2021 Session V: Book of Dragons -- Recap

Our final session of the 2021 summer season featured a story called "Book of Dragons." 

Madame Drak sends her 3-Penny Mystery dream to the detectives, instructing them to visit the Nine Dragon Scroll. This ink painting by Chen Rong is from 1244 CE China during the Song Dynasty. The scroll may be viewed here. It is housed at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, where a portion is open for viewing.

The visit leads to a deep dive into the artwork and its history -- and I do mean "deep dive." The detectives dove into the whirlpool of the painting, following the white dragon and a stolen pearl of wisdom. They found themselves inside the landscape of the scroll, where a river runs through a valley of steep mountains. They had to fend off an attack of Hsigo, half-human, half-bird creatures.

When the security guard fell into the painting, the group quickly returned him to the museum, assuring him that he was only dreaming. They closed the lid of the case holding the scroll, and returned to their detective's work.

Two huge white dragons fought the team in a narrow pass between two mountains. Our team was captured in an iron cage and transported to a hideout deep inside a cave, where the chancellor was waiting for them. I cannot reveal the chancellor's identity, in case I run this case again -- but he was quite helpful. He gave the detectives jewels (on the second day), told them what he knew about the pearl, and offered the help of his magical cricket.

The team decided to visit Chen Rong to ask him about the pearl of wisdom and the white dragon. They chose a quiet time in 1247 CE, when he was at his office as governor of Putian. The detectives had a bit of trouble reaching him, since the government building was guarded by an image of Bi Yan, the Dragon King's son who guards government buildings and maintains the law.

The visit did not go as planned -- and I cannot write more about it without giving away details that must be kept secret from future detectives. Let's just say that the visit was momentous, a true turning point in the story. The detectives learned what they needed to learn and all's well that ends well.

Did the mystery end well? Yes, it did. The thief was caught, the pearl of wisdom uncovered, and our team created their own pages to add to the Book of Dragons. View those pages on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page, in the photo album called "Summer 2021 Book of Dragons -- Art." The dragons the detectives made are also there, in the photo album called "Summer 2021 Book of Dragons -- Dragons."

Thanks to Oliver for the introduction of the cricket into our story!

2021 Session IV: Market at Wits' End

Burke the goat from "Goat and Ger" returned to the Dragon's Eye Detectives' Agency to request help from the team. She lost her bejeebers -- again -- only this time, her courage was stolen by a troll who planned to sell them at the market. 

What kind of market sells lost bejeebers? The team turned to an expert scavenger and traveling mage named Dog Tinker (aka Pete Kautz, a friend of mine from my Ithaca days). He told them about a goblin fair called The Market at Wits' End -- a notorious and tough-to-locate market that moves from year to year.

This year, the market's entrance was hidden in the sewers of London -- and only a ghost from the Spaniards' Inn could help the detectives find the secret way into those tunnels. The innkeeper was a bit alarmed to see a team of kids descending on her business, but there was no shortage of ghosts around the building. The white lady was walking her loop, and the ghost of the highwayman stole their pouch of jewels. Finally, it was the highwayman's horse ghost who helped the detectives, leading them into the gully where the sewers began swallowing the Fleet Street river.

Oliver Van Soest took over the reigns of the story as the detectives entered the sewer. The adventure played out like one of his delightful cartoons that summarize our mysteries each week. A rat provided the detectives with boats, yet omitted the oars that would allow them to steer down the sewers, so their travels took a turn for the worse.

Lacking jewels, they followed a trail of jewels into a dark tunnel, where the team split into two. The brave ones dove into the darkness; the wise ones stayed behind and watched for signs of what would happen. When there were none, the team used multiple magical artifacts to scry and then free their teammates from a very sticky situation. I can't provide the full details, in case we do this case in the future, but the rescue team received glowing reviews for their heroic actions.

Oliver kept the suspense going by immediately plunging the team into more trouble, thereby proving that he understands the Dragon's Eye world so well! One challenge after another, each more difficult than the one before it. Fortunately, the team found a solution, proving that the detectives are up to the tasks at hand!

A visit to the Rat Queen ended with a proposal that was apparently too good to turn down -- and the detectives gained safe passage through the rat queendom to their destination.

The portal to the Market at Wits' End was guarded this year by a family of black boars, the legendary creatures said to haunt the sewers of London. New York may have its alligators, but London has its boars -- and they put up a fierce series of magic battles before the detectives were allowed an audience with MKB (Momma Knows Best).

Unexpected changes were afoot, however -- the Market was under knew management, and the Ladies in Grey made their appearance. These are two sisters, Lady Pestilence and Lady Alleviation. One sickens; the other heals. Fortunately, our team was under the protection of Dog Tinker's lantern of magic.

