5e Adventure:
Just below the unblemished grasslands, a thriving metropolis of ratfolk churns with life and beauty in all shapes and colours. In honour of this, and their patron goddess, the Glitterfolk hold a yearly charity event known as the Glamour Gala, a fashion show which welcomes models and designers from all walks of life to take part in an auction alongside the city’s political elite.
The Setup
The party are attending the Glamour Gala for reasons they should decide upon at the start of the adventure. While they could be acting as spies or hired muscle, they’ll likely get a lot more fun out of the setting if they enter themselves as outfit designers or runway models, even if it’s just a pretence to cover their main goals.
Over the course of the adventure they will design and make their outfits, mingle with the other guests, model some wacky fashion to the best of their ability, and hopefully save the Gala from cosmic annihilation, all before auctioning off their outfits to the highest bidder in the name of charity.
This adventure is intended for four to six player characters of 5th level. The main danger is of course the singular battle in This Isn’t an Act, however it’s social aspects can be slotted into an ongoing campaign to allow the party to acquire influence within a new or existing city.
Glitterheim Flavour
If your setting would benefit from scrapping this city and running the adventure somewhere more appropriate, then that is absolutely the right thing you should do, and do so without remorse! If however you feel like fleshing out the sights and sounds of the Glitterheim with a little more flavour, then this small section is intended to help you expand on the city’s layout and culture.
The Glitterheim is a massive subterranean city, populated mostly by the native ratfolk who first carved it out of their many twisting warrens. Unlike conventional stereotypes however, the Glitterheim is neither dark nor cramped, and certainly not dirty; colossal crystalline windows shine equatorial sun into gleaming marble hallways, illuminating a culture enamoured with art, fashion, and personal beauty.
Government
The ratfolk metropolis is ruled by the Triarchy, the heads of three noble bloodlines entrusted with sharing the burdens of leadership, each overseeing one of the following spheres of influence: public infrastructure and welfare, commerce and diplomacy, or innovation and culture.
Religion
Many religions are practiced and honoured within the Glitterheim, but their primary deity is Ostentatia, goddess of beauty, with a secondary following of Hallux, god of the sun. Many devotees follow the Cathedral of the Inner Dawn’s doctrine; a light- and crystal-based religion which focuses on discovering, understanding, and accentuating the beauty of one’s inner self.
Landmarks
- Cathedral of the Inner Dawn. A great cathedral with enormous and intricate stained-glass windows depicting iconography of the deities Ostentatia and Hallux. The priests minister to large congregations daily, helping them discover and take pride in their truest, innermost selves, however a more sinister splinter-sect has begun to rear its head, preaching words of “purifying” the inner self instead.
- Skyglow Arboretry. Close to the surface, large wall-and-ceiling windows allow for a colossal greenhouse full of flora and tame fauna. The Arboretry is both a public park and an agricultural installation, where much of the city’s fruit and vegetation is grown.
- Sunlight Stretch. A massive shopping centre runs almost the length of the city, laid out mezzanine style so that light from the ceiling windows filters all the way down. The upper levels are dedicated to cosmetics and fashion, while crystal healing centres, tarot readers, mediums, general/trade goods, and adventuring gear populates the lower levels respectively. Cafes and restaurants are spread throughout, making a trip around the Stretch a truly delightful day out.
- Voidwatch Occularium. One of the few edifices to extend aboveground, the Occularium boasts one of the best equipped observatories in the land, as well as several well-crafted orreries mapping the solar system and the planes of existence. Other parts of the complex serve as a museum of astrology, a college of astronomy, and even a small magical academy.
- Westnest. Most ratfolk in the Glitterheim are raised communally, with multiple parental figures and many “siblings”; a good 70% of the city’s population was born and raised within this semi-open-plan neighbourhood of homes, day-cares, and schools.
The Prize
As a charity event, the Glamour Gala has no cash prize as such, however it is a great opportunity for models and designers to make a name for themselves by meeting likeminded and high-society individuals. The “grand prize” is an unofficial tradition, wherein the designer of the outfit which sells for the most money at auction will be asked by a member of the Triarchy to design their formalwear for the next public holiday – a prestigious honour with great opportunity for influence, in the right hands.
