Murchadh Morganw

Bríd (mother; deceased)

Moránn mac Murchadh (son)

Béoáed mac Murchadh (son; deceased)

Fearchar mac Murchadh (son)

Lugh mac Murchadh (son)

Nuadu mac Murchadh (son)

Riacán mac Murchadh (son)

Uilliam mac Murchadh (son)

Faílenn nic Murchadh (daughter; deceased)

Muirenn nic Murchadh (daughter; deceased)

Nuala nic Murchadh (daughter)

Róis nic Murchadh (daughter)

Aileann nic Murchadh (daughter)

Áine nic Murchadh (daughter)

Caitilín nic Murchadh (daughter)

Maclilcan (sometime after 1 BPS)

A Wishful Start (as Balnor)

Granny Rags (as Balnor)

Granny's Return (as Balnor)

Fey Field Trip (as Balnor)

May I Have Your Name? (as Balnor)

Sweet Dreams (as Balnor)

Two Betrayals (as Balnor)

Muchadh Morganw is the son of the storm god, Torann, and Bríd, the daughter of King Teàrlaidh Ó Mocháini of the Averni tribe. At his birth, it was prophesied that Murchadh would either live a long and uneventful life or a short, and possibly glorious, one. Murchadh's grandfather made the latter choice, launching his grandson along the path he would walk for the rest of his life. As he grew older, Murchadh Morganw became known for his combat proficiency, his great strength, and his ability to control storms courtesy of his father, Torann. Eventually, after uniting the kingdoms of the Gaeilge on Eíre and becoming first king of a united Eíre when he expelled the daemons of the deep woods, Murchadh received word from Ysimgrov that he needed help splitting the planes. Knowing his time was short and feeling the glory he had won was insufficient, Murchadh left Eíre and joined the Plane-Splitters, only to be betrayed by Felurian, Ysimgrov, and Frances at the moment the planes were split. Cursed by Ysimgrov with an animal's intelligence and unable to be recognized by his family, Murchadh spent over a millennium as Balnor, guardian of Maclilcan, before his son Riacán, now the leader of the Wild Hunt, found a way to potentially return his mind with the help of the Wish's Chosen. Murchadh debuted in "The Plane-Splitters, Part 1."

## Biography

The island of Eíre, known today as Maclilcan, was once said to be blessed by the storm god, Torann. The mighty storms he sends to ravage the channel between it and the mainland have kept it safe from invaders for hundreds of years, and rain he lets fall there, though depressing, has made the island lush with greenery. As a result of their god-given safety, the people of Eíre were always largely secure from outside invaders. Still, Eíre was far from a safe place; daemons and other monsters roamed the island at will, and the fey in particular had a strong presence there. As a result, the people of Eíre, who called themselves the Gaeilge, lived in warring, nomadic tribes when they should have been farming and building cities. This was the state of affairs until Torann’s final blessing came to Eíre in the form of a child born to the princess of the Averni tribe of northern Eíre.

Murchadh Morganw was born in the last ten years of the reign of his grandfather, King Teàrlaidh Ó Mocháini, to the king’s daughter, Bríd. The princess was only sixteen at the time, the last survivor of Teàrlaidh’s children, and still unmarried. Her pregnancy caused a scandal until the king, in a rage, consulted his seers and asked them who had dared to father a child on his daughter without his consent. The answer they gave rocked the Averni to their core. Torann, the seers said, had visited Princess Bríd in the guise of a falling rain. She carried his child, they told the king, and his life’s course would be decided then and there by Teàrlaidh. “O king,” they told him, “your grandson walks a path none have trod before, and he has reached a crossroads through which only you can guide him. Rightwards lies a long and happy life, ending in an undistinguished death. Leftwards, he will find danger, battle, and a life cut short. But leftward, too, is a chance at glory. If you send him leftwards, your grandson may live forever in song as the savior of Eíre and of the world.”

