It is finally starting to feel like a fall in the greater Boston area. In eastern Massachusetts, fall is generally a time for fairs and festivals. There is the King Richards Faire in Carver, local Oktoberfest look-a-likes, and craft fairs galore. To get into the fall spirit, I wrote a one-shot that takes place during a harvest festival. As well as being festive, this adventure is designed to be a follow-up filler episode so to speak, to the LIberation of Sliberberg. It assumes that the players get the best ending to the adventure.

The adventure background

It is a time of transition for New Mountainheart. The Usurper Murtagh lays slain, his men dead or scattered, and above Fredrick has returned to his throne a new man with his beloved queen Aoibheann by his side. For the last month, there has been a charge of excitement and magic in Sliberberg as Fredrick finally can focus on ruling his now-expanded kingdom for the first time in centuries. In celebration of all this goodwill (and to give himself an excuse to go on a date with Aoibheann), he has personally taken charge of the city’s annual harvest festival, intending to make it the most incredible festival the city has seen. He has invited the players and every other significant person from the fight against Murtagh to the party. However, Fredrick’s newly revitalized nature has woken something dark to the north. Aoibheann’s mother, Ailénach An Draíocht, who has long disapproved of her daughter’s beau for a reason only tangentially connected to Fredrick, is a killjoy who hates the thought of Fredrick being happy. She has sent her minions to ruin the festival.

The adventure begins

The players have been enjoying a spot of R&R after the battle with Murtagh when they receive a letter penned on the official stationery of the Royal Family in Fredrick’s distinctive tiny handwriting. The letter is an invitation to come to Pixie Court to partake in the city’s annual harvest festival. The festival’s opening day has arrived, and the players make their way to Pixie Court when they catch sight of the fairgrounds. Read the following

Beyond the iron and brick fence of Pixie Court is a grand spectacle, a sea of tents in every size you can imagine and color you can name and a dozen you cannot. There are booths for games and vendors, a massive stage with a live concert, a petting zoo with fantastical beasts, and an enormous tent with long benches and tables. At the gate to this autumnal wonderland is Fredrick and Aoibheann arm and arm, a sight to behold, waiting for you.

Fredrick and Aoibheann have changed a lot since the players last saw them; Fredrick is much more friendly and outgoing, and Aoibheann is charming and sweeter than Honey. They both greet the players with warm hugs and joyful words. Short afterward, the rest of the royal couple’s guests arrive: Elina Foul, the sweet, girly girl teenage hag the players rendered beautiful; Tansy Fleetfoot, Sir Lorcan Ó Ceallaigh, Murtagh son who stayed loyal to Fredrick; Panthor Silverhoof the owner and master of ceremonies at elmwood hall, Head of the Sliberberg Bounty Hunters Union Countess Caitríona Cassidy Rose, Duchess Muirín Uisceanna mermaid duchess of the seas and Isles and her daughter Aeliana, Commander IronShoal of the city watch, and Riona Byrne former king of the rat gang of smuggler and pirates, now Commander of the Sliberberg Free Navy. Let the players mingle with their old resistance buddies for as long as it takes, and be sure to learn what happened in Liberation of Sliberberg for inspiration about the conversation, such as the player Aeliana has a crush on or the tension between Commander Ironshoal and Riona. Also, let the NPC plans for the festival leak in conversation, such as Aeliana participating in the beauty pageant at her mother’s behest. The various NPCs drift toward their attraction of choice as the conversation dies down.

The fairgrounds

Sprawling out over the green lawns, Pixie Court is a virtual wonderland of things to do and sights to see, from the petting zoo of exotic and fey beasts to the tongue-tying bardic duel off. All this is the player’s choice of spending their day at the fair. However, things are not as they seem at the fair. THminions of Ailénach An Draíocht are stalking the fair, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. In secret, roll a d6 timer, ignoring all rolls less than 3. Every attraction the players visit tick down the timer by one. When the timer hits zero, go to the Fairground Rampage. 

The Miss Sliberberg Beauty pageant

Around this small open-air stage, a crowd, mainly teenage boys and middle-aged women of all races, gathers and stares at rapped attention. Upon said stage, their dresses glistened in the fairy light, and pretty young ladies in shimmering gowns strut confidently, each competing for the title of Miss Sliberberg. Off to the side of the stage is a makeshift dressing area where more teenage girls wait their turn on the stage under the watchful eyes of their mothers. Among them are Aeliana and Duchess Muirín. Aeliana looks as tense as a bowstring, and her mother is trying to calm her down.

