My secret santicorn gift.
My prompt was: 'The party walks into an abandoned house full of 4d6 sprites, interrupting their holiday festivities.' I rolled a 5, 5, 5, and a 2.
Recent history
Years ago
Old man Harris used to live alone on his farm. He was a grouch and had very few visitors, but every week he would come to the market to sell excess butter and produce, and to yell at the local children to stay off of his farm.
One week he didn't show. When some went to investigate they found him dead on the floor of his barn, wearing his nightgown and clutching a broom.
Ever since, strange things happen to those who come near the farm, so local people tend to stay clear of it despite rumours of Ol' Harris' hidden wealth.
Last week
Some of the town's children went missing. They were found sleeping near Ol' Harris' farm. After some stern talking to they admitted to going to the farm on a dare. What happened after they entered they don't remember.
Today
The sprites that have lived at the farm since Harris' days are holding their septanual banquet to celebrate the best pranks of the septanium and to grief capers gone awry.
The Sprites:
- do not trust the big folk. These people have proven to be idiots by continuously falling for their pranks and you cannot trust idiots. However, if the offer is tempting enough they might reluctantly cooperate.
- love pulling pranks on anything that lives. This is one reason the farm stays so clean: no creature willingly comes near these pestering bullies, so there are no rats nor spiders nor moths. If you'd rather something stay clean, they'll sully it; if you want to keep it close, they'll try to steal it from you and hide it.
- are fiercely loyal when threatened. Despite all their infighting, all of them would go to bat for eachother, especially when the threat is a big person.
The Farm
An abandoned farm, most of which has fallen into ruin. Only the main house still stands, in suspiciously good shape.
The Land
Overgrown, the remains of ruined sheds and dividing walls peaking through occasionally.
A path from the gate to the door of the main building is strangely accesible considering the rest of the land.
The Big House
The smell of roasted nuts and hearty foods surrounds the main building of the farm. There is enough of a clearing to walk arround it unhindered, allowing access to the back door as well as a view through the window of the chapel.
The chappel window is big enough to climb through, though not while carrying a big backpack or a bunch of weapons.
The common room: Archery Tag
A room with a table, a comfortable chair. some stools and a loom with an unfinished piece. On the walls various wall hangings depicting woodland scenes (good condition). In the hearth embers smoulder.
The south of the common room has a big door to the outside. To the west there is an opening towards the kitchen, where bickering voices are coming from. To the north is a door locked from the other side which goes to the bedroom, listening closely you can hear the sound of a liquid swashing around in a container.
On the table stands an inkwell with a clear liquid in it. This is a sleeping potion the Sprites have made.
Underneath a loose floorboard lies a box containing a golden ring, a pair of silver earrings, and a lock of dark hair all carefully folded in a silk handkerchief.
5 young sprites are playing archery tag with arrows coated in the sleeping potion. No one is winning, as the sprites are all staying invisible so as not to lose.
- Pine: Little brother of Popler. Fancies himself the leader. Continously tries to tell the others what to do and readily throws around insults. Can't take any kind of abuse or he'll fly off trying to hide his tears.
- Lilac: Hyper competive but has a soft spot for Pine. He can't stand losing and the slightest sign of anything other than his total victory causes him to complain that the others are cheating.
- Linden: Tries to pretend she is too good for games like this, but secretly gets really into them. She finds Lilac incredibly annoying and can't help commenting on literally everything he says.
- Dogwood: Linden's quiet sister and jealous of her popularity. She wants to play along but gets drowned out by the others. Eventually throws tantrums when she gets ignored for too long.
- Popler: Is probably too old for games like these, but she feels overprotective of her little brother. Worries about Dogwood, but gets easily distracted by her loudmouthing brother.
The kitchen
A high table, modest stove and panrack take up most of the small space. It is spotless, the copper and steel glimmering in the light of the stove. It smells of roasted almonds and warm spices.
There is an opening to the east towards the common room from which you can hear yelling and a heavy door to the north which goes to the outside.
The larder is filled with a small amount of food (about 1 ration for a human sized creature). The kitchenware seems valuable given the immaculate shape it is in.
