Woodland Faerie Encounters

Close Encounters of the Random Kind

by Paul Lucas

According to ancient legend, the Faerie were mysterious, magical peoples who lived in the unknowable world of the deep wilderness. Some were friendly. Some were not. But they were all feared by the people of medieval times for their magical powers.

The table that follows presents a number of different encounters with a variety of Faerie folk, all taking place in the depths of a mysterious or magical forest the party might find itself in.

01: Elves dancing in the moonlight. May be part of a benign celebration, magical rite, or sinister human sacrifice.

02: Elven child playing with human skull. ("Where did you get that, little boy?" "From my mommy's head, sir.")

03: Satyr playing pipe flute.

04: Pixies gathering for war on neighboring Pixie tribe.

05: Elf maiden riding unicorn.

06: Dryad picking flowers with human lover.

07: Elf druid parlaying with disapproving treant over some forest matter.

08: Elven thieves waiting in ambush. May be armed with magical weapons, spells.

09: Elf champion guarding sacred, secluded spring. Will fight to the death before it is defiled by outsiders.

10: Elven bard serenading human lover.

11: Evil elves gambling with dice over fate of human victim hanging bound and helpless in a nearby tree.

12: Beautiful but powerful Elf sorceress bathing in pond. She will be very displeased with anyone spying on her or stealing her clothes.

13: Rival Pixie tribes having naval battle in pond, complete with miniature sailing ships.

14: Young Elf warriors hunting mystical white stag. May be part of coming-of-age rite.

15: Evil Elf bearing kidnapped human child in gunny sack.

16: Pixies hollowing out tree for stronghold.

17: Elven druid performing mysterious magical ritual.

18: Elven criminal locked in stockades in middle of woods. Will use guile to try to get the party to free him.

19: Elven maiden crying over unknown or tragic fate of lover/father/child.

20: Elven ruler having secret rendezvous with human lover.

21: Rival Pixie tribes in middle of very bloody battle over a strategic oak tree.

22: Pixies trying to capture hawk for mount.

23: Elf druid trying to heal an animal. May reward any assistance.

24: Evil elven mage parlaying with dark knight. Both are formidable foes planning on owerthrowing the local Faerie lords.

25: Satyr trying to woo unimpressed Dryad. The Dryad will welcome any interruption.

26: Satyr whittling new set of pipes.

27: Pixies harvesting magical berries by moonlight.

28: Dryad tending extensive flower garden by her tree. She loves her garden very much, and may reward anyone who can bring her exotic flowers.

29: Dryad arguing with disapproving treant over the mischievous pranks she plays on travellers.

30: Confused Dryad standing over fresh human corpse. She is holding a bloody dagger, but swears she knows nothing of the murder.

31: Dryad who owns a dozen pet cats. She loves her cats very much, and may reward anyone who helps her pets in trouble.

32: Elven burial mound. A terrible curse will befall anyone who defiles the grave for the rumored treasure buried beneath.

33: Mystical drawbridge leads to other- dimensional Faerie fortification.

34: Desperate, three inch tall human trying to find the female Pixie sorceress who shrunk him.

35: Donkey-headed human looking for lover. He is unaware of his transformation.

36: Diminutive Elves making toys in snow. bound workshop.

37: Pixie army fighting bear over honeycombs.

38: Evil Elf mage summoning monster to do his dark bidding.

39: Faerie hounds baying in the distance.

40: Raven familiar of elf magicuser watches party.

41: Downtrodden Pixie warrior, outcast by his tribe.

42: Elven wolf-changeling leading wolf pack.

43: Elven fletcher on quest to find enchanted Wood for magical bows. May reward whomever helps him with such a bow.

44: Elven funeral procession. Disturbances will be very unappreciated.

45: Reclusive human witch with her half- elven child.

46: Satyrs getting drunk with stolen ale keg.

47: Elven tower hidden by a magical mist.

48: Bridge leading to elven lands guarded by cursed elf. He must forever guard the bridge until the last tree in the forest dies.

49: Floating island inhabited by winged elves.

50: Dryad whose tree is threatened by woodsmen approaches the party, pleading for help.

