Questionably Soteriological: A Puzzle/Mystery Quest with Kids, Science, and Fun!
- Thread starter causticAccolade
- Start date
- Original
EvilPorygon
Cookie Monster
- Location
- a phone
[X] Check the TAP
[X] Examine the PARK BENCH
[X] Check the GOLDEN GATES
The bird is secretly spying on us with a built in camera.
[X] Examine the PARK BENCH
[X] Check the GOLDEN GATES
The bird is secretly spying on us with a built in camera.
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- Location
- US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Assuming tree-whacking strategy fails, attempt to climb the tree.
> Mari: Survey portrait
causticAccolade
dead yet dreaming
- Location
- Silent Sound, Cipher Cove, Levoile.
You walk across the SOFT GRASS, a certain SPRING back in your step. Although you know that you're really indoors, and in some sort of mysterious and dangerous situation, the feeling of being outdoors calms you down somewhat. [+25 ÉLAN]
The PORTRAIT near the back of the garden catches your interest. That's DR. BRIGHTON, you've seen him in plenty of portraits before (who the HECK, you grumble under your breath, gets so many portraits of themselves painted), but you don't recognize the WOMAN next to him. There are SMALL PINPRICK HOLES in the eyes of DR. BRIGHTON, as usual, but unlike most of these portraits, there's something written UNDERNEATH IT.
Portrait title said:
Mari walks up behind you, looking at the portrait with an ODD EXPRESSION that's rather hard to decipher. You can't tell if she's sad or not. What you can tell, however, just from looking at their faces, is that the WOMAN IN THE PORTRAIT is most definitely MARINETTE'S MOTHER. You start to feel a LITTLE AWKWARD, so you leave Mari to look at the portrait while you go investigate other parts of the garden for now.
You brandish your GOLD CROWBAR as fearsomely as you can, which is NOT VERY, and deliver the tree A BEATING AS VICIOUS AS YOU CAN MUSTER, which is also NOT VERY. "Take that, you... you tree!"
Unfortunately, you tire out quickly to see that you haven't really achieved anything with it. The ACORNS stay exactly where they are, as does the oddly stationary BIRD. The OAK TREE is just too sturdy!
The LARGE DOOR bears a LARGE GOLDEN KEYHOLE embedded with TINY EMERALDS. It would look a LOT MORE ELEGANT if someone hadn't SCRIBBLED ON IT.
Writing on the door said:
The FUSE BOX also bears a KEYHOLE, albeit a MUCH LESS ORNATE ONE. It's almost as if LOCKS were invented for the purpose of LOCKING THINGS. WIRES extend from it into the walls, as well as a PIPE. Is that really safe?
Experimentally, you attempt to get some WATER out of the tap, only to find that it DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK AT ALL. You can definitely hear running water, though... maybe the PIPES are stuck?
It seems to be a FAIRLY STANDARD PARK BENCH, except for the BRASS PLAQUE on it.
Brass plaque said:
They're VERY PRETTY, with COMPLEX DESIGNS inlaid in SILVER. They are both UNLOCKED.
You do a few STRETCHES in preparation for your attempt before giving CLIMBING THIS TREE your BEST EFFORT. Your BEST EFFORT, unfortunately, is NOT VERY GOOD. There just aren't any handholds for you to use!
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Well, going by the saying that eyes are a mirror of a soul, Charles' soul must be a very inquisitive one indeed.
2008, huh... Maybe we should ask Mari what year is it now. Is it 2016? It would certainly coincide with her words that mom left them when she was very little.
Well, let's find Mari some work to do instead of her standing there reminiscing.
[X] Ask Mari to use HIW on a FUSE BOX. What is it supposed to do? Is that safe indeed?
[X] Ask Mari to use HIW on a PIPE. Why is there no water? Is there something wrong with it?
My guess would be that the FUSE BOX serves to switch between DAY and NIGHT in the room.
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- Location
- Rochester, NY
[X] Ask Mari if she recognizes the GLOBAL SOTERIOLOGY CONSORTIUM.