The detectives entered the market with powerful spells to disguise their human souls. The Soul Snatchers were looking for those tiny glowing Moon Souls, but theirs were carefully hidden under Dog's illusions.

Oliver and I teamed up for the tables at the Market, bringing every cool and creepy lost thing that might represent lost items sold at the Market at Wits' End. An album of photos of some of the items may be seen on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page, along with the children's creations that they purchased at the fair. Artwork is also there, with the wonderful paintings the kids made!

I'm happy to report that the team did find Burke's bejeebers -- and gave up every last jewel they had to buy them from a merchant who kept increasing the price every time they suggested something lower. A side quest was also achieved, involving a ring and a djinn. Does anyone hear the word "sequel" echoing in their head?

Special thanks to Oliver for a day's worth of writing his own adventure--he created top notch challenges and characters that we'll all remember! Next year, Oliver will have the chance to write a whole week's adventure!

Thanks also to Pete Kautz, who returned as Dog Tinker. Pete is an experienced gamer, so he's starting to feed us new games and ideas for adventures! Future collaborations will build on what we did this summer!

2021 Session III: Mask of Dreams

"Mask of Dreams" was written in 1999, and is among my most repeated adventures. It's always fun to see how each new group approaches this adventure! This year's group of experienced detectives resisted the urge to put the mask on -- so the backup plan kicked in and the mask chose the one person who confessed that she wanted to don the mask.

This launched the troubles from the Greek dream world. The detectives gathered their resources and set off to see the Oracle at Delphi. They chose the oldest oracle in legend, with a temple made of laurel and a small encampment rather than the more famous time period visited by kings and queens.

The Oracle tapped into the dream visions, revealing the merging of the Gates of Ivory and the Gates of Horn. This would bring all dreams and nightmares into the world as prophesies, unleashing horrors on the world at large. While some dreams might be fun if true, the team generally agreed that we'd like our nightmares to remain fictional.

With the help of Dog Tinker's Dream Boxes, the team was able to track down the one who tampered with the mask. They started with a visit to the Underworld, with the usual challenges -- crossing the River Acheron, coping with Cerberus at the crossroads (they don't care for "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star), and managing the field of poppies.

The visit to the Cave of Hypnos was quite productive. Thanatos was entertained by the team's creativity in taking on Morpheus' dream challenge. Competitive shadow puppetry will be coming to the Olympics one day. We're quite sure it will catch on at any moment!

A visit to the ancient god of dreams, Oneiros, brought the team to the Palace of Dreams. The team's discoveries there led to more peril, yet a possible solution as well. A glimpse into the dream work of three assistants to the gods revealed who the tampering god was -- and the team made a careful selection from Dog's final Dream Box to assist them.

What did we learn from our adventure on the edge of the Dreaming? Beware of sleepwalkers bearing unknown golden masks. It's better to have a dream of Koschei the Deathless on your side, than a nightmare of him working against you. Charon originally ferried passengers across the River Acheron. And Ballerina Kitty is still the worst nightmare of all.

Thank you to Pete Kautz, my good friend and former colleague in adventuring from my days in Ithaca, NY, for his role as Dog Tinker. Zoom brought us something special this week--a chance to have a master D&Der join us for some good fun!

Thank you also to Oliver Van Soest -- he fits the part of Morpheus so well, and crafted those shadowpuppet nightmares with his usual blend of comic horror and imagination! Good thing the detectives held their own, undoing those nightmares! 

I also want to compliment the group on their teamwork, and on the beautiful masks they made this week! Here is a link to the mask work on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page. Here is a glimpse of some of the shadow puppetry work.

2021 Session II: Yemaya's Gardens -- Recap

Our second week of the 2021 summer featured a new story about "Yemaya's Gardens." We visited the Gardens of the Queen (Los Jardines de la Reina) off the coast of Cuba, to meet Yemaya, Orisha of the Sea and Mother of Fishes. She asked the detectives to find her missing sea dobbin, a tiny seahorse who disappeared.

The detectives retraced the seahorse's journey, as revealed through the dream that Madame Drak and the Dreaming Dragons sent to the team. They started with Ochun, Orisha of the Rivers and Lakes and sister of Yemaya.

Two wily characters stole a couple of Dragon's Eye IDs, and tried to trick Ochun into thinking that our detectives were imposters. Fortunately, the team was able to convince her that they were the real heroes, with the magic from their Dragon Wings.

