Getting characters where they need to be...

[Ireth]

...without throwing any of them the Idiot Ball.

((WARNING: TVTropes will ruin your life.))

Anyway.

I have a human family of three -- Vincent, Dom and Ariel -- who are under arrest for harboring a Fae fugitive, Loegaire. The ones sent to arrest them are also Fae, twelve in all. At the moment the twelve are surrounding the house, Vincent and Dom are guarding the locked and barricaded front door, and Ariel is on the second floor in her locked bedroom. Loegaire has been captured while trying to escape via the upstairs guest room window; none of the humans know that yet.

The entire house is warded with iron to deter the Fae, with the exception of the guest room where Loegaire was staying. Six of the Fae are going to sneak into the house through the window Loegaire tried to escape through, and their presence will draw Vincent and Dom upstairs. Combat ensues, and they are subdued and disarmed. Ariel, meanwhile, is still locked in her room, which is arguably the safest place in the house -- iron ornaments on the door, window and every wall make it very Fae-repellent. It's arguably the most Fae-repellent place in the house, since naturally Vincent would want maximum protection for his daughter when she's at her most vulnerable.

The trouble is, I need to get Ariel out of the room, or get the Fae in, so she can be arrested along with her family for the sake of the plot. But there are a number of things getting in the way of that.

1) On top of the iron all around her room, Ariel has a steel knife with which to defend herself (she ate dinner in her room just prior to this scene), and she's not afraid to use it on any intruder. That would mean bad news for the Fae, since such a wound would poison their blood and kill them painfully, which I don't want. The humans are in enough trouble, they don't need a corpse on their hands. (And yes, while I know this has plot potential, it's ultimately not the direction I want to go.)

2) Ariel is not the type to lose her head and flee at the first sign of a Fae looking in her window or knocking on the door; she'd be more likely to throw something iron at it for further repellent, if the iron already there wasn't enough. So having her panic and flee is out of the question.

3) Ariel is very smart, and will not be fooled by any Fae's attempts to imitate her father or uncle's voices to coax her into opening the door. She heard every second of the fighting between the Fae and her family, since it was right outside her bedroom door, and though she was able to help during the battle by giving her father the means to make the invisible Fae visible (makeup powder, which Vincent threw at them to discern their location, slid to him under the door in a plastic baggie), she knows enough not to join in the conflict unless it come directly to her, steel knife or not. As long as she's in her room and the Fae aren't, she's safe.

There you have it. Thoughts, comments, ideas?

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Need more info I'm afraid. What sort of powers do the fae have? Can they for example summon a windstrom to blow part of the house down? Also what is the likely punishment for harbouring a rogue fae? Is her family facing death, or having rotten fruit thrown at them as they are clamped into stockades? Can they convince her to give herself up by not using fake voices but instead torturing her family? Do they do this? Or would they be better off to leave the house, leave a trap behind and catch her many hours later when she leaves her room?

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Ireth]

Hi,

Need more info I'm afraid. What sort of powers do the fae have? Can they for example summon a windstrom to blow part of the house down? Also what is the likely punishment for harbouring a rogue fae? Is her family facing death, or having rotten fruit thrown at them as they are clamped into stockades? Can they convince her to give herself up by not using fake voices but instead torturing her family? Do they do this? Or would they be better off to leave the house, leave a trap behind and catch her many hours later when she leaves her room?

Cheers, Greg.

The Fae's powers are pretty much limited to minor shapeshifting and illusions, and a few enchantments. Some can alter their appearance and voice at will, or turn invisible; others of specific types (Kelpies, Pooka, Selkies) can take the forms of animals. There are three Kelpies among the six Fae in the house; I can possibly see them turning equine to break Ariel's bedroom door down with their hooves, if their weight wouldn't result in damage to the rest of the house. But they'd still have the large amount of iron in the room to contend with, not to mention a very angry girl with a poisonous (to Fae) knife. If they try to grab her, they WILL get stabbed.

The punishment in store for harboring a fugitive is typically imprisonment in Faerie for a very long time, but in this case the Kings of Faerie devise a worse punishment: forcing the humans and Loegaire to hunt down another fugitive, Princess Meabh of the Winter Court. (Loegaire had helped the princess break out of prison while the preparations for her own sentence were being made; Loegaire escaped to the human world and took refuge with Vincent and Ariel, while Meabh missed her chance to get through the gate and went into hiding in Faerie.)

