"That's quite alright dear, there is no requirement to be fun. That wish however, may help you in the future. You never know."
Unwilling to leave the little girl alone in the wild carnival - perhaps due to her own childhood experience - the Eladrin waits for Matilda to finish with the clown, before speaking up. "I have some time before my first performance. I'll help you look for your brother."
"That's quite alright dear, there is no requirement to be fun. That wish however, may help you in the future. You never know."
Unwilling to leave the little girl alone in the wild carnival - perhaps due to her own childhood experience - the Eladrin waits for Matilda to finish with the clown, before speaking up. "I have some time before my first performance. I'll help you look for your brother."
Matilda looked at her again, " Thankyou." No one had offered to help her before...they had just told her to stop making things up and finish her chores.
" I remember he was with me in the Hall of Illusions....but thats all I recall....everything is..fuzzy."
The ticket-taking clown again reaches his hand out silently to Matilda, and pantomimes punching a ticket. All the color has leached out of his skin, hair, eyes, and apparel, giving him a strangely monochromatic look. He looks miserable. Alyeira knows that most of the carnival staff prefer to give this attraction a wide berth, believing it to be jinxed or haunted. But a small crowd of carnival-goers are here. A halfling couple is holding hands near the glass case containing the mannequin, chatting excitedly.
----
Meanwhile, as the rest of the party discuss their lost items, the sleek, tentacled cat seems about to say something more to Horatio. But before he is able to, the older of the two boys picks up a mirrored ball from the lost property wagon. In a flash of dark anger, the cat snatches the ball back with a snarl and a flick of its tentacle, causing the boy to dash away in fright. The cat begins to give chase as the boy vanishes into the crowd, but then spots the younger boy toddling toward the swampy edges of the carnival grounds. Unable to leave the younger boy alone, the cat pleads with the party to go after the older boy. "Get him! Get him!"cries the cat in a panic, its voice tinged with guilt and horror. But the kid has disappeared into the growing crowd of ticket-holders. (Any players who want to help search for the boy should make a Wisdom (Perception) check.)
Exceptionally relieved that the situation had simmered down, Bob uses the distraction to change the topic. "Quick Primrose, after that scallywag!" he yells as moves to follow the older boy.
The sound of a screeching cat snaps the frantic rabbit-folk back to...reality? He takes in the scene in front of him. It takes a few moments for it to sink in. A boy had run away from the tentacled cat. "Bahaha " that was the start. "You can't blame the kid" he says between fits of laughter. It seemed as though several guests were going on a hunt to bring back the vagrant child even the little mouseketeer. They don't need another body in the wayhe thinks as he decides to stay. Besides, this cat seems to be in charge of lost items. Perhaps he knows where it is. He approaches the tentacled feline. "Excuse me, I know you're busy but have you seen a white fluffy tail in your cart?"
Matilda and Alyeira enter the Hall of Illusions. Tall, ancient, wooden-framed mirrors line the interior walls of the tent. The mirrors near the entrance reflect onlookers in their youth; the images grow steadily older, until the mirrors deep within the hall reflect onlookers in their twilight years. Matilda and Alyeira (who has never been inside herself, before) see themselves as tiny children in the first mirror, and in their old age in the last.
----
The other party members scramble to find the runaway boy. Ben and Bob find themselves lost in the crowd near the Dragonfly Rides. Near the entrance, a small, smiling tree - the one who passed the party earlier - turns their way and beckons them over, inviting Ben and Bob to take a ride. His red squirrel friend clings to its leafy canopy, peering at you suspiciously. Giant dragonflies buzz loudly overhead with wings as brilliant as stained-glass windows, excited passengers upon their backs.
Horatio and Colin successfully find the little boy at a candy stall not far away, browsing the sugar-glazed button mushrooms and tree sap lollipops for sale.
Cad and Edgardo remain with the catlike beast, who introduces itself as Dirlagraun, and is clearly agitated and a little shaken by the situation. The tentacled feline admits to them that, many years ago, its own cub vanished from this carnival without a trace. The cub’s name is Star, and all Dirlagraun has to remember Star by is its favorite toy—the small, mirrored ball that the boy had grabbed.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Colin moves closer to the boy. "Child, if you please: it's not safe to run off alone. Please come with .e back to the Lost Items Cart. I'm sure you were startled, but if I- a mouse- can feel safe around a cat like that, then surely you can as well."
A bit crestfallen, the boy quietly agrees to accompany Colin and Horatio back to the Lost Property wagon. "My ma's buyin' the candied apples," he mumbles. He points loosely to the west.
