[IC] The Wild Beyond Witchlight

[rush99999]

Brutrumukk

Brutrumukk watched as people lined up for tickets to the carnival. He was too far away to hear what as going on, but he could see the ticket goblin nodding towards him for some reason and the other goblin he paid to spy on the carnival looking back at him questioningly. Brutrumukk hoped that wasn't a sign that his spy had been discovered so soon. He didn't enjoy the thought of having spent four gold pieces on a spy who got caught right out of the gate. "What's goin' on over there?" Brutrumukk muttered to himself.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival!

The Ticket Booth

The goblin listened to everyone of you with an ear horn lifted to his ear. He sets down the horn before he answered Aurora first while shaking his head, "An anonymous benefactor paid for those tickets, Ma'am. Sorry,"

When Zavakri mentioned that she wanted to pay for her sister, he answered her, "Of course, Madame. You may have to describe your sister to me, so that I can give her her ticket. An adult ticket costs 8 silver pieces, while a child's ticket costs 3 silver pieces,"

After Miizel asked about the attractions, the goblin grinned and he answered, "I said they're worth eight ticket punches, young man. There are many attractions here, and one or two of them are free. Any food or drink you might want also cost a ticket punch,"

He then directs his attention, and he speaks to Jub, "Ah yes. You, young goblin, you were speaking with the bugbear earlier, yes?" He remains silent for a bit to let Jub answer his question.

After Jub answers his question here, he continues, "I can only give his ticket to him. Would you do this old goblin a favor and tell him to come to this booth? I would like to have a word with him,"

He then looks to the rest of the party, and speaks while handing them a rolled up map, "Here is the map of the carnival. Once I clear something up with the bugbear, you are all free to explore the Witchlight Carnival. He is in your party after all, and I fear there is a misunderstanding,"

[XxFellsingxX]

Jub's ears pricked up as he heard someone behind him speak, and he glanced over his shoulder to see a human woman. How long had she been standing there? This was the second time today Jub the Peculiar's legendary senses had failed him. He'd have to be more vigilant. More importantly, those words she had just said, about things not being for free... sounded really familiar, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Jub shook his head. Oh well. It would come back to him later. He pocketed the green pair of wings before the ticket goblin suddenly addressed him, mentioning his previous conversation with the bugbear. Beneath his hood, Jub started to sweat. "Ha... indeed, I, err, have spoken to the gentleman over there," he said with a feigned laugh. "Just a passing, err, friendly conversation if you will. I don't know the man personally, of course." Anyone who had spoken to Jub previously would immediately pick up on the strain in his voice. When the ticket goblin asked him to bring the bugbear over here, Jub gave another small laugh. "Ha... you got it, my eloquent friend, I'll, err..." He stepped out of the line. "I'll be right back." He hurriedly made his way over to the bugbear before anyone else could speak to him.

Once he reached Brutrumukk, Jub immediately dropped his grandiose demeanor. "So, err, there's a complication," he said to the bugbear.

[rush99999]

Brutrumukk

Brutrumukk watched as his goblin spy broke away from the crowd at the ticket booth and hurried over to him. When he heard what his spy had to report, Brutrumukk let out an annoyed snarl. He considered just taking his money back and sending the goblin packing, but decided to hear his spy out before passing judgement. "A... comp-lee-cay-shun? As in somethin' went wrong over there?" He asked in goblin. "...Well? Spit it out, Mag damn it! What 'appened?"

[XxFellsingxX]

Jub flinched slightly from the bugbear. "Apparently, my, err, good man..." he said. "You, erm, have a ticket." He motioned over to the carnival. "The charming fellow at the booth has said that someone had paid for a ticket for you, as well as for myself and a few others."

[rush99999]

Brutrumukk

Brutrumukk looked over at the ticket goblin, then back at the goblin standing in front of him "Someone bought me a ticket?" Brutrumukk asked, quite clearly perplexed by this turn of events. "An' now them an' theirs is willin' to let me in...? You sure you 'eard that right? You best not be muckin' about with me 'ere."

[XxFellsingxX]

Jub held up his hands. "I am just as in the dark here as you are, my friend," he said. "Regardless, the fellow at the ticket booth would like to have a word with you. Something about a misunderstanding, I believe he said?"

[Fading Memory]

When Zavakri mentioned that she wanted to pay for her sister, he answered her, "Of course, Madame. You may have to describe your sister to me, so that I can give her her ticket. An adult ticket costs 8 silver pieces, while a child's ticket costs 3 silver pieces,"

@Guardian Angel Haruki

"Eight and three. Best make it two of each just to be on the safe side." She rummages into her gold pouch, muttering senselessly all the while;

"We were but gels when we came last, so that'd be two child's...but she'd be nearly a woman grown now, so best make it an adult's to be safe- and nothing's free, that much is true, so I'd better be safe and buy my own ticket too..."

