Fantasy NPC: Kharraghan The Sky-Fell, The Fallen Ghost

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Kharraghan The Sky-Fell, The Hanged Ghost

A slightly luminescent and vaguely dragon-shaped cloud moves through the air.

CR 9; 6,400 XP

CN Large Undead (augmented dragon, incorporeal)

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +25

Defense
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 14 (+5 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, –1 size)
hp 114 (12d8+60)
Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +12

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 200 ft. (average)

Melee corrupting touch +13 incorporeal touch (12d6 plus knocking prone, Fort 21 partial)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks aerial impact (DC 21, 12d6 force), breath weapon (80 ft. line, DC 18, 12d6 force plus knockdown)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 20

Base Atk +12; CMB +13; CMD 30 (34 vs. trip)
Feats Ability Focus (breath weapon), Dodge, Fly-by Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes

Skills Appraise +17, Fly +15, Diplomacy +20, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (nature) +17, Knowledge (religion) +17, Perception +25, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +6

Language Common, Draconic, Sylvan, Terran

Aerial Impact (Su) While flying, Kharraghan can take a full-round action to fly straight down up to 400 feet and produce a telekinetic slam on striking the ground. All the corporeal creatures within 30 feet of his point of impact suffer 12d6 points of force damage, are pushed 10 feet away, and knocked prone (a successful DC 21 Reflex saving throw halves the damage, negates prone condition, and reduces push to 5 feet). Kharraghan becomes confused for 1d4 round, going through a flashback to the moment of his death. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Breath Weapon (Su) After his death, Kharraghan's breath weapon became a line of force  that also knocks prone creatures that failed their saving throw (forcing a DC 25 Fly check if they were flying as if they suffered an aerial collision).

Corrupting Touch (Su) Kharraghan's corrupting touch knocks Large or smaller creatures prone (forcing a DC 25 Fly check if they were flying as if they suffered an aerial collision). A successful Fortitude saving throw halves the damage and prevents being knocked prone.

Kharraghan's death was quite an embarrassment for the proud dragon, a born master of the skies, winged terror, rider of the winds... When he was courting a female dragon that remains nameless, during their aerial dance, he collided with her and plummeted to the ground, crashing into the side of mountain that he failed to see in the fervor of the flight. Others could say in his defense that the weather conditions were particularly nasty that night, but trying to tell him that will only incite his anger more.

Mentioning the circumstances of Kharraghan's death, or trying to learn the identity of the other dragon will quickly incite a psychotic rage—he once scourged a whole village just because a bard sang a jolly song retelling the story of the dragon's unfortunate demise. And then he hunted the few remaining survivors for days before he calmed down.

Fantasy NPC: Viggo Tallmanse, The Hanged Ghost

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Viggo Tallmanse, The Hanged Ghost

An elegantly dressed halfling with a thick, expensive shawl tied around his neck.

CR 6; 2,400 XP

Male halfling ghost aristocrat 6

NE Medium Undead (incorporeal)

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

Defense
AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 17 (+6 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 63 (6d8+36)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +6

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee corrupting touch +4 (6d6 plus choking, Fort 19 partial)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 16, Con —, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 22

Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 22
Feats Deceitful, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Diplomacy)

Skills Acrobatics +5, Appraise +12, Bluff +20, Fly +11, Diplomacy +18, Disguise +17, Knowledge (nobility) +12, Perception +10, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +15

Language Common, Duc, Gnome, Halfling, Infernal

SQ many faces of Viggo

Corrupting Touch (Su) Viggo's corrupting touch makes the targets feel how a noose closes on their necks, making them exhausted for 1d4 rounds. A successful Fortitude saving throw halves the damage and renders them merely fatigued for 1 round.

Many Faces Of Viggo (Su) Viggo can take on many indistinct but suggestive ghostly appearances similar to disguise self, though he can appear as any humanoid-like being from Tiny to Medium size (this does not change his actual size). This gives him +10 bonus to Disguise checks. He can impersonate a specific individual by claiming to be that individual in presence of at least one person that knew the mark. Witness who fail their Will saving throws (DC 19) recognize the supposed individual and believe Viggo to be the ghost of that person. This is an illusion (pattern) effect. The saving throw is Charisma-based.

Viggo Tallmanse was a scion of gentrified farmers clan, a still respected family whose fortunes were failing, dragged down with exaggerated expenses the clan patriarch was investing into a dragon-hoard raid that never happened. Knowing prosperity in his youth, Viggo decided that the world owes him the comforts adequate to his birth, wherever he can pay for them or not.

