Faery's Tale Deluxe - Etud

To Trick a Princess
As the faeries watch and wait with Tobias, read:
You hear the sound of happy laughter
getting closer, the giggling of a young human
woman. As you watch, Princess Isabelle
comes running into the clearing, the sunlight
glittering off her golden hair, her large, pretty
blue eyes the color of the summer sky. Her pink
silk dress fluttering, she runs happily towards
the pool, her golden ball shining with warmth
as she throws it up and catches it.
What happens now depends on the plans
the faeries and Tobias created to ensure
Isabelle will drop the ball, that it will end up
in the water, and that Tobias will be able to
dive in and retrieve it without getting eaten
by the pike!
When the plan is enacted, and the ball ends
up in the pond, read the following:
Princess Isabelle looks at the pond with
tears in her eyes, her sweet voice crying, “Oh
no, my ball! However will I get my treasured
ball back?”
Tobias hops into view, and loudly croaks,
“Do not cry, dear princess, for I can dive in
and get your ball for you.”
Her eyes widening in surprise, Princess
Isabelle takes a step backwards. “P-please, Mr.
Frog, if you could, I would be ever so happy.”
Hopping closer, Tobias bows low to the
princess, saying, “I will get your ball back, but
you must promise me that you will take me to
— Tales of the Fey —
Potential Tricks
— 74 —
the castle, let me eat dinner with you off your
own golden plate, and let me sleep in your
own comfortable bed with you for a night. Do
you promise?”
Clearly not quite believing what’s happening,
Princess Isabelle replies, “I promise, Mr. Frog.”
With a leap and splash, Tobias dives into
the deep waters of the pool! Moments pass,
and the princess watches in fascination. Then,
suddenly, a dim golden glow appears under
the water, and Tobias surfaces, the golden ball
clutched in his wide, green mouth!
Gently rolling the ball onto the grass at
the princess’ feet, he says, “Here is your golden
ball, dear princess, as promised. Now, please
pick me up and take me to the castle.”
Obviously too delighted to pay much
attention to a lowly frog, Princess Isabelle
picks up the golden ball, laughs happily, and
begins to run back through the woods towards
the castle, leaving poor Tobias calling out,
“Princess! Princess! Please wait! I can’t run as
quickly as you! Remember your promise!” but
if she hears him, she doesn’t stop or reply.
Turning around, he calls out, “Faery
friends, please, I need your help.”
When the faeries reveal themselves, he
asks that they take him to the castle by
dinnertime tomorrow, also saying that the
one person who could force Princess Isabelle
to fulfil her promise is her father, King
Willem. If they can somehow influence the
king beforehand into forcing the princess to
uphold her promise at dinnertime, there may
still be hope for him.
Players struggling to come up with tricks to make the plan work could be reminded
of the use of brownie Invisibility (an invisible brownie could be picked up by a pixie and
flown across to knock the ball out of the air, or kick it away when it’s on the ground).
Pixie dust can be used to subtly alter the ball while the princess is distracted, making
it deliberately roll into the pond. A pooka can change form to that of a normal animal,
and “accidentally” knock the ball away, etc.
As for the pike, again, it can be fed food conjured with pixie dust to appease it, can be
spoken to and cajoled by a sprite using the Gift of Animal Friend or other faery using
magic to talk to it, a faery can act as a decoy while Tobias dives for the ball, etc.