Bean Sidhe

The **Bean Sidhe** (**Banshee**) are a ghostly race, who float rather than walk upon the earth, and whose heads often hover above their bodies. They are mournful creatures, born of terrible tragedy in the lands of the Tuatha Dé Danann. It is said their keening songs call to the soul of suffering in the world, and their power over sound is unmatched.

Haunting and mysterious, the Bean Sidhe seek to bring justice to an unjust world, and make the hearts of their enemies bleed with despair. Their powers are challenging to wield, but a greater challenge to face. Even a soul is not too great a price to pay to avenge injustice.

## History

The Bean Sidhe come from those who have been horrifyingly tortured for an unjust cause. They have a tradition connected to music and dancing, and it is bound up with both good and bad for them. They are vengeful, yet fully capable of empathy for their allies.

### Age of Becoming

**Main Article:** Bean Sidhe Becoming
The Bean Sidhe originate with a graceful dancer called Badhbh, who fell in love with a singer that didn't deserve it, called Donn. After they were married, Donn grew jealous and insane. Badhbh finally gave up trying to reason with him and tried to leave, but was physically confronted by her husband. She struck him and ran to a neighbor's house, where Donn eventually found her.

Assuming that his erroneous suspicious were confirmed by her presence there, he overcame both her and the neighbor, and brought them out into the woods to torture. The neighbor died, but Donn kept Badhbh alive, despite cutting off her feet and gouging out her tongue. He then left the town.

Badhbh survived, but only barely, her desire for vengeance growing. Eventually, the town was hit by a Malevolence that reacted with her despair and hatred and transformed her into the first **Bean Sidhe**. She then journeyed to find Donn and wreaked horrifying vengeance upon him. Afterward, she took to wandering the Tuatha Dé Danann Realm, seeking for others and beginning the race of the **Bean Sidhe**.

## Appearance

**Bean Sidhe** often appear as floating apparitions of contrasting shades of black, grey and white. In some cases, shadowy tendrils flare out of where their legs and head should be, with the only color coming from a glowing marks on their upper torso and palms.

Sometimes their heads float about their bodies, with glowing wisps coming from their eyes and mouth - a hint of the terrible power that could be unleashed if crossed.

### Banes and Boons

Mark Jacobs in Kickstarter Update #67 mentioned the following ideas for **Bean Sidhe** racial boons, banes and abilities:

"**Possible Racial Boons/Abilities**:

* **Heads up!** – Allows the Bean Sidhe to use its head as a ranged attack and/or advance scout. While doing so, body is immobilized and can no longer attack and defend. Duration and range of head increase with skill. While flying the head can take damage and if destroyed, the body will die as well.

* **Scream of fear** – An unearthly scream will emanate from head and cast an AOE fear debuff. Effect of debuff increases with skill.

* **Ouch, that hurts!** – The Bean Sidhe emits a scream that acts as a physical attack with possible knockback. Strength of attack increases with skill.

* **Shatter!** – The Bean Sidhe emits a high-pitched scream that can shatter glass and other materials instantly. Strength of scream increases with skill.

* **What the hell is that thing?** – Anyone who is with XX range of Bean Sidhe’s flying head has to make a saving throw or have a startle debuff placed on them. Resistance versus the flying head increases with skill.

* **Wait till they get a look at me** – Bean Sidhe can choose to shift their form and become incorporeal. Any attacking entity will have to make a saving throw versus a startle effect. Resistance to debuff increases with skill. Duration of shifting increases with skill. Bean Sidhe must remain in this form for a certain amount of time and cannot shift back until a timer is reached. Forced duration in this form decreases with skill. Please read the section on being incorporeal for a full breakdown of what happens during this type of form shift.

**Possible Racial Banes:**

* **Memories are painful** – All Bean Sidhe’s must take at least one bane of this type that acts as a permanent attack debuff when a member of that race attacks the Bean Sidhe. This is due to a bit of twisted racial memory, which associates that race with the one whose actions led them to becoming Bean Sidhe.

* **Fire is death** – Any attack made with fire against a Bean Sidhe has a +X% chance of striking and when it does so, has a chance to place a limited, non-stackable, fear debuff on the Bean Sidhe. Resistance to the fear debuff increases with skill [Note: this Bane is also used for other races].

* **Being incorporeal has its drawbacks** – While incorporeal, certain magic spells will do +X% damage to the Bean Sidhe. Additional if the Bean Sidhe is incorporeal when a Veilstorm strikes, the Bean Sidhe has a +X% chance of being forced out of the form and will have a stun debuff placed on them from the forced change.

* **Sometimes I even scare myself** – Going incorporeal too often can lead to the Bean Sidhe losing track of their own identity and sanity. When this happens the Bean Sidhe’s shifts will become increasingly difficult and the duration of those shifts will increase. At some point, the Bean Sidhe will not be able to go incorporeal for X days.

* **You think you get sore throats** – Overuse and/or overcharging of the Bean Sidhe’s racial attacks can lead to a temporary debuff placed on the character that will weaken their strength. The debuff can’t be removed by other players and only goes away after a certain period of non-use of these attacks."

Additionally, below is the list of Tuatha Dé Danann Realm Banes and Boons:

## Trivia

* Mark Jacobs commented that the Becoming for the Bean Sidhe came from questions from the forums.

## Revision history

* May 30th, 2013 - Bean Sidhe concept art released the day prior to the official opening of the forums.
* October 9th, 2013 - Bean Sidhe animation test.
* October 15th, 2013 - Becoming story is revealed with sample boons and banes.
* October 29th, 2014 - More concept art was revealed showing more human elements.

## Gallery

* The Haunted Woods
* Hand marks
* Concept art
* Concept art
* Concept art

## References

1. Bean Sidhe Becoming
2. Bean Sidhe Race Page
3. CU Kickstarter Evening Update 5-30-2013
4. CU Kickstarter Afternoon Update 10-9-2013
5. CU Kickstarter Afternoon Update 10-15-2013
6. CU Evening Update 10-29-2014
7. Piercing the Veil #1