witchlight-lore

[witchlight-lore]

Episode One

Below is a detailing of the first episode of Once Upon a Witchlight by Legends of Avantris

Frost's home in the Order was a mountainous, snowy region in Yulong, not unlike Tibet

The party has been together traveling for 'many years', and the Carnivale existed for a decent amount of time, under multiple names.

They were in Agwé for one month.

Largely they'd all like to reinstate the Carnivale (Kremy the least)

They repeatedly tried to contact Garou for his help with letters.

The Crossroads in the only inn that might let them stay.

They've never gotten as low as 2 gold before.

Pierre is a Grinning Sinner/Catfish employee.

Gricko doesn't know how to play poker but thought he did. Frost watched him play in horror and didn't say anything. Gricko focuses far more on the looks of cards than thinking about meanings.

Gideon considers the group's money his AND Kremy's. Kremy wanted to cut Gricko and Frost off.

The drinks at the Hungry Catfish potentially have a charm influence to them, making you behave how you normally wouldn't.

Frost doesn't like cigars.

Gricko almost got arsenic poisoning from eating a cigar.

Kremy still has 'lesser contacts' in Agwé.

The Grinning Sinners sometimes have invisibility.

Kremy understands Bullywug but doesn't speak it. The Sinners speak Bullywug but understand common.

Kremy doesn't blame Pierre for anything, since he's just doing his job.

Frost considered breakfast the most important meal of the day.

Immediately offers to give Gricko half his meal after he throws up.

Garou considers 'knowledge' to have monetary value that can be taken from him.

He has been watching Kremy for years since he left him, and knows every single scam he ran, and the amount he 'earned'.

Gideon, Gricko, Hootsie and Frost are named as inheritors of his debt.

They salted mines in Grizzlepaw, and 'something else' Gideon seems concerned about.

They earned a significant amount they earned in Beavercreek, and Gideon actively tries to forget something that happened.

Gricko and Frost were with them the majority of the time.

Gossip travels fast in Agwé

Gricko assumed the Carnivale made no money and that's why he wasn't paid.

Kremy DID pay some costs of the carnivale, just not wages.

Gideon isn't a morning person.

Frost is good at arithmetic.

Gideon's idea was to put Frost back on the tables and card count to win 100,000 gold.

Gricko enjoys making Frost do quick maths. Gricko is bad at maths.

Kremy knows that anyone who wins big against the house always end up dead.

'There's probably no one worse to owe money to (than Garou).'

Garou has more 'friends on that other side' than Kremy.

Frost gets easily distracted by maths challenges.

Kremy fucking hates the idea of honest work. It seems to disgust him.

Gricko thinks much better of people than he really should.

Kremy is absolutely terrified of Garou when he's in his bad books.

Gideon offers to sell Hootsie, suggests that he and Kremy have talked about doing that privately. They genuinely consider it. Especially Kremy.

They can't run from Garou, he will always know where they are.

Kremy considers that the fact that they both work for the Baron is why Garou can watch him.

Kremy lies and says he will ask the Baron for help but doubts he'll help, then tells Gideon he won't. 'Not a fuckin' chance, he'll sloop my eyeballs right outta my head.'

Frost suggests they could perform a heist or marry rich.

Gricko thinks very highly of himself as a partner and thinks it's too early for him to marry.

Frost doesn't really think about women at all.

The richest people in Agwé are Remy Garou and Alphonse Le'Blanc, a vampire.

Mace's first roll is a natural 20.

Derek's is a natural 1.

Garou set up at least 4 Sinners to watch them in the Crossroads tavern, Gaston, other Pierre.

Frost was going to suggest they kill Garou.

Hootsie had buttons thrown at her for a jig she did.

Gricko is extremely gullible and believes Frost's deadpan sarcasm even when it's ridiculous.

The Crossroads is in the Crawdad Quarter, an area where everyone has hunting knives and will stab you over money.

They all try to look cool when they get up except Gricko who focuses kn Hootsie.

