FDG CASE FILE: 1897/KNT-AT/014
Filed By: Reverend Arthur Penhaligon
Date: October 1897
Location: High Halstow, Kent Marshes
Classification: Fae Abduction / Changeling Replacement / Ritual Breaking
Site Status: Closed – Child Recovered, Midwife Removed by Fae Retribution
SUMMARY
This case details the birth and subsequent replacement of one of twins born to Martha Lawson during a violent storm in late 1897. The silent, ashen twin was a fae-created changeling, bound to the ashes of an old scarecrow and a pact with the Heron Prince, the silent and watchful fae sentinel of the Mirecourt.
Reverend Arthur Penhaligon, acting as a covert FDG operative, investigated the unusual behavior and local rumors, uncovering the midwife’s longstanding pact with the fae to exchange infants for village protection.
Through a carefully performed ritual, the stolen child was returned from the Mirecourt realm, but the midwife was claimed by the Heron Prince in retribution, disappearing through a fae portal.
INVESTIGATION DETAILS
Initial reports came from the Lawson family concerning one twin’s unnatural stillness and the presence of ash and straw around the child’s cradle.
Local superstition and omens—fogged windows, mysterious feathers, chilling drafts—pointed to fae involvement.
Reverend Penhaligon discreetly confronted the midwife, who confessed to her role as intermediary with the Heron Prince, securing village prosperity at the cost of stolen children.
A ritual breaking the pact was performed at the edge of the marshes near the heronry, culminating in the return of the abducted child.
The midwife was taken by fae forces as payment for breaking the bargain, disappearing into the Mirecourt.
ANALYSIS
The Heron Prince embodies the fae’s complex relationship with birth and death—both protector and taker.
Pacts brokered by humans with fae entities carry grave consequences, often involving changeling substitutions and spiritual debts.
Rituals based on local folklore and spiritual authority can disrupt these pacts but provoke dangerous retaliation.
The village of High Halstow remains a focal point for fae activity, warranting ongoing surveillance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Maintain discreet monitoring of High Halstow and surrounding marshlands for further fae influence.
Educate rural communities on signs of fae pacts and changeling activity to facilitate early reporting.
Support clergy and local leaders acting as frontline operatives in fae detection and intervention.
Further study of the Heron Prince’s role within the Mirecourt and his symbolic connection to birth and death is advised.
VAULT NOTES (Reverend Arthur Penhaligon)
“The Mirecourt watches all.
Its sentinel neither moves nor speaks,
but all who fall under its gaze are changed—
sometimes in body, always in soul.”
Faylinn Defence Group 