Runt the Disney Princess: A PathFinder Story
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Runt the Disney Princess: A PathFinder Story
And when PathFinder returned, finding his way to the pouch of an ill-tempered Frost Giant, he had a new strategy. Kill him with kindness.
Flowering
Late April
The best way to beat the heat was to leave the desert. Runt loved the Wilds for its overgrown forests, dark caves, and wet weather —especially in the summer. Today, he and Lillthinia were hunting for deer. Stalking through the forest she taught him how to be stealthy, to know where to step so the branches wouldn’t crack so loud, and how to soften the blow of each footstep. Try as he might, the frost giant would never truly be stealthy, but she patiently coached him in the ways of her elven ancestors. It was in the middle of this exercise that Lillthinia noticed something unusual: flowers. Wherever Runt stepped, especially as he focused on being one with the forest, flowers grew at his feet. Bluestem goldenrods, clustered mayflowers, red and white trilliums, the pink to bluish coloured sharp-loped hepatica and even the elongated trout lily. She watched him the entire afternoon before confronting him.
“Runt, has anything changed recently?”
The frost giant picked at his teeth with a bone from his coin pouch, oblivious to the ferns growing behind him. “NUL”
Lillthinia snuck a curious look into the coin pouch as Runt stuffed the bone back inside. It seemed, just for a moment, like there was something glowing in there.
The best way to beat the heat was to leave the desert. Runt loved the Wilds for its overgrown forests, dark caves, and wet weather —especially in the summer. Today, he and Lillthinia were hunting for deer. Stalking through the forest she taught him how to be stealthy, to know where to step so the branches wouldn’t crack so loud, and how to soften the blow of each footstep. Try as he might, the frost giant would never truly be stealthy, but she patiently coached him in the ways of her elven ancestors. It was in the middle of this exercise that Lillthinia noticed something unusual: flowers. Wherever Runt stepped, especially as he focused on being one with the forest, flowers grew at his feet. Bluestem goldenrods, clustered mayflowers, red and white trilliums, the pink to bluish coloured sharp-loped hepatica and even the elongated trout lily. She watched him the entire afternoon before confronting him.
“Runt, has anything changed recently?”
The frost giant picked at his teeth with a bone from his coin pouch, oblivious to the ferns growing behind him. “NUL”
Lillthinia snuck a curious look into the coin pouch as Runt stuffed the bone back inside. It seemed, just for a moment, like there was something glowing in there.
Bert
Early May
Runt tried to avoid Cadentia as much as possible. It was hot, he was susceptible to heat exhaustion, and the squire weapon made him thirstier than a dying camel —a camel like Bert. When Mallory first took over the barony, Bert was stand-offish. Not that Runt noticed or cared. But after the rock appeared, Bert was different. Bert would try and sneak into Runt’s sack for food. Bert would follow him around. Bert would bring other camels to follow him around. Runt had half a mind to eat Bert.
Bert, on the other hand, was suddenly very interested in Runt. Something powerful drew Bert to Runt —more potent than moon pies! It also helped that rare desert vegetation grew at Runt’s feet when he stood still long enough. No one noticed just how much grass and cacti grew behind Runt, because Bert and his fellow camels ate all of it.
Except for the children.
Children are excellent at watching, especially when adults think there isn’t much going on. Most of the time, children avoided the frost giant. But after his recent hunts in The Wilds, they felt something different about him. He was surlier, but they somehow knew he wasn’t going to hurt them, and the fear they once felt was gone entirely. These children noticed the rare desert flowers and thorny shrubs growing around Runt, and how the camels ate after him. If they were quick enough, they could pick some of the flowers before Bert got to the flora.
When Mallory lost the Cadentia Villa, Runt was happy to leave the annoying animals and children behind. Unfortunately, RhyDin and The Wilds had more of both.
((Bert used with the permission of Mallory’s player!))
Runt tried to avoid Cadentia as much as possible. It was hot, he was susceptible to heat exhaustion, and the squire weapon made him thirstier than a dying camel —a camel like Bert. When Mallory first took over the barony, Bert was stand-offish. Not that Runt noticed or cared. But after the rock appeared, Bert was different. Bert would try and sneak into Runt’s sack for food. Bert would follow him around. Bert would bring other camels to follow him around. Runt had half a mind to eat Bert.
Bert, on the other hand, was suddenly very interested in Runt. Something powerful drew Bert to Runt —more potent than moon pies! It also helped that rare desert vegetation grew at Runt’s feet when he stood still long enough. No one noticed just how much grass and cacti grew behind Runt, because Bert and his fellow camels ate all of it.
Except for the children.
Children are excellent at watching, especially when adults think there isn’t much going on. Most of the time, children avoided the frost giant. But after his recent hunts in The Wilds, they felt something different about him. He was surlier, but they somehow knew he wasn’t going to hurt them, and the fear they once felt was gone entirely. These children noticed the rare desert flowers and thorny shrubs growing around Runt, and how the camels ate after him. If they were quick enough, they could pick some of the flowers before Bert got to the flora.
