Bugs hopped up into the coach. This trip had begun with a curious invitation, continued with an unexpected bar fight, and now become an interesting trip to a multi-planar carnival. This seemed likely to be another fascinating day. He sat back to enjoy the ride. He pulled a carrot out of his pack - it was a simple, classic, Sweetcress carrot. He'd grown it himself at the monastery. It was sweet as the name implied and he took a bite and leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes. Then as the others finished taking their seats he sat up and quickly offered a carrot (A fresh one, not the one he had already bitten into!) to the others. He then relaxed for the ride.
For three long days, you have been riding together. While travelling faster than expected, the two steeds still didn't make the ride feel any shorter. However, the journey did give the four of you the time to get to know each other. After three conversations filled days in the carriage and two beautiful nights sleeping under the stars, you have banded together with a common quest. As the coach slows, you find yourself just shy of the bustling mercantile town of Triboar at the site of the Withclight Carnival.
The first stars of night twinkle above the apricot sunset. Giant dragonflies whir overhead, trailing streamers, and a low mist curls over the ground.
Before you is a long, straight grass path with tall sarsen stones, seemingly balancing on their edges, leading you and other eager folk queued to enter the carnival. Fairy lights adorn the way as it leads to a wooden bridge. You glimpse wondrous and vibrant creatures through a floral archway—elf stilt walkers, dancing faeries, and painted performers. Everywhere there is laughter, pixie dust, bubbles, and the wistful tune of a whistling calliope. Just beyond, a small round booth with a silver statue of a dancing faerie mounted on its roof. The ticket booth, surrounded by fluttering butterflies, is decorated with an animated depiction of the night sky, with shooting stars arcing across it.
Wildred had always wanted to see the carnival over the three days of conversation the group learned that wildred once had a brother but he had disappeared into what Wildred came to understand was another plain or into the Feywild you learned that his entire life studies has been in the Feywild and is a wealth of infomation when it comes to this plain of existence,he has a fascination with all the Fey wild has to offer from its locations,magics and folk who live there down to its strange and exotic Flora and fauner .He seemed very interested in his new found bunny friend.You see the genuine excitement mixed with determination eminating from his conversations with the rest of the group.The time had finally arrived.He could get closer to finding out the mysteries of the fey wild and those surrounding the disappearance of his brother those many years ago.
He looks to the group and says "so many places to go!hard not to be drawn offcourse from our reason being here and go see what the carnival has to offer,anybody up for some Exploration and fun before we set out to find the proprietors of the carnival"
"What do you say?"turning to Halei excitement in his voice.
The group didn't learn too much about Halei's her past during their time travelling together, save for that she usually bounces from town to town looking to meet new people and find new experiences and sleeps either in local inns or makes camp in the outskirts of town. She spent her time learning each of her new friend's favorite music, and entertaining them with stories (some true and some a bit embellished) trying to get to know each of them. During conversation she gives her companions the feeling that they had known each other for a long time. She liked to joke and spend time with each of them in light-hearted conversation. The rest also learn is that she always seems a bit out of it and will always be up for joking around, but shies away from any conflict or any more serious conversations about herself. They also notice that she frequently wanders off.
Momentarily forgetting about the reason they made this journey, Halei grins at Wildred's obvious shared excitement and replies "Of course! Look at all the beautiful people!" and suddenly is off, and in her haste does not even looking behind to see who follows.
Over the long trip, he listens to stories and jokes with his companions. He reveals that he was nobly born, but far prefers the woods and animals to court manners and politics.
He is excited to see the fair, but while they wait in the ticket line he suggests, "This all looks quite fantastical and exciting, but let's be cautious. I suggest we stick together as a group as we investigate the wonders within. And let's keep our ears open for mentions of Zybilna and Prismeer. Let's keep an eye out for anyone with a chicken foot tattoo on their cheek. I believe I met her once as a child as she returned a lost pet to me - a rabbit the cook had hoped to make stew out of.
