"Strange winds blow down from Droskar’s Crag, bringing on an early winter. The ground crunches underfoot with thick frost, and autumn surrenders without a fight. Days grow shorter and stars hold court in the darkness reigning above. An unnatural cold permeates the town, and the Foam River’s jubilant voice is frozen under the ice. Birds abandon their nests for warmer climes, their songs silenced by winter’s grim embrace. But the frozen riverbank now hosts a shimmering respite from the gloomy cold in the form of garish tents, joyful shouts, and sumptuous smells. Quinn’s Carnival has come to town."
After many weeks on the road the adventuring group called, insert name, returns to Falcon's Hollow for some well need RnR.. Upon arrival you all notice there's a carnival being set up at the outskirts of town. The town is alive with the talk of the return of Namdrin Quinn and his Carnival! You find yourselves in the standard bar/tavern eating breakfast after a long nights sleep in an actual bed.
"Haven't slept like that in ages!" he says loudly, a grin on his face as he stretches
"The bed felt almost foreign to me!" he laughs as he takes another bite from his breakfast meal
Wreck looked very much like an orc, except some of his features were less pronounced. Green skin, large muscular build, loud, and not much of a looker. His body was covered in almost more scars than there were tattoos, and there are a lot of tatoos
"It certainly felt foreign to me." Halmier slowly made his way down the stairs, having finished his morning communion. He had almost always been on the road since leaving his home, even growing fond of sleeping under the stars.
The weasel on his shoulder, affectionately called Boo, danced back and forth over the half-elf's head at the sight of food, its thick, glossy coat obscuring his vision. Halmier soothed it with a touch and had to chuckle as he sat at the table. "I hope the rest were able to sleep through your snoring!" he added through a soft smile.
"Hah! By now they should be use to it!" he chuckles and slaps his friend on the back
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I slowly walk down the stairs to the common area, spell book in hand fingers waving as I am memorizing a spell. I look around and see my friends going over to sit with them. I look up at the Bar keep Eggs over easy, 3 slices ham, half loaf of bread fresh please. It is nice to eat in a regular place again, not that hard whatever it is they call trail rations. I still have yet to find a spell or create one that can tell you what is in them"
"Ah, I hadn't realized that's why you're always muttering to your food." Halmier looks down for the first time at his plate, which is already half-eaten.
"Next time I find a ripe patch of berries, I'll protect some from Boo for you." The weasel was now rummaging around the table, searching for more bacon.
The waitress of The Saw Dust Inn bed and breakfest smiles as she takes your orders and delivers tasty foods and beverages. Such fair you are not used too.. There is a buzz around the room and everyone seems excited about the Carnival, which opens today. There's even a fireworks show scheduled for tonight! The waitress seems excited as well. "Are you all going to the fair? Its been a long time since we had suck excitment around. I can't wait!"
I smile up at the Waitress "I used to travel with a Carnival once, it was helped me learn all I have so far. They are a great place to learn new things'
I close my spell book, tucking it into my satchel and starting into my breakfast.
"Ey, I plan to go. Need some fun... besides hitting things with my hammer... hmmmm. Maybe they have one of them towers with a bell on top!" he says with a thoughtful grin on his face
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The simple joys of civilization. A roof, a bath, a clean bed, fresh baked bread and tea. Truly today is a wonderful day. Everything as it should be.
Daphne perches on her stool drinking tea.
Good morning all. We should resupply first thing, but I don't see any harm in visiting this carnival after.
The waitress smiles.. "Ok well maybe I'll see yall there! Have a nice day!" and with that she moves to attend to other customers. You all finish your meal and once ready head off to the Carnival.
Upon arrival at the southwest entrance there is a ticket booth..