This is a harsh sentence for the humans and Loegaire because Meabh is a friend to the humans and a love interest to Loegaire; also because the fate Meabh will suffer if she's caught is one that is far worse than death in the eyes of the Fae -- being bound in human form, to live and die and be reborn over and over and over, until such time as it's decided she has "learned her lesson". It is also important that if the humans and Loegaire should try to escape Faerie and shirk their sentence, or else try to keep Meabh from her punishment, the humans will suffer the typical imprisonment, with no guarantee of returning to their own home at their proper time when they're let go; and Loegaire will be bound as a human instead of Meabh.

The Fae already do kind of torture Ariel's family just to subdue them -- they use elfshot (enchanted arrows), which causes paralysis and extreme pain in the affected limb. They end up just stabbing the humans with the arrows, since inside the house they have no room to shoot them. This is already a minor inconvenience as far as plot goes, since I wanted the humans to be of sound body when they're tried, and Fae medicine doesn't work instantly. Their trial is the day after they're captured. Torturing them further would just be counter-productive.

Laying a trap for Ariel seems like the best idea, I think. I'll have to consider how to pull it off, though. The arrest takes place in the evening of April 30, at the very tail end of what the Fae Courts call winter. Summer begins the following sunrise on May 1st, and at that point the Fae who performed the arrest, being of the Winter Court, are obligated by Fae law to leave the human world, and in Faerie they're to make way for the Summer King's dominion until next November. I can't see Ariel getting much sleep that night, though once her father and uncle are captured she'd be even less likely to leave her room until the next morning, when she'd be certain the Fae who arrested them are gone. (And if they're not, they'll get in trouble regardless of whether or nor they capture Ariel.)

 

[Butterfly]

I'd go the torture route. Pulling out teeth, fingernails, etc. Or magical torture that doesn't actually harm, just make the brain feel like it's being tortured. Their screams should be enough to pull her heart strings and draw her out.

(Was ninja'd)

 

[Ireth]

I'd go the torture route. Pulling out teeth, fingernails, etc. Or magical torture that doesn't actually harm, just make the brain feel like it's being tortured. Their screams should be enough to pull her heart strings and draw her out.

(Was ninja'd)

See my above post, paragraph four, for my response. The Fae don't have the kind of magic to simulate torture, but they do have enchanted weapons that will actually cause inordinate amounts of pain, and anything more than that is not what I want for the plot.

 

[SeverinR]

Have seen many a tv show or movie fail on this very subject.

You might have to back up and adjust something previous to get the right outcome without the plot driving the characters, rather then the chars driving the plot.

If you can ask the question to your char, Why did you do that?
And the only response is : "because it was in the script", its a fail.

 

[Ireth]

Have seen many a tv show or movie fail on this very subject.

You might have to back up and adjust something previous to get the right outcome without the plot driving the characters, rather then the chars driving the plot.

Maybe. My problem is that sometimes my characters are too smart for the story's own good.

If you can ask the question to your char, Why did you do that?
And the only response is : "because it was in the script", its a fail.

Hmm. I'll try that and post the results here later, since I have no time for it now.

 

[Dreeparn]

Is it necessary from the Fae:s perspective to take her alive? Otherwise they could set the place on fire and smoke her out, and if she doesn't run then she'll die. It would be a good way out of your problem if the Fae:s don't really need her alive. That depends mostly on their justice system and their sense of morality which i don't have any information about.

 

[ThinkerX]

Not sure of the details, but Ariels defences work ONLY for so long as she is awake. So...do any of the fey have a superdooper 'sleep' spell or equivilent?

 

[Ireth]

Is it necessary from the Fae:s perspective to take her alive? Otherwise they could set the place on fire and smoke her out, and if she doesn't run then she'll die. It would be a good way out of your problem if the Fae:s don't really need her alive. That depends mostly on their justice system and their sense of morality which i don't have any information about.

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure they'd want to take all the captives alive, though not necessarily unharmed. They're not above tormenting their prisoners, but if they're ordered to keep them alive, then they will -- especially if the King is the one to order it, as he is in this case. Fire would create needless complications, like when the Hawks get home after their quest and find their house burned down. Not sure I want to saddle them with that after all they've been through, and right at the end of their duology to boot. Bit of a worse downer than I'd already planned on.

Not sure of the details, but Ariels defences work ONLY for so long as she is awake. So...do any of the fey have a superdooper 'sleep' spell or equivilent?

Nope. About the closest thing they do have is a sedative, which only works when administered orally. They'd pretty much have to shove it down her throat, and she'd stab them before they ever got the chance. They'd still need to get into her room, too.

 

[Kit]

((WARNING: TVTropes will ruin your life.))

