From the cool shade of the nearby trees, a brief movement catches our attention. Moving gracefully toward us, a slender female form pauses as we lock eyes with hers. The ageless, beautiful Fay stops, examining us in peaceful curiosity. She is dressed in diaphanous robes of multi- colored pastel. Her thin wings flutter behind her in the faint breeze, as she peers carefully at us. Before we can address her properly, she turns in a fluid motion, a wistful smile on her lips -- and rapidly metamorphoses into a small fox, darting into the cover of the trees.
Wondering what made her depart so suddenly, we realize the she must have noticed the ferrous metal we wear. That which we take for granted is harmful to the Fay, as it is indeed to most Phaeree dwellers. Ah, well, next time we will know better, and perhaps the most beautiful of the Seelie will be more inclined to meet us. With a sigh, we allow the view to fade, and the portal closes...
The landscape is incredibly rough, and normal passage through this area would be nearly impossible without mountain climbing equipment.
As we absorb this breathtaking sight, we hear the clatter of loose stones nearby. A glance in that direction reveals the source of the disturbance -- a large humanoid picking his way through the crags with apparent ease. He is dressed in skins and ragged clothing, and at his side hangs a monstrous club. The giant (for that is surely what this massive individual must be) is grizzled and ruddy, and seems to be quite at home in this terrain. At one point, his passage impeded by a large boulder, he stops briefly, gesturing at the rock. Within a few moments it begins to crumble into a multitude of small stones, and he nonchalantly continues over the spot.
Though outwardly he appears dull-witted, he is obviously more perceptive than we thought, for suddenly he stops and turns in our direction. In an instant, he grabs up a nearby boulder -- and hurls it in our direction with a deft two- handed throw! Luckily, the throw is wide, and we waste no time in closing the portal before his aim improves.
We allow the mists to close on the Leprechaun, although we dwell for a moment on a classic tale of a Leprechaun and a hapless victim. The victim in this case has just caught a Leprechaun, having been very careful to never take his eyes off of the Phaeree. He demands that the Leprechaun lead him to treasure, which the Leprechaun does, and the man marks the spot with a large, bright bow. Since the Leprechaun is still under his thrall, the man demands that the Phaeree not touch the marker, or otherwise disturb it, then he goes home for a shovel.
When he returns, he finds identical bows tied around every single tree in sight, and with no hope of digging it all up, he goes home in disgust. One making deals with such a Phaeree should beware their mischief and trickery!