Post by Creidne on Jul 7, 2019 22:47:06 GMT
I can now gladly edit the start of this bio since Ray is back with his character Alucard once more. I still need to go find things in a lot of old posts, but there is one thing I need to edit right now. All edits will be in green.
She loves to sculpt, and she spent part of her Immortal life living in the center of hippie culture in San Francisco. Hayley also has a rather huge chip on her shoulder about her family's place in the greater world. But that could indeed be changing.
I will get her bio squared away ASAP, but this may take a bit to put into proper form. Working with this avatar stuff that I had forgotten takes a bit of creative footwork.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Code name: Creidne MacFeorais (after a famous Celtic warrior woman)
Chosen name in this world: Hayley
Age: Immortal but appears to be in her very early 20s
Hair: Brown, but sometimes leaves a white or blonde streak in the front for ornamentation
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5' 3"
Weight: 110 lbs.
Family: The MacFeorais clan
Her original power set: Magic but not as strong as some of her other siblings. Hayley has always sort of gotten by in the areas of power use or battle preparedness.
Her upgraded power set: After a battle on Muir Island where she and Kari, at separate times, embodied the goddesses The Morrigan and The Danu, The Danu has chosen Hayley as a somewhat reluctant avatar. This was not something the family (meaning matriarch Siofra MacFeorais) bet on centuries ago, and it has made some a bit twitchy, to say the least, since Hayley has also been the pinch hitter as avatar for The Morrigan at times when Kari seemingly died. This whole scenario is starting to unfold, and it is not going to be pretty for anyone, least of all the X-Men members tied to the Clan MacFeorais.
This should also affect Cormac MacFeorais, dubbed The Ravenheart, as he is supposed to be the protector of both sisters if they fall in battle.
Weapons: Carries a sword called The Defender. it currently has writing on both sides of the blade. One side, the Gaelic one, has not been translated. The other, written in what may be a Slavic or Teutonic tongue, reads "All things in due time" at the moment. The wording may shift as needed.
Wielder of the Gae Bulga spear of Cuchulainn. Info below on the spear is from Wikipedia:
The Gáe Bulg (also Gáe Bulga, Gáe Bolg, Gáe Bolga, meaning "notched spear", "belly spear", "swelling spear", "bellows-dart", or possibly "lightning spear", was the spear of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It was given to him by his martial arts teacher, the warrior woman Scáthach, and its technique was taught only to him.
It was made from the bone of a sea monster, the Coinchenn, that had died while fighting another sea monster, the Curruid. Although some sources make it out to be simply a particularly deadly spear, others-notably the Book of Leinster-state that it could only be used under very specialized, ritual conditions:
" The Gáe Bulg had to be made ready for use on a stream and cast from the fork of the toes. It entered a man's body with a single wound, like a javelin, then opened into thirty barbs. Only by cutting away the flesh could it be taken from that man's body.[1] "
In other versions of the legend, the spear had seven heads, each with seven barbs. In the Táin Bó Cuailnge, Cúchulainn received the spear after training with the great warrior master Scáthach in Alba. She taught him and his foster-brother, Ferdiad, everything the same, except she only taught the Gáe Bulg feat to Cuchulainn. He later used it in single combat against Ferdiad. They were fighting in a ford, and Ferdiad had the upper hand; Cúchulainn's charioteer, Láeg, floated the Gáe Bulg down the stream to his master, who cast it into Ferdiad's body, piercing the warrior's armor and "coursing through the highways and byways of his body so that every single joint filled with barbs." Needless to say, Ferdiad died soon after. On a separate occasion, Cúchulainn also killed his own son, Connla, with the spear. In both instances, it was used a last resort, as once thrown it proved invariably fatal.
The name Gáe Bulg may be related linguistically to Fergus mac Róich's sword, Caladbolg.