Bugs enjoyed most of the 3-day ride in the carriage. It was a chance to get to know the others in the little group and Bugs generally enjoyed meeting new people. He was open about his own past. Like the dwarf, the harengon was nobly born. There had been a Lord Bugglesworth at Bugglesworth Downs for many generations. For about a day and half of the trip Bugs had the rest believing that he was the 5th of 458 children for the old Lord. Harengon did, after all, breed like rabbits. But eventually he admitted that there were only 6 of them. The mere thought of 458 little harengon bounding around the Manor Mound made Bugs want to giggle. But as the 5th child Bugs was not due to inherit the title and so when the Sweetcress Mound Monastery aided the people of Bugglesworth Downs, Bugs was sent there to study. Not many of the monks were nobly born (Ok, in fact, the total of nobles at the monestary was one - Bugs.) and yet Bugs felt himself drawn to the teachings of the monastery. Ki, which Bugs thought of as the 'way of the carrot,' seemed to fit everything about Bugs. Still, there were times when he didn't see the world the same as some of the others and he sometimes felt like a fish out of water - or a rabbit in the water. He loved the monastery and devoutly followed its ways. But sometimes he felt out of place. His noble background gave him a sense of self importance that sometimes didn't fit in. Some thought he was too proud. But Balliol didn't think of it as pride. Everyone in his mind should have confidence in their own spirit. He wasn't arrogant because he was a noble, he was confident in his humanity. (Harengonanity?) Perhaps his noble background made such confidence come more naturally to him than it did to others, but Ki was about belief and self confidence. His tendency to travel and the willingness of his superiors to send him on missions was in part because he only partially fit in at Sweetcress.
Such was the large rabbit with whom the rest of the group spent their trip. At times he conversed actively - he seemed to relish all that life had to offer. At others he sat in quiet contemplation. But always he seemed interested in and polite to those around him. He enjoyed the tip and was genuinely looking forward to the carnival.
When they finally reached the carnival he watched as first Halei and then Wildred went bounding off towards the gate. He watched them go with an amused glance even as the dwarf talked about a more cautious approach. "Usually you'd think it would be the rabbit that would go bouncing off like that." He looked down at the dwarf. "Well, it seems we have managed to split the party before we even got into the carnival. We can at least stick together so that everyone has a partner." Here he looked around for the entrance and the gleam of excitement was impossible to miss. "Lets go check this place out. This should be fun and educational."
Halei returns from her brief excursion, followed hastily by Wildred.
Your place in the queue reaches the ticket booth, where an elderly goblin perched behind the ticket counter peers at the four of you quizzically through a spyglass. He lowers the spyglass and calls out to you: “Greetings, fair fairgoers!”. He points a large ear horn in your direction and awaits your response.
"Hello! Yes, we need admittance to the carnival! Do you have any suggestions on what we should do first in there? I can tell that there is going to be so much to do in there!"
The old goblin peers intently through his eyeglass, traversing the party. He pauses at each of you to look you up and down. "Tickets are good for eight attractions each and cost eight silver apiece. Is it just the four of you?" he asks Stalker.
Stopping back at Halei, he says as if he is hard of hearing, "Well, let's see. All the attractions are worth your time, Miss..." and he pauses as if waiting for a name. Eyeballing the four of you quizzically, he counts and points, muttering to himself, "dwarf, elf, half-elf, harengon?" Reaching under his counter, he pulls out an ornate wooden box with the monogram N.M. on it. He opens the silver clasp and presents you with four tickets, one each. "Courtesy of... an anonymous benefactor!" he remarks mysteriously. "Luck is on your side tonight". Handing each of you a pair of colourful cloth butterfly wings, he explains that you must wear your butterfly wings at all times in the carnival. "Enjoy the fair, fairgoers!"
Bugs smiled up as he accepted his wings. "My favorite type of anonymous person is the benefactor kind! Luck is a good thing to have on your side when you are at a carnival!" With that he stepped past the ticket box as he attempted to figure out how to put on his wings. It wasn't a thing he had ever done before, as wings had never been regarded as typical attire at either the Bugglesworth Estates or Sweetcress Monastery. But he'd seen enough other creatures that wore them naturally enough that he figured that he could figure it out. How hard could it be? (Presumably he finds out how hard it is and gets them on.)
