The Meredydd line comes from a long stretch of the west coast — Cardigan to Aberystwyth, and the all the weather-worn seaside towns between. They are known for being stubbornly independent, private, and deeply principled.
Designation: Descendants of the Golden Glimmer
Shard Affinity: Ignis Desiderii (Desire / Ambition)
Region of Rooting: Ceredigion Coast, Wales
Earliest Recorded Presence: 13th Century (disputed); verified records from 1669
I. Overview
The Meredydd Line is among the oldest and quietest branches of modern Vidient dispersal — a family known not for wealth or conquest but for integrity, emotional acuity, and the uncanny ability to weather upheaval without losing their internal compass. Their shard-aligned trait, the Golden Glimmer, is rarely expressed openly in each generation, yet its influence permeates the line’s temperament:
- A marked dislike of coercion
- An instinct for emotional truth over social tact
- A magnetic presence that accelerates others’ ambitions
- And, most distinctively: A refusal to participate in hierarchy unless they choose it freely
Though the Golden Glimmer’s true manifestation did not reappear in the modern Age before Seren Meredydd, its subtle echo is woven through the family’s history.
II. Etymology & Symbolism
Meredydd (MEH-reh-dith) originates from Maredudd or Meredith, meaning:
- “Great lord”
- “Sea protector”
- “Guardian”
This is ironic in the Vidient context: the Meredydds are noted not for dominance, but for autonomy. Their ancestral symbolism is not monarchy but the sea itself — shifting, persistent, impossible to contain.
Family motifs recurring in records and oral tradition include:
- Tides (representing emotion’s pull)
- Lanterns (illumination of hidden wants)
- Footpaths along cliffs (self-directed purpose)
These motifs align uncannily with the Glimmer’s nature, suggesting that emotional perceptiveness — or the social effects of accidental amplification — existed long before a true Vidient was born into the line.
III. Origins & Mythic Echoes
Though the Meredydd line is rooted in medieval Wales, local folklore contains earlier whispers of women (and occasionally men) who:
- Knew what others yearned for before they spoke
- Could stir courage or hunger in the hearts of kings
- Saw potential paths for ambition
- Produced extraordinary influence disproportionate to their status
These themes parallel the modern understanding of the Golden Glimmer, but in diluted form. They are the presence of an uncanny perception, a knack, an intuition. Yet from the prevalence of such women in their family histories, the Meredydd line has built a mythos to both explain and survive the burden.
Associated Welsh Figures
Scholars of the Sentic Order Codex tentatively link the Meredydd disposition to:
- Rhiannon, whose trials expose others’ desires and deceptions
- Blodeuwedd, a woman shaped by men’s ambitions but who resisted being controlled
- Ceridwen, the mother whose cauldron symbolises revelation of inner potential
- The Mari Lwyd tradition, where the “riddle horse” demands truthful speech
These aren’t literal ancestors, but myth-memory often clings to families whose temperaments echo the themes of old stories. The Meredydds have always been drawn to truth, autonomy, and the illumination of hidden motives — the same motifs that shape these myths.
IV. Historical Traits of the Line
Across centuries, Meredydds are consistently recorded as:
- Candid to the point of discomfort
- Highly self-directed, resistant to authority
- Emotionally perceptive, often reading others with eerie clarity
- Catalysts in their social circles — people changed course after interacting with them
- Able to inspire, even unintentionally
- Prone to periods of intense drive followed by quiet withdrawal
- Fiercely protective of their autonomy
They frequently became:
- Midwives
- Sailors
- Journal keepers
- Storytellers
- Quiet organisers of community movements
- Herbalists and caretakers
- Teachers known for “unlocking potential”
They rarely became rulers. They rarely stayed in institutions. They never tolerated being told what ambition they were “allowed.”
V. The Line’s Secret: The Unnamed Echo
For generations the Meredydds have spoken of a family trait they call simply Yr Awydd, meaning “The Urge,” “The Want,” or “Inner Drive.” It is the oldest surviving element of family lore, an oral tradition passed down quietly from mother to daughter. To outsiders, Yr Awydd is little more than superstition. To the Meredydd line, it is the unspoken truth of their blood.
Definition (Folk Understanding)
Yr Awydd is believed to be the ability to sense the gravity of another person’s desire — a kind of emotional compass that pulls toward truth, longing, or concealed ambition. It is not framed as supernatural, but as a burden of clarity inherited through the maternal line.
