Awards Killing Game 2x2: Moon of Hope (Game Thread) - Day 4: Lunary Cliffs

[TPG]

You KNOW I had to... huh? I'm 10 years too late?? I don't know about any of that. I'm just an old squid with some new tricks!

So, another young flipperflapper kicked the chum bucket, but I'm feeling more alive than ever! Rejuvenated, like I was given free refills for a Tacticooler! I could even... I could even...! No, that's still not working. Clod Clammit. You may be wondering how I got here, maybe even how I ended up healthier than that little ghostfish Mona over there! Well, I had a grand night out. One for the history museum. Here's how this old seadog remembers it, anyhow.

---

When I stirred awake, I saw some newfangled laser tech in the West Gallery. It burned hotter than a pan of haddock, I'll tell you now. Ol' reliable Lyra waded right over to me when I called her, and we discussed a certain affinity I have for this Sun Stone malarkeybox. We made a deal of sorts... well, I don't know much about this stuff. But I had a theory.

I swam my way on to the Library, where I relieved Luke Atmey of the last fuel canister and lighter. Age before beauty, sonny! Then I raided the Metal Lab for scrap, including two pairs of handcuffs. I also spotted Lee Chaolan in glowing armour, Atmey setting the Coatroom ablaze in the 1F Hallways before he gets chased by Lee into the Plant Nursery, where he and a mysterious black-clad fella then start digging through the soil. What a weirdo! I also saw that nice young man Chad dressed as a firefighter. That's good of him. Service workers don't get enough respect these days!

And just before I get to the Train Exhibit, I see the darndest thing. Portricia Knightley, may the Salmonarch rest her soul, is leaving her bedroom and heading east. Right after, I hear some crazy cat noise coming from that direction. Huh?? I thought she was a... well, that's the last I saw of her anyway. May her gear have Quick Respawn nuggets equipped, and may her start point remain uncamped.

At the Train Exhibit, ol' Ghouligrab was poking around dearly departed Winter's body, before leaving with his precious goods. What a vulturefish. If you ever find my carcass, don't you dare make off with my bits and bobs - I'm saving them all for my grandsquids! After a while, I look out of the window and see Albina fighting a big chunk of slime and fish with a flail, before she hightails it down to the slide to avoid getting splatted. I would have helped, but I'm just an old squid. I don't know anything about that...

Little Mona shows up and warned me not to touch the train. I promised I wouldn't. And I meant every word! Well… every word except the train-related ones. I had a theory, y'see. A grand theory of stars and comets. I hear some rumbling, crashes and cannon fire, then some more rambsambling noise upstairs. Finally, that blasted Lee bumbles in and starts making a mess of the exhibit. Fortunately for me, Lyra finally decides to show up and splats the insolent little bugger with a sledgehammer. Kids these days. So violent!

Well, I needn't go over every little detail of my demonstration. It was quite shrimple. I tied us together, cuffed her to the train, set it all off, then set myshellf on fire. Y'see, my little theory was that this Sun Stone required a comet and a new star. And in my dream, I am the star. Fish. It's me. So when I started burning alive like a fried crab, I was sort of like the sun that they made this silly stone for. Well, that's when it all started to go wrong. I found a lovely purple gem in Lyra's pockets, which I thought I should hold on to in case I need to pay for the damages. Fortunately, it seemed to bring me back to life instead! Take that, suckerfish! They tried to krill me before, but I grilled myself back to life!

Anyway after that I burned the Aviation Exhibit plane down with myself in it. I was feeling a little overhydrated. What the shell, I still don't feel tip-top if I'm being honest. Alive, definitely alive, but...

I don't feel so good. Must be my knees...

 

[Waluigi Time]

Investigate the Clock Tower Movements and Belfry

 

[TPG]

Check the Plant Nursery desk for carvings, and check the new topiary in the Front Garden.

 

[Turboo]

Scusi. If you could... investigate the Dark Lab, especially the trolley I saw last night.

 

[GBA]

Investigate the Clock Tower Movements and Belfry

As you enter the Movements, you examine impressive, large gears spanning multiple stories in height, all looking quite dangerous to be caught between, but thankfully none of them are moving. From your records, the Clock Tower runs on its own power system separate to the Hydro Generator, but still connects to the Complex at large. The maintenance shaft granting access to the Movements only opens when the clock is nonfunctional, for obvious safety reasons.

Climbing the ladder, you arrive in the Belfry, a tall shaft which leads to a platform with the clock tower's clock face on it. There's heaps of GHOST bats nesting here, resembling those in the Crows Nest, and the late Sir Ratigan's special form. Due to the merged nature of the complex, the platform is surrounded by tree branches, making it hard to actually read the exact time besides midnight when looking at the clock from outside or in. However, now that you're here, you can see the clock tower stopped working well after the halfway point of the night.

