Book of Shadows - Report

Book of Shadows by Mathea Hoy

The final week of the summer 2014 season featured the mystery known as "The Book of Shadows." Eleven detectives traveled to the village of Knockainey in Ireland, to track and trail a mysterious mage known as Mr. Blackthorn.

Trouble plagued the group in the form of bramble traps and false bounty. The detectives lost their Starbowl, their pouch of jewels and four IDs before the week was done, but they managed to overcome all obstacles in their path. Even the Shadow Creatures were no match for our team.

With courage running high, the detectives kept up as Blackthorn moved from one ancient barrow to another, gathering the Book of Shadows and the key that would unlock the portal leading into the Shadow Realms.

Fran Townsend as a squirrel

We were blessed this week with more help that allowed for advanced games. Fran Townsend brought her considerable skills as an arts educator and school teacher, taking on characters like the Shadow Creature and Donn Firinne. She played the Shadow Eye that guarded the artifacts in Blackthorn's tiny briefcase, allowing us to play one of our favorite sneaking games in the halls of Searles Science building.

Mary Melquist as Aine Cli

Mary Melquist also joined us this week, as the Irish sun goddess Aine Cli. She came in glorious regalia, testing the detectives' courage, compassion, wisdom and respect. Aine Cli gave the detectives their Sun Spark Stones, which may be seen in an album on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page.

After a journey into the halls of Donne Firinne, the detectives faced their final magical battle in the shadow realms of the Book of Shadows. Their wonderful Books of Shadows may be seen on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page, along with other albums showing the week's adventure.

Very special thanks go to Fran Townsend and Mary Melquist. Fran's help was invaluable this week and her stamina impressive! The albums are full of her wonderful photos. Mary's performance was full of color and warmth, so fitting for a sun goddess.

Mr. Blackthorn and three shapeshifted detectives,
a moonmage, a blackjack and a Americian saddle horse.

Thank you also to all of the amazing detectives who journeyed with me this week! It was a week of extraordinary courage and heightened imagination.

Take a look at the shadowpuppet album -- each detective chose their magical path as a mage, complete with their favorite transformation. We have chaos, order and balance mages among us who shapeshift into a Shadow Dragon, a Rabbit, a Blue Fire Lion, a Moonmage, a skeletal T-rex, a Phoenix, a Chameleon, a Barn Owl, an American Saddle Horse, a Blackjack and the very rare Mermage.

Mask of Dreams - Report

Eleven Detectives took on the mystery known as "Mask of Dreams" last week at Bowdoin College. While rain kept us traveling from building to building on some days, we managed to eek out a really fun week. Our three new Detectives dove right into the spirit of adventure and the group took on the Oroborus challenge without a single hitch all week!



Kate Sibole joined us as an assistant, opening up possibilities for game play. Ken Walden and Lou Ensel returned for another role as Phantasms. Kate's team and my team were able to split up and track the Phantasms through the labyrinth of the Cave of Sleep. It was a game for the record books, sure to become legendary among those of us who were there!





We started in the Searles science building, where the two Phantasms parted ways. The trackers crossed paths through the bowels of the art building and the trail became twice as dangerous as the Detectives had to watch for freezing spells coming from both directions. Both groups passed an amazing wall of eyes and I had to take a picture -- it was so perfect. Bowdoin is wonderful for the bits of serendipity it provides.


Morpheus the god of dreams challenged the Detectives to a competition in the dreaming. This turned out to be a shadow puppet competition. Each side has three minutes to make shadow puppets. Morpheus began with a story about a hero sailing through the waters in a dragon boat.

The dream became nightmarish when the dragon boat swallowed the hero. The first group of Detectives had three minutes to turn that nightmare into a good dream again. Then Morpheus turned it back into a nightmare and the second group of Detectives turns it into a dream.

Our poor hero was saved by rainbows and unicorns, only to have them turn into pits of doom and sharks. Along the way, the hero enjoyed many burritos and occasionally a taco, but even that came back to bite him in Friday's version for parents, when the Taco monster rose. Fortunately, our clever Detectives saved the day--and Morpheus was entertained by their creativity, their humor and their ingenuity.



It was an amazing week, and the dream masks and shadow puppets are all in albums on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page. The children's art never ceases to amaze me, and these albums are becoming treasure troves of memory for these brief and fleeting adventures!

Thank you to Kate Sibole for such capable help this week! From Phantasms to Charon to Athena to Oneiros the ancient god of dreams, Kate played them all with style and ease!





Thank you also to Ken and Lou for another great morning--tracking and trailing of that kind is an advanced maneuver for the Detectives! More adults on my side even for a short while means trickier games and richer challenges!

Thank you, Kate, Ken and Lou -- and thank you to my wonderful, clever Detectives. This was one memorable mystery! The Mask of Dreams will never be the same.