The merry-go-round: merry we go again!

Here is a little adventure which is completely optional for the Scenario. It also totally infringes the copyright – We recognise it… But that one is so « huge » that we could not resist! – of the equivalent section in The Secret of Monkey Island, the famous computer game of Lucas Art.

That adventure can, however, be useful since it'll grant its « guinea pig » quite a little lump of money the quick way - And not too dirty, we hope! One will admit that money makes everything easier, doesn't it?! Moreover, the circus of the Camarra Brothers may later on prove useful, even if not in a very obvious way at first!

The Camarra Brothers' Circus

The circus is managed by the two Camarra Brothers, Tonio and Claudio, inseparable and very talkative. Usually they live close to Nice Borrough but they came the evening before to Chedham to assemble their good old tent for the circus show tonight, as every year for the Pork Fair.

During the afternoon, they move around in the crowd and gesticulate all the afternoon in order to engage someone who would help them « fine tune » the gun load for the cannonball-man show, the highlight of the evening as every year for the Pork Fair… This year, in a storm, part of their house collapsed and damaged the gun, so they tell to the audience. It is now repaired but they cannot be sure about the setup and cannot do the test if they're only two… In fact, one of the two has to manage the firing of the gun, the other has to position and move, if needed, the big thick matress for the landing of the cannonball-man. So obviously, one more is required to do « the easiest part of the job, that is the cannonball-man »… Though they themselves fully support their own point of view, strangely enough, rare are the ones who listen to the complete argument! The oldest ones remember well that the show almost turn to tragedy once in the past. That time was Claudio himself in the role of the cannonball, only protected by a DIY-helmet made from a colander…

They learn about the late-morning events involving Poerava, so that very likely, wherever they are, they will search for those « courageous young boys and girls, whom nor water nor fire, nor the pungent smell of gunpowder, etc. frighten… » to propose them to quickly earn quite a nice amount for young people of their age. The'll accept only one guinea pig, « There won't be enough place for everyone but friends can come to witness and give a hand to Tonio to move around with the matress according to the situation. Moreover, that's going to be a minimal commitment, since it only goes about making the test; we make the show tonight at any rate! », do they add to conclude the negociation. So it's a deal, isn't it?

The smell of gunpowder

If one of them accepts, the team decide to meet as soon as possible in the show tent of the circus to set up the gun…

This is a simple exercice: the cannonball man puts on his (or her - One never knows!) head what seems to be a kind of helmet (or any salad bowl which he would judge more adapted to the task…), then enters in the armed gun containing a metal plate and the gunpowder charge below. The gunner, this time Claudio, is ready to fire and the others place themselves with Tonio behind the matress to move it forward, backward or to the sides very quickly in function of the trajectory taken by the cannonball man when Claudio will fire.

For the cannonball man, a Roll versus « Got a Nerve! + Balance / Acrobatics » is necessary to stand firm to the test until the very last moment. The great gun is, one has to admit, a little intimidating… By the way, for those who would like to know, Claudio and Tonio do not keep secret where they got the gun from: it comes from the « Suzon », the Governor's Ship. They got it a long time ago, shortly before the Governor ordered to anchor his Ship in the middle of the Convict's Creek.

For the ones in charge of moving the matress around, a proof of « Perception + Balance / Acrobatics » would do. That Roll is to be done in Coordinated Action and, actually, that's not necessarily in group that the Success prospects are the highest since Tonio is somewhat fidgety and unpredictable… Proceed with the Roll as for a Coordinated Action with a Malus of three to take that into account.

To ensure a proper landing without pain, the cannonbal man has to succeed to a next Roll versus « Nimbleness + Balance / Acrobatics » with a Bonus of three if the matress has properly been placed, no Bonus otherwise and even a Malus of three if placing the matress was met with a Critical Failure.

Finally, if the landing is a Critical Success, the cannonball man takes no Damage. If it's a Normal Success, minor Damage is taken and one level of « Just Fine! » is lost. If it's a Failure, he falls only half on the matress - that is already half outside of it - and take one level of « Ouch, as if… ». At last, if the Failure is Critical, he falls completely outside or completely de travers and gets really hurt: he takes one level of « See the Stars?! ».

Whatever happens, no mortal accident should occur during the test, which may be implemented twice if necessary (the salary is then also doubled), that is, if the first tries results in a « See the Stars?! ». It is up to the guinea pig to decide, or up to his firends, if they are ready for a second try! The salary includes thenadditional ten Pesetes in total to be share among those who helped moving the matress, tax excluded, since for sure the Camarra Brothers will not declare the expense. As for the the sixty Pesetes per shot for the cannonball man, by the way, since they'll have to declare such a big expense for their circus, it'll be necessary to discount taxes, which results in a net income of fifty-two Pesetes and eight Coinlets… Of course, this part of the story comes only now. That's probably a bit of a surprise for our friends the Players but one can call that the fee of a life course on the job or what do you think?!