Venue Layout
The Glamour Gala is held in an ostentatious venue called the Walk of Fame, off the topmost level of the Sunlight Stretch, used for a variety of high-society functions throughout the year. Unless otherwise stated, all rooms are brightly lit by diffused lanterns and candelabras, and the ceilings and doors are wide enough to accommodate all body types, albeit perhaps somewhat cosily if you’re over 6 feet.
All main doors are freely openable, while the staff doors can be opened either with a staff key or a DC 15 Thieves’ Tools check.
While the Walk of Fame is a prestigious establishment, crime is at a low in the Glitterheim, and the only security for the event are five very bored ratfolk guards. Any other staff members not described within the Supporting Cast are assumed to be commoners of various species.
- Entryway. The entranceway displays the Walk’s prestige with rich wood panelling on the walls and floor – a costly commodity underground. The room is 15 by 20 feet, designed simply to welcome guests and move them on to the event proper. Grand doors at either end lead either back outside or into the Antichamber, while an unobtrusive staff door behind the security desk at the side leads to the Coat Check. Harmful items are not permitted within the establishment, however small objects such as holy symbols, crystal foci, and one-handed weapons can be concealed with a DC 13 Deception or Sleight of Hand check. Magic or other clever tricks can of course also be used to smuggle in equipment. Wearing armour is not banned but it is frowned upon in such as social event; anyone not wearing appropriate attire will suffer disadvantage on all Charisma-based checks for the remainder of the evening.
- Coat Check. Guests are given tokens upon entry which they can use to check in and check out any cumbersome equipment such as coats, bags, weapons, and spellcasting foci. The Coat Check is a 10 by 15 feet room attended to by Cornelius Sprig (Supporting Cast), filled with all manner of guest accoutrements. The room is a bit of a mess, and finding anything without Cornelius’ help requires a creature to use their action to make a DC 15 Investigation check; on a failure, they find a random trinket from the PHB.
- Antichamber. Calling this grand room an antechamber is something of a misnomer, as the 50 by 50-foot space is more than capable of providing space for the Gala’s guests to stand or sit, as they make smalltalk and partake of refreshments from servers or tables. Great doors on the left of the Antichamber lead to the Showroom, and smaller (but style ornate) doors on the right lead to the Restrooms. A staff door opposite the entrance opens onto the Staff Tunnels.
- Restrooms. There are five finely appointed restrooms for guests to make use of throughout the evening. Each room is 5 by 10 feet, containing loos, sinks, etc. for one guest at a time.
- Showroom. 50 feet wide and 100 long, the Showroom is the pride of the Walk of Fame, capable of hosting all manner of impressive events, but which has tonight been outfitted with rows of plush seating surrounding a raised runway, 85 feet at its longest and 20 feet at its widest. Four staff doors (two on either side lead) to the Staff Tunnels, and two more doors at the far end of the runway allow the models to enter and exit the Backstage area. A great crystalline window in the roof illuminates the Showroom by day, and provides a stunning view of the night sky at night.
- Backstage. Behind the Showroom is a 30 by 40-foot room where models can finish perfecting their outfits in private. It is filled with changing cubicles, dressing mirrors, and vanities for applying/fixing makeup. Aside from the runway doors, a staff door in the side wall opens onto the Staff Tunnels.
- Staff Tunnels. Unlike the rest of the Walk of Fame, the Staff Tunnels are dimly lit and less lavishly furnished. Around 10 feet wide, the tunnels provide enough room for the staff to perform their duties without guests getting in the way, and twist around and even below the other rooms. The tunnels have staff door entrances into the Showroom, Antichamber, and Backstage areas, and are also the only means of accessing the Storeroom and the Kitchen. Guests are free to make use of the tunnels if accompanied by members of staff; for instance getting to and from backstage for last-minute preparations.
