Strange Travelers

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, ReveliaLeave a comment

The tickets were sent, the players called,
and I with my carriage went to fetch them all.

A hungover Duergar outside of a tavern.
A young monk praying outside of a cavern.
And an old janitor breaking his pattern.

A demon running from cops. An ogre from slavers.
And a strange running man without any manners.

Lastly, two finely dressed folks,
One with a sword, and one with jokes.

Off to the carnival, quick as a whip,
And gone again, into the ether I slip.


Oh good, they’re gone. You don’t care how they got there, do ya? You wanna know what they did inside, right?

That Kentaro fellow, he ate so many cupcakes, that Mina almost forgot to end the contest! 30 cupcakes in one minute! The nearest competitor didn’t even eat half that! You should have seen her face when he wandered back in to talk to Ellie, fortunately he was still full and she told him he wasn’t allowed to enter again today. Wait until he finds out there’s no tomorrow, just tonight! Hah! Elllywick better watch her mouth though, grumbling about all the changes around here. It’s a great place to be alive!

Better watch out for that red lady, though, Pretty sure I saw her snag some tickets right outa some rubes’ pocket. Nothing saying ya can’t do that, but if the Jawbreakers catch her, gonna be a bad day for somebody.

At least these new folks did some good. Scooter has stop wailing and pounding on the walls in the Hostile. Excuse me, Hostel, Ramona gets very picky when folks call it that. You ever been interviewed in there? I’ve been attacked by Schnoozlings! I think one of the new guys was, too, got those telltale scratches on his face.

Can’t wait to have them all join the clown brigade!

My Players: Stop Reading

I think it was a successful first game.

All the players met and got to know about each other. With such a large group, many were having side conversations at the table when others were acting elsewhere. While this made my job a little harder as my voice is soft and ears are old, I’m glad they’re getting to know each others’ characters. Something I’ll have to manage and balance with their help.

I used two of the music tracks, and they did alright at low volume, turning up or down as needed. Even hitting exactly the right beat when I turned it up for the oncoming parade. I think we’ll keep it for now.

We met two out of three NPC instigators and found the plot. The Heckna and Witchlight modules are very upfront about what is going on here. I gave some of the PCs invitations to actually join the carnival, but they quickly discovered that might not be a good idea. Maybe a little too quickly, really, but I wasn’t sure how else to handle it. Dr. Stella was a little vague, but clear enough about the dangers. Ellywick was very upfront about the danger and changes, but not as blatant as the book suggests. I think they’re meant to find her later in that first chapter, but it was only one chapter in Witchlight at the carnival. I think maybe Dr. Stella could have been waiting for them in a different place, or the parade could have interrupted her earlier, but some of the information is important up front.

Meeting Pinky was a bit of a scattered scene, but I think that’s alright. They really enjoyed Maphew, and have already cottoned on to keeping him put away for important conversations. I need to make sure I track that.

Kentaro had a good time at the eating contest, but they haven’t really dug into any of the regular foods yet, other than reading the menus. Looking forward to that, though he wants to stay in the Suite Sweet so he has constant food. Did mention he wants something other than sugar, big guys need protein. He’ll have to check out occasionally though, to let it refresh, I think.

Dispara is already picking tickets out of pockets. I think I’m going with nearest die, round up and roll to see the number of tickets gained. That’s a thing I think can be opposed by Observation maybe? I’ll check that out.

And they took my repeated bait to go do the first quest – find Scooter in the Hostile Hostel. They went at it a bit more skill focused than exploratory, so they didn’t ask Ramona questions or check for a guest book. They also didn’t check out any of the first floor rooms, nor the second floor – just did listen checks until they found the room it was coming from. It’s supposed to be echo-y all over, but I didn’t want to No their skill checks on their first challenge.

Dispara started checking rooms after they figured it out, and folks started finding cards. Which has Valara able to put her knowledge to bear. Though they haven’t let her check anything out, mostly just drawing the cards they find. We’ve found a Healer’s Kit, a Light Hammer, a +1 to attack/damage, and a quick heal if Dispara goes to zero HP – but that hasn’t happened, yet so.