Frost crushes a rat with Mind Sliver the second he sees it for Hootsie. Gricko enjoys watching. He praises her for catching dead rats.

There are food stalls, taverns, stalls and shops with busy people around.

Gricko thinks very fondly of the carnies and acts.

They were run out of town for the IOUs given and trusted a shitty accountant.

Garou counted the IOUs.

Frost considers that he could be forced to be a barmaid. (I should draw that)

5 silver for a calico cat belonging to Francine.

Bayou Brass Bar and Music Shop, musical act 10 gold a night, tips guaranteed.

Cousins Louie's looking for a bellhop, 5 gold

Rich Boy Po'boy line chef, 5 gold. Kremy's Meemaw goes there. Free meal every shift.

Gricko likes the idea of that, Gideon can't cook and Kremy refuses to 'go back to that professionally'.

They have 3 weeks.

Kremy considers it unimportant what Garou will do to them, they'll die regardless.

Kremy says Garou can 'pretty much' suck your soul through your eyeballs. The fellas when he's done look like empty caprisuns, withered away.

Gricko thinks you have to spend money to make money. He wants to buy soap with prizes inside in the hopes that one will have 100k inside.

Frost promises to show Gricko how to play poker and smoke cigars. Gricko claims he's 'always smoked a pipe', and its 'very easy, simple'.

Frost in INT based.

Everything else on the job board is much older but Frost feels bad about the cat and wants to keep an eye out for it.

Roslof is part of a Warlock guild. He wants a adventuring party to travel into the Feywild to find his patron.

The advertisement for the patron was put up a long time ago.

Frost wants to go for the cat over the patron seeking because 'cat owners are shifty' and suggests they can find something in her mattress. He doesn't like that the patron one isn't specific enough

Guilds have tons of gold because its very expensive to be part of one. Kremy isn't in a guild.

Frost makes a joke about peacelocks as opposed to warlocks.

The patron post looks like its made with shitty clip art.

Kremy considers Archfey warlocks totally different to him.

Kremy knows the layout of Agwé well and has heard the name Madrick Roslof, he's been around for a LONG time. He's rumoured to be wealthy, his house is nice despite being on the edge of the swamp. He 'swims in the same circles' as wealthy elite

Frost knows what Archfey are.

Frost is upset that they said the giant pumpkins weren't big enough, happier when they're 20 by 15ft

Kremy thinks the patch itself is huge

Madrick's full name is Steve Madrick Roslof.

Kremy didn't know he was a warlock.

Gricko would save the Archfey for friendship and to help people rather than gold.

Richie stole Nikkie's dice.

Multiple Sinners are watching them outside.

Agwé is surrounded by swamp.

Magnolia Promenade is another area.

Gideon also believes deadpan sarcasm and obvious lies from his friends.

Gricko can't take a hint.

Kremy knows the swamp itself like the back of his hand, they go through the water itself. Knee deep.

Takes 2.5-3 hrs to get to Roslof's home.

25 giant pumpkins in the patch.

The house seems dwarfed by the pumpkins around it. The house smells like pumpkin pie.

Kremy loves pumpkin pie.

Kremy claims the pumpkins were normal sized last time he was in the area, suggesting a lot of time passed.

Gricko doesn't catch onto innuendos a lot of time. Frost does and kinda hates it.

Gricko just wants pumpkin pie. Frost would rather have money.

Gricko tells Hootsie to mind her manners, speak up but only speak when spoken to.

Kremy knocks with his cane skull topper.

Roslof doesn't come to the door until they knock loudly.

Roslof wears a black cloak, a long tailored embroidered shirt, billowy pants and house slippers.

Two 'what appear to be pixies'. Blonde in purple clothes, red in green clothes.

Roslof's hair is very long, down to his back, solid white. His eyebrows are bushy, piercing blue eyes, small tattoo of his right eyebrow in the shape of a chicken foot. He's hard of hearing.

He can hear the pixies even when nobody else can.

He runs the guild.

