Cave of the Carpenters

The Cave of the Carpenters is one of the entrances to King Mannannan's faerie regio, the Isle of the Plain of Joy. It is located halfway up Man's western coast, between Peel and Michael.

The cave is large, about 8 feet high and 15 feet across, flanked by trees and brush. Ospreys and Manx wildcats lair nearby. In all but low tide, water floods the cave, and there are rich coral beds that run through the center of the cave. About sixty feet in, the cave forks in two and each fork comes to a dead end. The entire cave has a Faerie aura of 2, and the coral accumulates 4 pawns of Aquam vis every year (1 pawn every season).

However, when fog rolls in, the sound of carpenters at work can be heard from the cave. In these times, the Faerie aura rises to 8 and the cave is home to 12 faerie coopers and their workshop; it is crammed full with barrels, casks and tubs, work tables and tools. The faeries will not allow anyone to pass through the cave without fulfilling one of two conditions:

Earn admission to the Guild of Faerie Coopers. To do this, the applicant must demonstrate they are at least as good a cooper as the worst cooper in the guild, which is Poor MacQuarrie. A character who can craft a serviceable barrel in less time than it takes Poor MacQuarrie to do the same thing earns admission to the guild, is rewarded with a medal on a ribbon, and can take as many guests as they wish into (and through) the cave. Of course, Poor MacQuarrie is a faerie craftsman who can make a barrel in 1 round; a PC who wishes to beat him must a) cast a ReHe 10 effect to create a barrel in one round, b) succeed on a Finesse check (Ease Factor 12) to successfully craft the barrel, and c) beat Poor McQuarrie in an Initiative check (his modifier is –2). A magus who succeeds at all these things crafts a usable barrel faster than the faerie does.
Buy a barrel. The coopers sell their barrels for 1 vis apiece, and each barrel is good for 1 person's transit through the cave.

The Faerie Coopers of Carpenter’s Cave

Faerie Might 5 (Herbam)

Characteristics Int 0, Per +1, Pre 0, Com 0, Str –2, Sta +1, Dex +2, Qik +3

Size –2

Virtues & Flaws External Vis: Mallet, Focus Power: Cooperage, Humanoid Faerie; Incognizant, Little, Traditional Ward: Payment

Pretenses Area Lore: Man 2 (caves), Awareness 2 (intruders), Bargain 3 (work), Brawl 3 (improvised weapons), Carouse 2 (with craftsmen), Concentration 3 (while working), Craft: Cooper 6, Gaelic 5, Swim 2 (coasts)

Combat

Mallets Init +3, Atk +8, Dfn +7, Dmg 0
Evasion Init +3, Dfn +6

Soak +1

Fatigue Levels n/a

Wounds Unhurt, Unhurt, Incapacitated, Dead

Powers

Cooperage (Cost 1-5, Init –2) This power duplicates the effect of any non-Ritual Creo, Muto, Rego, or Perdo spell pertaining to Herbam up to level 25, at a cost of 1 Might point per magnitude of the effect, provided the effect is the creation of a wooden tool or shafted container, such as a barrel, cask, or tub. The faerie cooper rolls Per + Craft: Cooper with an ease factor 3 higher than the mundane task would be, even higher if more than a week’s work is being performed in an instant.

Vis 1 pawn Herbam in mallets and chisels

Appearance The faerie coopers are dwarfish figures wearing leather aprons, gloves, boots, and simple tunics and trousers. Their mallets, chisels, and other tools are never far from their hands and are usually stored in pockets on their aprons.

A faerie cooper, if forced to defend itself, fights with its fellows in an untrained group.

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