FeySongs

Most of the Western Fey are descended from the tribes that later became the Celts, the Germans and the Scythians (a family of cultures that is now seen as being similar to the Turkic group today - IE culturally linked but not natural allies)… Seven Seagulls people originate from the area between Tarsus and Gaza (basically ancient Phoenicia but also including modern Lebanon & Israel) so have a different set of legends (mostly associated with the Golden Crescent)…

The two groupings share loads of legends, both Mortal & Sidhe, but they sometimes include different perspectives and each has elements that make them classics. For example - Seven Seagulls would know Homer's Illiad but would find that the Scythian's have a different version of both Jason & the Argonauts (it was their fleece!) and the Legend of Theseus (the Scythian Amazons really don't like the Greek version)…

In terms of culture, the Westen Sidhe cultural groupings are as follows - o Germanic (G) o Celtic (C) - influenced by the Germans & Proto-Celts o Island Celtic (IC) - Irish & Breton proto-Celts o Steppe (ST) - influenced by Eastern myth o Balkan (B) o Anatolian/Levant (AL) - influenced by Mesopotamian myth

As Steve noted, all of these are heavily influenced by their landscape…

There is also an older cylce of Myths credited to the mysterious and almost extinct Winter Sidhe (WS) based upon the war between them and the Serpentmen and their attempt to prevent the first forging of the realms…

More details on some of the Sidhe Songs and Ballards: o The Discovery of the Realms (WS) Everyone else was still painting caves at this point… o The Serpent War (WS) The battle to stop the first Black Druids o The Lord of the Winter Storm (WS & ST) The first mortal attempt to conquer the Fey Realms ends in epic slaughter during a Realm Storm unleashed by the mightiest of the Winter Sidhe Lords… o The Forging of the Realms (WS plus more heroic versions from everyone else) Story of when the Sidhe sorcerers defeated the Winter Sidhe and created the Realms o Tiamat and the Last Sidhe Emperor of the Mortal Realm (AL) Story of the battle between the last great Winter Sidhe sorceress and the last Mesopotamian Sidhe emperor (NOT Marduk)… o The Fall of Gomorrah (EL) Arioch of Elessar defeats the Vampire Kings o Domnu and the Great Gate (ST only) The discovery of the Great Gate and the departure of the first Exiles o The First & Second Battles of Moytura (various versions exist - the main differences are between the Steppe version and the Island Celtic Version) The traditional site for battles that secured the Heartland - 2nd Moytura saw Balor defeated o Death of Nuadu (IC & C plus a ST version) Rhiannon's father and sister dying heroically at 2nd Moytura defended by a stubborn retinue of Scythians assigned by one of their enemies o Greek Classics - Iliad & Odyssey (Various versions) o The Great War (1200 BC) & the Rise of Balor (All except WS) End of the Bronze Age crisis story decribing how the Sidhe became exiles from the Mortal Realm o The Great Artificer (All) The story of Alberich and the creation of the 'creatures' of the Realms - plus their eventual annihilation by Balor o The Turul Hawk, The Blue Wolf and the Golden Stag (ST only) Epic tales about the magical beasts that watch over the Steppe Folk o The Great Hunt (IC & C) Herne and the war against the Black Druids o Wotan & Siegfried (G) The Origin of Wotan's champion… o Mirdir & Etain (Various Versions) The betrayal of the Sidhe by arrogant mortals leads to the Fall of Mirdir into insanity (the Balkan version is more sympathetic) o The Hound of Ulster (IC) The story of the Half Sidhe hero of the Irish Celts o The Ballad of Lemminkainen (G) The story of the Half Sidhe hero of the Finns o The Son of Iskhandur (ST) The attempted conquest of the Scythian Realms by Thalestris and her sons o The Rise and Fall of Arthur (G & IC) Merlin's unfinished plan for the realms which Rhiannon thwarts by assisting the Saxons vs Arthur o Closing of the Djinn gate (AL & ST) The story of the Djinn and their increasing power thwarted by the Dark Queen often linked with the epic tale of Rothgar Silverhair and the 300 Gods (Kalmar & Muhammed vs the Djinn Cult of Mecca) o Caith Keiran and the Black Oath (All) The return of Balor as the White Dragon (937 AD) and the sacrifice of the Dark Queen o A Midsummer Night's Dream (Goblins) A popular version of the romance between Finnvar and Rhiannon o The Hall of the Dead and the Geas of Oberon (G) The curse placed upon the Lord of the Hall of the Dead and the final breaking of that Geas o Ballard of the Last Merlin (IC) The Rise & Exile of Dante - the story of the Wishcurse on Ninianne's Realm o The Curse of Mirdir and the Return of the Mersidhe (All) The bitter war between the Mersidhe & Mirdir and its unexpected resolution o The Black Druidess of Mortain (G & IC) The story of one mortal sorceress who proved too formidable for even the Sidhe… o The Fall of Arioch and the War between the Realms (All) The origins of the recent war and the current crisis as centuries of stability are shattered… Seven Seagulls people were unwitting servants of the arch-betrayer and lived in cities for centuries before the fall of Arioch shattered their realm… Arioch had two realms - Elessar (Levant) & Utgard (Norway)… o Redemption of Mirdir (All but predominantly B & ST) The Two Deaths of Mirdir (vs Dante and then the Black Druidess of Torach Isle)… o The Return of Astarte and the rebirth of Ashtoreth (G & AL) The story of the return of Astarte, her success against Geraint's Army and the welcome she gave the exiles… o The Rise of Arcadia (BL) The story of the Balkan Civil War and the Rise of Setheroth (plus the Death of Geraint)… o The Tiger Hunt (BL) Setheroth hunts the last of Mirdir's wraith servitors… o Theft from Ki (ST) A cunning tale of epic thievery & flying ships! o Adventures of the Knight of the Black Oath (All) Lots of tales or heroic rescues by a character that was half Robin Hood and Half Scarlet Pimpernel… o Tales of the Silverwood (G) Stories about Belphebe and her followers (+ Coedarian)… o Ascension of the Dark Queen (ST) The return of the Dark Queen and the reunification of the Scythian Realms o Arioch's Daughter and the Shattering of the Alliance (All) The return of Arioch's sinister influence, the Fall of Rhiannon and the emergence of an Dark alliance of foreign Sidhe...