She produces the required twenty-two silver in short order and exchanges it in swiftness for the tickets, which she delicately folds away; the free one into her pocket, the rest safely and securely into her bag. Seeming to lose her reverie for the time being, she studies the map and taps her chin a few times.

"...Gosh, this all sounds positively..."

She gulps.

"...Whimsical."

[rush99999]

Brutrumukk

"Right then." Brutrumukk said as he turned towards the ticket booth. "Let's go see what this miss-under-standin' 'e wants to 'ave a word about is." With that said, Brutrumukk made his way over to the ticket booth, arriving just as Zavakri finished paying. "Oi, old timer." Brutrumukk announced his presence in common as he closed to talking range. "That other goblin told me someone bought me a ticket an' that you think I'm thinkin' about stuff wrong."

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival!

The Ticket Booth

The old goblin completes the transaction, and before he could say anything to Zavakri after she takes the tickets, Jub and Brutrumukk approach.

With the earhorn up to his ear, he listens to Brutrumukk as he speaks. He sets down the horn and he speaks to the bugbear after nodding, "Yes, I did want to speak to you regarding a misunderstanding. But I must clarify: The misunderstanding was on our part. Not yours,"

He then goes to explain, "Your benefactor has explained to us why you were acting the way you did for the past couple days. Of course anyone would be upset if their rest was being disturbed!"

He continues, "Your benefactor also told us that you did a lot of good for the denizens who live around here. So...we can't really deny their payment for your ticket,"

He then rummages below the booth and pulls out another ticket and a pair of fake orange butterfly wings, and hands them to Brutrumukk, "So, on behalf of your benefactor: Thank you for all of the good you've done. And on behalf of the Witchlight Carnival: We apologize for the disturbance, and we hope you enjoy your time here. This will be our last night here,"

[Lurking Krog]

Aurora

The goblin's comment had left her more curious than before. Was it someone she knew? It was certainly possible. However she was not sure who she knew that also knew the others here in the line, and the bugbear that seemed rather displeased with the carnival's presence.

"I'll take an extra two adult tickets as well." Rory took out sixteen silver to pay for the extra tickets. Before she could set the silver down the bugbear had walked over to the booth and started loudly addressing the goblin ticket taker. She quietly waited for the two to finish hoping that there won't be too much of a scene cause by the disgruntled person.

Once the transaction was done, she stepped forward and set the silver on the the counter. Upon receiving the extra tickets, Aurora put all three in her coin pouch and stepped to the side to wait for Gabriel, and put the purple wings on for the time being.

[rush99999]

Brutrumukk

Brutrumukk listened to the ticket goblin speak and, all in all, liked what he heard. He especially liked that this would be the last night the carnival would be here. It came as quite the relief to the bugbear that the peace and quiet he so loved about the field and the Snoring Stone would be back the way it was by tomorrow. When the ticket goblin finished speaking, Brutrumukk gave a sharp nod and grunted his approval. "Y'know what? You lot ain't so bad." Brutrumukk said as he accepted his ticket and wings. "So who was it what paid fer our tickets anyway? An' what are these wings fer as well?"

[XxFellsingxX]

Jub scurried after the bugbear, still looking very nervous. This nervousness turned into outright panic when Brutrumukk addressed the ticket goblin, and in a voice that anyone within earshot was likely to hear, referred to Jub as 'that other goblin'.

With a burst of anxious - bordering on hysterical - laughter, Jub patted the bugbear on the leg. "Hah... poor fellow doesn't know what he's talking about," he said. "Other goblin? Really now!" Even as he was speaking, he was attempting to pull his hood further over his head.

[Dark Cloud]

G A B R I E L

@Lurking Krog

"Yes well, I'll just take the ticket." Gabriel leaned on the ticket booth counter to take his ticket stub, offering the open palm of his hand. Once the ticket goblin hands it to him, Gabriel steps to the side next to Aurora with a smile "So, what's the plan?"

[Lurking Krog]

Aurora

"I was think of going to the Hall of Illusions first. After that maybe the Mystery Mine or the Snail Races." She started to walk in the direction of the Hall of Illusions keeping a reasonable pace.

"Though should probably make time for dinner before to long."

[Fading Memory]

"--Lost Property? Gosh, it couldn't be that simple..."

