Questionably Soteriological: A Puzzle/Mystery Quest with Kids, Science, and Fun!

causticAccolade · Apr 22, 2016

QUESTIONABLY SOTERIOLOGICAL

"Strange as it may seem, I still hope for the best, even though the best, like an interesting piece of mail, so rarely arrives, and even when it does it can be lost so easily." - Lemony Snicket

It's that old narrative cliché, one you're deeply familiar with. The protagonist wakes up alone, in a room, with no memory of how they got there. It's a tired old trope that's seen hundreds of uses. However, your genre savviness seems to have done nothing to prevent whatever circumstances led to your current position: You're lying on the cold, hard, ground.

You can't quite remember how you got here. As your eyes slowly open, the blinding white of the room around you makes you feel like a lamp is shining in your face like a captured criminal in a cop drama. The room you're in is white, almost blindingly so, from floor to ceiling, lit by clinical-looking strip lights. The room has one DOOR and NO WINDOWS. You think that you're going to have to get out of here as soon as you possibly can, but first, you're going to have to clear your head a little. Why, you can barely even remember who you are! At least you know your age... you think.

You are eleven years old, and you are a...

[] Boy
[] Girl
[] You don't conform to the gender binary at all!

Although you have many great qualities, you are particularly skilled in two areas:

[Pick any two]
[] GUMPTION. You are shrewd, resourceful, and full of initiative. With high GUMPTION, you can make the most of resources and CRAFT more ITEMS.
[] MOXIE. You are charming, charismatic, and have a strong presence. With high MOXIE, you can easily make an impression on others and get people to see your point of view.
[] ACUMEN. You are intelligent, witty, and well-read. With high ACUMEN, you have a wide base of general knowledge and think quicker on your feet.
[] VIGOR. You are spirited, brave, and determined. With high VIGOR, you can be extremely brave in the face of danger and take a lot of hits before going down.
[] NIMBLENESS. You are agile, acrobatic, and fast. With high NIMBLENESS, you can run faster, jump higher, and generally pull off neat parkour moves.
[] FISTICUFFS. You are belligerent, strong, and skilled in combat. With high FISTICUFFS, you can fight effectively and display impressive feats of strength.

Despite awakening in a strange place, you still have something familiar with you:

[Pick one]
[] BASEBALL BAT. Your trusty BASEBALL BAT, with which you played a good variety of baseball-related sports, like baseball, and, uh, nope, that's it. Has all the benefits of a large stick or makeshift weapon, and makes you seem athletic to boot!
[] MAGNIFYING GLASS. You've always liked to think of yourself as a junior sleuth. Your handy MAGNIFYING GLASS is helpful for seeing all sorts of cool things that, like you, are often considered too small to be worth noticing.
[] VIOLIN CASE. You've always had a passion for music and playing your trusty VIOLIN. You consider yourself the next Mozart, but perhaps those goals are a little lofty. You might have to settle for the next Ringo Starr.
[] SLINGSHOT. You're a darned rapscallion, the elderly yell at you as you trespass on their lawns and fire pebbles from your SLINGSHOT at trees and lamps. But even they have to admit you're a rapscallion with good aim.

Once you've worked out who you are, your first goal will probably be to leave this room. Then, to work out where you are and how you got here. So begins QUESTIONABLY SOTERIOLOGICAL.

Hello, this is causticAccolade, I'm completely new to Sufficient Velocity and questing in general, but I've had this little idea kicking around for a while for a mystery story in the style of something like Problem Sleuth, with hints of Portal and A Series Of Unfortunate Events. For the most part, I'll be running this a little like an old-school text adventure or RPG. There will be some rolling and pre-set options, but for the most part I want to leave puzzle solving, decision-making, and the direction things go up to you guys! Here's to hoping that this little experiment goes well!

causticAccolade · Apr 22, 2016

CHARACTER SHEETS

LUCY

NAME: Lucy Calloway
GENDER: Female
AGE: 11 tender years
APPEARANCE: A slightly tall lanky child with brown eyes and a black bobbed haircut.
CLASS: JUNIOR SLEUTH
LVL: 4
STATUS: Almost completely human
VITALITY: 300/300
ÉLAN: 157/250 [+25]
ASCENDANCY:20/200
LOST: MARGINALLY
CONFUSED: PROGRESSIVELY
WORRIED: EXTREMELY

MARI

NAME: Marinette Brighton
GENDER: Female
AGE: 12 jaded years
APPEARANCE: A pale girl with red hair tied up in blue ribbons.
CLASS: DAREDEVIL DAEDALUS
LVL: 4
STATUS:
VITALITY: 425/450
ÉLAN: 286/350
ASCENDANCY:???/???
LOST: RATHER
CONFUSED: SLIGHTLY
WORRIED: QUIETLY

OWEN

NAME: Owen Juan Martinez
GENDER: Male
AGE: 11 years of good luck
APPEARANCE: A tall, skinny boy with messy blond hair that goes all over the place.
CLASS: JACK-OF-QUITE-A-FEW-TRADES
LVL: 4
STATUS:
VITALITY: 230/250
ÉLAN: 225/225
ASCENDANCY:0/200
LOST: PERMANENTLY
CONFUSED: BUT ACCEPTING
WORRIED: CHANNELLED INTO IRRITATION

