The Pantoran Tiefling Carnival
A place of wonder and awe for both the young and the young at heart. The Pantoran Tiefling Carnival travels the roads of Tinkergarde and Tir Fhasach and all of those in between. In the winter, they rest and recover in the Northern Forest with the rest of their Tiefling clans in Pantoran Village. It travels as a convoy of wagons with each one pulled by a Giant Elk. The Carnival began 5 years ago. Three clan leaders run The Pantoran Tiefling Carnival each with different goals. The three leaders are Aranrai, Pherissa, and Faith. Aranrai, a male tiefling, is part of the Thieves' Guild, while Pherissa, a female tiefling, is part of the Assassins' Guild. Faith helps to run the underground Mages' Guild and is also the keeper of lost things at the Carnival. Each leader has the ability to curse people who anger them. Aranrai's Curse makes it so that a person can't open doors without knocking on it first. Pherissa's Curse causes a person to be physically unable to stand the sight of blood. Faith's Curse forces a person to be unable to light non-magical fires.
85 carnival hands help run the carnival. Children, husbands, and wives all help out with the carnival. They operate booths, make repairs, feed & exercise the animals, keep an eye out for thieves and other troublemakers, and perform any miscellaneous tasks the carnival needs. They also work as performers and attractions. When on duty, they wear fake butterfly wings strapped to their backs. They know how to perform minor magic tricks, which they use to entertain the masses. All of these tricks have mundane ways to reproduce, in case anyone takes offense to their use of arcane magic.
The Carnival runs 12 hours each day from Noon to Midnight. The Carnival ends each day with the crowning of the Midnight Monarch, who receives a crown of flowers from the Northern Forest and a pair of gorgeous fake monarch butterfly wings.
At the Carnival entrance giant dragonflies whirl overhead and trailing steamers flutter in the wind. Through a floral archway, you can see wondrous and vibrant entertainers - stilt walkers, dancers, and painted performers. Everywhere there is laughter, bubbles, and a cheerful tune of music on the air. A silver statue of Moi Shua dancing is mounted on the roof of the ticket booth and surrounded by fluttering butterflies. The booth is decorated with an animated depiction of a forest in which the trees' leaves shimmer and woodland creatures can be seen flitting through the bushes. A short, elderly Tiefling with braided white hair sits behind the counter. "Greetings, fair folks!" Visitors are expected to buy tickets at this booth. An adult ticket costs 8 sp and a child's ticket costs 3 sp. Instead of paying money, a visitor can try to barter with the ticketer, Miski. After giving the people their tickets, Miski hands them a map of the Carnival and gives each character a pair of colorful cloth butterfly wings to wear. She explains that the butterfly wings must be worn to show the staff that the characters are paid attendees.
The Pantoran Carnival features 4 main acts in the Big Top Tent. The Big Top tent sits in the middle of the Carnival grounds. The roof of the tent reaches towards the sky in three swooping peaks topped with spinning golden stars. Painted wooden panels whirl around in the breeze, displaying some of the vibrant circus performances that can be seen inside. The sound of music and laughter drifts out through the canvas door. Customers can enter the Big Top for free. A variety of entertainers perform here. Colorful orbs of light dance in the lofts of the tent and highlight the performers below. Spectators can watch the acts from rows of tiered wooden benches that encircle the performance ring in the center of the tent.
The opening Big Top act is a troupe of Tiefling clowns covered in animated face paint that perform lots of silly antics. Some clowns come out riding on Giant Firebeetles, while others perform cartwheels, trip over their tails, throw pies at each other, and lots more! The second Big Top act features a pair of Tiefling contortionists that will wow and amaze in this performance. The third act features an animal tamer and exotic animals doing tricks. The final act is a Tiefling fiddler whose music causes dancing plants to burst from the ground. These plants move with the music, which speeds up throughout the act. The grand finale is the plants shooting pollen into the air of the Big Top Tent and as the pollen falls it turns into butterflies.
