Mistyturn Circus

Chilled fall night air and foggy obscurity encroach along the edges of the clearing, a stark contrast to the welcome lights and bustling atmosphere of the circus in the center. Carnival goers laugh as they run from game to game, lost in the energy and delight that the actors and game masters encourage. Their minds slowly becoming lost to the warning signs that something is amiss. By the time they realize they cannot get out of their seat, main show coming to a frenzied head in the big top of the Mistyturn Circus around them, their fatal mistake is already upon them.

## Setting

The Mistyturn Circus is a small domain. In the center of a clearing in what appears to be a wooded area beyond lies an oversized circus tent striped in colors of yellow and red, with a red flag waving in the perpetual breeze at its apex. Within the tent is a large open area in the middle where the main performance acts play. A few moveable platforms are available that get taken on and off the field for performances as needed, on either side of the east and west end of the field are poles that extend into the air with a tightrope between them. Bleachers line the edges of the field for attendees to sit.

Outside the tent lie smaller structures lit in all manner of bright colors and decorated with different forms of eye catching flags, lights, and trinkets to entice circus-goers. The structures range from games and attractions to a ticket booth and prize booth area, including a few simple rides and food vendors, all employed by a brightly costumed actor eager to take customer's tokens.

## Characters

### Redael

Redael (Leader) is the Darklord of the domain and ringmaster of the circus. In life, he was the ringmaster of the Barrelturn Circus and mastermind behind the Inwell Carnival Tragedy.

A selfish and greedy man, he always wished for attention and had a goal of being a household name. He was a performer and bard and practiced his craft from a young age with the intention of one day becoming a well known entertainer of some kind. As an adult he found himself with a whole troupe of performers and a circus, the Barrelturn Circus, that he was the center of and plenty of guests filling the seats at every city and town they stopped at along their endless loops and circuits of travels around Abra.

The success that the man had found within his traveling circus was not enough for him, however, as he was greedy for more. He wished for the riches of nobles, or the notoriety of a god. His wants became too much for him, and his newfound rejection he received within the courts he visited proved to be too much for the ego of a man who has fueled his wishes by desire and jealousy. Years of stagnating attention and the circus no longer growing as it once was weighed heavily on the man until the day a high ranking baron wished to view his circus performance. Filled with hope, he set up his performers and fixed up the tent intending on putting on the best performance he's ever managed. Upon finishing the show, the baron noted it was "boring, and a dirty play at court entertainment".

Upon this blow to his pride, the ringmaster decided he would gain his notoriety one way or another and planned his final show. "The Barrelturn Showstopper" as he marketed it throughout his travels up until the fated day. While putting on shows through the Inwell Forests and in cities and towns he would hand out flyers for said "Showstopper", encouraging guests to travel and come see the show.

The Inwell Circus Tragedy occurred on a fall evening and included an overfull packed tent of eager attendees. The show culminated in the complete slaughter of all those in attendance as well as all the actors and entertainers, after which the Dark Architects stole the ringmaster away to his own domain, renamed him to Redael, and left him to never reach his once shining goals. Now he runs the Mistyturn Circus, entertainers all empty husks that he controls for his shows, attendees that he charms to enter the show or slaughter by the end of the evening, and a reputation he can no longer promote, never to reach the fame he wishes for. On Abra, those that came across the grisly scene were never able to locate the perpetrator of the tragedy.

Redael no longer knows his true name, and often ponders if he ever had one. He remembers little of his previous life. He only knows his growing greed and building rage within the confines of his circus, that he may never leave.

### Reverof

Reverof (Forever) (True name: Melina) is a tiefling woman in her 30s and the fortune teller of the circus. She is one of the few circus employees who has not fallen to the charm and can be saved. Though her tongue is caught by magic, she tries to help other victims of the circus escape by giving them secret messages within the fortunes she tells with the tarokka deck.