:frown2:

And how. I have spent the last couple of days cruising around TV Tropes- and while it is entertaining, EVERY SINGLE THING you can think of is on there. It's kind of demoralizing to someone who aspires to any semblance of originality.

 

[Ireth]

:frown2:

And how. I have spent the last couple of days cruising around TV Tropes- and while it is entertaining, EVERY SINGLE THING you can think of is on there. It's kind of demoralizing to someone who aspires to any semblance of originality.

Amen, sister. XD

If you can ask the question to your char, Why did you do that?
And the only response is : "because it was in the script", its a fail.

Okay then, here are my questions and answers. Starting from the top: Lóegaire, why did you break Méabh out of prison in the first place?

Lóegaire: Because even though we are not allowed to be together, I love her, and I do not wish to see her suffer a fate worse than death.

Cadell, why are you leading the guards to capture Lóegaire?

Cadell: To prove to King Madoc that I am not the one who disobeyed him by letting Méabh escape, as he initially believed.

Cadell and various Fae guards, why are you breaking into the house?

Cadell: To capture the ones who are harboring Lóegaire, and perhaps find Méabh as well.

Lóegaire, why did you jump out that window and into the Fae's clutches?

Lóegaire: Because I did not know they were surrounding the house, and I thought to lure Cadell and the others far away so the Hawks would not be hurt even if I was captured.

Ariel, why are you up in your room?

Ariel: Because you decided to give me PMS and I was trying to take a nap, and then Dad brought me supper so I ate it there.

Which I'm reconsidering. So, assuming you didn't have PMS and you were downstairs when the Fae came knocking, what would you do?

Ariel: I'd grab a knife from the kitchen, run upstairs and lock myself in my room anyway. It's the safest place in the house when we're dealing with Fae.

I don't think I need to ask why Vincent and Dom are doing what they're doing, whether that be guarding the door or fighting the Fae who get inside — it's fairly obvious they want to protect Ariel, and to a lesser extent Lóegaire.

 

[ThinkerX]

Hmmm...no 'sleep' spell, and the only sedative must be taken orally...

I will make the observation that the fey are not really set up for taking captives.

I'll assume no equivilent of the old AD&D 'web' spell, either.

So...how good are the fey illusions? Could they cast an illusion which would make Ariel conclude there is already a fey in her room? Or could they cast one which would distort her senses to the point where she forgets which way is up for a minute or two?

Can't believe theres no sleep spell. Thought that was standard issue for fey.

 

[SeverinR]

The answers seem correct. Now how do you get to where you need to be without the plot drving the characters.
My thoughts;
She doesn't know the fae are in the house, would the fae wait for her to come out for some mundane object-more food, cleaning room? Check on something, look for something?

If she heard them in the house, I don't see her coming out except for:
a. hail mary escape attempt/kill as many before she is killed.
b. starved and unwilling to die of starvation, surrender rather then die.

It doesn't sound like either of these are the way you want it to play out.

 

[Ireth]

Hmmm...no 'sleep' spell, and the only sedative must be taken orally...

I will make the observation that the fey are not really set up for taking captives.

I'll assume no equivilent of the old AD&D 'web' spell, either.

So...how good are the fey illusions? Could they cast an illusion which would make Ariel conclude there is already a fey in her room? Or could they cast one which would distort her senses to the point where she forgets which way is up for a minute or two?

Can't believe theres no sleep spell. Thought that was standard issue for fey.

Unfortunately the AD&D reference is completely lost on me. ^^;

Individual Fae aren't very good at casting illusions outside of themselves; it would take a group of perhaps a dozen or more to accomplish more than changing their own appearances or trying to manipulate her mind. Unfortunately the Fae barely have that number, and not all of them are likely of the same skill level. I'm a little leery about that sort of spell, anyway. If the Fae could manipulate Ariel so easily, then why wouldn't they just do that in the first place and get Vincent and Dom to stand down and let them in, thereby sparing them any violence at all? (Answer: They won't, because I like that fight scene, and I don't want to make things too easy for the Fae.)

 

[Ireth]

The answers seem correct. Now how do you get to where you need to be without the plot drving the characters.
She doesn't know the fae are in the house, would the fae wait for her to come out for some mundane object-more food, cleaning room? Check on something, look for something?

That's possible, though I'm not sure what reason I could have for Ariel to leave her room before the next morning. She wouldn't think of cleaning or anything mundane when she's worried about her father's and uncle's wellbeing. About the only reason I could see her leaving would be to go to the bathroom, which is downstairs. And since she does have a knife in her room, she'd take it with her, if for no other reason than to put it in the kitchen sink along with her other dishes while she's downstairs. Again, more risk of the Fae being stabbed and dying of iron poisoning before they could finish their job.