Upon hearing this, King Teàrlaidh was overjoyed, and without hesitation replied that he would send his grandson along the path of danger. When the child was born, his mother named him Murchadh, “storm warrior,” and his grandfather immediately sent him to be raised by a pair of warrior-women, Ira and Rhagaea, who lived on the tiny coastal island of Alba. They taught him to hunt, to lead, and most of all, to fight. The son of a god, Murchadh grew remarkably quickly. By the age of eight, he looked and acted as though he were sixteen. By ten, he was a man grown, handsome, intelligent, strong and charismatic, but prideful, willful, and wild. He would heed no one’s orders but his own, and with his godlike powers growing stronger by the day, he felt there was none alive who could match him in might.

At this time, a messenger came to Alba from the Averni, begging Murchadh to come home. The tribe had been attacked by its rival, the Veneti, in alliance with the nymph Treása, queen of the fey. Murchadh set off at once, arriving just in time to see the Veneti and the fey breach the wooden palisade of the Averni’s temporary home. Grabbing a blacksmith’s hammer, Murchadh set upon the attackers from behind. None could stand before him as he slaughtered fey champions and Veneti heroes alike. His people, seeing their god’s son returned to them, rallied to his side. Within minutes, the fey and the Veneti had fled Averni lands. King Teàrlaidh, however, had been killed by Caireall Ó Conchobhairi, King of the Veneti, in single combat. Worse, the Veneti king had taken Teàrlaidh’s crown. As heir to the throne, this was a blow to Murchadh’s honor that could not stand.

Enraged at King Caireall’s cowardice, Murchadh--now King Murchadh Morganw, “Foehammer,”--set off immediately for the Veneti stronghold, barely even bothering to organize the army the followed him soon after. The wooden walls of the Veneti were high and strong, and King Caireall felt confident that he could taunt his rival without fear of repercussion. He was wrong. When Murchadh saw his enemy waving his grandfather’s crown in mockery, divine anger came upon him. Some say he tore down the walls with his bare hands; others, that he called a storm that shattered the settlement’s defenses. Whatever the case, when the Averni army arrived to help their king, they found him alone upon King Caireall’s throne, wearing both the crown of the Averni and that of the Veneti, surrounded by the bodies of the rival tribe in the ruins of their settlement. Not one of the Veneti escaped.

Hearing of this, Treàsa, sent emissaries to Murchadh with an offer of alliance. Murchadh consented, on the condition that the pact be sealed by marriage between himself and the queen. Impressed by his bravery, his skill in battle, and his power, the fey queen agreed. As a wedding gift, she presented him with a two-handed hammer said to have been blessed by Torann himself, called the Shatterstar. Murchadh would wield that weapon for the rest of his life.

Averni custom allowed a king to take more than one wife, but Treàsa proved a jealous queen, though by most accounts the love between the two was more than just political. Whatever the case, Murchadh married only once. His faerie wife bore him seven sons and seven daughters, and was always his most trusted companion along with his friend Fionn Gilleathain, who had trained with him on Alba and accompanied Murchadh on all his adventures.

With the fey behind him and the Veneti gone, Murchadh, ever hungry for glory, felt he knew his destiny. He would unite Eíre beneath his banner and purge it of all traces of daemons, monsters, and fey--except his wife’s kingdom, which had long been at odds with the less civilized fey spirits. Uniting the tribes, though itself a Herculean task, proved far too easy. Having heard of the Veneti’s fate, the other islanders gathered together an army to oppose the Averni, but when they saw the godlike man leading it, storms raging around him and his fey wife riding alongside, they threw down their arms and begged for mercy. Murchadh granted them his pardon, and cemented the new alliance by marrying the sons and daughter of his most distinguished nobles to the children of his new subjects. United, the tribes began to push into Eíre’s interior.

At first, progress was fast. None of the minor spirits they encountered, so intimidating before, could stand against Murchadh’s wrath. As they proceeded deeper into the forest, however, the army soon found resistance growing stronger. Without Murchadh, they could never have done it. The king was everywhere at once, casting down horrors and conjuring lightning in support of his troops. The casualties were high, but with Murchadh’s strength, the evil spirits were eventually wiped out, save the self-proclaimed master of Eíre, the pit fiend Bagoas.

He came from the sky, landing upon and shattering half the Averni’s line. Men fled before him, but he had no interest in them. His anger was directed at Murchadh Morganw, and the king met it head on. Some say the duel raged on for hours, some for days. Whatever the case, when the dust settled it was Murchadh who emerged, eyes crackling with lightning, the pit fiend’s head staved in by a final blow from the Shatterstar. With that, Eíre was free from evil spirits for the first time in history, and Murchadh was free to rule.