It manifests as:
- sudden flashes of knowing what someone really wants
- uncanny instincts about direction, motivation, or emotional danger
- feelings of emotional “pressure” around people with strong wants
- a knock for pushing others (gently or not) towards honesty
In reality, Yr Awydd is the cultural fossil of the Golden Glimmer’s shard resonance throughout the Meredydd bloodline — a perceptual sensitivity that persists across the Ages. Those who inherit it don’t see the literal Glimmer of a full Vidient, in fact they see nothing at all. Their perception is like an echo.
Seren Meredydd is the first in generations to awaken the full gift behind the myth.
Traditional Categories of Yr Awydd
In folk history, Meredydd women divide the trait into three metaphorical strands:
1. Awydd-Ofnadwy — Terrible Wanting
The overwhelming or self-destructive desires of others. Said to cling to the woman who sees them.
2. Awydd-Tawel — Quiet Wanting
Gentle, honest wants. The Meredydd say these are the most loyal and the most easily overlooked.
3. Awydd-Gam — Crooked Wanting
Conflicted, confused, or misdirected desire. Believed to turn back on the one who perceives it.
Rules Taught to Meredydd Girls
The following rules were passed down long before the family understood the true nature of the gift:
1. Do not hold the gaze of someone whose wanting is too bright.
2. Do not touch someone whose need is storming.
3. Speak plainly — lies twist the Awydd.
4. Do not promise love lightly; it binds more tightly for you than others.
5. Rest after emotional exertion; the Awydd burns hot.
6. Never reveal the truth of it to outsiders.
Family Superstitions Surrounding Yr Awydd
Over generations, the Meredydd women built cautionary stories around their trait:
- “A woman with Awydd can spark love unintentionally.”
- “Those who want her too fiercely will mistake desire for fate.”
- “The Awydd calls danger as often as it calls truth.”
- “A Meredydd heart burns fast and dies hollow.”
These superstitions are emotional truths shaped from centuries of social pattern, not magic.
The Vidient Reality
From a Codex perspective, Yr Awydd is a misinterpreted form of Glimmer resonance — perception of desire, not manipulation of it. The Meredydds carried the echo without awakening full vidience until Seren’s generation.
Seren’s awakening clarifies the truth behind the superstition: Yr Awydd was never a curse — only a language the world wasn’t ready to speak.
VI. Heraldry of the Meredydd Line
Shield: Argent (silver/white) – symbolising clarity and truth
Charge: A golden spiral rising vertically (representing Desire/Ambition ascending, the Golden Glimmer motif)
Secondary Charge: Three wavy azure lines at base – symbolizing the sea and ancestral connection to Ceredigion coast
Crest: A lantern emitting golden rays – representing illumination of hidden human longings
Motto: “Gwirionedd a Rhyddid” (Truth and Freedom)
Supporters: Two red dragons rampant – symbolizing courage, vigilance, and Welsh heritage
Colors & Symbolism:
- Gold: Desire, ambition
- White/Silver: Clarity, truth
- Blue: Emotional depth, coastal roots
- Red: Passion, protective instinct
Usage Notes:
The heraldry is rarely displayed publicly. Historically, the family used the lantern and spiral as embroidered motifs on domestic textiles, subtly signaling lineage identity without attracting external attention.
VII. Modern Status
Today, the Meredydd family is small, scattered, and largely unremarkable on paper. They are:
- Teachers
- Gardeners
- Social workers
- Night-shift nurses
- Librarians
- Independent tradespeople
Their lives are humble but emotionally vivid.
Current Members
Observed modern behavioural markers
Among living members:
- Startling directness
- A sense of people “waking up” after conversations with them
- Periodic stories of friends suddenly pursuing drastic career changes
- A family tendency toward burnout driven by intense personal goals
- Friction with conventional workplaces
- Strong bonds with women in the maternal line
VIII. Cultural Reputation in Aberaeron
Locally, the Meredydd family is known for:
- Frank honesty
- A certain “pull” or intensity
- Producing daughters who “go their own way”
- Being feared by gossips and loved by the lost
- Knowing when someone is lying before the lie is spoken
Some older residents claim that the Meredydd women can “set a person straight without saying more than three words,” though this is said with respect, not fear. No one calls it magic.
Eira Meredydd, Seren’s mother, embodies this perfectly: gentle but unbending.
IX. Codex Classification
Subtype: Embered Lineage
Indicates a family with long-standing shard resonance but intermittent true Vidient births.
Stability: High
Strong maternal bonds and cultural values that align naturally with shard ethics.
Risk Level: Low–Moderate
Accidental influence common but mild compared to full Vidient manifestation.
Notable Strength:
Integrity — the Meredydds rarely abuse the instinctive pull they hold over others.
Notable Vulnerability:
Carrying others’ ambition like a burden; emotional burnout runs deep in the line.
0 Comments