Final Adventure Opens with an Eclipse

I didn't realize until recently that a solar eclipse would take place during the final week of our summer adventures. It works easily into a story about the abduction of the Firebird who lives in the Golden Mountains of the Sun, so here is my plan for Monday.

Anyone who has a pair of solar glasses that are safe for sun-viewing is welcome to bring them. For those of us who do not have them, we will be using the oldest image-creating technology known to humans, the camera obscura. We'll make simple box viewers, and also use some simple tools, to create images of the eclipse.

I thought about viewing the eclipse indoors, but it just seems crazy not to experience the event in nature. We have enough fear in the world right now, and with some clear-headed science and information, we can safely experience the strange change of light.

I'll work it into our story, naturally--and the rest of the week will seem so much brighter for the courage and wisdom of the choices we make on Monday.

Session V: Madame Drak - Recap - Summer 2017

Rebecca plays a merchant from the Irbit Underfair

Seven Mavens of Mystery gathered last week to take on the fifth adventure of the summer, "Madame Drak." This was one of our advanced teams of dragonmages, featuring three of our Maine Founders and four detectives who have earned their dragonwings, for solving 5 or more mysteries.

I wish I could say that the adventure oozed wisdom because of all of this experience, but I can't, because, well, we did use a couple of shadow and light jewels to negate another pair of shadow and light jewels, and well, now we know what that does! Maybe next time, there will be a green glow.

What I can say is that courage ran deep and wide, and the team fixed every problem they created. As the team remarked at the end of the week, good thing they had someone with them to restabilize things.

I really can't say much about the week, because this mystery gives away layer after layer of secrets about Madame Drak. Let's just say we now know why she prefers found copper pennies. We also know more about the jewels we use to power our spells in Dragon's Eye Adventures. We also know the lizard's name, and we know what it's like to negotiate help from a 3-year-old mountain goddess.

Special thanks to K.D. for designing a great set of games involving Greek discus throwers come to life! That section of the play will be called K's Challenge.

This week's project involved some amazing work--delicate, wild, mysterious. I can't say enough about the beautiful bowls and runestones the Detectives made. They may be seen on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page by clicking this link.


Photos of the adventure may be viewed here.

Thank you, Detectives! I had a blast with all the twists and turns of this adventure!

Session IV: The Sea Serpent - Recap - Summer 2017

Thirteen Experts of Enigma gathered this past week to tackle the adventure known as "The Sea Serpent." It was a tangle of a tale about Maine pirates, sea serpents and ghosts. There were two dreams that started the adventure, one from the dragons and another from a visitor named Jeremiah Benedict.

The dreams led the detectives to the lighthouse at Pemaquid Point, where a meeting with a ghost didn't go so well. The detectives ended up as kittens trapped in a seaweed cage. A swift waterbreathing spell saved the day when a sea serpent dragged the cage into the sea. The ending of that little venture didn't go as expected either ... let's just say there were 32,008 tiny daggers aimed at our heroes and they had to do some fast talking to escape being skewered.

Rebecca playing a merchant of pirate wares

Fortunately, our team had a gift for negotiations and trade. They managed to befriend the leader of the dagger-wielders and came away with pirate amulets and an ally. The group kindly sent this ally magical amulets of protection.

Their next trade didn't go nearly as well. I wish I could say more, but it would give away secrets for the next group. Let's just say that while the enemy won the first round, the detectives won the second round. They ended up with more pirate booty than any group of detectives in the history of Dragon's Eye.

The group was soon ambushed by a team of sealocks, warlocks of the sea. The sealocks had taken a prisoner and would have taken the detectives prisoner, too, had it not been for a little divine intervention by Au Set, the Egyptian goddess of magic. Good thing a detective brought that little amulet along!

The three amigos approach.
Cue ominous music

The detectives learned more about the sea serpent and the sea captain from a blue lobster. The captain was the 17th century fur trader turned pirate known as Dixey Bull (also spelled Dixie Bull).

Another visit with a Jeweled Crab revealed the final piece of the puzzle. This led to the showdown with a powerful sea witch named Oceana. The detectives disguised themselves as sealocks and challenged Oceana to a board game. She couldn't offered to sweeten the game with a good wager. If she lost, she would grant the Sealocks a boon of their choice. If she won, they would have to go after these annoying pests called the Dragon's Eye Detectives.

In spite of Oceana's unsportsmanlike conduct, the Detectives managed to win. Their boon: Oceana had to be nice to ... everyone. I wish I could say that she's happy about that, but she's not. She is, however, bound by the rules of the wager. The pirate jewels were spent in a wild spree, creating the best party the detective have ever seen--pizza, fireworks, and revelry that lasted into the night.

Images from the adventure may be found here on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page.
Images of the board games and pirate amulets may be found here.

Special thanks go to Lou and Isaac Ensel, and Ken Walden for playing the sealocks with such flair. Our team loved having a couple of dads and a brother as part of the week's fun!

