written by Pippa Poolflitzer, 29.07.2026
A birthday party for your pet? Is it cute or just another sign the ruling elite has completely lost the plot? I spent the last two months undercover in the Autumn Court to find out! Read until the end to see how you can snag a spot on the guest list ...
Before we can make a judgement we need to understand the whole picture: Earlier this year, a rumour circulated the Courts that the Autumn Prince was gearing up for a massive celebration later in the year. I managed to infiltrate the Court and grab an invitation - which loyal readers will already have caught a glimpse of. Let's break it down: the festivities are happening on the 26.09. at the Autumn Court directly. For all readers from the Human Realm, your nearest gate to the Fey Realm is located at Oberndorf 11, 4722 Oberndorf. From what I could gather, the feast will start later in the afternoon, with no exact time announced yet, and will stretch far into the night. While no dedicated rooms are being prepared for guests, the is enough space to sprawl out either on the grounds either inside or outside. Guests are expected to bring their own bedrolls. Guests are also expected to dress appropriately and bring a gift for the Prince's companion.
Which leads me to the reason for the whole ordeal: The Prince is celebrating the 2nd birthday of Aucratius, his Pyrrhocoris Apterus, more commonly known as a Firebug. Preparations have been ongoing for weeks already, with the hosts setting up different areas for eating, socialising and a large host of entertainment like party games, sorcery and mischief. There has been an adorable amount of energy put into making this event fun for a two year old bug.
But all that effort means very little if the catering misses its mark. To get input on the food situation, I managed to sneak a short interview with the princes head chef, Olav Ovenhandler.
Pippa: Mr Ovenhandler, you are expecting a massive celebration with guests from all the courts and beyond. This must be a lot of pressure on you to deliver the perfect feast! What are you preparing for the festivities?
Olav: Nothing.
Pippa: Can you elaborate on that?
Olav: I wasn't asked to prepare anything.
Pippa: Wait so you're saying there won't be any food at the event?
Olav: No.
Pippa: But surely the people need to eat. How is this supposed to work? Should they bring their own food?
Olav: Yeah.
Pippa: Ooh now I get it! So every guest is supposed to bring one dish that can be easily shared with others and you construct all of it into a lavish buffet?
Olav: Sure.
Pippa: That is a very fun idea! What if people want to bring something that needs to be finished on the spot? I'm thinking of dishes that can be prepared at home and just need a few minutes in an oven to be finished, would you be open to sharing your kitchen for those dishes?
Olav: I guess.
Pippa: Thank you so much for this insightful interview, Mr. Ovenhandler, and good luck with the rest of the preparations!
Olav: OK.
So with all that information collected, is this a nice idea or just a way for the prince to flaunt his wealth? Well, on one hand it seems like a genuinely nice and cozy festival that will be a lot of fun for everyone attending. On the other hand it is a massive effort just to celebrate the birthday of a pet, and every guest is expected to bring the perfect gift for the little guy. Instead of making this judgement myself I invite you, dear readers, to attend the feast and judge for yourselves, by clicking the link below!
Thank you for following me on my undercover journey the past couple of months, I hope to see many of you here!