51: Warrior Dryad guarding sacred grove. She is a very formidable fighter who can command any creature or plant in the forest.

52: Dashing sword-Elf saving travellers from brigands. He is handsome, suave, and a bit vain.

53: Elf mage scrying using small pond.

54: Large, invisible rabbit looking for friend.

55: Smiling faerie cat who keeps appearing

56: Faerie monolith with mysterious runes.

57: Ancient ruins of long-abandoned elven enclave.

58: Hidden conclave of powerful Elf magicusers. They appreciate their privacy, and do not take kindly to intruders.

59: Secluded elven wedding. Party may be invited to join the revelry if they behave themselves.

60: Human warrior looking for Elf lover, i napped by dark forces. He is obsessed with her and will not rest until she is safe.

61: Savage, barbarian Elves protecting their primeval territory.

62: Battered, heroic Elf warrior fighting losing battle with huge dragon.

63: Centaur father teaching nervous daughter to hunt.

64: Centaur shaman marking sigils on trees, invoking the blessing of the forest's spirits.

65: Centaur druid gathering herbs for medicinal potion.

66: Centaur maiden gathering flowers. She is very naive and filled with romantic notions. May develop an instant crush on a mate PC.

67: Young Centaur warriors engaging in rite of manhood race through breadth of forest.

68: Pixie border patrol mounted on lynxes.

69: Pixies dive-bombing human tresspasser.

70: Pixies engaging in seasonal celebration feast.

71: Hapless human cursed by Elves to wander woods forever.

72: Centaur family having picnic. May invite party to join them if PCs behave themselves.

73: Snare set by prankster Pixies.

74: Elusive white Faerie stag that can never be caught shadows the party, taunting them.

75: If the party is lost, a Faerie horse appears and leads them out of the forest.

76: Huge faerie animal sigil carved into side of hill.

77: Elven magic user with 2d12 raven familiars.

78: Elf with magical flute leading a horde of mice. He plans to drown them in a nearby river.

79: Dramatic play being enacted for royal faerie audience in middle of woods.

80: Mysterious ring of standing stones, carved with faerie sigils.

81: Love-struck elf writing poems in moonlight. The object of his affections, a human woman he spotted from afar, doesn't know he even exists.

82: Evil Elves performing ritual animal sacrifice. The animal may be enchanted, and reward anyone who rescues it.

83: Evil Elf slavers travelling through forest with train of halfling slaves.

84: Elven army encampment planning on raiding nearby human town. Definitely will not appreciate spies or intruders.

85: Ancient, moss-covered statue of noble Elf. The Elf's ghost haunts it. He will reward anyone who restores it and hideously curse anyone who defiles it.

86: Centaur refugees fleeing a recent troll invasion of their wooded enclave.

87: Faerie boat leads to a mystical island on a mist-shrouded lake. The boat will move back and forth to the island on its own, according to the will of its passengers.

88: Elven champions dueling. They are ancient, bitter enemies.

89: Cantakerous Elven hermit with gift of prophecy living in run down shack. He will make accurate but very vague predictions of the party's future.

90: Satyr greedily inspecting contents of stolen sack.

91: Elven mage parlaying with friendly forest dragon over alotted hunting territories.

92: Centaur maiden, held prisoner by trolls, crying out for help.

93: Elves, mounted on griffons, jousting in sky.

94: Creepy Elf mage with 1d100 spider familiars.

95: Human with treasure-laden sack fleeing from murderous Elf mob.

96: Secret door in tree leads to hidden lair of Elf mage. He will try to scare party away with illusions, but means no real harm.

97: Elf king and queen passing through with full entourage and guard.

98: Ancient, moss-encrusted elf skeleton wearing rusted, cursed armor.

99: Evil elf army out to exterminate all non Elves they meet.

100: The Wild Hunt. The stag-headed god Cemormos and his pack of demonic hounds are summoned by the local Faerie to hunt down and exterminate the trespassing PCs. The party must elude the Hunt until dawn to survive.


Back to Shadis #23 Table of Contents
Back to Shadis List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines
© Copyright 1996 by Alderac Entertainment Group

This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com