[center][img]http://www.picgifs.com/graphics/f/floaties-bubbles/graphics-floaties-bubbles-750356.gif[/img][/center]
[i]You were enjoying another day at Camp Cuttlefish relaxing with your friends when you all decided to go explore. It couldn't hurt to venture away from the group could it? Besides, curiosity never killed the Hainu! Or does that phrase go differently...
After walking for some time, you start to tire and fall behind the group, waving them on ahead. To rest, you find yourself a nice rock to nestle on; it's just your size and perfect to stretch your wings on. It shifts as you lie down, creating a noise that sounds like crinkling paper. You frown, knowing the counselors have a stirct policy of not leaving any sort of waste in these parts. You move the heavy rock out of the way, and...
It turned out to be a discarded plan for a sing along. You sigh, picking it up. 'This,' you begin to think, 'Is going to ruin my afternoon plans completely.' A careless peer is the last thing you want right now, and you don't wish to have the whole group punished for one rule breaker. You're still debating the right thing when something past the rock catches your eye. The glinting object takes the shape of a ring as your eyes begin to adjust to the light where it sits. The ring is worn and old, probably once of value but now tarnished by weather. When you try to move it, you hear the crinkle of paper once again, but this time it's yellowed with holes and water stains. Hundreds of people could've missed it, but you're the one that found it. Heart beating with a newfound excitement, you eagerly unroll the paper from inside the ring, swishing your tail in anticipation. What could be inside? Could it be important enough to leave your plans prior to this?
Most of the words someone wrote by hand long ago are fading and almost nonexistent. You brush dirt off to see if anything clears up. Not much is visible except a few words...
[i][b][indent]Rusty's loot, it's-[/indent][/b]
The writer hadn't continued, but now, curiosity is stirring, a motion not to be stopped...
[i]You decide to go to the main hub of all camp activities, a counselor there is sure to know[/i]
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[center][size=7][color=#1aafd0]The Legendary Hunt[/size]
[size=2]Learn the legend of Rusty Beard as you explore Camp Cuttlefish to find the buried treasure[/size][/color]
[i]A Wavecrest Saturnalia 2016 game[/i]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/frd/1827145][img]http://i.imgur.com/lcv78RR.png[/img][/url]
You were enjoying another day at Camp Cuttlefish relaxing with your friends when you all decided to go explore. It couldn't hurt to venture away from the group could it? Besides, curiosity never killed the Hainu! Or does that phrase go differently...
After walking for some time, you start to tire and fall behind the group, waving them on ahead. To rest, you find yourself a nice rock to nestle on; it's just your size and perfect to stretch your wings on. It shifts as you lie down, creating a noise that sounds like crinkling paper. You frown, knowing the counselors have a stirct policy of not leaving any sort of waste in these parts. You move the heavy rock out of the way, and...
It turned out to be a discarded plan for a sing along. You sigh, picking it up. 'This,' you begin to think, 'Is going to ruin my afternoon plans completely.' A careless peer is the last thing you want right now, and you don't wish to have the whole group punished for one rule breaker. You're still debating the right thing when something past the rock catches your eye. The glinting object takes the shape of a ring as your eyes begin to adjust to the light where it sits. The ring is worn and old, probably once of value but now tarnished by weather. When you try to move it, you hear the crinkle of paper once again, but this time it's yellowed with holes and water stains. Hundreds of people could've missed it, but you're the one that found it. Heart beating with a newfound excitement, you eagerly unroll the paper from inside the ring, swishing your tail in anticipation. What could be inside? Could it be important enough to leave your plans prior to this?
Most of the words someone wrote by hand long ago are fading and almost nonexistent. You brush dirt off to see if anything clears up. Not much is visible except a few words...
Rusty's loot, it's-
The writer hadn't continued, but now, curiosity is stirring, a motion not to be stopped...
You decide to go to the main hub of all camp activities, a counselor there is sure to know
The Legendary Hunt
Learn the legend of Rusty Beard as you explore Camp Cuttlefish to find the buried treasure
A Wavecrest Saturnalia 2016 game
[size=7][color=#1aafd0]Overview[/color][/size]
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Hi guys Welcome to the scavenger hunt of Wavecrest 2016!
Your goal in the game, is to learn more about the legend of the pirate Rusty Beard, and his connections to your camp. Along the way, you dig for clues and talk to the ghosted crew, while looking for bold letters hidden within their bios. For example, if this was a bio...
[indent]"Oh ye[b]a[/b]! I've defiantly heard of Rusty befor[b]e[/b] [b]P[/b]erhaps he was one of the people who worked in the cafeteria... Kind of makes me want some [b]l[/b]unch now..."
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[i]You sigh, this was a waste of time. You decided, 'If I wanted to hunt for these clues all by myself, I'd have to scavenge to do so.' You decide to try tomorrow... [/i][/indent]
You would take the bolded letters to solve what they say (in the actual game, you'll be doing that at the very end) and then PM it to me so I'll check that you have done it.
[indent]a p p l e... Wonder what that word could be?[/indent]
To find the clue for the next day, you look at the dragon's bio. To find the dragon, I'll be posting in the forums who's links are found in the main Wavecrest Hub.
[indent]You decided, 'If I wanted to hunt for these clues all by myself, I'd have to scavenge to do so.' You decide to try tomorrow...
Scavenge... Hunt... Clues... I'll look in the scavenger hunt tomorrow![/indent]
When you find the post, you'll know it when you see something like this (here's an example with one of my dragons)
[indent][center]-----
You see a flicker in the sunlight, could it be? Really?! A gost!
