Preeminent among the noble houses of the Seelie Court, House Gwydion lives by its honor, tenaciously holding to its right to rule. Nobles of this house take their duties of Noblesse Oblige very seriously, and strive to excel each other in leadership and influence. Only a threat from outside the ranks of House Gwydion can bring its members together for long. Once such a threat is ended, the dance of status and virtue resumes. Indeed, although many of this house would rather die than admit to it, when a noble of House Gwydion cannot best a rival by honorable means, he is apt to lapse into his Unseelie demeanor until he finds a way to come out on top. Lords and ladies of House Gwydion have a reputation as thoughtful, fair rulers. However, their unquestioning attitude of themselves as the best of houses is well know, and to many fae smacks more of overweening pride than genuine noblesse. Nobles of House Eiluned never tire of challenging the House of High Summer, seeing their vainglorious ways as an invitation for a come-uppance. Those who taunt a lord of the House Gwydion do so at their peril, however, for the wrath of the House of High Summer is as legendary as its honor.
Few members of House Gwydion have been drawn to Rowan-Oak, seeing this remote demesne as an unsuitable proving-ground for their excellence. Perhaps also the poor example set by the late Count Vathek ap Gwydion cause other nobles of the House of the Falcon to give the region a wide berth. Lord Vathek was among the entourage of Malcolm Mac Dougal when the latter imposed the rule of the Seelie Court upon the county. The unwillingness of the area's commoners to acknowledge the mastery of the sidhe was offensive to Lord Vathek's deeply Traditionalist attitudes. His opinion was not improved when his sister Dierdre, Lady of Tyr-o-Yr Glas and consort to Count Malcolm, was killed by parties unknown one cold winter night. When he became count in turn, Vathek doggedly pursued any lead in locating Lady Dierdre's killers. He never succeeded, and it is believed that this failure drove him into his tyranical Unseelie legacy. When he was afterwards destroyed by a monstrous Wurm, few in the County mourned him.
Today, only one noble of House Gwydion cares to reside in Rowan-Oak, and he can hardly be called typical of his house. Sardonic and saturnine by turns, Lord Dar'Nall won the title of Baron of Baywood by taming this feral corner of the county with his True Heart, the Lady Celeste ap Eiluned. Unabashedly and openly Unseelie, he rules over Baywood from a grotto of ice in the winter months, surrendering the reins of power to his consort each Beltaine.
House Gwydion's dedication to duty lends them an insight into the motives of others, liege-lord and vassal alike. Their keen eyes miss little, and they are ever on guard against treachery. Their obsession with personal honor sometimes overcomes their fair-mindedness, however, and even the rashest squire of House Fiona will think twice before risking the Falcon's ire.
Boon
With a successfull Perception + Kenning roll, a member of House Gwydion can determine whether a speaker is expressing what he or she believes to be true. The difficulty of this feat is equal to the subject's willpower. For some reason not now remembered, nobles of House Eiluned are immune to this scrutiny.
Flaw
Whenever their honor is creditably challenged, and also when Wounded, nobles of the House of High Summer must make a Willpower Roll at a difficulty of 5, or fall into a fit of rage, attacking anyone nearby whether friend or foe. While under the influence of this preternatural wrath, they ignore all Health Level penalties until Incapacitated.
Quote: "It's not without some amusement that I have come to notice that kithain are not so different from the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve in this: When wrongs have been done to them, they demand Justice. When they've done wrong to others, how quickly the desired virtue becomes Mercy."
- His Lordship, Dar'Nall ap Gwydion, Baron of Baywood
