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The Wild Beyond the Witchlight brings whimsical and wicked misadventures to those who dare to explore the Witchlight Carnival and beyond. The Dungeon & Dragons adventure is set in the Feywild and offers fans of the game and its community easter eggs and appearances by iconic characters from previous editions.
Here is a list of easter eggs I put together as I browsed the book. Let me know which ones I missed!
*** Warning! Major spoilers ahead for The Wild Beyond the Witchlight! ***
Alice in Wonderland
It’s no surprise that this adventure draws inspiration from Alice in Wonderland. The sequel to Lewis Carroll’s book, Through the Looking Glass, is referenced in the first chapter of The Wild Beyond the Witchlight when the characters are bound for the Feywild.
Dragon Quest and hags
Early in the adventure, the players can overhear Mister Witch and Mister Light complaining that a catoblepas attraction has been a total failure and that they should replace the creature with a blue-painted giraffe. It’s no surprise that a catoblepas attraction would scare off attendees — they are violent and stinky swamp creatures. More importantly, catoblepas are known to be kept by covens of hags, hinting at the adventure’s main antagonists. Meanwhile, the blue giraffes could be a reference to the blue giraffes found in the video game Dragon Quest X.
Chult and Zakhara
The Witchlight Carnival features games that players can enjoy, including almiraj ring toss. The presence of almiraj — which appear as rabbits with horns — suggest that the carnival has passed through Chult or Zakhara. Almiraj were brought from the distant lands of Zakhara to Chult, which is featured in the Tomb of Annihilation adventure.
Elkhorn
Elkhorn has been Strongheart’s most stalwart companion over the years—unflinchingly loyal, tirelessly optimistic, and fiercely devoted to the destruction of evil in all its forms. He’s not especially bright, so he fights with his heart rather than his wits.
Source: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Like Strongheart, the dwarf fighter Elkhorn originally appeared in 1983 as an action figure. He was a member of Valor’s Call, an adventuring party that opposes Kelek and the League of Malevolence. Elkhorn has stood by Strongheart’s side for years, no matter the danger. What he lacks in intelligence, he makes up for with brute strength.
Jabberwocky
The jabberwock returns to Dungeons & Dragons in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight. The creature is D&D’s version of the Jabberwocky, a strange creature introduced in a Lewis Carroll poem. (You can read more about the connection here.)
Kelek
Kelek is a greedy, narcissistic sociopath who revels in chaos but is a coward at heart. The fact that he’s highly intelligent makes him even more dangerous. More than anything, he wants the staff of power in the possession of his most hated foe, Ringlerun
Source: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Kelek is the founding member of the League of Malevolence, which pursues power for the sake of it. The sorcerer first appeared in the 1983 Advanced D&D game supplement The Shady Dragon Inn.
Magic: The Gathering
Ellywick Tumblestrum is an ally to the characters and is referred to as a planeswalker. A planeswalker is a powerful creature in the lore of the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) trading card game. They can travel between the different planes of existence. Ellywick also received her own card in the Adventures in the Forgotten Realms card set. Her presence in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight ties D&D and MTG closer together.
Mercion
Mercion strikes the balance of a natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her. Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather an ideal: that truth gives life to artistry and beauty, and that those who embrace deceit should be censured and punished. Light is her domain.
Source: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Mercion is another member of Valor’s Call. She is a cleric and appeared as an action figure in 1983.
Milo, Chris Perkins’ dog
In an interview with D&D Beyond’s Amy Dallen, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight principal designer Chris Perkins revealed that his dog, Milo, has an easter egg in the adventure. We haven’t been able to find it ourselves, so let us know if you do!
Molliver
Molliver is a thief with a heart of gold. Although likely to pocket a few choice items after a successful heist, Molliver gives away most of what they steal to those in need. Think of them as a kind of Robin Hood character.
Molliver will also use their skill set to protect the common folk, occasionally even facing off against the vilest of threats. The character originally appeared in 1983 as an action figure. They are a member of Valor’s Call.