Kremy claims Roslof was a regular of 'Crusty Dick's', where he worked as a cook 'back in the day' that served crab.

Roslof says he's 'spritely'.

It's a cosy, comfortable cottage with lots of books. The pixies have a tiny shrunk oak tree with tiny houses with porches as a pixie tower. They drink tea.

They seems to speak telepathically to Madrick and verbally to each other.

Madrick might do crochet, he has crochet throws and there are balls of yarn in a basket 'he clearly enjoys yarnwork'.

Kremy makes sure to ask for pie for Hootsie. Coffee exists and they all like it.

Gricko immediately offers to help Roslof, Kremy and Gideon just sit down. Hootsie settles into a dog bet that's much too small for her.

Roslof may have owned a sausage dog called Sparklebutt, he has a pillow with one on and a small dog bed.

The calico cat from the missing poster is in his home (missing things find their way to the Feywild?)

Kremy and Gideon start looking for things to steal.

Roslof wears a apron that says 'kiss the cook'

He serves it with iced custard, candied pumpkin bits, homemade whipping cream and cinnamon, the coffee is pumpkin spiced.

Gricko tries to make conversation with him and asks questions about his home.

Roslof has giant pumpkin seeds around his home.

Kremy knows the fey are 'tricksy'. Gideon doesn't have a great memory.

There are photos of Madrick on the wall documenting his life and the adventuring party he used to be part of.

Kremy gets nervous that the pumpkin pie is the grand reward.

Frost also helps bring the coffee and pies.

Roslof mistakes Gricko for being Frost's 'green child', and Hootsie for a dog he likely has poor eyesight even with his glasses. He thinks its weird that Gricko is named Gricko Morning.

Roslof realises he's a goblin when he squints and moves closer, so he's near sighted.

Gricko is the oldest of the group.

Gricko thinks its considerate and nice to be offered a booster seat but he doesn't need one. He loves colouring books, especially mazes. Frost automatically does the word jumble over Gricko's shoulder. Gricko claims he 'always does this'.

Nobody's visited Roslof in a long time.

He spent 35 gold on making the advertisement.

Roslof hasn't heard from his patron in 15 years. He still has all his magic.

He seems to be very observant, telling Kremy he's a 'great liar' when he's barely said anything, just claimed they want to help him.

Kremy takes it as a compliment.

Madryck comments that Gideon is ‘Very Large’, that Frost is ‘Very, very smart’, and that Kremy is a ‘Great liar’. All three say ‘Thank you for noticing’ in return. To Gricko he says ‘I like you a lot’, and Gricko thanks him.

Madryck expresses concern that the group may not be up to the task, as many do not survive the Feywild.

He clarifies that Prismeer is a domain in the Feywild that Zybilna reins over, ‘the Queen of the Palace of Heart's Desire.’

Madryck describes her as a ‘fairy godmother, of sorts’, ‘she's kind, and gentle, she is sorely missed.’

Kremy has heard of the Feywild but has never been.

Frost admits he's never been, but it is one of many planar locations he would like to visit.

Gricko hasn't either, Gideon says he hasn't, ‘I don't think’. Gricko asks Hootsie, and Derek pretends to voice her saying ‘once or twice’.

Hootsie has been to the Feywild pre-carnivale as that is where Owlbears are native to in Avantris.

Kremy asks if Madryck can help them get to the Feywild, and he brings up that the Witchlight carnival is in town. He clarifies that Zybilna made the carnivale originally as a gateway into the Feywild for those who wanted to meet with her, to get her help.

With the reveal that the carnival is in town, Gricko exclaims ‘has it already been eight years? Hootsie, have we been together for eight years?’, as the carnival only appears once every eight years.

Gricko considers the day he got Hootsie as her birthday, and tells her they have to throw the greatest party.

They do not throw her a birthday party :(

Gricko worked for the Witchlight carnival last time it was on the material plane as a ‘temp gig’, that he was ‘down on his luck’, prior to meeting Frost, Kremy or Gideon.

