Witchlight Part 0: The Quest Begins

The humble beginnings of the Witchlight campaign. All aboard the whimsy train!

Date: April 25, 2026

Characters present

• Farvex Dusk: human warlock
• Lionidas: leonin monk
• Philomena Gainsborough: satyr/centaur wizard
• Shadow Claw: tabaxi cleric

Character level: 1

Let’s just dive right in.

We’re off to See the Warlock

Farvex Dusk, a magician going by the stage name Vex, sat in a coach with three strangers. There was a lion man, staring silently straight ahead of him at the satyr woman opposite him. Next to the lion sat a cat man in priest garb. They were all headed to such a specific backwater location that they suspected their affairs were more than likely related, and that their meeting on this carriage was no coincidence. Vex, dressed in a purple suit under his traveler’s cloak, broke the silence and asked who the others were and if they perhaps had received a strange letter from one Madryck Roslof. In the ensuing discussion, they learned a few things about each other: not only had they all been summoned to the same man for the same mysterious purpose, they had all snuck into the Witchlight Carnival eight years ago and gotten kicked out. None of them seemed too keen to talk about the experience. Vex made a comment about having unfinished business there with, as he called them, Mr. Lich and Mr. White, and the lion man seemed distressed at the mere mention of the carnival.

The lion was called Lionidas, called so because he was a lion, not the other way around. He carried a teddy bear with him, and never made eye contact. The cat cleric was called Shadow Claw, though no shadow did he cast. Not that anyone seemed to notice in the coach. Finally, there was Philomena Gainsborough, the satyr. She was the shyest wizard the rest of them had ever met. All of them figured that the others had lost some part of themselves getting thrown out of the carnival, for such was the price of entering without a ticket¹.

Philomena, Shadow, and Vex passed the time by casting silly cantrips, creating fireworks, loud noises, and minor earthquakes. The coachman was greatly dismayed at this, and Shadow responded by making one of his horses appear as a frog. The coachman nearly threw them out, but Vex persuaded him to continue.

The coach eventually pulled up by a soggy cabin with a sunken thatched roof, standing all alone next to a small pumpkin patch in a small glade by the forest road. The whole area was crowded with birds of all kinds. Before they even approached, an old balding man opened the door, introducing himself as Madryck Roslof. He invited them for tea, and they all gladly accepted.

Inside, Madryck prepared tea and stale biscuits, and when Philomena asked if he had any other tea flavors, he brought her coffee. The inside of the cabin was as filled with birds as the outside, and Madryck explained that one of the birds was a total jerk, and had probably been a human at some point. Vex tried speaking to it telepathically, and it responded with “Piss off”.

After the tea, Madryck gave them more details about his reasons for summoning them. He explained that he was a warlock and told them of his patron—the archfey Zybilna (whom Vex already knew of, her being the source of his magic as well) and how she helps those in need. He told them of her fading influence on the world, and his weakening connection to her magic—Something Vex also had noticed. Madryck was worried, and needed a group of folks known for their bravery to travel to Zybilna’s realm of Prismeer in the Feywild to check on her, and help her out of whatever danger she might be in. He spoke briefly of fate and the group’s connection to the Feywild. The group figured they had been chosen partly for their past incidents at the carnival, though they didn’t understand why.

As they discussed their mission, another bird flew in through the open window, crashing and sliding across the table, scattering plates and cups in all directions. It carried in its talons a rolled-up parchment. It was a poster for this year’s Witchlight Carnival. It had started.

The carnival, Madryck explained, was the group’s way into the Feywild. From there, they’d have to find their way to Prismeer. He told them that they’d have to engage with the carnival and not stand idly by if they wanted to find what they were looking for. Vex was glad to accept the mission, knowing that he’d lose his magic without Zybilna, and visiting the carnival would give him a chance to get back what he’d lost there. Lionidas reacted with fear when he heard he’d have to go back there, but agreed after some persuasion. After all, a journey there would give him the opportunity to set right what went wrong all those years ago. Philomena and Shadow seemed indifferent at first. Madryck assured them they’d be paid, though he cryptically added that the true value of the journey would not be monetary. Shadow was on board, as was Philomena once Madryck ensured her that he’d pay for their entry tickets.

We’re off to see the Carnival

Having made up their minds to help Zybilna and Madryck (and Vex, though the others did not know it), they took a closer look at the poster. It said that this year, the carnival would be held where the water meets the forest. With Madryck bringing out a map of the region the carnival typically appears in, the party made quick work of deducing this year’s location and set off at once. The coachman had taken off, but Madryck grabbed a pumpkin and turned it into a big magical pumpkin coach like in Cinderella. Saying their goodbyes, the group set off once more.

Philomena and Lionidas dozed on the way. The mention of Zybilna had stirred something deep in their minds. In their dreams, they both recalled long lost memories of their childhoods, involving a tall woman with long white hair helping them in times of need. Perhaps they were all more closely intertwined with this mystery than they knew?

Meanwhile, Vex sat deep in thought. He conjured spectral playing cards and threw them out the window of the pumpkin with great force, sticking them to the trees.

“Ouch!” said one tree.

“Sorry!” responded Vex, and threw no more cards.

Eventually the self-driving pumpkin carriage came to a path beside a river, and followed it upstream into a forest. It wasn’t long before they spotted lights of all colors in the trees, and up ahead they could see people of all kinds walking down the path. The excited murmur from the crowd ahead and the sweet smell of cotton candy grew in intensity as they approached. Somewhere ahead, a fairground organ was playing a whimsical waltz. Finally they saw the ticket booth. Vex hopped out of the pumpkin with excitement. The others followed. Lionidas was last, but he seemed less frightened in the friendly atmosphere of the carnival.

The goblin at the ticket booth had tickets reserved for Madryck’s friends, though oddly he had five of them². He gave the group their tickets, a map of the fairgrounds, and each a pair of huge fairy wings to wear. Apparently, this was mandatory for all guests. The party shrugged, put their wings on, and entered.