The Aos Si (or Sidhe) are the rulers of the fae court and in looks and description are very similar to (in some lore even considered) elves. They can be either Seelie or Unseelie.
History In ancient Ireland, there were more than a few races that existed. Among them was the Tuatha de Danann. The Tuatha de Danann was a magical race that possessed supernatural powers. Most of them were god-like creatures or divine beings that were being worshipped. This race was also known to believe in Goddess Danu. She was sometimes referred to as the mother. Some people claim that their origin goes back to Atlantis; however, they had to leave, for the city disappearance. In ancient Greece, there were texts that suspect it was meant for the Tuatha de Dannan. The text included the following “..in ancient Greece… there lived a race of nomads known as the Pelasgians. Tribal in nature, they were seafarers who claimed to be born from the teeth of the Comic Snake Ophion, and the Great Goddess Danu.” It reveals that the Tuatha de Danann came from Greece. They tried to destroy the rulers of Greece, the Pelasgians, at that time and take over, but their attempts failed. They then had to leave for Denmark before heading to Ireland. The Tuatha de Danann then settled in four major cities; Falias, Gorias, Finias, and Murias. The Tuatha de Danann brought fascinating skills and wisdom to Ireland when they arrived there. They gained those skills from four wise men who resided in the four cities; one in each. Senias was the wise man who resided in Murias; Morias in Falias; Urias in Gorias; and Arias in Finias. Over and beyond, the Tuatha de Danann brought four treasures from the four cities; treasures that were beneficial to Ireland.
Appearance
Generally said to be very similar to humans in height and overall appearance, usually pale, fair haired and finely dressed. Aos Si blood is white and is very addictive and sought after by blood drinking species and creatures of all sorts.
Personality
The Aos Si are not bound and tied to the lands of the Otherworld. They are known to travel and move their homes. They enjoy attending mortal fairs and festivals. On quarter days-- Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasa, they travel in troupes along fairy roads in a procession of celebration. Their magic depends on which court they come from and are tied to the element of their alignment. Spring and Summer Seelie Sidhe have powers related to the earth or to water. Autumn and Winter Unseelie Sidhe have powers related to fire and air. The Aos Si use their magic to either blend in with the humans (glamour) or to become invisible, though this tactic can be overcome by anyone with second sight or who has dealt with them before. Though those who can see them are usually wise enough to be subtle with this knowledge as it is well known that the Aos Si value their privacy and are quick to punish those they feel are spying on them.
When they first snaked into Ireland, the Firbolgs were the rulers by that time. The march of the Tuatha de Danann surprised them, escorting to a failure in resisting them. Both races fought over the rule of Ireland. Eventually, victory was on the side of Tuatha de Danann; they won the battle and took over Ireland.
As soon as the Milesians arrived in Ireland, it wasn't long before the Tuatha de Danann disappeared for good. One of the theories states that the Tuatha de Danann did not fight the Milesians at all. That was because their foretelling skills suggested that they were going to lose the country anyway. Instead, they built their own kingdoms under several hills around Ireland, in Tir na nOg, the Land of the Young (the Otherworld). It’s said that they built them long before the arrival of the Milesians. This theory suggests that the Tuatha de Danann were what was referred to as the fairy folk of Ireland. The latter was because they lived underground for good.
They are the fae most likely to kidnap humans for pleasure or for work such as musicians, midwives, bakers, and lovers. They are also the species most known for kidnapping babies and replacing them with their own young (Changelings). They have been known to marry and breed with humans (though this act is more commonly Unseelie and is frowned upon in the Seelie Court, due to the respect for blood purity). And they’re not beyond stealing whatever it is they want though this tends to be treasures, food and livestock.
Their weaknesses are iron, salt and certain herbs. All Aos Si have one hand of power, an ability that is unique only to them. And no Aos Si can lie, which makes them masters of word play and loop holes. Even their own contracts have loopholes, if you’re smart enough to find them.
Marriages
The Seelie looked at marriage and gave it a big thumbs up. It was neat and ordered and about purity and love and devotion – it was the very epitome of what it means to be Seelie! Except they couldn’t really leave well enough alone – marriage was far too SIMPLE for the Seelie. And simple things aren’t ordered, there needs to be layers to cover all of the necessary nuance otherwise you may end up with a system that is not perfectly and orderly ideal for its purpose! So they expanded on the concept in headache making ways. The main expansion they made is deciding that the word “marriage” was far too simplistic a way to speak of the many different kinds of relationship that it covers. They decided to have entirely different ceremonies, etiquette and institutions. It really was a master stroke that managed to utterly strip any pretense of romance from most of them (the Seelie contend that that makes Consorts truly romantic – because there’s no fakery). The end result? The Seelie Sidhe actually have 6 marriage-like institutions. It is perfectly acceptable (and even normal) to have more than one of them (or even multiples of each one) since none of the fae, Seelie or Unseelie, are especially impressed by sexual monogamy. When a Sidhe has multiple spouses there are complex rules of etiquette that establish an in-depth hierarchy between the family household – including special forms of address, who gets to go to what functions, proper modes of dress, serving order etc etc.
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