We also had our first little fight, I got a Schnoozling onto Killjoy, but Kentaro cut it off before he made his first save. A simple and quick fight, but I wanted to practice the mechanics, and it was more of a trap than a real combat – they don’t even do damage. I figured out how to roll attacks by the end of it.

Looking forward to more exploring of the carnival next week – meeting Locke, checking out their shopping options, maybe getting to play a few games and some simple quests to get to know the area and people.

And find Water – Kentaro realized he needs to find easier and cheaper things to drink than Felix’s elixirs. Might have to make friends with Puddles or Capt’n Groggstache.

See you next week, Adventurers!

Welcome to the Revelia!

On By ravonlockeIn ReveliaLeave a comment

Last time I ran a campaign, I kept separate blogs for the game session summaries written by a wide cast of NPCs and my DM musings. If you’re a follower of this blog, you’ll have noticed a distinct falloff of posts in the last couple years, and for that, I do apologize <waves at the state of the world>. That said, I don’t want to overpromise by saying I will, again, keep two blogs, so I will endeavor to divide up these posts to hold both session recaps and DM musings, with a heavier emphasis on getting back into the habit of session blogging, and maybe DM musings in footnotes or something. Or maybe it will be chaos to match the campaign itself, only time will tell.

All that rambling aside, let me introduce you to the Revelia.

This campaign will combine Heckna! – a kickstarted horror campaign setting entirely within a carnival, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight – an official WotC product that begins in a carnival and ends in the feywild, and The Book of Many Things – an official WotC product describing the Deck of Many things, as well as many other available decks and chaos in the multiverse (and I may have added a few of my own). To top this all off, we are playing in 2nd Edition ADnD, so after turning on the blender of WorldAnvil to combine the books, I also had to do my best to convert it all to 2nd Ed mechanics. This also means that instead of the feywild, our backdrop is going to be Ravenloft in the second half of the game, depending on what the players choose to do. Success TBD.

Now, a campaign is nothing without the players, so let me introduce to you, in general terms, who will be attending this chaotic carnival:

  • A multiversal janitor
  • A Tiefling rogue from Sigil
  • A Dark Sun jester
  • A blind Ogre Mage gladiator
  • A Dwarven sharpshooter
  • A wandering monk
  • A forgetful pyromaniac pyromancer
  • And a Knight of the Solar Bastion

That’s right, we’re back up to eight players, plus the DM, at the table once again. Exciting and terrifying, but really, once you’re already up to 7, what’s one more?

First game is June 2nd so stay tuned for what happens when all these folks meet and enter Heckna’s Revelia!

The Scarecrow King

On By ravonlockeIn Belladonna, MarathonsLeave a comment

Fires have started around town. 4 specific places.  A couple guards peel off. Barty goes to distract the guards We sneak in and lock the door behind us. Barty ghosts in. Then quietly attack the four scarecrows inside. We eat spme berries and Barty dispels the ward on the trapdoor..

We head down the trap door. Down spiral stone stairs intina catacombs. North chanting,  east combat, west nothing. We head towards the green lit chanting. Finding a guard post. We blow them up. Then Anwin shoots the scarecrow down.

Onward. To a large vaulted chamber with pointy alcoves. Cultists carry materials morth. 4 Scarecrows guard them. Battle signs to the east. Green ritual chamber to the north.  We join battle.

We head forward, berries in hand. Another large room, filled with bodies of dead cultists. And a staircase down, where the glow comes from. Briar found a box in a pillar. Barty dispels the trap. A small black iron hourglass flowing upwards. Briar takes it more more cantripping, and my potion for recovery. 

A tattered priest with burning eyes and eight skeletons come up behind us. Acolyte Mordin. They are sweeping up here and will join us below.

We head down another spiral staircase. Death rites on the walls and pulsing green light from below. Chanting and light from the left. Quiet from the right. Eye goes right. We go left to a semi-circular antechamber with four pillars, with cultists kneeling in prayer. Grren seeps through the far door, which is guarded by a cultist who appears to be Corvus, wearing the black armor of a knight, and four massive scarecrows. We take them all down. I am a tired, injured, wolf by the end.

