Happy Jack's Funhouse (level 20)

About the adventure

Happy Jack arrived a few days ago, carrying a green and red checkerboard satchel and riding a horse whose saddle is festooned with jingle bells of all sizes. As Happy Jack rode into the village, he waved, laughed, and tossed small candies to the youngsters who came to see him riding the jingling horse. He tied his horse to the hitching post at the local tavern, left a few fliers about his Funhouse, and received permission from the mayor to set up his exhibit in the town square. He promised fun, tasty foods, brilliant lights, music, and, of course, a Funhouse to enter and explore. The mayor gladly accepted; she’d seen Happy Jack perform when they were both younger, as a standalone magic tricks and joke show on a street corner. The mayor recalled the joy it had brought her. A smile formed across her face as she gave Happy Jack permission. Happy Jack placed his satchel along a far side of the town square and spoke the words “Let the fun begin!” The satchel hopped about the ground and unfolded into a 20-foot-tall, 60-foot-wide, and 2-foot-deep building painted with pink hippos, a swarm of snakes, a mechanical man carrying a strange tool or weapon, and hundreds of multi-col­ored dots the size of cantaloupes. All around a 15- foot tall, 15-foot-wide smiling face, its mouth open and painted black. Jack then removed a small wooden toy from his pocket, placed it on the ground, and snapped his fingers. The small toy grew into a cart large enough to hold 9 people. The cart sat on two metal rails, but the rails didn’t lead anywhere. They stopped at the front and rear of the cart. The village had a fantastic time the first day. Every­one enjoyed the rare foods: feather candy, sweet dogs, candied apples, sticky corn, and deep-fried pies. The main attraction and the bizarre way of entering it was a hit, too. To enter the 1-foot-thick Funhouse, you had to sit in the cart. Once you pulled the safety harness tight, the rails under the cart extended into a massive, twisted metal framework, which the cart rode upon at great speeds. The cart ride featured tight turns, looping loops, and steep drops throughout town until riders reached the painted mouth of Happy Jack’s Funhouse. When the cart hit the mouth, a bright light flashed, and a voice yelled out “Yum!” allowing the cart to enter a pocket dimension lead­ing to the real Happy Jack’s Funhouse. Once inside, the villagers experienced all manner of oddity and supernatural – a hippopotamus, a snake person, a slippy-slide, a mirrored room, a mechani­cal man, a pit filled with colorful balls. Little did the village know that Happy Jack was about to succumb to a horrible plot woven by his mentor, Reaver. The old hag, disguised as a carnival worker, had been twisting Jack’s mind for years. Jack broke a day ago. His mind and body believe he needs a child’s laughter to make him happy, to feel alive. Jack has abducted many of the children in the village, keeping them entertained in the lower level of his Funhouse.