Ringlerun
Ringlerun became an adventurer to better satisfy his craving for arcane knowledge. One of his adventures took him into an underwater tomb, where he tricked a marid into surrendering a staff of power. This staff greatly increased Ringlerun’s capabilities and made him the envy of many rival spellcasters. Ringlerun has a good heart, but he’s easily distracted by intellectual pursuits. He would rather spend time in quiet contemplation or reading than in frivolous conversation.
Source: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Ringlerun is a powerful wizard who was a mentor of Skylla’s. Though Skylla eventually came to serve Kelek, Ringlerun remains a member of the heroic Valor’s Call.
The old wizard appears on the cover of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook, though you can also find him in the game supplement Quest for the Heartstone. Like other heroes on this list, Ringlerun got his own action figure in 1983.
Rollercoaster from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon
In the map for the Witchlight Carnival, the rollercoaster from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon opening can be found. The iconic roaring dragon is shown below:
Skylla
Skylla, who sometimes goes by the alias Charmay, forged a warlock’s pact with Baba Yaga. It is from this powerful archfey that Skylla draws her magic.
Skylla is spiteful and treacherous, as likely to betray her allies as to help them. She talked Kelek into allowing her to serve as the primary liaison between the League of Malevolence and the Hourglass Coven, claiming her pact with Baba Yaga made her better suited for the role than anyone else.
Source: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Skylla first appeared in the 1983 Advanced D&D game supplement The Shady Dragon Inn and has their own action figure. In The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Skylla has turned away from the League of Malevolence to work for Endelyn Moongrave.
Strongheart
Strongheart is a fearless seeker of justice, risking his life to ensure that good triumphs over evil. He is thoughtful, kind, and seldom rash, yet never hesitant to punish those who spit in the face of law and order.
Source: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Longtime fans of D&D will recognize the human paladin Strongheart. He first appeared as an action figure in the Advanced D&D product line and then in the game supplements Quest for the Heartstone and The Shady Dragon Inn. Strongheart has had a longtime feud with Warduke, an iconic villain who was his former best friend!
Thaco
THAC0 is an abbreviation for To Hit Armor Class Zero and is used as the basis for determining if an attack roll succeeds in Advanced D&D. In The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, players meet Thaco the clown in the Witchlight Carnival. He can typically be found puffing on his bubble pipe, with a painted grin, serving as a Witchlight hand.
Warduke
Warduke very well might be one of the coolest characters on this list. Lore wise, he was once best friends with Strongheart. Along their journey, Warduke traveled down a path of chaos and violence, causing the two of them to become sworn enemies.
The evil human fighter had his own action figure in 1983 and appeared in The Shady Dragon Inn as an ally to Kelek and his League of Malevolence.
Zarak
Opposite of Molliver, Zarak is an assassin who has no loyalty to anyone but himself. This shady figure is a dangerous foe that loves money and doesn’t mind how he makes it. Despite serving Kelek, he wouldn’t hesitate to betray his allies if it benefitted him in some way.
Zarak first appeared in the 1983 Advanced D&D game supplement The Shady Dragon Inn and has his own action figure. He makes his return in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight as a member of the League of Malevolence.
Zargash
The wicked cleric Zargash worships none other than the Demon Prince of Undeath, Orcus. Zargash uses his immense power to wreak havoc in servitude of Kelek and his League of Malevolence. Zargash first appeared in the 1983 Advanced D&D game supplement The Shady Dragon Inn and has his own action figure.
What easter eggs did we miss?
Have you found other easter eggs in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight? Leave a comment below to let us know what it is!
DeAngelo Murillo (That_DeAngelo) is a fourth-generation Mexican-American who helps bring more representation to the geeky community through storytelling, journalism, interviewing creatives, and more on his Twitch channel. In his free time, he enjoys harassing his peers into participating in TTRPG charity events with him and also dies quite often in video games.
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