"Adjacent pairs of rickety podiums tacked together from pieces of apple crates form raggedy ticket booths that mark various entrances to the carnival. Eager-faced fairgoers cram about them, gleaning wonderment from faded posters promising stilt-walkers, terrifying rides, and all manner of freaks. Tirelessly working the booths, baggy-eyed carnies busily hawk tickets to various events and do their best to direct the stream of excited townsfolk. A crowd of unwashed beggars shielded from the winter’s harsh kiss by nothing more than tattered rags huddles by the entrance to the carnival, pleading with passersby for a few meager coppers or a bit of food to see them through. Many are children or old men and women fallen on hard times. A good number are maimed from lumbering accidents or crippled by a horrible bout with plague or pneumonia. Rich merchants turn a blind eye to the haggard indigents, pretending not to see or hear them at all, and lumberjacks snarl, guffaw, or even kick at the dirty beggars as they stroll into the carnival to spend their coin on games, shows, and other frivolities."
A small child tugs at Daphne's cloak.. Shivering she speaks. "MMmm Mam, could I troubbble you for a fewwww coppperss so me and my brother can eat tooodaayy?"
Daphne stops and studies the child intently, kneeling down to look at her.
Well I can certainly see you fed, but where are your parents children? It seems less than kind to make a target of you for the lawless mass here.
She looks around the crowd casually identifying the inevitable thieves working the crowd.
I smile down at the children that are talking with Daphne, casually observing for anyone who seems to looking for lost children
I catch Daphne's eye and motion for her to move to the side so as to force those who are watching the kids (if there are) to move to keep line of sight on them.
"Can you two tell us what your parents look like?
The child looks puzzled as she would normally be shoed away by now or worse.. Teeth still chattering she replies.. "Ma paaww is passed and ma maw is ssiicck.. We come out to try and get foood for the dddaay."
A quick look around and you both see some on lookers rolling there eyes at you. You don't notice aything else really besides 20 somthing beggars just like the girl asking people for handouts.
Halmier makes his way through the beggar crowd. As he often does in settlements, he starts mending the clothes he can and soothes those he can with a touch.
Boo plays with the beggar children, trying to get their spirits up.
"Where is your mother, child? Perhaps we can help her."
Praises and thank yous come in droves as Halmier mends the poor peoples clothing and gives them a taste of healing. Almost all of them had slight damage due to the conditions they live in so the healing isn't wasted.
Looking a bit warmer now the girl responds. "Oh well most of us porr folk live in the old lumber mill off Raven Ave. No one messes with us much there. Your help would be most welcome sir!"
The group follows the girl to the old lumber mill.. Halmier finds most of the sick simply have a cold of some sort, including the girls mother. With a few herbs and vast medical knowledge/heals Hal is able to get them heading towards being healthy again.. Much thanks is given and the silver is accepted..
Back at the Carnival you find a few silvers will get you access to most of the sights..
Once you enter the Carnival and walk around a bit:
"Gaiety and laughter cut through the cold wind, and even the sky-shy sun peeks its face from around the gathering winter clouds. Children squeal with delight and gasp in awe of the sights, sounds, and smells of Quinn’s Carnival. The Titan’s Wheel creaks and groans as a burly lumberjack tests his might with a hefty spin, a family rushes giggling into the sprawling ice maze to the north, and dozens of happy skaters flit about the rinks atop the frozen river. Carnival dolls are handed to wide-eyed townsfolk as prizes and a menagerie of freakish creatures and glowing lanterns beckons the curious. Garish skirts and scanty veils call others to a different breed of voyeurism altogether. Treats and wonders abound for young and old to enjoy, and for a time the early winter is forgotten in joyful revelry."
Its still not lunch yet, you were given a map by the carnies at the ticket booth that shows the layout, use the Carnival Link, of the place. Where to first? And give me either a Diplomacy, Perception, or Know: Local check, whichever is higher as yall meander about..
Let's take a look at the Menagerie and see what they've caught? Or would we rather see about lunch before we turn the brute squad loose on that wheel?
Wreck grins
"We will look at the creatures you wish to see. But I want to go smash that wheel!" he thrusts a fist into the air
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Boo's ears prick upwards at the word "lunch" from Daphne.