--
"Tails?" repeats Dirlagraun, apathetically. "I don't know. Check the wagon." Clearly a bit depressed over this episode, it points halfheartedly with one tentacle toward the wagon, which contains a small collection of jackets, handbags, a child's shoe, a pair of scissors, a toy ant, a pair of dark glasses, and other odds and ends. "These are troubling times," it continues to Edgardo, "Mister Witch and Mister Light are on edge. Something is wrong."
His first instinct is to go after the boy, but something snags his attention. They had been speaking of a lost reflection, and the boy had picked up a shiny, mirrored ball, and the panther had reacted with anger. One could have nothing to do with the other, but... He stays with the big cat, hoping to get a closer look at the ball. I wonder if Horatio's reflection would show up on that?
The tentacled feline admits to them that, many years ago, its own cub vanished from this carnival without a trace. The cub’s name is Star, and all Dirlagraun has to remember Star by is its favorite toy—the small, mirrored ball that the boy had grabbed.
Ah, that would explain its reaction. Still, it could be lying. And if its story was true, it was yet another lost item. "Misters Witch and Light -- the proprietors? How long have they been 'on edge'?"
Totally forgetting about the lost boy for a moment when he sees the amazing dragonfly rides, Ben pipes up, "Yes, let's go on a ride! It looks quite fun! Come on, Bob!"
The usually stoic mason seems to be excited by just about everything this evening, and his usual pedantic attitude has lightened significantly. Strangely, the very tips of the dull moth-wings he selected on the way in are starting to flush with a hint of color.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Alyeira stops in front of the mirror of youth, staring at the reflection of her child self with a solemn expression. It is not until she feels Matilda's small hand tighten on hers that she looks away, brought back to reality.
"Ah right, your brother. Where would you like to look? I know you don't remember much, but you have been here before. Perhaps you'll find something familiar as we continue."
Alyeira stops in front of the mirror of youth, staring at the reflection of her child self with a solemn expression. It is not until she feels Matilda's small hand tighten on hers that she looks away, brought back to reality.
"Ah right, your brother. Where would you like to look? I know you don't remember much, but you have been here before. Perhaps you'll find something familiar as we continue."
Matilda stared at the reflection....yes, this was the girl who lost her brother.....this little useless thing.
What had she seen when she looked into this all those years ago.....herself as an infant....or was there nothing there....had her brother looked into the mirror and become nothing?
" That was me. That is what I looked like when I lost him.....here....maybe here? Are they just mirrors? Could he have fallen through? Or been snatched? Or did he become what he was before he was born?"
" I thought....I hoped there would be something...."
She leaned forward and put her hand on the mirror....
Hall of Illusions: This place feels different than Matilda remembers, and yet it feels familiar as well. There's not much to explore here. The old mirrors are large and heavy, affixed to the side of the thick canvas walls with substantial hooks. There is nothing else in the space, and no exits other than the way you came in. There are not even any light sources, and yet the tent is filled with a dim but even illumination. The place gives Alyeira a weird feeling. Like most carnival employees, she keeps clear of it. Some believe it's haunted, and Alyeira is almost convinced, herself. (One afternoon weeks ago when the carnival was still closed, she recalls seeing a little, gray-skinned girl wearing a pig mask creep out of it, when the tent should have been vacant. A moment later, the thing had vanished.)
Dragonfly Rides: Ben and Bob peer into the swampy exhibit. Huge lily pads rest on the surface of a pool glistening with phosphorescent algae. "Come! Have a ride!" booms the tree. "Look at them! Isn't it amazing?" he adds, peering up at the dragonflies overhead. The huge creatures fly their riders in a lazy figure eight around the carnival’s thoroughfare, at a height of about 20 feet, Ben notes.
Horatio and Colin: The duo leads the little boy (whose name is Viro, they learn from him) back to the Lost Property tent.
Cad and Edgardo: Cad peers at the mirrored ball as he continues his conversation with Dirlagraun. It is scratched and well-worn, but seems otherwise unremarkable. The reflected lights of the carnival dance colorfully upon its surface. "Yes, Misters Light and Witch are theproprietors," replies Dirlagraun. "There has always been an unease about them, but in recent days they have been troubled by something new. I really shouldn't talk about these issues, I suppose. Don't go confronting them – that won't be helpful."
As Horatio and Colin return with the boy, so does the boys' mother. She calls to them and they depart. She is clearly unaware of what just transpired with her eldest, and gives Dirla only the smallest of thanks for watching her boys for a few minutes. They soon vanish into the crowd.
"That's quite alright dear, there is no requirement to be fun. That wish however, may help you in the future. You never know."
