The characters receive an invitation to meet privately with @Mister Witch and @Mister Light when the carnival’s mood reaches either end of the track (see “Tracking Mood” in Chapter 1 Guide) or if the characters impress Mister Light during the Big Top Extravaganza (see “Timed Events” later in Chapter 1 Guide). Witch and Light send Burly the Bugbear (neutral good) to fetch the characters:
A bugbear wearing dungarees, fairy wings, and a helmet made from a jack-o’-lantern approaches you. “Follow me,” he growls. “Management wants to see you.” With a wave of his hand, @Burly creates an opening in the wall of thorns that surrounds the staff wagons (see “Staff Area” earlier in Carnival Locations) and leads the characters through it. If questioned about the nature of the meeting, Burly insists there’s nothing to worry about. If the carnival’s mood is good, he adds that his bosses are in high spirits. If the characters follow Burly, read:
The bugbear leads you to a circle of wagons. Leaning against a particularly ostentatious wagon is an aging clown with a painted grin. He puffs on a bubble pipe and glares at you as the bugbear, ignoring the clown, opens the wagon’s door and ushers you inside.
The clown is @Thaco, a human Witchlight Hand and over-the-hill carnival attraction.
Inside @Witch and Light's Wagon A flamboyant elf grins from ear to ear as he welcomes you into the wagon with a theatrical bow. “Please come in, it’s a delight to meet you all! I am @Mister Light and this is my associate, @Mister Witch.” He gestures to a stocky elf lounging on a bunk. Mister Witch nods to you and doffs his top hat. Mister Light gestures toward his scepter—The @Witchlight Vane —and explains that it picks up every nuance of emotion in the carnival. If the carnival’s mood is good, Light expresses his gratitude for the cheer that the characters have brought to the carnival so far. If the carnival’s mood is bad, he expresses his regret that the characters aren’t having a delightful time and notes that, in turn, they’re spoiling everyone’s evening.
Mister Witch and Mister Light are eager to learn the characters’ reasons for visiting the carnival; if the characters are motivated by the “Lost Things” adventure hook, Mister Witch and Mister Light may dimly remember the characters from when they visited the carnival as children.
If the characters attack the carnival owners, they’re swiftly restrained by @Burly and @Thaco, who try to knock them out and dump them outside the carnival. Characters who overcome the carnival owners and their guards are begrudgingly taught the secret incantation to reach Prismeer
(see “Through the Looking Glass” in Carnival Events 2).
Questioning Mister Witch and Mister Light
If the characters have come to the carnival seeking lost things, Witch and Light express their regret but make it clear that they’re not responsible for those losses, claiming “forces are at work on the other side that are entirely beyond our control.” Mister Witch adds, “The wheel of time turns ever on … what’s lost is lost, what’s gone is gone.”
If they are questioned about conversations that were overheard (see “Witch and Light’s Wagon” in the "Staff Area" section and “Catching Kettlesteam” in Carnival Locations), Mister Witch and Mister Light admit they’re not the carnival’s original owners and took over management through an honest pact with the owner of another carnival.
If asked about @Kettlesteam, Mister Witch and Mister Light say she’s “a disgruntled guest and troublemaker whose fey patron, @Zybilna, dwells in @The Feywild domain of @Prismeer.” They add that Zybilna is also the patron of the Witchlight Carnival, but Witch and Light have had no contact with her for some time. Throughout the conversation, Mister Witch and Mister Light never mention the The Hourglass Coven.
Meeting’s End
To end the meeting, Mister Witch takes a quick look at his @Witchlight Watch, then nods to Burly to escort the characters from the wagon. If the carnival’s mood is good, Mister Light offers each character a gift as they exit: a balloon animal of their choosing, crafted by Thaco, “a clown of few words but many talents.” Thaco fashions each balloon into whatever creature is asked for. Each balloon animal is tied with a ribbon and floats magically in the air.
Following the characters’ meeting with @Mister Witch and Light, @Burly pulls the characters aside for a hushed conversation:
Burly removes his jack-o’-lantern helmet, revealing a worried expression. “Bad things have been happening at the carnival for a while. People and things have been going missing. My bosses know more than they’re telling, but their hands are tied somehow. You’re the first people I’ve met who might be able to set things right. Witch and Light are good guys, but you’ll need leverage to make them spill the beans.”
Burly suggests the characters purloin Mister Witch's @Witchlight Watch (without which the carnival can’t stay on schedule) and use it to compel Witch and Light to provide the answers they seek. He proposes that the best time to swipe the watch is during the Big Top Extravaganza, since it’s the only time when Mister Witch and Mister Light are separated. Although he doesn’t condone theft, Burly has talked himself into believing that it’s not really stealing if the characters give back the watch. Burly offers to assist where he can, but he doesn’t want Witch and Light to know that he plotted against them, because it would cost him his job and his home. He also warns that he’ll see no harm come to his bosses; they might be flawed, but without them, the carnival will fall apart.
Over the course of the conversation, Burly shares the following additional pieces of information:
“The Witchlight Monarch is chosen by Mister Light’s @Witchlight Vane. Witch and Light have no control over who the monarch will be, but it’s always the guest who has contributed the most to the happiness of the carnival. The monarch is also given a charm that lets them fly.”
“Mister Witch's Witchlight Watch is attached to his waistcoat by a chain, so whoever tries to steal it needs something to break or unfasten the chain.”
“ @Dirlagraun, @Candlefoot, and @Palasha the Mermaid might help you—they’re good eggs. But stay away from @Thaco—he’s untrustworthy.”
If the characters suggest stealing the @Witchlight Vane instead of the Witchlight Watch, Burly asserts that the watch is easier to steal because it’s smaller and often tucked in Mister Witch's pocket, whereas Mister Light is rarely seen without the Witchlight Vane in hand. Burly concedes, however, that the Witchlight Vane yields almost as much leverage in negotiations with Witch and Light, though he has no plan for stealing the vane.
See “Timed Events” later in the chapter for details of the coronation. It’s up to the characters to come up with a plan to get close enough to Mister Witch to steal his pocket watch. Any allies they’ve gained go along with their schemes but won’t harm the carnival owners or other members of the carnival staff.
Mister Witch keeps the watch in his waistcoat pocket, fastened to the garment with a chain. As an action, a character can attempt to steal the timepiece with a DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. This check is made with advantage if Mister Witch is distracted during the attempt. A character needs thieves’ tools, a dagger, or a pair of scissors to snip or detach the chain securing the watch. If the characters rob Mister Witch of his timepiece, he and Mister Light are desperate to get it back. They’d prefer not to cause a scene in front of the guests and promise to show the characters the way to @Prismeer once the watch is returned. Witch and Light are true to their word (see “Through the Looking Glass” later in Carnival Events 2).