The Shadow Dragon -- Summer 2025 Summary

The final mystery of the Dragon's Eye 2025 season was "The Shadow Dragon." I've been working on this story for several years, so it was gratifying to finally step foot into the Tibetan mythical landscape surrounding the sacred mountain known as Mt Kailash or Mt. Tise.

Four religions regard Mt Kailash as the axis mundi (world axis) connecting the mortal world to the immortal sky realms of the gods. Sacred kora or pilgrimages are held there every year between April and September by Hindu, Bon, Jain, and Buddhist practitioners.

The mountain is considered the home of numerous deities and sacred beings, including Shiva and Parvati (Hinduism), and Sango Bumtri (creator god in the Bon religion). Numerous temples, shrines,  stuppas, and other sacred sites and objects may be found all along the roads surrounding the mountain.

The ancient civilization of Zhang-zhung extended all around the mountain, with archeological ruins found throughout the region. This is also an area where Buddhist treasure-seekers look for the sacred scripts and artifacts hidden by the second Buddha, Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Tibet.

Our mystery touched on only a handful of the local residents, barely scratching the surface of the rich mythology surrounding this mountain.

One of our detectives astutely noted that the 2025 season of mysteries should be called "The Shadow Dragon Saga." Our story began in April with a slug named Drudge who changed an Egg of Ending into a World-Ending Egg. We followed Sludge to Kiroshima in Okinawa, Japan, during the summer months. It turned out he was under the control of a Sea Fox who used him to exact revenge upon the mortal world.

She had help from one of the most famous world-ending dragons of all, the great Niddhogr of Norse mythology, so our adventure led to his lair for a plea to return the World-Ending Egg to its original state as a minor Egg of Ending. That minor ending was Rebecca the Dragonmage's retirement from the Dragon's Eye Detectives Agency.

The Detectives managed to return the egg to its true state, but the two-headed baby shadowdragon arrived without a name. During this final adventure, the detectives needed to take it to the innermost sacred chambers of Mt Kailash, where they could meet the Eight and Ninth Dreamers for the unveiling of the tiny dragon's true name. In the meantime, the team called the baby dragon Pebbles.

Naturally, this trip involved a kora, a sacred pilgrimage around the mountain. Our team began in the South, with the traditional visit to Lake Manasarovar. They were met by the first of Four Dignities of Tibet, the Tiger named Tak. He asked them to perform a boon by visiting the Naga Queen in Lake Manasarovar to ask her for a Shadow Eye of Insight and Respect. She declined and asked them to show their mettle by completing the challenges of the other directions first -- demonstrating their wisdom, courage, compassion first and then returning with respect in place.

Our team continued along the traditional paths around Mt. Kailash, heading in the old Bon direction, counterclockwise around the mountain. They encountered various merchants, travelers, and numerous Shadoweyes of the Rakshas. They traveled in their dragon forms, and soon learned that Dragon Season was usually in winter, when the humans were more scarce. 

There was one immortal merchant with a gold star and blue tips who passed the team, but they kept their invisibility spells intact, and he passed by without comment. Who was he? I guess we will never know ... but I can say that he carried an interesting artifact that could have revealed a secret path through the mountains from west to north.

The Rakshas were very interested in the dragons, and plagued the detectives along their journey. Finally, they launched an all-out magical attack, complete with flying yarnballs and freezing fire. The detectives soon defeated them, but the battle didn't end there. The Rakshas used the time as a distraction, to perform a deep dive into the protective magic surrounding the baby dragons. They managed to steal Pebbles.

Fortunately, the detectives had an artifact that could track the Rakshas carrying Pebbles. They were following the path of the kora as well. The team asked Madame Drak a Yes/No question, and learned that the Rakshas were completing boons for the Four Dignities as well.

This explained the increasing number of heads on the Raksha king shown on Madame Drak's daily fortunes. The Demon King was amassing power and insight in multiple realms, allowing him the power to break through protective dragon magic.

Our team met with the Snow Lion of the East, who sent them for a boon from the Green Tara: The Bracelet of Earth's Bounty and Wisdom.

Once the Rakshas landed in the North, our heroes were able to use their Shadow Eye of Retrieval to bring back Pebbles. The sweet bear that slept at the Green Tara's side gave them a Bearstone of Protection, to keep all of the baby dragons safe in multiple realms.

The team continued their journey to the north. They met an immortal merchant searching for dragons, and learned that the Rakshas weren't the only ones seeking dragons out of season. This merchant sold baby dragons to mages and other magic wielders, so our team kept their dragons a secret.

The detectives met Kyung the Garuda of the North. He sent them to Hanuman the Monkey King, who was visiting his father's domain near Mt Kailash. Hanuman promised to leave Mt Kailash in place this time (he had once carried it to southern India, when he didn't know which magic herb was the one he was seeking). He confirmed that the Rakshas had been there, and noted that they became very upset about something that happened to a baby dragon they were carrying.

Hanuman granted the detectives the boon for the Garuda of the North. This was a Fire Kindler of Courage. He tried to warn them about something as they left, but it was too late. A Secret Keeper brought the lost words back to the detectives: Don't offer bananas to the Dragon of the West.

