With the annual Brightbloom festival just hours away you reflect on how lucky you were to find an available room for the weekend in such a crowded town, even if you had to share it with three other occupants! The night was rather noisy, both from someone's snoring the next room over and the sounds of hammers and pitons outside. Although you might not have gotten the best of sleep, you got to know your roommates rather well! Whatever reason brought you to Highdelve, you have a feeling that you're going to enjoy yourself here.
Beams of sunlight stream past the snow-capped mountains as a joyous scene spreads before you! Overnight, the town’s staid and utilitarian main square sprouted colorful tents, a pop-up theatre, a spinning contraption made of barrel bottoms, some manner of race course, and more unexpected delights! Laughter and boisterous shouts echo from all the square’s corners as its quaint cobblestone streets teem with villagers sporting festive clothes and wide smiles. Throughout it all, the smell of fried foods weaves through air laced with the warmth of a summer that’s just begun.
You may be outsiders, but you're welcome here! You and your roommates stick together out of familiarity as townspeople approach and greet you, genuinely excited to ask who you are and where you came from!
What do you tell them?
Brialla is shy around strangers, especially with so many of them around. She will Respond:"Oh! err...Hello, I'm called Brialla, but most call me Bri. I'm here with my cousin, Meriana, hoping to find the jeweler who made a signet ring for my family years ago. Do you know where we might find some of the local Jewelers?"
Brialla is shy around strangers, especially with so many of them around. She will Respond:"Oh! err...Hello, I'm called Brialla, but most call me Bri. I'm here with my cousin, Meriana, hoping to find the jeweler who made a signet ring for my family years ago. Do you know where we might find some of the local Jewelers?"
"Yup, I'm Meriana. This looks like a party! The ring can wait till tomorrow, let's have some fun first!"
”Your right Mera, I guess the jewelers would be at the festival for the day anyway wouldn’t they? I wonder what’s in store at this festival?
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Garr approaches his new found room-mates, the large and brooding man is all smiles as his meaty hands hold four large coffee cups. Each mug radiating a divine, aromatic smell, the product of his pride. " Comrades! Come, come, enjoy Garr's world famous cup of drip!" The barbarian waits until everyone enjoys a sip before continuing, judging each reaction with expectant eyes. "Whats this about a party I hear, well what are we waiting for... lets be off!" the man chuckles at the last part, the laughter verberating through his thick chest. He takes a long, drawn out sip of his coffee as he finishes, his eyes closing in bliss as the warm drink hits his stomach. The only thing the warrior loves more than an invitation from a strong opponent, was an invitation to an equally strong cup of coffee, the man considering himself a somewhat medieval "Barrista".
Brialla cautiously accepts a mug of the dark beverage with an inquisitive look upon her face.
”Drip eh?”
she says as she takes a sip.
She tries to hide the shock of the taste from her large roommate. (Wich she does surprisingly well apparently)
”Mmmmmhh, very… strong.”
She says forcing a smile and looking around the room for something sweet and/or creamy to add to the cup to make it more palatable.
”What brings you to Highdelve? Just here for the festival?”
she asks Garr.
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Garr's smile widens even more as Brialla compliments his brew. "Just in town for some much needed rest and relaxation lass, after my first successful outing with the Society I was hoping to catch in some of the sights. And yourselves? Are ye here to take in all the merriment as well or is your cause a more dire one?!" Garr asks, looking over to Brialla and company
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"Funnel cakes! Hot and fresh! With strawberries and cream! FUNNEL CAKES!"
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Brialla’s Eyes widen at the thought of the sweet treat, ”Mara and I are here for an important family matter, but that will probably have to wait until after the festival.”, she says as she hails down the vendor to purchase a cake, and promptly stirs in the cream in her beverage before taking a sip. ”ah, there we go,”she says as she smiles.
"Oh! Coffee! If I would drink that, it will keep me awake all night... Meraina says
"And that sounds like a great idea!" she continues and gladly takes a cup from the dwarf.
Meraina drinks most of the cup in a single gulp.
"Wow, I wanted to make a fitting joke about coffee, but this stuff is serious!"
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"Coffee is no joke young one! Quite the serious matter.. starting ones day right. First key to success, my papy always said."