From then on, he lived a life of a con-man, pretending to be wealthier than he was, occasionally impersonating foreign royalty, a successful merchant, a hero recuperating from his adventures, a distant relative who inherited a vast property but little cash, and so on and so on. Even when merely traveling he often weaseled himself with deception to gain hospitality from random people, just to remain in shape.

All was good and well, until one evening he duped a little old lady into offering him a room for the night. Of her own accord she topped that with a home-made meal and a tea. Viggo noted that there is something off about her—was that a hint of senility... or maybe was she merely pretending to be more senile than she really was? Before he could decide, she was chocking and writhing on the floor.

In a few days perplexed Viggo was judged for murder and hanged. For the first time, his glib tongue was to no avail—he was skilled in talking himself out of the troubles he caused but it helped him not with troubles that were not of his making. A few items taken from victims of his prior frauds found in his baggage were the nail to his proverbial coffin (not that he got an actual coffin in the end).

The death changed Viggo. While alive, he was carefree and flamboyant fraud, but he only targeted his victims' wealth, never well-being. Now, he is much more cruel and vicious, obsessed with bloody vengeance on those who in his mind wronged him—the neighbors, the witnesses, the judge, the hangman. He doesn't know what actually happened, and he doesn't really care who or what killed the old lady. He is going to make everyone pay for his death—by deceiving them, impersonating their dead family members, loved ones, and enemies, and making them turn on each other.

Fantasy NPC: Zemiya Bukova, The Poisoned Ghost

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Zemiya Bukova, The Poisoned Ghost

This stooped old lady looks nice, despite being weathered and blurry at the edges.

CR 6; 2,400 XP

Venerable female human ghost commoner 6

CE Medium Undead (incorporeal)

Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9

Defense
AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 16 (+6 deflection)
hp 57 (6d6+36)
Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +3

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee corrupting touch +4 (6d6 plus sickened, Fort 19 partial)

Special Attacks nice cup of tea

Statistics
Str —, Dex 10, Con —, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 22

Base Atk +3; CMB +3 (+7 to use nice cup of tea in combat); CMD 19
Feats Hover, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Craft [alchemy]), Weapon Focus (touch)

Skills Bluff +15, Craft (alchemy) +13, Fly +8, Diplomacy +12, Perception +9, Sleight Of Hand +6, Stealth +8

Language Common, Duc

Corrupting Touch (Su) Zemiya's corrupting touch makes the targets that fail their Fortitude saving throw sickened for 24 hours. Victims can end that condition early by deliberately inducing vomiting for 1d4 rounds (treat them as stunned during that time).

Nice Cup Of Tea (Su) Zemiya can corrupt a prepared tea or other drink being served into a deadly poison. This turns a cup (or glass, or mug, or vial) into the equivalent of a deadly sip haunt. She can turn contents of a touched magic potion into poison spell, though she needs to make a successful combat maneuver check (with a +4 bonus) to affect a vial carried on person or held in combat. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. She can attempt such combat maneuver check in place of attack of opportunity provoked by another creature drinking a potion within her reach.

Zemiya Bukova was such a nice, elderly (multiple-times) widow. No one suspected that she was also a malicious serial killer that murdered her victims—including a few of her husbands, but also a number of neighbors, travelers, and farmhands—with poisonous tea of her own making.

When she found herself another victim, the tables were turned, when she accidentally poisoned herself and died soon after—she had the last laugh, however, when everyone believed that her would-be victim was her killer and executed him in punishment for her death.

Now, she hangs around haunting her old neighborhood, hiding herself from locals and targeting newcomers and travelers, like in the good old days.

New Haunt: Deadly Sip

CR 3; 800 XP

CE haunt (a set of tea, bottle of wine, or another drink ready to be drunk)

Caster Level 5th

Notice Perception DC 25 (to detect hints of bitterness)

hp 10; Trigger drinking the content; Reset 1 day

Weakness the haunt can be recognized with detect poison and rendered harmless with neutralize poison

Effect anyone drinking from the vessels present is affected by poison spell (3rd level, DC 14) with an additional 1 minute onset time.

Destruction the container has to be thoroughly emptied, washed, and filled with holy water that is then drunk as if it was the original drink.

Fantasy NPC: Yanthir Ilvernal, The Frozen Ghost

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Yanthir Ilvernal, The Frozen Ghost

Streams of frozen mist surrounds this silhouette like a shawl, the light gleaming off the droplets. The figure inside has vaguely elven features, seemingly cut in rose-tinted ice.