She lifts her head, realizing that everyone was beginning to wander away. That wasn't what 'parties' did in the stories she'd heard. Nay, they were supposed to stick together through the thick and the thin- and from what she heard it really was mostly thin- and face unseen perils and form a tight knit bond of comradery that would face the test of time and the gods themselves. The Flaming Fist were extremely clear about this sort of thing in their complaints in the taverns, and the Adventurers she'd met in passing were just plum full of those sorts of stories themselves!

...In short, she already felt quite doomed.

She took a deep breath and drummed her fingers on her thighs, thinking... Until the words flowing around her managed to penetrate through the mental barrier of general mathematics she had to constantly balance to breathe properly and remember how to chew food.

"--Wait, last night? LAST NIGHT?" She groaned. "Of course it's the last night! Oh, drama!"

She let out a sigh that resonated from deep within her endless pools of angst, born from her dark teenaged years, and hastily trudged off. Walking with Purpose, as it were, as she pursued the Lost Property area with haste.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival!

Ticket Booth

The Ticket Booth

The old goblin gave a smile in response to Brutrumukk's words. He answered his first question with a shake of his head, "My apologies, but your benefactor is anonymous," He then answers his next question with a smile, "The wings are to show the other carnival hands that you are a paying customer, so you can enjoy the carnival to your heart's content,"

Once everyone spoke their plans, he bids them, "We hope you have a delightful time!"

The First Hour Event!

As the party enters the carnival, everyone notices that the mood is bright and everyone seems to be having a good time. The calliope is piping merrily to reflect the good mood that permeates the carnival.

They see a twelve-foot-tall walking tree garlanded in golden ribbons march down the thoroughfare. Emerald clouds swirl above the tree and rain down golden, spinning sycamore seeds. Fairgoers around the party try to catch the seeds before they hit the ground. As the seeds gently fall, a chatty squirrel scampers along the boughs of the tree, handing dandelions to select passersby.

The walking tree calls out to everyone, "Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival! Catch the seeds before they hit the ground, and you'll receive a wondrous token of our gratitude!"

The squirrel scampers to each member of the party and speaks(!), "Blow the seeds into the air, and make a wish! Go on, go on!"

First Hour Event OOC

If you want to catch the seeds, make a DC 10 Dexterity check. If you catch the seed, roll a d8 and I'll PM what the gift is to you.

If you blow the seeds and make a wish, make sure to DM the wish to me. ^_^

Calliope

The Calliope

As some of the party members make their way to their intended destinations, they pass by the Calliope. There, they hear a merry tune spilling forth from the instrument on the back of a brightly painted wagon. A monkey wearing a cloak covered with buttons turns a handle at the wagon's rear, sending music into the air from rows of golden whistles. As you watch, a goblin dressed as a ladybug toddles up to you, rattling a tin cup.

Upon the goblin's approach, the monkey notices you and he recites a rhyme...

"Spare a button if you please,

I'll sew it next to all of these.

I offer nothing in its place,

Besides a smile upon my face."

Should anyone give a button, the monkey smiles happily at you.

Lost Property

Lost Property

Zavakri easily finds the wagon and there she spies upon an odd sight.

Outside the lost property wagon is a large feline creature with midnight-blue fur. It has a pair of tentacles extending from its shoulders and wears fake butterfly wings. Hanging from its collar is a small wooden keg. The creature roughhouses with two young boys. One boy squeals, "Again, Dirla, again!" while the other hangs onto the creature's neck.

The creature, Dirla, lets out a rumble of a chuckle, and a female voice speaking in Elvish comes from the creature as she responds,

"Now, now. I think that is enough,"

She notices a new presence, and her tentacles raise up as she looks to Zavakri.

Feasting Orchard

The Feasting Orchard

Brutrumukk easily follows the fragrant smells to the Feasting Orchard. Music and mirth radiate from this park. The heady scents of flowers, mead, and berry pie waft through the air. Stilt-walkers pluck fruit from trees; musicians drum, pipe, and strum; and everywhere there is singing, dancing, and an inordinate amount of custard.

There are also smaller stands about in this park that sell other snacks and beverages for the customers' consumption.

An announcer within this park calls out to the fairgoers who came here, "Gooood Evening, Ladies and Gents! The first of tonight's Faerie Cake Eating Contest will be starting very soon! If you wish to particpate, please seat yourself at the center table and I will explain the rules!"

The Hall of Illusions

The Hall of Illusions

As Aurora and Gabriel approach, they see this large tent is painted with a mural of shifting images that show grinning faeries diving into pools of color. The helical stripes of the tent's pointed canopies rotate in spirals, and the whole display seems designed to befuddle onlookers. A clown dressed in muted garb stands at the tent's entrance, blinking at you.