Massive cathedral room. Glowing green throne. 13 villagers around it glazed and chanting. Lord Blackbriar on the throne with the shadowy Pumpkin King above him.  6 scarecrows behind the cultists.  We bomb Corvus. The scarecrows bomb us to death (Barty, Briar, and me).  Arwin knocks out more of the cultists and Lord Blackbriar kills himself to complete the ritual. The Scarecrow King manifests into the world.

The lich queen enters with her horde and raises the dead to fight again. We rejoin the fight. His throne is destroyed and he is banished back to the netherworld. The scarecrows melt to the floor. The “volunteers” are alive but unconscious. 

The lich queen is satisfied with us kerping our word. She didn’t intend to give us unlife. Grats on your unlife. They will be taking back the temple ward of the city. We cannot attack her. We are bound to the goddess of death. We may leave, but are welcome in her ward. 

We gather up Rico and the survivors. Heading back out into the city through the undead army. The city awakes in confusion and horror. The Lord is disgraced. The rogue guild gains political power. 

We are given a writ of nobility and a manor on the edge of town. Time passes, the Sycthe has half the power in the city. The cult is scattered. The city negotiates with the Lady Templar Lich. 

In the spring, we receive a message. The goblins – the barrow collapsed. Large things moving in the darkness below. 

The Blighted Barrow

On By ravonlockeIn Belladonna, MarathonsLeave a comment

The scarecrow man ran off into the mirrors. So, this isn’t over. So, maybe we check back on Crossfen? We rest. Barty puts on the mask.

In the morning, I create 7 Elderberries for the day. The carnival is gone, pumpkins melted. Sergeant Broadback gives us a letter from Millbrook. 

Hedgewitch Brialla. Reapers of the harvest. Worst is yet to come. Surge of power to the Northeast. Blighted Barrow at Thornwood Reach. Ruined shrine is pulsing, as are others.  Synchronizing. A pattern across the land. Destroy whatever is awakening. Or all seven shrines will awaken. Three days until Equinox. It is two days away. 

The sergeant has horses and supplies for us.   Rico has found god, and borrows Shai’s shield. Father Dunley says the shadow self of Mabon was entombed there. So may be fighting undead. He consecrates our weapons and says a prayer to prevent others from raising us as undead. 

We gather us our things to go. Pip and Nettle find us. He has lived up there. It’s like a maze. The mushrooms and elderberry plants are your guide. They don’t grow on corrupted ground. He gives us his lucky 🎲 There are Goblins, too, but they aren’t all bad.

We head out into an autumn wood. It is a quiet ride until late afternoon. A group of farmers coming down the road toward us: an older woman and 6 teenagers, moving quickly. She’s a bit nervous and humble, with a bit of blood on her shawl. Thornvale was attacked last night by scarecrows and dead things. Her husband stayed to fight while they escaped. A big creature made of corpses and farm equipment. We wish her safety and ride on.

At the forest edge, we camp instead of going to the town. Barty summons the Goodman. I summon Hawkeye for a couple hours. We rest for the night. 

In the morning, I make some more berries. And Hawkeye joins us for the morning. We head into the woods. As Barty summons a demon. Rico leads us forward, then in circles to a swampy area of brackish water and miss. We get ambushed by 3 trolls.

One drags me into the water. I fail to escape. Eladin tries to come save me. I turn into a crocodile. Bite him and drag him out of the water. Bite him a few more times until the undead guy burns him. They put the others down, and burn them, and Barty and I loot the bog. We find a flask. 

Heading back up. Briar takes the flask. And the lead. We head deeper into the forest. The Goblins find us. We explain and they don’t like Barty. But take us to their village. 

A clearing of salvage house and fencing. Hanging heads, spoiled food, and a banner of black mushroom. Their warscarred chief, Scarrow with a skull necklace of prayers comes out to greet us. Extorting us for money or shinies. Briar makes them a pile of weapons. 

And gives them her magic gambeson. Other people pay. Rico is cheap, so it takes longer. 

The goblin chief points out we don’t know what we are doing. Offers us a map, and we can pay for more information. Briar gives him her necklace. He will send Murg with us. To scout and explain.

Murg leads the way. Burrow has three entrances. Main – bad. Water.  Secret entrance. They’ve raided before. Plant and undead monsters. Lots of trolls in the forest. 

Late that night. We arrive. He points out the entrances. Then waits to see if we live. Its a fifty foot hill. The closure shattered. Dozens of screaming faced pumpkins. Old bones scattered. 

We go sneak to the side to look at the secret  entrance. Eladin can probably get in, but if the tunnel narrows, its a problem. Lots of drag marks near the main entrance. 

We decide to try the secret entrance. Eladin takes last position as we head inside. We tunnel rat down the hole. To a partial collapse. Briar summons up supports for the tunnel. The front folk move dirt. There is a hole above up through a hole. We go up.

Room has 4 Alcoves with 3 sealed sarcophagus, and 1 open and empty which we come up through. Green brazier in the center pits off now heat. Barty starts opening sarcophagus. Steals a longsword from one. Takes bone dust from the second. A skeleton stands from the third, eye burning blue. Speak your true purpose or face retribution. We explain we are here to stop the evil occuring. He asks for an oath. We all swear. 

We head out the east door. Long, cold pillared corridor, filled with shadows and whispers. Arwin steps in to check for traps and four wraiths step out of the shadows. Barty goes ghosts and attacks. Arwin joins him. Eladin swings the new sword. The wraiths fade.

We continue on and through the door. To a octagonal spiral room. Wall covered in sadhe  runes. The four doors with seasonal runes, with a book in the center with druidic runes. Four seasons guard the Reapers Rest. Claim the season’s crowns to reach the heart.  I point them to the spring door. 

A riot of reaching vines, hungery flowers, pollen, and wet earth. A corrupted dryad stands in the center of the room. Eladin and I rush in to attack, avoiding vines and flowers. Bronze crown of flowers, is put on top of my head. Staff of thornwhip is picked up by Briar.

We head for summer next. Blasting heat, cracked hot stone, living fire in the center, burning braziers. Fire does not seem tasty. Rico takes it out. Firey crown drops to the floor beside a firey gem. 

Autumn door. Sheaves of wheat, corrupted pumpkins, dead leeaves, altar surrounded by scarecrows and one big giant one with crown. The leaves tangle me up. Spores surround Eladin.  The scarecrows attack, and a horde of pumpkin creepers.  Eladin puts him down. A harvest crown, a scythe, and healing scroll. Arwin wears the crown. 

We heal a bit and head to winter.  It is freezing here, a creature of glacial cold stands at the far end. Of a throne room. Eladin and Rico rush in to attack. We take him down. Silver snowflake crown, greathammer, and cloak of frostward. Briar wears the item, Eladin takes the hammer.

The crown wearers touch the pedastal.  Nothing, we put the all crowns on the pedastal. They light up and glow. The pages flip. A dire warning of what is below. The Harvest Crown: +2 saves, plant talk, spells.

We decide to rest here for the night. I spend breakfast making elderberries. Folks have a berry breakfast, and i oass the rest out to folks. Barty gets another demon out. 

We take the stairs down into the earth, sadhe runes flare, covering the walls. A presence waiting, watching, grinding below. The runes flare and the crown flashes in response. A huge chamber full of roots pulsing with green lights. Creating a massive cage in the center with a spectral figure. The creature of farm equipment below it. 

Soft golden light, man with a scythe, terrible and beautiful. Warns us to leave. The thresser starts up slowly. Eladin says vulnerable to fire.  Arwin confirms the being is who he says. Briar casts haste and battle is joined. Arwin dispels the roots off the cage and opens the door for Mabon. Who steps out and bless us all. We all lay into the Thresser. The corpses pop out and start attacking. The shredder is shredded. It spins and screams. The King Comes, the Harvest is eternal. Explodes.

Silence. Mabon at giant size. It is done. It was coordinating the shrines. You have boight time. But my shadow still lives. As long as he lives, he will push the harvest. Roaringhad. Roaringhad. He fades, dropping his sickle. Even shadows can be harvested. 

We are champions of the priper cycle. Remember him as one who wanted to right a mistake. 3 gems from the Thresser. We loot the room and head upstairs and out. It is no longer festering. The morning light reveals a clear day and the trees no longer twisted. 

Chief Scarrow and tribe are waiting. Not bad. They guide us back through the woods. And give us friends tokens. A large crow lands, dropping a letter, sealed with black wax and a crow.

Reapers. Word reached us. Felt the network shudder. Lord Blackbriar taking control. The throne is nearly done. 13 volunteer. A masquerade to distract the noble. The throne in the sewer below.

– A Friend in Shadow

With a map of Roaringhaad

Symbol of the Scythe Thieves guild

There is a green glow coming from the old ward. Crows circling unnaturally above. We head into town to get a hotel room. We head to Wicklow’s Inn. I share a room with Briar.

In the morning, some go shopping, some go skulling. Lots of people going into the temple ward’s graveyard. They are heading into a mausoleum. 

I’m looking for potions with Arwin. They aren’t here in the market ward. We go to catch up with Eladin. 

The rogues can get us into the masque. To help expose Lord Blackbriar. Ugh

We three head to the Wytch Market. The boys buy a belt and cloak, and I get a bunch of potions. 

The skulking crew get a note and head to the Sly Weasel Tavern. Run by an older Pecklyn. They chat with her. Tells that the chair is accessed through the mausoleum. “Warehouse at the end of Bailey street on the corner at the end of the street.” The masquerade – safest place in town. No magic allowed. They do a little shopping.

We all gather up at the inn. 

Packages with disguises and costumes to Lord Blackbriar’s Masquerade. 

The skulkers want us all to go a warehouse on Bailey Street.  Barty pouts at having to take off the shiny clothes, but we jead out.

Newly boarded up, but ancient foundations. Slight green light coming out. At least 6 patroling guards. Barty conjures up an eye, but it cannot get inside, but finds a place to peek in on the roof. Empty except a ritual circle around a trapdoor.

We try to figure out a way in. Barty will distract and then come join us. We send his eye into the sewer to look for a way into the building. There is a wall in the way. Barty shadowsteps down there. Is greeted by short a ratman. There’s a lot of bad down here. Lots of stickmen in there. They walled it in there. Skekhag folk are already moving against him. He has his own cult. Can show us the temple. Undead folk? 

We get back down to Whisker Tetch. Who i give the foxglove potion to, so he’ll take is to the temple. It is is an Extremely complicated maze. The sewers change at the edge of the temple area. The dead guy in charge is in there. Most of the undead are mindless. 

Barty embraces undeath and heads inside alone. A wight takes him to speak to a lich. Templar Lord Selessa. Corvus is different now. He invites them along to the warehouse attack. She requests the lifting the wards on the Blackbriar manor. Thst are fueled by the faith of the citizens of the city. Break them and then they will march.

Briar and I discuss the danger of him negotiating on our behalf. Then discuss the masque and that our dispelling might be helpful. 

We try to sort out out plans. Party, thieving, ward destruction, delivery,  and then mausoleum. 

We clean up, dress up, and show up, slightly late, in pairs. Eladin and I have a little trouble, and have to bribe the guard. The others make it in no problems. 

Dancing, talking, music and champagne. Lord Blackbriar, corpulant man in purple, with rings on every finger on a dias at the far end, laughing too loud and long.  Arwinnand Briar start dancing.  A few dozen folks are here. Grand staircases to one side. Servants coming in and out through the dining hall to the other side. Six enchanted guards spread out around the room. Harvest decor, but also four big scarecrow men and lots of pumpkins around the room. Magic is majorly suppressed here. 

We wander and mingle among the nobles. They speak of trade and flowers and construction. A little bit of gossip about Blackbriar being odd lately.  The captain speaks of the guard schedules. There’s a locked study upstairs. The lord has the key. 

We will send Arwin, Briar, and Rico up to the study via the servant quarters. Eladin and I will distract servants. Barty will stay in the ballroom. 

