Oengus' Tower

## Introduction

The tower served as the home for King Oengus Og and his swan shifter descendants with Caer Ibormeith. It was likely destroyed in the ice plague.

## Appears in

Major canon:

*The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire*

## Description

The tower resided on an island in the middle of a forest, in a woodland clearing with a river. Near the forest edge, the path became 'a road of glittering, rough glass winding beside the river, sometimes losing sight of it, then returning to it.' The glow of Magelight slowly appeared in the distance, close to the tower, floating in creamy-gold multi-shaped and sized balls. Orchids and other flowers grew beneath them. The forest then opened up, becoming woodland, where rabbits, deer, and ducks resided, and were unafraid of fae. The ducks nested on the trees in heavy nests, with 'plumage all of white and cream like the Magelights'.

In the river, Oengus' swan shifter descendants swam peacefully. The swans were long-necked, with white-gold plumage, and some had 'golden torcs about their neck. Some had cygnets, grey-white birds that swam in neat lines behind their parents.'

When the river broadened into an almost-lake, there was an island, upon which stood the tower itself. It was tall and forbidding, made 'of dark grey slabs, three turrets with pointing rooves of a grey-green shale. It was connected to the mainland by a single, narrow land-bridge. The island itself was large. Mosk could see smaller buildings, stables, and what looked like a cottage at the back surrounded by roses in shrub and climbing forms. . . . The tower itself had many open windows. Songbirds flew in and out of it.' Swansong filled the air around it.

The bridge was so narrow that visitors had to travel single file down it, and the riverbanks were covered in little pebbles and stones. 'Occasionally a wave of water would be large enough to lazily sweep over the path'. Closer to the tower, the songbirds could be heard. The birds themselves had plumage of grey, dun, yellow, and green.

At the base of the tower was a 'large patio of more of that same shale roofing, walking into gloom. A large door towered, carved of one slab of stone. Intricate knotwork was carved into it. Two swans with their necks curled around each other’s, eyes closed and smiling. Above them, a knotwork of birds with ribbons, and the words: In essence. Love.'

Inside the tower, wall 'torches glowed at widely spaced intervals, frequently plunging them into shadows.' The main corridor opened 'into a huge dining hall that looked like it hadn’t seen any joy at all for hundreds of years. Grey stone and Magelight, and cobwebs and bird’s nests up by the many windows. Occasionally droppings would fall onto one of the bare stone tables, which were covered in muck.' When Gwyn ap Nudd, Augus Each Uisge, Eran Iliakambar, and Mosk Manytrees first arrived during the ice plague, there was one clean table. Near the dining room was a kitchen with a 'small alchemical burner'. There was a separate room for 'crockery and cutlery . . . in glass cabinets' away from birds.

The tower contained many rooms, including adjoining ones connected by an archway, like what Eran and Mosk were assigned. Oengus kept no servants, and didn't use his magic to care for his guests in lieu of them. Eran and Mosk's room also contained a fireplace. Eran implied that his and Mosk's rooms were above Gwyn and Augus' room. Eran described the tower as humid. The doors to their rooms contained the image of 'swans with their necks entwined'.

Down the hall and some stairs from Eran and Mosk's room was a set of 'grand doors carved with a single swan', which opened to the Gancanagh's room, which contained a large bed, a desk, and a chair. There was also a table, and equipment for making tea.

Down the hall and a curved corridor from Eran and Mosk's room there was a shadowed recess.

'At the near-top of the highest of the turrets' there was 'a circular room of fine instruments . . . There was a huge contraption of hollow wooden cylinders that blew constant music, often quiet, sometimes louder. The room was frigid, because every few paces was a huge arched window – some twenty in total – from floor to ceiling. One could simply walk straight out of the tower and fall if they wanted to.' There were ' filigreed metal animals in what looked like a giant ship, and they floated on balls of light. There was a scroll of paper in a glass case, and the words and languages constantly changed. Eran spotted Pahlavi, Aramaic and Zend, all of which he could read, but as soon as he started to get the flow of the poetry – which arrested his spirit and transfixed him – the words and alphabet would change again. Pinned to the top of the scroll was a single black feather with a glossy sheen to it.' The Gancanagh noted the feather (and perhaps scroll) were a gift from the Raven Prince. The Gancanagh and Eran attempted to read it and couldn't recall what it was they read when they weren't staring at it.

The ice plague came to the tower, and likely destroyed the tower, as the ice plague also killed Oengus, the tower's owner.

## Residents

* King Oengus Og (owner, deceased)
* Various unnamed swan-shifters
* Guests
	+ The Gancanagh
	+ Gwyn ap Nudd
	+ Augus Each Uisge
	+ Eran Iliakambar
	+ Mosk Manytrees
	+ Ash Glashtyn
	+ Gulvi Dubna Vajat
	+ Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden
* Other
	+ Olphix (intruder)

## Folklore/Mythology

'In Irish mythology, Aengus or Óengus, also called Mac ind Óic, is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably originally a god associated with youth, love, summer and poetic inspiration. The son of The Dagda and Boann, Aengus is also known as Maccan Óc ("the young boy" or "young son"), and corresponds to the Welsh mythical figure Mabon and the Celtic god Maponos. He plays a central role in five myths reported by medieval Irish texts.'

In one folktale, 'Aengus falls in love with a girl he sees in his dreams. His mother, Boann, goddess of the River Boyne, and a cow goddess whose milk formed the Milky Way (Bealach na Bó Finne, or the White Cow's Way in Irish), searches Ireland for a year, then his father, the Dagda, does the same. Finally, King Bodb Derg of Munster finds her after a further year. Aengus visits the lake of the Dragon's Mouth and finds 150 girls chained in pairs, including Caer Ibormeith, the girl from his dreams, among them. Every second Samhain, Caer and the other girls transform into swans for a year. Aengus is told he can marry Caer if he can identify her in swan form. Aengus turns himself into a swan and they fly away, singing beautiful music that puts all who listen to sleep for three days and nights.'

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 *The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire*, Chapter 18: Sparks of Revelation. Accessed 25 April 2021.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire*, Chapter 25: Circling Back Around. Accessed 28 April 2021.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 *The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire*, Chapter 24: Blessings in Disguise. Accessed 02 May 2021.
4. ↑ *The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire*, Chapter 19: Stronger Than Love. Accessed 26 April 2021.
5. ↑ *The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire*, Chapter 20: Night Terrors. Accessed 02 May 2021.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Aengus". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aengus. Accessed 02 May 2021.