Clurichaun

*“And there we were, me with a steak on my eye and Lady Marisol with an ice pack on her lip, and the pack of redcaps at the back of the room were — oh, you’ve heard this before? Well, I’ll tell it again for the folks in the back, as there’s a lesson in this one.”*

The story of the leprechauns — little green-clad fairy folk hoarding gold at the end of the rainbow — comes from mortals’ distorted tales of the clurichaun. Some kiths pity the clurichaun, seeing them as victims of hundreds of years of bad PR, but others suspect that’s exactly how the clurichaun want it, seeing it as a tremendous joke they’re playing.

Clurichaun live primarily in Ireland, though they also traveled to the United States along with Irish immigrants, making new homes in cities like Boston and New York City. Whether in Ireland or abroad, clurichaun share a love of music, both listening and playing. Most clurichaun play at least one instrument, and many possess the famous Irish tenor voice as well. They enjoy telling stories through song, though they’ll also spin a tale in prose. These jacks-of-all-trades are equally comfortable as bards, comedians, and oral historians, and have a certain dash of the Irish blarney. They don’t lie outright, but they do love to tell a tall tale, often embellishing the story for the sake of humor or to build excitement. Their natural knack for reading a room lets them know which little details or changes would best entertain, which gives clurichaun a reputation of never telling the same story twice.

Along with storytelling, clurichaun love a good-natured brawl, and believe a fistfight can be an avenue to fast friendship. A good donnybrook clears the air, breaks the tension, and reveals hidden passions and personality traits. Trust a clurichaun to know exactly what to say to get the most reserved sluagh or dignified sidhe to throw a punch, but also trust that when the dust clears, the clurichaun will be there with a hearty pat on the back, a stiff drink, and a clever joke to lift the spirits of those she’s just incited to fisticuffs. Should a friendly fracas escalate to real violence, clurichaun have a knack for disappearing before they have to answer for any property damage or missing teeth.

More than anything, even music, stories, and fighting, clurichaun love their collections. Each clurichaun has at least one item he hoards and cherishes above everything else, the basis of the mythical pot of gold. Some clurichaun collect vinyl albums or porcelain statuettes, while others might have more expensive tastes, pursuing all the works of a particular artist or searching for rare stamps or coins. Clurichaun go to great lengths, even great personal risk in some cases, to add another item to their collection. They remember every detail of how they acquired each of their treasures, too, and gladly tell those stories to revisit the fond memories of prior adventures.

## Appearance

While certainly taller than the tiny leprechauns of Irish folktales, clurichaun tend towards shorter stature, rarely topping 5’ 5”. Clurichaun are stocky and compact, with a solid build hinting at their strength and reliability. Their delicately-pointed ears are less noticeable than those of the sidhe. Clurichaun typically have red or russet hair, regardless of their skin tone, and bright, twinkling eyes with upturned corners, typically blue, green, or light hazel in color. Clurichaun walk with a spring in their step, and often wear conspiratorial smiles that make others feel like they’re all sharing a joke. They frequently sport a black eye, busted knuckles, or other evidence of one of their friendly little scuffles.

The little green coats and buckled shoes of cartoon leprechauns don’t usually crop up in their wardrobes, but clurichaun do trend toward shades of green in their clothing choices, as well as grays and browns that allow them to blend in with natural surroundings. Clurichaun demonstrate practicality in their dress, with a preference towards the functional and durable. They prefer clothing that lets them move freely and comfortably, with nothing encumbering to slow them down. Crafting aprons, work coveralls, jeans, and sturdy shoes all find their place in the clurichaun wardrobe, and they usually carry a small first aid kit, or at least a few plastic bandages and a tube of ointment.

## Lifestyles

Some clurichaun prefer a nomadic life, traveling with other musicians or craftsmen to various fairs and music festivals. Other prefer a more stable home, as long as they’re within walking distance of a pub or bar, preferably one with live music. Whether they live in a caravan trailer or a little cottage, clurichaun’s homes are simultaneously cluttered and tidy. Their collections become the focal point of their living space, displayed where the clurichaun can see them all and take joy in their presence. Because these collections are so cherished, clurichaun rarely bring others into their homes, preferring to do their entertaining in a more public venue, where a raucous celebration or fisticuffs won’t inadvertently damage one of their treasures. Those invited home by a clurichaun should feel lucky indeed, because this is a sign of the clurichaun’s deep affection and trust.

## Seemings

### Childlings

Clurichaun childlings brim with humor and passion for life, not yet bridled by social constraints or tempered by experience. Their jokes are cruder, their stories less nuanced and lacking embellishment, and they’re far better as starting fights than they are at resolving them. In this seeming, clurichaun worry less about mastering any one craft and focus more on trying a little bit of everything. Childlings dabble at collecting, but their hoards haven’t developed into the full-blown obsession of wilders and grumps.

### Wilders

Natural musical inclination gives way to genuine skill in clurichaun wilders, who now have the patience to hone their abilities. Many master at least one instrument, sometimes several, and the stories they tell have greater depth as well. A clurichaun wilder’s twinkling eyes and charming personality draws the attention of others, who easily get caught up in his clever, often bawdy tales. Clurichaun wilders are often described as the life of the party, and are prone to party a little too hard, often picking fights for the sheer joy of it. They’ve begun to collect the treasures they will accumulate throughout their lives.

### Grumps

Clurichaun grumps value comfort and camaraderie. A socially deft clurichaun grump seldom starts a fight he knows won’t end with a closer connection and a good laugh, and he’s a master at putting people at ease, weaving engaging tales that last for hours, or singings songs that hit just the right tone for the occasion. Their comfortable, if cluttered, homes are lined with shelves and cases displaying their treasured collections, and they’re loath to leave their precious hoards behind for any length of time.

## Revelry

Clurichaun usually gather their Glamour from their fellow collectors. They revel in the accomplishment a curator feels in assembling a collection of beautiful glass statues, the satisfaction a bibliophile experiences when finally finding a long-desired rare volume, or the joy of a child unwrapping the one card he was missing for his collectible game deck. They can also gain Glamour from a good brawl, of course.

## Unleashing

Cantrips cast by clurichaun bring with them the sweet scent of grass and the bite of whiskey. The air itself takes on a bright green tinge, and tiny shamrocks have been known to spring up from the clurichaun’s footprints. Those present may experience a rush of exhilaration or the sensation of having just heard a hilarious joke, and may even find themselves laughing without knowing why.

## Birthrights

### Twinkling of an Eye

Now you see them, now you don’t. Look away for only a moment, and a clurichaun can disappear into her surroundings, completely undetectable. Unless the clurichaun is bound with iron, she can vanish in a blink, even from someone’s physical grasp, reappearing within the same area but out of her observer/captor’s line of sight. If someone is physically touching the clurichaun, or she is tied up or otherwise restrained, disappearing costs one point of Glamour.

### Fighting Words

After only a few moments, a clurichaun can get a read on a person or group, knowing exactly what to say to provoke a fight. Clurichaun view fighting as an ice breaker and a form of roughand-tumble bonding. The clurichaun can prod anyone into throwing the first punch, which the target can resist through a Willpower roll (difficulty 8). This birthright can be used to incite a fight between the clurichaun and the target, or between the target and another person.

## Frailty

### Hoard

For clurichaun, collecting isn’t a mere hobby, but a consuming obsession. They must spend time with their collection frequently to satisfy this aspect of their nature, an easier task for a clurichaun with a smaller, more portable collection than for one whose hoard is large or unwieldy. Spending more than a week away from her collection triggers Banality.