KALA

NAME: Kala Mehrotra
GENDER: Female
AGE: 10 miserable years
APPEARANCE: A short, slight girl with silky black hair who flickers in an out of being.
CLASS: CLANDESTINE CONSPIRATOR
LVL: 4
STATUS: Mostly human
VITALITY: 200/300
ÉLAN: 10/225
ASENDANCY:75/250
LOST: NOT AT ALL
CONFUSED: PAST THAT POINT
WORRIED: INHERENTLY

LUCY

SLOT 1: [FLASHLIGHT]
SLOT 2: [PEN & NOTEPAD]
SLOT 3: [GREEN MARKER]
SLOT 4: [PURSE (CONTAINS MAKEUP, TISSUES, CRAYONS, LIST OF CAMERA BLINDSPOTS, DRAWING OF AN EYE, TWENTY DOLLARS)]
SLOT 5: [EMPTY]
EQUIPPED ITEM: VIOLIN CASE
EQUIPPED WEAPON: NONE
EQUIPPED GARB: HELSINKI AESTHETIC [5% VITALITY DAMAGE REDUCTION, -5 NIMBLENESS]
EQUIPPED HEADGEAR: CROWN OF POSEIDON [+9 MOXIE, -5 NIMBLENESS]
EQUIPPED EYEWEAR: HELSINKI STYLE [+5 MOXIE, POOR LOW-LIGHT VISION, ????]
EQUIPPED FINERY: VERY SOFT CAT [+25 ÉLAN]
EQUIPPED FOOTWEAR: NONE
GARB MEDLEY: WHAT THE HELSINKI? [+5 VIGOR]

MARI

SLOT 1: [NET]
SLOT 2: [GOLD CROWBAR]
SLOT 3: [FIRST AID KIT]
SLOT 4: [DR ANKARA'S KEYCARD]
SLOT 5: [EMPTY]
EQUIPPED ITEM: EXPENSIVE HAIRPINS
EQUIPPED WEAPON: SCREWDRIVER [5% CRIT CHANCE]
EQUIPPED GARB: PRIVATE SCHOOL UNIFORM
EQUIPPED HEADGEAR: INVENTOR'S HAIR RIBBON [+5 GUMPTION]
EQUIPPED EYEWEAR: NONE
EQUIPPED FINERY: NONE
EQUIPPED FOOTWEAR: NONE

OWEN

SLOT 1: [CAN OPENER]
SLOT 2: [CANNED CHICKEN]
SLOT 3: [EMPTY]
SLOT 4: [GRAPPLING HOOK]
SLOT 5: [SHOVEL]
EQUIPPED ITEM: LUCKY BASEBALL [+10 LUCK, REVEALS LUCK STAT]
EQUIPPED WEAPON: TRIDENT [+10% FISTICUFFS, 10% CRIT CHANCE, X2 REACH]
EQUIPPED GARB: INSTITUTE GOWN
EQUIPPED HEADGEAR: NONE
EQUIPPED EYEWEAR: NONE
EQUIPPED FINERY: NONE
EQUIPPED FOOTWEAR: SNEAKERS [+5 NIMBLENESS]

KALA

SLOT 1: [BALL OF SILVER THREAD]
SLOT 2: [HELSINKI'S MISSING JOURNALS]
SLOT 3: [HALF-EATEN CAN OF PEACHES]
SLOT 4: [SMALL PACK OF RED CRAYONS]
SLOT 5: [EMPTY]
EQUIPPED ITEM: RED MARKER [-50% ÉLAN DAMAGE, CAN ONLY BE EQUIPPED BY KALA]
EQUIPPED WEAPON: SHARD OF GLASS [-5 FISTICUFFS, 25% CRIT CHANCE]
EQUIPPED GARB: INSTITUTE GOWN
EQUIPPED HEADGEAR: NONE
EQUIPPED EYEWEAR: NONE
EQUIPPED FINERY: NONE
EQUIPPED FOOTWEAR: NONE

LUCY

GUM: 10
MOX: 40 [+14]
ACU: 45
VIG: 20 [+5]
NIM: 10 [-10]
FST: 10 [+1]
LCK: ??

MARI

GUM: 40 [+5]
MOX: 5
ACU: 20
VIG: 40
NIM: 15
FST: 10
LCK: ??

OWEN

GUM: 15
MOX: 15
ACU: 15
VIG: 20
NIM: 15 [+5]
FST: 25 [+20]
LCK: 30 [+10]

KALA

GUM: 15
MOX: 5
ACU: 20
VIG: 25
NIM: 40
FST: 30 [-5]
LCK: ??