Also the wielder of The Luin. Info is also from Wikipedia:
In the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature, the Lúin of Celtchar (Irish: Lúin Celtchair) is the name of a long, fiery lance or spear belonging to Celtchar mac Uthechar and wielded by other heroes, such as Dubthach, Mac Cécht and Fedlimid.
Detailed descriptions of the spear's special use and terrible effect are to be found in the Middle Irish texts Togail Bruidne Dá Derga ("The Destruction of the Hostel of Da Derga") (Recension II) and Mesca Ulad ("The Intoxication of the Ulstermen"), both of which employ the so-called "watchman device" to describe the fearful appearance of the warrior Dubthach Dóeltenga. In Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, it appears when the spies of Ingcél Cáech report on Conaire's large retinue of warriors in the hostel of Da Derga in Leinster. Lomnae Drúth observes:
"The man in the centre had a great lance, with fifty rivets through it, and its shaft would be a load for a team of oxen. He brandished the lance until sparks as big as eggs all but flew from it, and then he struck the butt against his palm three times. Before them was a great food cauldron, large enough for a bullock, with an appalling dark liquid in it, and the man dipped the lance into the liquid. If not the lance was not quenched quickly , it blazed up over its shaft - you would have thought there was a roaring fire in the upper part of the house."
The interpreter Fer Rogain identifies the figure as Dubthach Dóeltenga and explains:
"And the lance that was in the hand of Dubthach, that was the Lúin of Celtchair son of Uthechar that was found at the Battle of Mag Tuired. Whenever the blood of enemies is about to flow from the lance, a cauldron full of venom is required to quench it; otherwise, the lance will blaze up in the fist of the man carrying it, and it will pierce him or the lord of the royal house. Each thrust of this lance will kill a man, even if it does not reach him; if the lance is cast, it will kill nine men, and there will be a king or royal heir or plundering chieftain in their number. I swear by what my people swear by, the Lúin of Celtchar will serve drinks of death to a multitude tonight."[1] In Mesca Ulad, Medb's watchmen paint a very similar picture when they describe one of the approaching warriors:
"A great warrior, his spear reaches to the height of his shoulder. When its spear-heat seizes it, he strikes the butt of the great spear across the palm, so that the fill of a sack-measure of fiery tinder-sparks bursts out over its blade and over its tip, when its spear-heat takes hold of it. Before him there is a cauldron of black blood, of dreadful liquid, prepared by night by his sorcery from the blood of dogs and cats and druids, in order that the head of that spear might be dipped in that poisonous liquid when its spear-heat comes to it." Cú Roí then explains to Medb and her company that the watchmen have just seen Dubthach, who has borrowed the Lúin of Celtchar, and that a cauldron of red blood stands before him "so that it would not burn its shaft or the man who carried it were it not bathed in the cauldron of poisonous blood; and it is foretelling battle that it is."[2] This latter quality has been taken to mean that such "sensitive spears ... by their vibration, portended the imminence of battle and slaughter."[3]
A late version of the saga Cath Ruis na Ríg ("The Battle of Ross na Ríg") gives a more succinct account of the Luin, but also adds a number of details, such as the use of four mercenaries to keep the cauldron in place.[4] Obviously, the weapon needed to be handled with extreme care. According to his death-tale, Celtchar was accidentally killed by his own spear in a way which emphasizes its excessive heat. When he had used the Lúin to slay a hound which had been ravaging the country, he placed it upright with the spear-point upwards and so a drop of the hound's blood which trickled down along the spear went through him and killed him.[5]
Note: Because of her connection to the Morrigu, Hayley can wield these spears without the "tricks" to keep them from going off the chain.
Wielder of the Gae Bulga spear of Cuchulainn. Info below on the spear is from Wikipedia:
The Gáe Bulg (also Gáe Bulga, Gáe Bolg, Gáe Bolga, meaning "notched spear", "belly spear", "swelling spear", "bellows-dart", or possibly "lightning spear", was the spear of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It was given to him by his martial arts teacher, the warrior woman Scáthach, and its technique was taught only to him.