Garr lifts his mug in salute to Meraina, finishing his own as he grabs a handful of funnel cakes from the street vendor. Wolfing those down in short order as well, the mountain of a man seems to be reveling in his well earned time off
Toshi, who you recognize as the Head Chef at the Golden Wings Tavern, is the one manning the Funnel Cake cart. They're actually shaped into draconic memes, such as wings with chocolate drizzle and ferocious heads breathing out whipped cream. They aren't heavy and give you a surge of energy as you indulge.
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After gorging on the cakes and admiring the designs etched onto the delicious pastries, Garr suddenly has a rush of energy. Hardly containing his excitement, the barbarian pumps his chest. The solid "THUNK" echoing off the street, quickly being drawn out by the sounds of the festival.
"By the gods. I feel strong enough to take on Baba Yaga herself " Garr thinks after eating the plethora of funnel cakes
"What a pairing this makes with my coffee. Why, I feel as though I could easily best a frost giant in arm wrestling! A grand day indeed." the barbarian remarks. Pumped up from the snack and the adrenaline of the atmosphere, Garr looks eagerly to the rest of his new friends for what vendor, pop-up theatre, or attraction to check out next.
Meraina's cheerful demeanor and the townsfolks' cheerful demeanor just don't seem to mesh well as she attempts to talk to the crowds gorging themselves on fair food.
Brialla's shyness, on the other hand, invites much more chatter! A well-dressed professional, clearly an out-of-towner himself, makes small talk with the quiet ranger.
"What a time to be visiting! It's the best time to catch important people in one place. You're looking for jewelry, eh? Of course you are! Pretty youngin' and all. Well, if you've any business to conduct in Highdelve, now's the time, to be sure!"
”thank you kind sir” Brialla says as she blushes,”me and my cousin are looking for a jeweler my mother commissioned to make a ring for our grandmother several years ago. Trouble is, Ma’s forgotten the name of the jeweler after all these years. What brings you to the festival Mr..... ?
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Meraina gets one of the funnelcakes.
"Tasty!"
”What brings you to the festival Mr..... ?
"Pardon meh manners, lass. Name's Redd. Redd McHerrington. I'm just a travelin' tradesman, not unlike yourself! I am't lookin' for jewelry, but I think the man you're looking for is Carth. Carth Garenth. Wouldn't have the foggiest idea where to find 'im, though. Maybe some of the locals might."
”Thanks Mr. McHerrington!! Maybe we’ll see you again later”, Brialla says before giving a small curtsy and returning to her cousins side. ”Mera, while we’re enjoying the festival, keep an eye out for a Mr. Carth Garenth. He might be able to help us find the plans Grandmother’s ring.”
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Warren walks over and claps Kiliuk on the shoulder, standing nearly as tall as the broad half-orc "Morning Sunshine! Get all yer beauty rest yet??!" Garr laughs with a loud bellow, making his way to another vendor, asking around if any of the street merchants know where some maybe selling adventuring gear or if any stands are setup that may have some contests of strength, another one of the large humans hobbies.
Now.. lets see. Time to have some fun, I got some funnel cakes to burn off, wonder what there is to do.
As he makes his way through the festival, Garr gets the feeling those he talks to are quite intimidated by the venerable mountain of a man's stature, quickly averting there gazes or crossing to the opposite side of the street as he approaches.
A young human boy (maybe 8 or 9 years old) comes running up to Garr.
"Hey, Mister! You look big and strooong. Can you help spin the barrels for us? Mizz Skalgit's gettin' tired doin' it all by herself."
He stands there awkwardly for a moment, and then runs back to before you can answer.
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"Hah, a worthy challenge" Garr says to himself as the boy runs off. Having a soft spot for kids, Garr is eager to make himself a hero to the children of the festival.
If it's for the kids, I'll spin those barrels so fast they may puke rainbows of festival food and candy but by the gods they'll have fun! the warm hearted barbarian thinks to himself
"Well it seems I'm being summoned to help poor Miss Skalga something or another spin some barrels for the delight of the kids." Garr says to the group as he follows in pursuit of the boy
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As he gets near the large, apron wearing woman he gives a short bow and introduces himself. "Greetings Ma'am, one of the boys tells me you could use a hand. If that's okay with you, I don't mind at all."
Garr waits until the woman tells him how to spin the barrels before waiting for the next group of kids to get on and attempting to give it a good spin...