5 older sprites are bickering about how best to prepare the feast. Their situation isn't helped by the fact that most of them can't help but insert bad jokes which derail the conversation.
- Hawthorn: Insists on making a large stew is it is the most comfy meal, though secretly it is because she knows her daughter Popler won't eat anything else. She is uncompromising in her position and tries to get her spouse Ash to pick her side.
- Birch: The youngest and eager to make an impression with her new recipe: Surprise soup. It is really just a stew, but she is unwilling to admit that and give Hawthorn her way. She continously mentions how much her brother Redbud loves the soup.
- Chestnut: Talks down to the others, especially Birch, while he explains that the only correct sollution is to make a roast dinner. In fact, he's already put the almonds on, so why are they even still talking about this?
- Yew: Demands to make a bunch of pies, sp everyone can fill them with whatever they like. The real aim is to create a situation in which everyone will praise his delicious pie and no one can steal credit, like Chestnut did last time.
- Ash: Tries to get everyone to make a decision so they can move on to the far more exciting part of eating the food. He secretly prefers Yew's suggestion but is afraid to admit so while his spouse is present.
The bedroom
A room which seems to contain only two large cabinets. From one of them, hushed voices can be heard.
There is a door locked with a latch on this side in the south from behind which shouting can be heard, To the east there is a heavy curtain which smells of incence leading to the chapel.
One of the cabinets is a box-bed. Other than it's current occupants, it contains two empty bottles, one bottle of caramel apple brandy (very strong stuff), a bottle of wine (gone sour) and the bottle the spires are currently drinking from.
The other cabinet contains bedsheets and spare clothes. They smell of vinegar (a prank the sprites have forgotten about, but would be very proud of).
5 older spirits got tired of waiting for the feast to start and have instead elected to hide away inside the box-bed and help themselves to some of the more potent drinks. They are currently working their way through a bottle of litteral moon shine (only fey can get drunk off of this, but it does emit litteral moonlight which makes it sought after by many).
As they are all pretty drunk (or pretending to be so) they aren't really listening to each other and continue their own stories rather than responding to what has been said before.
- Ceder: Telling embarrasing stories about his older brother Juniper. He is pretty sloshed, so he is trying to tell a story about how Juniper broke his wing for the fifth time this drinking session.
- Redbud: Is complaining about how aweful his sisters new Surprise Soup is. He seems in real distress about having to eat it again and is low-key looking for advice. He is just drunk enough to be more panicked than he would be sober.
- Hemlock: Boast about how big of a fish she rode last week. Everytime she mentions the size of the fish it goes up by a few centimeters. She is currently at 156 cm long. She has a nice buzz going, but will occasionally comment on how she doesn't feel anything yet.
- Fir: Doesn't like boozing and is only here because she likes Redbud. She has been pretending to drink along with the rest of them and tries to fit in by talking nonsense while swaying heavily.
- Juniper: Tries to get his brother to stop telling this story, but clearly can't handle him. He is on the verge of tears though too drunk to understand why he is crying if he inevitably breaks down.
The chapel
A small altar stands below a window, a copper insence burner on top. Wall hangings with religious themes decorate the two walls to the side.
There is a thick curtain to the west from behind which occasional sloshing of liquid can be heard leading to the bedroom.
Behind the left wall hanging is a niche with a small golden idol.
2 sprites are having a theological debate in front of the altar. Enamored with the wall hangings they have both converted to what they believe to be the faith that is depicted on them: the Star Lady who's blessing they seek and the Flaming Bull which will signal the end of the world. Their argument is about whether or not the Star Lady can see them during the day when the sun is out.
- Spruce: No longer finding joy in the pranks she pulled with her siblings, she has found a higher calling. She still pranks, but now it is to bring a smile to the Star Lady up above. She believes the Lady must always be looking down on her, after all she wouldn't be much of a divine mother if she left her followers without her guidance half the time. She accuses Willow of being half of faith.
- Willow: After a near death experience she believes she has seen the Lady in person. She now lives in her name, looking to spread the faith. She believes the Lady leaves during the day, after all everyone needs rest so the Lady looks after us when we are at our most vulnerable: when we sleep. She accuses Spruce of being in love with the Lady and wanting her all for herself.