Aeliana did want to participate in the beauty pageant, but she would rather spend her time at the festival with her crush, wandering the stalls and booths. Now, she seriously doubts her shimmering mermaid dress, makeup, hair, charm, and ability to sing. Muirín is trying to calm her daughter’s nerves, assuring her that Fredrick would have fallen in love with her on the spot if she stood before him at her coronation. However, Muirín attempts are backfiring and making Aeliana more nervous. The players can attempt to calm Aeliana’s Nerves by making a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) or Wisdom (Insight) check. The check is advantageous if the player is the subject of Aeliana’s crush or the player used magic that manipulates emotions beforehand. They can also give themselves a +2 to the check if they convince Duchess Muirín to stop pushing Aeliana so hard by making a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check. If the players succeed, Aeliana will perform well in the pageant, and her magic-enhanced singing and water dance will go over exceptionally well with the judges and ultimately win her the title of Miss SLiberberg. If the player fails, Aeliana choked during one of the rounds. She is so embarrassed after that she runs to cry in private.

Participating in the pageant

If there is any female character among the players between 16 and 20, they choose to participate in the pageant. The pageant has three rounds: appearance, talent, and charm. The participating player can complete the pageant rounds with the following checks:

Appearance. The player must make a DC 15 Charisma check to assemble an outfit and present herself confidently on stage.

Talent. This round is open-ended and depends on the contestant’s chosen skill. The player should describe their character’s talent, and the DM will assign an appropriate skill check.

Charm. The player must make a DC 18 performance check to charm the audience and the judge.

The archery range

A crowd gathered around the archery range, watching in stunned silence. Caitríona is showing off for the crowd at the center of the crowd, performing trick shots with her hand crossbows. She notices you and beckons you closer. Well, are you impressed, my fine noble sirs and madams? she asks. “Care to try your luck and see if you can match the best shots?”

Caitríona will suggest a wager. Whoever gets the highest score in 7 shots will get the pot. Any player who takes Caitríona up on her wager will ante up 10gp and step up to the range. Each participant will go one at a time, making basic ranged attacks with their weapon of choice on various targets. Magic is not allowed. There are three types of targets.

Easy Target (AC 12): Stationary, close-range targets worth 1 point

Medium Target (AC 16): Moving targets that sway slightly that are worth 2 points.

Hard Target (AC 20): Distant and rapidly moving targets worth 3 points.

Caitríona will alternate between making medium and challenging shots. If one of the players manages to beat Cassidy, she says, “How about that? You are a good shot, as is me, and you happily give the player the pot.” If the players lose, she laughs and tells them to buck up. They lost to the best there is.

The Baking Contest

As you enter the tent, the air is filled with the scent of mouthwatering treats. Inside are long tables of colorful cakes, pies, and other baked goods, each one a feast for the senses. Tansy Fleetfoot is inspecting the pastries with interest and a clipboard.

Tansy notices the players almost immediately if they come for the Baking Contest. If they show interest in competing, Tansy says they have time before the deadline and can loan the players a portable kitchen to cook in. The portable kitchen turns out to be an Agatha’s Tiny Cottage that is furnished as a kitchen. To bake something for the Baking Contest, they need to prepare, bake, and decorate their pastry of choice.

Preparation. DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Cooking Tools) to gather and measure ingredients correctly.

Baking. DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) to manage the oven and ensure everything bakes properly.

Decoration.DC 16 Charisma (Performance) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) to apply the finishing touches, such as frosting, glazing, and plating.

If the players succeed on all the checks, Tansy will be impressed by their efforts and give them high marks. I will be there to determine their place in the competition. If the players win, they receive a tart-shaped trophy.

Commander Ironshoal and the Drinking Contest

The sizeable open-sided tent with benches and tables is a makeshift beer hall. The long tables are packed with merry-making men and women of all races stuffing their faces and quaffing beer. Commander Ironshoal sits at one of the tables among some other dwarves, quaffing with the best of them. She spots you and calls out, asking if you want to join a drinking contest.

Commander Ironshoal explains the rules if they agree to participate. Each participant will be presented with mugs of increasingly potent alcohol to drink. Each participant will make a constitution check to drink the beverage; failure means the participant cannot continue. The winner is the last man able to drink. The drinks are in order of potency.

Light ale DC(10).

