Fiacla-Géar

Fiacla-Géar was a close friend (or possibly a brother) to the Barbarian king Bul-Kathos, and is the progenitor of the Druid clans of Scosglen.

BackgroundEdit

In the ancient tome of the Druids, the Scéal Fada, it is written that Bul-Kathos, the great and ancient king of the Barbarian tribes, had a mysterious but trusted confidant, who was only referred to as Fiacla-Géar. This man is sometimes described as Bul-Kathos’s close friend, and at other times, he is referred to as his brother. Whatever the source of their relationship, their bond was strong, and together they shared the secrets of the ancients: of the mysteries below the peaks of Mount Arreat, of the venerated task put to their people to protect those mysteries, and of the prophecies regarding the dark times ahead.

They both agreed that, in order to fulfill their sacred trust, their people must devote themselves to nothing save that charge. However, they disagreed on exactly how the people could best do this. Bul-Kathos believed that only by bringing the tribes together and training them in strict martial discipline could the tribes faithfully concentrate on their goal for generations to come.

Fiacla-Géar, on the other hand, believed that only through obtaining a spiritual oneness with the land they had sworn to protect could the people truly appreciate the importance of their role. Both agreed the other's philosophy had merit, and so around the time Bul-Kathos united the tribes, Fiacla-Géar gathered together a small group consisting of the tribes’ greatest warrior-poets and shamans and mysteriously retreated into the forests surrounding the area known as Scosglen. There he and his people created the first of the Druid Colleges, huge mortar-less stone towers, covered in vines and safely hidden beneath the leafy canopies of the dense forests. They have dwelt there ever since, forging a new way of life for themselves. They created a new culture and Mount Arreat until the time of the Uileloscadh Mór, the final battle between the men of the world and the demons of the Burning Hells.

Here, in preparation for the impending conflict, he taught his people the Caoi Dúlra, a way of thinking that holds harmony with the natural elements of the world, its plants and animals, as the heart of its most intrinsic beliefs, for they are the personification of the very world that the Druids have sworn to protect. Not only was Caoi Dúlra the basis for their system of values, but through its study and practice, the Druids learned to bond with the natural entities of Sanctuary. This bonding was so absolute that eventually they discovered how to talk to the plants and animals, and these beings taught them all the secrets of the natural world. They taught them methods to call animals from far away, how to summon sentient plants from the earth, ways to change their own forms to share the strengths of their animal cousins, even, to a limited extent, techniques to control the weather.

At the Túr Dúlra, the greatest of the Druid Colleges, stands the magnificent oak Glór-an-Fháidha. This tree is the most revered source of the Druids guidance and teachings. Under its branches, for centuries, the Druids of Scosglen have been honing not only their powerful arsenal of natural magic, but also the martial skills they have retained from their Barbarian forefathers. They have done this because they believe themselves to be the world’s last line of defense when the time of the great conflict comes, a time they believe is at hand. Lashing out in fury at the recent insurgence of denizens of the Burning Hells, and at the Leathdhiabhala, demonic corruptions of the very creatures they have vowed to defend, the Druids have, at last, emerged from their forests, marching toward their final stand against the minions of Chaos.

Sharp-tooth of the NephalemEdit

(old info, needs to be reviewed)

"In the ancient tome of the Druids, the Scéal Fada, it is written that Bul-Kathos, the great and ancient king of the Barbarian tribes, had a mysterious but trusted confidant, who was only referred to as Fiacla-Géar ("Sharp-Tooth"). This man is sometimes described as Bul-Kathos's close friend, and at other times, he is referred to as his brother. Whatever the source of their relationship, their bond was strong, and together they shared the secrets of the ancients: of the mysteries below the peaks of Mt. Arreat, of the venerated task put to their people to protect those mysteries, and of the prophecies regarding the dark times ahead. They both agreed that, in order to fulfill their sacred trust, their people must devote themselves to nothing save that charge. However, they disagreed on exactly how the people could best do this. Bul-Kathos believed that only by bringing the tribes together and training them in strict martial discipline could the tribes faithfully concentrate on their goal for generations to come.

Fiacla-Géar, on the other hand, believed that only through obtaining a spiritual oneness with the land they had sworn to protect could the people truly appreciate the importance of their role..."

-Diablo II expansion manual

Not much is known for certain about Fiacla-Géar. Our only reference to him is in the Diablo 2 manual, but we can probably infer a few additional details.

First of all as a confidante of Bul-Kathos, he's probably another of the ancient nephalem. This means he would have great power, perhaps even be a giant, and could potentially still be alive (as was Bul-Kathos, at least until the time of the Sin-war trilogy.) Secondly, his name in Druidic (Irish) means "Sharp-tooth" which has connotations of a more animal nature, although technically this language wasn't meant to exist until after his exile. At the very least, his philosophy of "obtaining a spiritual oneness with the land" suggests an affinity for nature.

We might think that all the Barbarians had an affinity for nature before their schism with the Druids. This would be supported by the Barbarian's semi-feral flavour even in the time of Diablo 2, best demonstrated by skills like Howl) and Berserk). However, it is explicitly stated that Fiacla-Géar had to teach even the greatest of the Barbarian's warrior-poets and druids the philosophy of "Caoi Dúlra" (the way of nature). This would imply that Fiacla-Géar is something different, and as a nephalem, his appearance might not even be fully human.

ReferencesEdit

• Diablo II expansion manual