The following events occur at specific times throughout the evening.
Shortly after the carnival opens for business, read:
A twelve-foot-tall walking tree garlanded in golden ribbons marches down the thoroughfare. Emerald clouds swirl above the tree and rain down golden, spinning sycamore seeds. Fairgoers try to catch the seeds before they hit the ground. As the seeds gently fall, a chatty squirrel scampers along the boughs of the tree, handing dandelions to select passersby.
The tree is Northwind, a treant sapling, and the squirrel is its trusty companion, Red (see “Dragonfly Rides” earlier in the chapter). As Northwind encourages onlookers to catch the falling seeds before they touch the ground, Red hands the characters one dandelion apiece and encourages each of them to make a wish and then blow the dandelion’s seeds into the air.
Sycamore Seeds. A creature can attempt to catch a falling sycamore seed before it touches the ground, doing so with a successful DC 10 Dexterity check. Any creature that catches a seed before it touches the ground receives a gift, determined by rolling a d8 and consulting the Welcome Gifts table. A creature that receives one of these gifts can’t gain another one for 24 hours.
Dandelion Seeds. A character can make a wish while blowing their dandelion’s seeds into the air. The player should secretly write down their character’s wish on a piece of paper; collect these notes and keep them somewhere safe. On the Story Tracker, jot down the names of the characters who make wishes. These wishes become relevant in chapter 4 (see “Wish Stones” in the “Brigganock Mine” section).
d8 Gift1–3The creature gains the following personality trait until dawn: “I am easily amused.” Any conflicting character trait is suppressed in the meantime.4The creature gains a die, a d4, which it can add to one ability check it makes before the next dawn.5–7The seed turns into a gold piece.8The creature gains a die, a d8, which it can add to one ability check it makes before the next dawn.
Spectators file into the Big Top and fill the rows of seats. If the characters join them, read:
The lights dim and a hush falls over the crowd. A second later, a spotlight illuminates a lithe, elven figure sitting in a silver hoop, suspended above the center ring by silk ropes. The elf wears a dazzling suit of diamond-pane mirrors and a pair of butterfly wings. His scepter is topped with a spinning vane.
“Welcome, one and all, to this evening’s extravaganza! I am Mister Light. Prepare to be delighted!”
The extravaganza involves several of the carnival’s star performers and attractions, with Mister Light serving as ringmaster. Over the course of an hour, Burly the bugbear performs feats of strength, Palasha the mermaid serenades the audience from a clamshell bathing pool, Candlefoot the mime plays silent games with audience members, and faerie dragons with bright streamers tied to their tails perform dazzling acts of synchronized flying as a troupe of acrobats, clowns, and fire-breathers parade about. If the characters attempt to disrupt the show, Mister Light deflects their interruptions with banter and maintains a jovial demeanor. Persistent heckling lowers the carnival’s mood by 1 step (see “Tracking Mood” in Chapter 1: Witchlight Carnival).
Near the end of the show, Mister Light asks if any guests would like to perform their own acts for the crowd. Any character who accepts the offer can woo spectators with a DC 14 Charisma (Performance) check, raising the carnival’s mood by 1 step on a success. If multiple characters choose to perform together, make it a group check instead, but raise the carnival’s mood by 3 steps if the group check succeeds. A character can improve the carnival’s mood only once during this extravaganza.
At the end of the show, Burly invites any characters who took to the stage and impressed the crowd to meet with Mister Witch and Mister Light (see “Meeting Witch and Light” earlier in the chapter).
Most of the carnival’s stars have a part to play in the coronation, which celebrates the joyous zeal of a single guest. The event plays out as follows:
As spectators take their seats in the Big Top, Dirlagraun the displacer beast escorts Mister Witch from his wagon to the coronation, leaving Thaco the clown behind to guard the Staff Area.
Mister Witch and Dirlagraun stand on the sidelines next to Candlefoot as Mister Light gives an opening speech and the monarch is selected (see “Selecting a Monarch” below). Candlefoot holds the hatbox containing the monarch’s crown.
Mister Witch removes the crown of golden butterflies from the hatbox and places it on the monarch’s head; Mister Light knights the monarch with the Witchlight vane. Happy clowns shower all three in glitter.
Witch and Light escort the monarch on a circuit of the stage while Palasha the mermaid sings a joyous song and pixies flutter all around her.
When Palasha’s song concludes, Mister Light leads the monarch on a parade through the carnival, with the other guests following as Burly the bugbear sets off fireworks. Meanwhile, Dirlagraun escorts Mister Witch back to his wagon.
Selecting a Monarch. Mister Light’s Witchlight vane selects the monarch from the carnival’s guests, spinning a thread of golden light that winds its way to the chosen reveler. If the mood of the carnival is positive, choose the character who improved the carnival’s mood the most, or ask the players to agree on which of their characters should be crowned. If it’s not appropriate for any of the characters to be crowned monarch, then a jubilant halfling bedecked in flowers is selected from the crowd. Mister Light exudes cheerfulness and follows through with the ceremony regardless of who is chosen.
At the end of the celebration, as the carnival begins to wind down, the ceremonial crown teleports back into its hatbox. Candlefoot returns the hatbox to the Staff Area, handing it off to Thaco the clown, who stashes it in the wagon belonging to Mister Witch and Mister Light.
Tumblestrum’s Intervention. If the characters haven’t found a way to Prismeer by the end of the evening, Ellywick Tumblestrum (see “Feasting Orchard” earlier in the chapter) comes to their aid. The gnome bard appears next to the characters, exclaiming that it’s “high time you folks were elsewhere,” and leads them quickly to the Hall of Illusions. She ushers them inside and whispers the following incantation to them: “Hither, thither, here and there; wander yonder, show me where.” Using the incantation, the characters can travel to Prismeer (see “Through the Looking Glass” later in the chapter). If they are being chased, Tumblestrum distracts pursuers with a song before disappearing as mysteriously as she appeared.
The Witchlight Monarch gains the following charm (see “Supernatural Gifts” in the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information) and instantly becomes aware of its benefits:
Charm of the Monarch. You can sprout a pair of beautiful butterfly wings. As long as you have the wings, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, and you gain a +5 bonus on all Charisma-based ability checks. These effects last for 1 hour. After you use this charm three times, it vanishes from you.
If one of the characters becomes the Witchlight Monarch, note this fact on the Story Tracker. Even after the charm wears off, a character retains the title of Witchlight Monarch forever, and this title bears great weight in Prismeer. Fey creatures in the domain will not attack a Witchlight Monarch unless the monarch attacks them first. Moreover, Fey creatures in Prismeer treat a Witchlight Monarch with great reverence, addressing the character as “Your Majesty” or “Your Highness.” The characters don’t become aware of these benefits until they arrive in Prismeer and interact with its inhabitants.