[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13258723]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/132588/13258723.png?mtime=VtfFPAAARzU.png[img]
[/url]
-----[/center][/indent]
And you click on the dragon, go to her bio, and the cycle of "find words write em down" to "figure out where tomorrow's dragon will be" and it repeats until you've found the ultimate clue.
If it still doesn't make sense, ping me and I'll see what I can do.
[color=red][/color]
Overview
Hi guys Welcome to the scavenger hunt of Wavecrest 2016!
Your goal in the game, is to learn more about the legend of the pirate Rusty Beard, and his connections to your camp. Along the way, you dig for clues and talk to the ghosted crew, while looking for bold letters hidden within their bios. For example, if this was a bio...
"Oh yea! I've defiantly heard of Rusty before Perhaps he was one of the people who worked in the cafeteria... Kind of makes me want some lunch now..."
You sigh, this was a waste of time. You decided, 'If I wanted to hunt for these clues all by myself, I'd have to scavenge to do so.' You decide to try tomorrow...
You would take the bolded letters to solve what they say (in the actual game, you'll be doing that at the very end) and then PM it to me so I'll check that you have done it.
a p p l e... Wonder what that word could be?
To find the clue for the next day, you look at the dragon's bio. To find the dragon, I'll be posting in the forums who's links are found in the main Wavecrest Hub.
You decided, 'If I wanted to hunt for these clues all by myself, I'd have to scavenge to do so.' You decide to try tomorrow...
Scavenge... Hunt... Clues... I'll look in the scavenger hunt tomorrow!
When you find the post, you'll know it when you see something like this (here's an example with one of my dragons)
You see a flicker in the sunlight, could it be? Really?! A gost!
[img][/img]
And you click on the dragon, go to her bio, and the cycle of "find words write em down" to "figure out where tomorrow's dragon will be" and it repeats until you've found the ultimate clue.
If it still doesn't make sense, ping me and I'll see what I can do.
Full Stories
You wonder if a camp counselor nearby might know about this. It takes a bit of time for you to figure out which one to go to, but you eventually find a dragon that might be willing to explain, or try to explain, what you had found. It had to be something important, right? It talked about loot after all, and no dragon could resist going after that.
The counselor gives you a hearty greeting as you come up,. Still, you take some more energy from that excitement, almost shoving the piece of paper into the counselor’s claws. Words come tumbling out of your mouth, whizzing by the counselor as they tried to get a hold of what you were trying to say and what they were holding.
You walk up to the counselor, who greets you as enthusiastically as ever.
“Oh, hi! What’s up campers? Ah, a map? That’s odd, we didn’t have any activities planned around a map...but it reminds me of something. A dragon once told me of hidden treasure from some pirate crew out there. What was it again…? Ah, the Tale of Crew Rusty.She told it to me when I was just a hatchling, and I was at this camp myself, so I the details are a little fuzzy. I’ll try my best to help out, though!
Crew Rusty was a well-known pirate crew, feared and adored across the Sea of a Thousand Currents. I think. Well, I’m pretty sure they were mostly feared, considering they probably looted many a clan, but who knows? They probably had at least some admirers when they were around. However, with admirers, come enemies. Or, really, with looting comes consequences, I guess.
They had an arch-nemesis whose goal was to rid the Sea of a Thousand Currents of pirates for the safety of the clans. The Pride of the Tides. Most pirate crews quivered at the site of them, but not Rusty’s crew. They always managed to get away from this law-abiding group, through the sneakiest means. All wondered how they did it, and that was never really answered. Considering they were scattered, and those that knew the secret never told of their ways.
Yup, they broke apart, from what I’ve heard. I mean, they’re not roaming the sea right now, right? Where else would they be? In fact, I think it was the Pride of the Tides that split Rusty’s crew. There was something about Rusty’s crew getting a little turned around by some currents on the seas, and had to stop by some island. I think the map might lead there, since there’s rumors that they buried some loot in that area.You’d have to find the island first though.
Afterwards? Well, I think the Pride of the Tides had been following Rusty’s Crew. The Crew had let their guard down, and after that…..huh. Well, I guess the Crew Rusty was disbanded then, scattered across the seas by the Pride of the Tides, but I don’t really know much other than that. Though I could take you all to the dragon who told me that story. I can’t remember her much, but I think that I’ve heard campers say they saw her wandering around the lake.”
It takes you a while, but you find your way to the place the counselor had described to you just afterwards. ‘Around the bend by the edge of Camp Cuttlefish and right at the edges of the North side of the lake.’ You repeated the words over and over in your head like a mantra as you find yourself walking into a rather ominous part of the beach. Trees started to droop over the area, leaves blocking out the sun to create patchy shade. The noises of laughter and chatter was completely cut off, replaced with an eerie silence that was broken by the occasional Croaker.
Just as you start to doubt yourself, you spot a dragon in the darkness. A guardian, just as the camp guide had suggested. She stood at the lake’s edges, staring down at, or through, the water’s surface. You couldn’t tell. You approach more cautiously this time around, padding up before she notices you.
To your relief, she greets you with a smile, albeit a weak one. Her eyes part ways with the waves and she focuses on you.
“Oh...hello there. There aren’t many dragons wandering these parts often. Are you all campers from across the way? If so, what are you all doing here? You should get back to the activities the camp counselors have for you.”
You frown, your tail flicking to the side. You weren’t going to give up after coming here. Not now, after all. You show her the map, and tell her that you knew that she could help out. She takes it into her claws, gentle with the paper as she looks it over.
“Ah, so that’s why you’re here. Where did you find this? I haven’t seen this in centuries.” She breathed, her claw lightly stroking the edges of it. The slightest spark had returned to her eyes. You let out a sigh of relief. You had found the right dragon. You explain the whole situation, and ask her for the information she had so that you could continue with the hunt. She ponders for a moment, before nodding.
