Tamlin the Fiddler
Lord Tamlin, the Fiddler of Lost Dreams, is a Lost One of House Fiona in the Duchy of Appalachia.
Overview
Long before the arrival of colonists from Europe and the changelings who accompanied them to the New World, the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Kentucky served as a refuge for a small band of Fiona sidhe. Led by Lord Tamlin, these fugitives from the Sundering made peace with the local Nunnehi and received permission to build a freehold: High Castle. He knew (and detested) Meilge ap Eiluned during this time. When the Shattering forced them to depart for Arcadia, Lord Tamlin stayed behind to hold open the decaying portal so that his household could make their escape. Left alone and vulnerable to the tide of Banality that was sweeping over the world, Lord Tamlin would have perished of not for the assistance of the Nunnehi. The native faeries helped the sidhe lord weave a powerful ward of Glamour and Medicine around a mountain bald, a site that now serves as both shelter and prison for the ancient faerie lord.
Tamlin spends much of his time in slumber within his hidden refuge. On occasions when he does wake, he entertains himself by playing ancient melodies on his fiddle. The music escapes the confines of his freehold, emerging as ghostly tunes that seem born from the very air itself.
Despite his centuries of isolation, Tamlin remains relatively sane, unlike other Lost ones who have completely succumbed to Bedlam. He believes that his music has helped him preserve some connection with the outside world, though he cannot access it directly. The sidhe lord longs for the time when the Dreaming will either return in force to restore the severed connections with the mortal world or else vanish altogether, bringing his sorrowful sojourn to an end. He has sensed that some of his household have returned fro Arcadia and, within site of the cocoon of Glamour, he hopes that this event signifies a fortuitous end to his lonesome vigil and a reward for his sacrifice.
Tamlin possesses extraordinary abilities in Kenning and Gremarye and a prodigious musical talent. He is one of the true fae, so most of his abilities exceed the norm for modern changelings. He retains a fierce hold on his sanity, though he frequently slips into dreamlike states akin to catatonia
Image
Tamlin embodies the Fiona ideal. Seen in his natural state, his beauty radiates like a glowing torch. Sine features, long red hair, and dark emerald-green eyes give him the appearance of a faerie king. He still wears the colors of his house. He has no mortal seeming.
Personal
Tamlin passes from sleep into dreams and from there into pained wakefulness. His music sustains him, feeding him with hope and sorrow and reminding him of those who are no longer nearby. Someday, this will all end, how, he does not know. For the time being, it's a song before sleeping and a lively air upon waking, and nothing but dreams in the space between.
References
- CTD. Kingdom of Willows, pp. 143-144.
- CTD. Freeholds & Hidden Glens, pp. 7-21.