When Mallory lost the Cadentia Villa, Runt was happy to leave the annoying animals and children behind. Unfortunately, RhyDin and The Wilds had more of both.
((Bert used with the permission of Mallory’s player!))
Prettiest Princess
Late May
The witch made her way through the bustling crowd along Kabuki Street at the end of her office hours at the school, dressed in a pinstripe pantsuit and heels and carrying her nice black messenger bag over her shoulder. She had a delivery for Runt, and she couldn’t help but laugh to herself about it as she made her way to a park on a side street near the Zama Shrine where she often met him. It was cooler here, thanks to the long narrow lane that funneled breezes all the way from the waterfront, and fairly open by Kabuki Street standards. There were four small trees marking the corners, and stones and boulders of varying size perfect for sitting on.
“Hey, Runt...!” she started when she rounded the corner, then stopped. If she still drew breath, what she saw now would have taken it away.
The despondent frost giant sat forlornly on the largest boulder. Runt’s calloused hands cradled his chin in a petulant manner, while a black-winged kitten purred in his lap. In contrast to his sour mood, a colourful assortment of birds preened and whistled from the frost giant’s shoulders, knees, head, and war-hammer. Children and puppies played at his feet while a family of squirrels investigated the partially opened rough-hide sack, revealing a soft-green glow.
“By the kami,” Mallory breathed, and made a valiant effort to suppress her giggling at the sight before her. She did her best to shoo the joyful creatures (including the children!) that had congregated around the usually fearsome giant, only leaving the kitten undisturbed in her effort to give them more privacy. “Runt, when did this start happening?” She gestured after a group of songbirds that had alighted to a tree nearby, unwilling to be but so far from him.
She was about as tall as him when he was sitting down, so she remained standing for now.
“WHEN GREEN ROCK COME BACK. RUNT WAS IN GREAT ‘UNT, LOOKING FOR MIGHTY BOAR O’ DE WILDS. TRAVEL MANY DAYS TOWARD DE EASTERN LAND. BOAR WAS TRICKY, A GREAT QUARRY. DEN DE ROCK APPEAR. RUNT FEEL IT MADGE-ICK AND VOICE. DE BOAR COME OUT OF ‘IDING AND SIT AT RUNT FEET. MAKE ‘UNT MAUG.” If anything, the frost giant looked like he might cry as he described this terrible turn of events.
“Big guy,” Mallory intoned sympathetically, putting a hand on his shoulder. She knew how important that hunt had been to him! “We’ll fix this, okay? We’ll sort it out.” Her hand slipped from his shoulder, then turned palm-up towards him. “Can I see it?”
Runt reached into the pouch that hung from the oversized belt. The small stone was different, it had a hole in the centre now and somehow felt wiser. It made the frost giant even more nervous, and so he gladly placed it in Mallory’s hand. “WHY ROCK WANT BE WID RUNT? RUNT TRY MUCH TIME TO BE RID O’ DIS STONE.”
“Because it feels that you’re the only one who deserves it... because you earned it in a fight, and defended it, twice,” she added, turning it over with her fingers. “As long as you’re its holder...” She looked at the birds already returning to the lowest branches of the nearby trees, and a few fluttering to the ground to hop towards Runt. “I can lock this thing in a lead box and ward it, but that only maybe lessens all of this... and might just piss it off. If you want to be rid of it... you need to find another worthy holder.”
“RUNT TRY TO GIVE TO MATT. ‘E LOST. DEN DE TRIXIE-FAE VENN O’ MAAL-REE TRIED. IT FUN SLAAS. BUT RUNT WIN. BECAUSE RUNT BE DE B—ST!” It was hard to tell if he was saying best, or beast, but he was clearly proud of his accomplishments. “RUNT NEED TO FIND ONE STRONGER DEN RUNT.” The giant gave this some thought, truly trying to think who he considered strong enough, worthy enough —”CRUNCH! MEBEE CRUNCH CAN WIN DIS STONE!”
“Crunchem needs to win more fights before he can give it a shot, unless he wins a grant,” Mallory mused. She distractedly flapped a bird away from his shoulder as she checked her phone. “...Eight more wins. I could go for it,” she looked up at him, “but all I might accomplish is making you stuck with the rock for another week if I lose. I could talk to Matt and Hope and Kheldar about a challenge gauntlet...?”
The frost-giant absently toed away some puppies, and dumped the black-winged kitten unceremoniously off his lap. “‘OW WILL ARM COVER ‘ELP RUNT?” He looked genuinely confused.
She grinned and shook her head. “That’s my fault. That word means two things. You know when one person has to fight a bunch of people, one at a time?”
“AH! RAUTAKINNAS! DIS BE A GREAT SJUSLASS!” The giant grinned toothily, a great series of challenges where he could prove himself the most strong! “WE MAKE DIS GREAT SLAAG! ‘OW SOON DIS BE?”