Throughout the Carnival grounds are wandering entertainers, contests, and games to be played. One game that can be played is called Hungry Bear. A person dressed in a bearskin cloak tries to find all those who are hiding throughout the Carnival grounds. A horn calls the ends of the round. Those who stayed hidden through the whole game win prizes as does the seeker for how many hiders they found. Towards the back of the Carnival grounds is a fortuneteller that will read attendees futures. A wandering tiefling dressed in a jester costume performs in the crowd. He juggles, speaks in a strange language, and, if you find him hiding in a tree, will even gift you a small prize! Various musicians move throughout the grounds singing songs of legends and playing instruments such as a lute, fiddle, and harmonica. There are also face painters and artists stationed throughout the Carnival grounds who will paint your face with animated face paint or draw your portrait.
A small stage is setup near the entrance of the Carnival grounds that is devoted to storytelling. Several events occur throughout the day. The first is a collaborative storytelling event where the tiefling guide and the audience craft a brillant tale. The second is the telling of a tale from the Age of Horrors. The third is a storytelling contest where the participants take to the stage and tell a story with the audience judging each story with cheers or boos. The storyteller with the loudest cheers wins the contest!
Another stage is setup near the Big Top tent. Plays and musical performances take place here throughout the day. One of the most popular plays features Tieflings who end up being chased out of a town because they are "demons". The Tieflings play wonderful tricks on the guards who are chasing them such as tripping them on a fruit peel, hiding in a nearby bush that the fairgoers can see them sticking out of, and many more funny antics. In the afternoon a knowledge contest takes place on this stage. The contest is ran by a Tiefling with dark blue skin and braided blue hair. She asks 8 questions across four topics: Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion. Each round has four particpants and the winner receives a prize.
There are also stalls for Carnival goods and food and drink stalls. A popular shop is an art booth featuring Tiefling portraits of various performers, nature landscapes from the Northern Forest, and paintings of the creatures who live in the Northern Forest. Another popular shop is Stuffed Snuggle Monsters. These adorable creations are cuddly soft replicas of the frightening creatures one can find in the wilds. Three food stalls are available. Mushroom Mixes is a food stall that offers all manner of mushroom delights from fried mushrooms to mushrooms on a stick to mushroom tea! Taste the forest floor with Mushroom Mixes! Candy Creations is another food stall that offers the famous candy from the Northern Forest. Finally, Roasted Meats has a variety of animal legs, steak sandwiches, and meat on a stick options should that trip your fancy. There are drink stalls selling mead, ale, and wine made from fruits of the Northern Forest.
Another area within the Carnival, though not for Carnival attendees, is the Backstage Area where all the wagons not in use for shows, games, or stalls are stored. It is guarded by two Tieflings. There is also a Lost Property Wagon situated near the Big Top that holds any lost items. Occasionally, a small child hangs from a coat hook until their parents can retrieve them. The Lost Property Wagon is ran by Faith.
Games of all kinds can be found at The Pantoran Tiefling Carnival. Some of the games that can be found are dart throwing, tug of war, long jump, wrestling, barrel runs, eating and drinking contests, and guess the mimic. There is also a shooting range for attendees to try their luck. Can you knock down all 3 targets? The tiefling who runs this game stall uses Mold Earth to create and repair the targets. Another great form of entertainment that can be found are the Giant Firebeetle Races, where six Giant Firebeetles and their jockeys attempt to cross the finish line first. And finally, the tieflings offer rides on the Giant Elk, which children especially seem to the love!
85 carnival hands help run the carnival. Children, husbands, and wives all help out with the carnival. They operate booths, make repairs, feed & exercise the animals, keep an eye out for thieves and other troublemakers, and perform any miscellaneous tasks the carnival needs. They also work as performers and attractions. When on duty, they wear fake butterfly wings strapped to their backs. They know how to perform minor magic tricks, which they use to entertain the masses. All of these tricks have mundane ways to reproduce, in case anyone takes offense to their use of arcane magic.
