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][X] Examine the PORTRAIT OF A RED-HAIRED MAN AND WOMAN. Your DETECTIVE SENSE is tingling. So far DR. BRIGHTON'S portraits were involved in all solutions somehow.
Portrait title said:
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!"[X] Give the TALL OAK TREE a whack with a GOLD CROWBAR. See if any ACORNS fall down. Or BIRDS. Or TREEHOUSES, though you would not want that to happen.
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.[X] Examine the LARGE DOOR. What would you possibly need to get past that?
Writing on the door said:wow. through here is the maze. maze for rats. lab rats. fun fun! (that was a lie. not fun.) maze is scary if you get lost. advice: no getting lost. my advice is good. also advice, if you see minotaur, run run run, do not pass go. do not collect $200.
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:THIS BENCH WAS ERECTED BY THE GLOBAL SOTERIOLOGY CONSORTIUM IN MEMORY OF MELODY BRIGHTON, WHO LEAVES BEHIND A LOVING HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER.
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![X] Assuming tree-whacking strategy fails, attempt to climb the tree.
Well, going by the saying that eyes are a mirror of a soul, Charles' soul must be a very inquisitive one indeed.There are SMALL PINPRICK HOLES in the eyes of DR. BRIGHTON, as usual
Of course, she might know what they are doing even without remembering what they are called."Of course. Those are the people Father works for. It stands for... well... the words are awfully long and there isn't much point in knowing the specifics, anyway. It would only bore you." You get the distinct impression that she can't remember.
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."[X] Ask Mari if she recognizes the GLOBAL SOTERIOLOGY CONSORTIUM.
You ask her quietly if it's okay for you to take the PORTRAIT off the wall. She takes a deep breath and NODS.
"Do it yourself, Calloway."[X] Ask Mari to use the LONG-HANDLED NET to poke down the BIRD.
You ask Mari to come take a look at the FUSE BOX, making sure to mix in a little FLATTERY.[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?
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.Should we use IFI when conversing with Mari, or would it influence our tone? Would it require a moxie check?
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. \(>_< )/
[X] Go take a look at both of these AREAS and take note what's of interest in there.To the LEFT AND RIGHT sides of the GARDEN are LARGE, ORNATE, GOLDEN GATES and FENCES sectioning off TWO AREAS.
Well, it's a garden.
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.Edit: I just realized we're not holding any cans ourselves, so I'm changing that line in my vote.
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!
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.Hmm... idea!
[X] Once again DON the CROWN OF POSEIDON, which makes you look TOTALLY AWESOME.
The CLASS MACHINATION [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] has been activated!
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.-[X] Unscrew the handle of the Long Handled Net
--[X] Screw on the Shovel Head
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.[X] Observe the bird. If it looks like a magpie, show it your shiny gold crown.
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.[X] Go take a look at both of these AREAS and take note what's of interest in there.
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.[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?
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?"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."
It takes a few seconds to get her attention, as she continues to stare at the portrait with that odd expression on her face.
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.
[X] Examine TWELVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FLOWERS. What are they?The area of the garden through the LEFT GATE is dominated by a CIRCULAR FLOWER GARDEN containing TWELVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FLOWERS
[X] Examine the SMALL SIGNS.There are two SMALL SIGNS at the edge of the SQUARE FLOWER GARDEN
The CLASS MACHINATION [INTERROGATION FOR IMBECILES] has been activated![X] Use IFI: "And what do you think?"
-[X] Who is the man on the portrait with her? Is he working here too?
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.
You ask Mari to take a look at the OLD-FASHIONED DEVICE.[X] Mari: Use HOW IT WORKS on the STRANGE, OLD-FASHIONED DEVICE.
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!
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![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?
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:
THIS GARDEN REALLY COMES ALIVE AFTER DARK!Square flower garden sign said: