Bother and Bow made a plan to steal the prize magical cupcake from the winner of the eating contest. They used a trick from Bow and the thievery of Bother to snatch the cupcake from the winner’s satchel. However, despite getting away with the heist, they noticed that the mood in the carnival seemed a little more dour than it was previously.
Back with the rest of the group, they decided to try the Dragonfly rides. As they approached however, one of the giant insects took off with a passenger not fully harnessed in. They noticed a Kenku who was nearby, sneaking off and back into the crowd. Bow and bother joined up, and helped Arawa capture the rogue insect and save the dwarven carnival goer.
Meanwhile, Thala and Thissalus captured the kenku in the middle of the fair. Speaking with a voice that didn’t seem to suit her, she explained that she was causing issues in the carnival because the owners refused to speak with her. Once Arawa joined back up, it was revealed that the kenku, Kettlesteam, was also a patron of the archfey Zybilna and she hasn’t heard from her in some time. Unlike Arawa, Kettlesteam’s powers were nearly depleted, and her pact prevents her from going to Zybilna’s domain, Prismeer, herself. She overheard the fair owners, Mister Witch and Mister light talking about something to do with the “Hourglass Coven.”
With Kettlesteam’s help, the party made a plan to steal Mister Witch’s pocket watch, an item he guards jealously. During the Big Top Extravaganza, Bother snuck into the mostly empty staff area and broke into Mister Witch’s cart. While she didn’t find the watch, she did steal a jewel encrusted replica of a treasure chest.
Meanwhile in the Big Top, audience volunteers were called up to test their strength against Burly the Bugbear. Bow and Thissalus both tried, and thanks to an unintentional distraction from Thissalus, Bow nearly won. Seeing their opportunity to cause problems, Bow got the audience riled up for a rematch.
Arawa, Thala, and Kettlesteam made a plan to use this distraction to get to Mister Witch, who they sometimes saw looking from the back flap of the tend, off in a staff area. Bother used the staff area to get herself into the back area of the Big Top tent. She blended in as a stage hand, and moved her way closer to Mister Witch.
Up on stage, Thissalus got the crowd going to cheer for Bow, much to the chagrin of the actual announcer, Mister Light. At the count of 3, 2, 1, the rematch began and was almost instantly over. However, the upset caused by the quick match was just what they needed. Thala disguised herself as Kettlesteam to throw off Mister Witch, and she and Arawa confronted the carnival owner. As they tried to shake him down, Bother saw her opportunity and pick pocketed the watch from his jacket.
With their leverage, they insisted he answer their questions. Angry at what had happened, but unable to risk losing the watch, he agreed, and told them to meet with him in his cart after the Big Top event.
Later, back in the staff area, Arawa, Thala, and Bother got some of their questions answered. The Witchlight Carnival also worked under Zybilna, but they hadn’t heard from her in some time, just like Kettlesteam and Arawa. When asked about the Hourglass Coven, Witch revealed he couldn’t speak on them due to a pact he made. And when asked about the name Endelyn Moongrave, he vomited up tree sap, just like Diana Cloppington. Lastly, Witch tried to provide the party with some potions, but was first irked when it was revealed that Bother stole the treasure chest replica he uses to summon the real thing. Bother returned the trinket and Witch provided the party with potions to assist, as well as will open the portal to the feywild at the end of the carnival. Lastly, Mister Light gave the advice to check out the Mystery Mine.
While they were talking with Mister Witch, Bow and Thissalus decided to try and wrestle Burly, but the bugbear wasn’t interested. Instead, they found a game stall and played a game trying to throw a ring on an Almiraj. They won fair trinkets for their efforts. After meeting up with the rest of the group, Bother did the same.
The group followed the advice of Witch and Light and went to the Mystery Mine. Inside, a tailored magical experience awaited them. It hinted that they needed to go to the Hall of Illusions, as well as showed visions of different locations. Arawa recognized the swamp it showed to them as the place revealed to her by the unicorn. At the end, they were advised to “Come find me in the Palace”.
After the mystery mine, they did as instructed and went to the Hall of Illusions. On their way there, they saw the tabaxi couple. One got down on his knee to propose to his partner, but a nearby magical display cast Hideous Laughter on the woman at just the wrong time. Embarrassed by her laughing, the guy tabaxi ran off, emotionally distraught, into the Hall of Illusions before the clown at the entrance could stop him.
The group enter the attraction and try to find the missing Rubin the Tabaxi. When they do, he is standing in front of a mirror in a room of mirrors, but rather than his reflection, it’s the image of a little girl in a pig mask. She is whispering something to him, and he seems enraptured. Arawa steps in front of the tabaxi, and Thissalus kicks the mirror. The send Rubin back out, while confronting the little girl. She disappears and the mirror goes completely blank.
Rather than the reflection coming back, the mirror starts swirling with dense mist and fog that quickly envelopes the party. When they regain their sight, they find themselves on a dark beach, with a lighthouse overhead that doesn’t seem to shine its beam out to sea. Ahead of them, harpoons are stuck in the ground, ropes being pulled by zombie pirates, who just noticed our heroes.
Roll for initiative.