[X] Ask Mari to use the LONG-HANDLED NET to poke down the BIRD.
[X] If Mari doesn'tmind, REMOVE the PORTRAIT from the wall.
[X] Ask Mari to use the LONG-HANDLED NET to poke down the BIRD.
[X] If Mari doesn'tmind, REMOVE the PORTRAIT from the wall.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Should we use IFI when conversing with Mari, or would it influence our tone? Would it require a moxie check?
Might be worth it when asking about things related to her life and the Institute. She knows something about the situation we are in, even though she refuses to believe it applies to her.
Not sure if she knows anything about GSC, though. We've asked her before:
Might be worth it when asking about things related to her life and the Institute. She knows something about the situation we are in, even though she refuses to believe it applies to her.
Not sure if she knows anything about GSC, though. We've asked her before:
Of course, she might know what they are doing even without remembering what they are called.
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- Location
- Who Knows
no command but I hope this is cool
don't know if it's completely accurate but yup. \(>_< )/
> Lucy: Value Mari's opinions and skills as a teammate
causticAccolade
dead yet dreaming
- Location
- Silent Sound, Cipher Cove, Levoile.
It takes a few seconds to get her attention, as she continues to stare at the portrait with that odd expression on her face. Eventually, she seems to shake herself out of it, glowering at you. "Of course I do, stupid. It's where Father works. They do lots of very important things that I'm quite sure you wouldn't understand."
You ask her quietly if it's okay for you to take the PORTRAIT off the wall. She takes a deep breath and NODS.
[MOXIE CHECK: SUCCEEDED!]
Behind the PORTRAIT is an ALCOVE, containing a SECURITY CAMERA. Hello there, again. Underneath the SECURITY CAMERA is a SHOVEL HEAD - who would put this here without a handle?
"Do it yourself, Calloway."
You decide it's not worth arguing over and take the NET from her, giving her your TINNED PEACHES to hold instead. Unfortunately, the BIRD is too high up to reach with the LONG-HANDLED NET, even if you JUMP AS HIGH AS YOU CAN. Although to be fair, you can't jump very high.
You ask Mari to come take a look at the FUSE BOX, making sure to mix in a little FLATTERY.
"You're right," Mari agrees, looking thoughtful. "I am much better with that sort of thing than you are. Really, I think I'm probably better at most things. But fine, since you asked nicely, Calloway." You walk with her over to the FUSE BOX, which she spends a few minutes examining.
The CLASS MACHINATION [HOW IT WORKS] has been activated!
After she's done, she rolls her eyes. "Duh. It's obvious. This is for the lights. That's not a normal light bulb up there, it's something specialized. Whatever it is, I don't think it's safe for electricians to work on when the power is on, so you can switch the power off from this box. For some reason, cooling, probably, they've got the water pipes flowing through there too, but one of the valves is busted. Listen. No water." She makes a show of tapping on the pipe and pressing her ear to it. "We'd need to open this to fix it, though. So get on with your dumb puzzle stuff, Calloway."
You briefly entertain the thought before deciding that Mari would probably NEVER SAY YES IN A MILLION YEARS. You're pretty sure that even with both your heights, it's still too high up, anyway.
It won't influence the way you talk, but you will seem particularly attentive and scrutinizing. It doesn't require a check per sé, but the chance of failure is based on your relative LVL and MOXIE to whomever you're talking to. By 'fail' I mean 'fail to detect a lie', it will never return a false positive.
causticAccolade
dead yet dreaming
- Location
- Silent Sound, Cipher Cove, Levoile.
OH MY GOD, LOOK AT HER, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL I CANNOT BELIEVE SOMEONE DID THIS! THANK YOU!no command but I hope this is cool
don't know if it's completely accurate but yup. \(>_< )/
- Location
- Rochester, NY
Hmm... idea!
[X] Once again DON the CROWN OF POSEIDON, which makes you look TOTALLY AWESOME.