TALLIES

[KEYS ENCOUNTERED: 5]
[AREAS ESCAPED: 3]
[PARTY MEMBERS ACQUIRED: 3]
[OTHER KIDS MET: 3]
[STAFF MET: 1]
[FRIVOLOUS SILLINESS: YES, DEFINITELY, ABSOLUTELY]
[SOTERIOLOGY GAMBITS USED: 1]
[BELLIGERENCES BEGAN: 1]
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]

LUCY

RANKS PREVIOUSLY ATTAINED: TRAIL-FOLLOWING TYKE [LVL 1], CRIMEFIGHTING KINDERGARTENER [LVL 2], WATSONIAN WHIPPERSNAPPER [LVL 3]
RANK: TEACHER'S PET DETECTIVE [LVL 4]
NEXT RANK: FIFTH GRADE FORENSICS [LVL 5]

MARI

RANKS PREVIOUSLY ATTAINED: INFANTE INNOVATOR [LVL 1], INTREPID INGENUE [LVL 2], RISK-TAKING RASCAL [LVL 3]
RANK: AFFLUENT PRODIGY [LVL 4]
NEXT RANK: THE BOTHER OF INVENTION [LVL 5]

OWEN

RANKS PREVIOUSLY ATTAINED: UNFAZED EVERYMAN [LVL 1], SNAKE-EYES SCALLYWAG [LVL 2], LUCK'S BEGINNER [LVL 3]
RANK: FORTUNE'S FOLLY [LVL 4]
NEXT RANK: A SERIES OF FORTUNATE EVENTS [LVL 5]

KALA

RANKS PREVIOUSLY ATTAINED: THE BASICS OF BREAK-INS [LVL 1], UNDER COVER OF NIGHTLIGHTS [LVL 2], SECOND-RATE SKULKER [LVL 3]
RANK: ARTFUL DODGER [LVL 4]
NEXT RANK: THE WORLD IS QUIET HERE [LVL 5]

LUCY

[DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] You've read every Sherlock Holmes book at least once, and are making a start on Agatha Christie while you're at it. This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to gain additional information about ITEMS when they are in your INVENTORY.
[ANALYSIS FOR AMATEURS] You're a smart kid with a keen eye, and you can make detailed observations in real time. Your reaction times might not be the best, but you're great at predicting the places where things will end up being and not being in those places. This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to use ACUMEN to DODGE ATTACKS or HAZARDS instead of NIMBLENESS.
[INTERROGATION FOR IMBECILES] Your sharp eye and deep empathy mean that you're a wizard when it comes to reading people. Although you can't rely on it to be 100% ACCURATE, this CLASS MACHINATION makes it easier to tell when someone is LYING or HIDING THEIR TRUE FEELINGS.
[NOIR FOR NUMBNUTS] You can't see the future, that would be ridiculous - but if you know enough about the present, you can make an educated guess. That's what deduction's about! This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to figure out where somebody you are FOLLOWING is HEADED and PREDICT which path they've taken.

MARI

[HOW IT WORKS] You've watched no end of documentaries on manufacture and are the sort of person who reads industrial blueprints recreationally. You can DISCERN THE FUNCTION of MACHINES and identify HIDDEN MECHANISMS just by giving them a CURSORY EXAMINATION.
[I MUST NOT FEAR] If the circumstances are right, you can overcome even the strongest terrors with your bravery. Most scary things are never as scary as they seem. You can REROLL any FAILED VIGOR CHECKS against FEAR a maximum of ONCE.
[HOLD MY JUICE BOX] You're an unusually reckless child, prone to doing incredibly dangerous things, either ignorant or, more worryingly, with complete and utter awareness of the peril involved. This CLASS MACHINATION halves the ÉLAN DAMAGE taken from being in DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
[MARINETTE RUINS THANKSGIVING] Sometimes, something cannot simply be shoved under the carpet and ignored forever. This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to SEE AND TELL THE TRUTH WHEN IT MATTERS, even in situations where doing so is DIFFICULT or SCARY.

OWEN

- [UP ALL NIGHT TO GET LUCKY] You just seem to have much better luck than the average person. You can- oh, look, a dollar! This CLASS MACHINATION allows you REROLL any checks failed by a SMALL MARGIN a maximum of ONCE.
- [OH, NO, NOT AGAIN] Despite being somewhat accident prone, your childhood has been one long, long series of accidents that you escaped from miraculously unscathed. This CLASS MACHINATION halves all VITALITY DAMAGE taken from ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES.
- [EVERYTHING YOU CAN'T DO I CAN DO BETTER] You might not really be good at anything, but you're also not really bad at anything. You naturally tend to make up for other's weaknesses. This CLASS MACHINATION, when in a PARTY, allows you to gain a BONUS to the LOWEST AVERAGE STAT of the rest of the party equal to (5 x NUMBER OF PARTY MEMBERS.)
- [OHGODWHAT] You talk so much, and so quickly, that people often have difficult telling what you're talking about unless they know you well. Usually, this is a problem, but if you're lucky enough, even the most irritating of problems can be a useful asset. This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to communicate information to your PARTY MEMBERS without anybody else being able to UNDERSTAND it.

KALA

[SILENCE IS GOLDEN] You've always been the sort of person whose outdoor voice is comparable to others' indoor voice, and whose indoor voice is comparable to the tread of a cat's paw. This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to remain UNDETECTED in a room without taking a NIMBLENESS check as long as you don't affect your surroundings.
[DISORIENTING ORIENTEERING] Maps, compasses, that sort of thing has always confused you. And, with a flawless sense of direction and an eye for details, you don't see why you'd need them anyway. This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to SPOT and make use of any ALTERNATIVE ROUTES that exist to get to your destination.
[SNEAK ATTACK, BITCH!] Sometimes, being quiet and stealthy is just no substitute for a punch to the jaw. When beginning a round of {BELLIGERENCE} UNDETECTED, this CLASS MACHINATION allows you to make TWO ATTACKS and use NIMBLENESS instead of FISTICUFFS on your FIRST ATTACK.
[INVISIBLE INC.] You've never really liked attention. Why stay in the center of a room or, you know, talk to people, when you can curl up and hide in a corner like a sensible person? This CLASS MACHINATION increases your ÉLAN by HALF YOUR NIMBLENESS STAT while you go UNDETECTED BY ENEMIES.