- Storeroom. The storeroom is as appointed as the Staff Tunnels. This 20 feet by 55 feet room is used to keep anything the Walk of Fame may require that is not currently in use; spare seating and tables, oil and candles, pyrotechnics… The only way into or out of the room is the Staff Tunnels.
- Kitchen. While the kitchen is capable of catering to dining events, the Glamour Gala requires only snacks and drinks, so much of the kitchen is not currently in use. The 20-foot square room is cramped with ovens, cupboards, sinks, and preparation tables. Three doors in the room lead into the Staff Tunnels, the pantry, and a much less glamourous staff entrance in the back.
- Pantry. The 10 by 15-foot stone room off the Kitchen is kept magically chilled, and holds all manner of perishable meats and goods on shelves and chests.
Timeline of Events
Preparing for the Show
Most preparations for the fashion show take place in the days leading up to the event. Characters wishing to submit an outfit must first describe what they are going for, then make an ability check using an appropriate set of artisan’s tools; there is no passing or failing DC for this check, but the total role should be noted down for later. At the GM’s discretion, spellcasters using magic to prepare their outfits can instead choose to make a check using their spellcasting ability, rather than a set of tools.
Any designer submitting an outfit should also choose a model – this can be themselves, a fellow party member, or an appropriate NPC drawn from the Supporting Cast section below. Any character intending to model an outfit must spend an hour before the show Backstage dressing, making final adjustments, etc. and as such they will miss the Meet and Greet later.
Player characters not involved in designing and/or modelling might be approached by rival Supporting Cast NPCs to model their own outfits or sabotage the efforts of other PCs. At your discretion, this might also cause them to miss the Meet and Greet.
Meet and Greet
In the hour before the show, any PCs not involved in final preparations have the opportunity to meet the rest of the Supporting Cast, pick up on rumours, and/or (for the more paranoid characters) scope out the Walk of Fame. If you’re running this as part of a larger campaign, this is also an excellent opportunity to make connections with the movers and shakers of the Glitterheim.
Guests are expected to remain in the Antichamber (perhaps a few making use of the Restrooms) during this period, while the staff get the Showroom ready, but some designers might pop Backstage from time to time to make sure their models have everything they need.
The topic of conversation which keeps being circled back to is the crowd’s anticipation for Russet Nimbletail (he/they, ratfolk), a noted fashion designer in Galas past, who claims their latest work (which he is modelling himself) will offer “a new and unexpected perspective”. Characters who succeed on a DC 12 Perception or Insight check will learn that Russet hasn’t been seen in public recently, spending all their time either in their workshop or in the Voidwatch Occularium – the crowd speculates on whether this indicates some sort of homage to Sindaria, silver goddess of magic and the cosmos, in their latest work.
All members of the Supporting Cast have associated preferences and secrets, which the PCs can begin to uncover during this time if they are curious. These serve little in the way of mechanical benefit, but learning and exploiting them ought to benefit the PCs in any attempts they make to manipulate the NPCs, such as getting them to snap out of their stupors during This Isn’t an Act, or convincing them to under- or over-bid on certain designs at the Final Auction.
The Runway
Once all members of the audience have taken their seats in the Showroom, an announcer introduces each model and describes the outfit they are wearing. Each model walks the runway, doing their best to show off the outfit with either an Acrobatics or Performance check; as with the designer’s preparation check, make a note of the result of this check. As many models and designers as you like from the Supporting Cast are represented here, but there are plenty others which you can make up or narratively skip over as you like.
After about an hour, Russet Nimbletail is announced as the last model, beginning the events of This Isn’t an Act.
This Isn't an Act
Russet Nimbletail’s entrance is heralded by screaming from Backstage and the announcer. They emerge wearing a mind-bending dress of impossible angles that seems to fold in on itself in an infinite cascade, which almost seems to act as a window into the void of distant space. As they stride out, everyone in the Showroom and Backstage must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of Russet Nimbletail (a warlock of the great old one) for 1 hour (they may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early) – NPC characters fail the saving throw – while frightened, they are also stunned as the horrifying beauty of the realms beyond overwhelms them. He announces “The great devouring will soon be upon us! I have seen the depths of the void beyond our realm and welcomed its multifaceted minds as my muse! All shall fold and become one and unfurl anew in its beautiful geometry!” and at his words four gibbering mouthers will bubble and rise from the runway.