“Captain Rusty would’ve loved to have an adventurer like you find their treasure, I think.”
“Yes, Captain Rusty. I was a part of his crew, after all. Man, a dragon can enjoy those days. Sailing on the seas, getting all the treasure we could want, and generally just having a few laughs with the rest of the crew. We had our share of troubles, of course. Clans trying to take their treasure back, my clan trying to get me to come back home, and, of course, the Pride of the Tides.
“They followed us everywhere, causing all sorts of havoc on deck, but we always got away. Captain Rusty knew the sea like the back of his claw. At least….until the night you were told about. Now, we hadn’t exactly let our guard down, as your guide suggested. It was just a little turn-around, you see. It isn’t called the Sea of a Thousand Currents for nothing after all.
“We just got caught up and pushed around on a current until we couldn’t pinpoint our location, and had to focus on finding out where the nearest landmark was. After all, we had some looting to do within the next couple of days. With all that in mind, we just kind of...forgot that the Pride was there. So when the lookout spotted their ship, and so close to ours, we had to make a decision. We went to the nearest land we could find---an island that only Captain Rusty knew of.
“He told us that we’d have to scatter once we hit land, and do our best to protect the treasure. I was one of the few crew members who were meant to draw the Pride away from the loot. I was supposed to run in a certain direction. It didn’t happen that perfectly once we dropped anchor, though…”
Her face fell again, and you saw her staring down into the lake once more, at something you didn’t know about. She sighed as you tapped her arm, waiting for her to go on. With a glance, she shook her head, standing up and looking towards the trees.
“That’s enough for the day.” Her voice had changed, becoming heavy and thick in her throat. It was enough to startle you for a second, giving her time to disappear into the wildlife. You search for her for several minutes before you hear a counselor calling your name from the camp. You’d have to wait until tomorrow to get the rest of it.
You know it’s time when you spot her at the edge of the area, staring out toward the camp. She had the same blank stare as when she was looking at the water, but she seemed to be scanning the crowds for something...or someone. You step more towards her area, catching the Pearlcatcher’s eye. She nods toward you, beckoning, but the hint of a smile that she had before had completely dissipated. After backing into the trees behind her, it seemed that she had just...disappeared.
Still, you had to get to the end of this mystery, so you break from your group, giving them all a cheery farewell. Then you head from the bright area of the camp to the darkest area near the lake, just as before….following an older dragon into a place no one could see. Was this really safe? You figured that you were fine before, so you shake off the thought and continue on. You find her back at the same area as before, staring into the lake. You didn’t want to interrupt her this time, and sit nearby, watching her.
You relax, staring off into space for who knows how long before the Lady’s voice startles you to attention. She had started talking without even turning her head from the lake.
“When we dropped anchor, the Pride was seconds behind us. Several of them jumped out afterwards before the other crew members secured their own ship. Now, our crew didn’t do much...rushing around. That was often the role of the Pride, not us. So I guess the Tides really did turn against us that day.
Captain Rusty and four others headed off one way, Caspian, a friend of my clan and myself, went in another direction, wishing me luck. Other crew members scattered around the island. I don’t know of their fates, but I hope theirs went well. One or two stayed behind to fight and slow down the Pride. I ended up joining them, lashing out with the best of my ability.
But the Pride had a whole fleet, you know? They outnumbered us ten to one, after having different clans join their ranks to get what we stole back. And there were only three of us staving them back. I ended up having to turn and flee, going down the path I was assigned. It was terrifying, having a crowd of them chase after you, demanding to get their treasure back. Some called out specific items, asking where we hid it. I never answered, doing my best to get me off their trail.
I couldn’t get far enough away, though. And, as we all knew, Captain Rusty didn’t know about this island. He didn’t know the paths we were all going on. So I don’t blame him for not knowing mine curved toward the outskirts of the land at some point. And, at the end, there was a dead end, and I was backed up to the water’s edge by the Pride.”
She paused, finally turning her head towards you. It is only now that you notice that the blank stare in her eyes wasn’t just that. Her gaze seemed...empty, and looked right through you. She wasn’t quite seeing...you. And the reflections of the trees on her scales weren’t what they seemed.
“I couldn’t swim, good camper. I know, most people think every pirate can swim. That’s what the Pride told me as they continued to drive me into the shallows. And then past the shallows, demanding answers. I tried to get to the surface, camper. But the fates had something different for me in that day."
“As for the other crew, I’m only certain of one of their fates. Caspian lived to see another day. He lives somewhere nearby, as he wanders around these woods on some days. However, I’m not sure exactly where he resides. He should know more about the treasure you’re searching for, camper. I wish you luck in finding him.”
She taps her tail on your shoulder, leaving you with a slight chill before she walks….right into the lake. You stare at where she submerged. No ripples were there, not the slightest hint of movement. You don’t know how long you watched that spot, but it was long enough to get the camp guide worried. A counselor called your name from the outskirts of the forest, asking where you were. Breaking eye contact with where the Lady had disappeared, you stagger your way back to the camp.
The roar of the sea is heard in the distance...
It takes some looking into, and a lot of asking around, but you eventually find the whereabouts of this ‘Caspian’ dragon that Lady had told you about. You may have just met a ghost with that last clue, but that’s not gonna stop you from getting to the bottom of this mystery! I mean, you’re already too deep in these murky waters to go back, anyway.
You find your way to the outskirts of the camp, finding a small cove by the edges. No campers seemed to go near these parts, out of courtesy for any dragon who lived so close to the campsite. You figure you were allowed to break the courtesy, considering you had more than enough reason to. So, you pad up to the cove, peering into the place before calling out a greeting.
