New Year, New Resplendent Fête and More In The Latest News Around Orm

The second full moon of the new year approaches and with it comes...the Resplendent Fête. It is true that the buildings of Orm are adorned with decorations, its streets turned into festival halls and packed with performers, its citizens costumed, and its skies filled with the explosions and smoke of fireworks. Before we turn our eyes and ears there, though, let us kept up some other news around Orm...

It has been exciting start to the new year for the adventuring population of Orm. New hirelings are tickling in from realms both far and surprisingly close. Once 111th Company head Whiskers Redbeard gets their paper work squared away, a new generation of hired help will be eager to aid in the endeavors of Orm's adventuring community! Here are a just a few of the new recruits:

Dwarven chef Doogan by Dogmouth's player Sam

PakPak's player Rob A. gives us former Red Hive member Drone 7

Abraxis' player Sean offers up the fey being known as "Gorky"

Finally, GaWoosh's player Curtis delivers a healing Paladin named Seb-Thaan

New hirelings are the only news on the adventuring community's lips. The destruction of the adventuring company known as the Midnight Marauders by the now-dead Sorcerer King Valtropis-of-the-Pool-of-Life was turned a cautionary tale of the hubris adventurers may succumb. The former Illuminated Eye member Sooz'awn seems listless in the wake of the company's end. She has been seen wasting away her days playing with the dog of the deceased Sir Rolf Van Pattyn around the square of the Monument of the Old Gods. Meanwhile, rumors float around Orm that the magic-user Zathur of Mere has finally resurfaced though none have delivered a first-hand account of interacting with him. The closest anyone can come is Valtropis-of-the-Athenaeum who reports seeing someone matching Zathur's description making a late night visit to Phasmo's lab at the Athenaeum just two days ago.

Travel seems to be trending with through the adventuring community whether you frequent the Burning Witch or the Drinking Crow. While Glowing Pit seems to be engaging in a slow-burn campaign to get several adventurers, most notably GaWoosh, to travel to the gnome village of Soot Hill to tackle haints plaguing trade routes in and out of town, Betina and Dogmouth are spear heading an endeavor to attempt to travel planes via a portal located on Level 3 of the Complex. There are a piles of unknowns tied to the later planned expedition from the habitability of the other side to the reliability of accessible travel offered by the portal. Strange horned beings previously seen near the portal hinted at its possible malfunctioning but Dogmouth's psychometrical experience with the portal's catalyst material communicated a casual use of the portal by the Imperial Mother's researchers in the past.

More immediately, the Dragon Slayers have been seen attempting to hire a ship to take them West to the Principality of Kouz before heading up the Rusted River to the Free City of Barbasso. To this aim, the adventuring group has secured a meeting with Emissary Volver, a guest of the Impossible Fortress from the Free City.

The Resplendent Fête

As noted at the top of this round of news, The Resplendent Fête is in full swing as the citizens of Orm attempt to live it up before observing the austerities leading up to the Procession of  the Old Gods and the feast of Ostara. While participation is not mandatory, not partaking of the Fête nor the following month of abstinence is frowned up by the people of Orm and believed to bring the disfavor of the Old Gods. Last year, the elfin adventure Malagath Finbaros decided not to participate. The people of Orm believe this put a doom on Malagath. While he has gained a reputation as a hero, all of his original adventuring partners have died. It is believed that even the domesticated animals of Orm can sense this ill fate. A reaction to such doom by a falcon is said to be principle to the elf's losing of a 10,000gp statue to the thief Zamir "Big Time" Hashmi. 

Those participating in the Fête adorn themselves in elaborate costuming, never dwelling long on the pity they carry for those risking notice of the dead gods. Those purchasing a costume (a minimum of 10gp) will receive 100xp per level in bonus xp for participating in the Fête. Revelers must succeed in a saving throw versus poison.

 Those that fail their save, roll on the table below inspired by many of a carousing table. Those that spend 50gp or more on their costuming receive advantage on their mishap roll.

3d6 roll	Failed Save vs Poison Mishap
3.	Doom!- You vandalized the Monument of the Old Gods in a drunken blur. You now carry a sense of dread and gain xp at -5% until after the Processional of the Old Gods.
4.	Sick! Sick Sick!- You were completely unable to hold your liquor and, as a result, missed all of the good parts of the Fête being sick. You gain no xp.
5.	What an ass!- In your intoxication, you have caused some offense to some spritely subjects of the local elfin court. You're head has been polymorphed to resemble an jackass.
6.	Embarrassing Accident- At some point during the festivities, you took a humiliating and nasty spill. Start your next session with 1/2 your max hit points and a cover story to your unconcealable injuries.
7.	How Dare You?!?- In your drunken antics, you embarrassed one of the knights of the realm. Make a 3d6 Charisma check. On a failure, you face an impending duel.
8.	How’d I end up here?- At some point during the festivities, you blacked out. You woke up several days later in the local jail wearing a costume you don’t recognize. 1d4x25gp will settle up your fines that you may or may not justly owe and earn you your freedom.
9.	Where’s My Stuff?- Some point the week’s debauchery, you misplaced all of your inventory (including coinage) excluding your Fête costume and one random item.
10.	Euphoric- You are still filled with a glee from the festivities. This high gives you a false sense of confidence. Re-roll the first natural 20 you throw after the Fête.
11.	Hungover- You are -1 on to-hit and saving throws the first day back to adventuring.
12.	Romantic Triste- You spent the whole festival in an alcohol-fueled romantic entanglement. Make a 3d6 Charisma check- On a failure, this paramour now despises you.
13.	Dark Truth- The festival felt hollow as each debaucherous act you performed seemed to just push you further into melancholia. You could see clearly the tragedy of the world and could not look away. You next carousing-like experience will yield only 1/2 its benefit.
14.	New friends- You have made some great new pals. The best! They spent the festival on your dime- leeching you for every bit of coinage you had. For the next month, your reaction rolls in town are one better.
15.	Buffoon!- Your drunken bumbling led you afoul of the court magus. In response, they spat out a foreboding statement on your bleak future. Re-roll your hit points keeping the worse total. On a 3d6 Cha check, you might be able to make amends leaving open the door to finding out more about what the magus knows.
16.	Mind if I Join In?- Intoxicated, you thrust yourself into a high profile performance. Make the attribute check corresponding to the type of randomly determined performance to see if your reputation is stained: (1) dance (3d6 Dex), (2) theater (3d6 Cha), (3) music (3d6 Dex), (4) wrestling (3d6 Str), (5) oration (4d6 Cha), (6) performance art (4d6 Cha or 4d6 Int). On a success, earn 1d4 x 25gp. On a failure, you earn a reputation as a buzzkill.
17.	You are you again?- You wake from the final night of the festival with a strange elfin creature serving you tea and calling you "master". The upside, you know have a fae retainer. The downside, you are now subject to elfin law.
18.	I Agreed to What?- You drunkenly agreed to personally finance with 1d4x100gp the representation of one of the Dead Gods as well as play them during the Procession of the Old Gods. If you pull it all off, you will gain xp equal to the gp spent after the Processional has occurred in a month’s time.

Reply in the comments or post in the #downtime Discord channel with gp spent and results of PC participation.