Once every eight years, the fantastic Witchlight Carnival touches down on your world, bringing joy to one settlement after the next. Its owners, Mister Witch and Mister Light, know how to put on a good show. But there’s more to this magical extravaganza than meets the eye!
The carnival is a gateway to a fantastic Feywild domain unlike anything found on the Material Plane. Time has not been kind to this realm, however, and dark days lie ahead unless someone can thwart the dastardly schemes of the Hourglass Coven.
The displacer beast closes up his booth with a few movements of his tentacles. "Well, it's good timing regardless. The Carnival is almost ending for the day, and it's time to go to the Big Top for the Crowning of the Witchlight Monarch." He leads the way, although he turns away once you are settled in. He is the escort for Mister Witch from his wagon to the stage.
Even more than the Big Top Extravaganza, the entire crowd gathers to the Big Top for the final ceremony. The spinning gold stars topping the three swooping peaks of the roof let off bright sparks that turn into candy when they reach the hands of a child. Celebratory music fills the tent, and the crowd is excited.
From your vantage point you can see Dirlagraun escorting Mister Witch to his spot, while Mister Light steps onto the stage and gives a rousing opening speech. Mister Light's witchlight vane spins a thread of golden light that winds its way around the tent and through the crowd. It highlights circus-goers who brought delight and joy to those around them. After a few circles around the tent, it settles above the heads of the party, glowing brightly.
With your actions over Chapter 1 you maxed out the Mood Meter at the positive end, which makes you candidates for being the Witchlight Monarch. Feel free to decide amongst yourselves as to who brought the most joy to the Carnival and so will be crowned.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."
As usual, it's as if Quill doesn't hear any music at all, but stage panic begins to creep into her as the golden thread beams around the party. Welcome trills and his quills threaten to poke through the rings in her gambeson as she hugs him tighter. "Not me, Glittergold, not me..." she says to herself.
If there are no other takers, let's torture Quill with the attention.
A shower of bright sparks falls on Quill, somehow highlighting rather than outshining her. Mister Light turns back towards where Mister Witch is standing, and you now see Candlefoot holding an ornate box. Faeries of light appear and guide Quill to the center stage as the crowd cheers.
Mister Witch removes a crown of golden butterflies from the ornate box, and places it on Quill's head. Mister Light takes the Witchlight vane and officially knights the monarch. Witch and Light escort the crowned monarch on a circuit of the stage while Palasha the mermaid sings a joyous song, and pixies flutter all around her. When the song concludes, Mister Light leads the monarch on a parade through the carnival, with the other guests following while Burly the Bugbear sets off fireworks.
Quill, you get the "Charm of the Monarch": You can sprout a pair of beautiful butterfly wings. As long as you have the wings, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain a +5 bonus on all Charisma-based ability checks. These effects last for 1 hour. After you use this charm three times, it vanishes from you.
At the end of the celebration, as the carnival dies down and the other guests begin to leave, Quill and the party are invited to join Mister Light and Mister Witch at their wagon to talk.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."
Shiloh leans over to Quill and says, "Congratulations!"
When they gather in Misters Light and Witch's wagon, Shiloh leans forward and says, "So, in the process of trying to solve some of the problems of the carnival we heard rumors of bigger problems, ones connected with certain events in the Feywild. We were thinking we might be able to help you if you could tell us more."
While Quill receives the hug from Shiloh, her face turns a mix of green and red. The congratulations breaks the spell of her nervous silence and she replies with "Th-Thanks..."
At the center stage, as the mermaid sings her song, humming along to it settles the shy gnome's nerves, and for a moment, her ears register the tune, and she smiles again, glowing sober for the first time since she and her brother parted ways. Feeling a new power come over her, she taps into it and sprouts butterfly wings on her back. Bolstered, she flies alongside Witch and Light, watching the faeries and figuring out how her wings work as the parade marches around the carnival, humming Palasha's tune in and out. Once the parade is over and the song ends, however, her ears are tone deaf once again.
(Charm has 2 left)
______
In the ringmasters' wagon, Quill nods and looks at the rest of the party, then at Witch and Light confidently.
Mister Light gestures towards his scepter - the Witchlight vane that he used during the performance - and explains that it picks up every nuance of emotion in the carnival. He smiles at the group, and Quill especially, and expresses his gratitude for the cheer that the characters have brought to the Carnival.
Having met them before, they know of your predicament. With Shiloh pressing them to share, but Mister Witch sighs unhappily. "Prismeer is our path across the world, and the land of the fey has rules we must abide by. You already know that anyone who sneaks into the Carnival without a ticket is robbed of something precious. What we haven't shared is that whatever is stolen inevitably finds its way to Prismeer. Objects, memories, ideas - all of those are very real to the fey."
Mister Light jumps in. "We have ways of entering and traversing Prismeer. When we travel as the Carnival, we are bound to follow the paths we have access too." He looks around nervously. "However, we do have access to a one-way portal that can put you into the Feywild. But once there, you would have to find your own way back."
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."
Shiloh says, "I think we'll need to figure that out ourselves. But maybe we can do some research on that area of the Feywild before we go." She turns to Mr. Witch and Mr. Light. "I don't suppose you or anyone else in the Carnival has some books on the Feywild we might borrow?"