Two eyes flashed from within, their pupils locking onto your position. You give them a wave, stating your name and asking if the dragon knew someone named Caspian. A huff came from the area before the dragon stepped into a lighter area of the cove, revealing himself.
“That would be me, camper. What are you doing here? And how exactly do you know my name?”
You chuckle, shuffling a little in front of his gaze before admitting that you asked around quite a lot to get to him. This peaked Caspian’s interest, as he moved closer to you, tilting his head.
“Is that so? Guess I’m not too well-known nowadays. But why’d you go to such lengths to find me? You don’t look like a sales-dragon to me.”
He looked you over as he said this, raising an eyebrow. You didn’t know what idea of a sales-dragon that he had, but you decided not to dwell on it. You tell him about the paper you found, and the story you were trying to piece it together. For some reason, you leave out the fact that Lady told you the more detailed version of the story. Something in your gut told me that wouldn’t be the best idea.
Caspian looked over the paper, a small frown crawling on his face. His tail twitched behind him as you told the parts of the story you heard, though the movement faded when you told of Lady’s passing.He let out a sigh, handing you the paper back.
“I don’t like telling the story, but I figure that old Rusty would be furious if someone other than him found the treasure, so I’ll help you out this time around. But I’m only telling it to you once, understand?”
You nod, holding the paper close as you both settle down on the sands. Once he made sure you were comfortable in your spot, Caspian settled down himself, creating a thump and a cloud of sand as he hit the ground.
“Now, it started when Lady ran after Rusty’s crew. I knew her parents had been worried about it, and the clan didn’t want to see her go, so I followed. I had the hope that I could convince her not to be on the ship, as her friend. But, as you know, that didn’t happen. So I dragged myself onto this ship, always trying to get her to go back. I told her that her family missed her. I told her that the clan needed her. I told her that I needed to go back. None of it convinced her. I wish it had, but it didn’t.
“So, soon enough, I couldn’t escape the ship. My name was added to Rusty’s crew by mere association with them. As was Lady’s. I wasn’t really that bad of a time once you got used to it. But it just wasn’t my thing. At all. So when the Pride of the Tides got mixed in, and got closer than usual, I was terrified. I told the crew how close their ship was, and Rusty, instead of having a normal plan as he usually did, had one order: Scatter, and don’t get caught.
“I panicked as soon as I hit land, and went the complete wrong direction I was told. I lost track of Lady, and was sprinting through the jungle of an island that I didn’t even know. All in all, it was a mess. I hadn’t seen where anyone else went, and I was bound to get lost in that maze.
“That was when I spotted him. Rusty. He had two other dragons with him, and he had all his precious treasure in his claws. I called out to him, asking about Lady, and about what to do now. He said he didn’t know and didn’t care. That dragon really had a way to push my buttons, it really set my battle blood roaring. I asked him what he meant by that and he just shrugged! Said that it was just the life of a pirate.
“I lost it. I can admit it wasn’t the smartest idea, I know, but at this point he had gone too far. I jumped him, slashing at his neck, demanding to know where she went. He didn’t even say much back. He threw me off easily. My attack was more desperate than strong. We scrabbled for some time, most of them resulting in Rusty brushing off my attempts. Eventually he ended up throwing me back, yelling something at the two goons he had.
“They had set off a trap on me. Vines came up out of nowhere, and I got tangled up in them while my bloodlust was boiling. I tried to go after Rusty when he turned away, but the crew’s traps never let up easily. And their captain was great at hiding them well. Great at running away too. The second they heard the faintest noise of fighting in the distance, they turned tail and ran, their precious treasure trapped in their claws. Last I saw of those scallywags, they were running to the edges of the island once more. I never heard of them after that.
“I didn’t really want to, either. That trap was so well-hidden, as they always were, the Pride of the Tides didn’t find me. No one did. I had to tear apart the vines myself to get out, which took hours to do. Then, after that, it was all about finding what happened to Lady...and getting to a place where no one would bother me about my ‘Rusty Days’ once I had found out about her fate. I still don’t have the heart to tell the clan about it. They probably heard about it through rumor at this point, though, so I don’t think I’ll ever have to tell that tale again.
“Is that enough for you, camper? I don’t have any more, so I hope it’s enough.”
You nod, not sure about your answer but figuring you wouldn’t get any more out of this one. He seemed a little too preoccupied by what that story brought back for him. And he was already heading back to his shady spot. You call out a thank you. He glances back in response, giving you a tired smile.
“You’re welcome, camper. I wish you luck in finding that treasure.”
You wander on the outskirts of the camp, staring out at the sea as you mull over what the dragons had told you about Rusty’s crew. There were things piecing together in the story, but you still didn’t have much of an idea of where the treasure was. There were a few hints, but you wanted more, and you wanted more now.
Letting out a huff, you sit down near the shore, swiping your tail along the sand. Maybe something else was here, by some sort of chance. Another piece of the paper. Another rock for a ring to hide under. Something else. You dig around for a while in the area, but find nothing, a scowl planting itself on your face.
“Hey, camper. Something bugging ya?”
You jump as a voice appears from behind you, spinning to face whoever it came from. A guardian dragon was resting behind you, an amused glimmer in his eyes. He chuckles when you ask him when he got there, shaking his head.
“I’ve been here this whole time, camper. You sure you’re doing okay? That looked like some frustrated digging you did there.”
The guardian leaned against the sand, almost lounging under the sun at this point. He still seemed to pay close attention to you, though. With a sigh, you say that you were looking for some lost treasure of Captain Rusty or something like that. You shift your weight a little before admitting that you weren’t sure exactly where it was, but you were sure you’d find it eventually. The guardian chuckled.