CR 6; 2,400 XP

Half-elf ghost expert 6

LN Medium Undead (incorporeal)

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9

Defense
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 13 (+3 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 45 (6d8+18)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Ranged preserving frost +7 touch (6d6 cold plus freezing)

Special Attacks preserving frost, telekinesis (restricted to moving around up to four Large or smaller bodies frozen by her preserving frost ability)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 16, Con —, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 17

Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 20
Feats Dodge, Iron Will, Physician, Skill Focus (Heal)^B

Skills Craft (alchemy) +12, Diplomacy +12, Fly +11, Heal +16, Knowledge (nature) +12, Knowledge (nobility) +12, Perception +9, Profession (apothecary) +10, Professsion (midwife) +10, Ride +12, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +11

Language Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan

Preserving Frost (Su) Yanthir lacks the typical corrupting touch of other ghosts, instead attacking with waves of unearthly cold that can strike up to 120 feet with no range increment  on a successful ranged touch attack, dealing 6d6 points of cold damage. Any corpse or corporeal creature struck by preserving frost that drops below 0 hit points is immediately frozen in a shell of ice that stops any remaining life functions, holding the target in suspended animation (if alive) or preserving from decay (if dead or undead). This magical ice protects the subject until thawed in above-freezing temperatures or removed with effects that melt ice, break enchantments, remove curses, or negate petrification.

Yanthir Ilvernal was renowned physician, known to sell her services to wealthy and well-born. Rarely, though, she succumbed to her otherwise nonexistent rebel streak, and felt like aiding those who could not afford the guild prices—furtively, to avoid being caught skirting the rules set by their colleagues.

She was on her way to an unauthorized patient, called desperately in the mid-winter, when she was caught in a terrible blizzard. Instead of finding a shelter, she pressed on, despite the resistance shown by her steed. She lost her way and tried to pass a crumbling bridge over a frozen river. She might had even cross it safely if she tried to go over the ice... The ancient bridge however, collapsed and the breached the thick sheet underneath, pulling Yanthir and her horse underneath, where they froze to death.

Now she manifests near the place she died each winter, and from there she moves seeking the patient that she never reached, trying—and because of her immaterial state failing—to help save whomever she meets on her way. She is not fully aware of her condition, with her memories being hazy and fragmented, nor does she seem capable of truly comprehending of what happened to her, though she can be somehow reasoned with by appealing to her calling. Woe to those she suspect of lying to her, thinking them grifters who want to exploit her good side and skirt the payment for doctor's services.

New Feat: Physician

You were trained in academic medicine.

Prerequisites: Int 13.

Benefit: You can add your Intelligence bonus to Heal checks and total healing you provided when you treat deadly wounds or provide long-term care. Patients you successfully treated for disease or poison may add your Intelligence bonus to their saving throw against corresponding affliction.

Fantasy NPC: Demek The Loose-lace, The Burned Ghost

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Demek The Loose-lace, The Burned Ghost

A figure of eerie blue flames, twisted in pain and fear.

CR 3; 800 XP

Human ghost commoner 3

CE Medium Undead (incorporeal)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8

Defense
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 deflection, +2 Dex)
hp 19 (3d6+9)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee clinging flame +3 incorporeal touch (3d6 fire and special)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 14

Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 15
Feats Combat Reflexes, Skill Focus (Craft [leatherworking]), Toughness

Skills Fly +10, Craft (leatherworking) +9, Intimidate +5, Perception +8, Profession (moonshiner) +6, Stealth +10

Language Common

Clinging Flame (Su) Demek's corrupting touch reflects the circumstances of his demise in twisted way, inflicting 3d6 points of fire damage to a touched creature or object. If it fails to deal any damage because of hardness, resistance or immunity to fire, the target continues to burn with eerie blue flames, similar to Demek's own, suffering 3d6 points of fire damage each turn, until the target suffers at least 1 point of damage or the fire is extinguished (for example by immersion in water or using magic that extinguishes magical fires). Until then, the target glows with the eerie fire procuring dim illumination within 20 feet.

Demek The Loose-lace died a horrible death in a fire that consumed his house and workshop during the winter solstice last year, and now he has returned to seek the vengeance on those responsible—but he still has to learn what bastard ignited the fire to murder him, and he never was the sharpest needle around. His current plan is mostly limited to floating around trying to coerce others into investigating his murder (and he is sure that was murder).

The matter is complicated that his neighbors and the rest of the village are convinced that the deceased shoemaker—a known and obnoxious drunk who lived alone, and inspired little love or respect from others—accidentally burned his house during another of his alcoholic benders and was too drunk to flee (or notice).

Of course, Demek is completely unwilling to accept such explanation and anyone spreading such lies certainly must be complicit in his murder, or at least protecting the real arsonist...