CLASS PROGRESSION
Every time that you gain a LEVEL, you can progress one RANK in your chosen CLASS. Every RANK you gain will increase one of your STATS, as well as grant you a new CLASS MACHINATION.

Levels are gained by finding ARTIFACTS, reaching MILESTONES, and occasionally SOLVING PUZZLES. Every RANK has its own UNIQUE AND VERY SILLY NAME.

Members of your PARTY will all LEVEL at the SAME TIME AS YOU. You can choose which of their STATS is increased, as well as choose which new CLASS MACHINATION they gain.

CLASS MACHINATIONS are abilities that you gain with each RANK in a CLASS. Higher RANKS give you more powerful machinations. You can suggest the use of a CLASS MACHINATION at any time, by voting:

[X] Use [NAME OF CLASS MACHINATION].

There is no limit to the use of CLASS MACHINATIONS, although some of them might have certain prerequisite circumstances for use: If so, the prerequisites will be explained in the machination's description.

To use a party member's CLASS MACHINATION, you must include their name in the command, formatting in the following manner:

[X] Mari: Use [NAME OF CLASS MACHINATION].

causticAccolade · Apr 23, 2016

As your head starts to clear, you can remember one thing, at least. You are a GIRL. Although you are average in many respects, your levels of MOXIE and ACUMEN are off the charts, and your MUSICAL ABILITY is nothing to be sniffed at either. As you roll over onto your side and resist the urge to be sick that comes with the sudden nausea washing over you, you realise, to your pleasant surprise, that this room isn't completely empty - lying next to you is your VIOLIN CASE, which you can only assume contains your VIOLIN.

You get to your feet, dizzy and unstable, and once more must resist the feeling of nausea that goes down to your very bones. Picking up your VIOLIN CASE, you can tell from the weight that your beloved VIOLIN, is, in fact, inside. Thank God. You're never truly alone when you have the music of Bach, Strauss, and of course Shakira walking by your side. If you were consciously aware of such things as abstract game mechanics, you would know that the VIOLIN CASE occupies ONE OF FIVE spaces in your INVENTORY.

Once again, you try to cast your mind back to how you got here. After all, it isn't every day that you wake up in a mysterious, white, brightly lit room. The last thing you can remember, your teacher was taking you on a class field trip and then <I̵̡̕T ͝H̢͏̧ÙR͏TS̸͏ ̡I͞҉Ţ̡ ͟͏H͞U͘͠҉Ŗ̕T̷́͝S̀҉ ̛͠I̧T̀ ̛͞H͏͡ÙR͠T̕S̢ Į̸̡T̡ H̀͜U̷͞R͠͞T̶Ş҉ ͢҉̵I̴͡T̀͝ ͡H̴̢͘U̶͞R̛T͘͜S> you can't remember much of anything. Funny, that. Fixing your gaze on the door, you realise that you're going to have to approach it sooner than later. You have to get out of here, there's no question about that. After all...

[] You've always had a reputation as somewhat of a JUNIOR SLEUTH, even if the biggest crimes to be solved were missing cats and stolen lunchboxes. This is a classic story - you wake up in a room, no memory of why you're here. There's a mystery to be solved here, and by gum are you going to solve it. [The JUNIOR SLEUTH class has a MOXIE/ACUMEN SPECIALTY]
[] You'd never admit it, of course, but you're a SOCIALITE RAPSCALLION and you thrive on the company of other people. You don't think you can stay here for very long on your own without getting sickeningly lonely. [The SOCIALITE RAPSCALLION class has a MOXIE SPECIALTY]
[] People around you have always patronizingly referred to you as a LITTLE PROFESSOR. But despite their scorn, your intellectual pursuits are of vital importance! You simply can't let your academic career go to ruins at the tender age of eleven, and must get back to your research as soon as possible. [The LITTLE PROFESSOR class has an ACUMEN SPECIALTY]

Reasons for desiring your escape aside, it doesn't change the fact that you want out, and you want it as soon as possible. The single DOOR to this room looks ever so slightly ajar. As you walk hesitantly towards it, you suddenly realize that the clothes you're wearing aren't your own. They're white, soft and comfortable, like pyjamas. They remind you of a hospital robe. On the front of your shirt is what seems to be a name tag, except instead of your name it shows a strange symbol. While most children your age wouldn't recognise this symbol, your high ACUMEN stat means that you've read books far enough above your age level to know it as THE ASTRONOMICAL SIGN FOR SATURN. But of course, ♄ is not your name. Your name is...

[] Enter name [Write-in]

causticAccolade · Apr 25, 2016

The closer you get to the door, the more worried you feel about what you might find on the other side. But you can't let fear get the better of you! After all, you are LUCY CALLOWAY, JUNIOR SLEUTH EXTRAORDINAIRE. As far back as you can remember, you've always been fascinated by whodunnits and detective films. You got your first deerstalker as a birthday gift when you were seven, and haven't stopped solving crimes (or at least, trying your best to) ever since. Your triumphs include among them The Adventure of the Stolen Yugi-Oh Cards, The Adventure of Mrs. Barnaby's Lost Cat, and The Adventure of the Not-Really-Very-Lost-At-All Lunchbox.