Unwilling to leave the little girl alone in the wild carnival - perhaps due to her own childhood experience - the Eladrin waits for Matilda to finish with the clown, before speaking up. "I have some time before my first performance. I'll help you look for your brother."
Matilda looked at her again, " Thankyou." No one had offered to help her before...they had just told her to stop making things up and finish her chores.
" I remember he was with me in the Hall of Illusions....but thats all I recall....everything is..fuzzy."
The ticket-taking clown again reaches his hand out silently to Matilda, and pantomimes punching a ticket. All the color has leached out of his skin, hair, eyes, and apparel, giving him a strangely monochromatic look. He looks miserable. Alyeira knows that most of the carnival staff prefer to give this attraction a wide berth, believing it to be jinxed or haunted. But a small crowd of carnival-goers are here. A halfling couple is holding hands near the glass case containing the mannequin, chatting excitedly.
----
Meanwhile, as the rest of the party discuss their lost items, the sleek, tentacled cat seems about to say something more to Horatio. But before he is able to, the older of the two boys picks up a mirrored ball from the lost property wagon. In a flash of dark anger, the cat snatches the ball back with a snarl and a flick of its tentacle, causing the boy to dash away in fright. The cat begins to give chase as the boy vanishes into the crowd, but then spots the younger boy toddling toward the swampy edges of the carnival grounds. Unable to leave the younger boy alone, the cat pleads with the party to go after the older boy. "Get him! Get him!" cries the cat in a panic, its voice tinged with guilt and horror. But the kid has disappeared into the growing crowd of ticket-holders. (Any players who want to help search for the boy should make a Wisdom (Perception) check.)
Ben:
”Ah, a game of chase! How fun!” exclaims Ben, and he takes off after the older boy.
Perception: 6
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Matilda holds out her ticket her other hand in a death grip on the eladrins hand.
Exceptionally relieved that the situation had simmered down, Bob uses the distraction to change the topic. "Quick Primrose, after that scallywag!" he yells as moves to follow the older boy.
Perception: 5
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Horatio loses focus on everything else at the plea for help and darts after the boy.
"Hey kid, its not safe to run off!"
Perception = 16
Colin leaps to action! He's used to this sort of work, eyes sharp from watching the crowds for trouble...
Perception 21
Paladin - warforged - orange
Edgardo
The sound of a screeching cat snaps the frantic rabbit-folk back to...reality? He takes in the scene in front of him. It takes a few moments for it to sink in. A boy had run away from the tentacled cat. "Bahaha " that was the start. "You can't blame the kid" he says between fits of laughter. It seemed as though several guests were going on a hunt to bring back the vagrant child even the little mouseketeer. They don't need another body in the way he thinks as he decides to stay. Besides, this cat seems to be in charge of lost items. Perhaps he knows where it is. He approaches the tentacled feline. "Excuse me, I know you're busy but have you seen a white fluffy tail in your cart?"
Matilda and Alyeira enter the Hall of Illusions. Tall, ancient, wooden-framed mirrors line the interior walls of the tent. The mirrors near the entrance reflect onlookers in their youth; the images grow steadily older, until the mirrors deep within the hall reflect onlookers in their twilight years. Matilda and Alyeira (who has never been inside herself, before) see themselves as tiny children in the first mirror, and in their old age in the last.
----
The other party members scramble to find the runaway boy. Ben and Bob find themselves lost in the crowd near the Dragonfly Rides. Near the entrance, a small, smiling tree - the one who passed the party earlier - turns their way and beckons them over, inviting Ben and Bob to take a ride. His red squirrel friend clings to its leafy canopy, peering at you suspiciously. Giant dragonflies buzz loudly overhead with wings as brilliant as stained-glass windows, excited passengers upon their backs.
Horatio and Colin successfully find the little boy at a candy stall not far away, browsing the sugar-glazed button mushrooms and tree sap lollipops for sale.
Cad and Edgardo remain with the catlike beast, who introduces itself as Dirlagraun, and is clearly agitated and a little shaken by the situation. The tentacled feline admits to them that, many years ago, its own cub vanished from this carnival without a trace. The cub’s name is Star, and all Dirlagraun has to remember Star by is its favorite toy—the small, mirrored ball that the boy had grabbed.
Darkness has fallen. The stars have come out.
Colin moves closer to the boy. "Child, if you please: it's not safe to run off alone. Please come with .e back to the Lost Items Cart. I'm sure you were startled, but if I- a mouse- can feel safe around a cat like that, then surely you can as well."
persuasion 23
Paladin - warforged - orange
Horatio watches how the mouse interacts with the boy before speaking.
