Cathal
Cathal is a legendary Unseelie Sidhe and first head of House Balor.
Overview
House Balor began with Cathal, the son of Lugh of the Long Arm, grandson of Balor of the Evil Eye. He led the house (so it is said) for over one hundred years while they established themselves among the children of the Tuatha de Danaan. During that time, he is said to have made certain pledges to the Dreaming in return for power and the protection of his line. One such pledge was that the house and all its members would remain steadfastly Unseelie. Thus would their role in the pageant always be fulfilled. To the house, the role is that of the consummate hero: brave warriors for individual rights and the redressing of wrongs against their people, while to the Seelie, they are the villains of the story.
It is said that King Cathal sought and found many powerful treasures that he held in trust against the day when Balor would be strong enough to overthrow the other noble houses. He is also rumored to be the last of the fomorian-born sidhe to have powers associated with his "deformity." Many claimed that Cathal was physically perfect, but given to fits similar to grand mal seizures. During these fits, though, he was able to look into the future and predict what would happen if people followed a certain course of action. Whenever a seizure took him, a strange circular red design would appear on his forehead in the position mystics attribute to the third eye.
Assassins from House Eiluned working on behalf of House Gwydion killed him when his popularity threatened their rule. Cathal predicted his own death and took care to hide the mighty treasures so they would never fall to the Seelie. They have been a sacred trust to the Royal Guardians ever since.
House Balor's most cherished lore teaches that Cathal will return to lead them in the final days before Evernight occurs. His battle wisdom, puissant skills in sorcery, and charisma will make him known to the house at the right time. House Ritualists say that Cathal shall be reborn when a red star known as Balor's Eye appears in the heavens of the Dreaming. If this is true, Cathal must even now be among them, waiting to take up the reins of leadership and crush the Children of the Tuatha forever.