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.