Summer 2022 Wk 1: The Midnight Cat -- Recap

The first mystery of the summer featured a story called "The Midnight Cat." The detectives purchased their 3-Penny Mystery from Madame Drak with pennies found by my sister, Jennaya Duke, who lives in Arizona. The dragons sent the first dream -- and it was a doozy of a nightmare: A stolen amulet, a capture Rat Queen and shadow cats chasing the detectives across the night sky of London.

The team traveled to the Museum of Anitediluvian Antiquities (Old, Old Stuff) in London. A black jackal followed them, and they had a nice chat with a man sitting outside the museum. The police were there investigating the theft of an Egyptiana artifact, so the detectives used the Oroborus to reach the third floor storage room from their dreams.

The Eye of the Sun guarded the box holding the Rat Queen. After vaniquishing the Shadow Cats guarding the box, the team was able to negotiate with the Eye. A clever win-win solution was found: The detectives got what was in the box, fulfilling their mission, and the Eye got to continue guarding the box, fulfilling its mission.

The Rat Queen revealed the identity of her captor: Onyx Bast, curator of the Egyptian collection at the museum. The team decoded an open letter code, learning that Onyx planned to meet a partner in Paris, at the famous flea market called Les Puces.

Tracking Onyx through the flea market led to a secret tent and an auction for all kinds of magical artifacts. Many magical beings were present, including the man from the bench the team met in London. He managed to steal some of the team's personal artifacts, causing much concern when he used them to bid on items at the auction.

Our team did some bidding of their own -- and later traded those for their artifacts, keeping only the magical kiwi bird.

Onyx's purpose at the auction became clear only at the end, when she and the "bench man" battled the auctioneer for something hidden in his pack. A huge yarnball game featuring flying spells of all kinds -- freezing magic, zombie transformations, and shadow cat evocations -- was held. Onyx and her partner (Dogtooth Spar -- Rebecca spilled the beans on the name, as Onyx and Dogtooth talked with one another during the game) escaped.

Fortunately, the gnome auctioneer knew where the two were going. He told the detectives the story of le Chat Noir and Henri Riviere's magical shadow puppet performances. Henri Riviere accidentally activated a Magic Lantern that had the power to open the Shadow Realms. He and his fellow artists found that they had opened an ancient Egyptian prison, holding a ferocious shadow creature.

When Onyx and Dogtooth tried to steal the lantern from Riviere, he hid the crystal orbs inside his paintings, and gave the Magic Lantern to the gnome auctioneer to keep safe. He also managed to hide Onyx Bast's amulet, a gift from her mother, the Egyptian cat goddess. That amulet made its way over time to the museum collection.

So Onyx and Dogtooth were gathering all the pieces they needed, to try to open the Shadow Realms again, to relase the wild prisoner.

After a visit to Le Chat Noir on its closing day in 1897 Paris, the detectives entered the paintings of Henri Riviere, racing against Dogtooth and Onyx to find the location of the crystal orbs. The results of those visits may be seen in the shadow puppetry on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page. Here is a link.

The detectives secured three orbs, while Dogtooth won one orb -- so both sides met to negotiate in Le Chat Noir. The team learned the identity of the myserious prisoner in the shadow realms. Let's just say they worked out yet another win-win solution, where everyone received their heart's desire. The world was saved from a destructive and chaotic force, and the two thieves were happy and ready to give up their thieving ways because someone much beloved was coming home.

Photos of the games, the shadow puppetry and artwork from the week are on the Facebook page!

Many thanks to the older detectives who stepped in to play Onyx for the games! We had a spectacular first week -- wonderful sewing projects, fun mystery, clever deductions, and hilarious moments with the kiwi bird.

Summer 2022, Session I: The Midnight Cat

The Midnight Cat
RL McNulty

The Summer 2022 season begins with "The Midnight Cat." The program runs from 9 AM to 4 PM on June 27 through July 1. This five-day adventure is for children entering grades 3 through 9. The location for the adventure is still being determined.