”Hey Mera, whatdya say we go for a ride on those barrels? she says grabbing her hand and pulling in the direction Garr is going.
The burly woman's gruff demeanor melts a bit as Garr offers to help spin the homemade barrel contraption.
"Always pleased to meet a new face! Name's Mathilde. Kids call me Ms. Skalgit, on account of me being their substitute teacher. When I ain't coopin'."
She shows you the gist of what needs to be done. There are actually four sections to the ride that can each be pushed or pulled by a separate operator. Mathilde occupies one of them.
"When tha day started, parents were helpin' to spin their own kids. Now I'm the only one left with any wind, and it'sa quickly fadin'."
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hmmm it seems like this is for kids, and Garr looks like he could use a hand
”Lemme see if I can’t get you going kids!” she gives the mechanism a mighty hurl
Mathilde lets out a gasp as the slight-of-frame Brialla gives the entire ride a mighty push! It even knocks Garr off his bearings!
The kids are thrilled! The older teenagers shout excitedly, whereas the younger ones get a little pale in the face. By the time everyone exits the barrels, several are unloading their funnel cakes from earlier that morning. Although the smell will take some time to air out, everyone's happy.
Mathilde takes the opportunity to sit down and give herself a breather. "Thank you kindly. Highdelve has always relied on the kindness of strangers! What brings you out-of-towners to our neck of the hills?"
Brialla burns red with embarrassment at her sudden surge of strength. ”just looking for a jeweler” she murmers while looking at her boots.
”just looking for a jeweler”
Mathilde's leathery face brightens.
"Oh! I know just the one! We got a local here by tha name of 'Carth'. Carth Garenth. He's part jeweler, part entertainer. In fact, today he's over operatin' the puppet show! Word is he's doin' it solo this year. Usually he's got an apprentice helpin' out."
She points off to .
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At the mention of giants, the red in her face goes from embarassment to anger in a flash;”HOW DARE YOU!!!”, she roars, TAKE IT BACK!!”, she screams as she stamps her feet on the ground, her hands balled in fists and shaking. Garr has inadvertently struck a nerve.
Mathilde, not surprised at all by the outburst, simply nods and winks at Garr while Brialla's back is turned.
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The unusually loud man suddenly cows, like the gentle giant he is the barbarian is quick to apologize. "Lady Brailla, I meant no offense, just a compliment to your strength was all. The white witch Baba Yaga and her frost giant minions have left some scars I carry, and to be compared to such savages would be a grave insult indeed. Perhaps the funnel cakes have went to my head. But in all seriousness friend, I do apologize." the barbarians face is equally as red from embarassment.
”Apology accepted Garr”,she says as she takes a few deep breaths. ”I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t of blown up on you like you that. I guess I’m usually on edge in a town or a city; I prefer the wilderness. I guess that strong coffee went straight to my head...”,she says sheepishly.
She turns to her cousin,”Mera, wanna head over to the puppet show? I think I’ve caused a big enough scene here”, she says as she offers a hand to Garr as a good gesture.
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”Mera, wanna head over to the puppet show? I think I’ve caused a big enough scene here”[/b], she says as she offers a hand to Garr as a good gesture.
Meriana seems to have a hard time keeping a straight face.
"That was a giant ENORMOUS overreaction indeed!"
"Puppet shows are fun indeed!. Let's check it out."
"Mathilde have you heard of the Korgrens? I am looking for my mother"
Mathilde throws back her head and lets out a hardy laugh.
"What, you think I know everyone in these hills? Har-ha-har-har-har! Nah. I just know the tradespeople. But maybe her," Mathilde points to a dwarf overseeing the sack races at . "Yarla knows everyone and their mother 'round here."
And with that, the children begin returning, asking for more rides. Mathilde waves you off, stretches from side to side, and gets back to work.
You approach the puppet show and see an audience of all ages listening intently to a scene of anger and betrayal between two "characters", but something seems off about the performance. The crowd is murmuring that they can't quite follow the storyline. Then, just as you're about to seat yourselves, the puppets withdraw behind the stage, and a slender arm reaches out and hangs an "INTERMISSION" sign on the front.
Made you look ^_^
Meraina and Brialla notice a thin trail of smoke beginning to rise from behind the stage.