The Lucky Monkey

25 November, 595

Instead of resting longer to recover lost spells, the group pushes onward. As they travel along the edge of the jungle, they notice a pack of baboons following them alongside the treeline. This happens multiple times during the journey, but nothing else interesting happens.

As they get close to the roadhouse, Sonja scouts ahead to investigate. She reports that a skirmish was fought at the inn and a pile of dead bodies are around back of the building. She also mentions that a pair of dinosaurs are feasting on the corpses.

The group avoids the dinosaurs and finds shelter for their horses in the stables. Hearing noises and carousing, they break their way into the inn using a side door and Salla's axe. They find the inside of the building in disarray and can make out drunken voices coming from the common room. Bursting in, they catch a group of hillfolk and rogue-types off-guard. Once they figure out that the party doesn't belong there, they move about to attack. It is a long battle, but the opponents are killed without too much trouble, and a girl is taken captive. She reveals that the "monkey-man" is in the kitchen and he likely has killed Sarcem. Baxtor pushes her forward toward the kitchen but she resists and attempts to fight free. Baxtor knocks her silly with his mace, and Sonja finishes the job by impaling the girl on her sword.

Some noises are heard from a private dining room, and they find a man and a woman making whoopee on the table. Alastriel grabs their equipment away before they can reach it, and they surrender, still naked. The two are questioned and the man is not very cooperative until Salla bashes his knees with a mace. From that they learn that the monkey man is a werebaboon named Tongueeater, and that he has supposedly already slain the high priest. The thugs were hired by a woman named Triel, who rumor has it was a former town guard member. Tongueeater's job was to assassinate Sarcem, and they were to help him do it. The two are tied to a chair and left in the room. A message is sent to Jenya using the feather token:

Sarcem killed by Tongueeater. Woman Triel from town guard responsible.

A plot is hatched to assault the kitchen from 3 sides. Alastriel and Sonja are to approach from the skybridge, and the others will come in from the side doors when they hear a fireball go off. Alastriel and Sonja have to creep along the bridge to avoid being seen by the baboons in the courtyard below. Alastriel drinks a potion of Invisibility to help her out. Unfortunately they make some noise as they cross and the monkeys become excited.

Alastriel throws her fireball and the rest of the group pours into the room, now facing off against 8 crazed baboons and a large man with a baboon head. In one hand he holds a large falchion, and in the other a severed human head. He drinks a potion and becomes blurry, then gives a loud scream. But Baxtor casts a spell which causes the creature to fall unconscious for a short time. This proves fortuitous as the fighters in the group stab furiously with their weapons. In the meantime, Alastriel gets mauled by a monkey while sniping from the bridge. Sonja rushes to her aid but not before the wizardess loses consciousness. Finally, Tongueeater is defeated and the remaining baboons disperse. Alastriel is revived.