Steady and level-headed, nobles of House Dougal are known for their craftsmanship and dedication to perfection through hard work. As a rule, House Dougal prefers plain-dealing and frank discussion to intrigues, ceremony and other trappings of the nobility. They prefer to serve as architects, master-craftsmen or seneschals to other Seelie lords rather than ruling domains in their own right. Where House Dougal does rule, however, the mechanisms of statecraft run with clockwork precision, so long as the problems which arise have a practical solution. Lords of House Dougal tend to find themselves a bit out of their element when presented with difficult social issues. When confronted with a problem, a lord or lady of House Dougal rolls up his or her sleeves and relentlessly works toward a solution. Should this fail, House Dougal fae have a tendency to lapse into their Unseelie natures until something renews their idealism.
The County of Rowan-Oak was established during the Accordance War by a sidhe of this house, Malcolm Mac Dougal, who with his entourage removed himself from the vanguard of Barabas ap Eiluned during the Shenandoah campaign in protest over the destruction of the freehold of Windham Brake Tavern. Following a trod along the Blue Ridge, he beseiged but failed to capture Ben Bison Brugh, opting finally to tame the Tangleroot Wood and found his own freehold of Baywood there. From this base, he captured the freeholds of Fair Oaks Manor and Tyr-o-Yr Glas, the last hotly contested by its nocker owners. Lingering ill-will over this seizure resulted in the murder of his beloved, Lady Dierdre ap Gwydion, upon whom Tyr-o-Yr Glas had been bestowed. After her death, Count Malcolm lost interest in his demesne, and eventually passed the county pennon on to Dierdre's brother, Lord Vathek of House Gwydion.
Today, only one fae of House Dougal calls the County of Rowan-Oak home. Tamlyn Mac Dougal, descendant of Count Malcolm and the tragic Lady Dierdre, serves as squire to the banneret-knight, Dame Angharad ap Eiluned, who has inherited the freehold of Tyr-o-Yr Glas. A talented glass-crafter, Squire Tamlyn has undertaken a careful renovation of the Glass House, fascinated by the innovative methods employed by its nocker creator over a century ago. His open admiration of the long-departed craftmaster's work, together with his scrupulous custodianship of the Glass House, has done much to ease tensions between the Seelie nobility and the nocker motley at Tinker's Dam.
Perfectionism has its price. The founder of the house, Lord Dougal, determined to change iron, the bane of all fae, into something that could serve them as a tool. So focussed was he on this feat that he was able to call upon his own Glamour to firm his resolve. Even as his own arm blackened under the cold burn of the blood-metal, he continued to work the iron in his forge. Thus, while all fae of House Dougal can perform astounding feats of will when needs demand, so also are they each marked with a physical infirmity as the price of their acumen.
Boon
Once per story, a member of House Dougal can convert a number of temporary Glamour points into points of temporary Willpower, up to her or his permanent Willpower rating.
Flaw
Every member of House Dougal has a physical disability for which they must compensate. Usually these handicaps are susceptible to correction with some cunning device, which house members traditionally craft for themselves. These infirmities are present, although not always visible, in the changeling's mortal seeming.
Quote: "Diplomacy? No, you give me too much credit. If the motley at Tinker's Dam think well of me, of course I appreciate that. But the important thing for me is this wonderful glasswork. Have you ever seen anything like it? I feel deeply honored to be allowed to care for this marvelous place"
- Squire Tamlyn Mac Dougal