A swim through the ocean led to a little trouble with sharks. The detectives slowed them down so they could talk with them, and a Truth Jewel revealed that their names were Ruth and George. Ruth is a chaos demon and George is an order demon -- and it's a long story about how they came to work together against the Dragon's Eye Detectives. Let's just say they are Big Trouble. The team summoned a giant Sea Troll who gave them a free ride to another distant location.

One of the flying ships from last week's adventure helped the detectives fly across the sea to their next destination, which turned out to be Bloody Bay Wall. This is another amazing diving site, but the detectives didn't spend much time admiring the coral reef along the ledge. They promptly turned into massive adult sea dragons and dove down deep into the water.

I'm happy to say that the Detectives found the little sea dragon named Eya, and all was well in the end. Summarizing a mystery without giving away secrets for the next time it is run is a tricky business -- let's just say that the team had a lot of jewels available to put toward the fireworks and celebrations!

We had fun looking at books and a video about the Gardens of the Queen this week. This is a marine refuge created by Castro in 1976 to protect the coral reefs that he so loved. Over 800 laws keep this place in near pristine condition -- so it is a favorite place for divers.

The artwork for the week really shines with the children's love of sea creatures! Here is a link to the album on the Dragon's Eye Adventures Facebook page. Here is another link to the album that features the tiny sea creature the detectives sewed. They crafted giant eels, seahorses, sting rays, a saltwater crocodile, a shrimp, and a Caribbean reef shark.

Session I : Ship of Fools -- Recap

Session I: Ship of Fools began slowly, with hot weather and new distancing guidelines running a little interference, but we soon recovered our "sea legs" so to speak, and the adventure took off. We promised chickens -- and there were chickens. Living chickens, skeleton chickens, bespelled chickens -- and even a talking egg.

What did we learn about chickens this week? They have a tendency to spill secrets, at the worst possible moments. Zoya the chicken got our team into trouble several times with her habit of oversharing, but her heart was in the right place.

Which was not the case with Koschei the Deathless. His heart was in the wrong place, as usual. He hid his heart on an island in the sea, buried beneath the Tree of Life, in a chest, in a duck, in an egg, in a needle. We weren't sure how exactly his heart fit into a needle, but there it was ... beating at a distance, keeping Koschei alive forever.

This wasn't the first time that we faced Koschei the Deathless. One detective had faced him before, several years earlier, in a case called "The Golden Cage." That group had turned Koschei into a baby, in order to restart the maturing process. They gave the baby into the care of Cernunnos, and thought they were done, but that decision led to another mystery called "Hound and Horn."

That adventure left Koschei as a baby, but facing a spell that turned him into a lime tree. One might assume that would be enough, but as our detectives discovered this time around, Koschei is a wily little fellow, even as a toddler. He managed to convince someone to release him from the tree, and off he went, stealing the Tsar's flying ship and turning it into a black pirate ship.

Fortunately, our team of detectives were on the case! They tracked the Tsar's ship back through the story of "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship," visiting the Tsar's parents and lost brothers, and then the Baba Yaga. Along the way, they learned that talking eggs say foolish things, but their advice may hide some secret wisdom, leading to unlikely treasures, like clumps of peat, empty boxes, or a stray bone from a spooky bone cow.

I'm happy to report that the Tsar's pirate ship has been returned and restored to its glorious firebird form. The Baba Yaga's wand of rebirth has sent Koschei on to his next life as a blackfooted ferret, and his bone dogs are now happy puppies living with a very cranky man who needs a little joy in his life.

Here is a link to the Dragon's Eye album on Facebook, where you may see the delightful flying ships the children made this week!

Signs of Summer

Yarnballs in the washing machine, stacks of sewing kits on the table, and a pile of yellow pages full of notes -- these are all signs of a summer program approaching fast. 

"Dust off the hula hoops and wake up the dragons," says mama Tomte, "The detectives will be coming soon!"

Madame Drak opens one sleepy dragon's eye and looks at the tiny house gnome. "Are you sure this isn't another drill?"

"You're the prognosticator! You tell me!" replies mama Tomte.

Madame Drak looks deep into her crystal ball, searching for signs of the dreaming. "Oh yes, I see a stirring among the Nine Dreamers. They are coming, the two-legged, furry-headed detectives ... well, we'll see what trouble we can find for them! I'm sure something must need fixing in the Dreamtime."

Madame Drak's crystal ball glows with a flurry of images that come and go. A black ship flying in the sky, a beautiful mermaid swimming among the coral reefs, a field of orange red poppies deep inside a cave, a giant boar standing at the far end of a dark tunnel, and a white dragon fighting against a strong current.

"Mmmmmm, yes ... trouble indeed," mutters Madame Drak. "I hope they bring their bejeebers."

