Summer 2018 Session V: The Serpent Roads -- Recap

The fifth session of the summer focused on Egyptian mythology for a mystery called "The Serpent Roads." Merneith the Time Raveler requested help from the detectives as she investigated a time tangle in the Serpent Roads.

Our team traveled with great care to the source of the problem, uncovering a plot to drain this world into the next. Silvery serpents tried to draw the team into the huge funnel knot, but the detectives drew on some vintage Star Trek magic and Sarubobo the Monkey Baby from Japan to protect themselves.

A bit of trickery landed the detectives in two glowing crystal pyramids. The two groups could not communicate, so they each began working on a solution. With turtle magic, we nearly had two tunnels being dug toward one another at the same time--but one team was slightly faster, so the second spell was saved for later use.

After defeating a giant Sandworm, the detectives made their way to an oasis in the desert. Their luck changed as the Egyptian goddess of luck, Renenutet, showed up with help. The team cast a scrying spell to locate Merneith, and found her in a prison tomb beneath an abandoned temple in Egypt.

One woolyborus ride to Egypt and the detectives arrived as golden scarabs. Two hungry cats were hunting beetles and snakes in the overgrown grass near the temple. After sending the cats scurrying after a red laser beam dot, the detectives found themselves with only a fire jewel. The cats had the jewels and an ID.

The team decided to rescue Merneith before retrieving their items. They faced some challenging serpent powers, who caught them and put them in prison. The very prison where Merneith was held.

Once again, I don't wish to give away secrets of the story, in case their is a future repeat of this mystery. Merneith and the detectives managed to escape the prison with some new knowledge that helped turn the tide of the adventure.

The detectives received Moon Shadow Books that summoned help from an Egyptian god or goddess. They assembled Fixitrons--tiny robots that perform time and space feats of engineering magic. Armed with these two powers, the detectives took on the trouble of the time tangle.

I'm happy to report that all's well with the world. The clog was removed, the Serpent Roads untangled and the responsible parties were hauled off the the Hall of Judgment for a talk with Ma'at, goddess of truth and justice.

And the detectives? They had a party; and what a party it was. Pizza, fireworks, and the summoning of a new immortal, an asteroid god who couldn't resist the lure of a good celebration.

Photos of the adventure are on the Dragon's Eye Adventures Facebook page. Images of the Books of Shadow are also there.

Summer 2018 Session V: The Serpent Roads

The Serpent Roads

RL McNulty 2017

Micron pen & digital ink

Session V of the Summer 2018 season runs from July 30 -- Aug. 3 for ages 9 to 16 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. Our mystery draws inspiration from Egyptian myths about "The Serpent Roads." These are the roads that lead the way through the underworld and into the stars. These roads are created within the body of the serpent god known as Mehen. In Egyptian art, Mehen is often seen as a kind of serpentine aura protecting Osiris as he journeys into the Duat.

Mehen makes his way into the Dragon's Eye world as the Ororborus, the magical serpent who transports the Detectives through time and space. Merneith the Time Raveler will be sending the Detectives into Oroborus on a tracking and trailing mission. We will be making our own time and space gadgets to survey the serpent roads. It's not easy mapping chaos, but we will do our best.

Winter Queen Update

Serpent's Eye of Winter
Photo by R L McNulty

February 2 was Imbolc Day, and the weather was sunny and mild. That means the Cailleach went in search of more wood for her fire. Settle in for a long winter ... we're going to need the help of some Dragon's Eye Detectives to end this winter!

There are still four more spaces in "The Winter Queen"--the mystery we're running during February break. This adventure for ages 6 to 12 will be held at the Landing Y in Brunswick.

The story is growing nicely on the yellow pages where new Dragon's Eye stories begin. Who knew that the tale of the queen of winter would lead to yet another serpent dragon, one that is not only a solar serpent, but an Oroborus? I didn't, but as usual am delighted by the discovery of the more ancient roots of this seasonal myth.

It has its origins not in Ireland or Scotland, but in what is today Spain. Which makes me wonder if there's a hidden tie to Egypt. The Cailleach has much in common with Mehen, the Egyptian Oroborus who provides the serpent roads for the solar god to travel through the seasons and the day/night cycle.

Both myths are essentially star myths. The Oroborus is the Yellow Road, the ecliptic along which the sun appears to move in its journey across the heavens. If you think about this path as a serpent swallowing its tail, you begin to understand the otherwise puzzling story tying a serpent to a solar myth.

The myth will certainly provide a delightful tale for our detectives! We'll be encountering Storm Wolves and a magical baby and the Cailleach herself. Better bring winter gear, because the storms will be blowing inside this adventure!