Melina was taken into the circus along with her lover, Kara, when they found a poster for the circus on the ground one evening while they took a walk. A simple woman who ran a farm with Kara before they were taken. Now known as Reverof, she gives tarot readings within the circus, fighting against the charm as long as she able in order to help others find their way out of the horrific nightmare they have stumbled into. Though she knows the way out, she has deigned herself to her fate at the circus due to the presence of her lover, whom she has been denied access to since their arrival, and the two kids Teg and Tuo, whom she views herself a sort of surrogate mother to.

### Erutrot

Erutrot (Torture) (True name: Kara) is a half-elf woman in her 30s and the beast tamer of the circus. She is one of the few circus employees who has not fallen to the charm and can be saved. Though set back from the games of the circus, should any circus-goers visit her at the petting zoo, she will urge the guests to see the fortune teller in her own attempt to lead victims to someone who may be able to help them get out of the cursed cirucs.

Kara was taken to the circus along with her lover, Melina, after finding a poster for the circus while out on a walk one evening together. Kara was the owner of the farm they ran together before being taken away. Now known as Erutrot, she attends to the beasts of the circus such as a large displacer beast and blink dog. Though unable to speak freely due to the charm placed on her, she is able to urge others to see certain attractions, to which she urges people to "listen to the advice of the fortune teller".

### Teg and Tuo

Teg (Get) (True name: Ansel) and Tuo (Out) (True name: Laurie) are two elven children around the ages of 14-15 and are acrobats within the circus. They are two of the few circus employees who have not fallen to the charm and can be saved. Teg and Tuo have a slot in the big top main show as acrobatics performers.

Ansel and Laurie found the circus after coming across some wooden tokens in the forest surrounding their family's farm. The mists engulfed them and they came across the circus together, playing the games and falling to the charm partially before they recognized that they were stuck. It's then that Redael takes them under his wing and makes them performers. The two children tend to struggle with the act due to their background in farmwork and not entertaining, but they have tried to make the best of their situation. They frequently go between meeting with Reverof and Erutrot, letting the other know that their lover is okay while also maintaining contact with some of the few people who are not empty shells. Talking with Reverof, Erutrot, and Kcuts has helped the children maintain their own sense of self.

Teg and Tuo were not able to get themselves out of the circus but have since escaped. After a party unknowingly entered the domain one fateful night, the heroes fought through the charm and eventually fought against Redael in the main event at the big top. Unfortunately, this encounter led to the death of Teg after falling from the burning tightrope. The heroes were otherwise successful and were able to lead Kcuts and Tuo from the circus, also retrieving the body of Teg. Upong returning to Abra, the party helped bury Ansel's body, marking the grave and mourning the loss together. Balthar then took young Laurie, intending on getting her back to her family and explaining what has since happened. Ansel's grave is located off the path in a clearing between Windrise and Sunvale, marked by a rock the party crudely engraved to the best of their ability.

### Kcuts

Kcuts (Stuck) (True name: Balthar) is a half-orc man in his 50s and a performer and sword swallower for the circus. He is one of the few circus employees who has not fallen to the charm and can be saved. On Abra he was a mercenary considering retirement, having fallen in love with a woman in his travels and wanting to settle down with her and her children. One evening as he was camping between jobs, the mists came over and took him as he slept, awaking in the circus' clearing and trapped within the domain. He had tried to escape many times, but was unsuccessful on his own. He has endured many injuries in his new profession as he is not a practiced sword swallower but due to the immortal nature of the domain, his injuries continuously heal only for him to endure them once again.

Balthar was a humble man, a member of a small mercenary group that travelled through the southern states of Abra. He met his lover, Faith, as they stayed in a small town to help them handle a monster problem. She was a widow with two children and she was the one to house Balthar while he stayed in town for the job. Ever since leaving the job, Balthar had been preparing to retire the merc life in order to stay with her and support her and the children until the fateful night he disappeared from Abra. As Kcuts, he wanders the circus and performs for other victims as they travel to the domain. Though unable to fight against the charm on his tongue, he continuously speaks with anger towards Redael, hoping to alert attendees of the true sinister nature of the carnival they have fallen into.

