I haven't read that book in years but I think it's one that you never forget. I was super excited when I saw that poster!

I have a question :) "You will use each and every item in your pack at some time during the adventure if you wish to get the highest score in each chapter. " What if we or our other teammates were not around when we got the items.. Are they multi-functional? Or are they only to be used in very specific ways at certain times? Can we use an item more than once?

Great questions! You may use any item you have multiple times. it doesn't matter who was around and got the item. It belongs to your whole team! They will only be used in very specific ways, and I can't think of any that are multi-function outside of the currencies.

If you did not get an item, then you will have to choose one of the alternate paths to get what you need. The same is true if you got a different version of an item. For example, if another team's map has destinations marked that yours does not, you can't use those extra destinations unless you figure out you own way to get there. (Knocking out the other team's captain and stealing it would probably be one of those situations that could get you injured. :D Besides, your roll for success would be very, very small. I DO have 20-sided dice, and I'm not afraid to use them. heh)

thanks for the answers. :) Since you say they can only be used specifically, will there be a way for us to know how the items work or when we should use one? I'm a newbie to this big plot thing and worried I won't know what something does and will miss when it's supposed to be used.

Oh, it will be very, very clear to you. These are all part of the plot, so I can't reveal them all ahead of time.

Great! That's a relief lol

I'm excited about this to begin :D Yay for getting my laptop in time too, had to struggle through boxes to get to it.

Okay, just a quick question. Is a companion one that we all need have or are they just options for us? I don't have one at the moment, but was thinking of getting one after we go through the portal. So i guess what I'm wondering is a companion something that we have to have throughout the whole event?

I cannot find the post that gave us the Caroline challenge (and I'm sorry if it's asked/answered here because I'm a nerd) but can you repost what exactly we were supposed to discover?

haha <3

You could do that, and OneToo will be with the teams as well. You do not have to have a companion, but there will be a challenge just for companions, and it occurs before you go through the portal. This is entirely your choice, though.

Please see the message for all below. :)

Evidently, even though the messages are showing in my outbox, some of the "Congrats!" for the mages didn't reach the teams. Basically, it stated that the retrieval was successful, Squirrely sent a message, and there was also a strange card attached by someone below with Squirrely:

You were all them asked to "decode" the meaning of this card, which had four important elements. You get 50 points for turning in anything, and 50 points for each correct element, which is a total of 250 bonus points.

This challenge is driving most teams bonkers, so I will extend the deadline on this one day. (I can't do more because one team already has the 250 points, due to one player who is a great researcher, but I do need to make accommodations for lost messages.)

There's also probably a few things about Bonus Challenges you need to know:

About Those Dang Bonuses!

1. They are one of the hardest elements in the game. All of them are optional, but can bolster scores considerably.
2. Unlike the highly controversial trivia of last event, they have one and only one right answer.
3. The answers will have a "ka-ching" effect. If the pieces just fall into place with what you've found, you are going to be right, but they must fit all the elements.
4. You do not need to role-play these at all. Just provide the answers and how you got there.
5. They are all related directly to the plot. If you have an item, and your explanation doesn't allow for the item to be used in the plot; it's wrong. As I said earlier, you will need every item in your pack.
6. The information is findable, but you may have to go off Subeta and into the net to find it. (This is definitely true with this one.)
7. You may revise your solution until expiration of the deadline. No open hints will be given on the threads, but, if you are on the right track with your submissions, you will be given a small nudge from one of Lucien's Faerie Crew. (If there was no response to your solution, you're off-base, but you will still get the 50 points for submission.)

PS Rowan doesn't "give things to you." I didn't send that card up. Some character in the plot did. Rowan sits quietly in a candlelit corner of the Wayward Squirrel and reads comments and mails. She pets her terrier and interacts ONLY with NPCs. She's just a storyteller and event runner. She is not a character.

PPS You are now on the 24 hour countdown for the HA entries, and the puzzle for the chapter will be up in a few minutes. The whole group will be pinged for the puzzle.