-[X] Pick up and DFD the SHOVEL HEAD.
[X] Attempt to combine the SHOVEL HEAD with the CROWBAR.
[X] EXAMINE the BIRD FEEDER
Edit: I just realized we're not holding any cans ourselves, so I'm changing that line in my vote.
[X] Once again DON the CROWN OF POSEIDON, which makes you look TOTALLY AWESOME.
-[X] Pick up and DFD the SHOVEL HEAD.
[X] Attempt to combine the SHOVEL HEAD with the CROWBAR.
[X] EXAMINE the BIRD FEEDER
Edit: I just realized we're not holding any cans ourselves, so I'm changing that line in my vote.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
[X] Go take a look at both of these AREAS and take note what's of interest in there.
EvilPorygon
Cookie Monster
- Location
- a phone
If the SHOVEL HEAD cannot be combined with the CROWBAR...
-[X] Unscrew the handle of the Long Handled Net
--[X] Screw on the Shovel Head
Though I dunno what we'd do with a shovel anyway.
[X] Observe the bird. If it looks like a magpie, show it your shiny gold crown.
-[X] Unscrew the handle of the Long Handled Net
--[X] Screw on the Shovel Head
Though I dunno what we'd do with a shovel anyway.
[X] Observe the bird. If it looks like a magpie, show it your shiny gold crown.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Well, it's a garden.
Knowing the logic of this place, we'll probably have to dig up a hole in the ground, bury an acorn there, water it once we repair the valve, and wait for a new oak tree to grow and lift us up towards the treehouse.
We can probably put the crown back on our head. I only took it off because I thought it would make it harder for us to run away from a squid.
Plus, Mari is sure behaving herself as a spoilt princess. Show her that you, too, could have been royalty if you wanted to, it's just that you prefer the life of sleuthing, is all!
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- Location
- Rochester, NY
Haha, yeah that sounds even better.We can probably put the crown back on our head. I only took it off because I thought it would make it harder for us to run away from a squid.
Plus, Mari is sure behaving herself as a spoilt princess. Show her that you, too, could have been royalty if you wanted to, it's just that you prefer the life of sleuthing, is all!
> Lucy: Re-don crown.
causticAccolade
dead yet dreaming
- Location
- Silent Sound, Cipher Cove, Levoile.
You decide to put the CROWN OF POSEIDON back on your head, because it makes you look TOTALLY AWESOME. Not that you don't ALWAYS look TOTALLY AWESOME, because you do. A JUNIOR SLEUTH, you have learned in your time, must be a MASTER OF DISGUISE, which also necessitates being able to look DAPPER, SOPHISTICATED, and HARDBOILED in a variety of different outfits.
The CLASS MACHINATION [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] has been activated!
The SHOVEL HEAD seems VERY STURDY, with a base that makes it look like it's supposed to SCREW ONTO SOMETHING. It doesn't seem to be BRAND NEW, but it doesn't seem to be PARTICULARLY OLD either.
There's just no way to affix them to each other!
The BIRD FEEDER is the ONLY THING ON THE OAK TREE that is close enough to the ground for you to reach. It is FIRMLY ATTACHED to the branch it hangs from, and is CONSPICUOUSLY EMPTY, although hanging low enough that it would be easy to FILL if only you had SOMETHING TO PUT IN IT.
You UNSCREW the HANDLE of the LONG-HANDLED NET, separating the two into a NET and a PENDULUM. As chance would have it, the SHOVEL HEAD screws perfectly into the HOLE THAT IS LEFT, producing a SHOVEL.
The BIRD is ODDLY STILL, only making JERKY, SUDDEN MOVEMENTS as it turns its head side to side, as if SURVEYING VARIOUS PARTS OF THE GARDEN. It lacks the DISTINCTIVE PLUMAGE of a MAGPIE, and seems uninterested in your COOL CROWN either way. You guess that BIRDS just suck at having GOOD FASHION TASTE.
