Hooligans: Adventures Recounted

Ten: Local Depressed Teen Possessed by Mouth Demon

When the party came to consciousness, they could hear distant, whimsical music. It was unlike any other - distinct in their minds as carnival music. They gathered their belongings, and set out, following the curve of the rock walls for some time until they could see multicolored light somewhere ahead. They exited the passageway and emerged into a small chamber, the floor of which had been splattered with blood of both red and green. They followed this gruesome trail with their eyes to its source - the lifeless form of Lunk, the local goblin guardsman, impaled into the wall by a greatsword. Unsure of themselves, the party was hesitant to move forward, though the carnival music was explosively loud by this point.

Oswin stepped forward, gripping the hilt of the sword and pulling it out of the wall. Lunk came with it, and Oswin had to give the sword a good shake for the body to fall away. It dropped to the cavern floor with a placid thump, and the party stepped around it. Through the natural opening in the wall, the party found the source of the incessant music - a carnival, manned entirely by enemy Kuo-Toa.

This chamber was quite large, and well-lit for once. Torches lined the walls, creating an eerie flickering illumination over the various booths and games. River and Aylin were first to inch forward, approaching the Kuo Toa that stood at the information desk. Its eyes were glossy-grey, and it wore an expression of intense nothingness. Aylin waved her hand in front of its eyes, and it didn't make any move to stop her. River surveyed the games, reading the signs above them which were painted in bright red and yellow. There were Whack-A-Toa, Toa-Toss, Pin the Spear on the Toa, and Pop the Toa. In the back were what looked like a set of winding, twisted tracks, atop which sat an elaborately decorated set of seats.

They milled about for a while, trying out some of the games and even winning some copper, but feeling like there was something they were missing. The Kuo Toa remained unresponsive, until the party decided to approach the rollercoaster. They regrouped, leaving the games behind, and made their way over to the tracks. Two Kuo Toa came forward, stepping out of the shadows rolling a large structure obscured under a tarp. When they removed the fabric, the party beheld a wheel, on which were two pictures - one of Fortin Hara, and one of Bromash.

The lights in the cave went out, save one, which served as a spotlight on the wheel as it began to spin, slowly at first, and then faster than the eye could trace. A voice boomed through the darkness, deep and sinister, calling out, "Welcome to the main event - a battle to the death! Your party will fight whoever the wheel desires. Survive, and kill your opponent, or die, and evil will reign!" Maniacal laughter followed. The wheel slammed to a stop on the portrait of Bromash.

The sound of labored footsteps echoed in the cavern, and Bromash stepped into the light, his face wearing the same expression as that of the Kuo Toa. Unsure of what to do, the party kept their weapons sheathed as the unknown voice continued laughing and the lights in the cavern flickered back into a low light. He held out his palm, summoning his sword, which flew out of its bindings on Oswin's back and into Bromash's hand. He rushed Corus first, who didn't have time to react as the blade slashed across his chest.

Aylin stepped forward, holding out her hand with the palm facing Bromash, who advanced on her. "I don't think so, friend," she said, words laced with magic. Bromash stopped in his tracks as a light blue mist formed around his eyes - he was charmed. Quickly, Aera and Corus bound his arms with their ropes, successfully incapacitating him while Aylin held the spell. The voice above sputtered, and all the lights came on suddenly.

A door opened somewhere ahead, and a strange little creature came skittering out. It was a giant crab, but atop its legs sat a gnomish form. It was grotesque, coming forward to the party and standing a short distance away as it called out to them. "That's hardly a fair move, adventurers!" it cried, "Undo his ties at once!"