The mystery is among the oldest and most re-written stories from the Dragon's Eye treasury. It features my favorite villain, with the record for the most escapes. One group of detectives followed this elusive jewel thief through five different mysteries, until detectives were vowing to spend their entire professional years guarding the prison door.

This session introduces the character to our team.

A mysterious jewel thief known as the Midnight Cat leaves a trail of coded messages that leads the detectives on a wild romp through London. All roads lead to 19th century Paris, and the studio of an artist whose famous shadow plays hid a secret. Can the detectives catch this wily thief, or will the Midnight Cat vanish into the shadowlands following a game of cat and mouse?

We will be crafting Cat's Eye jewels and Shadow Puppets for this session.

 

Return of the Midnight Cat -- Recap

Two of the Detectives with their shadow puppets

The Detectives spent their April vacation in the mythical realms of ancient Egypt. The Midnight Cat and her accomplice, Dogtooth Spar, stole a whole swarm of winged scarabs from the Museum of Antediluvian Antiquities. The Detectives set out to find them, following the clues into the heavens.

Wadjet the cobra goddess tested the Detectives with a particularly challenging battle. With a little help from Shu, the Detectives prevailed and won her support. She transported them to the heavens on a serpentine staircase.

Khonsu the moon god assisted with another lift to the Sky Boat of Nut, goddess of the Sky. From there the group headed to see Geb the earth god.

First, they had to battle Selket, the fierce scorpion goddess. The group's boast about the force led to an impromptu lesson from Selket in how one generates the force. As with the dragon's Path of Honor, the force rises when one balances the energies of chaos and order within oneself. Our hardworking Detectives managed a circle of stillness and lifted the last sphere with their inner powers.

Geb provided the cipher and clue to the next leg of the "all expenses paid journey," courtesy of the Midnight Cat. This time, the group headed to the gates of the Underworld. They traded all of their jewels for some fabulous magical amulets.

Merneith the Time Raveller visited them to fix a wee problem with a certain Serpent Trap. She also discovered the secret to how the Midnight Cat and her companions entered the Duat. Thank goodness the group had just purchased the amulets of Bastet and Aset --- combined, the two amulets shrank our heroes into miniature cats jsut the right size to sneak into a tiny tunnel.

Naturally, more trouble ensued ...

Selket drawing by Gail

The details must remain secret for the next time I run this case. Let's just say, "Beware of warm fuzzies." Our clever team managed to handle every tricky turn and challenge of this case, those in game and out of game. We were tested in some extraordinary ways, and rose to each and every challenge, so this was a victory well-deserved! Congratulations to our persistent team! You won the respect and admiration of one tough scorpion teacher!

Visit the Dragon's Eye Facebook page to see the lovely artwork the team created for this adventure: Shadow puppets and drawings of Egyptian gods and goddesses.

April Vacation 2017: "Return of the Midnight Cat" Update

The Midnight Cat, Summer 2013

The April vacation program for ages 9 to 16 runs from 9 AM to 4 PM on Tuesday through Friday (April 18-22) at the Landing YMCA in Brunswick.

Our mystery features one of my favorite Dragon's Eye rogues. She's causing trouble once again at the Museum of Antediluvian Antiquities in London. When the Detectives investigate, the clues lead them on a journey into the mythical realms of ancient Egypt.

We will be making winged scarab amulets and toy theaters as our projects this week. For more information about the adventure, click here.

Return of the Midnight Cat: April Vacation Program for Ages 9 to 16

Dragon's Eye is sponsoring an April vacation program for ages 9 to 16 at the Landing YMCA in Brunswick. The program runs from 9 AM to 4 PM on Tuesday through Friday, April 18-22.

The Midnight Cat returns with chaos following in her shadowy wake. This daughter and granddaughter of two Egyptian goddesses has a habit of “borrowing” precious jewels and artifacts from famous museums. This rarely works out for her, since the artifacts often bring problems of the mythical kind. It’s a good thing cats have nine lives.