But enough reminiscing on your past victories! There's no time for resting on your laurels! There's a mystery here, and you're determined to get to the bottom of it if it's the last thing you do. Or... maybe not, if it really would be the last thing you do. In fact, you quickly put any thoughts of dying out of your mind altogether. It's mystery-solving time, dammit! One deep breath, two deep breaths, three deep breaths, and you finally find the courage to push open the door.

It swings open with ease, giving a view of a room completely unlike the small, square, almost hospital-esque room you woke up in. It's a spacious room, large, with a varnished wood floor and clean white walls. The ceiling is high and domed, painted like a starry night as well as decorated with various astrological signs, and a chandelier hangs from the center of it. On the opposite side of the room to you is a DOOR that looks exactly like the one you just came through. To your left is a LARGE GRANDFATHER CLOCK that is CURIOUSLY SILENT, with two PORTRAITS hung on the wall on either side of it.

To your right is a hefty MAHOGANY TABLE, upon which is mounted a large AQUARIUM. There are a pair of BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL FISH swimming idly inside, and for a few moments you find yourself envying their carefree existence. You feel drawn to the aquarium, and before you know it, you're standing in front of it, looking at your own reflection in the glass. It takes you a few seconds to recognize yourself, but you're definitely... you.

[] Write-in: Appearance description.

But you can't keep looking at yourself in the mirror forever! I mean, you could, but no matter how cute you are, you're not going to let it distract you from some good, old-fashioned, JUNIOR SLEUTHING. As you look around the room, you feel positively overwhelmed with all the items that you can EXAMINE. Perhaps some of them will turn out to be CLUES! The very thought of finding clues thrills you to the core. You also hope that you'll be able to get out of this room and not be trapped here forever. That would also be pretty cool. What will you do?

[] Write-in: It's puzzle solving time!

We now have a CHARACTER SHEET!
As far as puzzle solving goes, you can get more details on your surroundings and the items in them by EXAMINING them. For example, the command [X] EXAMINE CLOCK will cause Lucy to check out the clock and give a detailed description of it. When it comes to puzzle solving, actions will not be decided by vote: instead, every individual vote/command will be enacted separately by Lucy, or at least considered: Lucy is only an 11-year-old girl, and so won't be able to do a lot of things; she will also flatly refuse to do anything dangerous or too outrageously silly. Good luck!

causticAccolade · Apr 27, 2016

TurtleDucks said:
[X] use DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES on the JOURNAL

Although your INVENTORY is FULL, you are able to free up a space by keeping BOTH PORTRAITS in the SAME INVENTORY SLOT. If you have items that are NEARLY IDENTICAL they can often be kept in the SAME SLOT like this, as long as they are a REASONABLE SIZE. Of course, you aren't AWARE of any of this, because at only 11 TENDER YEARS OF AGE you are ignorant to such MECHANICAL ABSTRACTIONS.

The CLASS MACHINATION [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] has been activated!
That aside, you examine the JOURNAL. It is rectangular, with a sleek and glossy black cover and white lined paper. There is writing all the way through in cursive handwriting - however, someone seems to have crossed out most of the writing with a RED MARKER, and added their own comments on the last page in a HASTY SCRAWL. In fact, being a JUNIOR SLEUTH, you can tell that the person writing in RED MARKER got weaker and weaker as they kept writing.

The FIRST PAGE of the journal has the only legible cursive text in the little book, which reads as follows before the rest is scrawled out in RED MARKER:

Hello. If you are reading this, then you're probably confused. Don't worry, though! We've written this journal in order to help you. You've obviously got a sharp mind if you've progressed this far, but we know you have even great potential! Potential you couldn't possibly dream of! And this whole situation, this is just helping you to reach your potential. At no point will you be in any danger. All you need to know is contained within this journal! The first thing to forget is-

Everything after here is SCRAWLED OUT apart from what the RED MARKER PERSON has written on the LAST PAGE.

IT'S LIES IT'S LIES IT'S LIES IT'S LIES THEY'RE LYING TO YOU FUCKING LIARS FUCKING LIARS THEY'RE MONSTERS THEY'LL NEVER LET YOU GO NEVER NEVER NEVER DON'T TRUST THEM DON'T

Huh. That... has kind of put a damper on your mood. You feel your hands shaking as you stare at that last desperately scrawled message. Maybe this is one mystery that you'd be better off not solving... No! Even if you're scared, you are LUCY CALLOWAY and you are GETTING TO THE BOTTOM of whatever is going on here. You take a deep breath to calm down and turn your attention back to puzzle solving.

EvilPorygon said:
[X] Attach the Pendulum to the Net to act as its handle

You SUCCESSFULLY CRAFT a LONG-HANDLED NET. You are VERY PROUD OF YOURSELF.

