The Witchlight Carnival is a masterpiece of Feywild wonder, but even magic can fray at the edges. While the performers bask in the spotlight and the guests marvel at the Midway, you belonged to the "Up-and-Away"—the silent crew of riggers and stitchers who keep the Big Top from falling.
As a Witchlight Weaver, you spent your life fifty feet above the ground, silhouetted by the moon as you mended gossamer silk with silver thread. From the rafters, you were the carnival’s silent witness. You saw every missed cue, every secret tryst, and every tear shed in the shadows. Most importantly, you listened. The "Stray-Backs" from distant worlds brought stories of kingdoms, ruins, and treasures that drifted upward to your perch, weaving a tapestry of wanderlust that eventually pulled you away from the safety of the silk.
You aren't just a laborer; you are a keeper of structural secrets and a collector of whispered lore. You know that a single well-placed stitch—or a single well-timed secret—can hold a world together or let it all come unraveled.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Arcana, History, Stealth, or Perception
- Tool Proficiencies: Weaver's Tools
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A set of Weaver’s Tools, a "bottomless" spool of silver thread (decorative/non-magical), a set of traveler’s clothes tailored with hidden pockets, one trinket (determined by rolling on the Feywild Trinkets table), and a pouch containing 15gp in strange coins from different worlds.
Over the years, you have earned the friendship of another carnival fixture. Roll a d8 and consult the Carnival Companion table to determine whom or what you’ve befriended, or you can choose an option that you like. Work with your DM to flesh out this friendship. This companion hangs around you while you’re in the carnival, but it won’t voluntarily leave the carnival.
The DM can use the Witchlight hand stat block to represent hands, performers, and animal trainers who serve as carnival companions. Statistics for the other companions appear in the Monster Manual.
| d8 | Carnival Companion |
|---|---|
| 1 | Old, cantankerous Witchlight hand |
| 2 | Young, impressionable Witchlight hand |
| 3 | Performer (such as an acrobat, a clown, or a musician) |
| 4 | Retired performer |
| 5 | Seasoned animal trainer |
| 6 | Old blink dog |
| 7 | Cheery sprite |
| 8 | Harmless, magical wisp of light (no stat block required) that has a flying speed of 30 feet, can hover, and sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet |
You have an uncanny ability to navigate the verticality of a structure. You can accurately estimate the height, stability, and load-bearing capacity of tents, rafters, and scaffolding just by looking at them. Additionally, because you spent years eavesdropping on carnival guests, you have a "knack" for recognizing the origins of people. You can usually identify the general region or culture a person comes from based on their accent or the specific fashion of their clothing, provided you have heard stories of that place before.
Suggested Characteristics
These tables, while optional, are well suited to Feywild-themed adventures and are ideal for any character who has the feylost or Witchlight hand background.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I constantly use sewing metaphors. People are "frayed," plans are "loosely woven," and lies are "bad stitching." |
| 2 | I prefer to be at least ten feet off the ground during any conversation. I think better when I’m looking down. |
| 3 | I have a habit of unconsciously assessing the value of objects people are holding while I talk to them. |
| 4 | I treat secrets like currency. I don't give them away for free, and I hoard the good ones. |
| 5 | I am deeply skeptical of "magic" that I can't take apart and understand. If I can't see the seams, I don't trust it. |
| 6 | I speak very quietly. If you want to hear what I have to say, you have to lean in close (or be psychic). |
| 7 | I talk to Widget as if she is the only other intelligent person in the room, even when others are present. |
| 8 | I am obsessively tidy. A messy room makes my wings twitch. Everything has a place—usually in my pocket. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mending. The world is full of tears and holes. It is my job to stitch them back together... or cut away the rot. (Good) |
| 2 | Curiosity. The Carnival was a beautiful cage. I need to see the chaotic, unscripted patterns of the real world. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Perfection. There is a perfect way to do everything. I will not tolerate sloppy work or sloppy thinking. (Lawful) |
| 4 | Observation. Knowledge is the ultimate weapon. The one who knows the most wins the fight before it starts. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Acquisition. If you are careless enough to leave it "unclaimed," you obviously didn't deserve to keep it. (Evil/Chaotic) |
| 6 | Logic. Emotions are messy. Problems should be solved with the cold precision of a silver needle. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | Widget: My sprite companion is my anchor. Without her, I might just float away into my own thoughts forever. |
| 2 | The Masterwork: My Cloak of Invisibility is my life's work. I am constantly refining, repairing, and upgrading it. |
| 3 | The Unsolved Story: I heard a specific rumor in the rafters about a lost city or artifact, and I won't rest until I find the truth of it. |
| 4 | The Carnival: I left the Witchlight, but I still leave a silver mark on safe houses for other carnival workers to find. |
| 5 | The Missing Piece: I stole a key/gem/letter years ago, but I still don't know what it unlocks. I must find out. |
| 6 | The Replacement: I left a young apprentice behind in the rafters. I send them letters and gold whenever I can to ensure they are safe. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kleptomania of the Curious: If I see a mechanism or item I don't understand, I have a compulsion to "borrow" it to study it. |
| 2 | Intellectual Arrogance: I assume I am the smartest person in the room (because I usually am). I often dismiss others' plans without listening. |
| 3 | Detached Observer: I sometimes forget to help people in danger because I’m too busy analyzing the tactical situation. |
| 4 | Gravity-Phobia: I feel incredibly vulnerable and anxious when I am forced to walk on the ground for too long. |
| 5 | Secret Hoarder: I will keep a secret even if revealing it would help the party, simply because I enjoy knowing something they don't. |
| 6 | The Whispers: My psychic awakening makes it hard to shut out the noise. In crowded cities, I get migraines from "hearing" too much. |
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