“As soon as you want it to be! Well... as soon as we can line up a caller and some challengers. And I need to get with the Outback staff and figure out how the challenge format can work.” She still had her phone out. “I can start making calls right now, and get this thing in motion.”
The witch made her way through the bustling crowd along Kabuki Street at the end of her office hours at the school, dressed in a pinstripe pantsuit and heels and carrying her nice black messenger bag over her shoulder. She had a delivery for Runt, and she couldn’t help but laugh to herself about it as she made her way to a park on a side street near the Zama Shrine where she often met him. It was cooler here, thanks to the long narrow lane that funneled breezes all the way from the waterfront, and fairly open by Kabuki Street standards. There were four small trees marking the corners, and stones and boulders of varying size perfect for sitting on.
“Hey, Runt...!” she started when she rounded the corner, then stopped. If she still drew breath, what she saw now would have taken it away.
The despondent frost giant sat forlornly on the largest boulder. Runt’s calloused hands cradled his chin in a petulant manner, while a black-winged kitten purred in his lap. In contrast to his sour mood, a colourful assortment of birds preened and whistled from the frost giant’s shoulders, knees, head, and war-hammer. Children and puppies played at his feet while a family of squirrels investigated the partially opened rough-hide sack, revealing a soft-green glow.
“By the kami,” Mallory breathed, and made a valiant effort to suppress her giggling at the sight before her. She did her best to shoo the joyful creatures (including the children!) that had congregated around the usually fearsome giant, only leaving the kitten undisturbed in her effort to give them more privacy. “Runt, when did this start happening?” She gestured after a group of songbirds that had alighted to a tree nearby, unwilling to be but so far from him.
She was about as tall as him when he was sitting down, so she remained standing for now.
“WHEN GREEN ROCK COME BACK. RUNT WAS IN GREAT ‘UNT, LOOKING FOR MIGHTY BOAR O’ DE WILDS. TRAVEL MANY DAYS TOWARD DE EASTERN LAND. BOAR WAS TRICKY, A GREAT QUARRY. DEN DE ROCK APPEAR. RUNT FEEL IT MADGE-ICK AND VOICE. DE BOAR COME OUT OF ‘IDING AND SIT AT RUNT FEET. MAKE ‘UNT MAUG.” If anything, the frost giant looked like he might cry as he described this terrible turn of events.
“Big guy,” Mallory intoned sympathetically, putting a hand on his shoulder. She knew how important that hunt had been to him! “We’ll fix this, okay? We’ll sort it out.” Her hand slipped from his shoulder, then turned palm-up towards him. “Can I see it?”
Runt reached into the pouch that hung from the oversized belt. The small stone was different, it had a hole in the centre now and somehow felt wiser. It made the frost giant even more nervous, and so he gladly placed it in Mallory’s hand. “WHY ROCK WANT BE WID RUNT? RUNT TRY MUCH TIME TO BE RID O’ DIS STONE.”
“Because it feels that you’re the only one who deserves it... because you earned it in a fight, and defended it, twice,” she added, turning it over with her fingers. “As long as you’re its holder...” She looked at the birds already returning to the lowest branches of the nearby trees, and a few fluttering to the ground to hop towards Runt. “I can lock this thing in a lead box and ward it, but that only maybe lessens all of this... and might just piss it off. If you want to be rid of it... you need to find another worthy holder.”
“RUNT TRY TO GIVE TO MATT. ‘E LOST. DEN DE TRIXIE-FAE VENN O’ MAAL-REE TRIED. IT FUN SLAAS. BUT RUNT WIN. BECAUSE RUNT BE DE B—ST!” It was hard to tell if he was saying best, or beast, but he was clearly proud of his accomplishments. “RUNT NEED TO FIND ONE STRONGER DEN RUNT.” The giant gave this some thought, truly trying to think who he considered strong enough, worthy enough —”CRUNCH! MEBEE CRUNCH CAN WIN DIS STONE!”
“Crunchem needs to win more fights before he can give it a shot, unless he wins a grant,” Mallory mused. She distractedly flapped a bird away from his shoulder as she checked her phone. “...Eight more wins. I could go for it,” she looked up at him, “but all I might accomplish is making you stuck with the rock for another week if I lose. I could talk to Matt and Hope and Kheldar about a challenge gauntlet...?”
The frost-giant absently toed away some puppies, and dumped the black-winged kitten unceremoniously off his lap. “‘OW WILL ARM COVER ‘ELP RUNT?” He looked genuinely confused.
She grinned and shook her head. “That’s my fault. That word means two things. You know when one person has to fight a bunch of people, one at a time?”
“AH! RAUTAKINNAS! DIS BE A GREAT SJUSLASS!” The giant grinned toothily, a great series of challenges where he could prove himself the most strong! “WE MAKE DIS GREAT SLAAG! ‘OW SOON DIS BE?”
“As soon as you want it to be! Well... as soon as we can line up a caller and some challengers. And I need to get with the Outback staff and figure out how the challenge format can work.” She still had her phone out. “I can start making calls right now, and get this thing in motion.”
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