For seven years he reigned as king, but as the years dragged on Murchadh grew agitated. His mother had told him of the prophecy that he would die young with only a chance at glory, and Murchadh knew his actions, though great, would not win his name the immortality it needed. Still, he did his duty as king. His people built cities and castles for the first time, and farms began to spring up across Eíre. Murchadh saw this and was proud, but he knew it would never be enough for him to rule his island safe from the concerns of the outside world. Nor was it enough for his father, the god Torann. After his victory over the pit fiend, Murchadh had tried to sacrifice the monster to him and been rejected. His father had always ignored him before, but Murchadh had assumed it was because he hadn’t done anything noteworthy yet. Now he had, but the silence from Torann remained. The king became obsessed with impressing his divine father, and so he waited, biding his time for the opportunity to add yet more renown to the name of Murchadh Morganw.

### Plane-Splitter

That chance came when Ysimgrov, who Murchadh had encountered briefly in his youth, sent a message to the young king asking for his help. Ysimgrov had devised a plan to split the mortal realm off from the daemons and the fey, and he needed help from the greatest mortal heroes to accomplish this feat. At last, Murchadh felt he had found something that would make his early death worthwhile, perhaps even win him the recognition of his father. He set out at once, leaving behind his kingdom under Treása's stewardship, and made his way to a dragon stronghold at the far end of the world. There, he was acquainted with Felurian, Damien Dawnthorne, Frances, Mrs. Raffles, and Mishakal Atalanta, the other heroes summoned by Ysimgrov to help him in his quest. There, Ysimgrov revealed to them that he had discovered the location of a dagger capable of rending the fabric of reality, which would be integral to his plans. The party, Murchadh included, agreed to help Ysimgrov, and they set out across the wastes the next day, guided by Damien Dawnthorne.

During their travels, the plane-splitters encountered several fey creatures, including earth elementals, which they easily dispatched. Murchadh quickly grew frustrated with how few opportunities for combat presented themselves. As such, when the group encountered a tarrasque outside a small dragon stronghold, Murchadh immediately launched himself at the great beast, relishing the opportunity for combat. The tarrasque swallowed him almost immediately. For most, this would've been a terrible fate. For Murchadh, it was an opportunity. He tore a hole in the creature's stomach lining and entered its vast interior, making his way towards its heart. Though he caused it terrible harm, it was Felurian who struck the final blow, crushing the tarrasque's heart and frustrating Murchadh in the process. The same happened in Gulgol's lair. Though Murchadh severely wounded the corpulent black dragon, his kill was once again taken at the last minute by one of the spellcasters, infuriating him to no end. Murchadh's frustration was such that he barely noticed Ysimgrov trying to slip away with the plane-splitting dagger. Fortunately, he and Damien were able to intercept and stop the aarakocra, ostensibly stopping him from "stealing their glory."

From there, the plane-splitters returned to Ysimgrov's tower and prepared themselves for his ritual to split the planes. It was then that Ysimgrov revealed the truth. He would need the divine hearts of each of the plane-splitters to complete his task. Alongside Felurian, who had secretly betrayed the party to Ysimgrov in exchange for promises of power, the wizard launched his surprise attack, crippling the heroes with visions of horror and death.

All except Murchadh. His divine blood and sheer willpower allowed him to shrug off the effects of Felurian's prepared spell, enraging rather than disabling him. To the traitors' alarm, he began attacking the invisible barrier they had placed between themselves and the party with the Shatterstar, doing significant damage before Ysimgrov managed to banish him to a demiplane of his own creation. There, Murchadh faced off against a tower-sized minotaur while Felurian and Ysimgrov harvested the divine hearts of each of the plane-splitters save Damien. Murchadh and the beast dueled for some time, but the monster, shockingly, proved no match for the son of Torann. As he prepared his final strike, however, Ysimgrov's wounds in the material plane broke his concentration, forcing Murchadh back to the tower before he could kill the monster. Enraged beyond words at having yet another kill stolen from him, Murchadh barely noticed Felurian until she launched first one, then two, then three devastating spells against him. Though his flesh was seared and he was nearly overcome, Murchadh survived the onslaught, killing several of Felurian and Ysimgrov's summoned creatures as he fought his way towards them. Ultimately, however, the combined power of four mighty spellcasters (for Felurian and Ysimgrov had each created perfect replicas of themselves) proved too much. Though he managed to kill Ysimgrov's clone with a bolt of summoned lightning, Murchadh was struck down by Felurian, and Ysimgrov harvested his divine heart shortly thereafter.