No one asked me on Friday what offering bananas to a water dragon would do, but I will say that a water dragon going bananas ends up with monsoons, hurricanes and other chaotic water events.

Druk the Dragon of the West was calm when the detectives met him. He sent them for a boon from an even calmer immortal, the second Buddha known as Rinpoche. The team asked for a Droplet from the Sea of Compassion. Their actions along the kora were strong, so the Buddha granted their wish.

When the detectives realized the Raksha were nearing completion of their kora,  so the detectives cast a little interference magic, landing them at the island of the Naga Queen just before the Rakshas arrived. They presented their case again, demonstrating their honor through their choices and actions along the way. 

The Raksha King arrived with his twelve heads, and his horde of Shadow Eye demons. The King of the Rakshas shared his grievances with the detectives, accusing them of stealing Pebbles from him, the one who would unlock the true potential of this tiny End Dragon. Who wouldn't want to end the world, when such power was available?

Our team was up for the debate, launching into the reasons the Naga Queen should grant their boon and deny that of the Raksha King. It was a lively argument, featuring points and counterpoints from both sides, but in the end, the detectives managed to win the Shadow Eye of Insight and Respect from the Klu Queen.

When they returned this to Tak the Tiger of the South, it opened the way to the Inner Chambers of Mt. Kailash, where two of the Nine Dreamers were waiting for them. 

Bai the Wyrdweaver is the Eighth Dreamer, whose domains are Fate, Memory and Oblivion, Truth and Lie, Fact and Fiction. They keep the Book of Life and Death that tracks the Hero's Journeys of Mortals and Immortals alike.

Zed the Awakener is in charge of Endings of all sizes and importance, including the closing of the Dreamsong when its time comes.

The Four Dignities arrived with the four boons. It turns out the boons were the four artifacts needed to bring Pocket Oracles to each of the detectives.

After the Oracles arrived to claim their dragonmages/detectives, the ritual of naming began. The two-headed shadow dragon was finally revealed as Razmataz the Bittersweet. With his heart full of his true name, and his little heads brimming with bitter and sweet memories, dreams, and hopes, the tiny dragon flew into the sky to reveal his full form as a rainbow dragon. Out of the shadows comes light and beauty, hope and joy mixed with sadness.

The dragonmage Rebecca arrived, and a whole host of magical beings came to celebrate the retirement of a beloved dragonmage. The party was truly epic, spanning every mystery from the summer and beyond. The fireworks were extra special -- even Gandalf would have tipped his hat to the pyrotechnics in charge.

At last, the detectives returned home, with their Starbowls, Jewels, and Dice, with their Orobori and their Dragonstones, and finally, with their Pocket Oracles. They were full-blown dragonmages at last, empowered for their own journeys with the dragons.

That night, they dreamed about Raz and Taz, come once more for one flight through the night skies. They turned into adult dragons and flew into the sky, showing Rebecca the Dragonmage their new skills and powers as they rolled and dove through the Celestial Realms.

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Visit the Dragon's Eye Adventures Facebook page for more drawings and photos of the Pocket Oracles. 

Very special thanks to Elisabeth Kelly, who joined us as a Program Assistant for one final mystery.

Thanks also to Chris Guerette and RSU5 Community Programs for the space and support these last few years! Thank you to the Freeport High School staff who helped us with the program this summer!

And always, a special thanks to the families who came to each mystery! I have had an extraordinary time with the detectives, imagining stories and encounters that could not have unfolded without the ideas and choices made by children. It is this capacity for dreaming that gives me hope even in these challenging times!

I wish you all well! May your journeys with the dragons take flight with courage, compassion, wisdom and respect trailing like a stream of colors in your wake! It has been an honor to accompany each of you on your travels! 

 

 

Elisabeth Kelly Returns as Program Assistant

I was delighted to welcome Elisabeth Kelly back as Program Assistant for the final mystery of the 2025 season! This will be her fifteenth adventure, with eleven as a detective, and four as a Program Assistant/Dragonmage.

Some of our detectives will remember her memorable performances last year as Hades, Greek god of the Underworld, and as Sarasvati, Hindu goddess of knowledge. It’s not often that our kids burst into spontaneous applause, but her nuanced performance of Hades as an somber, orderly god produced just such a response!

Elisabeth spent two weeks coaching tennis at Maine Pines Kids Summer Tennis Camp this summer. She has also worked as a CIT (Counselor in Training) at Cathance River Educational Alliance in Topsham, ME.

She graduated as an honors student at Mt. Ararat High School last June and will be attending Husson University this fall. She plans to undertake a double major in Forensic Science and Biology, as well as playing on the Husson tennis team.

Elisabeth also has strong skills in art, music, and writing. A 2022 short story she wrote was published as part of the Twisted Tales writing contest. Her lovely designs for Dragon’s Eye projects have been delighting us for years. She also enjoys rock climbing, reading dystopian novels and playing open-world adventure games.

