Swallowtail Festival Vendors & Games

Sandpoint is celebrating the completion of their newly-built cathedral with this year's Swallowtail Release Festival! The square before the church becomes crowded as locals and travelers arrive, and several merchant tents featuring food, clothes, local crafts, and souvenirs are there to meet them.

Games and Vendor's Stalls
A variety of stalls are set up throughout the day during the festival, providing food, entertainment and souvenirs to festival-goers. The festival lasts from morning to evening, but some stalls are only available during certain parts of the day - a stall's classification and operating hours are listed next to their entry.
A) Ilsoari's Riddles - (game; morning only) This stall is run by the retired adventurer and head of the Tsurandarok Academy and Orphanage: Ilsoari Gandethus. For three copper pieces, challengers engage in a game of riddles with the school's headmaster, trying to guess the answers to three riddles. If a challenger can answer the first two riddles correctly, he wins a small pin - hand-made by the children in his classes - and bragging rights for how clever they are (resulting in a +1 to Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate checks for the day). If the challenger can answer all three riddles correctly, he also wins a free used book, toy or game, along with the pin and bragging rights.
Ilsoari also has a large jar of hard candy on the counter of the stall, which will be awarded to the person who can come closest to accurately guessing the number of pieces within - it costs 1 copper piece to submit a guess; the results and the winner will be announced at noon, so they can enjoy their candy along with their lunch. A piece of candy can be used for a one-time +2 bonus to a Bluff or Diplomacy check against children.
Proceeds for the game of riddles and guessing for the candy jar are to be used to help fund the school and orphanage.
During the afternoon, Ilsoari returns to the Academy and is joined by Chask Haladan - owner of Sandpoint's bookstore "The Curious Goblin" - who comes by to read stories and entertain children of festival-goers, with some illusion magic provided by Ilsoari to help the narration. This event works as a sort of free babysitting service, so that parent festival-goers can have some time to themselves during the afternoon activities. Characters who attend receive a +1 to a single Knowledge check for the remainder of the week.
B) The Lighthouse Smash (game; morning only, afternoon if the Carpenter's Guild is eliminated from the Tug-of-War tournament) - Who needs a lighthouse without a light? The old lighthouse has become an eyesore. Let’s knock it down so we can use the stone to build something new.
This game is set up at the end of Junker’s Way next to the lighthouse. It has a table with six square stones stacked on it in a triangular shape, and has a firing line twenty feet from the tables. Using a small catapult, the players must try to knock down the stack of stones.
To play costs two copper pieces. Each player gets three shots. It usually takes all three hits to knock down all the stones, though it is possible to knock the stones down with one catapult shot. Knocking down all the stones wins a small toy catapult. Anything less wins the player a handful of cheap trinkets. Missing all three shots does not win the player anything.
This game is run by Aesrick Battlehorn. He has been working on the event’s catapult and toy catapults during his spare time all year in preparation for the festival. The small catapult is a work of art. It is 2 feet tall and has been carved in the shape of a stone giant with its arm throwing the stone. He suspects that he’ll be able to sell it in Magnimar for a large sum after the festival. Battlehorn has a soft spot for the children, and helps them aim it so that they can win the toy catapults (this negates the -4 penalty). According to many mothers’ complaints, “They’re just the right size for young boys to shoot an eye out with!” This complaining doesn’t stop those same mothers from handing over the two coppers for their sons to play.
C) Sandpoint Savories (vendor; morning and afternoon) - Run by Arika Avertin, this food vending stall sells a variety of pastries and baked goods from the shop's leftover stock - though lower in quality than the bakery's usual, fresh stock, these treats are still very tasty! Fresh samples can be obtained as prizes for winning various games throughout the festival. Shortly after the swallowtail release ceremony and the free lunch is served, fresh sliced or whole pies can be bought from the leftovers of the pie-eating contest.
D) Koya's Fortune-telling (vendor; all day) - Koya Mvashti has set up a small tent to provide private fortune-telling sessions. A standard palm-reading costs 3 copper coins, while a Harrow card reading costs 1 silver coin - the latter is said to provide more accurate and powerful predictions. Koya also sells decks of fortune-teller cards (common and quality) and good-luck charms.