"Hey kid, I'm from town - name's Horatio. Do you need me to help you find your folks? Why were you with that... cat-creature?"
A bit crestfallen, the boy quietly agrees to accompany Colin and Horatio back to the Lost Property wagon. "My ma's buyin' the candied apples," he mumbles. He points loosely to the west.
--
"Tails?" repeats Dirlagraun, apathetically. "I don't know. Check the wagon." Clearly a bit depressed over this episode, it points halfheartedly with one tentacle toward the wagon, which contains a small collection of jackets, handbags, a child's shoe, a pair of scissors, a toy ant, a pair of dark glasses, and other odds and ends. "These are troubling times," it continues to Edgardo, "Mister Witch and Mister Light are on edge. Something is wrong."
Cadwallader:
His first instinct is to go after the boy, but something snags his attention. They had been speaking of a lost reflection, and the boy had picked up a shiny, mirrored ball, and the panther had reacted with anger. One could have nothing to do with the other, but... He stays with the big cat, hoping to get a closer look at the ball. I wonder if Horatio's reflection would show up on that?
Ah, that would explain its reaction. Still, it could be lying. And if its story was true, it was yet another lost item. "Misters Witch and Light -- the proprietors? How long have they been 'on edge'?"
Ben:
Totally forgetting about the lost boy for a moment when he sees the amazing dragonfly rides, Ben pipes up, "Yes, let's go on a ride! It looks quite fun! Come on, Bob!"
The usually stoic mason seems to be excited by just about everything this evening, and his usual pedantic attitude has lightened significantly. Strangely, the very tips of the dull moth-wings he selected on the way in are starting to flush with a hint of color.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Alyeira stops in front of the mirror of youth, staring at the reflection of her child self with a solemn expression. It is not until she feels Matilda's small hand tighten on hers that she looks away, brought back to reality.
"Ah right, your brother. Where would you like to look? I know you don't remember much, but you have been here before. Perhaps you'll find something familiar as we continue."
Matilda stared at the reflection....yes, this was the girl who lost her brother.....this little useless thing.
What had she seen when she looked into this all those years ago.....herself as an infant....or was there nothing there....had her brother looked into the mirror and become nothing?
" That was me. That is what I looked like when I lost him.....here....maybe here? Are they just mirrors? Could he have fallen through? Or been snatched? Or did he become what he was before he was born?"
" I thought....I hoped there would be something...."
She leaned forward and put her hand on the mirror....
Hall of Illusions:
This place feels different than Matilda remembers, and yet it feels familiar as well. There's not much to explore here. The old mirrors are large and heavy, affixed to the side of the thick canvas walls with substantial hooks. There is nothing else in the space, and no exits other than the way you came in. There are not even any light sources, and yet the tent is filled with a dim but even illumination.
The place gives Alyeira a weird feeling. Like most carnival employees, she keeps clear of it. Some believe it's haunted, and Alyeira is almost convinced, herself. (One afternoon weeks ago when the carnival was still closed, she recalls seeing a little, gray-skinned girl wearing a pig mask creep out of it, when the tent should have been vacant. A moment later, the thing had vanished.)
Dragonfly Rides:
Ben and Bob peer into the swampy exhibit. Huge lily pads rest on the surface of a pool glistening with phosphorescent algae. "Come! Have a ride!" booms the tree. "Look at them! Isn't it amazing?" he adds, peering up at the dragonflies overhead. The huge creatures fly their riders in a lazy figure eight around the carnival’s thoroughfare, at a height of about 20 feet, Ben notes.
Horatio and Colin:
The duo leads the little boy (whose name is Viro, they learn from him) back to the Lost Property tent.
Cad and Edgardo:
Cad peers at the mirrored ball as he continues his conversation with Dirlagraun. It is scratched and well-worn, but seems otherwise unremarkable. The reflected lights of the carnival dance colorfully upon its surface.
"Yes, Misters Light and Witch are the proprietors," replies Dirlagraun. "There has always been an unease about them, but in recent days they have been troubled by something new. I really shouldn't talk about these issues, I suppose. Don't go confronting them – that won't be helpful."
As Horatio and Colin return with the boy, so does the boys' mother. She calls to them and they depart. She is clearly unaware of what just transpired with her eldest, and gives Dirla only the smallest of thanks for watching her boys for a few minutes. They soon vanish into the crowd.
Matilda puts her hand on the mirror. It is cold as ice, but quite solid. She feels a faint but steady vibration that gives her a chill.
Matilda snatched her hand back, " Is he dead?"