Summer 2021 Update

Friend or Foe?
Find out in Session I: The Ship of Fools

Dragon's Eye Adventures still has spaces available for Sessions I and II in the 2021 Summer program. Both sessions are open for children entering grades 2 through 8. The program runs from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Freeport Middle School in Freeport, ME, with after hours available until 5:30 PM.

Session I features a mystery called "The Ship of Fools." The story plays with Russian folktales and a little Dragon's Eye history. Our team of detectives will be joined by two world-renowned detectives as they traverse the Russian landscape in search of a ship gone rogue. Can the detectives save the Thrice-Nine Lands from the pirate who has taken over the king's flying ship?

Session II involves a mystery called "Yemaya's Gardens." It draws on Afro-Caribbean myths about the Orisha Yemaya, goddess of the sea and mother of fishes. Yemaya has taken up residence in the Gardens of the Queen, an undersea coral reef preserve off the coast of Cuba. She needs help finding the little seahorse who followed her from the African shores to Cuba. Can the detectives find the missing dobbin of the sea before the sharks and alligators do?

For more information about the adventures, visit the Current Programs tab of the Dragon's Eye website. Details about fees and dates are there, and the title of each mystery is a link to more information about the stories. For questions, contact Rebecca McNulty at dragonseyeadventures@gmail.com.

Seahorses for "Yemaya's Gardens"

Dragon's Eye Adventures is offering five mysteries for the 2021 summer season. The final three weeks are all full, but there is still space in the first two sessions. With low enrollment and waitlists for the other three sessions, I am expanding that enrollment to include detectives entering grades 7 and 8 as well.

Session I features a story called "Ship of Fools." This mystery draws on folklore from Russia and Ukraine. The story explores what kind of leadership it takes to steer a celestial vessel safely through the skies.

Two delightful chickens will help the detectives search out the malevolent force that has taken over the flying ship once owned by a wise king. Who better to help restore balance than a couple of chickens?

Session II focuses on "Yemaya's Gardens." It explores Afro-Caribbean myths about the Orishas who immigrated to the Caribbean when their followers were brought to the region as enslaved people.

In our story, Yemaya was a goddess of the river who evolved into an Orisha of the entire sea. She has cultivated a home for herself in the Jardines de la Reina, the Gardens of the Queen.

Our mystery calls for a search and rescue of Yemaya's beloved seahorse, so we will be exploring marine life in the Caribbean Sea, and learning how an African river queen finds a new home and life for herself and her beloved people.

Summer 2021, Session I: Ship of Fools

Ship of Fools
RL McNulty 2020
Micron Pen & Colored Pencil

The first session of the Summer 2021 season will feature a mystery called The Ship of Fools. This five-day adventure for detectives entering grades 2 through 6 runs on June 28 through July 2 from 9 AM to 4 PM, with After Hours until 5:30 PM as needed. We will be using Room 122 of the Freeport Middle School, 19 Kendall Lane, Freeport, ME -- as part of the RSU5 Community Programs.

This mystery draws on Russian folktales about the Fool of the World and the Flying Ship. Our detectives must learn what combination of skills, knowledge, wisdom--and folly--it takes to steer a ship through the celestial seas. Good thing chickens are along for the ride! What can go wrong with chickens on board?

Our projects will include celestial navigators in tiny, winged ships.

Summer 2021, Session II: Yemaya's Gardens

Yemaya's Dobbin
RL McNulty, 2020
Micron Pen &
Colored Pencil

Session II will offer a brand new adventure called Yemaya's Gardens. The program runs from 9 AM to 4 PM, with After Hours until 5:30 PM, on July 6 - 9. This is a four day program, running from Tuesday through Friday. Detectives entering 2nd through 6th grades are welcome. We will hold this in Room 122 of the Freeport Middle School, 19 Kendall Lane, Freeport, ME, as part of the RSU5 Community Programs.

This adventure draws on the Santeria tradition of Orisha, drawing upon a mix of Yoruba and Caribbean myths about the sea goddess known as Yemaya. We will also learn about the living creatures of the sea, and discuss the environmental threats facing our coral reefs.

Here is the description for Yeamaya's Gardens:

The detectives are called to the Caribbean to investigate troubles in the watery realms of Yemaya, the Orisha of the sea. The seahorses are vanishing, including Yemaya’s beloved dobbin, her hardworking farm horse of the sea. Can the team find the dobbin in time to save the sea queen’s gardens?

We will be crafting sea creatures and coral reef gardens.