Welcome back, Elisabeth!

 

The Potter's Guild -- July 2025

The Potter's Guild opened with two major troubles facing the Detectives: An Egg of Ending warped into a World-Ending Egg by the Sea Fox and Niddhogr, and a teensy bit of trouble from the lid on the jar holding the Umibozu prisoner. Both were leftovers from the previous adventure, with the story of the egg going back to April's "Turf & Twig."

Madame Drak's 3-Penny Mystery dream came in one form this week: Contact with the Nine Dreamers went offline as they gathered Dragonmages to fight the Umibozu trying to open a Blue Void. Rebecca the Dragonmage gathered Sayehmoosh, Mr. Blackthorn, and Merneith the Time Raveler to stop the Umibozu from using the Dragon's Eye Stone to open the portal to Mt. Draig. It was an epic battle that happened offstage, so to speak, while our heroes continued into the Norse realms.

Naturally, they discovered one more world-ending trouble: A rune carved into Yggdrasil, the World Tree, that opened the door leading into the roots of the Underworld. Word of this one came from Hallr, the leader of the Potter's Guild. This secret guild worked with the Detectives in 2016, so our team was able to learn from the records of that case.

The Potter's Guild stands for Protectors of the Tree: Every Root Sings. Their business card reads: If you have to ask which tree, you're not ready to join us. Hallr described them as: Planters, Orchardists, Treefriends, Timbertenders, Elementalists, Rewilders, and Sproutkeepers. They're also: arborists, botanists, cultivators, farmers, foresters, florists, gardeners, growers, groundskeepers, naturalists, pollinators, and woodlanders.

The guild hired our detectives to investigate the rune's origins. So the team took the Oroborus to the base of Yggdrasil, to examine the clues left at the site. Things turned dangerous quickly, as a swarm of serpents attacked with freezing venom. A trap had been set into motion, and our heroes soon founds themselves plunging down serpent holes leading to an iron cage deep within Niddhogr's lair.

He knew the Heroes of the Dragon's Eye might be called -- and made sure to welcome them with open arms of iron. He just neglected to mention that those open arms were locked around them.

Fortunately, their skillful use of Dragonwings, artifacts, and sneaking upended the ancient dragon's plans. They escaped and disarmed the Blind Serpent guarding the path of fire that surrounded their cage. Being fire dragons helped them sneak through the fire, and teamwork helped dispel the magic.

The team looked around for the cause of all of this mayhem, hoping to have a word with Niddhogr, but to their surprise, he was missing from his lair. The rune of unfettering and unlocking had helped him escape -- introducing yet another trouble: The danger of triggering Ragnorak.

How many world-ending issues can a single mystery include? Quite a few, it would seem.

Our heroes snuck back up the tunnels to the open door of Yggdrasil. The floating eyes were everywhere. Some belonged to invisible serpents ready to warn Nidhoggr if the detective's escaped. Some belonged to Odin's two ravens. They met Hugin (Thought) first, and discovered that Odin's thoughts were a bit scattered that day, but he desired to meet with the Heroes of the Dragon's Eye before they traveled too far in his realms. Mugin (Memory) remembered the Heroes of 2016 and the first time a rune was carved on the tree.

The team also encountered Ratatoskr, the squirrel who delivers messages between Niddhogr and the Eagle. He had a copy of Niddhogr's last message to the Eagle. Our team deciphered the runes and learned that Niddhogr went on vacation to a volcano in Iceland.

When the team finally reached the open door, they found a cloaked figure examining the rune. He calls himself Grimnir, the Hooded One, but our detectives soon discover that the All Father himself has come from Asgard to see about this rune.

The rune is well-made by someone with much skill. It couldn't have been made by Niddhogr himself, since he was fettered at the time of its making. So Niddhogr had help.

Odin was happy to see his Friends of Dragon, and granted them permission to travel throughout his realms in search of answers and solutions. Our team examined their artifacts and jewels, and decided on a bold plan to bring Niddhogr back. One of our more experienced detectives had an artifact of summoning, designed for returning artifacts stolen during their quest. If they knew what was stolen, who had it, and where they were, the artifact was guaranteed to work. 

They asked if they could use this on Niddhogr. They knew who he was, where he was -- so the answer was: "You're welcome to try it!"

The group made a plan to contain Niddhogr once he returned. Three of the detectives would use their Secret Keepers from "The Night Wanderer" to summon the Greek deities Hades, Artemis, and Athena. They would help the detectives take down Niddhogr's powers until he could be fettered once again.

Many thanks to Chris Guerette, who joined us that afternoon and found himself playing Niddhogr on the fly. His personal knowledge of Norse mythology, D&D DM (Dungeon Master) skills, combined with some great tagging, made this a game to be remembered! It also freed me to take photos -- so check out the Dragon's Eye Facebook page for an album of shots of this epic battle!

