Esma finds Koahl in the Lost Property Tent at the Witchlight Carnival, and takes on the role of his mother going forward
Esma Redroot (CG Female Human Rogue) - A Witchlight Carnival Big Top Performer, specializing in knife throwing, using Bracers of Flying Daggers
4 Years Old
Esma takes Koahl to Mister Witch who teaches him to juggle
6 Years Old
Esma takes Koahl to Mister Light who teaches him to read
8 Years Old
Esma teaches Koahl Sleight of Hand
Koahl begins working for Esma with a specific job, reverse pickpocketing
As soon as the Witchlight Carnival manifests in a new realm, Koahl skips off to the nearest villages and towns and secretly puts a Witchlight Carnival Ticket into the pocket of any destitute villager or townfolk he comes across
Once the Witchlight Carnival begins he secretly replaces punched tickets that destitute villagers or townfolk who run out of punches on their tickets early in their stay have with fresh tickets (so they can enjoy more rides)
9 Years Old
Despite Esma’s protests, Koahl starts work at the Witchlight Carnival beyond his duties for Esma
Koahl learns to help the Witchlight Carnival Hands at each of these rides -
Bubblepop Teapot
Gondola Swans
Snail Racing
Koahl also never misses a chance (not blocked by his duties for Esma) to aid with setup and teardown of the Witchlight Carnival
Koahl works tirelessly to earn the respect and admiration of Esma and Mister Witch and Mister Light
10 Years Old
THACO the Clown tells Koahl that the gold coins he secretly puts into the destitute villagers or townsfolk pockets come directly from Esma, who dedicates 66% of the gold she earns at the Witchlight Carnival to fund the reverse pickpocketing Koahl does
14 Years Old
Koahl begins to ask questions about his birth mother, which deeply upsets Esma (who tells Koahl nothing)
Other Witchlight Carnival Hands tell him that the pixies of the Witchlight Carnival witnessed his birth mother put him in the Lost Property Tent
The pixies took Koahl from the Lost Property Tent and kept him for a period of time until they realized the methods they were using to care for Koahl were not good for Koahl and that his health was deteriorating
The pixies took Koahl back to the Lost Property Tent and led Esma to find him
Despite many questions to the pixies, the specific realm his birth mother put him into the Lost Property Tent at originally is now lost in the memories of the pixies or they refused to tell him
19 Years Old
The Witchlight Carnival manifest at the realm of Keoland near the fishing village, Saltmarsh
Fioza Shellskip visits the Witchlight Carnival
Fioza Shellskip (TN Female Harengon Traditionalist Aligned Saltmarsh Smuggler) Owner Operator of 60’ by 20’ Keelboat Storm’s Whisper
Koahl falls in love with Fioza at first sight
Fioza visits the Witchlight Carnival three days in a row and spends each day with Koahl
With tears in his eyes, Koahl tells Esma that he will not be going with the Witchlight Carnival when it manifests to the next realm and Esma responds by giving Koahl a picnic basket of his favorite foods and tells Koahl to share it with Fioza once the Witchlight Carnival twinkles away
Koahl, sitting next to Fioza, opens the picnic basket of his favorite foods to share with her and discovers that the only thing in the basket is Esma’s Bracers of Flying Daggers
Koahl sails that night with Fioza on her next smuggling run
21, 22 and 23 Years Old
Koahl smuggles with Fioza
24 Years Old
Fioza takes a contract to smuggle a Holy Avenger, but the night run is interrupted by Glount, who defeats both Koahl and Fioza in melee combat, steals the Holy Avenger and uses a Gate spell to take himself and the Holy Avenger to Fallen Greenwold (Camelot)
Glount (LE Male Dwarf Druid) Magic Item Thief and Reseller
Koahl (who was knocked out embarrassingly quickly by Glount on their first exchange) encourages Fioza to tell the Paladin who contracted for the Holy Avenger to be smuggled that the smuggling contract cannot be fulfilled and resolve the problem with the Paladin however she can, to which Fioza informs Koahl that she has never failed a smuggling contract and she will not be starting that practice 0now
Koahl and Fioza have an extended fight about pursuing Glount to Fallen Greenwold (Camelot)
Once back in Saltmarsh, Fioza leaves by land, travels to where she can pay a wizard to Gate her to Fallen Greenwold (Camelot)
Koahl attempts to pursue Fioza but lacks the gold to pay for the Gate spell
25 Years Old
Koahl smuggles with a hired crew member on Keelboat Storm’s Whisper to earn the gold to pay for the Gate spell
26 Years Old
Koahl Gates to Fallen Greenwold (Camelot) where he discovers that Glount has slain Fioza
Distraught, alone in a strange realm, Koahl remembers his carefree days in the Witchlight Carnival, but has no way to find it, let alone return to it
Aimlessly wandering the roads of Fallen Greenwold (Camelot), Koahl comes across Phazer
Phazer (CN Male Bugbear Rogue (Phantom))
Phazer takes Koahl back to where he found Fioza’s body and uses Speak With Dead to let Koahl speak with her one last time
Phazer helps Koahl give Fioza a proper burial on Fallen Greenwold (Camelot)
Koahl begins learning the Path of Phantom from Phazer