Russet’s aberrations will begin tearing into the crowd with random abandon, the mouthers consuming and absorbing those they kill, while Russet himself will act to defend them. The PCs must roll initiative; they are far more powerful individually than most other guests, who will surely die without their intervention. They can try to battle Russet and the mouthers to distract from the guests, or attempt to snap guests out of their stupors by making a DC 15 Persuasion check as an action; any guest who is snapped out of it can then do the same for others, try to get to safety, or aid the PCs in battle, depending on their skillsets and personalities.
Final Auction
Once it is safe to do so, the Gala’s organisers will reconvene for the auction of all outfits seen on The Runway. This may happen immediately after the hostilities of This Isn’t an Act, or several days later, depending on the severity of destruction and casualties.
To work out an outfit’s starting value, combine the rolls made during The Runway and Preparing for the Show, and compare the total result with the table below. Characters can buy outfits for the listed value, or you can have other members of the Supporting Cast (or other players) bid against them, starting at half the outfit’s price and perhaps even going up to roughly one and a half times its table value. Any designers listed in the Supporting Cast will have submitted outfits and had them modelled; you can either choose a value that seems appropriate or roll for them as well.
Somewhat perversely, the tragic events of the Gala can alter an outfit’s value further. If any character was wearing an outfit during This Isn’t an Act and was reduced below half their total hit points by damage, roll 1d20; on a 10 or lower the outfit is badly damaged and bloodstained and decreases in value by 50%, while on an 11 or higher the authentic battle damage is unusually stylish and increases its value by 50% instead. If an outfit’s designer sadly perished during the attack, the outfit’s final value is doubled, having suddenly become a rare collector’s item.
| Rolls Total | Outfit Value |
|---|---|
| <=12 | 15gp |
| 13-16 | 30gp |
| 17-19 | 60gp |
| 20-23 | 120gp |
| 24-27 | 240gp |
| 28-31 | 360gp |
| 32-35 | 540gp |
| 36-39 | 720gp |
| >=40 | 1000gp |
Supporting Cast
Guests and staff have clearly defined roles: the guests are here to have a good time and spend lots of money at the auction, while staff are there to keep things running smoothly and to stop guests going where they shouldn’t.
Designers and models are guests, but can have more immediate effects on the adventure because of their status. You should feel free to create more as you see fit, or even demote them to regular guests if there is an imbalance between the two.
Arabella Greycoate (model)
N ratfolk druid, she/they
Known for flat-out refusing to model outfits of metallic or synthetic materials, Arabella is a haughty but deeply passionate socialite who takes the teachings of the Cathedral of the Inner Dawn to heart.
Secrets: while she basks in the attention onstage, her aloof veneer offstage is calculated to mask her social anxiety – she’ll even resort to shapeshifting to get out of long conversations. They received a vision of something dreadful occurring at the Glamour Gala this evening, and are even more on edge as a result.
Aurianna Brightcrown (designer/model)
CN drow priest, she/they
Aurianna came to the Glitterheim after accidentally fleeing into one of the ratfolks’ “underpaths” beneath the city. She has quickly made a name for themselves in the fashion underworld with an impressive array of risqué spider-themed attire.
Secrets: they are a cleric devoted to Lolth, but she believes the Spider Queen has been misinterpreted by many and requires a fresher, “yassified” image among the masses. They were cast out of the Underdark for these heretical beliefs, but she hopes to return one day. Her favourite thing about the surface world is its cocktails, particularly sangria.
Burskett Cleavir (designer)
CG dwarf thug, he/him
Burskett is one of the most bejewelled individuals the characters are ever likely to meet, and he delights in using gemstones (the “gifts of the earth”) in his outfit designs. A gregarious patron of the arts, he has little stake in the Gala’s grand prize and is more interested in scoping out fresh talent among the models and designers.