Murchadh lay cold for several seconds before Felurian, for reasons known only to her, resurrected him after carrying his body a short distance from his fallen weapon. Perhaps she thought she could reason with him, explain away her betrayal. If so, she thought wrong. As soon as he awoke, Murchadh grabbed Felurian by the throat, reaching towards her mouth to rip out her tongue and prevent her from spellcasting. As his fingers closed upon her tongue, however, he felt a strange sensation across his entire body. Weakened by his brush with death, Murchadh was unable to resist Frances' paralysis spell, and he was forced to watch as Felurian pulled free and, seconds later, Ysimgrov acquired the last of the divine hearts from Damien Dawnthorne. Using each of the hearts, Ysimgrov conducted a ritual that propelled him to full godhood, putting him far beyond the reach of any of the heroes. Murchadh, still wounded and paralyzed, was completely unable to resist as Ysimgrov cursed him, turning him into a dull, bestial shell of his former self named Balnor, unrecognizable to his family and to himself, and cast him out across the world, back to Eíre.

### Balnor

Cursed with simplemindedness and magically unrecognizable to his family, Murchadh, now called Balnor, remained in place as a guardian of Eíre. As his children warred with one another or left in search of their father, Balnor remained, absently standing guard as the island he had fought tooth and nail to unify collapsed into anarchy and disrepair. Eventually, the last of the Gaeilge, Murchadh's people, disappeared from Eíre, leaving Balnor alone on the island for several centuries until he was joined by the Maclilcan clan. Sometime in the intervening years Murchadh's sixth son, Riacán, discovered that Balnor was, in fact, his long-lost father, but trapped as an archfey in the Feywild, Riacán was unable to act on this information. Balnor became the protector of the Maclilcans, earning their admiration by his strength and their derision by his lack of intellect.

Balnor's divine heritage kept him alive for far longer than any human, and he was therefore present on Maclilcan when Arlo Bilberry, Felix Summerthorn, Void, Rowan, Zow, and Tharçival were brought there by the Wish spell. He was a relatively minor figure in their early adventures, serving as a silent, oafish bodyguard to the Maclilcans. Balnor was briefly relevant much later, during the party's return to the Feywild in "Sweet Dreams," when he entered the portal in search of the missing Wish's Chosen, stunning all of them by easily dispatching a number of trolls. He departed with the Maclilcans when they regained their planewalking powers, briefly reappearing in "Two Betrayals" when he saved Charlie from an unknown monster. As of "The Wild Hunt," the party has discovered Balnor's true identity as Murchadh Morganw, and have made a pact with Orion to bring Balnor to his court for healing.

## Description and Personality

Murchadh is a savage, powerful fighter, easily one of the greatest warriors in history. His terrifying strength, divine powers, and near-immortality make him almost impossible to defeat in open battle. He easily tore through the stomach lining of a tarrasque, brought Gulgol, an ancient black dragon, to death's door, and nearly beat a tower-sized minotaur to death before he was magically removed from the fighting. In battle, Murchadh surrounds himself with an aura of lightning and thunder, subjecting all who come near to the fury of a miniature storm. Wielding the Shatterstar, Murchadh could summon earthquakes, summon walls of thunder, and crush a giant's skull in a single blow. Even without his ancient weapon, which was lost or destroyed after the events of the Plane-Split, Murchadh is far beyond all but the most skilled warriors. As Balnor, he has fended off whole groups of daemons with a large stick and thrown boulders.

