Prya
Duchess Prya is a Síocháin Boggan, presumably Seelie, of House Dougal.
Overview
One of the few confirmed Siochain, if even half the stories about her are true Duchess Prya must be far and away the oldest of that already rarified company. Kithain historians have found mentions of someone fitting her description going back beyond the Shattering, and a common but unsubstantiated rumor claims she was the first commoner ever granted a title by House Dougal. For her part, the quiet boggan gives a small smile of non-denial when such questions are raised, but smoothly changes the subject to current events and her latest causes, claiming she’s much more interested in the good yet to be done than in the mists of history.
If her past remains mysterious, however, no one questions the good she’s done. The duchess travels the world speaking about various human rights causes in her mortal seeming while kindling and tending to balefires she encounters, and is considered the foremost Kithain authority on the nature of these vital fonts of Glamour. She has nursed ailing balefires back to life when no one believed it possible and kindled new ones in places no one imagined it could work, and in the process made friends in freeholds around the world. More than one Kithain community owes its continued existence to her magical aptitude and affinity for the flames, giving her a wide network of contacts who keep her up-to-date on current events.
The only reason she’s not more widely known and celebrated is simply because she doesn’t ask for much in the way of recognition for her deeds; this is not only due to her natural humility, but also because the demand for her assistance is already more than even the dedicated boggan is able to keep up with despite her demanding schedule. Indeed, the duchess has recently started an as-yet unofficial group called the Hearthfire Keepers, consisting of commoners and nobles interested in the state of all balefires they come across. Membership in this group is open to any diligent potential balefire researcher, amateur or otherwise. Currently the duchess is overseeing the Keepers’ most ambitious project to date: mapping every active balefire known to the Kithain. It’s a great deal of work, but could provide invaluable data on how these precious resources are faring around the world.
Appearance
Duchess Prya has adopted many faces – and many surnames – over her long life, often adopting the appearance of the natives in the lands where she’s travelling as a way of putting locals at ease, but of late she has reverted to what she calls her original appearance, that of a short, pleasantly plump, middle-aged Indian woman with long black hair, who dresses in saris of beautiful autumn colors, a brilliantly crafted crest of House Dougal worn as a clasp. While she enjoys all manner of gossip, she is especially fond of trivia about historical figures, often gossiping about individuals centuries gone as if they were old friends (or rivals). Who knows... perhaps they even were!
References
- CTD. Kithbook: Boggans, p. 68.