Festival of Lanterns — Lysoria’s Autumn Vigil

Lanterns at every door. An apple in every hand. Music enough to chase away a cold evening—at least until the last dance.

A Celebration of Harvest and Hearth

The Festival of Lanterns belongs to the people of Lysoria. Held when the harvest is gathered and the cool nights deepen, it is the hamlet’s own observance of the wider Autumn Vigil. Carved gourds glow along windowsills and roads; market stalls bring cider, nuts, bread and handmade wares; musicians turn the square into a dance floor. Families and travelers join the early games, while later masked celebrations are open to those who choose them.

The tradition holds that lanterns should be carved with a face or emblem capable of welcoming a friend and warning away a wandering spirit. Some villagers prefer grinning pumpkins; others make solemn guardians. The festival is an expression of community and devotion, not a secret rite. Its joys remain its own even when an adventure introduces trouble.

Festival Games

A small wooden token is issued for a finished game or memorable act of fair play. Larger prizes cost more tokens. The following contests adapt the hamlet’s established attractions for ordinary 5e use; no Desire mechanics are necessary.

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Prize Tokens and Keepsakes

Mira Sweetbloom, the Ribbon Keeper, trades prizes for tokens earned in fair games. The source adventure divides its rewards into small (1–2 tokens), medium (3–4) and large (5 or more) prizes. The items below retain the flavor of those rewards; any bonus listed here is a compact 5e adaptation for this public festival page.

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The Hollow Lantern Deck

The Festival’s divination tradition uses a twenty-card deck with upright and reversed meanings. Among its emblematic cards are the Hollow Queen, Hollow King, Withered Bride, Whispering Crow, Blood Apple, Blooming Mask and Crown of Hollow Thorns. A reading is an invitation to reflection, storytelling or a new adventure lead—not a decree that overrides anyone’s will.

A keeper may ask a guest to draw a card for the past, one for the present and one for the future. Its upright interpretation represents a hope or temptation; the reverse suggests a challenge or danger. The full twenty-card interpretations from the original adventure can support a separate prop and divination page.

The Hollow Lantern Deck

Desire, Divination and the Turning of Fate

“The cards do not tell you what to desire. They show where your longing may lead.”

The Hollow Lantern Deck belongs to Lysoria’s Festival of Lanterns, but its readers may be encountered throughout Erosia. Its twenty images speak of belonging, temptation, grief, ambition and transformation. Each reveals a desire and the shadow that follows when that desire becomes consuming.

A gifted reader does more than interpret symbols. Through a brief divination ritual, the reader binds an omen to the querent’s unfolding story. That omen may steady a difficult choice, reveal an opportunity or make a familiar weakness harder to ignore. The cards influence fortune; the character decides how to answer.

