The Winter Queen rides the skies on her white Battle Boar, accompanied by her Storm Wolves. Together, they bring fierce storms to the mountains of Scotland. Can the Detectives discover how to free her summer prisoner, or will winter's bite eat away the prospects of spring?
A story based on Scottish and Irish myths of the Cailleach Bhuer.
We will be making Ice Crowns.
Trolls are a favorite theme in Scandinavian folklore. They are inspired by shapes in nature that mimic creatures -- eyes, noses and chins jutting out of mountain sides; far off trees that appear to be walking across the land; or sleepy boulders with the shapes of animals and people.
Trolls may be as large as mountains or as small as a teacup. Dragon's Eye will explore the world of Teacup Trolls through an adventure of very small proportions. Travel will be fun, as we dive into tiny whirlpools in teacups, visiting other tea drinkers and legendary whirlpools around the globe,
We will construct our own Teacup Trolls. Please bring a vintage teacup for your troll to enjoy! The trolls prefer their cups to have a little second-hand patina -- flowers are fine for some trolls, while others may prefer one of the brown and ugly varieties. It's your troll's choice!
Mongolian legend and history come to life as the detectives try to prevent the Windhorse (Spirit Banner) of Genghis Khan from falling into the wrong claws. This adventure will examine the challenges of waging Peace when the Winds of War are blowing strong.
Can a mythical winged horse help our team? Only if they can reach it before it's spirited away.
We will be making Spirit Banners and shadowpuppets. Please bring a white sheet so we can construct our own Ger (a Mongolian yurt). The sheets need to be white for the shadow puppetry.
A mysterious well in the gardens of Dunraven Castle glows with a strange light. When the Detectives investigate, they are drawn into a legendary goblin trading extravaganza known as the Dunraven Fair. This fair is normally in November, but something has drawn it into the summer months.
Can our team evade the more dangerous denizens of the fair, while trading with the merchants for magical artifacts rarely seen by mortal eyes? Only if the Floating Eyes don't find them first.
We will be making artifacts and art for trading at the fair.
This is one of two mysteries devoted to the calendar myths of ancient China. The second one is The Moonrabbits, which we are offering in Session IV.
According to Chinese mythology, Yi the Archer shot the Nine Sons of Xi He when the impish Sun Ravens climbed into the sky with their brother (Tenth Sun), threatening to burn the mortal world to a crisp. Thousands of years later, Tenth Sun is now ill, and only his brothers can restore him to health. Can the Heroes of the Dragon's Eye find the nine fallen sons of Xi He, or is the world doomed to a cold and comfortless end?
We will be making our own Sun Ravens.
The myth of the Ten Sun Ravens is balanced by reports of Twelve Moonrabbits. Stories of these twelve moons are not easy to find in English, so I have created one based on what I know about them.
When twelve elusive Moon Rabbits go missing, the Detectives set out in search of a lost tale from ancient China. Their journey takes them to one of the oldest libraries, and from there, into the Celestial Heavens. Good thing they have their Moon Lanterns, because the White Road is long, dark, and cold.
We will be making Moon Lanterns and Moonrabbits.
Stories of the Night Wanderer drift through the Underworld into the dreams of dragons, leading our team on a search for this mysterious being. Why are the ghosts lining up at the River Styx? Are the black dogs friend or foe? Is the Veiled One leading the Detectives into a trap? Come find the answers to these questions and more, before the Shades spill into the mortal realms.
We will be making something magical.
I haven't decided what it is yet, but the Night Wanderer will let me know.
A search for a lost book will take the detectives on a tour of ancient libraries, along the secret roads used by librarians in their efforts to preserve the world's knowledge. Our story draws upon historical and mythical sources regarding the creation and preservation of knowledge, including visits with venerable individuals from Egyptian, Greek, Islamic, Irish, Korean, and Hindu traditions.
We will be making Book Nooks. These are delightful inserts for bookshelves that feature miniature landscapes and locations.