Gricko never mentioned it by name before, only referring to it as ‘the carnival’, because he found Hootsie there and immediately ran away with her.

Gricko gets very emotional thinking about how tiny Hootsie was when he took her from the carnival, implying that Hootsir was an extremely young owlbear cub at the time.

The Witchlight carnivale is owned by two Shadar-Kai, natives to the Shadowfell, called Mr Witch and Mr Light, but they were not the original owners. 

He visited the carnival when Gricko was working there.

Gricko was a ‘base level carnie’ and stuck with other goblins, not interacting with high levels of staff.

He did beast taming, juggling and other minor acts and jobs.

The carnival has a high turn around rate and doesn't have good benefits for employees.

Gricko only worked for a few days.

Gricko has wood carvings of Hootsie from the first day he met her, detailing all her milestones, including teaching her her first jig (in a little hat), her first corn and corn alone day. in the form of flat wooden tokens in the style of fold out pictures in a wallet. 

He also has one of him and Frost together, they both like it.

Madryck Roslof falls asleep multiple times very easily during conversation. His bedtime is 5pm.

A local man called Tom sings outside who Roslof claims is an asshole. Gricko tells him not to give uo on his dreams, then to give up on them after he's told Tom is an asshole.

Madryck doesn't remember information he told them only two minutes ago.

Zybilna ‘takes many forms’, and that she is a ‘statuesque woman, with ‘large blonde hair, with a chickenfoot tattoo over her eye.’

Roslof tells them he wants to die, Kremy says ‘We could help you with that!’, and Derek immediately mimes Frost picking up a pillow to smother Roslof with, saying ‘It's gonna be alright, it's going to be fine Mr Roslof it's all over,It's fine, we'll take care of your pixies. We'll sell your pumpkins for hundreds of thousands of gold pieces.’

Zybilna has gifted Roslof with an extraordinarily long life, and he claims to have millions of gold along with a trove of magical items worth an untold amount. He will give his entire fortune to whomever will go into the Feywild and find out what happened to Zybilna.

They all agree that it would be the right thing to help Madryck pass on peacefully, if for different reasons. 

Madryck has never been to the Feywild.

The carnival is 2-2.5 days from Agwé. 

Madryck bought a novelty plaque that says ‘I smell old people, oh that's just me’ from Dr Etouffee, who sells fake magical items, and is described as looking like Kremy but older. Kremy confirms to Gricko that he is his brother, and his real name is Kermy. 

They need to collect proof that they found Zybilna.

Madryck has written a letter to Zybilna on the back of a paper that says ‘Antiques made daily’. Frost currently has it.

Roslof has signed a magical contract from Kremy to affirm the agreement. 

Roslof has diabetes and arthritis. 

He has a crocheted purse, which contains mittens, multiple pairs of bifocals, another coffee mug, an old wallet that is empty, a picture of a really sexy older lady and an envelope filled with a down payment.

The down payment is a bag of magical beans, a cloak of displacement, some letters, and 500 gold pieces.

The gang each get a free ticket to the carnivale. They're very high quality. 

Kremy is self conscious over how low quality his carnival was despite it being his own fault.

Kremy calls many people ‘friend’, regardless of his intentions.

Gricko communes with the spirits of monsters whose parts or hides he uses to make sure they don’t mind and thank them for it before he uses them.

They go back to Roslof’s twice.

The carnival is located near Bogpossum, north west from Agwé.

There is a cleric group called ‘The Church of the Blinding Light’ that has set up in Agwé, and are passing out pamphlets to advertise their religion. These are the worshippers of Pholtus.

The followers of the Blinding Light are against the Witchlight carnival existing in Agwe, claiming it is ‘crawling with evil’ after being taken over by Shadar-Kai. Kremy suggests they might get violent against the carnival.

Frost does not understand the prejudice against Shadar-Kai.

Carnival Lecroux had a similarly bad reputation.

Gricko casts guidance on Gideon to help him with reading, which comes in the form of a Rust Monster, a flea-like monster whose spectral form swirls around Gideon before returning to Gricko. Frost casts Resistance, which does not help.

