Puppet Show The Monkey's Paw
The Monkey's Paw is a priceless Monquistan relic that the player is sent to collect in Pirate101. Though it seems harmless enough, the Paw wields great power- a power that can easily turn against someone if it were to fall into the wrong hands.
History[]
Before the events of Pirate101, the Monkey's Paw was just that- the hand of a Monquistan. To be precise, it was the preserved left hand of Saint Bonzo the Unfortunate- a Monquistan bishop that lived three times (and was executed all three times) during the Great Reconciliation of the Holy Monquisition. Having been blessed by the First Banana Tree, Bonzo worked many miracles before his third and final death via boiling in hot oil.
Following his death, Bonzo's hand was fixed to the end of a golden scepter and still retained holy, miracle-granting powers. The most noteworthy was its wish-granting power. According to Pancho Stanza, "any Monquistan who holds it may make three wishes, which are granted by divine grace"; however, there is a drawback- if the Monquistan making the wishes has an impure soul, then the wishes will back-fire and bring only sadness instead of happiness.
So it was with Stanza's master- Monkey Hotay, a former retainer to the lord of La Mancha. Monkey Hotay had been sent on a great quest to claim the Monkey's Paw and bring both fame and power to his lord and country. Facing Ettins, Dragons and several other dangers, Monkey Hotay claimed the Paw and took it back to La Mancha. It was then that the troubles began, not just for Monkey Hotay, but for the whole of La Mancha.
Monkey Hotay, tempted by the power the Paw possessed, made two wishes- a wish for one million bananas (due to extreme hunger) and a wish to become a Don (a wish to be Don Kehotay). The second wish backfired almost immediately, as Monkey Hotay was transformed into Donkey Hotay- from a monkey to a Donkey. He was driven insane by the transformation, but this was only the start of the problems.
One million bananas- though it's not much more than a massive meal that can be enjoyed for a few months to any other nation, in Monquista, this many bananas is a veritable treasure trove! Thus, as the first wish backfired, so did this one, as word spread quickly of La Mancha's vast treasures. Every lord in Monquista stormed La Mancha's land for a cut of the loot, prompting the War of La Mancha. During the scuffle, the Monkey's Paw was stolen from La Mancha and, after changing hands countless times, fell into the hands of House Valvida- to be precise, it landed into the hands of the three Valvida Brothers: Martin Valvida, Moresco de Valvida and Mendez de Valvida (a fact later accounted in a book written by Saavedra, a historian, that was later censored by the crown, with the only copy ending up in the Great Library of Saint Horace in Monquista City, as reported by Antonio de Miranda- a former veteran of the War of La Mancha and a hermit).
With their treasure in hand (no pun intended), the three brothers and their loyal troops fled for their home in Gibbonia on-board the Cornelius. Alas, they never made it, as a storm sent them spiraling off-course and crashing into Diablo's Cut- a barren wasteland.
At first, the Valvida brothers and their soldiers held on to hope that they would be discovered; alas, as time went on (with days turning into weeks), the Monquistans realized there was no hope for them. Their food supplies were dangerously low so, backed into a corner, Martin looked to the Paw for salvation. He wished "for something to eat"; however, his heart, tainted with impurity following the War of La Mancha, turned his own wish against him. Red vines grew all over, but they grew to consume the Monquistans, not to be consumed! With the vines turning against them, the survivors (among them all three of the Valvida Brothers) fled into the nearby Cavern of the Crescent Moon.
With guilt heavy upon them and other worries piling up, the brothers each made one wish apiece, hoping to better things, but finding only devastation. Martin wished to bring back his fallen soldiers, but they rose as undead monsters and ended up consuming half of the surviving soldiers and Don Martin himself. Mendez, being the youngest, wished for something simple- water; alas, he had been corrupted from the war, so his wish awakened a monster that swam in the depths, which proceeded to drown every soldier that came too close to the pool. Horrified by these events, Moresco wished for wings to let him and the other soldiers fly away from this nightmare; like his brothers, he had his wish corrupted also and (along with the other soldiers) he was transformed into a part-demon monkey.
Fearful of what other terrors the Paw could bring, Mendez- the only one who remained untainted by a curse -took the Paw and hid it (along with what supplies he could scrounge) away in a locked chamber protected by a door that required three keys to open. He waited there for someone to rescue him (or take the Paw, as he knew someone would- whichever came first, really). As he waited, he crafted a series of fake-out paws to test someone if they made it to the Chamber of the Paw; of course, he failed to realize that each fake-out paw was of a different species (i.e. bird, pig, squid, etc.), so this test would eventually fail.
Several years later, during the events of Pirate101, the player is tasked by the Opposition to obtain the Monkey's Paw so that the revolution runs more smoothly in the rebels' favor. Naturally, this is easier said than done, as the Paw is already gone from La Mancha! After some hard work- delivering of books, fighting off Monquistadors, slinking through Monquista City's sewers and the like -the player learns the Paw is in Diablo Cut. Going in, the player is warned several times to turn back. Despite the warnings, the player continues on and, upon dealing with the last wishes of the Paw gone awry, the player acquires the Paw.
The players gives the Paw to Gortex and ex-queen Eleanor who plan to use it for the opposition. It hinted that they can resist the temptation to use the paw, thus, this becomes a great advantage for the opposition.
A wish bringing despair if the wisher has an impure soul
This is the script for the play "The Monkey's Paw".
Script[]
(As the play begins, a golden monkey's paw is briefly displayed; it is soon replaced by Monquista City, where a Monquistan bishop walks by, only to end up shot by several Monquistadors; he returns with a halo over his head, but ends up hung; he returns with TWO halos the final time before being boiled alive in acid)
Pancho Stanza: The Monkey's Paw is a sacred relic- the preserved hand of Saint Bonzo the Unfortunate, martyred no less than three times during the Great Reconciliation of the Holy Church.
(Bonzo stands beneath a banana tree; upon claiming a banana, he lifts his hand- which glows with holy power -and causes life-giving rain to appear)
Blessed by the First Banana Tree, Bonzo worked many miracles before his third and final death.
After his death, Bonzo's hand was fixed to the end of a golden scepter and retains miraculous powers to this day.
Any Monquistan who holds it may make three wishes, which are granted by divine grace.
But, if their soul is not pure, the wishes will bring them despair instead of happiness.
So it was, with my master...
Monkey Hotay, a retainer of the lord of La Mancha, undertook a great quest to retrieve the Paw.
After facing many trials, he found the Paw and brought it back to La Mancha.
He was tasked to bring the Paw to his lord, but could not resist temptation. He made two wishes and despair followed.
For his first wish, my lord asked for one million bananas. He was hungry, you see.
For his second wish, my lord sought power. He wished to become a don- a lord. He wished to become Don Kehotay. But this did not happen.
Instead of "Don Kehotay", he became "Donkey Hotay"- transformed from a Monquistan into a Donkey.
The transformation drove him mad, but this was just the beginning of the troubles.
One million bananas- this is an unimaginably rich hoard.
Word spread quickly of La Mancha's priceless heap of bananas and every lord in Monquista came for a share of the treasure.
The war that followed devastated La Mancha, leaving it empty and without a lord.
(Final image displays a confused Donkey Hotay standing with a stuffed horse toy in his hand, in the ruins of La Mancha)
Thus, you find it, and my master.