“Yeah, Rusty hid that one pretty well this time around, didn’t he? Even while rushing, he could still find a great spot for the newest chest. I still wonder how he did that to this day.”
You perk up at his words, staring at the dragon. You move forward, asking if he knew Rusty, and if he was involved with the day his crew was attacked. The guardian sent you a knowing grin, his eyes bright still.
“Of course! What a day that was. I mean, it was bad, since the whole crew split up, and poor Lady had to go through that trouble. Rusty felt so bad about that, I wasn’t sure he was going to continue his ways. I got him through, though. You looking to hear about it?”
You sit down in front of him, curling your tail around your feet. A quick answer flitted from your mouth as you waited for the guardian to respond. He laughed at how fast you got ready, sitting up a little as he looked over at you.
“Got it. Got it. I can’t tell you all of it, though. I do have to follow the Captain’s orders, after all. But I’ll give you the gist of it to make it a little easier. You seem pretty nice, after all.”
“But I’ll just start with that day so that things aren’t that long. When the Pride of the Tides first came in. Rusty pulled me down to his cabin, looking..off for once. He told me he wasn’t too sure what to do in this situation; that he wanted to give the newer recruits a chance to escape. He didn’t want them to get in trouble, since he was sure that the Pride would come after him and his treasure. He tried to get me to join the escape route, but I told him there was no way I was gonna leave his side.
“It took a minute or two to totally convince him, before it was too late for him to stop me. The Pride had gotten to the ship. I helped another crew member Rusty had chosen carry the treasure as our Captain led the way, into the jungle of this random island. After clawing our way through a rather thick part of the forest, we reached our first obstacle...Caspian, one of the newer crew members. Rusty hadn’t expected this, and I think he first attempted to drive this one away by mentioning Lady, and possible danger to the lass.
“He didn’t take the bait, and the Ridgeback actually leapt on Captain Rusty, brawling with him! Even then, Rusty still thought of something. He jerked a tail toward the vines, a signal for a trap we had planned beforehand, to keep the Pride back. However, it wasn’t one of the harmful ones. We took hold of the vines, tangling them all of the place so that Rusty could shove the kid into them, resulting in him getting stuck. We were lucky it worked, and it happened to be in a place where Pride of the Tides wouldn’t capture him.
“There was no time for apologies. We could hear the Pride’s forces coming. So, Rusty turned and ran towards the other side of the island. For most islands, especially abandoned ones, there was at least one lone boat left on one side. Tidelord puts one there just in case a dragon gets stuck at one place or another. On this one, there was only room for two. The crew member with us glanced at us before saying that she would be fine, and disappeared into the jungle before Rusty or I could make a retort.
“We ended up getting the treasure in the small ship, and crawled in ourselves, pushing it off to a certain distance from the shore. From there, the order was to hide and wait for the all-clear. I can’t remember much after this point. My mind became a bit scrambled. There were bits that were clear. We sank the ship at one point, but I’m not entirely sure where the treasure is. I know we hid it somewhere around here, but that’s the best I’ve got.
“After that...Rusty and I were back on the island, and there was a rustling that he said he’d check out. I figured it was just a Pride member, but I’m still not sure to this day. He never came out of the jungle, and the Pride never found me. I searched for Rusty for a long time after that, calling for him and trying to get to the bottom of what happened. Before I knew it...I found myself able to wander wherever I could as long as it was by the island. And that I didn’t need to eat food or anything anymore.
“But that’s besides the fact. You know a general vicinity for the treasure, right? I can't give you too much but if you're clever enough you can figure it out. Sorry I couldn’t give you more, camper. It’s all I have, after all.”
You smile, telling him that it was definitely more than enough. You thank him for the story, and the clue, before remembering that the camp might be ending soon. With a quick farewell, you glance toward the lake. You’d find that treasure soon enough.
Full Stories
You wonder if a camp counselor nearby might know about this. It takes a bit of time for you to figure out which one to go to, but you eventually find a dragon that might be willing to explain, or try to explain, what you had found. It had to be something important, right? It talked about loot after all, and no dragon could resist going after that.
The counselor gives you a hearty greeting as you come up,. Still, you take some more energy from that excitement, almost shoving the piece of paper into the counselor’s claws. Words come tumbling out of your mouth, whizzing by the counselor as they tried to get a hold of what you were trying to say and what they were holding.
You walk up to the counselor, who greets you as enthusiastically as ever.
“Oh, hi! What’s up campers? Ah, a map? That’s odd, we didn’t have any activities planned around a map...but it reminds me of something. A dragon once told me of hidden treasure from some pirate crew out there. What was it again…? Ah, the Tale of Crew Rusty.She told it to me when I was just a hatchling, and I was at this camp myself, so I the details are a little fuzzy. I’ll try my best to help out, though!
Crew Rusty was a well-known pirate crew, feared and adored across the Sea of a Thousand Currents. I think. Well, I’m pretty sure they were mostly feared, considering they probably looted many a clan, but who knows? They probably had at least some admirers when they were around. However, with admirers, come enemies. Or, really, with looting comes consequences, I guess.
They had an arch-nemesis whose goal was to rid the Sea of a Thousand Currents of pirates for the safety of the clans. The Pride of the Tides. Most pirate crews quivered at the site of them, but not Rusty’s crew. They always managed to get away from this law-abiding group, through the sneakiest means. All wondered how they did it, and that was never really answered. Considering they were scattered, and those that knew the secret never told of their ways.
Yup, they broke apart, from what I’ve heard. I mean, they’re not roaming the sea right now, right? Where else would they be? In fact, I think it was the Pride of the Tides that split Rusty’s crew. There was something about Rusty’s crew getting a little turned around by some currents on the seas, and had to stop by some island. I think the map might lead there, since there’s rumors that they buried some loot in that area.You’d have to find the island first though.