Secrets: Burskett is disgruntled with fellow designer and model Russet Nimbletail; he intended to use coloured gemstones to recreate the solar system in an outfit, but had to change last-minute to avoid the embarrassment of two space-themed outfits being submitted. His favourite party trick of eating gemstones is actually thanks to pouches of rock candy he keeps up his ornate sleeves.
Cornelius Sprig (staff)
LG birdfolk apprentice wizard, he/they
Cornelius works as the attendant for the Coat Check, and only they seem able to decipher the haphazard ordering of its contents.
Secrets: goes absolutely feral for tiny cakes. Doesn’t get paid nearly enough and will gratefully accept any and all tips. Needs this job to fund their application to the Voidwatch Occularium, where he hopes to study magic.
Eleandra/Ariadne (designer/model)
N changeling spy, she/her
Once an agent for foreign secret service, Eleandra has come to the Glitterheim to pursue a new life, using her talents for disguise and acting to pursue a double career.
Secrets: As Eleandra the designer, she prefers the form of an elegant drow, but few know that the ratfolk model Ariadne is also in fact the same woman! She abhors hard biscuits, but has a particular soft spot for pastries.
Murdock Bronzetusk (model)
NG orc acolyte, he/him
Murdock travelled to the Glitterheim at the personal request of the Triarchy, so famed is he for his beauty and grace. His showmanship on the runway is matched only by his faith to Ostentatia.
Secrets: Murdock converted to Ostentatia’s church after a crisis of faith, leaving the family baking business behind him to travel the land and learn to become a model. He sometimes likes to play up the “dumb orc” stereotype, in order to disguise the true depths of his shrewdness; he always sees more than he lets on.
Remma Snapwhisker (staff)
LG ratfolk bandit captain, she/her
The imposing yet silver-tongued Captain Snapwhisker is in charge of security for the Walk of Fame; nothing bad has ever interrupted the festivities on her watch.
Secrets: lonely and looking for love. Bored out of her mind and just waiting for one of the guests to cause a scene, though she would never let on. Keeps a stash of romance novels hidden in the Storeroom.
Lord Snively (guest)
LN ratfolk noble, all pronouns
Lord Snively is hosting this year’s Glamour Gala as a representative of the Triarchs, and as such will be conducting the Final Auction (if he lives) and will be extra involved in making sure the guests have a good time.
Secrets: She knows absolutely nothing about fashion, but had to cover the event as a last-minute favour to a friend, and is terrified of being “found out”. Snively fancies themselves an amateur book critic, and won’t shut up about the latest reads if the subject is broached.
Lady Snubbins (guest)
CN ratfolk noble, she/her
An eccentric high-ranking member of the Glitterheim’s civil service, Lady Snubbins cares little for the actual outfits on display, but is on the lookout for a designer who can make wonderful outfits for her “children”.
Secrets: her children are actually a pack of only-semi-domesticated giant rats who live in her manor, whom she dotes on dearly. She once had a fling with Thaddeus Sprig when they were both in college.
Tattle Tail (designer)
LN ratfolk bard, they/them
An accomplished sleuth for the Glitterheim Gazette, dabbling in their side passion for fashion design and looking to get firsthand coverage of the esteemed Glamour Gala.
Secrets: Tattle believes that a fellow designer named Aurianna might secretly be an evil agent of the Underdark, and has infiltrated the event in an effort to expose her. Their fashion skills are not actually that good, and they’re looking for a convincing model to mask their lacklustre design.
Thaddeus Sprig (guest)
NG birdfolk commoner, he/him
Father of Cornelius, who managed to get him a ticket. Never had the opportunity to pursue his passion for fashion previously in his life, but is excited to bask in the atmosphere now.
Secrets: Looks almost identical to Cornelius, which he sometimes likes to use to harmlessly prank his son. Absolutely detests cakes of any variety – what’s wrong with birdseed??