The Carnival runs 12 hours each day from Noon to Midnight. The Carnival ends each day with the crowning of the Midnight Monarch, who receives a crown of flowers from the Northern Forest and a pair of gorgeous fake monarch butterfly wings.
Entrance
At the Carnival entrance giant dragonflies whirl overhead and trailing steamers flutter in the wind. Through a floral archway, you can see wondrous and vibrant entertainers - stilt walkers, dancers, and painted performers. Everywhere there is laughter, bubbles, and a cheerful tune of music on the air. A silver statue of Moi Shua dancing is mounted on the roof of the ticket booth and surrounded by fluttering butterflies. The booth is decorated with an animated depiction of a forest in which the trees' leaves shimmer and woodland creatures can be seen flitting through the bushes. A short, elderly Tiefling with braided white hair sits behind the counter. "Greetings, fair folks!" Visitors are expected to buy tickets at this booth. An adult ticket costs 8 sp and a child's ticket costs 3 sp. Instead of paying money, a visitor can try to barter with the ticketer, Miski. After giving the people their tickets, Miski hands them a map of the Carnival and gives each character a pair of colorful cloth butterfly wings to wear. She explains that the butterfly wings must be worn to show the staff that the characters are paid attendees.
Big Top Tent
The Pantoran Carnival features 4 main acts in the Big Top Tent. The Big Top tent sits in the middle of the Carnival grounds. The roof of the tent reaches towards the sky in three swooping peaks topped with spinning golden stars. Painted wooden panels whirl around in the breeze, displaying some of the vibrant circus performances that can be seen inside. The sound of music and laughter drifts out through the canvas door. Customers can enter the Big Top for free. A variety of entertainers perform here. Colorful orbs of light dance in the lofts of the tent and highlight the performers below. Spectators can watch the acts from rows of tiered wooden benches that encircle the performance ring in the center of the tent.
The opening Big Top act is a troupe of Tiefling clowns covered in animated face paint that perform lots of silly antics. Some clowns come out riding on Giant Firebeetles, while others perform cartwheels, trip over their tails, throw pies at each other, and lots more! The second Big Top act features a pair of Tiefling contortionists that will wow and amaze in this performance. The third act features an animal tamer and exotic animals doing tricks. The final act is a Tiefling fiddler whose music causes dancing plants to burst from the ground. These plants move with the music, which speeds up throughout the act. The grand finale is the plants shooting pollen into the air of the Big Top Tent and as the pollen falls it turns into butterflies.
Entertainment
Throughout the Carnival grounds are wandering entertainers, contests, and games to be played. One game that can be played is called Hungry Bear. A person dressed in a bearskin cloak tries to find all those who are hiding throughout the Carnival grounds. A horn calls the ends of the round. Those who stayed hidden through the whole game win prizes as does the seeker for how many hiders they found. Towards the back of the Carnival grounds is a fortuneteller that will read attendees futures. A wandering tiefling dressed in a jester costume performs in the crowd. He juggles, speaks in a strange language, and, if you find him hiding in a tree, will even gift you a small prize! Various musicians move throughout the grounds singing songs of legends and playing instruments such as a lute, fiddle, and harmonica. There are also face painters and artists stationed throughout the Carnival grounds who will paint your face with animated face paint or draw your portrait.
Storytelling Stage
A small stage is setup near the entrance of the Carnival grounds that is devoted to storytelling. Several events occur throughout the day. The first is a collaborative storytelling event where the tiefling guide and the audience craft a brillant tale. The second is the telling of a tale from the Age of Horrors. The third is a storytelling contest where the participants take to the stage and tell a story with the audience judging each story with cheers or boos. The storyteller with the loudest cheers wins the contest!