E) Vernah's Costumes and Clothes (vendor; morning and afternoon) - Run by Rynshinn Povalli, this stall sells a variety of cheap costumes and festive clothes for adults and children to wear for the festival, as well as some hand-sewn stuffed dolls - some of which can be won as prizes in various festival games. Rynshinn also provides painted tattoos for the day that can be washed off easily.
F) Sandpoint Boutique (vendor; morning and afternoon) - Run by Hayliss Korvaski, this stall contains a sample selection of the stock from the local store of the same name, consisting of various toys, games and Varisian artwork.
G) Glassworks (vendor; morning and afternoon) - This stall serves as a vendor for smaller samples of work from the Sandpoint Glassworks. It sells various objects - all made of glass - mainly consisting of beautiful figurines, jewelry, vials, jars, pitchers, mugs, and stained-glass portraits and windows depicting various simple scenes, figures and patterns.
H-1) Performer's Contest (game; morning and afternoon) - After the welcoming speeches and opening ceremony, the platform in front of the cathedral is given over to Cyrdak Drokkus, owner of the Sandpoint Theater, to hold a public talent show to provide free entertainment for festival-goers outside of the various games. Contestants take turns giving a single Performance check to entertain the crowd. After the swallowtail release ceremony and during the serving of the free lunch provided, the finalists compete against each other with one more Performance check to determine the winner. Cyrdak himself serves as one of the event's three judges, along with Jesk "Cracktooth" Berinni (owner of Cracktooth's Tavern) and Volioker Briskalbred (the town's local locksmith and tremendous fan of the arts). The winner of the contest is awarded a free audition at the Sandpoint Theater to join Cyrdak's company of performers, as well as two free tickets to a weekend showing of his new production of "The Harpy's Curse", and recognition throughout town for their talent. The second and third place winners each win a free ticket to the show, and thanks for providing entertainment for the festival.
I) The Devil Hunt (game; morning and afternoon) - Do you have what it takes to bring down the infamous Sandpoint Devil? Take a shot and see.
This event takes place at an archery range set up on the beach by the lighthouse. Two large targets with silhouettes of a monstrous winged horse are set up fifty yards away from a firing line. The bull’s-eye on each target is where the horse’s heart would be, and there are four concentric circles surrounding the bull’s-eye.
To play costs two copper pieces. Using one of the bows provided (small crossbow, shortbow or longbow), the player fires three arrows at the target, scoring the better of the three. Hitting a bull’s-eye wins a small pie, provided by Sandpoint Savories. Hitting anything else wins progressively cheaper trinkets for each band outside the bull’s-eye, with nothing for a miss.
J) The Goblin Toss (game; morning and afternoon) - Three Goblins have found their way into your house and are tearing it up! Toss them into the fireplace before they can destroy everything.
This game is a simple bean bag toss set up in front of Rovanky Tannery. A board with a row of three holes is set up 10 feet from a throwing line. The closest hole is the largest and the farthest hole is the smallest. There are buckets of beanbags sewn to look like goblins by each of the three stations, and each bean bag has a goblin name printed on it.
This event costs one copper piece. The player receives three “goblins,” and must try to toss them into a “fireplace”. Children aim for the closest hole, women use the middle hole, and adult men use the furthest hole. Making all three shots wins the player a small bag of venison jerky. Making one or two shots nets the player a cheap trinket, and missing all three wins nothing.
This game is run by Daverin Hosk of Goblin Squash Stables. Hosk receives a measure of perverse joy from the idea of tossing goblins into the fire. With his hatred of goblins, nobody is surprised to see this game. Chod Bevuk of the Sandpoint Meat Market has provided the venison jerky for the prize - it’s quite tasty, and next to Ameiko’s salmon, it is the talk of the event. Daverin Hosk likes to tell the children that the jerky is goblin meat, and many of them believe his story.
K) Dragon Races (game; morning and afternoon) - There’s been talk of starting a dragon farm in Sandpoint. We need to find out which dragons are the fastest so that we have the best stock. Pick yourself a dragon and put it to the test in a race against your friends!
This game is run by Gressel Tenniwar, located outside the Fatman's Feedbag at the end of Salmon Street. There are two thirty-foot-long double-lane tracks set up next to each other with a three-foot wide gap between. Near the starting line, there is a large cage with twelve lizards in it. Each lizard has a set of twig and cloth wings attached to their backs, and each is painted a different color. Without touching the lizards, the player must goad their lizard down the track.