Afterwards? Well, I think the Pride of the Tides had been following Rusty’s Crew. The Crew had let their guard down, and after that…..huh. Well, I guess the Crew Rusty was disbanded then, scattered across the seas by the Pride of the Tides, but I don’t really know much other than that. Though I could take you all to the dragon who told me that story. I can’t remember her much, but I think that I’ve heard campers say they saw her wandering around the lake.”
It takes you a while, but you find your way to the place the counselor had described to you just afterwards. ‘Around the bend by the edge of Camp Cuttlefish and right at the edges of the North side of the lake.’ You repeated the words over and over in your head like a mantra as you find yourself walking into a rather ominous part of the beach. Trees started to droop over the area, leaves blocking out the sun to create patchy shade. The noises of laughter and chatter was completely cut off, replaced with an eerie silence that was broken by the occasional Croaker.
Just as you start to doubt yourself, you spot a dragon in the darkness. A guardian, just as the camp guide had suggested. She stood at the lake’s edges, staring down at, or through, the water’s surface. You couldn’t tell. You approach more cautiously this time around, padding up before she notices you.
To your relief, she greets you with a smile, albeit a weak one. Her eyes part ways with the waves and she focuses on you.
“Oh...hello there. There aren’t many dragons wandering these parts often. Are you all campers from across the way? If so, what are you all doing here? You should get back to the activities the camp counselors have for you.”
You frown, your tail flicking to the side. You weren’t going to give up after coming here. Not now, after all. You show her the map, and tell her that you knew that she could help out. She takes it into her claws, gentle with the paper as she looks it over.
“Ah, so that’s why you’re here. Where did you find this? I haven’t seen this in centuries.” She breathed, her claw lightly stroking the edges of it. The slightest spark had returned to her eyes. You let out a sigh of relief. You had found the right dragon. You explain the whole situation, and ask her for the information she had so that you could continue with the hunt. She ponders for a moment, before nodding.
“Captain Rusty would’ve loved to have an adventurer like you find their treasure, I think.”
“Yes, Captain Rusty. I was a part of his crew, after all. Man, a dragon can enjoy those days. Sailing on the seas, getting all the treasure we could want, and generally just having a few laughs with the rest of the crew. We had our share of troubles, of course. Clans trying to take their treasure back, my clan trying to get me to come back home, and, of course, the Pride of the Tides.
“They followed us everywhere, causing all sorts of havoc on deck, but we always got away. Captain Rusty knew the sea like the back of his claw. At least….until the night you were told about. Now, we hadn’t exactly let our guard down, as your guide suggested. It was just a little turn-around, you see. It isn’t called the Sea of a Thousand Currents for nothing after all.
“We just got caught up and pushed around on a current until we couldn’t pinpoint our location, and had to focus on finding out where the nearest landmark was. After all, we had some looting to do within the next couple of days. With all that in mind, we just kind of...forgot that the Pride was there. So when the lookout spotted their ship, and so close to ours, we had to make a decision. We went to the nearest land we could find---an island that only Captain Rusty knew of.
“He told us that we’d have to scatter once we hit land, and do our best to protect the treasure. I was one of the few crew members who were meant to draw the Pride away from the loot. I was supposed to run in a certain direction. It didn’t happen that perfectly once we dropped anchor, though…”
Her face fell again, and you saw her staring down into the lake once more, at something you didn’t know about. She sighed as you tapped her arm, waiting for her to go on. With a glance, she shook her head, standing up and looking towards the trees.
“That’s enough for the day.” Her voice had changed, becoming heavy and thick in her throat. It was enough to startle you for a second, giving her time to disappear into the wildlife. You search for her for several minutes before you hear a counselor calling your name from the camp. You’d have to wait until tomorrow to get the rest of it.
You know it’s time when you spot her at the edge of the area, staring out toward the camp. She had the same blank stare as when she was looking at the water, but she seemed to be scanning the crowds for something...or someone. You step more towards her area, catching the Pearlcatcher’s eye. She nods toward you, beckoning, but the hint of a smile that she had before had completely dissipated. After backing into the trees behind her, it seemed that she had just...disappeared.
Still, you had to get to the end of this mystery, so you break from your group, giving them all a cheery farewell. Then you head from the bright area of the camp to the darkest area near the lake, just as before….following an older dragon into a place no one could see. Was this really safe? You figured that you were fine before, so you shake off the thought and continue on. You find her back at the same area as before, staring into the lake. You didn’t want to interrupt her this time, and sit nearby, watching her.
You relax, staring off into space for who knows how long before the Lady’s voice startles you to attention. She had started talking without even turning her head from the lake.
“When we dropped anchor, the Pride was seconds behind us. Several of them jumped out afterwards before the other crew members secured their own ship. Now, our crew didn’t do much...rushing around. That was often the role of the Pride, not us. So I guess the Tides really did turn against us that day.
Captain Rusty and four others headed off one way, Caspian, a friend of my clan and myself, went in another direction, wishing me luck. Other crew members scattered around the island. I don’t know of their fates, but I hope theirs went well. One or two stayed behind to fight and slow down the Pride. I ended up joining them, lashing out with the best of my ability.
But the Pride had a whole fleet, you know? They outnumbered us ten to one, after having different clans join their ranks to get what we stole back. And there were only three of us staving them back. I ended up having to turn and flee, going down the path I was assigned. It was terrifying, having a crowd of them chase after you, demanding to get their treasure back. Some called out specific items, asking where we hid it. I never answered, doing my best to get me off their trail.