Fantasy Monster: Red Muckhorse

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Red Muckhorse

This would be a fine steed, if its flesh wasn't a gelatinous, semi-transparent slime, with silhouettes of horse bones floating freely inside. The unnatural smoothness of its movement doesn't help.

CR 7; 3,200 XP

N Large Ooze

Init +7; Senses blindsight 60 ft., scent; Perception +3

Defense
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +4 dodge, +4 natural, –1 size)
hp 85 (10d8+40)
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +6

Defensive Abilities evasion, liquid motion; Immune ooze traits

Offense
Speed 50 ft.

Melee 3 slams +11 (1d6+5)

Special Attacks pounce

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 16, Con 20, Int —, Wis 16, Cha 1

Base Atk +7; CMB +13; CMD 26 (30 vs. forced movement and trip)
Skills Perception +3, Stealth –1

Feats Combat Reflexes^B

SQ split

Ecology

Environment warm plains, forests, and ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3–10)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Liquid Motion (Ex) Muckhorse's slimy body moves with unnatural fluidity, moving out of harm's way or striking with impossibly extended limbs. It has +4 bonus to initiative checks and Reflex saving throws, and +4 dodge bonus to AC. It can run at five times its base speed,  make 10-ft. steps, get up as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity, and ignores difficult terrain. It also gains Combat Reflexes as a bonus feat.

Split (Ex) A red muckhorse can slowly digest a dead horse by spreading its slimy flesh over the cadaver and then splitting into two identically, fully healed red muckhorses after 2d6 hours.

Red muckhorses form when certain species of oozes grow over a frame of a horse skeleton, usually by consuming flesh of a dead horse. The resulting creature resemble a horse. From afar, and in dim light. Closer inspection leaves little doubt about abominable nature of the beast, though they are occasionally mistaken for undead, with their translucent flesh and bones visible inside.

Red muckhorses graze on anything remotely organic, slowly traveling around in search of more matter to consume, though they seem to be able to recognize taste and smell of horses and similar ungulate creatures. They might pacify the organic matter with multiple strikes if the meal tries to flee, though they won't purse things that flee the limited range of muckhorse's senses.

There is an unsubstantiated rumor that red muckhorses can be uplifted to horse-like intelligence and tamed by feeding them specially prepared alchemical concoctions. Many alchemists were eaten or suffered injuries trying to verify that rumor.

Fantasy Monster: Dire Snowman

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Dire Snowman

A grotesque silhouette made of snow and ice, wearing a tattered top hat, with a dreadful grin, and sticks for hands.

CR 3; 800 XP

N Medium Construct (cold)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

Defense
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 31 (2d10+20)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0

DR 5/bludgeoning; Immune construct traits

Weakness vulnerable to fire

Offense
Speed 20 ft.; snow-walking

Melee 2 claws or slams +4 (1d4+2 plus 1d4 cold)

Ranged 2 snowballs +4 (1d4+2 plus 1d4 cold)

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1

Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 16 (20 vs. trip)
Skills Perception +0, Stealth +2 (+12 in snow)

Ecology
Environment cold plains, urban
Organization solitary, pair, or squad (3–10)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities

Snowball (Ex) Dire snowmen can throw practically unlimited number of frozen snowballs with range increment of 20 feet.

Making snowmen is a common pastime among various people in winter. Less common is for those idols of ice and snow to animate and roam the lands. While occasionally, such event might occurs because of deliberate action, more often it will be an accident when restless elemental spirits–or maybe lingering vestiges of a mortal that perished of exposure lost among the snowdrifts binds to a body of snow.

There doesn't seem to be definite creation process of dire snowman that would be written down by mortal artificers, though it seems that some beings with strong connection to winter and snow—particularly fey—are capable of creating them with consistent regularity.

Tales of malicious dire snowmen who stop to craft another dire snowman each time they kill a humanoid being are certainly merely a scary stories invented to prevent children from wandering away during the winter.

Hoarfrost Snowmen (CR 4): Cruel servants of king Hoarfrost are neutral evil, have 4 HD, 42 hp, 17 AC (+2 deflection bonus), Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1, Int and Cha scores of 10 (or 3d6), Intimidate +4, Perception +4, and Lightning Reflexes and Point-Blank Shot feats. All their attacks have +6 attack bonus.

Fantasy NPC: Klaaghammar Vyl, Cold Envoy Of Hell

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Klaaghammar Vyl, Cold Envoy Of Hell

A stocky individual wearing multiple layers of expensive furs, thick robes, and warm coats, his fiery red complexion barely visible from underneath. A large fur cap haphazardly balances on multiple curved horns adorning his balding head. A pair of tails with wicked stingers is covered by an additional cape, with each tail wrapped in its own wooly warmer.