Rem Ipsum said:
[x] Use DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES on KEY

The CLASS MACHINATION [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] has been activated!
The KEY is unremarkable. It's silver, small, and looks quite MODERN, like a set of car keys more than any OLD-FASHIONED NONSENSE. It has the letters 'GSC' etched into it. For a second, looking at the KEY makes you feel like you might REMEMBER SOMETHING... but then it's gone. You wonder if ENCOUNTERING MORE KEYS might lead to you REMEMBERING PAST EVENTS. Then you stop wondering that because such a thing would only happen in some sort of SILLY, CONTRIVED, ADVENTURE GAME.

causticAccolade · Apr 28, 2016

massdefect76 said:
[X] Disassemble and install the other fish/gears.

You use the LONG-HANDLED NET to pull the other CLOCKWORK FISH from the AQUARIUM, turn it into a PILE OF ASSORTED GEARS, and then PLACE those GEARS in the GRANDFATHER CLOCK. They fit together perfectly! As you carefully place each and every gear into the clock, you start to feel a slight pain in your head - but you're on a puzzle-solving roll, and so you ignore it, slotting them in with as much precision as your eleven-year-old fingers can manage.

As soon as you place the last gear in, you hear a loud click, as if something has been unlocked, and a HARSH LIGHT emanates from behind the mechanism, blinding you for a few seconds before it fades away into a much less painful to look at SOFT GLOW. A few seconds pass, and just when it seems like things have stopped from being events that are happening, things very suddenly unstop from being events that are happening as the entire room starts to shake, and you hang onto the GRANDFATHER CLOCK for balance as you hear an almost overwhelmingly loud GRINDING SOUND, like the sound of some distant mechanism being switched on. The sound, too, fades after a while, leaving the room exactly as before save for the now REPAIRED GRANDFATHER CLOCK.

Well. That honestly raised more questions than it answered. Which, as you're quick to explain to people whenever the opportunity comes up, is actually the OPPOSITE of what a JUNIOR SLEUTH is supposed to do.

veekie said:
[X] Use DFD on yourself

The very notion strikes you as completely absurd. Really, what a silly, silly idea. And yet... while you're here, with the reflective glass of the AQUARIUM... you might as well take a good look at yourself, right?

The CLASS MACHINATION [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] has been activated!
You are LUCY CALLOWAY. You are ELEVEN YEARS OLD, you DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, and you're SCARED.
For a second, the first thing that you notice is that there's something weird about your eyes - but then it's gone. It must have been a trick of the light. They're brown and inquisitive, just like normal. Your hair is black, and cut into its usual bob. But something seems a little strange... it's the same length as you last remember it, but the cut is ever so slightly different. How long have you been here? You don't remember. Your head is REALLY STARTING TO HURT, now.

You decide it's best to stop trying to REMEMBER and go back to ESCAPING. Yes. That seems like a good plan.

causticAccolade · Apr 29, 2016

EvilPorygon said:
[X] Try to see if the SMALL BRONZE PLAQUE is unscrewable

Nope!

Mithrandir said:
[X] Taste the WATER in the AQUARIUM. Perhaps it is DRINKABLE?

You try to get some water out of the AQUARIUM with the only thing you have long enough to reach into it, the LONG-HANDLED NET. Shockingly and disappointingly, this does not work.

Nevill said:
[X] EXAMINE the PILE OF ASSORTED GEARS in your INVENTORY
-[X] See if they retroactively vanish since all of the gears were installend in the GRANDFATHER CLOCK to make it work.

You have NO IDEA where on earth you got it into your head that there were still ASSORTED GEARS in your inventory! What a RIDICULOUS NOTION to ENTER YOUR NOGGIN. Absolutely PREPOSTEROUS. If you were aware of MECHANICAL ABSTRACTIONS, you would shoot a disapproving look at whatever MYSTERIOUS FORCES update your INVENTORY and CHARACTER SHEET and those mysterious forces would be feeling QUITE SILLY right about now. However, you have no such awareness. Embarrassment: fortuitously averted.

EvilPorygon said:
[X] Set the hands of the clock to 3:45

As you've grown accustomed to, the room SHAKES AROUND and you hear that TERRIBLE GRINDING SOUND. However, once it's stopped, you see that there is nothing besides FEATURELESS WHITE WALLS behind both of the DOORS. Dang.

Nevill said:
[X] If previous actions do not open doors, set the hands of the clock to 3:00

Bracing yourself once again for that TERRIBLE GRINDING SOUND, you move the CLOCK HANDS to 3:00. As soon as you let go, you hear a resounding CLICK, like the sound of some sort of enormous lock or latch. Like the grinding sound, it's a sound that seems to settle in your bones, worming its way into every fibre of your being, resonating in your soul. Unlike the grinding, however, it doesn't seem like a malicious sound. It feels more like... a signal, an encouragement, a message that you're doing okay.

Or maybe you're just THINKING WISTFULLY and READING TOO MUCH INTO SOUNDS. Maybe you're feeling a LOT MORE SCARED than you let on, and concentrating on PUZZLES and MYSTERIES and being a COOL JUNIOR SLEUTH is the only thing keeping you from curling up and crying a little.
...
Anyway! You swiftly put an end to all that introspection and put your mind back to matters at hand. This puzzle isn't going to solve itself! You've got NEWLY ROTATED DOORS to check!

causticAccolade · Apr 29, 2016

EvilPorygon said:
[X] Check the doors

For the sake of CONVENIENCE, you decide to start referring to the two DOORS by what you feel are the CORRESPONDING TIMES on the CLOCK.

