Session 5 — DM Cheat Sheet

DM-only. State of play, hooks, and prep for Session 6.

State of Play

Party positions

Character	Condition at session end
Puck	Awake and gnome-sized again; has Tim (finch) and a sending stone. Holds the Suggestion spellbook.
Anar	Shrunk to halfling height (mushroom mead, persists). Holds the ivory card and a raven familiar; 3 mead bottles left.
Orimene	Fairy dragon. Human form only inside the market, illusion only. Has Burb, a fireball scroll, the rust monster statuette, and the glass rook.
Penelope	Bound to Gigi; bled this session. Carries 20 gold from Gigi and the order to feed Paz.
Azran	Amnesiac, nine toes; drew The Key inverted. Holds 20 cp.

Other actors

Actor	Where / state
Gigi (Granny Goosefinger)	Her tent; CR 25 "in layers." Controls the fair via porcelain dolls. True name unknown to players.
Paz ("Kaz")	Sleeping behind the trailers; expects Penelope in the morning.
Merryweather	At her bird stall; bleeding while claiming safety — bound.
Hugo	His wine-cask trailer; expecting dinner with Merryweather.
Krokulmar	Off-screen entity from the prior session; name avoided.

Open Story Hooks

The shipment & the debt

Paz and Gigi both reference a shipment Penelope owes and a debt the party is "close" to clearing. Decide what the shipment is and what clearing the debt costs.

Morning meeting

Penelope must feed Paz and "see me tomorrow morning" — Paz hinted at a plan. Likely the Session 6 opener.

Bound performers

Merryweather's blood + "not here willingly." How are they held, and can the party free them?

Azran's dream

The Key inverted; "a dream will bring answers, but not the ones you're seeking." Pay off via a dream sequence.

Orimene's hunter

"A foe is hunting you, and they are seeking vengeance. They may arrive soon." Seed an antagonist.

Puck's responsibility

"A great responsibility will be thrust upon you." Lucky numbers 367; word of the day Bingo — plant callbacks.

Three nights' good dreams

The sign + smoke jar at Gigi's tent. Tie to "settle up" and to the dream hook.

Krokulmar

Speaking the name draws danger. Decide its relationship to Gigi and the manor.

NPC Status

NPC	Disposition	Lever
Gigi	Controlling, dangerous	Dolls; the "settle up" offer; magnifying glasses
Paz	Familial toward Penelope	The morning plan; the debt
Merryweather	Warm but bound	Tim; her romance with Hugo
Hugo	Smitten, helpful	The dinner; the ivory card's origin
Clawson Blink	Eccentric, fair	Stories for items; what he knows of the fair
Oddlewind	Cryptic	The three fortunes

Mechanics Established

Hair is the local currency; vendors take strands.
Orimene's human form is an illusion that only holds inside the market.
Pixie-sized scrolls need a magnifying glass; only Gigi has them — a reason to deal with her.
Gigi's dolls: harm to a person can be inflicted (and healed) through their doll; speaking ill of her, or revealing info about her, deals damage.
The hand stamps can brand into "GG" to summon the party.

Next Session Setup

Open on the morning meeting Paz requested. Penelope owes Paz a feeding and Gigi a shipment; expect Gigi's "plan" and the terms of "settling up." The party is now branded and effectively inside the carnival's economy of debt. Threads ready to fire: the dream payoff for Azran (and the "three nights good dreams" sign), Orimene's incoming hunter, and Puck's looming responsibility (watch 367 / Bingo). Keep pressure on the bound-performer mystery via Merryweather and Hugo. Remember Anar is halfling-height until the mead wears off, Orimene is a dragon outside the market, and only Puck understands her.

Resource Tracking

Resource	State
Mushroom mead	3 bottles left (Anar); effects 5, 8, 6, 2 unrolled
Fireball scroll / Cure wounds scroll	Held but unusable without a magnifying glass
Suggestion spellbook	Still with Puck (borrowed)
Sending stone	3 messages (Puck/Tim ↔ Merryweather)
Coin	Penelope +20 gp (Gigi), −40 gp (Paz); small contest purses to others