Once again, the Detectives must step in to save the day from the troubles that follow the Midnight Cat. Our dragonmages will need all of their wits and a bit of knowledge of Egyptian mythology to solve this tangled tale.

Our activities will include Egyptian amulets and hieroglyphics.

Winter & Spring Vacation with Dragon's Eye

Dragon's Eye Adventures will be offering adventures for February and April break this year. Winter break will feature "The Winter Queen," a Scottish story about the seasons, for ages 6 to 12. The Spring break will offer "Return of the Midnight Cat," an Egyptian-inspired story about a modern day jewel thief, for ages 9 to 16.

Registration for these programs will open on January 1.

The Midnight Cat: Report

One of the beautiful shadow puppets
from "The Midnight Cat" This one is
by S. Melquist and M. Hoy.

A jewel thief known as the Midnight Cat led our six detective mages on a mouse and cat chase through the streets of London, the aisles of Les Puces de Saint-Ouen flea market in Paris and even back in time to the darkened halls of Le Chat Noir on closing day in 1897. It was a week full of secrets and ciphers--and this determined team tackled every code by hand! A very impressive display of code-breaking!

Favorite challenges of the week included the zany bird lady who imprisoned the zebra-finched Detectives (yes--zebra-finched is now an adjective describing the state of being turned into a zebra finch) in cages. She tried to sell them at Les Puces, but the birds were too clever. They played dead every time an admirer came to see them. Clever little bird claws reached for the keys, and soon the Detectives were ... de-zebra-finched!

The story took some unexpected turns, as our thief led the Detectives back in time to the closing day of Le Chat Noir. The artist Henri Rivière was able to shed some light on the reason our thief had stolen the Golden Cat amulet and the candelabra from the flea market.

Let's just say it wasn't good news. The Detectives entered the Shadow Realms to talk with the inhabitants of the prints made by Henri Rivière. Their beautiful shadow puppets may be seen in an album on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page along with the prints that inspired them. Their books of secrets and photos of the week's adventure are also on the page.



Sunrise in the Shadow Realms
Photo by Ike Voorhees, 2013

The Detectives found their journey leading to an ancient goddess of the sun, demoted to the status of a moon goddess and doomed to live out her life in the underworld. Fortunately for her, the Detectives had other ideas--and the sun rose again in her heart. All mysteries need not end in battle and even a red star can grow a tinge of gold.



"The Midnight Cat" -- A little French jewel heist with Egyptian roots

The Midnight Cat
R L McNulty 2013
Micron pen & colored pencil

"The Midnight Cat" has one of my all-time favorite bad guys--a jewel thief and shadowmage with a fondness for codes. The story taps into some obscure shadow puppet history from the famous Parisian café known as Le Chat Noir. Henri Riviere is the artist best-known for his elaborate explorations in shadow puppetry--and naturally, we will be following in his footsteps with a little shadow magic of our own.

There are echoes of Egypt in this mystery, lurking under the surface of 19th century France, as the cat has a story that stretches back in time. A little French, a little Egyptian, a little classic jewel thievery and mischief--it all combines to create one of my favorite adventures. A story that won't stop rewriting itself.

Session IV: The Midnight Cat
July 22-26
Ages 9 - 13
$250

Click here for the basic story.
Visit our Facebook page to see our album of shady characters.

The Midnight Cat - 19th Century France

Drawing by R. L. McNulty

A mysterious jewel thief known as the Midnight Cat leaves a trail of coded messages that leads the detectives on a wild romp through the artworld of 19th Century France. All roads lead to Paris and the studio of an artist known as Henri Rivière, whose famous shadow plays hide a secret known only to a very few. Can the detectives catch this wily thief, or will the Midnight Cat vanish into the shadows?

Ciphers and coded clues abound in this mystery, and our art projects will include more shadow puppet play. Detectives will make their own codewheels and a jeweled Book of Secrets. Games will include treasure hunts for hidden clues and tracking and trailing the Midnight Cat through the landscape.