House Beaumayn

*This day I swear loyalty to the Book and the Blade, to the future that is my destiny, the present that is my duty and the past that is my treasure. I swear loyalty to the members and goals of House Beaumayn, and may the dreams of the damned haunt my mind should I ever break this trust. As the dark star burns above, so does my heart burn in service to thee.*

**Pronounced:** BEAU-main

**Court:** Seelie

**Nicknames:** Dark Stars, Hopeless (vulgar)

A house of prophets, occultists, and monster hunters, House Beaumayn is infamous among the nobility for its reluctance to participate in traditional politics, preferring to occupy a niche as Thallain hunters and keep a watchful eye out for Shadow Court extremists. Combined with their perceived aloofness and often cryptic manner, this self-appointed role does little to endear them to either Court, and so the Beaumayn are one of the most solitary noble houses, second only to House Scathach in that regard.

For what it’s worth, the Dark Stars are generally content with this role. Their gifts of prophecy place them in situations where they are needed, and while hunting Thallain and other creatures of darkness may not be the safest vocation, it is hard to argue that it doesn’t do real good. While it pains them to be so misunderstood by the rest of their kind, it’s not exactly unfamiliar territory. When a Beaumayn does make friends, though, she stands fast by them regardless of what it costs her; she simply doesn’t have so many that she can afford to lose a single one.

Dark Stars are often fringe types from an early age, drawn to the occult and its associated close-knit groups of believers. Many become obsessed with the “secret history” of the area where they reside, digging into local records and legends, not really knowing what they’re looking for but needing to feel as if they know the area inside out. Quite a few Beaumayn experience prophetic dreams even before their Chrysalis, and struggle with a sense of eerie certainty that “monsters” are real even though it flies in the face of science and conventional wisdom.

Unseelie members of House Beaumayn are a rare lot, typically finding little more welcome in their new Court than they did in their old. Those that do switch courts are typically rebels who dislike their gift of prophecy, seeing the idea of any sort of predestination as stifling. Given the house’s predilection for hunting Thallain and Shadow Court members, however, the more hardline members of the Unseelie Court rarely trust Beaumayn “converts.”

## House Boon

Dark Stars have uncanny senses, particularly when it comes to the nuances of the enchanted world. Beaumayn receive a free dot of Perception, even if it takes them above 5. In addition, they receive –1 to the difficulty of Kenning rolls, –2 if they involve Thallain, and cannot botch a Kenning roll

Additionally, once per story the Storyteller may decree that a Beaumayn receives a prophetic vision or dream. The exact nature of these prophecies varies, but as the house’s reputation suggests they typically focus on dark or disturbing events — deaths, betrayals, disasters, and so on. While they can be symbolic or represent multiple possible outcomes, these visions are never outright deceptive, and always contain some useful information. Interpreting these dreams for maximum benefit requires an Intelligence + Enigmas roll, with a difficulty equal to 9 minus the Beaumayn’s Remembrance rating.

## House Flaw

It’s said that the abyss gazes back if you stare into it too long, and House Beaumayn is living proof. Thallain and members of the Shadow Court can sense the presence of members of House Beaumayn with a Perception + Kenning roll (difficulty 7), with success indicating that they are aware of the noble’s presence. This will not reveal the exact location of a hidden Beaumayn, though it could definitely prompt a search. Unless given compelling and immediate reasons otherwise, Thallain and Shadow Court members instinctively go out of their way to harass, torment, and even outright harm Beaumayn members whenever possible. As a rule of thumb, this animosity should come up at least once per story, if not more often.

## Exile

House Beaumayn is unique in the fact that they were not exiled as other houses were, but rather imprisoned due to an infamous heresy. Legend tells that one of the house’s great heroes, Duke Geremin, supposedly lost a lover to cold iron and wandered into the Dreaming in grief, only to later reappear claiming that his lover’s soul spoke to him. She told him that cold iron freed the fae from their earthly bonds, and urged him to do the same. Needless to say, the sidhe of Arcadia took no chances with such dangerous heresy, and imprisoned the entire house. They remained imprisoned until the recent rise in Thallain activity, when they were finally released to resume their duties once more.

## Factions and Societies

* The Harbingers of Exodus, outlawed fanatics who believe in the cold iron heresy and seek a supposed Iron Road in the Dreaming to escort fae souls to their “true” reward.

* Enchanted Star Realms Online, an indie sci-fi/fantasy MMO that also serves as an online gathering place for changelings, with private servers for Kithain players and guild hangouts where Beaumayn members meet and share information.

* The Knights of the Good Hand, a warrior society that offers its services to fight off Thallain and vicious chimera to anyone who needs them, and trains others to do the same.

## Notable Members

High Lord Jeremy Beaumayn, ruler of the house and a famous blues guitarist from the Principality of Jazz in New Orleans, Duke Brendan Beaumayn, younger twin of Jeremy, blogger, white hat hacker, and creator of Enchanted Star Realms Online, Baroness Tamora Hale, swordswoman and captain of the Knights of the Good Hand, Lord Edgar Vandermere, turncoat sorcerer and leader of the Harbingers of Exodus, Lady Anne Ladybird, sluagh historian, loremaster, and noted house archivist, Baroness Jesenia September, freelance seer and half of a famed Thallain hunting duo, and Sir Eduard Galliard, cult horror author and expert on matters Prodigal, particularly vampires.