The area of the garden through the LEFT GATE is dominated by a CIRCULAR FLOWER GARDEN containing TWELVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FLOWERS, which are separated by SMALL CANALS which you feel should be FILLED WITH WATER but AREN'T. In the center of the FLOWER GARDEN is a POND, similarly DEVOID OF ANY WATER. There is a SMALL SIGN at the edge of the FLOWER GARDEN. Other than that, there is some sort of STRANGE, OLD-FASHIONED DEVICE sitting in the corner, and a DOOR with what seems to be a CARD READER next to it on the opposite wall, with a PORTRAIT OF A RED-HAIRED GIRL YOU KNOW AND A BROWN-HAIRED MAN YOU DON'T to the left of it.
The area of the garden through the RIGHT GATE is also dominated by a FLOWER GARDEN, although this one is SQUARE, and MUCH LARGER, containing only ONE KIND OF FLOWER, with each flower being allotted its own TINY SQUARE in a GRID FORMATION. There are two SMALL SIGNS at the edge of the SQUARE FLOWER GARDEN, and on the other side of it a PAINTING OF A STARRY NIGHT is hung up on the wall, at odds with the OUTDOORS-THEMED MURALS that cover the walls. Against one wall, a large BUSH is growing, and against the other sits a VENDING MACHINE that has been decorated with wood paneling.
- Location
- Rochester, NY
[X] Read the SMALL SIGN in the CIRCULAR GARDEN.
[X] EXAMINE the STRANGE, OLD-FASHIONED DEVICE
[X] EXAMINE this newest RED-HAIRED FAMILY PORTRAIT.
-[X] Comment on the frequency of these paintingsto Mari. Does she know why there are so many of them?
[X] EXAMINE the STRANGE, OLD-FASHIONED DEVICE
[X] EXAMINE this newest RED-HAIRED FAMILY PORTRAIT.
-[X] Comment on the frequency of these paintingsto Mari. Does she know why there are so many of them?
> Lucy: Talk to Mari about portraits
causticAccolade
dead yet dreaming
- Location
- Silent Sound, Cipher Cove, Levoile.
Circular flower garden sign said:
You attempt to, but you honestly can't make HEAD NOR TAIL OF IT. It looks like it might be a PRESS of some sort, but other than that, you're pretty lost.
Mari looks just as arrogant in this PORTRAIT as she does in all the others, with a slightly sullen expression verging on a contemptuous scowl. The BROWN-HAIRED MAN next to her looks SIMILAR ENOUGH to DR. BRIGHTON to make it quite clear that he is closely related, likely a BROTHER. His hand is on Mari's shoulder. Mari's eyes have SMALL PINPRICK HOLES IN THEM. Unlike the OTHER PORTRAIT, this one does not seem to have a TITLE.
Mari doesn't seem to want to look at the painting, glancing up at it briefly before very quickly looking away with a SULLEN SCOWL that is strikingly similar to her expression in the portrait.
"Father said that family was very important. He had a lot of portraits painted. Maybe he put them up here because he wanted to have reminders of family when he was at work. I never really liked posing for them. It's very boring, although I don't think you'd know that. I bet you've never even had to pose for one portrait."
- Location
- Rochester, NY
[X] "Maybe not, Mari, but I do practice posing alot. It's a vital part of a JUNIOR SLEUTH'S skill set!"
[X] REMOVE the RED-HAIRED FAMILY PORTRAIT from the wall.
[X] Mari: Use HOW IT WORKS on the STRANGE, OLD-FASHIONED DEVICE.
[X] REMOVE the RED-HAIRED FAMILY PORTRAIT from the wall.
[X] Mari: Use HOW IT WORKS on the STRANGE, OLD-FASHIONED DEVICE.
EvilPorygon
Cookie Monster
- Location
- a phone
[X] Examine the VENDING MACHINE
[X] Examine the large BUSH
[X] See if the Fuse box can be opened with the screwdriver
[X] Examine the large BUSH
[X] See if the Fuse box can be opened with the screwdriver
- Location
- US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
no command since i'm pretty dang horrible at puzzles but
- Location
- St. Petersburg
I knew it! There is a device that controls the lighting and 'time of day' in the chamber. Quite likely it's the same old fuse box. Now, how do we get the key...