Our detectives managed to bind Niddhogr to his lair once again, and then met with him to learn more about the rune and the World Ending Egg that he transformed. He was understandably reluctant to help them after they spoiled a perfectly good vacation, but three Winter Crowns of the Cailleach opened a crack that led to his heart, causing him to spill out the three things that might change his mind: A Golden Apple from Odin's table in Asgard, a Cup of Inspirational Water from the Well of Mimir, and a Good Fortune from the Norn.

Our team left Niddhogr to secure these three items, debating about how to fulfill the technical words of the request without granting him world-endangering boons. As they journeyed back to the open door, they discovered yet another visitor examining the rune, which flaired as his hand passed over it.

This gentleman was big and bold, dressed in armor -- clearly a warrior of great status. "I am Heimdel, Guardian of Bifrost! I am here to tell you that Odin has changed his mind! Your services are no longer needed, now that Niddhogr has been returned! You are ordered to return to your own realm this moment!"

Our team met this with suspicion, and opened their Dragon's Eyes. They were not surprised to find brilliant red hair, sparkling eyes, and a huge grin under all that disguise. Loki was astonished to find himself so easily recognized by mortals, and inquired about the source of their extensive knowledge of his misdeeds. He felt deeply maligned -- and then outraged as he learned about this person named Marvel who owned the copyright to his name. The Norse god lifted his bare foot to show the (C) tattoo that proved that only he owned the copyright to his own name!

Faced with the failure of his first attempt to send the detectives home, Loki offered to get the items Niddhogr requested at a small price: A teensy bite of the Golden Apple, a tiny sip of the Water of Inspiration, and a 10% share of the Good Fortune from the Norn.

Our detectives did not need the Secret Keepers to know that this was not a good deal. They turned the god of fire down, only to learn that he held a secret bit of leverage. He had captured the Teacup Trolls and the Fairy Dragon who could make their Dragonstones.

The Detectives were frantic. They love the Teacup Trolls and the Fairy Dragon. 

They called 911: "Hello, this is 911. What is your emergency?" This didn't help. 

They called 911 Magic Police: "Hello, this is Rebecca the Dragonmage. You are the Magic Police!" 

They pulled it together and made a plan.

They created three teams: One to heal. One to take down Loki. One to counter his magic with their own. 

Loki turned into a a fiery sea slug and slipped into the lava rivers leading down to Niddhogr's lair. The detectives cast a spell removing the glamour, and the team froze him in place.

He turned into a fox to flee by foot. The magic team cast a spell removing the glamour, and the chasing team caught him one more time.

He turned into a fire dragon, and the magic team countered this as the team on the ground took down his powers. Once they had him tied in place, they freed the Teacup Trolls and Fairy Dragon.

Then they used Odin's oak leaves to summon the All Father and his ravens, Hugin and Mugin. Odin sent Loki to prison (again) leaving only the Rune and the World-Ending Egg to handle, and the Dragonstones to create.

The Teacup Troll and Fairy Dragon made their Dragonstones, drawing upon the magic of mud and dream. 

Odin asked the detectives to summon the Potter's Guild as well, so they could counter the magic of the rune. Hollr and 12 guild members arrived. They redirected the Unbinding power of the Rune to unbind Niddhogr's magic to the Egg of Ending. 

The Egg of Ending was finally restored to its original nature as an ending for Rebecca's time with the Dragon's Eye Detective's Agency. The detectives discussed hiding the egg to prevent that from happening, but the egg had its own agenda.

It hatched, producing an adorable baby shadow dragon with two heads.

Our team of detectives was delighted with the new baby and resigned to its presence. They carried it off to a party in Asgard, filled with fireworks, singing, and dancing -- and a spontaneous round of "Happy Birthday."

Even Niddhogr had something to celebrate -- they sent him some pizza. Recognizing her team's compassion, Rebecca has offered to work with Odin about supervised vacations for the poor dragon.

 

Thank you to our wonderful detectives for a fun week of adventuring! I am in awe of the drawings our team has been making for the past three weeks. They capture the story so well -- and speak to the power of story to inspire other art forms. Like musicals -- the last few weeks have included so much song, that my heart is light and I am looking forward to seeking out the books, the musicals, the movies the children have recommended for exploration during retirement!

Thank you again to Chris Guerette, who portrayed Niddhogr with much skill and drama! The red glow of courage emanating from the detectives as they waited for their spell to bring Niddhogr was very much real! Thanks for a truly memorable portrayal! Your D&D players have a wonderful GM!

Here is a link to the Dragon's Eye Facebook page for the art.

The Great Turtle Con

Our second mystery of the summer featured a story called "The Great Turtle Con." Oma, Avo, and Eru, the first three Dreamers, sent the Detectives back to Kuroshima for the coming of the Azure One, the Blue Turtle revered by terrapins all around the world. It was "turtles all the way down" for this adventure, with turtles and turtle eggs all along the beach, turtles in the crystal blue waters, and even a celestial turtle in the sky.

Our team carried the World-Ending Egg back to the island, hoping to learn how to return it to its natural state: A Dragon's Eye ending with the retirement of Rebecca the Dragonmage. Last week's detectives heard the marine biologists talking about a Turtle Con, so they returned to the same beach.

