WELCOME TO THE CARNIVAL
The Witching Hour’s Carnival sits in the middle of a dense forest, a Have every character make a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw. On a few days travel out from the closest town. From the exterior, failure, the character drops everything that they are doing and walks onlookers see a ginormous tent with a gloomy glow, illuminating the toward the source of the song, The Witching Hour’s Carnival. The nearby mist, but inside they would find all the vendors, fortune song is sung by three harpies within the carnival tent. tellers, monstrous creatures, and games. Despite the clouded night and the tent’s ceiling, looking above, they’d see the sky’s If all of the characters succeeded on the Wisdom saving throw, have constellations shining accurately. the singing continue followed by the the shattering of light and sound from the fireworks draw them to the carnival instead. When The adventure begins away from the tent during a night of travel, they find the carnival tent, read: camping on the side of the road. Once the sun has already gone down and the first of the traveling party’s watch has been going on for a few hours is when they begin to hear singing.
A Tent in the Distance
THE ALLURING SONG Drawn by the weaving voices, you find a ginormous, striped tent During the characters first watch read: in the distance. There are many other people beginning to gather around the entrance to the tent, seemingly brought to it Midnight Song like you are. You hear a loud whistling above then the bursting As you watch the flames dance within your campfire, a beautiful of many colorful fireworks. Once the explosions die down, the song, sung by three divine voices, twists through the air into singing has stopped but you know it came from inside the tent. your camp. It stirs those sleeping awake and the urge to discover the heavenly creatures creating this song begs you to search for the source.
Sample file
Written by Jonny Cordova The Witching Hour’s Carnival 4
A SHOWMAN’S WELCOME As the characters join into the crowd before the giant striped tent, a gith named Genniri (chaotic neutral, male, Githzarai illusionist) will step up, above the crowd, to address the people making their way in. As he does, read or paraphrase:
The Welcome
A mystical sign hangs above the entrance of the tent. Each letter looks like a window into the night sky. They are covered in stars and have meteor zipping through them temporarily. It reads “The Witching Hour’s Carnival.”
Standing below the sign is a tall and thin Githzarai. He is wearing multicolored trousers, a jacket covered in patches with the sleaves torn away and nothing but his lightly tattooed chest underneath. To top off his outfit, he has a tall hat atop his silver colored hair. He has a curled, long mustache, which you might find very odd on the face of this Gith. There is a glass purple eye dangling from his neck, that scans the crowd of people. He begins to address the crowd, amplifying his voice as he does, “Welcome one, welcome all to The Witching Hour’s Carnival. Here you will find exciting games and challenges, creatures uglier and scarier than your in-laws, and mystifying mages with the ability to see your fortune. Enter if you be so willing, it is only a measly gold piece per person. And for the sick and injured, have no worry for Granny Youth will be happy to heal you of whatever ailment that you are burdened with. Now come! Enjoy! For tonight will be a night you will never forget!”
CARNIVAL SHOPS AND GAMES Once they enter the carnival, read: The carnival workers The Carnival’s Interior Eye necklaces. The eye necklace that sits around Ginniri’s neck is also on all of the carnival workers. It is Granny Youth looking The carnival is set up as many different tents all underneath the through the necklaces to learn more about the people at the main giant one encompassing the rest. In the center is one of carnival. But the workers don’t know that it is her and instead the largest tents. It is named “The Bewildering and the Strange” say that the necklaces look to whatever they find interesting. and in the back of the carnival, behind “The Bewildering and the Strange,” is another large tent titled “Granny Youth’s Silver hair. Some of the workers have silvered hair and some Transcending Revivification.” All throughout there are many more than others. This is caused by Granny Youth taking part of different vendors for food and games and scattered about are their souls and charming them. Those with silver hair believe to many performers. As you look above you, instead of seeing the have been cured by Granny Youth, while the others without tent, you see the night sky even more prevalent that it was silver hair work at the carnival to see the world or because their before you entered. friends joined it amongst other reasons. Promotion. The workers are great ways to guide the story by adding more intrigue about Granny Youth and the monsters that It is best for the characters to go through the vendors and games are within “The Bewildering and the Strange.” before moving onto both “The Bewildering and the Strange” and Granny’s performance. It is also suggested that they don’t go to see Granny Youth’s performance until after going through “The Bewildering and the Strange.” FOOD AND SHOPS There are vendors that sell more traditional food all around the cost of copper like the following:
• Warm, fruit pies consisting of apple, strawberry, or cherry. • SampleRoasted corn on the cob with different spices to be added. file • Candied apples, gooey candies, and hard candies • And turkey legs of course.