I couldn’t get far enough away, though. And, as we all knew, Captain Rusty didn’t know about this island. He didn’t know the paths we were all going on. So I don’t blame him for not knowing mine curved toward the outskirts of the land at some point. And, at the end, there was a dead end, and I was backed up to the water’s edge by the Pride.”
She paused, finally turning her head towards you. It is only now that you notice that the blank stare in her eyes wasn’t just that. Her gaze seemed...empty, and looked right through you. She wasn’t quite seeing...you. And the reflections of the trees on her scales weren’t what they seemed.
“I couldn’t swim, good camper. I know, most people think every pirate can swim. That’s what the Pride told me as they continued to drive me into the shallows. And then past the shallows, demanding answers. I tried to get to the surface, camper. But the fates had something different for me in that day."
“As for the other crew, I’m only certain of one of their fates. Caspian lived to see another day. He lives somewhere nearby, as he wanders around these woods on some days. However, I’m not sure exactly where he resides. He should know more about the treasure you’re searching for, camper. I wish you luck in finding him.”
She taps her tail on your shoulder, leaving you with a slight chill before she walks….right into the lake. You stare at where she submerged. No ripples were there, not the slightest hint of movement. You don’t know how long you watched that spot, but it was long enough to get the camp guide worried. A counselor called your name from the outskirts of the forest, asking where you were. Breaking eye contact with where the Lady had disappeared, you stagger your way back to the camp.
The roar of the sea is heard in the distance...
It takes some looking into, and a lot of asking around, but you eventually find the whereabouts of this ‘Caspian’ dragon that Lady had told you about. You may have just met a ghost with that last clue, but that’s not gonna stop you from getting to the bottom of this mystery! I mean, you’re already too deep in these murky waters to go back, anyway.
You find your way to the outskirts of the camp, finding a small cove by the edges. No campers seemed to go near these parts, out of courtesy for any dragon who lived so close to the campsite. You figure you were allowed to break the courtesy, considering you had more than enough reason to. So, you pad up to the cove, peering into the place before calling out a greeting.
Two eyes flashed from within, their pupils locking onto your position. You give them a wave, stating your name and asking if the dragon knew someone named Caspian. A huff came from the area before the dragon stepped into a lighter area of the cove, revealing himself.
“That would be me, camper. What are you doing here? And how exactly do you know my name?”
You chuckle, shuffling a little in front of his gaze before admitting that you asked around quite a lot to get to him. This peaked Caspian’s interest, as he moved closer to you, tilting his head.
“Is that so? Guess I’m not too well-known nowadays. But why’d you go to such lengths to find me? You don’t look like a sales-dragon to me.”
He looked you over as he said this, raising an eyebrow. You didn’t know what idea of a sales-dragon that he had, but you decided not to dwell on it. You tell him about the paper you found, and the story you were trying to piece it together. For some reason, you leave out the fact that Lady told you the more detailed version of the story. Something in your gut told me that wouldn’t be the best idea.
Caspian looked over the paper, a small frown crawling on his face. His tail twitched behind him as you told the parts of the story you heard, though the movement faded when you told of Lady’s passing.He let out a sigh, handing you the paper back.
“I don’t like telling the story, but I figure that old Rusty would be furious if someone other than him found the treasure, so I’ll help you out this time around. But I’m only telling it to you once, understand?”
You nod, holding the paper close as you both settle down on the sands. Once he made sure you were comfortable in your spot, Caspian settled down himself, creating a thump and a cloud of sand as he hit the ground.
“Now, it started when Lady ran after Rusty’s crew. I knew her parents had been worried about it, and the clan didn’t want to see her go, so I followed. I had the hope that I could convince her not to be on the ship, as her friend. But, as you know, that didn’t happen. So I dragged myself onto this ship, always trying to get her to go back. I told her that her family missed her. I told her that the clan needed her. I told her that I needed to go back. None of it convinced her. I wish it had, but it didn’t.
“So, soon enough, I couldn’t escape the ship. My name was added to Rusty’s crew by mere association with them. As was Lady’s. I wasn’t really that bad of a time once you got used to it. But it just wasn’t my thing. At all. So when the Pride of the Tides got mixed in, and got closer than usual, I was terrified. I told the crew how close their ship was, and Rusty, instead of having a normal plan as he usually did, had one order: Scatter, and don’t get caught.
“I panicked as soon as I hit land, and went the complete wrong direction I was told. I lost track of Lady, and was sprinting through the jungle of an island that I didn’t even know. All in all, it was a mess. I hadn’t seen where anyone else went, and I was bound to get lost in that maze.
“That was when I spotted him. Rusty. He had two other dragons with him, and he had all his precious treasure in his claws. I called out to him, asking about Lady, and about what to do now. He said he didn’t know and didn’t care. That dragon really had a way to push my buttons, it really set my battle blood roaring. I asked him what he meant by that and he just shrugged! Said that it was just the life of a pirate.
“I lost it. I can admit it wasn’t the smartest idea, I know, but at this point he had gone too far. I jumped him, slashing at his neck, demanding to know where she went. He didn’t even say much back. He threw me off easily. My attack was more desperate than strong. We scrabbled for some time, most of them resulting in Rusty brushing off my attempts. Eventually he ended up throwing me back, yelling something at the two goons he had.
“They had set off a trap on me. Vines came up out of nowhere, and I got tangled up in them while my bloodlust was boiling. I tried to go after Rusty when he turned away, but the crew’s traps never let up easily. And their captain was great at hiding them well. Great at running away too. The second they heard the faintest noise of fighting in the distance, they turned tail and ran, their precious treasure trapped in their claws. Last I saw of those scallywags, they were running to the edges of the island once more. I never heard of them after that.