Reading the Twenty Cards

No.	Card	Desire Current	Upright Meaning	Reversed Meaning
I	The Hollow Queen	Recognition	Belonging, earned regard, a place within the community.	Validation pursued at the expense of purpose.
II	The Hollow King	Authority	Self-command, responsibility, power held deliberately.	Domination, insecurity, authority mistaken for ownership.
III	The Effigy	Identity	A chosen self, transformation, freedom from an imposed role.	Living through a mask that no longer fits.
IV	The Servitors	Purpose	Meaningful service, cooperation, useful work freely chosen.	Obligation without limits, usefulness mistaken for worth.
V	The Harvest Moon	Abundance	Provision, generosity, preparation for leaner days.	Hoarding, scarcity feared even amid plenty.
VI	The Lovers Bound	Connection	Mutual trust, chosen bonds, strength shared.	Dependence, possessiveness, reassurance demanded.
VII	The Withered Bride	Remembrance	Love carried forward, grief given a place to rest.	False promises of restoration, refusal to release the past.
VIII	The Thorned Path	Perseverance	Endurance in pursuit of a worthy destination.	Suffering mistaken for progress.
IX	The Blooming Mask	Revelation	Truth freely offered, beauty expressed without disguise.	Concealed intentions, performance replacing sincerity.
X	The Lantern Child	Hope	Protection, beginnings, a small light worth preserving.	A warning dismissed, vulnerability overlooked.
XI	The Blood Apple	Temptation	Appetite guided by discernment, pleasure with a understood price.	A reward accepted before its cost is known.
XII	The Vine’s Embrace	Shelter	Care that strengthens freedom, rest within trusted company.	Confinement offered in the language of protection.
XIII	The Shadowed Scythe	Release	A necessary ending, a clean severance, room for renewal.	A harmful commitment repeatedly reopened.
XIV	The Crimson Chalice	Replenishment	Receiving hospitality, accepting restoration, enough.	Consumption without satisfaction, another’s limits disregarded.
XV	The Whispering Crow	Curiosity	A revealing clue, patient listening, knowledge approached carefully.	Secrets pursued despite a known danger.
XVI	The Veil of Petals	Privacy	Boundaries honored, vulnerability offered by choice.	Concealment that prevents informed agreement.
XVII	The Broken Wheel	Change	A new approach, a recurring pattern interrupted.	Repetition without reflection.
XVIII	The Flesh Infusion	Embodiment	Renewal, bodily care, strength restored through tending.	Endurance overdrawn, warning signs ignored.
XIX	The Black Flame	Conviction	Defiance grounded in principle, the self remaining intact.	Revenge consuming the responsibilities it once defended.
XX	The Crown of Hollow Flames	Legacy	Ambition shared, leadership sustained by willing companions.	Achievement purchased through concealed costs.

Classic and Veiled Influences

The following effects are expressly shared by the deck’s Classic and Veiled versions. Classic uses ordinary 5e saving throws. Veiled uses an EROSave when resisting a Desire effect; other saving throws remain unchanged.

For Classic, use the triggering feature’s named saving throw, or Wisdom when no saving throw is named. These effects do not introduce Arousal or Libido tracking.

No.	Upright Influence	Reversed Influence
I	When you ask for recognition or assistance after making a meaningful contribution, gain advantage on that Persuasion check.	When you falsely claim another’s contribution as your own, make that Deception check with disadvantage.
II	Gain advantage on one saving throw against an effect that would control your actions.	When you threaten someone solely to establish superiority, make that Intimidation check with disadvantage.
III	Gain advantage on one saving throw against a magical transformation you do not accept.	When you sustain an unwanted persona to secure approval despite a meaningful personal cost, make the associated Deception or Performance check with disadvantage.
IV	Gain advantage on one ability check to complete a meaningful task freely chosen to help another creature.	When you knowingly conceal your inability to fulfill an obligation, make that Deception check with disadvantage.
V	Gain advantage on one Survival check to obtain food or shelter for your companions.	When you hide provisions you promised to share, make the associated Deception check with disadvantage.
VI	A willing companion within 30 feet may use their reaction to grant you advantage on a saving throw against being charmed or frightened.	When you attempt to persuade a companion to abandon a stated boundary for your reassurance, make that Persuasion check with disadvantage.
VII	Gain advantage on one saving throw against fear caused by a reminder of a loss named during the reading.	Make one saving throw against an effect promising to restore that loss with disadvantage.
VIII	Gain advantage on one ability check to overcome a meaningful obstacle to the goal named during the reading.	When you repeat a demonstrably failed approach without adaptation, make that ability check with disadvantage.
IX	After revealing a consequential truth to a willing listener, gain advantage on one Persuasion check in that conversation.	When you conceal your intentions to obtain someone’s trust, make that Deception check with disadvantage.
X	Gain advantage on one ability check or saving throw directly involved in protecting a vulnerable creature from immediate danger.	After dismissing a credible warning about that creature’s safety, make your next Perception or Survival check to locate the danger with disadvantage.
XI	Gain advantage on one Insight check to assess an enticing offer with an uncertain cost.	After knowingly accepting a magical bargain without learning its terms, make your first saving throw against an effect of that bargain with disadvantage.
XII	After accepting 10 minutes of freely offered care, gain advantage on your next saving throw against being frightened before the omen expires.	Make one saving throw against a magical effect that restricts you while presenting itself as protection with disadvantage.
XIII	Gain advantage on one saving throw against the source of a harmful commitment you have deliberately ended.	After knowingly renewing that commitment, make your next saving throw against its source with disadvantage.
XIV	After accepting hospitality and resting for 10 minutes, gain 1d4 temporary hit points.	When you insist that a provider exceed a stated limit, make the associated Persuasion check with disadvantage.
XV	Gain advantage on one Investigation check concerning the reading’s question.	When pursuing a secret through an approach you know exposes you to supernatural manipulation, make the resulting saving throw with disadvantage.
XVI	Gain advantage on one saving throw against an effect that would compel disclosure of private information.	When you conceal information necessary for another creature’s informed agreement, make that Deception check with disadvantage.
XVII	After failing an ability check, reroll it if a materially different approach permits another attempt. Use the new result; the omen does not erase consequences already resolved.	When repeating a failed approach without adaptation, make that ability check with disadvantage.
XVIII	After spending at least one Hit Die during a short rest, regain 1d4 additional hit points, up to your maximum.	When you knowingly push through a disclosed physical hazard despite an opportunity to rest or change approach, make the resulting Constitution saving throw with disadvantage.
XIX	Gain advantage on one saving throw against an effect that would compel betrayal of a principle named during the reading.	When you threaten someone to avenge a personal slight, make that Intimidation check with disadvantage.
XX	Gain advantage on one Persuasion check inviting willing participation in a shared undertaking named during the reading.	When you conceal that undertaking’s risks from prospective supporters, make the associated Deception check with disadvantage.

Unveiled Influences

When the reading uses the complete Desire system, use this table instead of the Classic and Veiled table. Choosing to veil narration does not automatically replace an active Unveiled omen.

Arousal reductions have a minimum of 0. Libido recovery cannot exceed the querent’s normal maximum. Normal stage effects, escalation limits, Climax expenditure and Depletion remain in force.

No.	Upright Influence	Reversed Influence
I	When another creature sincerely acknowledges your meaningful contribution, restore 1 Libido.	When you knowingly jeopardize a shared undertaking to claim recognition, gain 1 Arousal.
II	Gain advantage on one EROSave against an effect that would control your actions.	When you spend Libido through a feature used to impose control on another creature, spend 1 additional Libido, if available.
III	When you reject an imposed role and act according to your chosen identity despite meaningful risk, reduce Arousal by 1.	When you sustain an unwanted persona to secure approval despite meaningful personal cost, gain 1 Arousal.
IV	After completing a meaningful task freely chosen to help another creature, restore 1 Libido.	When you spend Libido to fulfill an obligation accepted solely from fear of rejection, spend 1 additional Libido, if available.
V	After sharing provisions during a short rest, restore 1 Libido in addition to any recovery that rest normally provides.	When you knowingly withhold promised provisions from a companion who needs them, gain 1 Arousal.
VI	When you would gain Arousal, a willing companion within 30 feet may use their reaction to reduce that increase by 1, to a minimum of 0. Other consequences remain.	When you knowingly pressure a companion to abandon a stated boundary for your reassurance, gain 1 Arousal. The companion is unaffected.
VII	After your next Climax resolves normally, dedicate its release to a loss named during the reading and gain 1d4 temporary hit points.	Make your next EROSave against an effect promising to restore that loss with disadvantage.
VIII	When spending Libido through a feature to overcome a meaningful obstacle to your stated goal, reduce that expenditure by 1, to a minimum of 0.	When you knowingly repeat a harmful, ineffective approach without adaptation, gain 1 Arousal.
IX	After freely revealing a consequential truth to a willing listener, reduce Arousal by 1.	When you knowingly conceal your intentions to obtain someone’s trust, gain 1 Arousal.
X	Gain advantage on one ability check or saving throw directly involved in protecting a vulnerable creature from immediate danger.	After dismissing a credible warning about that creature’s safety, make your next Perception or Survival check to locate the danger with disadvantage.
XI	Gain advantage on one EROSave against an enticing supernatural offer whose cost remains concealed.	When you knowingly accept a magical bargain without learning its terms, gain 1 Arousal.
XII	After accepting 10 minutes of freely offered care, reduce Arousal by 1. Care may include conversation, food, tending wounds or quiet company.	Make your next EROSave against an effect presenting restriction or confinement as care with disadvantage.
XIII	When you deliberately end a harmful commitment, reduce Arousal by 1.	When you knowingly renew that commitment, gain 1 Arousal.
XIV	After accepting hospitality and resting for 10 minutes, restore 1 Libido.	When you spend Libido to seek further gratification after disregarding a provider’s stated limit, spend 1 additional Libido, if available.
XV	After your next Climax resolves normally, gain advantage on one Investigation or Insight check concerning the reading’s question before the omen expires.	When you knowingly accept a supernatural Desire effect to obtain information despite its disclosed danger, gain 1 Arousal from the omen, in addition to the accepted effect.
XVI	Gain advantage on one EROSave against an effect that would compel disclosure of a private memory, feeling or desire.	When you knowingly conceal information necessary for another creature’s informed agreement, gain 1 Arousal.
XVII	After failing an EROSave, reroll it and use the new result. Describe how you change your response; resolve the final result once.	When you knowingly repeat a response that failed against the same Desire source without adaptation, make that EROSave with disadvantage.
XVIII	After spending at least one Hit Die during a short rest, restore 1 Libido in addition to any recovery that rest normally provides.	When you voluntarily spend your last Libido point, gain 1 Arousal after the expenditure and any associated Climax resolve. Apply Depletion normally.
XIX	After succeeding on an EROSave against an effect that would compel betrayal of a principle named during the reading, restore 1 Libido.	When you knowingly abandon a responsibility to pursue revenge for a personal slight, gain 1 Arousal.
XX	After your next Climax resolves while pursuing the shared undertaking named during the reading, one willing ally within 30 feet may reduce their Arousal by 1.	When you spend Libido to advance that undertaking while knowingly concealing its risks from supporters, spend 1 additional Libido, if available.