Plays & Musical Performances
Another stage is setup near the Big Top tent. Plays and musical performances take place here throughout the day. One of the most popular plays features Tieflings who end up being chased out of a town because they are "demons". The Tieflings play wonderful tricks on the guards who are chasing them such as tripping them on a fruit peel, hiding in a nearby bush that the fairgoers can see them sticking out of, and many more funny antics. In the afternoon a knowledge contest takes place on this stage. The contest is ran by a Tiefling with dark blue skin and braided blue hair. She asks 8 questions across four topics: Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion. Each round has four particpants and the winner receives a prize.
Stalls
There are also stalls for Carnival goods and food and drink stalls. A popular shop is an art booth featuring Tiefling portraits of various performers, nature landscapes from the Northern Forest, and paintings of the creatures who live in the Northern Forest. Another popular shop is Stuffed Snuggle Monsters. These adorable creations are cuddly soft replicas of the frightening creatures one can find in the wilds. Three food stalls are available. Mushroom Mixes is a food stall that offers all manner of mushroom delights from fried mushrooms to mushrooms on a stick to mushroom tea! Taste the forest floor with Mushroom Mixes! Candy Creations is another food stall that offers the famous candy from the Northern Forest. Finally, Roasted Meats has a variety of animal legs, steak sandwiches, and meat on a stick options should that trip your fancy. There are drink stalls selling mead, ale, and wine made from fruits of the Northern Forest.
Other Areas
Another area within the Carnival, though not for Carnival attendees, is the Backstage Area where all the wagons not in use for shows, games, or stalls are stored. It is guarded by two Tieflings. There is also a Lost Property Wagon situated near the Big Top that holds any lost items. Occasionally, a small child hangs from a coat hook until their parents can retrieve them. The Lost Property Wagon is ran by Faith.
Games & Rides
Games of all kinds can be found at The Pantoran Tiefling Carnival. Some of the games that can be found are dart throwing, tug of war, long jump, wrestling, barrel runs, eating and drinking contests, and guess the mimic. There is also a shooting range for attendees to try their luck. Can you knock down all 3 targets? The tiefling who runs this game stall uses Mold Earth to create and repair the targets. Another great form of entertainment that can be found are the Giant Firebeetle Races, where six Giant Firebeetles and their jockeys attempt to cross the finish line first. And finally, the tieflings offer rides on the Giant Elk, which children especially seem to the love!
Purpose / Function
The true purpose of the Pantoran Tiefling Carnival is to normalize Tieflings being around. Before the Carnival was created, Tieflings were persecuted since they had not existed in Moyenne before the Age of Horrors. They were thought to be demons by the general populace, especially in Tinkergarde. Since the Carnival's creation five years ago, Tieflings are being seen in a new light. They are fun, friendly entertainers who just look a bit different. It is still extremely rare to see Tieflings anywhere in the Moyenne region, since the three Tieflings clans from the Northern Forest seem to be the only ones.
Alterations
Each year the Carnival expands and adds new acts, entertainers, games, and stalls. For every year that passes, add 1d6 new features to the Carnival.
Architecture
Since the Tieflings hail from the Northern Forest, most of the buildings are made from wood and incorporate nature into their construction. The Big Top tent is made of dyed leather from animals that were hunted in the Northern Forest. They honor Moi Shua with statues and symbols throughout the decorations, since she looks after those who inhabit the Northern Forest. The other stalls and stages are simple wooden structures that can be torn down at the end of the Carnival's stay in that location and packed up into the wagon.
Defenses
Bands of Tiefling guards roam the Carnival grounds to keep the peace within. There are several stationed at the entrance near the ticket booth, as well as several that are stationed near the Staff Wagons to keep out Carnival goers from the staff area.
Tourism
Folks from the nearby villages and towns love to come visit the Carnival when it travels close to them. Children, especially, love the Carnival. The Big Top acts, rides, and games are a big draw for these simple country folk. The Pantoran Tiefling Carnival brings joy to the drudgery of the everyday.
Founding Date
1581
Alternative Names
The Carnival, Tiefling Fair, Demon Festival
Type
Circus
Parent Location
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