Fifi le Yipyap

Fifi le Yipyap is the Lord and Archduke of Falderal.

Background

He is found three times on the Falderal streets, and once in the town hall, where he serves as a judge. His private parlor is also inside the town hall, and, upon accessing it, both Rosella and Valanice comment on how tacky it looks.

Valanice enters Falderal, the Archduke interrogates her, but he welcomes her to Falderal, advising to "please take the Faux Shop with a grain of salt." (A hint to eat the salt crystals from the desert to be able to enter the Faux Shop.) He is distrustful of her, however, having never seen a human being before (despite Ceres and Attis living nearby, it seems he has never left the confines of Falderal), instead choosing to refer to her as a "pink thing." The entrance to the town hall is made off limits to Valanice because it's the Archduke's birthday, but Valanice can sneak in after obtaining the masquerade mask from the China Shop. Later in the same chapter, Valanice takes the green cheese from the fountain, which Chicken Petite believed to be the moon, and is arrested by the Archduke for moon thievery.

Later, Valanice stands before a tribunal where the Archduke is the judge. She is found "Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!" by a jury of Falderanians and sentenced to remain in town until she can find a way to return the moon to the sky. She does so by using a tree with a sling-shot shaped bush and a rubber chicken to launch the green cheese into the air, and is given a full pardon by the Archduke who then goes to hide in the sub subbasement of the town hall from the erupting volcano. This is the last we see of him as the only Falderanian who will talk to her is Ersatz de Faux.

Later Rosella travels to Falderal and enters, the Archduke greets her as he did Valanice. "Oh, another pink thing. Hello, pink thing." When Rosella talks to the townsfolk, they mention that Valanice was arrested, but acquitted and the townspeople now like her. When Rosella enters the town hall, she finds the magic mirror that is an entrance to the Archduke's parlor is boarded up, to prevent other beings from using it, again (as Valanice had previously used it to get into his parlor to steal the magic statuette). She finds the parlor itself is empty.

Personality and traits

He is a very hyperactive French poodle, who spits a lot while speaking. He likes to make up many ridiculous punishments for those who are accused of breaking crimes in Nonsense Land and Falderal.

As a leader he is very much like the animal he personifies, often ending his loud ranting sentences with several yipping dog barks. He also has many french mannerisms, including walking with a cane and gloves and taking snuff. He appears to have a powdered wig, and also a black mole on his cheek.

Titles and nicknames

• Archduke Fifi le Yipyap of Falderal
• Archduke Fifi le Yipyap
• Archduke Fifi le YipYap
• Arch-Duke Fifi le YipYap
• Archduke Fifi
• Arch-Duke Fifi
• Archduke Yipyap
• Arch-Duke Yipyap
• Arch-Duke YipYap
• Archduke
• Arch-Duke
• Fearless Warhound of Falderal
• My Lord
• Lord
• Duke

Sentences and punishments

Fifi and his jury offers several nonsense sentences in order to punish Valanice (many of which include banishment to likely non-existent lands, or at least impossible or unlikely situations). These include;

• Being sent to the jelly bean mines of the faraway kingdom of Wugga Wugga Boing Boing (a place which Fifi had made up).
• Banish her to the Plains of Petulant Possums.
• Maroon her on the Island of Ill-Natured Iguanas.
• Making her count every grain of birdseed in the land.
• Being fed to a three hundred pound hamster.
• Fed to a three hundred pound killer tomato.

Finally they decide upon making her put the moon back into the sky after which Fifi pardons her.

Behind the scenes

In the files the character's name is Arch-Duke Fifi le YipYap/Yipyap. It is YipYap in the KQ7 Hintbook as well. In the KQC it is 'Archduke Fifi le Yipyap'