Fuka and Kiba, the Shisa (lion-dogs), were still guarding the beach, and asked the team to get permission for the new detectives to be on the island. They headed to the shrine of Amamikyo. The fruit bats were still giving them trouble, zapping them when their invisibility spells failed.

Amamikyo was gracious, as always, and blessed the team with another Luck Cat. This time, they chose the Black Cat that wards off demonic and evil forces. They knew they might encounter the Sea Fox, and chose black to combat her magic.

Amamikyo revealed what happened to Umiyako the Sea Fox from last week's adventure that turned her against the world. She was once a beautiful, nine-tailed kitsune who lived on the island of Kuroshima. She had a small shrine, and people left flowers and food and other offerings for her. Over time, people began to forget about her, and her powers began to fade. 

As she grew more desperate, the kitsune lost the letters of her name on the beach, and the waves took them into the sea. She turned herself into Umiyako, the Sea Fox, and dove into the ocean to find them, but the letters were lost in the depths of the sea.

Umiyako grew angry. If the world turned away from her, she would repay them by turning away from the world. She found Doro the Seaslug and his friends planning the birth of a Dragon's Eye ending egg, and saw her chances. She bespelled Doro, turning him into Sludge the Slug, and sent him and his friends to the Turf and Twig to work their evil magic on the poor little egg of ending.

The detectives knew the rest of the story, and added another set of tasks to their to-do list: Find and restore the kitsune's shrine, locate the letters of her name, and return her to her former self.

On their way back to Fuka and Kiba, the team ran into more trouble with the Fruit Bats. Thanks to the team's random suggestions, the leader of the fruit bats now had a Secret Keeper. He hoped to use it to reveal the lies the detectives were telling him, but he was foiled by the detectives when they decided to tell him the truth about who they were and why they were there.

The leader of the fruit bats could not believe his adorably large ears. They were trying to help the bats escape from the spell cast by Umiyako! He gathered the fruit bats for a court hearing, and the bats voted to trust the detectives and secretly help them. What a red glow of courage came from those little bespelled bats!

Our team continued to the Kuroshima Research Station, where a small conference of marine biologists was meeting to discuss the most recent findings about turtles. The detectives met Kehlani, an American researcher from Hawaii who was helping with the conference. She took them through the small exhibit halls, where they found tanks with turtles, coconut crabs, and other marine creatures. 

Kuda the director was an immortal friend of dragons, so she was able to help the team with the location of the broken shrine. A handy spell protected our detectives from the island's infamous pit viper as they headed off into the tropical woods to locate the ruins. With their dragon eyes open, they soon found the shrine and the two Inari spirits who guard it.

They went to work restoring the shrine with magic and decorating the stone altar with a lovely array of wildflowers and bark. Umiyako came rushing back from the sea, sensing that someone was disturbing her home. When she discovered how beautiful it was, she melted into tears at the thought that someone had done such a kindness. When she learned it was the heroes she had been hunting, she was horrified at all the cruel things she had done. The detectives made gentle suggestions for reparations, and she went to work on those, as they dove into the ocean to search for her name.

They hired tiny deep-diving turtles to find the letters, and soon puzzled the pieces back into their correct order. The Umiyako's true name was Hoshitsuki. Upon learning her name, the Sea Fox turned back into a 9-tailed Kistune -- and we have many lovely drawings to show this on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page.

Finally, the detectives could return to their search for the Great Turtle Con held by the sea turtles. They turned themselves into sea dragons and headed off into the deep blue waters surrounding Kuroshima.

They found a trail of turtles swimming along a magical current that led to a great spiral of turtles singing about the Blue Turtle. "I am the Blue Turtle! Come to me, friends, and we shall join the Aonuma!" sang a beautiful blue turtle. All of the turtles were mesmerized, swimming toward their hero. The Secret Keepers began to glow, but the detectives had their Dragon Eyes open, so they could see what the turtles could not: The Blue Turtle was not a turtle at all, but an Umbozu in disguises.

An Umibozu is one of the most horrible of Yokei. The word means "Sea Monk" -- but this is no gentle priest with a blessing, but a black shadow of a monk that rises from the sea. This one was trying to capture all the turtles in a giant black void of a mouth.

Our team sprang into action, calling on their magic spells and abilities as sea dragons to take down the power of the Umibozu. They managed to drain it of magic, and then shrank it in size. They popped it into a tiny jar, sealed the lid with magic, and then sealed that with the Dragon's Eye Stone they were carrying.

The heroes removed the magic spell keeping the turtles mesmerized, saving them from the great turtle con, the fraud the Umibozu tried to cast upon them. Once the turtles were spell-free, they could hear the true song of the Blue Turtle coming from the sky above the ocean.

All the turtles and our heroic sea dragons swam upwards and broke through the waves. Looking upward, they saw a great leatherback turtle with a deep blue shell spangled with stars and an inner sun, drifting to the ocean along a shooting star from the Perseid meteor showers. Magic of the sea and stars sparkled all around her, and she graciously created a turtle island so they could all meet.