In addition to these, each of the cultural groups admires particular mortal heroes and mortal stories… IE The Scythians admire Alexander the Great, Attila, Arpad of Hungary, Ghengis, Timur, Babur & Charles XII… Levant tribes admire Dido, Hannibal, Augustus, Vespesian Belasarius etc etc… Great stuff so far… The Scythians love a good story and like all pre-modern cultures delight in hearing new versions of familiar tales… Seven Seagulls will have head various versions during the last decade of exile but never the full epics… Anything G or AL he would know well IC or C he would know versions, BL or ST he would know of the basic outline...

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Thanks for that, I'm sure Seven will be entranced by all of the songs he hears. From their titles I suspect that many (if not all) will be new to him other than perhaps the Rise of the Mersidhe and perhaps the Closing of the Djinn Gate (maybe yet another version that might have reached the Lebanon via African/Arabic trade routes or via the Red Sea route?? - Paul?).

I'm not sure how many he would be able to sing in return (Steve doesn't know) but I imagine that he'll try to learn as many of these new songs as he can - particularly their (presumably derived/unique) use of tonality, cadence and chord structure (remembering he'll be using a traditional 'Grecian' lyre instead of Scythian instruments (bow-lyres?)) and their singing rythm, breathing patterns and vocal techniques - probably strongly influenced by the need to deal with the rythm of riding whilst singing and the necessary breathing adjustments this requires). He will also be most interested how their cultural music reflects the land/realm of their origin - wild, fast-riding hosemen of huge open steppe must reflect very different types of music to that of his own culture, much more hierarchical, city-state centred, coastal trade based with an emphasis on engineering, maths and music (for him at least). Perhaps the music of Phoenecia - that reflecting the open seas might most be reflected in that of the open, windswept 'grass seas' of the Scythians.

I see Seven listening at the edge of circles of firelight, occasionally trying to emulate Scythian music with soft playing of lyre and interplay of voice and lyre - perhaps being invited inwards (if the Scythians are as hospitable as you suggest) and shyly trying to join in with their music, eventually to play/sing some of his own (perhaps ballads associated with the Epic of Gilgamesh) and yet more un-refined and halting compositions re the trees and waters he has seen at this meet - unpolished as yet he struggles to bring into music new experiences and landscapes to which he is utterly unfamiliar but so recently enamoured. It is perhaps then, as he struggles, that it is most likely that the Song that now lives within him might be released to become blended with his own efforts and to, for the Scythians that can feel it, make itself felt as a living blend of his own newly-created 'feeling of place' with whispered echoes of the Song itself. It might be at moments like that - when songs are most powerful (if as yet unformed and unpolished) that Regos might hear of Seven's presence.

With Seven's feeling for the primal nature of landscapes, in many ways his musical leaning might be far more akin to those of the Scythians than those traditionally associated with his own peoples (Paul?). Assuming he is permitted the time and the familiarity, he'll seek out their bards and their songsmiths and attempt to learn as much as he can (a precious little compared to a lifetime required for a bard to mature, I'm sure). The one area where the two cultures are very likely to be strongly allied (if not similar - if you see what I mean) are the heroic ballads - recountings of heroic deeds, epic struggles, combats with men, beasts, gods and daemons, haunting lays of love and hate, betrayal and honour, beauty and death.

