Gremlin Fences
It is well known among those who study the gremlins of Cartyrion that these creatures universally find cold iron revolting, and they avoid it at all costs. This knowledge has trickled down to the common folk, but in a fashion typical of such things, it has been embellished along the way. One example of this can be seen in a practice common among the human farmers that surround many of the villages and towns of the Feywood. The farmers erect what they believe are barriers that will keep the gremlins out of their fields and away from their homes - barriers they call Gremlin Fences.
While Gremlins are known to avoid coming into contact with cold iron, whether or not they will avoid approaching it altogether is very much an open topic of debate among sages. Gremlins are intelligent, and the question is whether they have an instinctual aversion to the material, or are they intelligent enough to understand that a spike in a pole stuck in the ground every 10ft isn't going to do them any harm.
Erecting a Fence
A gremlin fence is little more than a series of wooden stakes driven into the ground and leaving no more than 3ft (1m) protruding upward. Into the top of each of these stakes, a 6in (15cm) iron spike is driven, leaving about half its length protruding above the top of the wooden spike. Nothing connects one spike to another - no wire, no wooden stringers. It is the iron - which specifically must be "cold forged iron" that the Humans believe will repel the gremlins - and there may be some reality behind these beliefs.But Does It Work?
Most of the farmers swear that incidents of gremlins destroying crops, stealing farm equipment, or frightening the cows, sheep, or goats drop considerably when they erect a gremlin fence. Some come to believe that it was a waste of time, money, and good iron spikes. In Feybridge Crossing, one of the most remote Human settlements in the Feywood, this topic of discussion is one of the most popular among the farmers who visit the Two Bridges Inn after a day's hard work.Extensions of the Practice
While the practice of erecting Gremlin Fences definitely started among the rural farmfolk outside of the villages and towns, a variant of the practice has recently become popular in some places - Feybridge Crossing in particular. Townsfolk have begun "gremlin fencing" their homes and shop by driving cold iron spikes into the walls over doorframes and windows, and at the corners of their buildings. Some have gotten carried away with the this, the result being a home festooned with half-driven spikes.The Reality Behind the Practice
Gremlins are, in fact, sensitive to the touch of cold-forged iron. Adventurers who offer their services in "gremlin pest control" often equip themselves with blades of the difficult-to-work material. They claim that the benefits gained when battling against the nastiest of the corrupted fey outweigh the inconvenience of weapons that are difficult to sharpen and are prone to breakage because of their brittleness.While Gremlins are known to avoid coming into contact with cold iron, whether or not they will avoid approaching it altogether is very much an open topic of debate among sages. Gremlins are intelligent, and the question is whether they have an instinctual aversion to the material, or are they intelligent enough to understand that a spike in a pole stuck in the ground every 10ft isn't going to do them any harm.
Another fun one! It's obvious how much thought and care you put into each of your Summer Camp articles, even the shorter ones.
Thanks once again for taking the time to read and comment. This was one of my shortest articles, but I thought it could add a little bit of "flavor"... and perhaps even the opportunity to "inform" neophyte adventurers about cold iron if they overhear something in the tavern.
Laurels & Loot is a new, lightweight TTRPG rules system that hearkens back to the early days.
The Forgotten Academy is a mega-dungeon being created for the #Dungeon23 Challenge