The little people are, well, little. In a melee, one hit typically kills one of the little people, but they have many magical powers and are not stupid. They avoid melee and work toward their ends through concealment and magical powers. A fairly typical view, by the little people, of the big people, is that they are large toys, potentially dangerous but often comic. A power that many of the little people have is to make a magical suggestion. They put an idea or notion into the mind of one of the big people. This post is about the kind of impacts this might have on human society if it goes on for a long time.
The little people in this post live in the hidden nooks and crannies of human habitation, or possibly in their garden or outbuildings. They are close to, but hidden from, big people. The post examines the question of what the little people might do to the big people they live near. Consider the custom of leaving out milk or cream for the little people. Properly rewarded with a treat, brownies may do some household chores. Not supplied with their libation, the brownies may cause trouble, minor vandalism or pranks. How did the custom start? If the brownies can cast suggestions on humans, that might have rapidly jump-started this custom.
Using this idea as a starting point, the little people might get people to adopt a number of interesting customs. Here are some possibilities that would manifest themselves as apparently irrational beliefs.
- You must keep cats indoors at night. The little people get along with most dogs.
- There are mushrooms you must allow to grow, even if they are poisonous or taste awful. These mushrooms are not toxic to the little people.
- There are patches of woods that must not be cleared because it would be bad luck.
- A roof works better if there is a short air-space between the roof and the ceiling. In some climates, this is just true, but it also creates a very convenient space for the little people.
- No matter how much you need space to raise food, a flower garden is part of any respectable establishment.
- Rabbits, mice, woodchucks, pheasants, and other woodland folks should be tolerated. The rabbits and pheasants are only emergency food, not a regular food item.
- Leave a few measures of grain out for the fur folk, e.g. mice.
The little people feel about their big folk somewhat the way people feel about their sheep or goats. The fae do not just exploit their humans, they also take care of them. This may involve housework, in a famous case cobbling, and so perhaps craft work. The fae keepers may negotiate with the local mice to leave stored grain alone (if some grain is left out for the mice). The little people might also preserve or improve cheese, wine, and other commodities — both to help their big folk and because they swipe some of it themselves.
Big people that neglect their customs may be sanctioned by other big people, if their omissions are noticed, but the fae may do a number of things. They might loose the mice on the grain bins. They might hide important tools. They might lift the latch on the barn, goat pen, or other animal enclosure and let out valuable livestock. They might summon raccoon, badgers, foxes, or even black bears to cause problems for the neglectful big folk.
Different clans, different customs
The little people and their big people evolve together. The customs that the little people press upon the big people vary from town to town or country to country. The little people are, if anything, less rational than the big people. The customs they treasure and their beliefs about the proper care and treatment of their big people vary substantially. This can lead to substantial disagreement between different groups of little people at the boundaries between different domains. Arguing and raiding other communities is somewhat of a pastime for the little people. There are rules and boundaries, for the most part, that keep these raids good natured; if there is a disagreement about the rules for big people the raid may turn into something larger.
This means that magical excess of the little people may break out at the boundaries between areas with different fae customs. These, in turn, make boundaries between different human communities and countries strange or even haunted places, reinforcing the boundary. There is even a small chance that a community of little people — especially one with a leader, a local fairy queen — may decide to take over a neighboring district because they find the treatment of the big people intolerable. This can lead to anything from armies of conscripted animals to bizarre weather. These occasional outbreaks of war on the small side can add interest and texture to your campaign.
A few of the big people may have knowledge of and contacts in world of the little people. This means that they will understand the apparently irrational customs that arise from the fae, and also may be able to bribe the fae to help them. Fine wine, candies, gems, and silver decorations are examples of workable bribes. They will also know places or rituals that permit them to locate and speak with the little people. Such knowledge is usually gained along with a prohibition on passing the knowledge along, possibly except to their own children at the end of their lives. Spreading knowledge of the little folks widely can lead to vengeance.
If you decide to include the little people as a factor that influences societies in your fantasy world, plan it out a bit. Make sure that the little people will create texture, interest, mysteries, and fun in your campaign. The little people also often have a great deal of knowledge from living hidden near people. They may pass things along to people they like, or that will harm people they are angry at. They might even leave information as a knot or handwriting on the wall. The little people can be a big factor if you set them up well.
This is Dan of Dan and Andrew’s Game Place. Let me know what you think about this post in the comments. If you get ideas from this post, give us a pointer!
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