Folletts

.…and I found myself in the entry of the inn’s common room, dripping onto the floor all the raindrops that had had the audacity to land upon this wanderer’s distinguished person. I was out in the boon-toolies of Caliharah. Sometimes the boon-toolies are the best toolies one can find oneself in, but inns can sometimes be hard to find in such toolies.

To my delight, I found the inn run by an ophidian named Sils. Yes! An ophidian with an inn!

Anyhow, while transacting for a room, I noted a sliver of chocolate and a piece of decorative green glass laying on a small plate on the counter. When I reached for the chocolate to help myself, I received the greatest upbraiding from an ophidian I have ever received in all my wide wanderings. Granted, it was a single sentence, but a chastising word from an ophidian ought to be treated like the most colorful tongue-lashing from an Alvanian first mate.

I was informed that this chocolate was meant for Breck, the establishment’s follett.

A follett! Here, my wise reader, is why one wanders! Folletts are not terribly common and are exceptionally hard to lay eyes upon. I now had a mission.

Spotting the Follett

As the night grew late, I crept from my bed down to the dark common room. I settled into the corner table and performed two minor congruence spells I had been working on: some nightsight to temporarily improve my vision and a basic illusion to encourage an onlooker’s eye to want to skip over my presence. With that, I settled in for the wait. And then I dozed off.

I awoke to a tinkling sound from the counter. Squinting through the darkness, I could make out our little follett friend, Breck. She was humanoid, standing about 4” tall. She had a brown and green barky look to her. She reminded me of a primordial in how her body incorporated elements of the surrounding countryside.

She was seated on the lip of the plate with the glass piece sitting across her knees and was munching on her chocolate, her toes wiggling in pleasure.

Folletts in Action

After enjoying her chocolate she stood and surveyed the room. With a nod, she leapt from the counter into a flurry of motion. Chairs out of place were squared up (she was a strong little bugger). Rubbish was extricated from nooks and crannies. A few stray coins were accumulated from the floor and placed upon the little plate on the counter. The only moment she stopped was to chatter agitatedly over a tabletop that had been defaced by someone’s knife.

I just watched, mesmerized. What Breck did in ten minutes couldn’t have been done by a pair of maids in a pair of hours. The little thing was incredibly strong for her size. She moved long distances with flying leaps.

And then she was standing upon the counter again. Done, surveying the room. She picked up her piece of glass and leapt down behind the counter. After ten minutes of silence, I stood and made my way behind the counter. I searched high and low for some hole she disappeared into, but there was none to be found.

Thank goodness for the rain, or I might never have seen Breck the follett.