CR 4; 1,200 XP

LE Medium Outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +9

Defense
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 armor, +2 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 42 (5d10+15)
Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +6

DR 5/good or silver; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10

Offense
Speed 30 ft.

Melee 2 tail stingers +7 (1d6+2), gore +7 (1d6+2)

Ranged mwk light crossbow +8 (1d8, 19–20/×2)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th, concentration +6)

Constant—resistance

3/day—infernal healing, teleport (self and 50 lbs. of gear only), vanish

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 13

Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 19
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Toughness

Skills Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Perception +9, Ride +9

Language Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Sylvan; telepathy 100 ft.

Notable Gear thick multilayered robes acting as +1 padded armor, infernal letters of passage

Klaaghammar Vyl was a minor devil bureaucrat that was given a promising post by his infernal masters—an envoy to an ascendant fey lordling with pretenses of divinity, king Hoarfrost, who took over a vale, trapped it in eternal winter, and forced its mortals to revere him as their new deity.

Now, the poor-poor, unlucky Vyl wonders if it was merely a cruel joke, or a thinly veiled exile. The place is always bone-freezingly cold, the festivities are bland and bloodless, the dishes served rustic and unsophisticated, the king is petty and vain, his daughter arrogant and obnoxious, his son clueless. Despite their struggle with the eternal winter, the local mortals are stubbornly unwilling to sell their souls to hell in exchange for a way to escape the toil of fruitless labor they keep doing for their oppressor.

Klaaghammar Vyl is slowly losing hope for a positive change to his fate, slowly resigning himself to eternal cold and boredom. He still enjoys an occasional ride and a hunt—pastimes he never experienced before, but even their novelty wears off with passing years. 

If something happened to change the balance of power in the Hoarfrost Vale, Klaaghammar Vyl would be more than happy to meddle, likely overestimating his own cunning, grasp of the situation, bargaining position, and overall impact on the events.

Fantasy NPC: Hlestko Jarna, Master Of The Festivals

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Hlestko Jarna, Master Of The Festivals

A rather tired-looking halfling in ridiculously looking robes made of garishly mismatched pieces of material, adorned with silver coins, crude snowflakes carved in wood, wearing a winter cap adorned with antlers, and a white make-up made mostly of flour.

CR 1; 400 XP

A male middle-age halfling commoner 3

NG Small Humanoid (halfling)

Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +3

Defense
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+1 Dex, +1 size)
hp 13 (3d6+3)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3

Offense
Speed 20 ft.

Melee club +2 (1d4)

Ranged sling +3 (1d3)

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 11

Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 11
Feats Endurance, Skill Focus (Profession [miller])

Skills Acrobatics +3, Climb +2, Craft (woodworking) +7, Knowledge (any) +1, Perform (act) +3, Profession (miller) +10, Stealth +5

Language Common, Halfling, Sylvan

SQ desperately well-read, unwanted expertise

Desperately Well-Read (Ex) Having been forced into his current position, Hlestko quickly went through all the books he could find in the late mayor's small library, trying to cobble anything remotely resembling a valid festival. He can make Knowledge checks untrained.

Unwanted Expertise (Ex) Years spent serving a tyrannical fey would-be god and his fey minions give Hlestko a +5 bonus to Knowledge checks regarding fey creatures.

Notable Gear old mayor's library can act as a masterwork tool on Knowledge checks if Hlestko can spent some time consulting the books, the festival grounds act as a masterwork tool on Perform (act) checks, Hlestko secretly managed to stash a +1 fey-bane hand axe that he could lend to heroes if, and only if, he would be convinced that the party is really capable of getting rid of king Hoarfrost 

Hlestko Jarna was a simple miller living and working along his neighbors until king Hoarfrost came. After a few years of oppression, the vale's mayor assembled a group and tried to resist the fey tyrant only to be dealt with terribly by the conqueror. Hlestko miraculously survived when the king mistook white flour covering miller's face and clothing as a declaration of submission and reverence for his wintery majesty, and appointed the confused peasant as the  new master of festivals, responsible for more ceremonies to be enacted in Hoarfrost's honor. Having the fate of the resisters freshly etched in his mind, Hlestko could do little but accept the dubious privilege and started doing whatever he can to deflect the anger of the vale's new overlord and preserve the denizens of the vale.

While he tries doing his best, he is overwhelmed by the whole situation, desperately inventing new "traditions" to please their oppressor, struggling to shuffle dwindling resources, manage overworked folk, and handle benign but completely clueless curiosity of prince Shinewhite and cold contempt of princess Icicle at the same time.