 

[ThinkerX]

Hmmm...

You are currently playing an AD&D type game here on the forums without knowing what a web spell is. (This one used to get my characters - and sometimes the entire party into trouble.)

Web (from third edition)
Level: Sorcerer / Wizard 2 (meaning the mage would need to be 3rd level to cast)
bunch of other stuff, but it basically fills a good sized space with sticky strands, hindering or trapping anybody within.

(for what its worth, its not in my magic system either, though 'sleep' is, as it is phausible from a psi standpoint).

That said...time to think through your attack.

It sounds like Vincent, Dom, and Ariel considered a fey attack highly likely. Is this a reasonable assumption on their part?

Second, you appear to have all the fey - or at least most of them - coming into the house from a single entry point. However, they have the sheer numbers to enter the house through multiple points all at once - via all of the doors AND at least some of the windows, including the one in Ariels room. Actually, unless their commander is an idiot (unlikely) that would be the way to go. You already pointed out a couple of them have the raw strength to bust down doors.

Fey comes in through Ariels window, first she'd know about it would be the veritable blizzard of broken glass coming INTO the room - a scary experience. The fey would be coming in 'at the ready', and moving very, very fast. Trained fey warrior with centuries of experience against a untrained human teenage girl - odds are the fey would have both the training and mindset to disarm Ariel before she makes her first stab.

This is one of the issues with a long lived race such as the fey. They've 'been there, done that', not just a few times, but a great many. They may be seriously ignorant of the modern world, but they would be very, very good at the things they do know, simply because they've been doing them for so long.

 

[Ireth]

It sounds like Vincent, Dom, and Ariel considered a fey attack highly likely. Is this a reasonable assumption on their part?

Yes, for a few reasons. A) the reason they even believe in the Fae at all is because one tried and failed to kidnap Ariel as a newborn, and Vincent and Dom saw the blue blood of the Fae who was injured in the struggle, and knew he couldn't be human; B) seventeen years later, a different Fae succeeded in kidnapping Ariel to make her his bride, which is the entire plot of the book previous to this one; and C) they are knowingly (but not entirely willingly) harboring a fugitive, who made it plain to them that he would be followed by guards wanting to arrest him. They agreed to harbor him in return for him saving Ariel's life in the previous book.

Second, you appear to have all the fey - or at least most of them - coming into the house from a single entry point. However, they have the sheer numbers to enter the house through multiple points all at once - via all of the doors AND at least some of the windows, including the one in Ariels room. Actually, unless their commander is an idiot (unlikely) that would be the way to go. You already pointed out a couple of them have the raw strength to bust down doors.

Fey comes in through Ariels window, first she'd know about it would be the veritable blizzard of broken glass coming INTO the room - a scary experience. The fey would be coming in 'at the ready', and moving very, very fast. Trained fey warrior with centuries of experience against a untrained human teenage girl - odds are the fey would have both the training and mindset to disarm Ariel before she makes her first stab.

This is one of the issues with a long lived race such as the fey. They've 'been there, done that', not just a few times, but a great many. They may be seriously ignorant of the modern world, but they would be very, very good at the things they do know, simply because they've been doing them for so long.

The problem with that idea is that, as I stated in my original post, Vincent is smart enough to have every possible entrance warded by iron (except for the one window which Loegaire escaped through), which means the Fae can't get close without risking harm. The front door is also barricaded with furniture. The Fae have no choice but to use the one unguarded window if they want to get in without expending their energy.

 

[ThinkerX]

The problem with that idea is that, as I stated in my original post, Vincent is smart enough to have every possible entrance warded by iron (except for the one window which Loegaire escaped through), which means the Fae can't get close without risking harm. The front door is also barricaded with furniture. The Fae have no choice but to use the one unguarded window if they want to get in without expending their energy.

Ireth, warded or not, windows are still quite breakable. Heavy object (tire, log, cement block) thrown with great force. Same with the doors - they'd use a battering ram of some sort (medevial tactics...and now that I think about it, a favorate of modern day SWAT teams as well).

 

[Ireth]

Ireth, warded or not, windows are still quite breakable. Heavy object (tire, log, cement block) thrown with great force. Same with the doors - they'd use a battering ram of some sort (medevial tactics...and now that I think about it, a favorate of modern day SWAT teams as well).

True, but they can really only do so much without attracting the attention of the whole freaking neighborhood, which would be very counter-intuitive. Even their Glamour won't hide the sight or sound of shattered windows or busted doors.