• Normal Ale dc(12)
• Stout DC(14)
• Dwarven Ale DC(16)
• Rum DC(18)
• Whiskey DC(20)
• Moonshine DC(22)

Three other dwarves join the players in the competition. If the players beat Commander Ironshoal and her fellow dwarves, they look pretty surprised at the victorious player before raising a toast to them. Commander Ironshoal will give the players 20gp for beating her in a competition, and the players will have an advantage on all charisma checks made to interact with dwarves. On failure, Commander Ironshoal pats the player on the back and tells them it was a good try.

The sword fighting tourney

Off to one side of the fairground is a small arena surrounded by eagerly waiting spectators. A crier on a soapbox calls out, “Last call for participants in the sword fighting tourney.” Sir Lorcan is among the crowd of warriors gathered around the cryer. He looks nervous.

Sir Lorcan wants to use the sword-fighting competition to prove he is not a screwup. Once he notices the players, he asks them for a favor. He wants to win the tourney but fears that he does not stand a chance against some of the fighters. He asks if one of them would be willing to join the tourney and have their match with him. There is one slot left open for fighters. Regardless of whether or not the players enter the tourney, the rules are as follows.

• Each tournament match is a one-on-one duel, with the winner being the first participant to reduce their opponent to half their total HP.
• Magic weapons, armor, and shields are permitted, but all other magic is forbidden during the match
• The use of healing items is allowed between rounds
• All fighters must use melee weapons and preferably swords

The opponents the participating player will be facing are as follows

• The Eager adventure (use bandit stat block
• The knight
• the gladiator
• Sir Lorcan

If the players win, they get a golden medal, a reward of 50gp, a voucher for a free meal and drink at the beerhall tent, and an advantage on charisma checks for the rest of the festival. If the players let Sir Lorcan, he promises them a favor, and they get a silver medal and a voucher for a free meal and drink at the beer hall tent.

Bardic tournament

The air around this small stage is filled with colorful jabs and witty retorts. On the stage, a pair of bards, one dressed like a gangster and one dressed like a fool, trade razor-sharp verbal barbs to a large crowd’s cheers, laughter, and heckling. Panthor Silverfoot is waiting by the stage—cane in hand and a grin of satisfaction on his face.

Panthor, a former actor and amateur writer, is going to try his luck in the bardic tournament. He likes what he sees in the other opponents, who are generally lackluster. When he spots the players, he suggests that one of them join the competition to add a little bit more of a challenge to the running. If the players agree, he will owe them a favor.

The tournement is bracket of Bardic duels. Bardic dueling takes the form of flying contests. FLyting is a form of Nordic proto-rap mixed with an insult contest. The Participants take turns creating rhyming couples of poetry that insult their opponent. Each participant gets three chances to insult their opponents. There are two ways to run the duels:

• The players and their opponents make performance checks; whoever rolls the highest wins the round, with the best two out of three being the winner.
• If you and the participant in the duel are confident in your poetry skills, you can actually flyt and have the other players be the judging crowd.

The player’s opponents for the tournament are as follows

• Commoner
• bard
• Panthor Silverfoot

If the players win the match, they get 20gp, a gold medal, and an advantage on charisma checks for the rest of the day. Whether they win or lose, Panthor owes them a favor.

Pirates Run

The sign in front of the obstacle course proudly states that it is a joint effort by the Sliberberg Free Navy and Stoneforge and Ironhelm shipbuilding. It definitely has a nautical theme, with rocking miniaturized boat hulls, cargo nets, and ship-themed hazards. Children and adults alike are trying their luck at the course. Commodore Riona Byrne leans by the entrance as you walk up. “Ahoy mateys,” she grins, “fancy a run at the course? Anyone who beats my time gets a prize.”

The course consists of multiple ship-themed obstacles, including boarding nets, rocking miniaturized ship hulls, swinging bales of cotton, and a swing between two ships. To get the best time, the players can run the course as often as they wish.

Rules for running the course.

• Each turn, the players can move their speed through the course. They can also choose to dash. However, players can only dash up to 3+its constitution modifier times, and dashing imposes a disadvantage on their next skill check.
• Each obstacle requires a specific skill check. Each failed skill check causes the player to lose 10 feet of movement that round, and on a critical failure, the player falls prone.
• The goal is to finish the course in as few rounds as possible, and if the players can do it in six rounds or less, they win a prize.

The obstacles to the course are as follows:

• Boarding nets DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check
• Rocking Ship Hulls DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics)
• Swinging Bales of Cotton: DC 12 Dexterity saving throw
• Cargo Hurdles. DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check
• Rope Swing Between Ships. DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (player’s choice).

