which the Aos Sí might manipulate to their advantage.
- Abductions: The Aos Sí have a history of abducting humans, sometimes as children (leaving changelings in their place) or as adults to serve specific purposes in their realm, such as becoming servants, brides, or midwives.
- Nature Connection: They are closely tied to nature and can be very territorial, often having turf wars among different species.
He did not have a bad upbringing, as the Queen of the Irish Aos Sí (Fairy Folk) watched over him, forbidding him to eat their food so that he could one day return and plant his seed, ensuring his family line would continue.
One day, when he was about 14 years old, he asked why he was taken, and all was revealed to him. That his village was wiped out shortly after he was taken, this was carried out by other local clans with the help of the eastern Celts (Known as Britons today). He was saddened by hearing this and asked when he would return. He was told soon. When he was 17 years old, he left and was told to explore the land to the east, past the waters where the other celts had come that raised his village, and to deliver a message to them, “you will never set foot on that land again,” and he was to remove those clans from the history of the world. The Queen of the Aos Sí bestowed a blessing upon him that helped him in this quest.
With about 100 men to follow him to the eastern land over the water, he tracked down the Clan that aided in this attack, and he met with their chieftain. He gave the message word for word and stuck down the chieftain right after the last words left his lips. He and his men left no one alive, no men, women, children, or animals. They then burned everything, including any riches, including gold and silver, to remove them from ever existing in the world.
One of the men who had joined him along the way, after they had landed in this new land, was a man who would become a king (the King in your Game). He had joined Stevens' band as the clan Steven was hunting. They had also attacked his home and killed members of his family. The man was taken by Steven and told him about how he would bring order to the land, and asked Steven to join him. Battle after battle, Steven survived.
One day, shortly before the man was crowned as king, he and Steven were sitting at a campfire late at night when the whole camp fell asleep. A Sidhe, a representative of the Aos Sí queen, appeared before Steven to deliver a message from the queen. It was a simple message. You have more than completed your task. Now plant your seed.
The man who would be the king saw this creature, as he did not fall asleep, and was startled. The Sidhe was not pleased with the man's reaction and began to pull out an item, most likely to place a curse on him. However, Steven reasoned with the Sidhe, offering up a grand mound in this land. This made the Sidhe happy and thus saved the man from a fate that would have changed his path forever.
And so the day after the man was crowned as the king, he directed a grand mound to be made on the western side of the kingdom and decreed that this mound shall remain for all of time and that no one shall touch it, as it is a remembrance of their past. And the people listened. Steven was asked by the new king to be his right-hand man as he protected him from not only men but also from that which was not often seen, the Aos Sí. Steven told the king that he must return home for a bit before he could take that offer, and Steven went home and planted his seed more than a few times to ensure that his line would move on. Everywhere he went, he would tell the locals to be fearful of the fiery folk and to always be courteous to them.
Years later, Steven went back to the “New King”; however, it had been 15 years, and he could see the changes of age and ruling in the king. However, Steven appeared to have aged only a year during that time. This would be the effect of the gift from the queen of the Aos Sí when Steven had left their land. Steven stayed with the king, being the head of the king's guard. He would also spread tales to respect and never to trust the Aos Sí so that they, the Aos Sí, could live in peace and be remembered among the humans. Steven would be called away from time to time to do work for the queen for the Aos Sí. Like settling disputes of territory between the Aos Sí or protecting them from being hunted. To the Aos Sí, he became their guardian in the world of Humans.
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