Written by Jonny Cordova The Witching Hour’s Carnival 5
Along with these normal foods, there are also unusual foods that are • Fortune tellers who read the Fates’ messages through more expensive ranging from 5 to 10 silver, like: tarot cards. To have your fortune read is 5 silver. If they go to the fortune teller, you can make your own fortune or • Fried and crispy giant spider’s legs. • Steamed rust monster. use the one below. • Grilled crawlers. • Eldritch tentacles (which are really just octopus and squid.) Fortune Reading
Some of the trinket vendors might include: The first card that the fortune teller reveals has an illustration of a tall, stone tower breaking apart in an otherwise empty field. • Fireworks, whistles, puppets, and dolls are found amongst The fortune teller says to you, “The Tower, upright. There soon many of the more enchanted items. The fireworks are will be disorder and chaos. A disaster. But how will you manage sold for 5 silver each and the other common items are 5 it?” They draw the next card revealing a picture of a person copper. wrapped in robes, wandering in the darkness holding a gleaming • Grow-a-Pal, a place where you can buy a new friend who lantern. They say to you, “The Hermit, also upright. You must you care for and grow by looking after a pot of an uncover the truth to this disorder that you face, and if you do,” awakened shrub. Some of which are just pots of soil or and she draws the last card, this shows an illustration of partly grown regular plants, but they have a caged Asmodeus sitting in his throne, but it is upside-down. The teller awakened shrub just in case anyone grows suspicious. continues, “you will find freedom and release. You will restore The Grow-a-Pal is sold for 5 gold. the disorder, but if you fail you will be trapped within the • A vendor smoking and selling a pipe of smoke monsters, disorder forever.” who with each puff of the pipe creates hydra and werewolves amongst many other creatures. This pipe is sold for 1 gold. • Rods of Illumination that glow in neon greens, purples, reds, and blues. The rods are priced at 5 silver. • Ghost Lanterns, which are actually just an orb of light drifting within a lantern. The ghost lanterns are sold for 5 gold. PERFORMERS Some of the carnival workers preform different tricks, mixing in some illusion magic as they do, in various parts of the carnival. Some of them might be the following:
• A juggler who ignites the items they throw into the air in flames. A successful DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation) check reviles the fire to be fake.
• Sword swallowers who might be shoving one or two blades down their esophagus, but definitely not the twenty or thirty that appears to be sticking out of their throat. A successful DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation) check will also show that rather than the twenty swords that the swallower might show, there are only three or four.
• Performers throwing knives at their partners strapped to a spinning wheel who, once they’ve had a few good throws in, look to the crowd for any volunteers who might want to have knives thrown at them or be the one throwing the knives.
Sample file
Written by Jonny Cordova The Witching Hour’s Carnival 6
GAMES The games and challenges within The Witching Hour’s Carnival are a well mixture of the fair and impossible.
• High Striker, a game where the contestant swings a hammer down onto a small lever to send a puck up a tower to ring a bell. It costs 5 silver to play. A successful DC 23 Strength check will cause the bell to ring. A winner of this contest gain 10 gold. • A fist fighting ring where you can bet on the fighters, one of which might be a member of the adventuring group. The rules only allow unarmored and unarmed fighters and bets pay out 2 to 1. So, for every gold people bet they receive two if who they bet on won. The champion has the title The Gravebringer (chaotic neutral, female Bugbear) and isn’t wearing any armor or wielding a weapon, as per the pit’s rules (see “The Gravebringer” in Monster Stats and Items, pg. 12). If a character defeats The Gravebringer in the fighting ring, they are awarded with 100 gold. • An archery range with three different targets. The participants are given a short bow and 3 arrows to use for 5 silver. o The first is about 10 feet away and requires an attack roll of at least 5 to hit. Hitting the target rewards a small cloth doll. o The second target is 50 feet away and requires an attack roll of at least 15. Hitting this target rewards a Perfume of Bewitching, created by Granny Youth herself. o The last target stands 100 feet away and requires an attack roll of at least 21 to hit. The reward for hitting this last target is a Potion of Fire Breathing. • The Devouring Cube. A game were the participants throw a wooden ball into a gelatinous cube, attempting to make it all the way through. It costs 5 silver to play and they are given one ball to throw. It requires a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check to have the ball make it to the other side of the gelatinous cube. If they win they are rewarded a potion named Essence of the Cube (see “Essence of the Cube” in Monster Stats and Items, pg. 12) along with the description of the potion and a warning that it might not be the safest thing to drink. • A pie eating contest that requires 3 gold to enter. There are 4 other contestants along with any characters. The contest has each of the contestants eat 5 different pies, the last of which is a meat pie. The first round requires a successful DC 4 Constitution check to proceed. Each round thereafter increases the DC by 4, the last round being a DC 20 Constitution check. The four NPC contestants have a +0, +1, +2, and +2 to their Constitutions. The winner is awarded 50 gold.
