Fairies:

Save for the large Faire that sprouts up for a few weeks every summer, the remote lands of Three Crown’s Folly remains largely untouched wilderness, far from the cities and settled farmland of the civilized lands around it. Thus, the land manages to support a sizable population of fairies and sprites, hidden among the rocks and trees of this untamed land, always just out of sight of travelers coming and going from the fair. 

Fairies remain a small, but important part of the trade at Three Crowns. Many breeds of pixies and sprites produce a valuable “fairy dust” which is valuable in many alchemical potions. Some wizards like to bind fairies to serve as familiars while for many, a fairy in a jar provides a unique, exotic form of lighting for a midsummer’s garden party.

For decades now, Matilda Blagshaw has been a staple of Three Crowns, each year setting up her modest booth tucked into a corner, selling fairies and sprites she catches locally in the area. Those where are early riders and who go for a walk in the woods might catch a glimpse of her out and about, with her nets and bottles jars, looking for fresh stock for her stand. This author asked her the secrets to her success in catching fairies every year for the fair.

“The trick is to go out, just before dawn. I wear my hat and cloak backwards, that confuses the fairies. Makes them think you’ve got your back to them. I watch for the faint glow, low among the grass. Now, you can’t swing for where the shine is, cause you’ll miss every time. You’ve got to anticipate where the fairies going, look for where the shine tells you she was and swing for where she’s going to be. In good form, I can bag four of five pixies a day, all through the summer…”