As Emberpoint prepares for its ninety-seventh annual spring festival, a new challenger arrives in town. He's enormous, enthusiastic, and firmly convinced that destiny wears a very large hat. It's a three-day contest of questionable challenges, including heroic poetry, public obstacle humiliation, and something ominously named "The Rescue of the Reluctant." The winner takes home glory, local admiration, and the hat. Mostly the hat. Each contestant must complete three trials. Points will be awarded. Judging will be arbitrary. Property damage is likely. At the end of the festival, someone will be crowned champion. And unfortunately for the reigning favorite, Ahgfer Merryshout has no idea what he's doing... but he means really well. Oh, and there's a wrinkle. There's always a wrinkle. As Ahgfer is about to learn, just because a contest is absurd… doesn't mean it's safe.