To play costs one copper piece. Once four people have picked a “dragon”, the players must place them in the starting lanes. At the sound of the whistle, the gates are lifted and the players must goad their dragons down the track without touching them. The first lizard to cross the finish line wins. The winner gets a large, cheap medal that reads “1st Place Swallowtail Dragon Races” and the pot. All other places get nothing.
L) Ogre Stomp (game, morning and afternoon) - “Step on up, boys! No girl likes a noodle-armed weakling. Let’s see your strength!”
The staple game of every good carnival: a strength tester, and it costs a whopping 1 silver piece per play. A weight is placed on one end of a board set over a pivot and in a groove on a split log that runs some 10 feet up to a bell, with three different colors brightly painted along the groove noting degrees of success. Characters are given a wooden mallet to strike the board and try to ring the bell. A Strength check is made (at a -2 penalty if the PC isn’t proficient with martial weapons) with results as followed:
0 or under - the bell doesn’t move an inch! Everyone has a good laugh, or a good giggle in the case of the girls. A PC scoring this low takes a -5 circumstance penalty on all intimidate checks made against Sandpoint citizens for the duration of the Swallowtail Festival. “Why don’t you leave this game to the real men, boy?”
1 to 7 - the bell moves partway up the red stripe. Most seem rather disappointed and the PC is awarded a cheap trinket. Any PC scoring in this section takes a -2 penalty to all Intimidate checks made against Sandpoint citizens for the duration of the Swallowtail festival. “My grandmother scored higher than that and she’s been 6 feet deep for 8 years!”
8 to 15 - the bell rises midway up the blue stripe; an average result. There is some half-hearted clapping and the PC is awarded a ribbon. A PC can present this ribbon to any Sandpoint citizen that finds them attractive to gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks to influence them. “You’re strong enough to lift a mug and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?”
16 to 21 - the bell climbs up the green section and dings the bell. The PC earns some well deserved respect from Sandpoint's citizens, granting him or her a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks. They are also awarded with a cute stuffed toy crafted by Rynshin Povalli of “Vernah’s Fine Clothing”. Passing this to an eligible mate will grant a +5 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks made to influence them. “That’s the spirit, friend, show the boys and lasses how it’s done!”
22 or higher - the bell breaks off! A PC earns the same prize as below with a healthy round of applause from the audience and a string of curses from Das Korvut - the man running the game, who then must spend an hour repairing it. Any PC scoring this high should earn a +5 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks made against citizens of Sandpoint. “The goal is to ring the bell, not break the bell!"
M) Sack Race (game; morning and afternoon) - Courrin Whesterwill, manager of the Scarnetti Mill, has supplied the empty flour sacks to be used for this race, located on Bishop Street. Contestants must race each other across a finish line to win bragging rights for the rest of the day, as well as a small pouch of sunflower seeds for snacking. Racing consists of running while entangled, moving at only half speed; trying to move faster than reduced speed requires an Acrobatics check - failure by less than 5 results in damage being dealt to the sack, while failure by 5 or more also results in the character falling prone. A contestant who falls prone must pick themselves up in order to continue, while a contestant that destroys their bag is disqualified. It costs 1 cp to race - half of the proceeds are to be donated to help fund the rebuilding of the Soggy River Mill, the Biston Pond Mill, and the Cougar Creek Mill, all of which were burned down by mysterious fires recently.
N) Tug-of-War Tournament (game; morning and afternoon) - Perhaps the most popular event at the festival, this tournament consists of matches held between teams of five competitors. It costs 5 gold pieces for a team to enter, and sign-ups are held all morning. Using a 50 ft. length of hemp rope, each team's anchor rolls competing Strength checks against the other side, with the other four teammates rolling to Aid the anchor's roll. Three lines are drawn on the 30 feet of ground between them to mark the starting point and each team's goal line, a flag is tied to mark the middle of the rope which starts over the starting point. Each round, the team that scores the higher combined Strength check subtracts the opposing team's check - the rope is moved towards their goal line that many feet. The first team to pull tug the rope so that the flag crosses over their line wins.
The event has become a sort of friendly competition between Sandpoint's various guilds and businesses, with most teams consisting of representatives and employees - the most heated rivalry is between the Sandpoint Shipyard and Carpenter's Guild, who use the event to bet over which group will get first dibs on the best lumber from the Sandpoint Lumber Mill that year. The matches in the morning are used to weed out the finalists, which compete in the afternoon to determine the tournament's winner. The winning team receives the pot from the entrance fees, a combined sum of which has already drawn many interested parties. Due to the event's popularity and need for room, Sandpoint's Market Square has been reserved for it.