THE BEWILDERING AND THE STRANGE The same Gith who welcomed the characters into the carnival, Ginniri’s spell save DC. But if they sneak away from the group to look Genniri, waits for people to gather in front of the tent titled: “The under the covering or through the curtains, they will see the true Bewildering and the Strange.” After about half an hour, he leads creature or creatures within the cage. Ginniri will try to keep them into the tent and presents each of the creatures. The tent itself everyone together for this reason. has each of the cages, sized correctly for the creatures they appear to contain, spaced out from one other, covered in a large cloth, or If the characters sneak into the tent before or after the tour of the hidden behind curtains. In the center of the room is a 40 by 60-foot monsters refer to “Yix the Changeling” in Investigating the Carnival. cage that stands about 30 feet high. Compared to this cage, the others aren’t quite as impressive. THE OWLBEAR Ginniri will lead the group to each cage, announcing the monster within before moving on to the next. He needs to be near each of The first of the cages that Ginniri leads the group towards is that of a the cages and will cover them up again once everyone decides to small black bear, sitting tiredly in it’s cold home. Ginniri weaves his carry on, because most of these creatures are illusions created by magic for this black bear to appear as a trick loving owlbear named Ginniri so that the carnival will seem more magnificent. If any of the Timber. Once everyone is ready to see the first of the creatures, players grow suspicious and try to see through the illusion, it will read: require Samplea successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check against file
Written by Jonny Cordova The Witching Hour’s Carnival 7
Timber, the Owlbear The Five Cockatrices
As Ginniri opens up the red, cotton curtains, he announces, “We The guide opens another curtain revealing five hideous crosses will start our little tour of monstrosities with something that of a creatures all standing about as high as a horse. Its grey skin some of you may have even came across. But none have come is leathery and is covered spines. It stands on two legs and has across a creature such as Timber!” The guide revels an wings coming out from its arms, similar to a bird or bat. Ginniri extremely large owlbear with purple and white feathers and warns, “Careful to not be scratched by these cockatrices or you emerald eyes. Ginniri says, “Lets show our friends here how will quickly be turned to stone! A fellow worker of ours was smart you are, Timber,” and the owlbear lets out a growled hoot careless fool as they entered in the cage to feed these fowl as it nods its head up and down. The guide goes through a series creatures before the beasts turned on them.” As the creatures of commands, sit, stand, roll over, among others before he move around in the cage, looking to strike out at any who come finishes it off with a command for a handstand in which the too close, you can see a stone figure caught in surprise in the creature follows suit. As the owlbear is struggling in the two- rear of the cage. The guide takes off his hat saying, “They will be armed stance he commands for it to lift one of its paws and the greatly missed.” creature slowly pulls its claw from the ground, thereby balancing on one front leg. The small group around you claps and laughs at the sight. Ginniri adds, “You are welcome to look THE MANTICORE in amazement of our friend here but please don’t stand too The next creature that Ginniri takes the group is a tired, old lion, close to the bars.” struggling to stay asleep. Instead of this image, Ginniri presents a terrifying manticore, waiting to strike. As everyone gathers around, read or paraphrase: THE COCKATRICES After seeing the “owlbear,” Ginniri will lead them to a cage full of The Menacing Manticore chickens, pecking pointlessly at the floor of their metal box. Ginniri, The guide proceeds to reveal the next creature. It is however, will make them appear as a group of cockatrices. Also, within the cage is a handcrafted, stone statue of a carnival worker similar to a lion but has stripes like a tiger and quills grow out making it look as though the cockatrices petrified someone. A from its mane and spine. But what unnerves you the most is the successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check shows that the human like face of this creature. It opens its mouth in a great statue is made rather than a result of the monstrosities. Once the roar exposing its three rows of sharpened teeth as it unfurls group is waiting to see these new creatures, read or paraphrase: wings attached to its spine. “Careful now. Don’t come too close! This manticore was a pain to capture. It took four of us along with Granny Youth to do so. I would hate to be the one to put it down after it shot its tail spikes at one of our guests who grew too curious.” The manticore prowls back and forth along the cage never looking away from its audience.