We harange the servants about allergies and beers. 

The others sneak in.  And get stymied over a key. But Briar gets them upstairs with excessive flirting. Arwin picks the lock and gets himself and Rico inside. He starts picking drawer locks. Finding all the ledgers in the center drawer. Then notices an alarm he tripped. A huge man comes stomping up, grabs Briar, and tosses her into the study with the others. Grackle. They convince him it’s a sex thing.  Then follow through until he falls asleep. Briar finds a safe behind the painting. Arwin finds a second set of legders in the desk, and a signet ring and deeds in the safe. Rico finds a pipe tobacco box with a small metal rod, humming with magic. The focal point of the wards. Then they come back downstairs. We all make excuses to leave. 

Get back to our inn, ditch disguises. Briar and Rico go to drop off the ledgers. The rest of us break the wards, then head for the warehouse.  We all gather up.

The Carnival of Wonders

On By ravonlockeIn Belladonna, MarathonsLeave a comment

 Rico takes the lead, find three types of tracks. Feet have six points,  feet have many many points, and light booted feet with occasional spike. I can’t even make Elderberries here. We move deeper in. 

Tons of vines crisscrossing everywhere. Grab hold of myself and others. Then 3 1-foot tall stick people, and 8 pumpkins with 6 insect legs. They attack. Pumpkins explode when killed. So we have to move around a lot, but we win.

Rico picks up the trail and we head onwards.  Darkness gets more oppressive. The vines start creating symbols. Empowerment sigils. 3 Strange scarecrows with glowy green symbols and sharpened hands appear, and each has 4 pumpkin bugs. Scarecrows not affected by fire. We win.

We then find the Grinning King. Jackolantern head with green glowing eyes. Bounty of the soil paid with blood. Their bones will pay the price. Allow me to plant you as seeds first. Eladin runs up to pumpkins. Barty and I go up to the Grinning King. He spits exploding pumpkin seeds. Vines entangle me and Shai again. Eladin starts throwing pumpkin bugs. Rico puts him down and we destroy his throne. The vines wither and die, and the fog begins to dissipate. 

Pip and a couple others return from the field with us. We discuss the ritual with Thistle and then go to bed.

Thistle finds us in the morning. He gives us money from the town. A merchant comes into town. Crossfen and Millbrook, all the way up to… towns cloaked in fog, people missing.  He’s been bilking folk out of money for shitty wards. 

We check for bad bits to the ritual. Which seems all fine. So we head out, for the next foggy town. Barty summons a demon named Gracklethraz. 

More withered crops, and dark homes, and nailed jackolanterns. We meet a group of farmers headed south, but pulled off to eat. Rico calls out to them. Gareth greets him. He’s from Crossfen, other family Millbrook. A couple weeks ago, black thorny vines.  New seeds into town from Old Mort. Who shared with everyone in town. They grew fast and hard, then the vines came.  Eladin tries to take a creepy pumpkin from a small child. It screams, and falls unconscious. The parents start screaming. Eladin starts screaming. I leave. 

We head on to Millbrook. Spending the night by the road. The road the next day is empty. As are the fields and houses. A dead oak has dozens of dolls with jackolantern faces. It keeps hurting people who attack it (headache). It is a territorial ward of some powerful fae. The others give gifts to make the dolls smile. I salt the ground. 

The road is muddy, and makes travel hard. We spend another night on the road. The others have a dream of a scarecrow king on a pumpkin throne. He welcomes his seeds, and will not reap them. 

We wake and continue along to Millbrook. It is quiet, waterwheel does not move. Rotting pumpkins in the square. Haunted villagers move in the shadows.  Similar black oily vines. The pumkins look broken apart loke eggs – not from around here. Radiating necrotic energy.  Briar starts pushing pumpkins aside. Eladin shouts at a nearby stout, tearful baker with vines in his beard. 

Edric. Town is cursed. Traveling carnival is the seed source. They planted them and then this. My amulet cannot fix it. It’s a curse connected to the vines leading out of town. The pumpkins popped overnight. Brother Wilhem went missing.