Gideon struggles to read, and does so slowly. Guidance helped.

Roslof ‘always wanted to be the Witchlight Monarch’, and asks the krew to try to become the Witchlight Monarch. ‘You can be a Monarch, a real one’.

Frost and Kremy agree that it's strange and illogical that something of such good fortune would so easily befall them.

Frost has a deep urge to smash the giant pumpkins.

Kremy leads the krew toward Bogpossum.

Cypress trees are native to Agwé and are the dominant species in the swamp surrounding it. 

Mangrove and poplar trees are an indicator that the veil between the Material plane and the Feywild plane is thin, and the two are overlapping in parts, allowing fey to find their way over as much as mortals can get into the Feywild. 

The air glitters, sounds are heightened, and the land appears to have completely changed, as the land shifts and changes in the Feywild.

Hootsie wears socks.

Mangrove trees do not grow at ALL in Agwé, nor anywhere nearby.

Agwé feels ‘darker, grimier somehow, doesn't feel like home’ to Kremy compared to last time he visited after the Feywild leaks through.

The Feywild does not affect Kremy's innate sense of direction. 

Gricko believes heavily in Fate as a guiding force of the universe, and believes that wherever he ends up is where he was meant to be.

Gricko was worried about the missing cat, and teases Gideon about being worried about it, who gets very defensive. 

The missing cat, a small tabby, was in Roslof’s house when they visited, sitting on the stairs. Frost recalls it but says nothing.

They all roll CON to try to fight off fey curses in the form of swamp gas. This is the first curse of the show. 

Mikey rolls a 27, Mace a 16. Mikey has to reroll, and gets a 34.

Gidron believes he becomes a rotting corpse, vomiting up his internal organs, his flesh decaying. Gricko believes himself to be made of solid gold. They're both hallucinating, but Gideon is literally vomiting.

Frost covers his mouth and nose and advises Kremy to do the same, immediately working out that the gas might be doing something.

Gricko says he is ‘Trapped and so beautiful at the same time…also have a very nice intrinsic value.’ Frost responds that he's glad Gricko has ‘finally come to realise that’ and comments on how stiff he's standing.

Gricko does verbal self affirmations after stretches in the morning.

Gideon just gives up once he believes he's dying, saying they had a ‘good run’.

They had shrimp and grits for breakfast.

Poking at Gideon's vomit with his cane, Kremy released more swamp gas, and so he and Frost had to roll CON at disadvantage, and both fail.

Derek got an 88, Richie an 83.

Kremy claims he'd get Gideon to a doctor if he was actually dying, but he seems no worse than a usual night out, suggesting that Gideon drinks so heavily on nights out that he often ends up vomiting, and Kremy stays around when he does. 

Frost's legs become fused. He's convinced everyone else is fine, but he's experiencing a real problem.

Gricko comments that Frost has ‘very nice calves’ and that he's never seen Frost skip leg day.

Vines and leaves grow from Kremy's body hair, which doesn't make sense because as a lizardfolk, Kremy has no body hair whatsoever, but he gets vines regardless.

Superhero/mutant comic books exist in Avantris, and Kremy has read some. He does the spiderman hand motions when he uses his ‘vines’.

Frost tries to redirect Kremy's attention to his legs, insistent that his is the only real curse, and Gricko tells him to ‘spread em, Frosty!’ after Frost claims he can't move them.

Kremy attempts to pull open Frost's legs with his vines and it does not work.

Frost is intelligent enough to understand that the others are experiencing some kind of magical effect. But his curse is real.

Frost's legs are spread wide apart the entire time.

Gricko's main concern is that Hootsie might not love him anymore when he's metal.

Hootsie believes she is the greatest bard to ever live, and dances. She does help Gricko when he asks, pushing him forward, but without use of his legs he falls forward into the swamp.

Frost expresses concern that Gricko might actually die from drowning. He attempts to army crawl over after Kremy fails to help with his ‘vines’, but gets caught on mangrove roots.

