The following posters have started appearing in various taverns and meeting places known to be frequented by the adventuring type:
“~OOK!~
~ADVENTURERS WANTED!~
The Adventurers' Guild, acting on behalf of Lady Angelica Haversham and Mister Miles Darrish, require the aid of brave adventurers to investigate the disappearance of Miss Florence Haversham.
Expected danger: 2/9. Pay: 18R ea.
Those interested should gather at the Adventurers' Guild, Mosia Lane, Merchant Quarter, at Noon on the Eve of the Festival of the Founders.
”
The Festival of the Founders is a religious celebration typically observed by serveral services at the major temples within the city. There's an old legend that the night before the festival is when evil spirits and tricksters run amock prior to the holy day. In more enlightened years it has become common for travelling side shows to visit the surrounding villages putting on plays and other displays. This year a rumour has gone about that one of these side shows has acquired an artefact that can make any wish come true, although this is most likely nonsense as both arcane and religious scholars have quashed the notion that such a thing could even exist.
Oop Ack Eep - Tom L
Cleo Leora FitzGraves- Anna S
Emily Anara- Steph
Hardy Quinn- Seb
Ket Ashum- Dan
The party head to the College of the Star’s where Florence “Folly” Haversham was last seen. They are accompanied by “Bill” a mysterious cloaked figure, who they suspect is a cloaked monkey on a pair of stilts. Asking around they find that Folly had been investigating the disappearance of her half brother, Claude, and that the porter has had some trouble with a small golden monkey that has been stealing mana crystals. As they investigate Folly’s room a small golden monkey leaps in through a window and points vigorously to a drawer in the desk. Inside they find a letter from the Church of the Stanchion, some magical research notes, a pamphlet for Skeleton Bob’s Spooky Travelling Emporium and a mummified monkey paw with on broken finger. They conclude that the small golden monkey is probably Folly, who was transformed by making a wish on the monkey paw. They head off the find the Emporium, which is next due in one of the villages just outside the city.
On meeting Skeleton Bob he reveals that he is a priest of the Jubilant Mask, who has been tasked with gathering up all of the malicious artefacts his god released on the world during his madness. The monkey's paw is one of these and it grants the wishes of anyone holding it but will always pervert those wishes. It was recently stolen from him by a foolish noblewoman. A creepy old lady travelling with the Emporium informs the party that the only way to undo the wishes is to return the paw to its original owner, a rare breed of blue striped monkey that lives in the hot springs of the blue peak mountains. Oop Ack Eep foolishly wishes for more magical power and finds he is now able to cast lightning bolt but has no control over when. As Hardy grabs the paw away Oop wishes for everyone to be monkeys, at which point everyone within a 5 metre radius is spontaneously transformed into red stripe monkeys. As the party leave the old woman gives them a set of masks that will make them appear like blue stripe monkeys.
On the way to blue peaks Oop is killed by a group of clawfiends. Left with no choice but to use the paw again, Hardy wishes that Oop was alive and able to speak. Oop is spontaneously transformed into an undead human. Further along the party run into some red stripe monkeys, who eat some of Oop’s organs and detach Emily’s arm to use to play her metal skeleton form like a glockenspiel. Eventually the party deal with the monkeys. Folly seems upset by the fact that returning the paw will undo all the wishes, including that which has brought Oop back to life.
Eventually the party find the blue stripes facing off against the red stripes. After some fighting, Hardy returns the paw to an elderly blue stripe monkey that is missing one paw. As it reattaches to its original owner the party and Folly are all restored to their original forms, including Oop, who, much to Emily’s distress, turns back into a dead gorilla.
Ket heads off to search for a dress for Folly, whose clothes did not seem to transform in her monkey form, and a cart to transport Oop’s poor broken body back to Acryn. He is very confused when the cart starts to fall apart as they leave the flux. Back in Acryn the party look for Oop’s family in order to return his body, having no luck at either of the colleges. Eventually the wayfinder’s guild gets in touch to say that they can bring the body to them. They are met by a creepy man named Micello, who claims Oop is his “child”. Hardy questions Micello if he knows anything about him but he claims Hardy is not one of his children. As they leave Oop’s body is dragged into a back room and from within they hear an ominous “Ook”.
The party return to the Adventurer’s Guild, who are happy to pay them 18 riel each as Folly is clearly alive and well. They run into Rupus Regio, who recognises Bill as Mister Scampers. At this point Bill casts off his disguise to reveal a tiny golden monkey on a pair of stilts. The party are convinced that Bill/Mister Scampers is actually Folly’s missing brother who has through some magical accident been transformed into a monkey but they have no way to prove it. This is further evidenced by the fact that Folly’s wish appears to have been to find out what happened to her brother.
Hardy goes to the college and collects the 8 riel promised for solving their “monkey problem’. Cleo talks to her family about whether they are willing to accept her yet. Whilst it seems she has not done quite enough, she does now have the backing of a minor noble. Emily tracks down the family of the poor dead merchant and tells them where to find the place they buried his body.
All receive 18 riel from the Adventurer's Guild and whatever share they received from looting the dead merchant. Hardy receives an additional 8 riel. Cleo may call on the support of Angelica Haversham in her efforts to be acknowledged. Although her family is relatively minor she does have some connections.