Though unable to escape himself, Kcuts has now been freed of the domain. After meeting a party of heroes who were able to fight against the charm of the circus, he faced off against them, unwillingly, in battle at the main event in the bog top. Eventually the party was successful in defeating Redael and Kcuts left, along with Tuo and carrying Teg's body, with the party back into Abra. After helping bury Ansel's body, Balthar took Laurie with him with the intention of taking the child back to her own parents and explaining what had happened since their disappearance.

#### Other Characters

* Evael (Leave)
* Tsol (Lost)
* Nekat (Taken)
* Teppup (Puppet)
* Worros (Sorrow)

## Carnival Games

The games that the attendees can play are all made for enjoyment, though some have some rather sinister and perhaps dire consequences should they be played. For every game played, attendees forfeit more of their own mind to the domain, eventually finding themselves unable to leave and no longer themselves. The longer one stays in the domain, the more they lose until they are nothing but a husk of themselves for the domain to hold forever.

Prizes to the carnival games range from typical trinkets to haunted items to old lost items that used to belong to previous circus-goers.

* Apple Dunk:
	+ Goal: Dunk head into a barrel with numbered apples, roll d12 to discover which number of apple retrieved. Each number (1-12) will have a corresponding prize associated with it.
	+ Caveat: If the player rolls a 1 on the d12, the apple they retrieve is also poisoned. Player takes poison damage and instantly gains a level of charm.
* Bean Bag Toss:
	+ Goal: Play against an opponent to get to 21 points before the other. Winner receives a prize of extra tickets for the prize booth.
		- A bag on the board is 1 point, a bag in the hole is 3 points.
	+ Caveat: None.
* Claw Game:
	+ Goal: Players roll to manipulate a magically powered mechanical claw to grab a prize. The player will roll again to see if the claw is able to hold the prize to the retrieval point.
	+ Caveat: Some of the prizes may be cursed.
* Darts:
	+ Goal: Player must get exactly 21 points in a game of darts and may be played against an opponent or alone. If playing solo, a bullseye would be an automatic win. If against an opponent, each will have alternating turns and the player closest to 21 points without going over will be deemed the winner after each player has thrown 3 darts.
	+ Caveat: None.
* Duck Game:
	+ Goal: Player will roll d20 to pick up a numbered duck that corresponds to a numbered prize.
	+ Caveat: Some of the prizes are cursed.
* Dunk Tank:
	+ Goal: Player is given 3 iron balls they must throw at a small target that will cause the mechanism to dunk a taunting clown into murky poisoned water.
	+ Caveat: If the clown is dunked repeatedly he will succumb to the poisoning and die in front of the crowd before being replaced.
* Eating Contest:
	+ Goal: Player will have a goal to eat more pies than other contestants. There is a dinner meat pie or dessert fruit pie event for the eating contest that the players may choose to engage in.
	+ Caveat: Some of the pies are poisoned. Players will have a chance to receive a poisoned pie. Contestants may also receive poisoned pies and will become ill or even die during the event on stage for the staff to clean up following the event.
* Fish Cups:
	+ Goal: Players will be given 3 small balls that they can try to throw into small bowls containing colorful fish.
	+ Caveat: None.
* High Striker:
	+ Goal: Players are given a rubber hammer and must hit at a pin to reach a high score on a beveled post.
	+ Caveat: None.
* Musical Chairs:
	+ Goal: Chairs are set up in a circle and players will compete against other contestants for this game. Music will play and while the music is playing contestants must stand and go around the circle. One of the chairs will be removed while the music is playing and contestants will need to reach a chair to sit in before the other contestants to continue in the game. Players may attempt to be quickest to a chair or may force other contestants out of their way.
	+ Caveat: The music may cause confusion.
* Ring Toss:
	+ Goal: Players are given 3 rings that they must try and throw over the necks of milkbottles.
	+ Caveat: Some of the prizes are cursed.
* Rustic Roulette:
	+ Goal: Players choose a booth to sit in while an employee loads a magical firearm that will randomly hit one of the booths. Player wins if they are not hit.
	+ Caveat: Being hit by the firearm causes physical damage and could result in death.
* Sack Race:
	+ Goal: Players will be given a rustic produce sack and must race their way to the finish line for a prize.
	+ Caveat: None.