When the players eventually complete the course in 6 rounds or less, Commodore Riona Byrne says well, how about that, matey, you are a speedy one and gives the players their prize, a pipe of smoke monsters.

Vendor Pavilion

Taking up the middle of the fairground is a wide variety of colorful tents and booths selling handicrafts and the fruits of the harvest. The air is filled with fresh bread, roasting nuts, and spiced cider. Among this sea of merchants and tradespeople, you spy Elina flitting from stall to stall, examining everything enthusiastically. With bubbly enthusiasm, she rushes up to you and says, “Oh my gosh! Isn’t this exciting? I never got to do anything like this when I was, you know, ugly. The people here on top of the mountain are so friendly. You simply must visit some of the friends I made.”

Elina then takes one of the players by the hand and practically drags them to meet the vendors she has befriended.

Tansy Apprentices

 A group of three teenage SIlver Moon Coven witches, Molly, Sarah, and Juniper, sell baked goods from a charming stall, specifically apple pies, pumpkin bread, and other fall treats. Although they have just met, Elina greets the girls like they are old friends. She introduces the players, and the girls immediately swoon, like groupies meeting their favorite rockstar. They swarm the players and pepper them with questions. They ask why ELina didn’t tell them that her friends were the city’s heroes. ELina looks sheepish and asks if they give the players the same sample of the pumpkin bread they gave her. The witches immediately agree since she introduced them to the city’s most eligible bachelors (or coolest girls). As Elina drags them off, the players can hear the girls talking about how lucky ELina is.

Gregorius, the sausage maker

A large set dwarf sells sausages, including his own grilled on-the-spot sausages in a bun made using his own. He greets Elina with almost causal familiarity, asking if she wants another. She tells him that her friends would like to try one of his extra spicy sausages in a bun, her treat. Gregorius whips a sausage in a bun for each of the players. The players can try the sausage or not, although ELina is staring at them and urging them to eat one. WHen the players eat the sausage, have them make a DC 11 Constitution check. If they fail, the sausage is too spicy for them, causing a humorous gag reaction that sends both ELina and Gregorius to laugh. ELina then grabs onto a different player and drags them to the next stall.

THe Gleamspark clan.

The gleamspark clan of gnome toymakers has a large booth showing off various autumnal-themed toys. When Elina reaches the stand, she becomes like a kid in a candy store, showing off the different toys to the players and asking them if they think they are neat. Arthur Gleamspark, the family member staffing the store, whispers to the players they might want to humor Elina lest they make her cry. After showing off the various toys, she asks the players which toy they should buy. It is up to the players to choose which item they should purchase

Petting Zoo 

At the far end of the fairground is a cozy pen of temporary fencing and hay bales. Beyond the fence are children of all ages playing with various creatures, including baby versions of familiar monstrous beasts. Frederick stands at the fence rail, watching as Queen Aoibheann has the time of her life. She happily rubs a griffon cub while a Hipogriph foal gently nuzzles her, and a displacer beast kitten sits by her side. Upon spotting you, she calls you and invites you to join her new friends.

Players can enter the petting zoo by paying 50cp to the friendly halfling attendant at the gate. The attendant gives them a bag with 1d4 handfuls of monster food pellets in the side. Once inside, the players can use a handful of monster food pellets to attract one of the creatures. Afterward, they can make a DC 12 Wisdom (animal handling check) to bond with the creature. On success, the animal accepts the players’ petting and starts to play with the players. On a failure, the creature may playfully nip or headbutt them, causing no damage but earning a laugh from Aoibheann or Frederick. Once the players had their fill with the baby animals, the royal couple thanked them for indulging them and asked them to follow along on their own adventure through the fair.

Fairground Chaos

After the player has spent some time exploring the fair, read the following:

There is a loud crash, and screams erupt around the fairgrounds. A dragon suddenly appeared at the petting zoo, and children and animals alike are fleeing in all directions. At the vendor pavilion, merchandise has flown off the shelves and is attacking people with vicious intent. By the stages and tournament ground, little men in red caps and iron boots are attacking people with sickles.

Ailénach has timed her attack to start right when most people will be at the fairground. Now her minions are running loose, trying to ruin the festival for everyone. Stop the chaos will be up to the players and their allies.

Dragon rampage

The petting zoo is pure chaos; beast and man alike are fleeing in all directions. In the middle of the pen, a wyvern stands very confused and angry, its eyes darting around as it thrashes about, sending hay and animals flying. In your mind, you feel flashes of emotion and thoughts: where go, no play, why scared, why big, I scared.”

