Easter fun at the Redbright Institute (Scavenger Hunt!)

[undergroundmods]

Watch on YouTube

Spring is in the air and the Redbright Institute is hosting a weekend of Easter-themed family fun. The event is held outdoors on the Redbright grounds and includes an Easter egg trail, five-a-side football, croquet, arts and crafts, and a cake sale. Plus, a stall for refreshments selling tea and coffee for the adults and fruit juice for the kids. It's all decidedly kid-friendly and not magical at all. Expect to see lots of excitable children running around.

Of course, there is one event for the grown-ups: the much anticipated scavenger hunt! Teams sign up on the morning of 14th April and must solve all the clues by the event's close in order to win the grand prize.

Instructions for the Scavenger Hunt
• There are five clues to solve. You will receive each clue one at a time. Each clue leads to the location of the next clue.
• The answer to the clues is always either a person or a location (or sometimes both at once). To find the next clue, you must search the location or ask the person the clue points to. The answers are not all located in the Redbright Institute, which means your characters will be racing across London to try and find all the clues.
• Except for the first clue which you are given directly at reception when you sign up, every clue is wrapped up with a red ribbon. The ribbon itself has no significance, it just tells your characters that they've found the actual clue rather than a random object.
• You can ask for help up to three times. Help is provided by Mogget, who as you all know is very friendly. You need to tell him the clue you're struggling with before he can help you, so make sure you do that in your first tag to avoid wasting time.
• Everything above is ICly explained to your characters when they sign up so they know what to do. They also know about the time limit.
• When you think you know the answer to the clue, post ICly with your character searching that location or approaching a character and highlight that part of your tag in bold like this. This will allow me to quickly and easily see that you've answered a clue so that I can reply to either give you the next one or let you know to try again.
• Every character that participates will receive an Easter egg and a bonus two activity points!
• You have until 23:59 Sunday 16th April (GMT+1) to solve all the clues! If you manage to solve them all in the time limit and reach your end goal, the characters in the winning team(s) will receive an awesome prize and an extra bonus four activity points. If you don't solve them in the time limit, your team won't win the prize.
• One more tip: If you think you know the answer, go straight to that location or person in the first couple of tags! You can dally around for as many tags as you want, but that will waste time and make it less likely that you'll get through all five clues within the time limit.

[The scavenger hunt is closed to those characters who signed up, but the rest of this event is open to everyone! Feel free to mingle. If you have any questions about the event, please ask here.]

Comments

TEAM NANSARE (NANCY AND CESARE)

[undergroundmods]

Thank you, Nancy and Cesare, for signing up for the scavenger hunt! Your first clue is a small slip of paper that has the following words printed on it:

GRIP ON LIVID BREATH

There's nothing else on the paper. Good luck!

[longterm]

Cesare didn't exactly know why he was doing this, but he was. He thought he was beyond childish scavenger hunts but mentions of it had occurred, jokes about volunteering had been made and sure enough Cesare was participating with Nancy. They were a peculiar team, but to be honest, Cesare intended to do most of this on his own and simply have Nancy along for the ride. It wasn't as if Nancy had hundreds of years of knowledge on her side.

When Cesare saw the first clue, he immediately thought anagram, grabbing a pen and paper and scrawling out the letters in a hand that was a little too ornate for the occasion. He was stuck on the word "bridge" for a while, until he lucked upon "Redbright". His obsession with Sylvia had paid off.

He wasted no time and quickly Nancy and Cesare were at Redbright Pavilion. Cesare looked about the space, his brow furrowed. Cesare was always nothing if not competitive.

[undergroundmods]

Lo and behold, there's a brown envelope tied up with a red ribbon to one of the posts on the pavilion. Inside the envelope is a picture of a bird with the words "scientia potestas est" written on the back in elegant handwriting. There's nothing else to find.