Shai and Briar check out the center of the Pumpkin slop. Shai says it’s below the ground. Eladin scoops up a seed packet with three things in it, from a carnival of the scarecrow king. I set it on fire. The pumpkins all melt.

We head out for the farm, by way of backyard gardens. We burn more seed packets. Thornroot farmstead. So much mud and creepy pumpkins. The farmhouse and barn are covered in writhing vines. A 15ft scarecrow and seven green figures around him.  And a pumpkin patch. Magic abounds. No Elderberries here either. We sneak around in the woods to the scarecrow. 

The greenmen are villagers, eyes glowing green, their skin bark, and feet rooted to the ground. They’re being transformed. 

Options: Destroy the shrine – repercussions.  Dispel the binding – unclear outcome. Make an offering – something significant in trade to free them. Shut off it’s power source in the farm house. 

We stealth over to the farmhouse. Arwin works on getting a window open. We head in. Ransacked furniture. Vines and pumpkins everywhere. Pumpkin bugs and vine blights gather round to attack. I wolf out, but just a little one. They quickly pop my disguise, but we prevail again.

Barty tosses Arwin a lockbox of coin and a bundle of letters from Master Corvus to Goodman Thornroot. Thanking him for hosting the seed shrine. 

We head upstairs. Two doors and a ladder. The children’s room is covered in green luminous pollen. The second bedroom has a mass of breathing vines on the bed. Eladin cuts and rips vines away to reveal two people. Barty finds a silverfey detecting amulet that Arwiin claims.

Then up to the ceiling. Eladin first, finds an altar with a scarecrow mask with a beak. Shai goes to look and feels a calling. It seems enchanted, but not dangerous. Shai takes it and we head to the basement. 

Down into cold writhing darkness. Sickly green bioluminescent moss. Veiny floor and a large pulsing pod, with roots pushing out through the walls. We all examine the pod and space. Eladin tries to attack, but the skin is tough. Vines gather up and slam towards people, and shoots out  cloud of pollen. A scarecrow stands up out of the vines. Eladin destroys the pod and the scarecrow crumbles.  We stabalize our group then look around. Children dead in the pod. Box from the carnival. Gareth probably has one with these seeds. 

Box has a map, a magic crow feather (stealth), and silver crow feathers amulet with red string (memory aid).

We look outside, the seven are on the ground, unconscious.  Eladin knocks over the scarecrow. We bring them inside, our unconscious folk are brought upstairs. The pumpkin patch is melty. 

We rest for the night. People are confused and distressed when they wake up. We check the barn. Take some money. Talk with the survivors. 

We take them back to town, except the widow. Rico stays with her a couple days. In town, the people celebrate the return of the seven. The innkeeper gives us rooms to stay in. 

Hedgewitch Brialla pulls us aside. She had tried to fix the vines. This carnival is causing chaos. Master Corvus in charge of the carnival. He sold the seeds to everyone. He is a couple weeks ahead of us. 

We’re going to Crossfen next and then a big harvest festival in Grimwald’s Crossing.

Shrines are fae anchors. To thin the barrier for the Unseelie Fae to concur our world. 

We spend an extra day relaxing, before heading north once again. First day of travel is quiet. Second day the blight begins. The village is utterly empty and overrun with vines. Looks to be a lost cause and waste of resources. 

We head on forward into cold, sickly, thick mist and overgrown vines. Sleep is rough, and we are surrounded by fae creepers. The next day, we meet a wagon of six adults and a few kids. Singing a bouncy tune. Not as overgrown, but still grey here. They are brightly dressed, and wide toothy grin. Heading for the festival. Goodman Thatcher. Invite us to lunch. They are all enchanted. Sprout and Seed are the kids’ names. 

This bread “cleared up his ulcer.”

Already spoke with Master Corvus. Sold them the pumpkin seeds. The carnival house of mirrors where you see your true self. Fortune Teller, a Strongman. 

Barty dispels the magic off the wife. It works. Dispels the husband. Arwin dispels the res of them. They all get sick. Briar makes food for them. Eladin gets rid of the bread. We send them south.