With his new butterfly wings in place Bugs took a couple of practice hops and was pleased to see them bounce and flutter a bit. He grinned at the dwarf beside him. "Well, if you are going to go to a fairy fair, one must do as the fairies do, I suppose." He then got a mischievous little grin and wrinkle in his nose. "Plus, if you buy me a carrot juice later, I might not mention how adorable those wings look to the other dwarves when we get back!" He then quickly bounded a few steps into the fair, stopping again to say, "Come on! There is a fair to check out!"
Halei hastily puts on her wings and follows. Her eyes flick around to the different sights in the carnival and observes the other guests and characters enjoying the carnival. Before she moves to enjoy any of the attractions herself, she strolls around to gather what she can about what all the carnival has to offer and the other beings also here.
Halei hastily puts on her wings and follows. Her eyes flick around to the different sights in the carnival and observes the other guests and characters enjoying the carnival. Before she moves to enjoy any of the attractions herself, she strolls around to gather what she can about what all the carnival has to offer and the other beings also here.
Wildred thanks the ticket master and follows the group.
"Good question Wildred. We have plenty of options." The Harengon looked around a bit at their options. "That big top over there seems like an obvious choice. But nothing says we have to start there. I suspect we should do this in some sort of organized fashion, perhaps start on the left and go from there. That would have us going around to the Mystery Mine. We do seem to have a mystery, after all." As Bugs scanned the map shwoing the attractions he couldn't help but be drawn to the snail races. Snail racing? Surely that would be good. Of all the things at the fair that intrigued him the most. He'd get there eventually.
Halei wanders off and is almost at the Bubble-Pop Teapot attraction. Wildred, Stalker and Balliol, let me know if you are following Halei or heading to another attraction (Mystery Mine or Snail Races or another). I currently have the three of you between the ticket booth and Halei's position as she makes her way into the entrance to Bubble-Pop Teapot.
Bugs hopped up into the coach. This trip had begun with a curious invitation, continued with an unexpected bar fight, and now become an interesting trip to a multi-planar carnival. This seemed likely to be another fascinating day. He sat back to enjoy the ride. He pulled a carrot out of his pack - it was a simple, classic, Sweetcress carrot. He'd grown it himself at the monastery. It was sweet as the name implied and he took a bite and leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes. Then as the others finished taking their seats he sat up and quickly offered a carrot (A fresh one, not the one he had already bitten into!) to the others. He then relaxed for the ride.
Halei accepted the carrot as she sat down and looked outside. She quietly hummed to herself and chewed on the carrot.
For three long days, you have been riding together. While travelling faster than expected, the two steeds still didn't make the ride feel any shorter. However, the journey did give the four of you the time to get to know each other. After three conversations filled days in the carriage and two beautiful nights sleeping under the stars, you have banded together with a common quest. As the coach slows, you find yourself just shy of the bustling mercantile town of Triboar at the site of the Withclight Carnival.
The first stars of night twinkle above the apricot sunset. Giant dragonflies whir overhead, trailing streamers, and a low mist curls over the ground.
Before you is a long, straight grass path with tall sarsen stones, seemingly balancing on their edges, leading you and other eager folk queued to enter the carnival. Fairy lights adorn the way as it leads to a wooden bridge. You glimpse wondrous and vibrant creatures through a floral archway—elf stilt walkers, dancing faeries, and painted performers. Everywhere there is laughter, pixie dust, bubbles, and the wistful tune of a whistling calliope. Just beyond, a small round booth with a silver statue of a dancing faerie mounted on its roof. The ticket booth, surrounded by fluttering butterflies, is decorated with an animated depiction of the night sky, with shooting stars arcing across it.
Wildred had always wanted to see the carnival over the three days of conversation the group learned that wildred once had a brother but he had disappeared into what Wildred came to understand was another plain or into the Feywild you learned that his entire life studies has been in the Feywild and is a wealth of infomation when it comes to this plain of existence,he has a fascination with all the Fey wild has to offer from its locations,magics and folk who live there down to its strange and exotic Flora and fauner .He seemed very interested in his new found bunny friend.You see the genuine excitement mixed with determination eminating from his conversations with the rest of the group.The time had finally arrived.He could get closer to finding out the mysteries of the fey wild and those surrounding the disappearance of his brother those many years ago.