"I would be surprised if they Menagerie included something we haven't seen in our travels, and I've seen Wreck smash plenty of things already." Halmier involuntarily followed one of the garish skirts with his eyes.
"I am interested in this Modern Wonders tent though, if we can visit there after." Being a simpler mind, Halmier is often fascinated by feats of ingenuity, which is what he expected to find there.
I am up for seeing the Menagerie, I always like seeing the rare and oddities that are being passed off for animals both fierce and tame.
I roll my eyes at Wreck as we have all seen him smash many a "things" in our days of travelling.
The dwarf grumbles about going to the ale house first, but eventually tags along..
Upon arrival you see:
"A small cove of wagons and tents curls around a rickety three-foot-high stage cobbled from a wooden platform precariously balanced on stacks of unmortared bricks. The stage planks creak and moan in time to the prancing and posturing of a dozen or so freakish humanoids as they perform their comically grotesque displays. A dough-faced huckster preaches to the crowd and flails about a cane to pontificate the show’s details."
Currently on the stage:
"Propped on a small stool sits a two-gallon glass jar filled with a murky yellow liquid. Suspended in the liquid, a deformed, infant-shaped creature bobs slowly. Its tiny, hairless form is dwarfed by its oversized head, from which two sickly colored amber eyes stare hauntingly."
This is a Homunculus you think, but somehow it's been magically presevered in its jar..
There are also 3 small tents setup where you can go look at other freaks.. Examples include the Dog-Faced Girl, the Human Fish, the Fat Woman, and even a one headed Ettin!
Behind the Menagerie you all notice a sign, at CT 2, the reads:
Mr. Sathelbry's Wild Sleigh Rides!
Daphne eyes the homunculus from afar but doesn't get closer, instead opting to look at the dog-faced girl.
Don't worry wreck we'll get you time at the Wheel, yet. Danika do you have your notes from that library in qadira still or did you gift them? We'll need something to entertain us while the brute demolishes the wheel For now, let's see what they consider a dog-faced girl. Surely not a kitsune.
Heading into the tent that houses the Dog Faced girl you see:
"Chained to a stool, a dog-faced little girl in a charming yellow and white flowered dress mournfully howls at passers-by."
She is not a Kitsune, but instead you think some sort of freak mutation..
I rummage through my pouch of things and pull out the book in question.
I have it right here, we could always "gift" Wreck with some more strength and it may hurry up the events of his choosing so that we can move about a bit more. I do want to see this one headed Ettin I have a feeling it may not be an Ettin and if it is, I want to make some notes on it.
Wreck pauses at the girl. Looking at his companions for a second
"This looks a lot like slavery to me..."
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A carny nearby hollers at you.. "Move along there! Yer holdin up the line!"
"I'll stand and look for as long as i like!" he hollars back, before he moves along.
"I dont like this..." he growls
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Now Wreck I agree it may look that way but it could just be to emulate the "dog" portion of the "dog faced girl"
As we walk away I signal for Wreck to get closer and whisper
I agree on the slavery, we shall look into it if you want
"Good. Good..." he gets a smirk on his face
"To the wheel!"
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Moving on you see The Man of 1,000 Stitches, The Human Fish and others..
Onward to the Titan's Wheel!
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Arriving at the sight:
"In the field before you stands a towering windmill disguised beneath mountains of papier-mâché to resemble a great titan. A large plastered head with bulging eyes and a long tattered beard covers the roof, while two muscular arms jut from the side of the building and clasp posts raising a banner that reads “The Titan’s Wheel.” The windmill’s blades have been replaced by a massive fifteen-foot-diameter metal wheel painted in nauseating spirals of lime green and orange and threaded with flapping rainbow streamers. Before the wheel, a gap-toothed carny woman with a wispy shadow of facial hair barks loudly through a sawed-off yak horn."
“Step right up, folks, and spin the Titan’s Wheel! Prove your strength to the ladies! Wow all the jacks in the cutyard! Come on, folks! Show ’em what yer made of!”
She toothless lady looks at the group..