[longterm]

Cesare grabs the envelope immediately and rips it open. He frowns at it. "Knowledge is power", he reads aloud as easily as if it were his native tongue. That part is easy enough for him. But then there's some bird on it? He turns to Nancy and hands her the photo.

"It's in the institute still, the answer," he says fairly resolutely. After all, that's where knowledge is acquired. "What do you think?"

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy frowns at the words and picture. Of course he knows Latin, she isn't surprised at all. Nancy takes the picture of the bird and turns it over slowly. "It's a nightingale. But what does that have to do with knowledge? unless... Is there a faculty member or something with that surname? It's common enough around here."

"Let's find a teacher with the name Nightengale," Nancy says, before leading Cesare off the pavilion. It takes a few minutes for Nancy to ask around, but someone points her in the direction of Thomas Nightengale.

"excuse me, Mr. Nightengale? are you our clue?"

[undergroundmods]

"Mr Nightingale? He's not here."

There are several faculty members present at the event, but Thomas Nightingale isn't one of them. Asking around mostly gets shrugs. Where might he be?

"I don't know. Probably at home."

It is the weekend, after all.

[longterm]

"No, he's definitely here," Cesare replies a little too firmly than he probably should, particularly when he's trying to get people to help him. The clue fits too well for Cesare simply to let it go like that. Cesare likes to think he knows who's who in London. This is no exception. Nightingale seems too convenient.

"He's in Outreach, isn't he? Where's that department?"

[undergroundmods]

The instructor shakes her head. "That's not technically a department. Hey, Yasmine!" She calls over to the Head of the Science Department, who also happens to be a member of the Night Council so no doubt both Cesare and Nancy have seen her before. "Have you seen Thomas Nightingale today? He's not here, is he?"

Yasmine pauses with a cup of tea halfway to her mouth. "He was here this morning helping to set up, but he left early. I think he went home."

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy recognizes Yasmine. She'd been there for her trial, and she'd spotted her on the Night Train as well. She smiles sweetly at her. "Could you possibly tell us where his home is located? We think he's the answer to our clue." She shows the picture and words to Yasmine.

"Or if you could point is to someone who could?" Help her out? Please?

[undergroundmods]

"Ah." Now Yasmine understands. She thinks for a moment, then nods. "He lives in Camden. A place called the Folly."

She doesn't know the exact address. They can get it at reception if they're keen to double check: it's on Russell Square.

[stauncherhearted]

"The Folly? Brilliant- thank you so much!" Nancy gives her another bright smile, before turning toward Cesare.

"Alright, so we should get to the nearest tube station-" she barely got to say, before she was reminded of Cesare's favorite way to travel the city. That was: in the back of a limo.

"So what's the plan? Hope his name is on the bell?"

[longterm]

If Cesare had heard Nancy's monologue, he would explain to her that he does not ride in limos. He finds them tacky and ostentatious, which is a bit rich coming from him. No. Cesare likes riding in the back of expensive black cars with drivers. Bentley or Mercedes, thank you very much.

"I'll call some people," he responds a little dismissively. He's already getting a bit frustrated that he's taking part in some wild goose chase for a man who really should be waiting for him in the school. Or maybe Cesare just bitter that the one statement he made about the clue was wrong.

The two of them ask for the precise address at reception, take a car to Russell Square and soon enough are at the home of Thomas Nightingale. Cesare knocks on the door impatiently.

[undergroundmods]

They may recognise the words inscribed on the lintel above the door: scientia potestas est. The housemaid might answer the door, but they don't need her because attached above the door is another brown envelope wrapped in red ribbon.

Inside the envelope is a white card and these are the words printed on it:

Coming back to dare me then, I'm saying.

That's it. Clue number three.

[longterm]

Cesare has know bloody clue. He wonders if it's something to do with Millicent or Raymond Harris (ever the politically minded, our Cesare). They hated challengers, after all. But he's not sure.