Murchadh is also very well-defended against magic. Being the son of the storm god Torann, he is completely immune to the effects of electricity and heavily resistant to thunder-based magic. His strong will is also a powerful defense against even the most powerful spells. Murchadh was the only plane-splitter to resist Felurian's prepared runic spells, and easily negated the effects of her charm spells. His only real weakness in combat is his chronic bad luck. During his time with the plane-splitters, Murchadh continuously brought terrifyingly-powerful enemies to the brink of death, only to be robbed of his kill at the last second. In the fight with Felurian and Ysimgrov, Murchadh nearly killed Ysimgrov's pet minotaur, only to be pulled back into the material realm at the worst possible time, when all his allies lay unconscious and he faced four spellcasters and their summoned beasts alone. Seconds after his death, Mishakal Atalanta was able to cast a mass healing spell that, had he been alive, would have restored him to his full strength. He was the only member of the party targeted by the now-divine Ysimgrov with such a cruel curse, despite him generally being the most forgiving of the plane-splitters of the wizard's eccentricities, and after his transformation into Balnor he was forced to keep watch on Eíre as his children killed one another and his people faded from the world. Even so, Murchadh nearly overcame his monstrous luck. It took four powerful spellcasters and their summoned minions to bring him down, and Murchadh was still able to kill one of the spellcasters and several of their pets.

Physically, Murchadh resembles a human, but his divine blood marks him out in several ways as distinct from common humanity. Murchadh stands around 8'10 and weighs close to eight hundred pounds. HIs extreme weight is largely due to this heritage; Murchadh's muscles and bones are far denser and stronger than the average human's. Aside from his gigantism, Murchadh is by all appearances a normal man. He is broad-shouldered and well-muscled, generally going shirtless, his body covered in the blue woad held sacred by his people. As Murchadh, his beard was braided and his hair long and slicked back into another braid, shaved on the sides and tied at the end. As Balnor, both beard and hair have grown unkempt and wild after a millennium of life, and his once bright blue eyes now have the dull sheen of a brain-dead animal. He wears a loin cloth and his woad remains, but even without the magical disguise cast upon him by Ysimgrov to prevent his family from recognizing him, Balnor is almost unrecognizable as the legendary Murchadh Morganw.

Before his curse, Murchadh was loud, boisterous, and prideful. His awareness of the destiny his grandfather chose for him made Murchadh bold and reckless, disdaining death in his search for immortal glory. He was prone to fits of rage, and his pride prevented him from resisting a challenge. More than once, Murchadh's unwillingness to tolerate a slight to his honor culminated in a duel with the offending party. Unless they were actively malevolent, these rarely ended in death or serious injury, but Murchadh knew his reputation was all that held his kingdom together, and would be all that people remembered of him after his prophesied death.

Despite his prideful nature and wrathful tendencies, however, Murchadh was a deeply charismatic and persuasive individual. His words and deeds together earned him the loyalty of not only the rest of the tribesmen of Eíre, but the faerie armies of Treása as well. Far more intelligent than he appeared, Murchadh was deeply devoted to the safety and wellbeing of his people. His crusade against the daemons, though partly motivated by his desire for renown, was equally an attempt to create an opportunity for a better future for the Gaeilge. He was a faithful husband, going against the culture of his people by taking only one wife, and he inspired such love and devotion in his children that no fewer than three of them set out to find him after the Eíre Civil War. Had Felurian and Ysimgrov asked, he might have given up his divine heart, knowing it would win him a place in history and ensure a brighter future for his children and his people. As Balnor, all traces of Murchadh's former self have been purged, leaving only a husk of a man scrounging in the dirt with dogs, chickens, and other domestic animals.

## Relationships

### Torann

Torann, god of the storm, strength, and kingship, is Murchadh's father. Much of Murchadh's strength and power is due to his parentage. And yet, despite their relationship, Torann never once acknowledged his son's existence. Throughout his life, Murchadh made many sacrifices to his father to thank him for his gifts, but Torann never accepted his son's offerings. Murchadh accepted this as a product of the distance between the divine and the mortal, but even so, made it his life's work to win the glory necessary to earn his father's recognition. Whether or not he did remains a mystery.

### Teàrlaidh Ó Mocháini

Murchadh had almost no relationship with his grandfather, but it was Teàrlaidh's fateful choice that set Murchadh on the path that would one day turn him into Balnor, and it's likely Murchadh, if he ever returns, will have few good things to say about his grandfather.