“I didn’t really want to, either. That trap was so well-hidden, as they always were, the Pride of the Tides didn’t find me. No one did. I had to tear apart the vines myself to get out, which took hours to do. Then, after that, it was all about finding what happened to Lady...and getting to a place where no one would bother me about my ‘Rusty Days’ once I had found out about her fate. I still don’t have the heart to tell the clan about it. They probably heard about it through rumor at this point, though, so I don’t think I’ll ever have to tell that tale again.
“Is that enough for you, camper? I don’t have any more, so I hope it’s enough.”
You nod, not sure about your answer but figuring you wouldn’t get any more out of this one. He seemed a little too preoccupied by what that story brought back for him. And he was already heading back to his shady spot. You call out a thank you. He glances back in response, giving you a tired smile.
“You’re welcome, camper. I wish you luck in finding that treasure.”
You wander on the outskirts of the camp, staring out at the sea as you mull over what the dragons had told you about Rusty’s crew. There were things piecing together in the story, but you still didn’t have much of an idea of where the treasure was. There were a few hints, but you wanted more, and you wanted more now.
Letting out a huff, you sit down near the shore, swiping your tail along the sand. Maybe something else was here, by some sort of chance. Another piece of the paper. Another rock for a ring to hide under. Something else. You dig around for a while in the area, but find nothing, a scowl planting itself on your face.
“Hey, camper. Something bugging ya?”
You jump as a voice appears from behind you, spinning to face whoever it came from. A guardian dragon was resting behind you, an amused glimmer in his eyes. He chuckles when you ask him when he got there, shaking his head.
“I’ve been here this whole time, camper. You sure you’re doing okay? That looked like some frustrated digging you did there.”
The guardian leaned against the sand, almost lounging under the sun at this point. He still seemed to pay close attention to you, though. With a sigh, you say that you were looking for some lost treasure of Captain Rusty or something like that. You shift your weight a little before admitting that you weren’t sure exactly where it was, but you were sure you’d find it eventually. The guardian chuckled.
“Yeah, Rusty hid that one pretty well this time around, didn’t he? Even while rushing, he could still find a great spot for the newest chest. I still wonder how he did that to this day.”
You perk up at his words, staring at the dragon. You move forward, asking if he knew Rusty, and if he was involved with the day his crew was attacked. The guardian sent you a knowing grin, his eyes bright still.
“Of course! What a day that was. I mean, it was bad, since the whole crew split up, and poor Lady had to go through that trouble. Rusty felt so bad about that, I wasn’t sure he was going to continue his ways. I got him through, though. You looking to hear about it?”
You sit down in front of him, curling your tail around your feet. A quick answer flitted from your mouth as you waited for the guardian to respond. He laughed at how fast you got ready, sitting up a little as he looked over at you.
“Got it. Got it. I can’t tell you all of it, though. I do have to follow the Captain’s orders, after all. But I’ll give you the gist of it to make it a little easier. You seem pretty nice, after all.”
“But I’ll just start with that day so that things aren’t that long. When the Pride of the Tides first came in. Rusty pulled me down to his cabin, looking..off for once. He told me he wasn’t too sure what to do in this situation; that he wanted to give the newer recruits a chance to escape. He didn’t want them to get in trouble, since he was sure that the Pride would come after him and his treasure. He tried to get me to join the escape route, but I told him there was no way I was gonna leave his side.
“It took a minute or two to totally convince him, before it was too late for him to stop me. The Pride had gotten to the ship. I helped another crew member Rusty had chosen carry the treasure as our Captain led the way, into the jungle of this random island. After clawing our way through a rather thick part of the forest, we reached our first obstacle...Caspian, one of the newer crew members. Rusty hadn’t expected this, and I think he first attempted to drive this one away by mentioning Lady, and possible danger to the lass.
“He didn’t take the bait, and the Ridgeback actually leapt on Captain Rusty, brawling with him! Even then, Rusty still thought of something. He jerked a tail toward the vines, a signal for a trap we had planned beforehand, to keep the Pride back. However, it wasn’t one of the harmful ones. We took hold of the vines, tangling them all of the place so that Rusty could shove the kid into them, resulting in him getting stuck. We were lucky it worked, and it happened to be in a place where Pride of the Tides wouldn’t capture him.
“There was no time for apologies. We could hear the Pride’s forces coming. So, Rusty turned and ran towards the other side of the island. For most islands, especially abandoned ones, there was at least one lone boat left on one side. Tidelord puts one there just in case a dragon gets stuck at one place or another. On this one, there was only room for two. The crew member with us glanced at us before saying that she would be fine, and disappeared into the jungle before Rusty or I could make a retort.
“We ended up getting the treasure in the small ship, and crawled in ourselves, pushing it off to a certain distance from the shore. From there, the order was to hide and wait for the all-clear. I can’t remember much after this point. My mind became a bit scrambled. There were bits that were clear. We sank the ship at one point, but I’m not entirely sure where the treasure is. I know we hid it somewhere around here, but that’s the best I’ve got.
“After that...Rusty and I were back on the island, and there was a rustling that he said he’d check out. I figured it was just a Pride member, but I’m still not sure to this day. He never came out of the jungle, and the Pride never found me. I searched for Rusty for a long time after that, calling for him and trying to get to the bottom of what happened. Before I knew it...I found myself able to wander wherever I could as long as it was by the island. And that I didn’t need to eat food or anything anymore.
“But that’s besides the fact. You know a general vicinity for the treasure, right? I can't give you too much but if you're clever enough you can figure it out. Sorry I couldn’t give you more, camper. It’s all I have, after all.”
You smile, telling him that it was definitely more than enough. You thank him for the story, and the clue, before remembering that the camp might be ending soon. With a quick farewell, you glance toward the lake. You’d find that treasure soon enough.
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