Summer 2021, Session III: Mask of Dreams

Mask of Dreams
RL McNulty 2020
Micron Pen & Colored Pencil

Mask of Dreams is one of the tried-and-true classic adventures for Dragon's Eye Adventures, first written in 1996. This summer, it will be the feature story for Session III, July 12 - 16. Detectives entering grades 4 through 9 are invited to tackle this mystery. The program runs from 9 AM to 4 PM, with After Hours until 5:30 as needed. We will be in Room 122 of the Freeport Middle School, 19 Kendall Lane, Freeport, ME, as part of the RSU5 Community Programs.

This mystery draws on Greek myths about dreams. Here is the description:

A mysterious mask leads the Detectives to ancient Greece to seek counsel from the Oracle at Delphi. It’s a race against time, as the Detectives enter the Underworld in search of two dream jewels. Will Morpheus the god of dreams help, or will the world plunge into a chaos of nightmares come true?

Our projects include a double-sided mask of dreams and nightmares.

Summer 2021, Session IV: The Market at Wits' End

Market at Wits' End
RL McNulty, 2020
Micron Pen & Colored Pencil

The fourth session of the 2021 summer is a five-day mystery for grades 4 thru 9 called The Market at Wits' End. The program will run on July 19 - 23, from 9 AM to 4 PM, with After Hours until 5:30 as needed. We will be in Room 122 at the Freeport Middle School, 19 Kendall Lane, Freeport, ME, as part of the RSU5 Community Programs.

I planned this story before the pandemic, and it seems strangely appropriate after a year of Covid-19. We will delve into some of the Victorian era history about underground London, touching on the pandemics that occurred in the 1850s and 1870s. The legend  about black boars in the sewers took hold during this fearful time, as did the tradition of wearing gloves in public.

Detectives who solved the mystery "Goat and Ger" will recognize this story as a follow-up for that adventure. Sleuths with keen eyesight may also spot some clues about one of our favorite villains, returning with a little pocket change. "Would you like a penny?"

Here is the description for our adventure:

A timid wild goat asks the detectives for help finding a legendary trade fair known as the Market at Wits' End. A visit to a hidden library reveals that the path leads through the sewers of London. Those passageways are guarded by a host of wild black boars. Pack your hazmat suits! We're headed to realms where the muck is piled high!

Our projects include Book Nooks and Wits’ End Treasures for trade at the market.

Summer 2021, Session V: The Book of Dragons

The Book of Dragons
RL McNulty, 2016
Micron pen & Colored Pencil

Session V of the Summer 2021 season features a story called The Book of Dragons. This mystery is for all ages, entering grades 2 through 9. It will be held in Room 122 at Freeport Middle School, 19 Kendall Lane, in Freeport, ME, as part of the RSU5 Community Programs. The program operates from 9 AM to 4 PM, with after hours until 5:30 PM available as needed.

The Book of Dragons was inspired by Chen Rong's Nine Dragon Scroll. The history behind this scroll is quite fascinating, and the scroll itself is among my favorite works of art. It can be viewed at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. A virtual version of the scroll can be viewed here.

I have blended the history of the scroll with the Dragon's Eye mythology we have been building for many years. So this mystery brings together a little history, Chinese mythology about dragons, and Dragon's Eye concepts about dragonmages. Here is the description of this adventure:

An old scroll from China holds clues to the location of a manuscript known as The Book of Dragons. This legendary book records the names and skills of the most ancient dragonmages. Can the Detectives find the book before it falls into the wrong hands?

Our activities this week include pen, ink and watercolor Dragon Scrolls, and beautiful dragon jewels.

Summer 2021 Hopes

Dragon's Eye Adventures will offer five adventures this summer.

Details about each week will be coming, along with the Summer 2021 newsletter. Registration by email is now open, with paperwork coming within the next few days!

Dragon's Eye is moving to Freeport, to join the wonderful slate of summer offerings by RSU5 Community Programs. We will be holding our adventures at the Freeport Middle School.

The space there is wonderful -- we have a quiet wing to ourselves, with access to trails, the fields, and a sweet little pond. The hallways are perfect for our sneaking games, and we have enough space to spread out during these challenging times!

Masks and social distancing will be required, along with temperature checks. I will be sending more information about this as we get closer to the summer, since the CDC guidelines are changing.

Our games will adapt to the guidelines, too. I have never been more grateful for the ability to adapt to creative challenges! Some of our favorite games with yarnballs will have to shift, but our basic sneak should be intact. Those floating eyeballs zap from a distance already!

Details about the weeks are on the Current Programs tab. Our prices have had to increase, thanks to the extra expenses that social distancing and a new location bring. Some scholarships are available to assist with the fees.