Session III: Turtle Mountain Dreams - Recap - Summer 2017

Thirteen detectives gathered last week for a case called Turtle Mountain Dreams. The detectives were asked to travel to the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota, to investigate the disappearance of the turtles. Their journey soon led into the Dreamtime, where the earth rests on the back of a turtle and yes, it's turtles all the way down.

When a fierce lightning god descended on the Dragon's Eye Detectives' Agency, some members of the team courageously ran to confront him--right into lightning cages. Good thing half the group stayed behind, exercising their wisdom. Yarnballs flew and the caged detectives were soon rescued.

The Oroborus transported the detectives to the Turtle Mountains. "Beware of the Watchers," said the fortune from Madame Drak. There were watchers everywhere--some helpful, like the squirrel and the tiny dragonfly, and some not so helpful with their freezing spells.

The  detectives entered the Mound of the Black Warrior, stepping into the mythical realms of Grandmother Spider. When a stranger offered them a hand, the detectives were reluctant to take it. Let's just say a Serpent Trap was used and the detectives found themselves boxed into a corner.

Good thing there were tents and sleeping bags, hotdogs and the makings of s'mores in that box.

The Moon Rabbit was there to help once the detectives returned to the right path, and the detectives set off again through the tunnels of the cave. At a crossroads, the group split temporarily to investigate different avenues. Good thing cell phones were still working. A lesson in meditation came in handy for one detective, while others used magical artifacts, like the Earth Amulet or a fairy.

At the center of the Mound of the Black Warrior was a chamber where Dreaming Lizard slept in peace. The Detectives had a tough time reaching him at first, thanks to the orange fins and tails a few of them grew, plus the faulty memories they acquired. Teamwork and magic saved the day again.

Finally, the detectives learned who was behind the flooding of the Dreamtime and the missing turtles. In the interest of preserving secrets for the next group that tackles this adventure, I shall say very little here. Dreaming Lizard provided some very special amulets to turn the Detectives into turtles and tortoises (equipped with waterbreathing apparatus, as needed). Much joy was had by all as we swam through the deep waters of the Dreamtime!

The detectives had to steal a key from a certain guard, and then use it to free the turtles and tortoises imprisoned in the Cave of Lost Hope. They led the turtles to freedom with Grandmother Spider's gift--and then up into the heavens for a Turtle Feat of Extraordinary Courage: A performance to convince an Emperor of Heaven to cease the rainfall and save the turtles.

The fact that we're all still here, imagining this wonderful story, means that they succeeded. It would have been a drab world without their heroism. Thank you, Heroes of the Dragon's Eye! I salute your courage, your deep, deep compassion for turtles and your growing wisdom!

Photos of the adventure may be found on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page.
Photos of the artwork from the week may be found here.

Session II: The Leafy Sea Dragon - Recap - Summer 2017

Kirra the Leafy Sea Dragon

During the second week of July, twelve Riddle Ravellers came together to tackle the adventure known as "The Leafy Sea Dragon." The Detectives paid a virtual visit to the sea dragons at the New England Aquarium, uncovering a mystery in the Great Australian Bight.

Right from the start, it was clear that this was no ordinary visit. Our team crafted their own golem, a clay figure they brought to life to play the part of a camp counselor taking children to the aquarium. While this allowed the team to blend in well to their environment, the sting rays were not fooled.

Time stop spells and freezing fire flew every which way as the detectives took on the challenge. The sting rays retreated with the usual promises to return, and the detectives continued to the sea dragon exhibit. They transformed themselves into snails so they could enter the exhibit unnoticed.

A chat with Kirra the Leafy Sea Dragon and the weedy sea dragons in the exhibit soon led to more trouble. The sting rays returned, kidnapping poor Kirra and then, Dr. Miras.

The detectives soon found themselves bound for southern Australia, to Kangaroo Island Diversions (KID), a scuba diving outfit in Kingscote. Our wily sleuths woke up the proprietor, Captain Kid, in the middle of a winter's night sleep. He was less than happy.

After freeing a weedy sea dragon and meeting an unexpected visitor, the detectives used a troll-tooth amulet to turn into trolls. Trolls can shapeshift at will, so they quickly turned into dolphins and headed into the water.

The weedy sea dragon

They faced sea tulips and wobegong sharks, met with a Time Raveller named Merneith, and discovered the invisible orb where Kirra and the doctor were being kept as prisoners.

I can't reveal what happened next, since it would give away too many secrets for the next crew to tackle this adventure. I can say that our detectives came up with a most creative solution for the problem at the base of the problem. Vegetarians were happy. The Society for the Celebration of all Things Small and Beautiful were happy. The fairies and the serpent traps were happy. Even the Queen of Summer was happy.

And yes, the Leafy Sea Dragon and the Weedy Sea Dragons were also happy.

Congratulations to the team for a mystery solved--and the rolling of the 1 on the 100-sided die. Rebecca also rolled a 100, but it didn't count against the Detectives, since it rolled right out of the bowl.

For images of the adventure, visit the Facebook page here.
For artwork from the week, click here.