It was made from the bone of a sea monster, the Coinchenn, that had died while fighting another sea monster, the Curruid. Although some sources make it out to be simply a particularly deadly spear, others-notably the Book of Leinster-state that it could only be used under very specialized, ritual conditions:
" The Gáe Bulg had to be made ready for use on a stream and cast from the fork of the toes. It entered a man's body with a single wound, like a javelin, then opened into thirty barbs. Only by cutting away the flesh could it be taken from that man's body.[1] "
In other versions of the legend, the spear had seven heads, each with seven barbs. In the Táin Bó Cuailnge, Cúchulainn received the spear after training with the great warrior master Scáthach in Alba. She taught him and his foster-brother, Ferdiad, everything the same, except she only taught the Gáe Bulg feat to Cuchulainn. He later used it in single combat against Ferdiad. They were fighting in a ford, and Ferdiad had the upper hand; Cúchulainn's charioteer, Láeg, floated the Gáe Bulg down the stream to his master, who cast it into Ferdiad's body, piercing the warrior's armor and "coursing through the highways and byways of his body so that every single joint filled with barbs." Needless to say, Ferdiad died soon after. On a separate occasion, Cúchulainn also killed his own son, Connla, with the spear. In both instances, it was used a last resort, as once thrown it proved invariably fatal.
The name Gáe Bulg may be related linguistically to Fergus mac Róich's sword, Caladbolg.
Also the wielder of The Luin. Info is also from Wikipedia:
In the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature, the Lúin of Celtchar (Irish: Lúin Celtchair) is the name of a long, fiery lance or spear belonging to Celtchar mac Uthechar and wielded by other heroes, such as Dubthach, Mac Cécht and Fedlimid.
Detailed descriptions of the spear's special use and terrible effect are to be found in the Middle Irish texts Togail Bruidne Dá Derga ("The Destruction of the Hostel of Da Derga") (Recension II) and Mesca Ulad ("The Intoxication of the Ulstermen"), both of which employ the so-called "watchman device" to describe the fearful appearance of the warrior Dubthach Dóeltenga. In Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, it appears when the spies of Ingcél Cáech report on Conaire's large retinue of warriors in the hostel of Da Derga in Leinster. Lomnae Drúth observes:
"The man in the centre had a great lance, with fifty rivets through it, and its shaft would be a load for a team of oxen. He brandished the lance until sparks as big as eggs all but flew from it, and then he struck the butt against his palm three times. Before them was a great food cauldron, large enough for a bullock, with an appalling dark liquid in it, and the man dipped the lance into the liquid. If not the lance was not quenched quickly , it blazed up over its shaft - you would have thought there was a roaring fire in the upper part of the house."
