The Bansidhe (pronounced Banshee) are a loosely connected group of beings all afflicted with the same undying curse. They have all been slain, immersed in the Darkwell and risen again. Many are or were dedicated to fighting the evil of Kazgoroth and they continue that fight.
History
The first and greatest of the Bansidhe is the warrior Anhaern Rhyllgallohyr, the former first captain of the Sisters of Synnoria. In 562 DR, the Year of the Waking Feyr, Anhaern and fifty of her comrades died battling the savage firbolg menace that had grown to threaten Synnoria.
Anhaern and her fellow Bansidhe died that day, but they were born again when the firbolg dumped their bodies in the Darkwell to try and spread its corruption and the growing Fens of the Fallon.
After slaughtering the firbolg, the Bansidhe attempted to return to Synnoria but were pained by the music of that paradise and driven away by the swords and spells of the living llewyrr.
Seeking solitude and a home of their own, the Bansidhe ventured beyond the Myrloch Vale, out of the reach of their living kin.Coming to the Shrouded Lands the Bansidhe established the settlement of Elyssyrr, and from there they would ride forth to battle the firbolg whenever their numbers rose to threaten the people of Gwynneth.
Over the centuries the Bansidhe have seen their numbers steadily increase with additional undying elves, dwarves, and humans who were also dumped into the Darkwell and rose again. The humans and dwarves do not share the zealous ideology of the llewyrr and so the settlement of Fenton was established on the opposite side of the Meirig Peatlands.
Around 950 DR a leader arose among the Bansidhe of Fenton, Dwi Merrickson, under his direction the humans joined the raids of Anhaern and her warriors in combating the firbolg and saw a significant decrease in firbolg numbers for the next few centuries, allowing the Kingdom of Corwell to prosper.
More recently a strange malaise has struck the Bansidhe, mostly affecting the humans and dwarves, causing them to laze about in a fatigue, only finding excitement in the bloodlust of battle and slaughter of foes. Without the humans to aid them, Anhaern Rhyllgallohyr has found it difficult to cull the growing numbers of savage firbolg, worse still a select few of her own Bansidhe are becoming similarly afflicted.
Organisation
Headquarters: Elyssyrr (llewyrr), Fenton (others)
Members: 342 (30% elf – llewyrr, 40% human – ffolk, 10% dwarf – shield, 10% human – norl, 10% other)
Hierarchy: None
Leader: Anhaern Rhyllgallohyr is the undisputed leader of the Bansidhe of Elyssyrr. Dwi Merrickson is well respected by many of the Bansidhe of Fenton
Religion: None.
Secrecy: Medium. The Bansidhe like to maintain their isolation and privacy. They pose as corpses on the beach to keep intruders away (and slay those foolish enough to ignore the warning). Outside of their settlements they make no attempt to engage with others, riding out to slay firbolg and other evils and then riding away without reward.
Symbol: None
The Bansidhe is not so much an organisation as a group of beings brought together by a common status (afflicted with seeming immortality and isolated from their former homes).
The Bansidhe live together in the settlements of Elyssyrr and Fenton among others of their kind. Elven Bansidhe live in Elyssyrr where they obey the commands of Anhaern Rhyllgallohyr who is acknowledged as the best warrior and leader of the group. Other Bansidhe live in the settlement of Fenton where many choose to obey Dwi Merrickson who has a commanding presence and has shown himself a wise leader and capable battle commander.
The Bansidhe in Elyssyrr and Fenton find themselves a niche in the society according to the skills and knowledge they had in life. With the need for food and the threat of illness removed, most Bansidhe devote themselves to the pursuit of whatever interests they had in life (crafting, writing, etc), while a few (particularly the elves) hone their martial skills to perfection ready to fight the firbolg.
Dogma / Motivation / Goals
The Bansidhe as an organisation is motivated by the goals of its leaders. Both Anhaern Rhyllgallohyr and Dwi Merrickson desire revenge against the firbolg for the evils they inflicted upon the Bansidhe, more than that they recognise the truth of their affliction and that it is likely that they are animated by the power of Kazgoroth (who has a connection to the Darkwell).
As a result of this connection it is likely that should Kazgoroth return, all the Bansidhe will come under his control, Anhaern and Dwi seek to prevent or delay that return, and if they cannot, then they hope that their actions now can mitigate the evils they may inflict in the future when Kazgoroth commands them.
Anhaern has the complete loyalty of the llewyrr Bansidhe and regularly takes them out on patrol in the Myrloch Vale and beyond to combat the firbolg and deal with signs of Kazgoroth’s return (using information passed to them by Greystone Trading). Dwi Merrickson manages to gather an ever decreasing number of other bansidhe to help him assist the llewyrr Bansidhe in their fight against the firbolg. The humans and dwarves under Dwi usually travel into the hills and mountains to flush out the firbolg while the llewyrr fight them in the Vale itself.
Membership / Recruiting
The Bansidhe do not welcome new members from among the living (non-Bansidhe), in fact they actively seek to prevent the creation of new members, by stopping the firbolg from slaying individuals and dumping their corpses into the Darkwell (some of these unfortunates may rise again as Bansidhe).
New Bansidhe are welcomed into the group (although not all choose to join and few do so immediately, often attempting to return home first to find they are outcast). Bansidhe that do choose to join are given help to create a home for themselves and given time to adjust to find a purpose in their eternal existence.
Allies
The Bansidhe have few allies and many enemies among the living. Most beings that encounter the Bansidhe regard them as evil due to their appearance (evidently dead and sporting ragged wounds from whatever slew them).
Over the centuries, a few groups and organisations have recognised the aims of the Bansidhe as mirroring their own and they have entered into a loose alliance to enable them to assist one another.
Greystone Trading: This trading company is actually an information broker and mediator between the norl and the ffolk, hoping to unite humans against the evils they believe are working against the people of the Moonshae Isles. Greystone Trading regularly stops at the Bansidhe settlements to trade information and supplies, and alert the Bansidhe to firbolg movements on Gwynneth and any rumours of Kazgoroth and his minions.
Heralds of the High King: The Heralds of the High King seek to find worthy individuals to restore the High Kingdom of the Moonshae Isles and bring peace and prosperity to the region. The Heralds have used the Bansidhe to monitor and maintain the safety of certain worthy individuals to maximise their potential usage in restoring the High Kingdom.
Although few realise it, hidden among the Bansidhe is a former High King of the Ffolk; High King Tanner I, now a Bansidhe and a leader among them. Tanner uses his members of the Heralds to orchestrate the actions of the Bansidhe to ensure they fulfil the aims of both organisations.
Enemies
All evil doers have need to fear the Bansidhe, the minions of Kazgoroth especially so.
Important NPCs
Anhaern Rhyllgallohyr (Neutral, Elf – Sunrise, Warrior 8): Anhaern Rhyllgallohyr is the legendary first captain of the Sisters of Synnoria who fought alongside Cymrych Hugh against Kazgoroth the Beast. She was slain centuries ago fighting the firbolg and rose again as one of the Bansidhe. Anhaern now leads the elven Bansidhe in her continued fight against the firbolg and the forces of Kazgoroth.
Dwi Merrickson (Neutral, Human – Tethyrian, Expert 5): Dwi Merrickson is a tall man of regal bearing, with grey hair that makes him look around 50 years. He arrived among the Bansidhe in 10th century Dalereckoning and has steadily risen to a position of leadership among the Bansidhe of Fenton. Dwi keeps his former life a mystery, acknowledging only that he served in the army of High King Tanner when he came to Gwynneth to fight the firbolg.
The Alternate Forgotten Realms 