Session I: Midcoast Trolls - Recap - Summer 2017

The Detectives use their Dream Catchers
to capture one of Bindel's Dream Bubbles

The Dragon's Eye Adventures launched the summer 2017 season with a mystery called "Midcoast Trolls." Ten young detectives traveled to a mythical forest in Norway to meet with some old friends who needed help. Their cousin, a mountain troll named Bindel, set off on an adventure to the west about 500 human years in the past. This may be a short time in troll years, but long enough that the cousins wanted Bindel to phone home.

Our detectives followed the tracings of old troll magic and discovered that Bindel used a very unusual form of transportation. While I cannot provide many details here (we will run this adventure again some day), I can say that the method made for a most dizzying ride.

The detectives followed the trail the old troll left from Norway to Scotland to New Brunswick to Maine. Along the way they met some interesting characters ... like a white snake and a very large sow and some teeny tiny fairies. Oh, and a couple of hunters searching for trolls and dragons.

We had some very exciting moments. The birthday girl rolled 100 on her birthday, which was doubled to 200. A certain detective saved the day with his troll tooth amulet and the powers of slime. Another detective called upon his long-bearded fairy to turn the group into fairies--very helpful for reaching some challenging places!

The final showdown cannot be described in full detail, since it involves so many secrets that must be preserved for the next group ... but I will say that the detectives called on some very unusual forces to work some truly amazing earth magic. The earthquake was only a very small one ... felt only by the local fire chief and a meteorologist who didn't believe the children who warned them about an upcoming earthquake.

Mathea plays Belinda the Sea Troll, fast asleep

The detectives summoned mermen and mermaids, sea and water creatures of all kinds, earth creatures and even plants helped with the last big spell. Did I mention the phoenixes? Yep. There were phoenixes with healing spells to keep everyone strong. Somehow, they pulled it off! The day was saved, the troll was found and Bindel could breathe more easily.

Naturally, there was one little snag ... two little snags ... no, three little snags. The troll hunter, the dragon hunter and their helper, the fire fairy. But the detectives defeated them and escaped on the tiny airplanes the fairies made. A hop, skip and a jump through those troll portals, and they were all safe.
Home sweet home in troll land.

A very special thank you to Mathea Hoy, who was our CIT this week! She did a wonderful job playing Belinda the Sea Troll.

Photos of the adventure may be found here.
Photos of our artwork from the week are here.

Welcome Back, Max!

A funny moment with Max from "Jewel of the Tides" -- Summer 2016

I am happy to announce that Max Middleton will be returning for a third season with Dragon's Eye Adventures. Some unexpected turns of fortune worked in our favor to bring him back, and I for one am grateful!

With his BA as a Classics major at Bowdoin and his D&D experience, Max brings a great deal to the table when it comes to playing characters and having a blast with young people.

Summer 2017 Session VIII: The Golden Cage

Baba Yaga's House
R L McNulty 2017

Session VIII of the Summer 2017 season will be held from Aug 21-25 at the Landing YMCA at 24 Venture Ave. in Brunswick, ME. This mystery is for all ages, from 6 to 16. The program will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, with after hours available until 5:30.

Our mystery will be "The Golden Cage," a magical tale based on the Russian folktales of the Firebird. When a gray falcon brings news of the evil plans of Koschei the Deathless, the Detectives set off to warn the Firebird who lives in the Golden Mountains of the Sun. Their journey takes them into the Thrice Ten Lands, where they encounter Perun, the Russian god of Thunder, and Baba Yaga, the dreaded witch. Then it's off to the Island of Yesterday for an old-fashioned showdown with Koschei the Deathless and his Skeleton Knights.

Summer 2017 Session VII: Star Chronicler's Journey

Star Chronicler's Journey
R L McNulty 2017

Two more adventures have been added to the Summer 2017 Dragon's Eye season. The mysteries will be held from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Landing YMCA at 24 Venture Ave. in Brunswick. After hours until 5:30 is available. Young people ages 6 to 16 are welcome. Older detectives will be mentoring the younger ones in some very special partnerships.

The first adventure runs from Aug. 14 - 18, 2017. The mystery is a Dragon's Eye classic called "Star Chronicler's Journey." An ancient spell by the legendary Yellow Emperor is weakening and the demons of chaos imprisoned in the bronze mirror are beginning to escape. The Detectives must don their Flying Cloud Shoes to travel the Yellow Road, following the journey taken by a Taoist astronomer sage known as Star Chronicler. Their journey leads to the Palace of the Emperor of Heaven.

May 19 Mini Adventure: The Summer Queen's Art (All Ages 6+)

Dragon's Eye Adventures will be offering a one-day adventure for the children who have no school on Friday, May 19. All ages from Kindergarten and up are welcome.

This mini adventure will feature a story about the Summer Queen, featuring Brigid, Brigid and Brigid. Our projects on this day will celebrate the joy of spring, as we help the Summer Queen adorn the bowers of our world with flowers and leaves.

This adventure will be held at the Landing YMCA in Brunswick. It will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, with after hours available until 5:30 PM. The fee is based on the usual $7/hr standard, so the one-day adventure costs $50. After hours is an additional $10.

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.