---
[X] Use IFI: "And what do you think?"
-[X] Who is the man on the portrait with her? Is he working here too?
Can't help but notice her reaction to the man in the portrait and compare it to the one she had to a portrait of her mother:
Edit: something in her explanation does not cut it for me. Yes, it'd make sense for Charles to dote on his remaining family after Melody's passing, and it'd explain Mari's portraits. But not Charles'. The man is not his own family. This creates an impression of him being a narcissistic jerk, and it makes me suspect that he views Mari as his own creation, and her portraits are there because he is proud of his 'work'. Then there is 'no touching' rule that makes me suspect she is somehow different... Reading too much in throwaway lines, perhaps?
---
[X] Examine TWELVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FLOWERS. What are they?
-[X] If they are arranged in a pattern of a clock, which flowers correspond to 6 and 12 hours?
---
[X] Examine the SMALL SIGNS.
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> Lucy: Ask Mari about family
causticAccolade
dead yet dreaming
- Location
- Silent Sound, Cipher Cove, Levoile.
The CLASS MACHINATION [INTERROGATION FOR IMBECILES] has been activated!
"Mari?"
"Calloway."
"Do you think family is important?"
"Father did. He always told me, if anything bad were to happen, he would protect me. That's why he was arguing with Dr. Paris and Mr. Stockholm, I think. Something went wrong, they wanted to use me for something, but he refused. I think they wanted to use me as a test subject, like..." She gives you an odd look and trails off. All of that seems to be true, but she's almost certainly hiding something.
"The man in that portrait, is he family?"
It takes her a while to respond, and she seems hesitant to even meet your eye. "Yes. Father's brother, Jack. He works at the institute." She's still not lying, but she's very reticent, and that seems to be all she's willing to say about the man.
You feel like you probably don't have to ask Mari's permission to take this one down. Behind it is yet another SECURITY CAMERA, and... whoa, is that a GUN? After careful examination, you realise that it's not a gun at all, the first clue perhaps being the LARGE HOOK that extrudes from the BARREL. Mari, looking at it over your shoulder, helpfully chips in.
"Grappling hook. But it's broken. I could fix it, because unlike you I'm very clever, but I'd need some mechanical parts to do it with."
You ask Mari to take a look at the OLD-FASHIONED DEVICE.
The CLASS MACHINATION [HOW IT WORKS] has been activated!
She spends a few minutes EXAMINING IT, before turning back to you. "It's a coin press. You put something made of metal in there, you twist this, and you get coins. I don't think that whatever it makes would be le-gally ten-der-ized, which is a phrase that means 'real money you can buy things with', in case you don't know. Which you don't."
The VENDING MACHINE only seems to sell ONE ITEM! It's completely empty apart from a single RECTANGULAR CARD that looks like some sort of ID CARD. There is a PRICE TAG attached to it, but instead of listing a price in DOLLARS, it reads:
There is a RATHER LARGE SLOT above the item selection buttons which is presumably FOR PUTTING COINS IN.Vending machine pricing said:
A shrubbery!
Large red BERRIES grow on it.
There aren't any visible screws to unscrew!
You don't know enough about FLOWERS to be able to recognize ALL TWELVE of these kinds of FLOWERS. You can definitely see how the GARDEN could be compared to a CLOCK, but with no indication of WHICH WAY UP IT'S MEANT TO BE, it's impossible to identify any one time!
You trudge over to the SQUARE FLOWER GARDEN and read the TWO SIGNS erected by it.
Square flower garden sign said:
How cryptic.Square flower garden sign said:
pantherasapiens
you were always my best friend
- Location
- somewhere over your shoulder
THIS GARDEN REALLY COMES ALIVE AFTER DARK!Square flower garden sign said:
Welp.
We can turn off the lights from the FUSE BOX, can't we?