I have been involved with Renaissance festivals most if not all of my adult life, from being part of the cast to providing medical coverage and being a patron, they have always been a source of rejuvenation to me. The sounds of children and adults laughing, being amazed by performers, and finding themselves surrounded by people who just want to entertain them has always brought me back time and time again.

There has always been a dark side to the festival, older people getting involved with younger, often learning after the fact the younger person was under age, many of these times the older person was either lied to or was led to believe they were of age, we will scold this person, and we usually keep them close by us to help them avoid that situation again. But there is another group out there, the predators, the ones who target the young, the ones who lure the young into a dangerous situation. There are groups that watch for these predators and share information within their silos about who to stay away from and who is “safe” It amuses me that I am more than likely not seen as “safe” by these groups, which is fine, I am a monster, with claws that catch, and teeth that bite, I amuse myself sometimes, but in reality those claws and teeth hunger for a richer meal than a creepy older guy who likes looking at young women, perhaps overt flirting, and inappropriate comments, yes these things are bad, but I hunt for more dangerous prey, the ones that would harm the young, poison those who can not protect themselves, and far worse.
Recently I have learned of a group of these monsters traveling and working in a complex network of traffickers at fantasy festivals, carnivals, fairs, and reenactments all around the country, they are organized, they are protected, and they are dug in deep like a tick. But they are not so well hidden as to be invisible, they think of themselves as apex predators, protected by drugs, guns, and the organization itself.

But they are not safe, they are being hunted, their drugs and money are being tracked, and their network is being identified.
One thing that gives me goosebumps is remembering that these people wish to play the role of the evil warlord or wizard who uses children and young men and women for dark deeds, that the role they wish to play, the monsters.
So I will play the role I wish to play, at the festival I am a knight, and knights protect the weak and those who are being terrorized by evil, outside of the fantasy land I am a healer, a warrior, a bonsai gardener, and a hunter, those are the roles are my roles in this great play, the man who stops the monsters.