Friday, January 19, 2018

Banshees are fairy women of the hills

In folklore the banshee was a fairy woman who attached herself to a long-lived family and foretold whenever a member would die. In D&D, this was mangled: now she is the restless shade of a betrayed elf who goes around killing with her voice; they are also known as "groaning spirits."

In my cosmology, banshees are fey; because my setting gives fey some baggage, this means banshees may be created from the lost souls of any humanoids (or even living humanoids). Clíodhna (pronounced Kleena) is Queen of the Banshees and is credited with their creation.

A la Discworld, banshees behave differently based on their political affiliation. Banshees of the Seelie Court behave in the fashion of folklore, foretelling and mourning deaths within the family they have attached to. Banshees of the Unseelie Court are the ones who go around killing with their voice.

Banshees are not limited to women, nor are they all "blessed with great beauty, failed to use their gift to bring joy to the world. Instead, they used their beauty to corrupt and control others" because that is uninspired and demeaning. Banshees could just as easily, as in Warcraft, be the victims of murder by malicious demons and granted sonic attacks by the lich king or something.

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