Chapter 15 - The Competition

Jun 18, 2022 7:47 am

Eddard Linderman

Eddard listens, fiddling with his beard, then stabs the air with his finger, "Ha! That means... The enemy realized he needs the entire chain of clues to get to the end of the search. And he is missing some clues..." he nods, with a grin. "Yes... So you have the advantage, once again."

He looks at the shop windows, then springs into action. He walks to the windows and pulls down some blinds. He does the same to the door, also turning a sign to its Closed side. Now it will be impossible to see inside the shop from the street.

He turns theatrically. "But to keep the advantage, you need... Secrecy." He stares at them with that intense expression of his, that makes him look slightly lunatic.
"What is the latest clue? Is it the final one?... We must work out why the enemy couldn't use it without the clues he misses..."

Jun 18, 2022 7:53 am

[ +- ] The clues

Johnny TwoCrows

witchdoctor

Jun 18, 2022 8:15 am

Johnny slips out the sketches of both the raven and the headstone he'd done the previous night when Logan mentioned the eerie message scrawled in blood. Yeah. It was really creepy how the bird just exploded into feathers and the message was just...there... afterwards. And this morning, there was a black feather waiting for me in my cereal. He held up the silky black feather attached to the end of his braid. I think it was a message or a warning that the Top Hat Man knows all about us.

Jun 18, 2022 8:16 am

"I got it!", Al exclaims. She unfolds her tourist map. "We have to mark all the spots where we found stuff. And then one clue is always the hilt and one the tip of the sword. And where they cross when we draw them, that's where we have to go!"

Jun 18, 2022 8:51 am

Al gets to work, unfolding her map on Eddard's counter, and grabbing a red pen. The Hunters gather around her as she works. Even Benny is holding his breath...

OOC:

cue 80s Montage Music!

[ +- ] The first Sword... Lighthouse to Water Tower

[ +- ] the Second Sword... Bridge to Cemetery

[ +- ] X Marks the Spot!

Jun 18, 2022 8:55 am

They stare at the unlabeled circle that is thus revealed. An anonymous round symbol, in the middle of an anonymous green square South of Preston Park and North of the Railroad Depot.

Eddard Linderman

"Very clever... the clues were grouped in pairs... hilt and point... the two swords. The Enemy was missing the first sword, so he could not create the full cross."

He taps his finger at the center of the cross "I have no idea what is there, though..."

Then looks around at the Hunters' concentrated faces, "But the main thing is... the Enemy DOES NOT know where this place is..."

Jun 18, 2022 9:06 am

OOC:

Al definitely didn't just draw lines, though. She drew swords

"Let's go there right now!", Al shouts. "Before the grim reaper gets there!"

Ben, A's brother

Jun 18, 2022 9:06 am

Ben, A's brother

"This. Is. SOOOOOO COOL...." he whispers, astonished.

Eddard Linderman

Jun 18, 2022 9:10 am

Eddard Linderman

He points a finger at Alana at her suggestion. "No! You have to think this through. The adversary will just follow you there, and snatch whatever you find from your hands. Your strongest weapon is his ignorance, at the moment. You' ve got to keep it secret... until you are ready to act."

Jun 18, 2022 9:13 am

"Oh! How about we split up! He can't be in multiple places at once. We all go to different places and while he follows one of us..." Al thinks for a moment. "Benny goes to get the actual treasure! He's not a monster hunter, so the grim reaper will never suspect that!"

Last edited June 18, 2022 9:14 am

Jun 18, 2022 9:17 am

Squadfather44 Inactive forever!

Ben, A's brother

"HEY! I'm a Monster Hunter too! But YES! I can go get the treasure!!!" he says, striking a hero pose with his Blastotron.

Eddard Linderman

He shakes his head. "It's a good plan but... We must assume that the adversary has spied Benny coming with you here. His feathered spies are probably out there right now. And he can send one bird following each of you. Heck, he will follow me too..."

Jun 18, 2022 9:18 am

That's fine and dandy if Benny can get the clue. Every clue we've found so far...we've needed two if not all of us to get. Given how this guy has acted so far, I say no one goes solo. Groups of two at a minimum. That way we each have help if we need it.

Jun 18, 2022 9:38 am

"Then we make a phone call! He'll never know who's going to grab the treasure then!"

Eddard Linderman

Jun 18, 2022 10:40 am

Eddard Linderman

He looks at Alana, puzzled. "WHAT?!?"

Johnny TwoCrows

witchdoctor

Jun 18, 2022 10:54 am

Alana might be onto something. Johnny perked up. If we could find someone we could trust to retrieve the...whatever it is... for us we could just call them and tell them where it is. Mr. Top Hat would never know where to look or who to follow to the treasure. His mood darkened a bit as another thought struck him, So...what do we do afterwards? I mean, he'll probably strike at us or our families to get back what we found. How do we keep him from doing that??

Jun 18, 2022 10:56 am

"Well, if we call someone to pick up the treasure for us, he'll never know who it is because he won't see them with us." She proudly pats her huge hair. "Can't have a head that big without something in it! Now we just need to figure out who we ask. Maybe Alice or Cody. Or Anna!"

OOC:

Al still really wants Anna to become a monster hunter 😆
Calling Mia to do it would also be really fun, but they have literally no reason to do that

Jun 18, 2022 10:57 am

Quote:

So...what do we do afterwards? I mean, he'll probably strike at us or our families to get back what we found. How do we keep him from doing that??

"He must have a weakness. He's kind of like a bird, so maybe if we dress up as scarecrows..."

Jun 18, 2022 11:07 am

Squadfather44 Inactive forever!

Eddard Linderman

"Yes... this is good," he starts pacing, like you've seen him do before, "but Johnny is right. he will just torment you until you give him what he wants..."

"Let's think about this... Ramon had something that Solomon Black wanted from him... yet, he lived a quiet life in a retirement home for years and years... Then, at his death, someone - let's assume it was Mr. Black - broke into his room..."

He turns to them, stopping his pacing. "Why did Solomon not visit the retirement home before Ramon's death? What did Ramon do, to prevent Black from finding him while he was alive?"

Jun 18, 2022 11:20 am

Logan looks over at Johnny as they make plans. What was Ramon's room like? Any decorations on the walls on around the room? Especially around the door or windows?

OOC:

There's a chance Anna may do it. We'd have to seriously convince her though. Mia would be fun, but she just started getting Logan's name right. So she'd probably be harder to convince than Anna.

Jun 18, 2022 11:28 am