The Lantern Child concerns hope and protection in every mode. Its influences remain entirely nonsexual.

Bringing a Fortune Into Play

When interpreting a card, the reader names an image, an opportunity and a warning connected to the querent’s question. These give the DM something concrete to echo in a later encounter without fixing its outcome. For The Vine’s Embrace, a reader might say: “You will be offered shelter. Look carefully at the door. A place of care allows you to leave.” That omen might return through a welcoming household, a protective patron or a sanctuary whose keeper fears losing its guests. The card’s influence resolves when its circumstances arise. Whether the querent accepts the shelter, investigates it or walks away remains their decision. The reading does not guarantee that an offer is false or that a particular person is dangerous. It gives longing a place within the unfolding adventure—and gives the player a chance to shape what follows.

Hollow Lantern Tarroka Set

“To read another’s longing is to let its echo pass through your own.”

The card back is complete, with paired red lanterns, black roses and a central crimson jewel. Its composition echoes the deck’s gothic autumn frame. The following proposed tool rules give the set practical uses and make magical readings affect the reader. They supplement the card influences already developed.

Tool Profile

Property	Rule
Category	Divination tool; it may replace a gaming set proficiency granted by a background, with DM approval.
Suggested cost	25 gp
Weight	½ lb.
Contents	Twenty illustrated cards, a protective case and a reading cloth.
Proficiency	Hollow Lantern Tarroka Set
Magical status	The physical cards are mundane ritual instruments. Their supernatural readings use the optional rules below.

A proficient character understands the cards’ symbolism, upright and reversed interpretations, traditional spreads and methods of conducting a reading. Proficiency does not grant spellcasting, reveal someone’s private thoughts or guarantee accurate predictions.

Ability Checks With the Set

When an ability check meaningfully uses the cards, a proficient reader adds their proficiency bonus. The DM selects the ability according to the task.