H-2) Pie-Eating Contest (game; after lunch, one-time only) - after the Performer's Contest ends, the platform in front of the cathedral is given over to Alma Avertin and her second daughter, Aneka Avertin, of Sandpoint Savories, who have been baking all morning to provide the cart of fresh pies to be used for this contest. Cyrdak sticks around to provide the announcements and commentary for this event. Contestants are charged 1 silver piece to enter (to cover the cost of the pies used for the contest), and must compete against each other to consume the most number of pies within 10 minutes. Those who eat too much or too quickly and vomit are disqualified. The winner receives a large blue ribbon that reads "1st Place Swallowtail Festival Pie-Eating Contest", and a free pie from Sandpoint Savories every day for a week - the losers receive nothing, but at least they got to taste as many of the store's fresh pies as they could eat!
O) Knight's Brew (vendor; afternoon and evening: opens at lunchtime) - Gaven Deverin, the surviving brother who owns and runs the Two-Knight Brewery, has set up this stall to provide cheap alcohol to adult attendees, as well as well-made souvenir tankards (2 sp) branded with the brewery's name and symbol for sale. Anyone who buys one of the signature tankards gets free refills from this stall and the brewery for the duration of the festival. In a combined attempt to cheer Gaven up and promote his brewery, the local taverns have agreed that the first pint of alcohol served in one of these tankards each day for a year is half-price.
P) Gorvi's Wheelbarrow Race (game; afternoon only) - Sandpoint's resident trash-collector, with help from some of his employees, have washed and cleaned their signature wheelbarrows (normally used for collecting garbage) to be used in a wheelbarrow race around town! Contestants must compete in pairs, paying two copper pieces per team, wherein one member must ride in the wheelbarrow while the other carries them. The drivers must overcome a series of Strength and Dexterity checks, while the riders must stay in the wheelbarrows with Ride checks and can provide bonuses to the drivers with Perception checks to navigate and spot obstacles. If a rider falls out of their wheelbarrow, the team must stop where they are until they can get back in before continuing. Gorvi himself oversees the starting and finish line near his shack on Tower Street, while the local vagrants and curs under his employ stand watch at regular intervals around the race track to guide the racers and make sure they follow the rules. The race starts down Tower Street, hangs right on High Street, takes a sharp series of turns onto River Street, turns right on Market Street, and again down Main Street for one final, straight stretch, before turning left on Tower Street to cross the finish line near Gorvi's Shack. The winners of the race receive a large brass jug that Gorvi has recycled and cleaned with "1st Place Swallowtail Wheelbarrow Race" etched on its surface as a winner's cup, filled with other random 'goodies' that were rescued from being tossed over Junker's Edge nearby. The second place winners each receive a silver-plated "2nd Place" tankard with a goodie inside, and the third place winners each receive a copper medallion made from a flattened copper coin with "3rd Place" etched on them.
Q) The D(r)unken Pixie (game; afternoon only) - A playfully seductive sign depicting a trio of scantly-clad, soaking wet female pixies bathing, lounging or hanging onto the rim of a martini glass filled with clear alcohol marks this booth, owned and operated by Kaye Tesarani and employees of the Pixie's Kitten - the town's brothel. A large, deep wooden tub with a glass window, filled with water, lies on the ground beneath a raised platform chair, set to dump its occupant when someone lands a strong-enough blow by throwing a 5-inch wooden ball at the target placed on the release lever 10 feet away from the throwing line. Most of the potential dunking victims consist of barely-dressed brothel employees in revealing, thin-clothed pixie costumes. Anyone else who volunteers to sit in the chair will be awarded 90% of the proceeds they elicit and manage to earn before being dunked, which has prompted some special guests to make appearances as well - the fact that most of these guests are volunteering for local public works and charities has silenced most of the complaints that this game is merely a thinly-disguised excuse for public lewdness and advertising the brothel's "wares". Winners are awarded with cheers from the audience, as well as the privilege of personally helping their victim out of the tub and having them accompany them for the rest of the festival to "dry off". The normal cost for a turn is 1 silver piece for three throws, but since each potential victim is only able to be dunked once, Kaye has opened the turns to bidding in the event a particular victim draws enough enthusiasm.