THE ANCIENT RED DRAGON The large cage in the center of the tent is where Ginniri goes to next. This cage only has a small flying snake tied to a leash, fluttering around its extremely spacious cage. This illusion is the hardest for Ginniri to pull off but is by far his favorite to perform. He creates an ancient red dragon attempting to burn down all that lies in its sight. Once Ginniri is prepared to show the dragon, read or paraphrase: Sample file
Written by Jonny Cordova The Witching Hour’s Carnival 8
The Burning Threat THE DOPPELGANGER Next the guide takes you to a giant cage covered by a huge, The final creature is said to be a doppelganger but inside the cage is patched together cloth. Ginniri begins, “Now friends, this mighty a scared, trapped changeling named Yix (chaotic good, nonbinary, creature is not of the faint of heart and if you value your lives, I changeling). When everyone is ready to see the final monster, read or paraphrase: suggest you step far, far back.” Some people with worried looks step further behind. He looks to the crowd and you, “Ready? Alright.” The guide looks back towards the cage with a nervous The Final Creature look, takes a deep breath, then yanks off the covering. When he Before opening the curtains on the final cage Ginniri says to the does, a huge fury of fire erupts from the cage. The crowd shrieks group, “This creature may not sing you into fog hidden, rocky in fear as the blaze rushes to bring them to ashes, but a shores or disrupt a small trek in the forest. Nor will it turn you to translucent shield blocks the fire from going any closer to the stone or threaten to destroy the countryside. No, this creature crowd and you. Beside the cage, you see Ginniri, his arms will do something much worse. It will pry into your minds to quivering as he holds the force of the flames back with the devour your thoughts and learn everything about you. It will arcane shield. He chuckles warily, “Ah, close, ancient one, but follow you, hidden in darkness for weeks or even months, you will not harm my friends today.” Once the flames die away, studying your movements. And when you think you are most you see, bound by many radiant chains and manacles, a safe, maybe coming home after a night of drinking or after you gargantuan red dragon; forced into this cage and kept from put your little ones to bed, it will attack and devour you, limb destroying all that it sees fit. Ginniri says to you all, “I do not from limb, leaving not even a drop of blood behind. Then it will want to have another outburst from this one again. So, I hope become you and destroy everything you hold dear while you, kind people, don’t mind as I cover this overgrown lizard wearing your face. I present to you, my friends, a once again,” and the giant cloth hovers off of the ground and doppelganger.” He pulls the cord, opening up the curtains and back around the cage. “Let’s move on to something less within sits someone who looks exactly like the guide but is frightening now, yes?” huddled in a ball, covered in rags.
“Get up,” the real Ginniri commands. “I see you wanted to have THE HARPIES fun and look like me again. You know, you won’t be free, no matter what tricks you try. Now change!” The figure in the cage These final two cages don’t have any illusion to them. The first of flinches away from the guide then looks to the crowd and which is a cage full of harpies. These are what sing to bring many of the carnival goers to the entrance. They are also very unhappy with quickly shifts into a human man that is standing beside you. their containment and are awaiting their release. Once Ginniri has Each member of the crowd gasps. “Again!” the guide yells and put himself together after the last presentation, read or paraphrase: the figure’s skin change into black scales of a dragonborn. Each time the change happens, it looks like ink being poured over top of its skin, becoming the new form. The guide commands for Harpies Three another shift. This time, as the skin changes away from the dark As Ginniri uncovers the next cage he says, “A much less horror scales of the dragonborn, it becomes white like paper, long ivory than an ancient red dragon, but still terrifying in their own right, hair billows over their shoulders, and they look to you with pale, especially to sailors of both the sky and sea. Feast your eyes on wet eyes and whispers, “Help me.” the harpies three!” Before you are three feminine figured “It’s in my head! I can feel it! It’s rushing through my thoughts! creatures each clutching with bird-like talons to crying branch, Get it out!” Behind you someone screams holding their hands to ready to snap. Wings with dark feathers arch out from their their head. Ginniri looks to the screaming woman in a panic and backs. One of the harpies is covered in ebony feathers and looks back to the changeling exclaiming, “Fowl beast! I told you, you to the guide with predator’s eyes, completely void of any color. will never be set free. Take your claws from her mind!” and he Ginniri, ignoring the stare, explains, “If you ever hear their song raises his hands and fires arcane missiles that pelt into the know that it most likely will only lead to trouble. That is unless shapeshifter, knocking them to the metal floor. Ginniri rushes to these three sing for you to come and see us that is.” close the curtains and calls out over the cries of the crowd, “Thank you all for coming to see our bewildering and strange monstrosities! The exit is this way! Be sure to witness the Samplemiracle weaver herself, Granny Youth,file as she heals the crippled and sick!” and hurries you all out of the tent.
Written by Jonny Cordova The Witching Hour’s Carnival 9