He looks to the group and says "so many places to go!hard not to be drawn offcourse from our reason being here and go see what the carnival has to offer,anybody up for some Exploration and fun before we set out to find the proprietors of the carnival"
"What do you say?"turning to Halei excitement in his voice.
The group didn't learn too much about Halei's her past during their time travelling together, save for that she usually bounces from town to town looking to meet new people and find new experiences and sleeps either in local inns or makes camp in the outskirts of town. She spent her time learning each of her new friend's favorite music, and entertaining them with stories (some true and some a bit embellished) trying to get to know each of them. During conversation she gives her companions the feeling that they had known each other for a long time. She liked to joke and spend time with each of them in light-hearted conversation. The rest also learn is that she always seems a bit out of it and will always be up for joking around, but shies away from any conflict or any more serious conversations about herself. They also notice that she frequently wanders off.
Momentarily forgetting about the reason they made this journey, Halei grins at Wildred's obvious shared excitement and replies "Of course! Look at all the beautiful people!" and suddenly is off, and in her haste does not even looking behind to see who follows.
Wildred runs after Halei trying to catch up
"Wait for me!"shouting " I think we need to show our tickets"
Stalker thanks his new friend for the carrot!
Over the long trip, he listens to stories and jokes with his companions. He reveals that he was nobly born, but far prefers the woods and animals to court manners and politics.
He is excited to see the fair, but while they wait in the ticket line he suggests, "This all looks quite fantastical and exciting, but let's be cautious. I suggest we stick together as a group as we investigate the wonders within. And let's keep our ears open for mentions of Zybilna and Prismeer. Let's keep an eye out for anyone with a chicken foot tattoo on their cheek. I believe I met her once as a child as she returned a lost pet to me - a rabbit the cook had hoped to make stew out of.
"I wonder what the cost of admission will be?"
Bugs enjoyed most of the 3-day ride in the carriage. It was a chance to get to know the others in the little group and Bugs generally enjoyed meeting new people. He was open about his own past. Like the dwarf, the harengon was nobly born. There had been a Lord Bugglesworth at Bugglesworth Downs for many generations. For about a day and half of the trip Bugs had the rest believing that he was the 5th of 458 children for the old Lord. Harengon did, after all, breed like rabbits. But eventually he admitted that there were only 6 of them. The mere thought of 458 little harengon bounding around the Manor Mound made Bugs want to giggle. But as the 5th child Bugs was not due to inherit the title and so when the Sweetcress Mound Monastery aided the people of Bugglesworth Downs, Bugs was sent there to study. Not many of the monks were nobly born (Ok, in fact, the total of nobles at the monestary was one - Bugs.) and yet Bugs felt himself drawn to the teachings of the monastery. Ki, which Bugs thought of as the 'way of the carrot,' seemed to fit everything about Bugs. Still, there were times when he didn't see the world the same as some of the others and he sometimes felt like a fish out of water - or a rabbit in the water. He loved the monastery and devoutly followed its ways. But sometimes he felt out of place. His noble background gave him a sense of self importance that sometimes didn't fit in. Some thought he was too proud. But Balliol didn't think of it as pride. Everyone in his mind should have confidence in their own spirit. He wasn't arrogant because he was a noble, he was confident in his humanity. (Harengonanity?) Perhaps his noble background made such confidence come more naturally to him than it did to others, but Ki was about belief and self confidence. His tendency to travel and the willingness of his superiors to send him on missions was in part because he only partially fit in at Sweetcress.
Such was the large rabbit with whom the rest of the group spent their trip. At times he conversed actively - he seemed to relish all that life had to offer. At others he sat in quiet contemplation. But always he seemed interested in and polite to those around him. He enjoyed the tip and was genuinely looking forward to the carnival.
When they finally reached the carnival he watched as first Halei and then Wildred went bounding off towards the gate. He watched them go with an amused glance even as the dwarf talked about a more cautious approach. "Usually you'd think it would be the rabbit that would go bouncing off like that." He looked down at the dwarf. "Well, it seems we have managed to split the party before we even got into the carnival. We can at least stick together so that everyone has a partner." Here he looked around for the entrance and the gleam of excitement was impossible to miss. "Lets go check this place out. This should be fun and educational."
