Players characters evading direct questions

[Vyke]

I do think, and I might be wrong... it has happened before*, that people seem to feel that the players were entitled to the support from the Seelie. That, because they were introduced, the GM should guide them through the exact steps required to get the aid. I'm not convinced that's the case. For whatever reasons, be they good bad or completely bemusing, the steps we know** are that the players selected a faction to recruit to their cause, were asked to share information, then refused to share their information, then refused a payment, then left and were surprised and frustrated that it didn't yield the required support.

This is exactly the obvious result of that sequence of events.

Now you can, if you like, say it was impossible to gain that alliance and I would disagree. You might say that the key step to gain that alliance was too obscure for the players to access and I... might... agree... but truthfully when you you go to ask someone for help you need to know they have the advantage and that you may have to blink first. If you don't. they have less to lose and can end the conversation. Every interaction between two or more people is a balance of how much this is worth to them even when you're not discussing committing your forces to potentially lethal action.

The Fey were open to 2 way dialogue and the players weren't. Their decision may make sense, it may be tactically correct, but the consequence of that decision is no Fey support. Not sure why it would be met with frustration. They weren't promised anything and did nothing to gain anything. They haven't lost anything (except maybe time)... this was just a dead end caused by a cost they weren't willing to meet.

*Like, twice. Or something close. I'm usually right.

**And I wasn't there so I don't know, know. I'm assuming