This gnome bard (“Tumblestrum” to her friends) is in the Feasting Orchard when the characters first arrive. She sits on a swing that hangs from the branch of a pear tree, plucking the strings on her lute while eyeing the characters. If the characters happen to mention their free tickets, she reveals that she was the one who paid for them. When pressed for more information, she cryptically assures the characters that they’re exactly where and when they’re supposed to be but says no more.
Majore Gutcaller
As the night progresses, Tumblestrum can reappear to provide hints about what the group needs to do; she can even guide the characters to Prismeer if all of their plans fall through (see “Tumblestrum’s Intervention” in the “Timed Events” section later in the chapter). If she is threatened, she disappears in a flashy yet harmless pyrotechnic display. No stat block for Tumblestrum is necessary, since she won’t harm or hinder the characters and can’t be seriously harmed by them. Her thoughts are likewise hidden, since no magic can read them.
Tumblestrum is meant to be an enigma to the player characters. In truth, she is a savvy planar traveler who has visited and entertained folks on countless worlds. In some corners of the multiverse, she is what’s known as a Planeswalker—a fiercely independent and extremely powerful entity not to be trifled with. Tumblestrum disapproves of the Hourglass Coven’s cruelty and aims to deliver some much-needed comeuppance. The gnome sees the characters as agents of change who can undo some of the damage caused by the coven, and she suspects that if they do so, the characters will be on their way to becoming heroes worthy of epic ballads.