### Bríd

Murchadh and his mother, Bríd, had a relatively close relationship. The boy spent much of his childhood on Alba, training for war, and therefore rarely saw his mother before her death a year into his reign. Still, it was Bríd who told Murchadh of Teàrlaidh's choice, and it can therefore be assumed she was concerned for her son's safety and anxious to prepare him for his violent future as best she could.

### Ira and Rhagaea

Murchadh's trainers during his time on Alba, Ira and Rhagaea, instilled in him the skills necessary to put his divine power and natural charisma to good effect. Their relationship was very much a mentor-student one, but as time wore on a mutual respect formed between the warrior-women and their charge. Murchadh invited them to his court after his unification of Eíre, but the pair declined, preferring the isolation of their small island to the noise and bluster of Murchadh's halls. Nevertheless, their relationship remained warm, and the two were horrified when, years later, Murchadh's children tore apart or abandoned their father's dream, leaving Eíre rudderless and in decline.

### Treása

Though the two were initially enemies, Murchadh and Treása quickly developed a mutual respect for one another after her surrender to the king of the Averni that quickly blossomed into true affection. Treása was a constant and active presence in Murchadh's court, serving as his most trusted advisor. It is telling that, despite his prerogatives as an Averni noble, Murchadh married only once, to Treása, and remained faithful to her throughout their marriage. Murchadh so trusted his wife that he made her stewardess of Eíre when he departed the island to help Ysimgrov. When he did not return, Treása took to mourning, leaving Eíre for the Feywild and eventually fading from the world altogether, her grief at her husband's "death" too much for her to bear.

### Fionn Gilleathain

Fionn and Murchadh trained together on Alba as children, and though Murchadh surpassed his friend in each and every test, Fionn accepted that second place to a demigod was a worthy accomplishment indeed. The two remained close after returning to Eíre, and Murchadh instated Fionn as one of his top advisors after his unification of the island. It is unknown how Fionn reacted to the news of Murchadh's "death," but he disappeared from the historical record soon after, and little can be said of how or why he died.

### Moránn mac Murchadh

As Murchadh's eldest son and designated heir, Moránn likely had a close relationship with his father, who taught him to fight, to hunt, and to rule. This bond may have contributed to Moránn's decision to leave Eíre after the civil war and search for his father.

### Béoáed mac Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Béoáed had a close and devoted relationship with his father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Fearchar mac Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Fearchar had a close and devoted relationship with his father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Lugh mac Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Lugh had a close and devoted relationship with his father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Nuadu mac Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Nuadu had a close and devoted relationship with his father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Riacán mac Murchadh

Riacán mac Murchadh had a particularly strong bond with his father. It was Murchadh who taught him to ride a chariot, and it was with his father that Riacán embarked on his first hunt. When Murchadh did not return from his quest to split the planes, Riacán left Eíre at once, refusing to accept that his father could be dead. His search eventually led him to the Feywild, where he became an archfey and Master of the Wild Hunt. Eventually, Riacán discovered that Balnor was, in fact, the cursed Murchadh, and vowed to restore his father's mind at any price. To that end, Riacán has conscripted the Wish's Chosen to bring him Balnor, enraged, so he will be able to circumvent the prohibition against immortal affecting the lives of mortals and restore his father's mind.

### Uilliam mac Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Uilliam had a close and devoted relationship with his father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Faílenn nic Murchadh

Faílenn, Murchadh's eldest daughter, was given every privilege and gift due her status as Murchadh's firstborn daughter. She loved her father dearly, but that did not stop her from betraying his legacy when she turned on his chosen heir, Moránn, in her quest to conquer Eíre and crown herself Queen.

### Muirenn nic Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Muirenn had a close and devoted relationship with her father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Nuala nic Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Nuala had a close and devoted relationship with her father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Róis nic Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Róis had a close and devoted relationship with her father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Aileann nic Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Aileann had a close and devoted relationship with her father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Áine nic Murchadh

Riacán's twin sister and Murchadh's sixth daughter, Áine had a very loving relationship with her father. When he did not return from the west, she, along with her brother, departed Eíre to search for him. Her devotion to her father led her all the way to the daemon realms, and though her current fate is unknown, what is certain is that she never gave up the search.