We continue on. Things get lighter. 

The town carnival has images of the sadhe. But hundreds of disturbingly carved pumpkins. Everyone is euphoric. A maze of carnival wagons and tents. Cider and roasted nuts. Master Corvus’ Carnival of Wonders. 

Barty asks Arwin to shoot a crow. I make Barty eat it. Eladin tries to stop him. 

Lots of people are here and going into the carnival. Big sign forva hall of mirrors, and performers ally. Lots of spigotted casks all over town that folks are drawing from. Vines wrapped up.the belltower, too.

Barty spits out an eye which flies off to search. Finds an alley with nothing in it. Doors wiith markings without words. We decide to go there to walk in piss and booze.

A small boy slices Eladin’s leg. Checking if we are enchanted. Gives Barty sausage. All the guards and such are enchanted by the apple juice. Corvus has most of the town wrapped up. He always wears a scarecrow mask. Doesn’t eat or drink in public. Spends his time with performers or house of mirrors.  People don’t come out, or do wearing carnival uniforms. The church bell used to ring, hasn’t for a couple days. Father Dunley is in charge over there. His sister is missing, maybe in the carnival, she’s 8 – Nettle. He’s Pip Whistlebrook.

We head to the temple of Mabon. It is cold, and the altar is covered in rotted fruit. The statue vandalized with pumpkinhead. The priest is in terrible shape, having carved protective symbols into his hands – to stay awake and to remember. He is frantic about fey touched food and drink. We give him conjured rations. 

The bell disrupts the enchantment on folks for a few seconds. 

He mentions a warehouse where they were building some large figure. A vessel to be filled perhaps. Lots of human guards outside. We need to go head over there. But first we clean up the church, reinforce the wards, and clear the belltower.

Arwin and Eladin clear the bell. Shai helps Father Dunley. He gives Shai holy water vials. 

Barty sends his eye to the warehouse. A huge wicker throne being made by some scarecrows. 

The eye heads to the performers tents. Strongman Acrobats. Juggler. Fortune Teller.

The hall of mirrors eats the eye. So he spits up the other eye. And sends it to spy on the strongman. Thorgrim the Unbreakable. Sad. 6 different acrobats all performing. The audience does not all leave after they are done, the remain seem entranced. Fortune Teller tent tall willowy pale woman with long silver white hair with fully silver eyes. She dispels his eye.

Barty spits up another eye. We make a plan to sneak into the warehouse first. Barty and I ghost inside to bar the south doors, hasted and blessed. Arwin will try to dispel the north guards. He fails, so the guys try to knock them out. Eladin opens the door abd the scarecrows go attack him.  The group fights their way in.  Take them down, oil the throne and set it ablaze. Then take off, with the guards in tow. 

It burns hot and fast. The two next door light up. Embers float and catch other buildings. Barty signals the proest to ring the bell. Which break the enchantment,  but only for a few seconds at a time. 

We rush for the hall of mirrors. 4 Scarecrows start heading towards the church. Barty sends his demon to fight them. We slash through the fencing. Then into the hall of mirror, single file. 

Normal mirrors.  Death, injury, plague. Worst moments. Best moments, twisted by darkest fears. We start to feel entirely lost.  The Eladin stops. Barty smashes a mirror, and the image stays, reaching for him. Arwin and I smash it for him. Rico pushes forward and gets us more lost. The acrobats come into the hallway. Crawling all over the walls. Smashing mirrors make more spirits of our fear. Rico is the first to connect with an acrobat.  We take the rest down.

Then Shai takes the lead. To an octagonal room of mirrors all reflecting dozens of a man on a Raven mask. He offers to harvest us and let us rest. Nah, we’d rather kill you. 

We attack him, he pulls doubles out of the mirrors, comes back himself and shows us his face, our own worst reflections. Eladin and I crush him, and his reflections run. I smash the tent apart. Then force feed folks berries. We loot him and run to the church. 

Father Dunley has survived. Shai and I run back to help fight the fire. The Strongman thanks us for saving him from the curse. The little girl emerges from the acrobat tent.