The THREE O'CLOCK DOOR leads to a long corridor with GLOWING ARROWS leading down it on the floor. Shadows loom, and although it seems slightly sinister, especially since it gets too dark to see to the end of it, it appears otherwise innocuous. That is, until you hear a SERIES OF CLICKS and all of a sudden BLADES are swinging from the ceiling, one of them every few paces or so, scything through the air so quickly that they look like a blur. You jump back as one passes through the air JUST THROUGH THE DOORWAY, so close to your face that you feel a soft breeze blow on your cheeks.

The NINE O'CLOCK DOOR also opens to a corridor, with a high ceiling, white walls, and FLUORESCENT LIGHTS that FLICKER every now and then to plunge the CORRIDOR into COMPLETE DARKNESS. By the entrance, someone seems to have scrawled AN ARROW on the wall in RED MARKER pointing down the corridor. Whenever the lights flicker on, a BLOODY FOOTPRINT becomes visible near the entrance.

[TALLY UNLOCKED! AREAS ESCAPED: 1]

After looking through both doors, you realize that neither of the options appeal to you, but that you're going to have to go down ONE PATHWAY OR ANOTHER. Of course, being Lucy Calloway, the greatest JUNIOR SLEUTH in the nation (if you may say so yourself), you're definitely not FRIGHTENED. You're way too cool for that. No, you just... think it would be better if you sat down in the middle of the room and played your VIOLIN a little.

The notes of a HAUNTING REFRAIN fill the air as you close your eyes and lose yourself in the music.

LUCY CALLOWAY has GAINED A LEVEL!
You have ascended from [TRAIL-FOLLOWING TYKE] to [CRIME-FIGHTING KINDERGARTENER]

Select ONE STAT INCREASE:

[] +5 VIGOR
[] +5 MOXIE
[] +5 GUMPTION

Select ONE CLASS MACHINATION:

[] ANALYSIS FOR AMATEURS: You're a smart kid with a keen eye, and you can make detailed observations in real time. Your reaction times might not be the best, but you're great at predicting the places where things will end up being and not being in those places. This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to use ACUMEN to DODGE ATTACKS or HAZARDS instead of NIMBLENESS.
[] FILM NOIR: Your eyesight is incredible, and years of rebelliously staying up past your bedtime like the hardboiled sleuth you are have left you with remarkably good night vision. This CLASS MACHINATION allows you to SEE CLEARLY in LOW-LIGHT CONDITIONS with an accuracy that approaches NIGHT VISION.

The music you're playing makes you feel far away, while it lasts. It takes you to a magical place, a little world where all that exists is yourself, and the music, the only things that matter you and your instrument, the world around you fading as you're enveloped in the melody. When you finish the song, the sense of peace and tranquility lingers, and you know for sure that you'll be proceeding through...

[] The THREE O'CLOCK DOOR
[] The NINE O'CLOCK DOOR

causticAccolade · May 1, 2016

As the last note of the song echoes through the air, you take a deep breath and find yourself feeling just a little BRAVER than before. [+5 VIGOR!]

Carefully replacing your VIOLIN into its CASE, you give it a comforting pat and fondly remember the incident during the Adventure of The Runaway Hamster when you were almost hit by a train - of course, it's not the danger and the panic that you remember with fondness, but rather the adrenalin and triumph that filled you when, head full of angles and velocities and rough calculations, you dived under the locomotive and scooped up Tedison Biggles, a classmate's hamster, in one swift movement. [CLASS MACHINATION GAINED: ANALYSIS FOR AMATEURS]

Finally, trusty VIOLIN CASE by your side, you take a deep breath and set off at a BRISK PACE through the NINE O'CLOCK DOOR. Sure, the dark is kind of scary, and the BLOODY FOOTPRINT is definitely off-putting, but you'd rather the oppressive creepy atmosphere of the darkness than the very real, physical danger that lies down the other corridor. Plus, the mysterious person with the RED MARKER wants you to go that way, and you feel like you can trust them. At least, more than the people who put you in this facility in the first place.

The corridor is long, and the ceiling gets higher as you go, your footsteps echoing eerily loudly. They're the only sound you can hear, that and the humming of the fluorescent lights as they flicker on and off. Although you can see pretty well while the lights are on, the intermittent periods of darkness when they falter chills you a little, putting you on edge. You almost jump at every shadow half-seen out of the corner of your eye before the lights come back on and you realize there was nothing there. [The FLICKERING LIGHTS lower your ÉLAN by 100!]

Every now and then, you see another bloody footprint, made by someone around your size. You don't like to think too much about what it means. As you continue down the corridor, you notice that somebody's been WRITING ON THE WALLS. A lot of it seems to be completely incoherent, rambling about PLANETS and ANGELS and MONSTERS and BEING WATCHED and DARKNESS. Some of it, however, seems to be encouraging you to keep going. You pause to read some of it.

they think they see angels but there's only darkness there where eyes should be only darkness only darkness THEY CHANGE YOU and make you better more holy more pure they take and take and take until they can fill you up with light with sun with ichor THIS IS A PRODUCTION LINE FOR MONSTERS always watching they're watching always watching check behind the portraits metal eyes metal eyes KEEP WALKING AND YOU WILL FIND ME or i will find you does it matter we're doomed anyway. i'm sorry

You feel a little worried for the mental health of whoever wrote this. If that blood on the floor is theirs, you probably ought to worry about their physical health too. Unnerved, you decide not to read any more. Eventually, the corridor reaches an end, and you find yourself in a new place: a larger room than the last one you were in. You're standing in what seems to be the entrance to a GLOOMY CATHEDRAL. On the opposite side of the room, dim light filters in through a HUGE STAINED GLASS WINDOW with a DOOR IN THE CENTER. A PIPE ORGAN sits dejectedly in the corner of the room. In the middle of the LEFT and RIGHT walls are ORNATE DOORS that seem UNLOCKED and lead to SIDE ROOMS. The WALLS are covered with MORE WRITING.