Frost uses Message to tell Gricko he can move and has to roll over to avoid drowning and come help Frost. Gricko believes him, claiming he might be gold but he has 16 points of articulation.

Frost is actively doggy paddling to try to keep his head above water while he's trapped by the root, keeping his head above water.

Hootsie starts drumming on a log with some sticks, and Gricko praises her, saying she's a real natural drummer, and that she IS the greatest bard to ever live.

Kremy gets somewhat short with Frost, telling him to just get up and help *him*. Gideon believes himself to be a complete skeleton. He lies on the ground, acting dead.

 Kremy tries to tell him that he has a skeleton INSIDE him, but that he's fine, using the fact that they're still able to communicate as evidence that Gideon is in fact still alive. 

Gideom struggles to retort, saying that that's a good point, but he is just bones.

Kremy then brings up that if he was a skeleton with no muscles, he wouldn't be strong anymore. Gricko agrees, telling Gideon he has ‘some impressive gains’.

Gideon believes himself to be expelling bone chips, but in reality it's pieces of shrimp and some sausage. 

Gricko casts Lesser Restoration to try cute Gideon's puking, the spell manifesting as a blue spectral basilisk. They quickly realise that the spell would be useless, but decide to use it anyway.

Gricko has the idea that if Frost started a nation, his gold body could back the currency, or that they could cut him up and give parts of him to Garou to cover their debt, or live as a tasteful statue in the Hungry Catfish.

Kremy successfully manages to convince Gideon to punch Gricko and Gricko to let Gideon punch him, using the logic that if their delusions were true, Gideon wouldn't be able to punch him with no muscles and Gricko wouldn't get hurt because he's solid gold.

Gricko is openly deeply concerned about hurting his friend’s hand.

Kremy tries to bite off the vines, they taste like kale.

Frost's legs are ‘About as far apart as legs can possibly be, trust me, (Gideon) would know!’ They're in the shape of a Y in the air.

Gideon jokes that he's ‘taken Gricko's head off one time’.

Kremy laments that they'll be stuck in the swamp forever.

Frost tries to convince Kremy to try to bite Gricko, as he's the only one with working legs, and pure gold is soft, as a means of testing the delusion to see if it's an illusion. If Gricko bleeds, ‘like a jelly donut’, it's not real.

Gideon punches Gricko, and believes his arm to shatter into bone fragments, and Gricko believes he's unharmed, despite taking 10 points of damage.

Frost finally starts to believe that Gideon and Gricko are ‘clearly skeleton and gold…’

Kremy decides that this is true but they just need to deal with this new reality and move on. Gideon agrees to carry Frost with one arm, claiming he's light, which Frost protests before he's put over Gideon's shoulder. Kremy lifts Gricko around the waist. 

Gideon tells Frost that when he finally dies in the swamp, don't let anyone know what happened on Bearpaw mountain. He likely means Grizzlepaw mountain. Hootsie sings and follows.

After ten minutes, they get out the muck and the delusions fade immediately.

Frost considers Gideon's shoulder to be ‘surprisingly comfortable’.

Kremy immediately considers bottling and selling the swamp gas as a drug in Agwé.

Gideon apologises for breaking Gideon's nose and making him lose multiple teeth.

Derek does the horrific nose breaking trick.

The trees change back to cypress trees and Kremy recognises a landmark. They've been travelling for at least a day. Behind them it's only cypress, no mangrove trees.

After asking how he looks after resetting his nose, Gideon tells Gricko to ‘rub some dirt in it’, Kremy says ‘you've probably looked worse, in the years I've known you’, and Frost tells him he likely needs medical attention.

A spectral Girallon appears to give Gricko a bunch of bananas as his form of the Goodberry spell. Gideon takes two.

Avantis goblins can regrow their teeth a seemingly unlimited number of times.

The Witchlight Carnival can be seen from miles away, with lights and music and smells.

They sleep once in the swamp, they have tents.

( To be continued, ends at 2:28:51)