"Well, my good Leporidae, let's go forth! Perhaps we can keep up with our companions."
Halei approaches the gate and notices the guests handing in tickets for admittance. "Ummm," She turns back towards her friends in confusion.
hour: 1
Halei returns from her brief excursion, followed hastily by Wildred.
Your place in the queue reaches the ticket booth, where an elderly goblin perched behind the ticket counter peers at the four of you quizzically through a spyglass. He lowers the spyglass and calls out to you: “Greetings, fair fairgoers!”. He points a large ear horn in your direction and awaits your response.
"Greetings, sir. We seek entrance to your fair...fair."
"Hello! Yes, we need admittance to the carnival! Do you have any suggestions on what we should do first in there? I can tell that there is going to be so much to do in there!"
The old goblin peers intently through his eyeglass, traversing the party. He pauses at each of you to look you up and down. "Tickets are good for eight attractions each and cost eight silver apiece. Is it just the four of you?" he asks Stalker.
Stopping back at Halei, he says as if he is hard of hearing, "Well, let's see. All the attractions are worth your time, Miss..." and he pauses as if waiting for a name. Eyeballing the four of you quizzically, he counts and points, muttering to himself, "dwarf, elf, half-elf, harengon?" Reaching under his counter, he pulls out an ornate wooden box with the monogram N.M. on it. He opens the silver clasp and presents you with four tickets, one each. "Courtesy of... an anonymous benefactor!" he remarks mysteriously. "Luck is on your side tonight". Handing each of you a pair of colourful cloth butterfly wings, he explains that you must wear your butterfly wings at all times in the carnival. "Enjoy the fair, fairgoers!"
You are free to explore the carnival.
Bugs smiled up as he accepted his wings. "My favorite type of anonymous person is the benefactor kind! Luck is a good thing to have on your side when you are at a carnival!" With that he stepped past the ticket box as he attempted to figure out how to put on his wings. It wasn't a thing he had ever done before, as wings had never been regarded as typical attire at either the Bugglesworth Estates or Sweetcress Monastery. But he'd seen enough other creatures that wore them naturally enough that he figured that he could figure it out. How hard could it be? (Presumably he finds out how hard it is and gets them on.)
With his new butterfly wings in place Bugs took a couple of practice hops and was pleased to see them bounce and flutter a bit. He grinned at the dwarf beside him. "Well, if you are going to go to a fairy fair, one must do as the fairies do, I suppose." He then got a mischievous little grin and wrinkle in his nose. "Plus, if you buy me a carrot juice later, I might not mention how adorable those wings look to the other dwarves when we get back!" He then quickly bounded a few steps into the fair, stopping again to say, "Come on! There is a fair to check out!"
Halei hastily puts on her wings and follows. Her eyes flick around to the different sights in the carnival and observes the other guests and characters enjoying the carnival. Before she moves to enjoy any of the attractions herself, she strolls around to gather what she can about what all the carnival has to offer and the other beings also here.
Wildred thanks the ticket master and follows the group.
"Where to first do you think?"
"Good question Wildred. We have plenty of options." The Harengon looked around a bit at their options. "That big top over there seems like an obvious choice. But nothing says we have to start there. I suspect we should do this in some sort of organized fashion, perhaps start on the left and go from there. That would have us going around to the Mystery Mine. We do seem to have a mystery, after all." As Bugs scanned the map shwoing the attractions he couldn't help but be drawn to the snail races. Snail racing? Surely that would be good. Of all the things at the fair that intrigued him the most. He'd get there eventually.
Halei eventually makes her way over to the Bubble-Pop Teapot, drawn towards the attraction due to her great love of tea.
Halei wanders off and is almost at the Bubble-Pop Teapot attraction.
Wildred, Stalker and Balliol, let me know if you are following Halei or heading to another attraction (Mystery Mine or Snail Races or another). I currently have the three of you between the ticket booth and Halei's position as she makes her way into the entrance to Bubble-Pop Teapot.