The Festival of the Burning Sun
The Festival of the Blazing Sun takes place three days after the characters first arrive in Vallaki. You can delay the festival if the characters get waylaid or drawn else where, or you can advance the timeline if the characters seem to be in a hurry. It otherwise occurs on the fourth afternoon.
Under threatening skies, a parade of unhappy children dressed as flowers trudges through the muddy streets, led by a spinning and dancing Rashid. He alone seems to be a source of joy, for those closest to him are laughing and smiling at his antics. Behind the children is a group of sorry-looking men and women carrying a ten-foot-diameter wicker ball. The burgomaster and his wife, never seen without wide smiles, follow on horseback.
As weary spectators watch from their stoops, the ball is borne to the town square. There, it is hoisted and hung from a fifteen-foot-high wooden scaffold, and the townsfolk take turns splashing it with oil. Before the wicker sun can be set ablaze, however, the sky tears open in a sudden downpour.
"All will be well!" cries the burgomaster, as he brandishes a sputtering torch and forces his horse forward through the rain, only to have his torch go out as he thrusts it into the sphere.
A singular laugh erupts from the crowd, drawing from the burgomaster a fiery gaze, as well as gasps from the parting crowd.
Stepping from the rabble is a tall elven man dressed in well-made but old-fashioned clothing. If the players have not returned the bones of St. Andral: At his side stands a tall, bespectacled dwarven person of indeterminate gender, holding themself prim and proper.
"Having problems, burgomaster?" the elven man says mockingly. Once he has the crowd's attention, he projects his voice: "It has been seventeen months since the town of Vallaki has paid its required taxes in full, or at all, and the Lord's patience has run out." He eyes the sputtering torch and says, "Perhaps this is for the best. It may be a mercy to put an end to your sad existence."
At this, the crowd begins to mumble and worry, and as they press closer together, the elven man (and his companion) are lost in the movement of many bodies. After a few moments of silence, the disquiet has turned to panic and the whispers turn to screams. Above the screams, the burgomaster's voice can be heard calling for the guards to shepherd the townsfolk back to their homes.
Tiger, Tiger
Suddenly, screams erupt from the crowd. Only a few at first, and then more.
This only occurs if the party has not already killed or released the saber tooth tiger in Rictavio's carnival wagon. The drunken Wachter brothers, on a dare, have accidentally released the tiger from the wagon, and it is running confused through the streets of Vallaki. The tiger will not harm anyone until it takes damage, at which point it will attack the perceived source of the damage.
Within a few moments, Izek will gather six guardsmen to attempt to kill the tiger, while Rictavio will begin trying to lure the beast back to its wagon.
The Events
The town guard will shepherd the townsfolk back into their homes. The crowd will obey, but a DC 12 Insight check from any player will reveal that the people in the town are unnerved and angry (if St. Andral's Feast has had the worst ending.) Rahadin and Ndidi disappear into the crowd. Rahadin will leave by scaling the north wall, and Ndidi will transform into an owl and fly away.
Development
After one day, the burgomaster (if he is still in power) will attempt to arrest Rictavio. The half-elf will flee the town, asking the party's assistance if he is friendly to them.