There's no point in going back - which means that you're going to have to find a way forward. That's right. Bearing in mind that there might be CAMERAS watching you, you strike a COOL POSE, or at least, a POSE THAT YOU THINK A COOL JUNIOR SLEUTH WOULD STRIKE. It's puzzle solving time.

[] Write-in commands, you all know the drill.

You might have noticed the as-of-yet unexplained VITALITY and ÉLAN on Lucy's character sheets. These are best equated to HP and SANITY POINTS, respectively. VITALITY measures Lucy's physical health and level of injury, and increases with the VIGOR stat, while ÉLAN measures her resolve, strength of will, and ability to stay calm, increasing with the ACUMEN and VIGOR stars. Have fun!

causticAccolade · May 2, 2016

Broken25 said:
[X] Examine PORTRAIT OF A RED-HAIRED GIRL.

This is definitely the SAME RED-HAIRED GIRL as you saw on the PORTRAIT in the CLOCK ROOM. She looks so... stuck-up and snobbish, wearing a condescending expression as if she views the painter with utter contempt. God, you want to punch this girl, even if you haven't met her.

Writing on the wall said:
who is she? i don't know. looks like the particles man, red girl, red man. his daughter? she looks unfriendly. stop watching me. stop, lady. rude.

EvilPorygon said:
[X] Take and DFD the records

If you were aware of MECHANICAL ABSTRACTIONS, you would protest that your INVENTORY was FULL. As is, you just decide to put down some of this STUFF you've been carrying. You CAREFULLY PILE the JOURNAL, CLOCK ROOM DRAWER KEY, SCREWDRIVER, and LONG-HANDLED NET in a corner of the room. You can always come and get them if you need them again, after all.

The CLASS MACHINATION [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] has been activated!
The RECORDS are unmarked, and the careful examining of a JUNIOR SLEUTH tells you that they're also BLANK.

EvilPorygon said:
[X] Take the portrait off the wall

DeepWaters said:
[X] DFD the PORTRAIT OF A RED-HAIRED GIRL.

You take the PORTRAIT OF A RED-HAIRED GIRL off the wall, resisting the urge to PUNCH it. Behind it is an ALCOVE containing a CAMERA. Hello there.

The CLASS MACHINATION [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] has been activated!
On the back of this portrait are a few notes of sheet music: five notes this time, C, A, G, E, and D. They're labelled 'Movement 2'

veekie said:
[X] Examine books

The books are all RATHER TEDIOUS-LOOKING ACADEMIC TOMES on matters of THEOLOGY and PHILOSOPHY. Most of them are filled with RED MARKER SCRIBBLES - my, the person who holds that writing utensil has really been industrious. The only books that stand out from the rest are a HOLY BIBLE and a book that looks NEWER than the others - a book on ASTRONOMY by a Dr. Charles Brighton

DeepWaters said:
[X] EXAMINE the GLASS DISPLAY CASE it was hanging above before we took it.

There's a small space between the GLASS LID and the BASE of the DISPLAY CASE - it looks like if you had a CROWBAR or something similar you would be able to FORCE IT OPEN. Inside the GLASS DISPLAY CASE is a ROUND PLATE bearing a JUPITER SYMBOL.

Writing on the wall said:
what do they make the glass out of why make glass so strong when they could use steel. trick question, trick question, want you to see it, a reward for good lab rats. i'm a rat, you're a rat, now run down the maze or get shocked little rat

Thanks.

Nevill said:
[X] Examine/DFD SOME SORT OF MACHINE

The MACHINE seems to a VINYL PRESS, for RECORDING MUSIC on RECORDS. Isn't that cool! You can't remember ever having seen one of these, but given your LOVE OF MUSIC, just seeing one cheers you up a little. [+5 ÉLAN]

Writing on the wall said:
here it is. the small machine that makes the music. wow.

Nevill said:
[X] Examine PIPE ORGAN

It's small - at least, as small as a PIPE ORGAN can get. There's a stool to sit at, and the usual rows of keys. Nothing really OUT OF THE ORDINARY-LOOKING about it. There is a space for SHEET MUSIC - two spaces, in fact, with the left one being marked MOVEMENT 2 and the second being marked MOVEMENT 1.

Writing on the wall said:
play a tune play a tune play a tune i can see you you know play a tune play a tune play a tune

Nevill said:
[X] Examine LARGE SILVER PADLOCK

The LARGE SILVER PADLOCK is LARGE and SILVER. You feel like you might need a KEY of some sort to open it, but that might just be you jumping to conclusions.

Questionably Soteriological: A Puzzle/Mystery Quest with Kids, Science, and Fun!

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