The Great Turtle Con was on again -- a fabulous festival of all things turtle. There was dancing and singing, and turtle magic all the way down. There was a feast -- and a meeting for the detectives with the Blue Turtle.

She gave them a Time/Space Jewel crafted by the fire lizards of the sun and cooled in the clouds of Suisei, the Water Star (Mercury). She used Celestial Mud to craft the amulet, and a serpent appeared on each one, curling around the jewel in the form of the Oroborus. Each detective's Oroborus was a little different from the others, each tailored to their personal magic.

After a weekend of celebrations, the Detectives returned to their homes. That night, Izu the Reveler and Ula the Dazzler came to them in their dreams. The heroes turned into dragons and flew with the Dreamers into the Night Sky for one more ride with the dragons.

 

Many thanks to the detectives who joined me for this lovely adventure! it was fun returning to an island we already knew. There were hints from "The Sea Sheep" that had surprises -- the Pikachu a marine biologist was seeking turned out not to be from the game Go, but was a sea slug that looks just like Pikachu!

Visit the Dragon's Eye Facebook page to see the amazing watercolors from this week. 

The Sea Sheep -- July 2025

Our first adventure of the summer was "The Sea Sheep." This delightful mystery picked up where "The Turf and Twig" ended. Sludge the Slug and his minions escaped from the Jeweled Moon Cage, trapping their Tomte guards in shadow vines. They stole the world-ending dragon egg and disappeared into a whirlpool made within a teacup.

Fortunately, his minions were goofing around with the sea urchin locket that held Sludge's secret message, telling them where to go. (Those minions! Always dropping clues for our detectives to decipher!) Our team made quick work of the cipher, and headed to "Heart Island" -- Kuroshima in the Yaeyama archipelago of Okinawa, Japan.

They found the beach where the rock has been carved into the shape of a cow, and using their Dragon's Eyes (third eyes that see invisible and magical things), they discovered two portals. The portals were guarded by two Shisa, lion-dogs named Fuka ("Luck") and Kiba ("Fang").

The lion-dogs sent our travelers to a local Shinto shrine, where they met with Amamikyo, the goddess who created the Okinawan islands. She was very sympathetic to their cause -- world ending dragon eggs are a pesky nuisance to creatrixes. 

She gave them a choice among three Luck Cats. The white one boosts very roll with random magic in their favor, the black one fends off demons and evil creatures, and the gold one brings random jewels that can be used for more spells. Our team chose the white Luck Cat. 

The detectives snuck back along the path above the beach, meeting fruit bats, marine biologists talking about a Turtle Con coming the next week, and random beach goers. They encountered a wild island boy called Kijimuna. He really earned the red star in his shadow (showing he walks a path of chaos). He tried to trade their jewels for his, which were chaos jewels (very unpredictable!) He challenged them to a game with all kinds of twists and turns -- clearly skewed in his favor. The team wisely negotiated the terms so they might gain the secrets he had about Sludge.

Kijimuna revealed that Sludge and his minions were really sea slugs returning the the Scared Realm of the Umiuchi. He overheard them talking about ending the detectives as they arrived in a little whirlpool by the beach. They were talking about Sludge's friend, a sea fox.

Kijimuna enjoyed the eyeballs of the fish our heroes gave him (for losing the game), and turned the fishbones into a golden amulet that would grant them the shape of Umiushi. Our sleuths returned to Kiba and Fuka, and soon were off for the portal, but the Dragonstone was glowing with a dream from Oma the First of the Nine Dreamers. She told them to ask the Umiushi to make them their own Starbowls.

The Detectives finally dove through the right portal. 

The Sacred Realm of the Umiushi is found within the intertidal zones of the ocean, away from the many predators of the coral reefs, yet far enough off shore to keep them in water as the tides roll in and out all day. Out team turned themselves into tiny Umiushi, which range in size from 4 mm to 70 mm (and a few that are 200 mm).

They followed a deep turquoise stream within the sea that led them to an underwater palace made of sea shells. They met Hoshiori, the High Priestess (Nori) of the Umiuchi, who is a Sea Sheep. She and her court revealed that Sludge is an umiuchi named Doro. He is her brother, who is known for being sweet and kind. He and his little friends usually make deep and dangerous dives into the deep, bringing up the Magic Mud that is used to craft Dragon's Eye Starbowls.

The detectives soon learn the reason behind this change of character in Sludge. They travel to a Kelp Forest deeper in the sea, and find a cottage made of shells hiding there, where Sludge is held in thrall by a spell cast on him and his minions. The spell was made by Umiyako, the sea fox.

She was not happy when our team managed to steal the world-ending egg back. They were about to undo the spell on Sludge when she found them. She naturally tried to lure them to her side of the situation, but they were firmly in favor of world-saving over world-ending. They used their dragon forms to grow large, and entangled her in the sea kelp. Then they freed Sludge and his friends and swam swiftly back to the sea palace.