They also see, close to the tent, another sight: A wooden mannequin of a grinning, raven-haired young woman in witch's attire and a green flowing cape hovers inside a glass cabinet. At the top of the cabinet, a sign reads "Tasha the Wizard—Known for Her Hideous Laughter."

A halfling couple holds hands as they approach the glass cabinet. One of the halflings is wearing butterfly face paint. As he drops to one knee and pulls a small box from his pocket, his sweetheart bursts into laughter and begins rolling on the ground. The halfling in face paint begins sobbing and darts into the nearby tent without getting his ticket punched.

The mime seems to gasp silently, and looks at the couple, with a sad look on his face.

[rush99999]

Brutrumukk

Accepting the ticket goblin's explanations, Brutrumukk donned his orange butterfly wings and made his way into the carnival. As he did so, he caught the scent of something delicious in the air. Before he could make for the scent though, Brutrumukk's eyes widened as he beheld a treant walking among the fairgoers and challenging those around it to catch the sycamore seeds falling from it. Accepting the challenge, Brutrumukk's hand shot forth like a javelin and seized one of the seeds. The bugbear then looked on in wonderment as the seed turned into a gold piece. Brutrumukk didn't have long to wonder though. For soon enough, a squirrel landed on his shoulder, handed him a dandelion, and told him to blow on it and make a wish. Once the squirrel was gone, Brutrumukk shrugged his unburdened shoulder before blowing the seeds into the air as instructed, wishing for his time at the carnival to be good enough to make up for all the bother it had caused him as he blew.

Having cleared the entrance, Brutrumukk moved onto the next leg of his journey: The Calliope. The bugbear paused a while to listen to the music played by this unfamiliar instrument. As he did so, a goblin approached him rattling a tin cup and a monkey poetically requested a button. Seeing as he never did up the top most button of his shirt anyway, Brutrumukk plucked it from his shirt and gave it to the goblin. When the monkey smiled, the bugbear found himself smiling back as he continued on. "Maybe I misjudged this place." Brutrumukk said between sniffs as he followed the scent of food. "Sure, it's noisy. But once you get past that, it actually ain't 'alf bad. Yeah, it ain't 'alf bad at all!"

Brutrumukk arrived at the Feasting Orchard just in time to hear the announcement of an eating contest. "An... eatin' contest?" Brutrumukk repeated to himself. "Oh. Nine. 'Ells. Yes!" Brutrumukk loved food. Especially when it came in large quantities. So needless to say, he seated himself firmly at the center table, rubbing his hands eagerly as he did.

[Moon Man]

Upon looking at the map, Miizel saw that there were more attractions and possibly food choices than punches. He decided to follow suit and purchase 2 more tickets, handing in 2 gold. Once he received his change he decided to wander in for a bit before choosing a specific destination.

He was taken aback upon seeing the lumbering treant. The gnome stood, mouth agape and gigantic being. How had he not seen such a thing from outside? Before he could mull it over, his attention was brought to the sudden event. Thinking that there was nothing to lose, he jumped up and reached for a seed. Opening his hand he was pleased to find that he had managed to catch one.

He approached the tree to receive his gift and when he accepted a little squirrel climbed down from the giant branches and spoke to him. Offering Miizel a wish. There were so many things happening already and it was overwhelming the gnome. “Oh dear, it’s been a while since I’ve experienced this much hustle and bustle. I think I might, no thank you.” He said dismissing the squirrel. “I think I might go somewhere more relaxing in the mean time.”

He looked at the map and decided that the Gondola Swans were a good place to unwind. Along the way he passed by a monkey on a wagon who recited a rhyme asking for buttons. Miizel fished in his bag and tossed one out giving the smiling monkey a small nod before heading to his destination.

[XxFellsingxX]

Hearing the treant say something about 'tokens of gratitude', Jub wasted no time trying to catch one of the fallen seeds. He leapt into the air to grab the closest one, and once he landed back on the ground, opened his hands to find he had indeed caught it...

... only for it to suddenly open and let out several colourful sparks, like a tiny firework. Jub let out a startled sound, nearly dropping the seed, before suddenly bursting into giddy laughter. "Did everyone see that?" he said, turning to look at his companions. However, upon inspecting his immediate surroundings, he noted that none of them were anywhere near him. In fact, they all seemed to be splitting off into their own groups and going in separate directions. "H-hey, wait for me!" he shouted, and immediately began running after the first person he saw - which just so happened to be the bugbear.