Bé-Fáil

**Bé-Fáil** is the High Queen of the tanistry of Alba and patron of the Coillín circle. She's an old Half-elf woman from a long line of Half-elves known as the Coillín, who ruled over the similarly named petty kingdom of Coillín for generations.

Bé-Fáil is always flanked by her two loyal pets, a massive Dire Wolf named Cernun that she rides on and a black wolfhound named Annwn that follows suit. They have been at her side since her twenties and have shown no sign of ageing, and many believe that she is using dark magics to keep them alive.

## Description

The high queen is a frail thing losing most of that physical vitality she once had. But she hasn't lost any of her spirit and her courtiers affirm her that she still strikes an impressive figure. She walks with a hunchback as a result of her age and is right handed, although she prefers to cast spells with her left hand. She wears a long green dress adorned with gold pattern, over which she wears a dark grey coat. Around her neck is a necklace with the Coillín family symbol inside, a White Hart. On her head sits a silver crown that keeps her up, it is adorned with several exotic gemstones from around Sahul.

She's a warlock, which gives her mastery over dark magics. Bé-Fáil is able to summon tentacles out of the ground and smash through her enemies and cast clouds of lightning to electrocute people. As a result of her dark pact with her patron, a Leviathan named An Cailleach, she has a small black mark on the back of her neck.

## Personality

Bé-Fáil is a natural born socialite. Her words have a way with people, making them do things that are against their best interests. Her personal expertise is seeing the potential in people, which has led the kingdom of Alba to flourish.

Bé-Fáil is a humble and brave woman who, before her back began to hold her down, would personally lead her troops on the battlefield with her Claidheamh Mòr and dark sorceries.
One of Bé-Fáil's biggest weaknesses is her hedonism, which has lead her into trouble more than ones, including her encounter with the Leviathan who turned her into a warlock.

## History

Bé-Fáil was born as the daughter of a count who served as tannist under his brother, the ruler of the Kingdom of Coillín. None expected much of her, she had two brothers and the king had a son after all. But tragedy struck her family and almost every male died in the next 16 year. The last one to fall was the petty king, her uncle Lugh who died from an infected wound. At her 16th birthday she was elected by her diseased uncle and her sister to become the new petty queen.

In the first four years of her reign she did nothing but hold exquisite banquets and lavish parties. Many of her courtiers began to whisper about their low expectations of for this spoiled teenager, but behind their back Bé-Fáil was forging powerful relationships with the rulers of the neighbouring kingdoms, sometimes as formal allies or political friends, and sometimes as secret lovers.

One of these secret lover was a handsome prince of a neighbouring kingdom. She went with him into the forest and as she prepared to give her all to him he knocked her out. As she woke up she found herself bound on the back of a Thorny Dragon and the prince heading for home. Then there was a sudden indescribable scream and a giant slimy tentacle spew from the foliage, smashing into the beast and sending Bé-Fáil flying. As she tried to get herself back up together she heard the scream of her captor. Fear overcame her and she let herself fall again, hopping that whatever attacked them would think that she died in the crash.
She lay there, and felt two wrinkly hands on her shoulders. She was pulled up straight and when she dared to take a peek she didn't see a monster, but an small old wrinkly woman wearing a plain dress. The old lady asked if Bé-Fáil was alright, which Bé-Fáil responded to with that she was only a little bruised and chocked. Then the old lady helped Bé-Fáil out of her constrains and introduced herself as An Cailleach, an old sorceress who makes her home in the woods. Bé-Fáil asked what the thing was that attacked them which made An Cailleach giggle a bit. "*It was me my dear. Just a simple spell I cast after I saw you getting kidnapped.*" she answered. Bé-Fáil's eyes shot wide open and her mouth dropped. "*How does one achieve such incredible power?*" she asked. An Cailleach didn't answer her, but asked Bé-Fáil to follow her instead. Bé-Fáil just nodded and the two wandered off the road deep into the forest in the depth of night.
After a while they reached a beautiful lake with a giant stone standing in the centre of it. An Cailleach sat down at the water side and Bé-Fáil joined her as they looked over the lake together. After a while An Cailleach turned to Bé-Fáil and said "*You asked me how to achieve power such as mine. Well it really depends on what you are willing to sacrifice for it, my dear.*" "*Everything! I am the last of the line of Coillín, a family that has always been loyal to the Alba. I can't allow our line to end with me.*" She responded. "*Very well, my dear.*" An Cailleach said as she stood up again.Green tentacles shot from under her dress and she quickly dashed over the water to the standing stone.
The world darkened around Bé-Fáil, the water began to give off a blue glow and magical runes started to light up on the standing stone. "*Bé-Fáil of house Coillín. You desire strength and power beyond your wildest dreams for any price. Give me your Elven vitality and vigour in the second half of your life and I will bless you with my powers!*" An Cailleach bellowed in a unnerving voice. "*Oh mighty An Cailleach! Take whatever you need, but just grant me strength!*" Bé-Fáil cried out. One of An Cailleach's tentacles slithered across the lake, and lodged itself into the back of Bé-Fáil's neck. Unimaginable dark power and forbidden wisdom filled Bé-Fáil's brain. The pain was almost unbearable, but she managed to keep standing. The tentacle fell off and began to transform, eventually forming into the shape of a huge black Dire Wolf. "*The pact has been made! This is Cernun, my link to you. Speak with him when you need my aid! Go forth my warlock, ride on Cernun and return home to lead your people. I will collect my due in time, my dear...*" An Cailleach roared from across the lake. Bé-Fáil almost instinctively moved her hand in a intricate pattern from which a black bolt of energy shot forth. She quickly jumped on the back of her new dire wolf and began to ride off. She turned around to thank An Cailleach but no body was there anymore, and she rode home to the castle.

That morning she arrived at court with newfound vitality and potent magic. She started to work to on securing a future for her clan. She saddled up her Dire Wolf Cernun and led her army, the green knights, to beyond Coillín's borders. each kingdom that they arrived in was faced with a choice: Join Coillín as a free vassal or be put back in line by the green knights. At first the neighbouring kingdoms laughed into her face, but after two years of total war they surrounded. Eventually more and more petty kings started to join on their own volition and over the next eighteen years of her life Bé-Fáil conquered state after state until eventually the entire Emerald Forest came under her rule. She named her kingdom after the ancient Elven tribe that lived here before.