The interpreter Fer Rogain identifies the figure as Dubthach Dóeltenga and explains:
"And the lance that was in the hand of Dubthach, that was the Lúin of Celtchair son of Uthechar that was found at the Battle of Mag Tuired. Whenever the blood of enemies is about to flow from the lance, a cauldron full of venom is required to quench it; otherwise, the lance will blaze up in the fist of the man carrying it, and it will pierce him or the lord of the royal house. Each thrust of this lance will kill a man, even if it does not reach him; if the lance is cast, it will kill nine men, and there will be a king or royal heir or plundering chieftain in their number. I swear by what my people swear by, the Lúin of Celtchar will serve drinks of death to a multitude tonight."[1] In Mesca Ulad, Medb's watchmen paint a very similar picture when they describe one of the approaching warriors:
"A great warrior, his spear reaches to the height of his shoulder. When its spear-heat seizes it, he strikes the butt of the great spear across the palm, so that the fill of a sack-measure of fiery tinder-sparks bursts out over its blade and over its tip, when its spear-heat takes hold of it. Before him there is a cauldron of black blood, of dreadful liquid, prepared by night by his sorcery from the blood of dogs and cats and druids, in order that the head of that spear might be dipped in that poisonous liquid when its spear-heat comes to it." Cú Roí then explains to Medb and her company that the watchmen have just seen Dubthach, who has borrowed the Lúin of Celtchar, and that a cauldron of red blood stands before him "so that it would not burn its shaft or the man who carried it were it not bathed in the cauldron of poisonous blood; and it is foretelling battle that it is."[2] This latter quality has been taken to mean that such "sensitive spears ... by their vibration, portended the imminence of battle and slaughter."[3]
A late version of the saga Cath Ruis na Ríg ("The Battle of Ross na Ríg") gives a more succinct account of the Luin, but also adds a number of details, such as the use of four mercenaries to keep the cauldron in place.[4] Obviously, the weapon needed to be handled with extreme care. According to his death-tale, Celtchar was accidentally killed by his own spear in a way which emphasizes its excessive heat. When he had used the Lúin to slay a hound which had been ravaging the country, he placed it upright with the spear-point upwards and so a drop of the hound's blood which trickled down along the spear went through him and killed him.[5]
Note: Because of her connection to the Morrigu, Hayley can wield these spears without the "tricks" to keep them from going off the chain.
Familiar: Has a raven named Ingrum. People are not always fond of Ingrum.
Children: Annaliese (stillborn--result of rape)
Bio: Hayley is the youngest of the MacFeorais daughters. She has, at times, had a huge chip on her shoulder because her mother had her more or less to fulfill the family prophesies once she thought Kari died ages ago. In reality, Kennis Etain DalCais MacFeorais was pushed to do this by her mother-in-law Siofra. That is not common knowledge to most in the family at this point, including Kari and Hayley, although Kari has had her suspicions regarding this over the years.
Hayley was, in her last time on the board, connected to Adrian Tepes/Alucard, the son of Dracula, and hung around with a mystic group that formed around Alucard. Their relationship, like most other relationships, hit rocky patches, but she still considers Adrian "the one," even if she knows she is not the great love of his life (he lost his wife and children in the 1800s).
Hayley can be very, very unpleasant to deal with at times because of this low self esteem issue, but she is trying to keep her problems in check. Her time with Alucard, Dante, D and, she'd hate to say it, Sydney MacLeod has helped soften her a bit.
Her powers in the past had not been as sharply focused as her siblings' were, but her power up on Muir Island has caused her to become more aware of her abilities and how to use them in battle. She still could care the bloody hell less about the Askani most of the time. She wants to live her life on her own terms and not have to live up to what the world thinks she should do. The Danu, and at times The Morrigan, might have other ideas.
Her powers in the past had not been as sharply focused as her siblings' were, but her power up on Muir Island has caused her to become more aware of her abilities and how to use them in battle. She still could care the bloody hell less about the Askani most of the time. She wants to live her life on her own terms and not have to live up to what the world thinks she should do. The Danu, and at times The Morrigan, might have other ideas.
She owns a house in San Francisco in the Alamo Park district where the Painted Ladies dot the streets. She considers herself one of the Flower Children and that Haight-Ashbury is the magical nexus of the West Coast. She knew the greats before they became greats and considered Joplin, Garcia and others in the San Francisco music community some of her closest personal friends. Most of the world did not know that she was an immortal, but they did.
Hayley loves to sculpt and, for a time, sold her artwork in a gallery in San Francisco. The owner, He Ying, another immortal, was in play for a brief time on the board, and is still referred to as Little Miss Whippy Hair by the MacLeod Sisters. Ying will return to the game at some point.
Hayley left the X-Men, but she did not go with Kari to fight in her great war. She moved back to the West Coast and never thought her sister was not alive because she was not tasked with channeling the goddess Morrigan once. She was visited by her grandmother Siofra more than once, and the old crone never told her otherwise.
--More to come--
--Karen