There, the Umiushi sang their songs and danced their dances to craft Starbowls. Sludge and his minion friends dove for Magic Mud. "Leaf" molded that mud into bowls. Hoshiori and the other Sea Sheep drew upon the light of the sun and stars to make the stars, and thirteen little Starbowls were born. Koji the Nudibranch called upon the Moonrabbits for dice, while Kirakira the Sea Rabbit polished a little bag of jewels from the Fire Lizards.

The detectives met with Oma again -- and they met Avo the Cantor (2nd Dreamer) and Eru the Dancer (3rd Dreamer). Avo sings the first notes of the Dreamsong, introducing Sound and Silence into the world. Eru performs the first steps of the Cosmic Dance, introducing Movement and Stillness.

The Dreamers revealed that the world-ending egg has been transformed by the bespelled Sludge. It is not normally a world-ending egg. It is, however, an ending. An ending meant for the Dragon's Eye Detectives Agency, because Rebecca the Dragonmage is retiring. She's hoping to take a little vacation -- hopefully in Kuroshima, where she can meet with her sensei Amamikyo.

This why the Nine Dreamers are meeting with the detectives this summer. They need to prepare them for the next stage of their journey as Dragonmages. They will be meeting each of the Nine Dreamers, to gather the artifacts they need to become their own Dragonmage leaders.

This sad news was met with lots of air hugs and spirit hugs -- and the newly invented water hugs. It mirrors the outer world, where Rebecca has announced her retirement from Dragon's Eye Adventures.

Our team took the news in stride, and joined the Umiushi in one final dance party where they released their inner forms -- one of which was a very impressive kraken. That night, the three Dreamers came and the detectives turned into full adult dragons, soaring through the starry sky on wings as wide as the sky.

Many thanks to Adam Shaughnessy, who assisted me with this week's adventure! Adam is a fellow adventure play expert, a skilled educator and grants-writer from Connecticut. He has written two fantasy books in the Unbelievable FIB series for middle grades, and has a graphic novel and other writings in the works! Here is a link to his website.

Visit the Dragon's Eye Facebook page to see the two albums. One has more beautiful paintings like the ones on this page, showing the way our detectives drew scenes from the story. The other has the Umiushi they each made. 

Thank you to the detectives for a wonderful week! My stories are never complete until each of you arrives to add your own special magic to the mix! What an extraordinary journey we have had!

 

 

Summer 2025 Approaches!

The Summer 2025 season begins on Monday, July 7. 

We have four programs this summer: The Sea Sheep, The Great Turtlecon, The Potter's Guild, and The Shadow Dragon. There is still space in The Potter's Guild and The Shadow Dragon. 

My dining room table is full of  supplies and projects in the works -- sea slugs, turtles, dwarves, and mini soothsayer dragons. Here's a glimpse of the sea slugs in the works:

 

 

Recap: Turf & Twig April 2025

Some property rights are held by deed, but the Dragon's Eye Detective's Agency holds its rights from a Turf and Twig ceremony (called the livery of seisin) held in ancient times with a local troll named Gruntle. Our April vacation mystery featured a a deep dive into the Turf by our detectives, disguised as Tomtes (tiny house gnomes).

Each layer of the Turf had to be explored, starting with the grassy upper level, where the twig grows beside a serpent well. Our team interviewed the inhabitants of the grasslands, who told them what they knew about the troubles. Each clue confirmed the information from their 3-Penny Dream: A volcano deep inside the Turf was heating the water and rumbling the earth, sending sulphuric fumes into the air and threatening the safety of all of the Turf and Twig inhabitants.

The journey into the heart of the Turf and Twig spiraled lower and lower, following underground tunnels formed by the ancient Worm that hides inside every turf. One of our team's first questions was: Is this a worm, a wurm, a wirm, or a wyrm? (The answer is yes.)

Our team snuck through the tunnels, avoiding the green eyes that glowed in every nook and cranny. Some of them were friendly, and others tried to capture them with shadowy spells. Their 3-Penny nightmare had revealed the presence of a dangerous shadowslug, so the Detectives were happy when their efforts led to the rare procurement of a Light Jewel.

Each level brought new challenges. Fossils came to life. Underground rivers were uncovered, and a plan was made. The final showdown with the shadowslug and its minions will live as a legendary blowout featuring one team sneaking toward the volcano while a second team used the flying dragon forms to distract the enemies. 

A third team flew quietly to the spot where they could unleash their plan: A net of light refracted from the rainstorms unleashed by a detective's artifact, that would shower light upon the army, trapping each shadowslug in a waterdroplet. A beautiful plan that will look amazing when the movie finally arrives onscreen.

All of this teamwork was anchored by the fourth team -- the healers and anchors who kept the backup plan alive, just in case all of this glory went awry. Fortune shone down on our Heroes of the Dragon's Eye -- their plan worked. The first team captured the Black Stone Egg in the center of the volcano, while the second team drew fire. The third team unleashed their magic, and the slug and its minions were neatly trapped.

All's well that ends well ... but not quite!

The volcano started to erupt. A fissure split open and a huge roar was heard ... and Gruntle the Troll awoke from his long slumber.

