"Well if we be plannin' t'advertise our show at this festival, we should learn more about it, no?" Unset suggests.
The fleshforged man heads to the festival. Mindful that his appearance may be off-putting, he urges the others to drum up support for the upcoming circus performance as he takes in the sights and sounds of the festival.
Kennari happily wanders around the festival, happy to be experiencing another town on Kortos.
Rova, alert to doppelgangers, asks about any odd behavior from the locals.
"None of the distillery folks have come into town for the Stump Festival, which is strange. Normally it shuts down for at least a few days of the festival for its workers to join the celebration."
Prism gets a little too distracted by the goings-on, particularly when a handsome lumberjack named Dingo Dray enters the tavern and is immediately mobbed by fans. He seems to be a favorite to win.
Unset notices that there is a public notice board, which seems like the perfect place to advertise the circus. It also seems like this crowd loves dangerous acts performed as public spectacles.
Kennari tries to find out about the local aeon tower, but only hears that it is "cursed."
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"More doppelgangers!" Rova whispers to her companions. "It sounds like they may have taken over the distillery! But fortunately, they seem to be content to stay there for the moment!"
The Aeon Tower is northeast of town. You won't get in trouble for going, but it is a bit of a trip.
You catch some of the Stump Festival.
Several tree trunks stand upright for a climbing competition at the edge town, near a wide stream. In the stream itself, logs float for a competition where two loggers stand on a log to spin it and topple each other. Townspeople gather around the area as loggers move into place. At the sound of a horn, the log-rolling begins and loggers begin climbing the tree trunks using a hatchet in each hand. One particularly lean fellow with a head of shocking red hair considerably outpaces his fellows. Once at the top, he gives a deep bow to the cheering crowd before doing a backflip off the log. He lands on one of the logs in the stream below, spinning it with his landing and sending the two competitors on the log flying. The red-haired logger than begins running in place while spinning his log, only to be met with laughs and raucous applause from the crowd.
Prism recognizes the winner as Dingo Dray from town.
"Wow!" Rova exclaims. "If that's their festival, we're going to have to put on our best show to match that!"
She continues to enjoy the festivities, spreading word of the circus when she can (but not Groetus -- she'll wait until the show tonight, since it seems like everyone's already taking advantage of their time to enjoy themselves).
Prism nods eagerly. "Think we can? We put on a pretty good show but that will be hard to top." She giggles at her little pun.
"Hey that's Dingo Dray. I recognize him." Prism points in his direction and begins eagerly waving.
Dingo is surrounded by a big crowd of fans and isn't able to see Prism's wave.
Prism shrugs. "Dingo is busy. Should we go to the Tower while the team sets up?" She bounces up and down.
"Oh! Or, since everyone's over there, maybe we should go warn him about Groetus! That could let so many people know!"
Prism shrugs. "Okay, though people always give us a funny look when you bring up Groetus." She follows Rova on over to the crowd.
"That's because they only know the lies about him that the Pharasmians tell!"
You push your way through the crowd to Dingo, who greets you pleasantly.
"Hello, you must be out-of-towners. Did you come for the Stump Festival?"
"Oh, no, we have a circus! You should come! You can learn all about Groetus! Maybe you can perform too if you want?"
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Realizing that Prism recognizes the winner of the recent competition, Unset has an idea. He whispers to the gnomes, "Maybe we be performin' in one of these contests, we do. Drive up interest in the circus, perhaps? Bet either one of us could take this 'Dingo' in a competition, we could."
Prism makes a strange face as she tries to whisper back. "But the nice man earlier said we shouldn't drive attention towards ourselves and the circus away from the Stump Festival." She flashes a smile back at the clear winner holding her arms out wide. "Dingo. How are you?! You did very well. How's the baby doing?" She gives him a hug.
"A circus! That sounds like a lot of fun. My da and I used to go to the circus sometimes. I live out of town too, I just come to Turpin Rowe for the Stump Festival. I lost my da last winter, bad pneumonia. I'm afraid I don't have a baby," he adds to Prism. "I haven't found the right gal yet."
Prism's smile slowly turns to a frown as the initital conversation with Dingp opens up some very dour conversation. "Sorry to hear about you Da. You should check out our circus. We may be able to give you an act even as a part of the community."
"Be in the circus? Say, that's pretty interesting! There's not much holding me down here. I don't know though, I always figured I'd live the life of a logger..."
"Oh, the circus is so much fun! And I bet we could find some trees for you to log if you want to do both! We need big poles to hold up the big top!"
"Well, sure! That sounds great! As soon as the Stump Festival is over, I'm joining the circus!"
"The Distillery does sound odd, but we are here for the..." Prism cups her hands over to shield her mouth. "...the tower."
Rova nods, in complete agreement with Prism.
"I wonder how unusual it is for the distillery folks not to show. Do you think there could be trouble?"
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You set off for the Old Forest Tower.
A bright light pierces the foliage of the Immenwood Forest, its source slowly orbiting the top of a tower 300 feet high. Beneath the thick overgrowth, the tower is a steep-sided structure with three tiers at the heights of roughly 180 feet, 240 feet, and 280 feet, with its slender peak rising another 20 feet above that to the gleaming orb that crowns its height. Two squat, 30-foot-high platforms jut from the tower’s southern base, beneath a terrace halfway up the tower’s south side. This terrace is so overgrown with vines and small plants that it resembles a waterfall of greenery. The platforms are also overgrown, but sharp stakes pointing upward from the perimeter of each make them appear more like defensive encampments. A wooden stair rises along the side of the western platform, and a swaying rope bridge extends between it and the one to the east. Trails of smoke rise from each platform.
As you travel through the forest toward the tower, you quickly realize that there are many, many xulgaths based here, as you start to spot multiple camps.
You can tell that these xulgaths are no match for your skills. Do you dispatch them as you come across them, try to avoid them, or something else?
"Maybe we should tell them about Groetus?" Rova asks.