"I see a couple stout looking fellows there! Come and give it a try!"
Wreck steps up, he tosses a silver to the guy. He spits into his hands. Holding the wheel. Then he gives it a massive spin
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Daphne watches the wheel spin, then turns to the next tent, wondering what lies in store now.
Thanks for not breaking it wreck, I know it takes some patience.
"If I break it... it would be a weak wheel. Not of titans!" he exclaims as he watches the spin
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how many tickets did you win Wreck? Are we going to have to rent another wagon to bring you back to the Inn tonight?
I smile largely as i say this to him.
"Sounds like a plan! Plan ahead. Good. I just do. You plan. Good girl!" he slaps her back as he laughs loudly.
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Wreck gives the wheel a nice spin. It goes 3 full revelutions before stopping. The crowd cheers and Wreck wins 3 tickets! After collectin his prize the group moves to the south abit before seeing:
"Beneath a tall signboard reading “Mr. Sathelbry’s Wild Sleigh Rides” stand four massive chargers hitched to three wooden passenger sleds coupled together with chains. Hunched in the first sled is the driver, an aged, one-armed man dressed in a long threadbare wool coat, his snarling face wrapped with a dull red scarf. As the driver snaps his whip and the sled lurches forward, ragtag children dart from shadowed hollows beneath nearby wagons and try to snag free rides before the distracted driver sees them."
After a few minutes the sled returns from its ride and you see an old man with one arm step down and start to take tickets for the next ride..
You all notice a group of ragtag orphans loitering near Mr. Sathelbry’s Wild Sleigh Ride begging for a free ride. The crusty old sleigh master snarls at them, even kicking one into the snow with a cold-hearted laugh and a “No copper, no ride!”
"Mr. Sathelbry! How much for a ride for all of the children? It's a fair day, after all, and nothing shows your sleigh ride off like a laughing child."
Daphne rushes over, picking up the child in the snow.
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By far the grumpiest of the group, Harbaestus looked and walked like an old man. If internally he appreciated the company of his party and the fact they were having fun, externally he limited himself to grunt here and there while looking around for barrels of ale.
He was used to the city and this wasn't his first carnival, but yet he never could shake the uncomfortable feeling of being around so much loud noise and waste of copper. And the children - ah, they especially drove him crazy - it'd be great to see all those small pesky hands swinging pickaxes in a mine. Nah, let them have fun! - he thought to himself, almost letting a smile escape, while pushing his small slow legs to follow the others.
Halmier had been quiet since seeing the poor freaks earlier, always hating to see a peaceful creature in pain. He restrained himself from giving his evil eye to the sled driver and attended to the other children as best he could while Daphne bartered with the man.
With a haggered, toothless grin the Ole Grumpy smiles at Daphne.. "Seems like a waste to me, but if ye wants to pay fer the little brats to ride I'll take yer money.. It's 1 copper a head." Looking around you count 10 of them, so 1 silver piece..
With his payment had the man goes back to frowning before taking off with the kids.. In a few minutes they return with big smiles.. "Thank you kinda lady!"
Go on now, there's still more to see. Daphne smiles easily as she shoos the children away from the grumpy man.
The dwarf decides to try his luck - because beers, that's why - and spends one silver coin. The stretches his muscles - not as strong anymore - and goes for it.
Goes with Harb to make sure that he doesn't feel alone, we all know that he is a grumpy older dwarf on the outside but on the inside we know he cares for us all.
Good Job Harb
I clap loudly
2 tickets for Harb!
Harbaestus first grunts to Danika, but then finally smiles and handles her a ticket.
Let's all share some ale! - he says between the teeth, while searching for beer and scratching his beard.
After leaving the grumpy old man's sleigh ride to group heads west towards some other tents, however you all see a sign planted in the ground before them. It reads:
"CARNIES ONLY! NO ADMITTANCE!"
It's also fairly easy to notice a man dragging a protesting girl inside one of the tents..
"That can't be right...." he growls and begins to move toward her
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