Chapter 14: Celebrity Impressions

Of all the places Ewan has traveled, China is his favorite.

After doing some run around type errands for the Academy, they finally tell him he'll need to consult someone in France to discover the meaning of the vision he had in the DRagon Cave and continue his quest. In the meantime, he gets a call from one Wang Bo Wong who says he interested in hiring a strong, handsome adventurer. Given Wang Bo's demeanor when he answers the call Ewan worries he's gotten in over his head, but Wang Bo wants him to retrieve a relic from the First Emperor's tomb. Not a problem.

Ewan find and delivers the relic, the spends his remaining days in China at the Academy practicing martial arts. Wang Bo Wong stalks him there.

Wang Bo eventually gets the nerve up to ask Ewan to spar with him. Ewan goes easy on his lovestruck stalker, knowing Wang Bo has never practiced the martial arts until today. After his easy win, Ewan decides it's time to return home to his wife.

On Ewan's return home, he finds himself thrust into the world of celebrity parties. Allyson has been invited to Maricela Goldbeard's formal shindig, and she wants Ewan by her side.

"It doesn't look good that you are never seen out with me," she explains when he protests.

When they arrive at the party, Maricela complains to Allyson about her hunger.

"Serving food might help with that," Allyson suggests, but Maricela doesn't take the hint, and she and her guests continue to starve.

Allyson is already good friends with Maricela, who is just a monor celebrity like herself. Her ultimate purpose at this party is to impress Shon Inkbeard, one of Barnacle Bay's top stars. Shon is immediately impressed with Allyson's breasts.

Ewan does not all get what the big deal about Shon Inkbeard is, and he doesn't like him hovering over his wife.

Ewan marks his territory clearly and unmistakably. Shon Inkbeard backs off. "This is a dreadful party," Allyson whispers, "Take me home."

Ewan can't get her home fast enough. He'll never understand why she has to work so hard to impress big celebrities; if they can't immediately recognize her worth the way he does, they aren't worth the trouble.

Having Allyson as his audience is far preferable to being stalked by Wang Bo Wong.

That night Allyson is invited to another celebrity, hosted by Dax Caliente, a young actor. Though he has no swimming pool, Dax insisted everyone wear swimsuits to his party. There is no food, no music, his guests are falling asleep on their feet and Dax is concerned about his broken PC.

Not much of a partier, Ewan does something productive with his time, fixing the broken computer.

Dax is and old friend of Allyson's, and they work together at the studio, so she has no need to impress him. There are other celebrities here who she doesn't know well, however, who she needs to schmooze with.

Once Allyson moves off to find other celebrities, Ewan moves in to assess the threat posed by this young actor. Dax is the town heartthrob, and Ewan can't help but be a bit concerned about his wife's close relationship with him.

Ewan's fears are quickly allayed in a brief conversation; Dax is clearly an idiot and far too whiney to interest Allyson.

Allyson has been working hard to get friendly with her cousin Grace, but nothing seems to move the young musician. Though they are cousins and have lived next door to each other all their lives, Grace has always been cold to her. Frustrated, Allyson gives up on Grace and watches her husband interrogate poor Dax.

Ewan promised Allyson he'd spend more time at home, but MorcuCorp has been putting even greater pressure on him than his wife has, so Ewan returns to Egypt to finish the job he started. He schmoozes the Madbouli family to gain entry in their home, then, excusing himself to use the 'bathroom', he sneaks into their basement library. Another break and entry job for MorcuCorp. Ewan finds the book they sent him to retrieve (along with a few artifacts he found along the way) and leaves quickly.

MorcuCorp sends him to deliver the book to a local who can translate it. She clearly expresses her distaste at doing any work for MorcuCorp, but the money is good, so she receives his delivery. While he talks to her, Ewan notices a strange man taking notes. At first he fears it's Egyptian government spying on his activities, but, no, it's just the Al Simharan paparazzi, thrilled to have the spouse of Allyson McDermott in their little town.

When the book is translated, MorcuCorp sends Ewan on another mission, into a tomb to retrieve a lost relic. Ewan's looting disturbs a mummy. Mummies are notoriously slow and stupid, so while Ewan would love to fight and defeat one, he doesn't get a chance. The Sim Fu code says the Sim Fu practitioner must never start fights, and the slow stupid mummy just shambles around aimlessly, not obliging Ewan's desire to kick his ass. Getting bored with waiting, Ewan takes his relics and returns to his MorcuCorp contact.

Finished for the moment with MorcuCorp, Ewan gets a call from a local named Sopdu Hawas who wishes to meet him in the graveyard. Sopdu is nervous and insists on meeting in cover of a large bush. Ewan hopes he's not getting into another Wang Bo Wong situation.

It turns out Sopdu is part of a group working against MorcuCorp, and they want Ewan's help. Ewan suspects at first this might be a MorcuCorp spy sent to test his loyalty, but Ewan has no loyalty to MorcuCoro and has no fear of showing it, and he takes Sopdu's mission. First, he has to retrieve some mummmitorium, and then plant that mummitorium in MorcuCorp's headquarters as a bribe for some guards Sopdu's group is trying to buy off.

With the mummitorium in hand, Ewan infiltrates the MorcuCorp headquarters. In some guy's garage.

After getting past the traps and locked doors hidden in the secret basement beneath the garage, Ewan finds the chest where he must place the bribe. The burglar alarms do nothing.

Then Sopdu has him hack into MorcuCorp's computer to download secret files.

Emerging back into the garage, Ewan is discovered by a young boy.

"Hey, mister, what are you doing in our garage?"

"I'm, uh, the bicycle repairman. I'm here to fix your bikes."

Ewan could be the centerfold for Adventurer's Monthly.

The files he downloaded from MorcuCorps computer indicate that they will next be going after the Relic of Life. Sopdu sends Ewan to retrieve this relic before MorcuCorp can get it.

After a successful mission defying MorcuCorp, Ewan returns home to an angry Allyson.

"Do you even know that today is Shepard's birthday? Do you even care?"

Of course he knows, he made a point of being home in time to celebrate his son's birthday. And he promises to spend more time at home and less time adventuring. But will he be able to keep that promise? Ewan is already thinking about his next trip to France to seek answers about his Dragon Cave vision.

Challenge Notes:

Since this is my third time playing the adventures, actually doing them is sort of a grind, and I forget to take many pictures of the tombs.

Shepard will be a toddler next time I play, and it will be time to start the Perfect Children thing with him.