Finians, The

The Finians are a somewhat mysterious tribe, not so much due to deliberate efforts at obfuscation as in the case of the Tribe of the Shadows, but simply because of their geographic isolation in Alba to the far north of Tir Nan Og. What the other tribes know of them for certain is that the Finians are as fierce and valiant in battle as even the Sessair. This mighty Alban tribe is also noted for the dourness of its members and their relative indifference to what the other tribes regard as the essentials of life, such as fodder, fire, flax and frigg (as Sláine puts it). It is said that a Finian warrior could last a month without food, or a winter without a fire, or a year without clothes, or a week without loving a woman, such is his astonishing fortitude.

For this reason the Finians are also known as the Tribe that Endures. Where the Sessair might win wars by swift, decisive and violent action, the Tribe of the Shadows by stealth and treachery, and the Fir Domain by military tactics and the application of overwhelming force, the Finians rely on their ability to simply outlast the enemy. Many an invading army up from Gorias in the south has made it as far as Finias, only to realize that they will never take the great fortress city in a long siege. The Finians would sooner starve to the last man, woman and child than give in, and due to their unmatchable endurance it seems likely that their besiegers would run out of food or fall victim to ice-cold winter long before even the first Finian died of starvation.

Though the Finians are not quite so noted for their warped ones as are the Sessair, they do have their fair share of warped warriors, far more so than the Fir Domain or Tribe of the Shadows. The Fianna, tribal elite of the Finians, are often warped warriors either by virtue of race or the Blood of Heroes feat. Experts in guerrilla warfare as well as open fight, the Fianna are a major reason for the Finians’ reputation in combat.

This is the fourth in Mongoose Publishing’s series of Tribe books for the Sláine RPG. Each Tribe book takes an in-depth look at one of the tribes in Sláine’s world of Tir Nan Og, covering their history and traditions, their battle tactics and unique magic, and the most interesting personalities from each tribe. The Finians book concentrates especially on new character options and spells, because of two strong Finian traditions – that of military academies and that of the Second Sight.

The Tribe books are invaluable both for any players considering playing a character from the tribe, and for Games Masters looking to expand the background information available for Non-Player Characters from the tribe. Games Masters are also well served by the scenario hooks provided for every one of the tribe’s personalities.