### Caitilín nic Murchadh

Like all Murchadh's children, Caitilín had a close and devoted relationship with her father, and was heartbroken when Murchadh did not return from the west.

### Felurian

Murchadh liked Felurian when they first met. Of all the other plane-splitters, she seemed the closest to him in her independent and risqué nature. Her music was a pleasant distraction when not in battle, and she was the only other member of the party who seemed willing to joke around. All that changed, however, when she betrayed the plane-splitters in Ysimgrov's temple. In that moment, any affection Murchadh may have had for Felurian disappeared, replaced with the deepest hatred imaginable. Murchadh, a firm proponent of honest, direct confrontation, was appalled by Felurian's underhandedness. When she killed and then resurrected him, that hatred only grew, and in the seconds before he was transformed into Balnor, Murchadh's last thoughts were of the honorless tiefling and the vengeance he would one day visit upon her.

### Frances

Murchadh didn't initially think much of Frances. The quiet, withdrawn tiefling was a stark contrast to his sister Felurian, and Murchadh was drawn more to the latter than to Frances. That briefly changed when Felurian betrayed the party. Through his rage, Murchadh also managed some semblance of pity for Frances, who had been ignorant of his sister's plans to betray them. When Frances paralyzed Murchadh to stop him from attacking Felurian, however, that pity disappeared, replaced with the same burning hatred he held for Felurian and Ysimgrov. Though as Balnor, Murchadh has forgotten any interactions he and Frances may have had, his final thoughts of the tiefling were filled with hate.

### Mrs. Raffles

Murchadh genuinely enjoyed Mrs. Raffles' company, both for her excellent cooking and her constant references to her many sons. One of the few members of their party who did not betray him in the end, Mrs. Raffles never lost Murchadh's esteem as Felurian and Frances did. If Murchadh were ever to return and encounter Mrs. Raffles, the encounter would be a positive one.

### Damien Dawnthorne

Murchadh had few thoughts on Damien Dawnthorne. Though he was impressed with the ranger's strange, magic arm, and had heard tales that Damien had once ridden a mighty silver dragon, Murchadh mostly appreciated him for his unerring ability to lead the party safely through the wastes. Damien frustrated him in their final battle by hiding rather than helping Murchadh fight against Felurian and Ysimgrov, but Murchadh, before his transformation into Balnor, bore the ranger no ill will.

### Mishakal Atalanta

Murchadh could tell from the first that Mishakal Atalanta was far too serious in her day to day affairs. The curt, directed priestess was a stark contrast to the loud, boisterous barbarian, but Murchadh certainly respected her god-given powers. He certainly wouldn't have called her a friend, but, like Damien, Murchadh bore Mishakal no ill will before he was cursed by Ysimgrov, forgetting her entirely.

### Ysimgrov

Murchadh considered Ysimgrov a pathetic showsman, as most the plane-splitters did. Still, he defended him from Damien Dawnthorne when the ranger tried to kill Ysimgrov, arguing that his plan would be of great benefit to the world at large. His mind quickly changed when Ysimgrov revealed his true colors, betraying the party and taking their divine hearts for himself. Until his transformation into Balnor at Ysimgrov's hands, Murchadh's heart was filled with hatred for the aarakocra. After Ysimgrov cursed him, however, Murchadh forgot everything about their encounter, and Balnor's opinion of Ysimgrov can be best summed up as nonexistent.

## Equipment

* The Shatterstar (as Murchadh)
* Winged boots (as Murchadh)
* Crown of Eíre (as Murchadh)
* Rock (as Balnor)
* Stick (as Balnor)

## Trivia

* Murchadh has the most children of any known character. Frances may have more overall, but only one is currently known.
* Murchadh is the strongest player character yet introduced. He is also the tallest.
* Murchadh was the first of the plane-splitters introduced to the Wish's Chosen, though it was as Balnor.
* Murchadh was heavily based on Achilles, Heracles, and Fionn mac Chuill.
* Murchadh's destiny was, too some extent, fulfilled by his fate. He died and was resurrected at a young age, only to live a long, undistinguished life as Balnor after being cursed by Ysimgrov.
* Prior to every session involving Murchadh, Liam would take three shots of Irish whiskey "to get the testosterone and aggression going."