I hasten to add that such musical and cultural exchange is not evidence of Seven's abandoning his own culture, far from it, rather it is evidence of his being opened up to receive awareness and fulfilment from all cultures. From Regos'/Aislinn's point of view, were he/she to be aware of him, he/she might recognise a man who, in some ways, might be seen as in potential danger. The Song within him may have opened the 'doors of perception' (shades of Aldous Huxley) but such doors are notoriously wide when fully open, and all sorts of elements can thus enter unchallenged.......................

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The Scythian felt tent or ger (yurt) can be as much as 40ft across… All Scythian camps consist of a defensive circle of gers and wagons around a central area dominated by a ring of communal hearths… Most Scythians wear clourful costumes, based upon the kaftan-like dehl jacket and baggy trousers… The femine dehl jacket is simply longer than the male version! Even though they appear chaotic in character the Scythians live by a well established routine and can deploy or clear their camp with impressive efficiency…

The Royal Scythians (Ashkuz) dominate the camp but there are representatives of other tribes - including the mysterious Black Cloaks and the Eastern Paseryk… Scythians come from four major groupings - the Western Steppe (Colchis, Avars, Alans, Magyars etc), the South Eastern Steppe (Parthia, Scythia, Sarmatia & Tranoxiana), the Northern Forest (Black Cloaks and Yatvagi Slavs) and the Far Eastern Steppe (Paseryk, Turks and Mongols)… The Triumvirate of Indech, Ciarfiacc & Aislinn rule all except the Samartian region and the Far Eastern tribes…

Indech and Ciarfiacc are brothers, their distinctive white hair reminding people of their Winter Sidhe mother, but are very different personalities. Indech appears taciturn (with the occasional burst of laconic humour) while Ciarfiacc appears eccentric but engaging… But Indech is respected while Ciarfiacc is feared - this is because Indech tends to join groups of Scythians as a champion (leading them if necessary but supporting the current chief or hero if that gets the job done more effectively ) while Ciarfiacc loves power but finds the accompanying responsibilities tiresome… Indech has a following of Cu-Sidhe hounds, Wargs and young heroic types, while his brother has a small but savage court that constantly vies for crumbs of power and influence as Ciarfiacc tires of his latest acquisition… Aislinn is the essential lynch pin that enables the Triumvirate to function… Her retinue acts as a training ground for the leaders of the Scythian host and acts as an informal network through which the Scythians trade and arbitrate disputes (even the dreaded Black Cloaks follow her commands)… Scythians adore story-telling and will welcome anyone who can tell them a tale with the right amount of heroic audacity and earthy humour… They consume huge amounts of kumis (fermented mare's milk) but a true warrior never gets so drunk that he forgets the few strict rules of basic etiquette (basically - never irritate the Triumvirate)… They also love music and Seven Seagulls will soon understand why they assume that Aislinn is an enchantress…

Aislinn tends to perform in the Royal Ger (sometimes she tells musical stories to the camp children irrespective of their rank - with keys scenes being performed by enthusiastic miniature dragons) but has been known to compose special pieces for grand gatherings… As a true patron of the arts she is likely to treat Seven Seagulls with genuine respect...

While Regos is the main bard, there are others amongst the Scythians who also play. Regos isn't there to begin with at the council but arrives in the middle of the gathering with a mortal man and a scruffy, disreputable looking Scythian, (even by Scythian standards). An equally disreputable looking mutt accompanies them.

The Scythians are unsurprised by Seven's choice of musical instrument - Aislinn plays something similar. They are delighted when Seven joins in with their songs and will make him feel welcome, trying to learn from him when he plays as well.

After a couple of nights, Seven will be invited into Aislinn's yurt by Regos. Inside it is spacious and also luxurious. Various rugs cover the floor of the tent. Cushions are scattered with Scythians, sitting or lounging around. All of them are armed with some sort of weapon. Small groups are chatting and there are games like dice or knuckle bones being played.

Furthest away from the entrance is a dais covered in cushions. Lounging on the cushions is a small woman with blonde hair, black eyes and a very pretty nose. She is dressed in red Scythian dress. She has a stylised stag brooch pinned to the left shoulder of her dress. Behind her stands a Scythian boy of about 14, and to one side stands a tall severe-looking Scythian maid frowning at the gathering.

Regos will tell you that the boy is called Tsolt and the maid is Cairech - Aislinn's self appointed champion. Regos will directly approach the dais dragging Seven along with him.

"Welcome Regos. Who have you found on your travels?"