He suspects it isn't another anagram, considering that this one isn't in all capitals like the one before, but the wording is odd enough to make him think that something is going on. Something that he can't quite decipher.

He gives a look at Nancy then pulls out his phone to get in contact with Mogget.

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy reads Mogget's message out loud and sighs. "Helpful, isn't he?"

scowling she looks over at the paper, before she grabs her pocket mirror. Pulling it out she uses it to examine the words. It's backward, but it's oddly easier to read even if it's flipped.

"Yasmine Merad.. it's Dare Me and I'm say with an N thrown in there We've gotta get back to Redbright."

so off they hop back into the limo. It doesn't take them too much time to get back to the school, and soon they're bounding to find the woman.

"Yasmine!" Nancy says brightly when she sees Yasmine Merad. "Thank you so much for yor help with the last clue. I believe you're the answer to our next one?"

[undergroundmods]

She's very excitable, isn't she? Yasmine remains composed, drawing out a roll of paper tied with a ribbon from her handbag. She hands it over.

"They do make you work for it, don't they? Good luck."

Here it is, clue number four. Unrolling the paper reveals a page from the London Lambast Daily with a headline reading "Night Council ____________ refurbished due to increased fae presence". A word has been torn out of the headline.

[longterm]

Cesare gives Yasmine a bit of an eye roll before looking at the paper and giving it a good read. He thinks on it for a second.

"It sounds like Samantha's project," Cesare says, thinking aloud. After all, Samantha's whole excuse for that was to protect her people from fae, right? He takes Nancy by the arm and soon enough the two of them are at the Magical Innovation Centre.

[undergroundmods]

The Magical Innovation Centre is currently closed as it is still being renovated. They'll be stopped by a security guard who tells them they can't pass through. He's certainly not going to let them through just because they're playing a silly game.

Looks like this is a dead end.

[longterm]

Well, that's unfortunate.

After another text to Mogget, Cesare isn't exactly sure what the cat means. Nevertheless, Cesare and Nancy head to Regent's Park Barracks. After all, the Night Council needs greater defence, right? That sorta follows? Neither of them are sure but it's worth a go.

[undergroundmods]

Another dead end. They won't find anything there, nor anyone who knows why they're there.

[longterm]

Perhaps a third try is a charm but Cesare isn't interested. He rolls his eyes, feeling frustrated and unimpressed by the whole thing. This game was stupid anyway. He has no idea why he tried to take part.

While sitting in the car with Nancy, defeated, he turns to her.

"Do you still drink?" A lot has changed with Nancy over these past few months and he wants to make sure before he takes her to a bar. She's drunk with him at restaurants but that's not quite what he means. He means shots, mixing drinks and probably a hangover in the morning. They might as well turn this stupid event into something fun.

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy raises him an eyebrow. "Of course I still drink." It's a stupid question. Clearly, she still drinks. She's a twenty-year-old with a lot of terrible things that have happened to her in her life.

"Why?" She has an idea. For once, given she's got no bloody idea about the scavenger hunt anymore.

[longterm]

Cesare smiles a little as if he doesn't really mind what they do, when in fact it's pretty clear he wants a stiff drink.

"We're five minutes away from my favourite haunts. They do fantastic gimlets." Though let's be real, he probably wants shots instead. He leans over to her, giving her a look. "Are you game?"

[stauncherhearted]

"Which one is that? Any place you've taken me before?" She did like some of his bars. Though usually it was always fancy restaurants with him.

She likes the way he looks at her, though. That twinkle in his dark eyes. "Only if you're buying."

[longterm]

Cesare shakes his head.

"Somewhere new." He had assumed he was buying, to be honest, and after talking to the driver, they're at a bar soon enough. It's a dark, moodily lit space in Soho, which, if Nancy is particularly perceptive, is frequented by considerably more men than women. They find a booth and Cesare orders a couple shots each for the two of them. Wait, no. Just give them the bottle.

"Is whiskey alright?" he asks as he pours their shots.