He was none too happy to have a volcano raging on his head, or blinding rainbow light pouring into his eyes, or the water washing overhead. Yes. Gruntled was disgruntled.

Fortunately for him, our Detectives did a very courteous job of cleaning up. Stories and explanations were told and all ended well for our team. Not so well for our shadowslug and his minions, who remain in their light-filled cells, facing further inquiry by the Dragonmages. Rumor has it the Black Stone Egg may return this summer -- but for now, it rests safely in the hands of Rebecca the Dragonmage.

Congratulations to a fine team of detectives! We had an extraordinary week of teamwork and laughs. The Tomtes they made are on the Dragon's Eye Adventures Facebook page, along with an album of photos from the adventure! 

Many thanks to RSU5 and Chris Guerette, and the staff at Durham Community School. I'm amazed we didn't have a single Tomte in the lights and pipes above our head -- that may be our most surprising success yet! What's a mystery in Durham without someone needing a rescue from our friends on staff!

"Turf & Twig" Is Blossoming for April Vacation 2025

April vacation is quickly approaching, with the first day of our adventure scheduled for Tuesday, April 22. Our story is "Turf & Twig" -- a delightful dive into the underground world of homestead folklore from the British Isles and Scandinavia. 

The program runs from 9 AM to 4 PM on Tuesday through Friday, with after hours on Tues, Wed and Thursday from 4 to 5:15 PM. Children in grades three through eight are welcome -- and we have a mix of ages already enrolled.

Here is a link to the description of our story.

I can't wait for the opportunity to make Tomtes with our team -- this is one of the fastest sewing projects I have, so we will have time to augment our Tomtes with handcrafted accessories.

I am working on a 3D needle-felted sculpture of the Turf and Twig, plus some 2D felt maps that will help us navigate the subterranean world of the turf. Some of the artifacts for this week have come all the way from Tucson, AZ, to bring to life some of the inhabitants we will meet.

 

 

Recap: The Mudlarkers Feb 2025

Ragabash the Rude and The Roustabout

Madame Drak's Three-Penny Mystery "The Mudlarkers" turned into a lively romp through the underground rivers of London. The ten detectives caught the Ghost Bus to the Rat Queen's palace, resulting in a harrowing encounter with a Fatberg and the Blue Eyes capturing ghosts. Fortunately, our detectives were skilled at rescuing ghosts from ghost traps, using invisibility spells like pros.

Our detectives took on the Rat Queen's quest to join Ragabash the Rude and his crew of Rabblerousers, turning themselves into rats, complete with tiny costumes for the job. Our Facebook page has photos of the wonderful crew. The work the team put into the sewing this week was impressive!

Ragabash tested our team's skills with a game of Overboard. A quick visit to the brig didn't dampen anyone's enthusiasm, as they battened hatches and hoisted the sails. They excelled at swabbing the decks, adding mops and brooms to the task with such enthusiasm that Ragabash hired them on the spot ... well, almost on the spot. They cleaned that spot so well that Ragabash hired them spotfree.

The Roustabout sailed through the sewers into the deeper levels of underground rivers, with our team on the lookout for Ragabash's nemesis, Cap'n Dreadheart. The ship encountered countless Blue Eyes flooding the caverns in search of the ghost humans who stole their captive ghosts, but our team managed to evade them each time.

They went in search of the missing treasure of Granny Dregs, Ragabash's beloved grandmother (rest in peace). She disappeared in a legendary encounter with the Blue Dragon of the Thames River. Granny-eating dragons, lost treasures, ghostly encounters, fierce battles with other treasure-seekers -- we had it all in a space of four fast-flowing days.

Did we find the lost treasure? Yes we did, but the secrets of when and how must be kept so future detectives can run this adventure again. Let's just say that some rats were tickled pink to discover the sparkly meaning of the treasure -- and Ragabash is now learning court etiquette to give up his oh-so-rude ways.

Thank you to the detectives for a lively week of fun! The rats they made were inspiring, and I can't wait for their pirate mischief in future adventures.

2025 Season for Dragon's Eye Adventures

Welcome to Dragon's Eye Adventures!

Scroll down to view the posts for the eight adventures we're offering this season.

View details, prices, after hours and other information on the Current Programs tab.
The title of each adventure is a link to the description for that mystery.

Winter 2025, Session A: The Mudlarkers

The Mudlarkers
RL McNulty 2024
Colored Pencil & Micron Pen

Our Winter vacation program will run from Feb 18 through 21, 2025. This four-day adventure for grades 3 though 8 will run from Tuesday through Friday, in the Art Room at Durham Community School (654 Hallowell Rd,  Durham, ME).

Our story will be The Mudlarkers, featuring a crew of pirate rats in London.

The Rat Queen summons the Detectives back to the London sewers to join her team of mudlarkers and privateers. Ragabash and his pirate rats sail the underground rivers of London, searching for buried treasures. They are hoping to locate the long-lost treasure of the legendary mudlarker, Granny Dregs (may she rest in peace). Can they find it before the ghost of Jack Black the Royal Rat Catcher finds them?

Our project this week is Pirate Rats.