Ability	Example Use	Suggested DC
Intelligence	Identify a card’s traditional symbolism or recognize an altered deck.	10
Intelligence	Compare a spread with records of an earlier prophecy or ritual.	15
Wisdom	Interpret a reading in light of circumstances the querent has disclosed.	12
Wisdom	Recognize contradictions between an interpretation and observed events.	15
Charisma	Present a compelling ceremonial reading before an audience.	12
Dexterity	Conceal a selected card or manipulate a draw.	Contested by the observer’s Wisdom (Perception)

Manipulating a draw can deceive an audience, but a deliberately selected card cannot produce a magical omen. If both a skill and this tool proficiency apply, add proficiency only once. Expertise applies only when a feature actually grants it to the applicable skill or tool. The DM may grant advantage when the two proficiencies provide distinct, useful contributions.

Three Ways to Use the Cards

Interpretive Reading. Anyone can draw cards and discuss their meanings. A proficient reader can make a tool check when interpretation is uncertain and consequential. This creates no supernatural influence.

Ceremonial Reading. A proficient reader can conduct a public performance, devotional observance or private consultation. Resolve any uncertain outcome through an appropriate tool check. A successful performance does not prove a prophecy true.

Resonant Reading. A proficient reader can awaken the deck’s magical influences through the ritual below. This is the use that exposes the reader to Desire pressure.

Resonant Reading

Time: 10 minutes
Target: One willing querent within 5 feet
Requirement: Tool proficiency and a complete set
Limit: One attempt per reader per long rest; one accepted omen per querent per long rest
Duration: An accepted omen lasts until the querent finishes their next long rest.

The reader may read for themselves. Before drawing, the querent names a question concerning a goal, fear, relationship or unresolved choice. The reader then draws one random card and randomly determines its orientation.

Make a DC 12 Wisdom check using the Tarroka Set.

Result	Outcome
Success	The card awakens. Explain its interpretation and influence; the querent may accept or decline the omen.
Success by 5 or more	The reader also recognizes one relevant opportunity or danger in circumstances already established by the DM. This supplies guidance, not otherwise inaccessible secrets.
Failure	The spread provides symbolism but no mechanical omen. The reader’s daily attempt is expended.

A failed reading does not reverse a card, curse the querent or supply a false prophecy as established fact. After resolving the tool check, apply the reader’s resonance rules for the chosen mode—even if the querent declines the awakened omen.

The Reader’s Desire Identity

• Desire Identity — Revelation. The reader longs to give uncertainty a shape. The deck answers by letting another creature’s emotional pressure pass through the reader.
• Libido Identity — Channeling. In Unveiled Play, the reader can expend endurance to strengthen their interpretation.
• Arousal Identity — Accumulated Resonance. Pressure represents borrowed anticipation, grief, fascination or ambition. Its expression follows the drawn card.
• Climax Identity — Revelation Released. If the reading pushes the reader to the release threshold, the accumulated resonance breaks into a brief moment of clarity.

Reader Effects by Mode

Mode	Effect on the Reader
Classic	After the reading attempt, make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On failure, fascination with the spread imposes disadvantage on your next Wisdom (Perception) check before the end of your next turn. On success, there is no additional effect.
Veiled	After the reading attempt, make a DC 12 EROSave. On failure, become Stirred by the drawn card’s emotional current. Apply the normal Stirred effect; it ends when that effect is expended or after 10 minutes, whichever occurs first. On success, remain unaffected. The reading does not automatically cause Overwhelmed.
Unveiled	After the reading attempt, make a DC 12 EROSave. On failure, gain 1 Arousal. On success, gain none. Apply all normal Arousal stage effects, including additional escalation from a failed EROSave where applicable.

These are individually defined effects. They do not establish a general conversion between saving throw penalties, Stirred, Arousal and Libido. A reader using Unveiled mechanics may keep the entire reading’s narration veiled.

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When the Lanterns Burn Wrong

A good festival can conceal a bad night. Adventurers might hear rumors of missing adults, discover an unexplained purchase of lantern oil or see a carved pumpkin glow where no flame burns. Such incidents are optional story hooks, not the hidden purpose of the festival. The people of Lysoria deserve to return to their celebrations once a danger has passed.

If a campaign turns toward supernatural horror, the Corn Maze of Moons and the Whispering Orchard can lead into a darker adventure about stolen lives and a forbidden coronation. Its villains and revelations should remain with the Dungeon Master until the table uncovers them.

Return to Lysoria · Explore Autumn in Erosia