Kettlesteam the kenku snoops around the carnival under the cover of a disguise self spell, looking to cause trouble. The kenku has stolen the voice of a human mime named Candlefoot (see “Hall of Illusions” earlier in the chapter). While this prize remains in her possession, Kettlesteam can speak clearly in Candlefoot’s soft, silky voice.
If Kettlesteam has not already been caught, a character who spends 1 hour searching for the disguised kenku can, with a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check, see through her disguise while moving through crowds and paying close attention to suspicious-looking folks. If discovered, Kettlesteam tries to flee from the main thoroughfare, using tents and other carnival features to break line of sight to her. She’s willing to cautiously parley with characters who claim they are investigating the carnival for their own reasons.
Additional roleplaying notes can be found in the bio for Kettlesteam.
If the characters corner her, Kettlesteam tells her story in the voice she stole from Candlefoot:
Many years ago, she made a fey pact with Zybilna, the archfey who rules the Feywild domain of Prismeer. Recently, Kettlesteam has become convinced something is amiss with her patron. As a warlock, she senses that Zybilna is no longer in touch with her—a very disconcerting thought!
Kettlesteam wants to question the carnival’s owners about Prismeer, but they keep giving her the cold shoulder. She’s sure they know more than they’re letting on.
During her last visit, Kettlesteam overheard Witch and Light talking in their wagon. She repeats the conversation, using her Mimicry trait to imitate Light’s agitated voice (“Someone is going to find out about this! They’ll shut us down!”) followed by Witch’s calm yet firm reply (“We agreed to this pact. Our hands were forced but our eyes were open. We let the Hourglass Coven take what it wants, and in return, we stay in business. That is what you want, right?”).
Kettlesteam is causing trouble in the carnival and refuses to stop until Witch and Light divulge what they know about Zybilna and Prismeer.
Due to the terms of her fey pact, Kettlesteam can’t enter Prismeer. She urges the characters to find out what has happened to Zybilna.
If one or more characters are working for Madryck (see the “Warlock’s Quest” adventure hook in the "Beginning the Adventure" section) and the characters mention Madryck by name, the kenku ruffles her feathers and lets out a squawk, admitting that she and Madryck are rivals who happen to share the same patron (Zybilna). Each thinks the other is untrustworthy.
If questioned about the theft of Candlefoot’s voice, Kettlesteam produces a corn husk doll with a thorny stem tied around its neck. The doll represents Candlefoot, and untying the stem restores the mime’s lost voice. Any character who succeeds on a DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check can convince Kettlesteam to part with the doll.
Characters who befriend Kettlesteam earn a valuable ally in the carnival. She can offer advice, or even help the characters steal Mister Witch’s watch (see “Burly’s Plan” earlier in the chapter).
If the characters miss the opportunity to meet with Mister Witch and Mister Light, Kettlesteam comes up with a plan similar to Burly’s: she encourages the characters to steal Mister Light’s Witchlight vane and use it as leverage to blackmail the carnival owners into showing them the way to Prismeer. How the characters acquire the vane is up to them, but Kettlesteam is happy to help.
If the characters reunite Candlefoot with his voice, note this accomplishment on the Story Tracker. The grateful Candlefoot gives the characters an acting lesson at the earliest opportunity, giving them a talent that might prove useful in chapter 4 (see the “Fey Beacons” section).
Once he regains his voice, Candlefoot seeks out Palasha and proposes marriage to her. Reuniting the couple causes the carnival’s mood to rise by 2 steps (see “Tracking Mood” in Chapter 1: Witchlight Carnival). From that point on, Palasha and Candlefoot treat the characters as trusted allies, which could prove useful during the crowning of the Witchlight Monarch, as they both have roles to play in the coronation.