One of the mages serving Aoi’s mother cast a modified, enlarged spell on one of the pseudodragons in pen, followed by crown of madness. The resulting creature uses the Wyvern stat block but has the limited telepathy of pseudodragon. The Creature is hostile and fights to the death

Animated Object chaos

The air at the Vendor Pavilion is a whirling tornado of death. Various merchandise, from kitchenware to toys, soars through the air, pelting those fleeing the chaos with vicious intent. At the vortex’s center is a trio of men in robes sitting on the ground chanting. You can see Elina prone on the ground with her hands holding her pointy hat firmly to her head with a swarm of books swiping at her.

The three men are a mage and two apprentice wizards. They are currently concentrating on maintaining the animate objects spell. The trio managed to animate 6 clusters of objects, three medium and three large,  between them, using the animated object stat block as per the animated object spell. The magic users will continue to focus on their spells until their concentration is broken, after which they join the battle—breaking a mage’s concentration results in two swarms returning to normal.  One of the swarms has Elina pinned to the ground. If the player can drive the swarm away, she joins the fight using her Vicious mockery and claw attacks, and when she can, she uses her positive energy ability to heal the party.

Tournament madness

The area around the stages and tournament venues is in disarray, with slashed tents flapping in the wind, knocked-over piles of crates, and debris everywhere. Redcaps charge through the chaos, slashing at tents and terrified bystanders alike. Through the chaos, you spot Sir Lorcan. The young knight is locked in combat with the vicious fey creature, and you spot two other fighters fighting for their lives against the relentless fey killers.

Six redcaps are running loose through the area, and three are currently engaged with some of the contestants from the sword fighting tournament. They are currently holding their own, but it is only a matter of time before they are overwhelmed.

Things Come to a Head.

The chaos around the players has started to die down. They and their friends are safe. Just when they think they can catch their breath, they hear a scream from the beer hall tent in the distance. The throat that issued that scream is unmistakable. Aoibheann must be in trouble.

When the players arrive at the hall, read the following

Half a dozen armed men surround Fredrick and Aoibheann. Frederick has a greatsword in hand, but the red stain on his white undershirt makes it clear that he struggles to stand his ground. AIo is cowering behind her husband. She shouts out, “Help him, please. They are going to kill him, and I cannot heal him fast enough.”

Six veterans surround Fredrick and Aoibheann, apparently with the intent to kill them. Fredrick uses the stat block of a knight but is at ¼ hit points. Aoibheann is healing him as fast as she can, but unless the players and their allies act, Fredrick will not last much longer.

If the players fight off the assailants, Fredrick collapses in exhaustion, and Aoibheann looks as pale as a ghost. Read the following.

As you stare at the knights who attacked the royal couple, Aoibheann stares in horror at the crest of their armor. “Those my mother’s soldiers, “ she says, stuttering, “they must be behind everything, all the mayhem at the fair.” This turn of events seems to cause her to have a bit of a breakdown, and you hear her muttering, “How did they get here? I can sense everything in the city. They should have never got this close.” she continues, blaming herself for the attacks.

If the players ask what she is talking about, she looks confused; she told them before that she is a spirit bound to the city itself, and the body they look upon is simply a vessel that allows her to interact normally with people. Because she is bound to the city, she can sense everything and everyone inside the city. Every assassin her mother sent before never got anywhere near Fredrick in the past because she turned them to stone long before they got to the castle. She worries that because she spends time as an average person, she cannot be as omnipresent as she used to be. At that moment, Fredrick pipes in and says it was his fault too; he was too complacent with Aoibheann back at his side, and he tells her that the burden of what happened is both their burden to blame. At that, Aoibheann cheers up, and a wave of restorative magic floats out from her like a gentle lap of the ocean on a beach. Over the next few minutes, all the damage done by her mother’s men is undone, merchandise returns to the stalls undamaged, tents mend themselves, and wounds slowly knit themselves back together.

Conclusion

Fredrick gathers everybody in the fairground together and, with the players by his side, gives a rousing speech stating that despite all that happened here today, they shall not back down. The players defeated the men Ailénach An Draíocht sent to ruin the fair. He tells the people they will not give her the satisfaction of seeing them despair, which is why all the food and drink at the fair are free for the rest of the day. This rouses a cheer from the crowd. The players are by the royal couple’s side for the rest of the day, partaking in the fair’s attractions. The day ends with a rousing concert by a folksy band named Skinny Jenny.