Aislinn looks up from her conversation with Sasha (the disreputable Scythian).

"This is Seven of Seagulls. He wishes to learn some of our tunes and I hoped you could be persuaded to teach?" Regos replies, his voice turning wisteful.

Aislinn laughs and Tsolt will hand her a hand-harp.

"What sort of tune would be best to start off with?" She asks while tuning the strings.

Seven will notice that other conversations die away and everybody's attention is turning towards Aislinn. ~~~ ?Here is a new song for you both.? Regos takes a seat and indicates to Seven to join him. Aislinn?s song is a story of a nightingale that is captured by a raven and kept in a gilded cage. The Raven wishes to hear the Nightingale?s song but she refuses to sing. One night, the Raven has a guest for the evening. He is a Falcon. The Falcon explains that he is searching for a small plain bird and asks if the Raven has seen it. The Nightingale overhears this and realises that the Falcon is looking for her. She is unable to tell the Falcon because she is locked in the cage and watched over by rats and the Weasel. The following day the Nightingale persuades the Weasel to take her outside as she hasn?t seen the Sun for so long. The Sun melts the lock on the cage and the Nightingale flies free. The Weasel realising that he had been tricked, chases the Nightingale across the Steppe and into the mountains. But the Nightingale escapes into the Falcon?s eyrie.

While Aislinn sings a tall, slim warrior with white hair enters the yurt. He settles down next to the Queen.

At the end of the song he leans over. "What does the Raven do next, sister?" "I do not know, the story is still being played out."

A harp is handed to Regos. "It may be that the Raven will hear the Nightingale sing in the end." The warrior smiles and there is laughter in the yurt.

Regos explains that Ciarfiacc has recently lost a slave who refused to sing for him, and Aislinn has turned it into a song. Regos will then take a turn at singing, before introducing Seven to sing.

As Seven walks into the yurt and waits for his eyes to adjust to fire/torch light and to frame the in-yurt hierarchy of distribution and concourse. Snatches of conversation will come to his ears as he follows Regos, equally he'll catch the curious looks from some Scythians that have not already become accustomed to his presence in and around their camping ground. There is no doubt he stands out here, racial characteristics are enough to mark him out as different and even the simple clothing he wears (he has, since the songs subsumption, given up arms and armour except when they are required of him for formal reasons - or combat of course) reflects his peoples' preferences and 'citified' style. There is also that slightly un-nerving 'something else' in his eyes that tells of deeper harmonies, of barely-constrained energies within a fragile vessel - the look of someone happily not quite in control, following a greater theme than the simple tune we usually play. It's the look of potential trouble also - here is a being released within a new world, exhilarated by it's beauty and possibilities but barely able to recognise or appreciate its dangers. Such neophytes can doom themselves easily - and can involve other, hapless innocents in their demise. Aislinn will, I'm sure, recognise this, as will many of her more discerning courtiers, even before Seven bows low (a formal, deferential bow of his own court and people, appropriate for royalty), slipping the lyre from his shoulders as he does so.

The old Seven would have hesitated, waited for Regos' answer, made sure that anything he said would be both considered and reverential as well as requested - never would he have dared to offer comment without direct question. Then, structure would have been important, precision, accuracy and nothing that would draw attention to the self as opposed to the clarification of the subject under scrutiny..

Now however..........the song is within him, he feels it's power, sees its effects, is intoxicated by it's beauty and its unfathomed, unfathomable symphony of life. Now, nothing is impossible, all is good and all that will be will issue from the music. Now he will build with melody as engineers with stone and wood, with words as sorcerors with weave and ritual. And music will prevail when all other works have fallen and are dust.

He will grin with delighted anticipation at Aislinn's question and, with an engineer's directness, but a musician's appreciation, will usurp the answer…

"A song of yourself, and of your lands Lady - one of the great grass seas, of fiery horses of the setting sun, one of spirit cairns and the cold winds that rage around them, of your people, the horse-warriors..... and of your dreams".

"Then Lady - if it please you - I shall sing you a song of my world, the rolling ocean chords crashing in majesty upon rocky shores; echoes of great dreamers who sing within her depths of sleep, of cities ancient even before the Cursed One whose sculpt'd stones have run with gold.... and with blood, of trees whose dark branches frame azure skies and torment the winds with ever sighing questions that have no answer. Yea Lady, of all these things shall I sing for you - if you will permit it and if you will accept it as my gift to you".

His hands, never still, will unconsciously frame chord and snatches of nascent melody upon his lyre even as he speaks and sotto voce rills and sighs of melody will both echo and counterpoint his words. There is an eldritch intensity in his speech and in his gaze. The yurt has already receded, the torchlight has faded and for him there is only the fire, the Lady and the Music - all of which have their own way of burning.............