Of course, nesting in the center of the clock is a glowing, purple shard. It's giving off a faint red aura.

A muscular looking red ghost with a menacing grimace fades into view, its spirit transient, and faint. It seems more like a distant memory than anything else.

"I, the Guardian of Strength, shall pass my power to you, should you keep this stone in your possession until the sun sets again."

Obviously, going by the way the Sun Stone was handled by your peers, you're gonna have to fight for this one with a vote instead of just taking it yourself at night.

The Dark Moon Shard of Old Strength has been discovered!​

Check the Plant Nursery desk for carvings, and check the new topiary in the Front Garden.

You examine the Plant Nursery and its desk. You find the phrase JACK WUZ HERE roughly carved into a wooden preparations desk, which has been moved and turned to face the doors. The exotic garden has been thoroughly ransacked over the course of this nightmare, and the damage done to it two nights ago remains, with the bark from the trees stripped, and heaps of stomped, fancy vegetables and elemental fruit strewn around the place. Nonetheless, some digging has occurred tonight, and the steel trolley used for moving plants around is missing. A single flower that looks like a crimson eye is poking up from the ground.

Scusi. If you could... investigate the Dark Lab, especially the trolley I saw last night.

You examine the Dark Lab. It appears the augmentation machine has been used a few times last night. You find a few flowers in pots on a steel trolley, with one of them resembling the crimson eye flower from the Plant Nursery near the featureless steel wall that was examined during yesterdays twilight phase. The portrificationiser is running, with a painting inside. Some of the darklights have been taken again.

 

[Turboo]

Based on the composition of the scene, does it seem that Miss Porticia landed down below before the forklift did, or after? The damage to the corpus... it's hard to tell, as Vigil mentioned. Fascia and I aren't sure how to test.

 

[GBA]

Yeah this is excellent progress alright. You guys are playing along with my game super nicely, so I'll let you keep putting these little rocks to a vote. I, of course, will nominate myself and very likely receive the majority vote anyway, but we have to make things look formal for the books.

Keep it up. I can feel Gadd rolling in his portrait already.

 

[GBA]

Based on the composition of the scene, does it seem that Miss Porticia landed down below before the forklift did, or after? The damage to the corpus... it's hard to tell, as Vigil mentioned. Fascia and I aren't sure how to test.

Vigil puffs his cigar indifferently. It seems the frequent nights of hearing the bell toll have taken a number on him, and now, his favorite clock is broken. Nonetheless, he complies with your query, and says he can't tell the before or after with what you have on hand.

He muses that the scene you encountered of Portricia slumped over one of the rock spires with no forklift in sight means its hard to determine which came first. He says she's sustained impacts on both sides of her body though, and mutters something about the differences between being struck by something heavy and being squished against a rock by something heavy.

Your result is ultimately inconclusive. He'd need to run some tests with a body.

Vigil suggests trying to recover the items at the bottom of the cliff for further analysis, and in Mona's absence, reminds you that Tanner can act as a backup... once. Tanner looks nervous.

 

[Lee Chaolan]

Lee Chaolan​

Well this was… certainly an eventful night. I was hoping my armour would've provided a little more protection, but… well I guess I'll just tell you the whole story. Marvelous!

I started things off with my usual trip to the Studio, which… has maybe become a little too obvious of a way for me to start my night considering that I was greeted by a fresh bucket of red paint as soon as I entered. Atmey was watching with a smirk, and I'm a grown man, I'll admit it, he got me good. Well played, but don't think this is the end. I will have the last laugh. Speaking of obvious visits to the studio, Lupin was there too, so I grabbed some spray paint and spray painted him in the face. There's only room for one paint man in this game, and I set out to prove that. Taking multiple buckets of paint, I placed multiple around rooms in the foyer. I assume they served their purpose well because by the time I came back later in the night, they'd all been knocked over. Excellent!

The next part of my plan involved searching for the Dark Moon shards with some weird clue that come into my head the other night, so I once again donned my awesome Ghost Armour Combat Prototype Version 0.0001 that I had left in the foyer. I was initially going to try and keep this a secret, however it seems our once-alive-then-dead-then-backasawraith-then-revived squid man was able to see through my disguise with his ghostly powers, so I may as well reveal this myself. Should give me a pretty good alibi so that you guys don't suspect me of murder for the fourth night in a row. Once in my high-tech medieval armour I began chasing whomever I could with a sword, first of which included Atmey who screamed like a little baby before running into the plant nursery. Serves him right. Portricia then leaves the Old Bedrooms and becomes the first to succumb to my awesome paint trap, with it clonking her on the head and drenching her as she lets out a loud meow. Feeling that I'd pranked her enough, I decide to leave her be, and as I'm walking around I see two Mona's above me checking out the hole in the floor. Dr. Ghouligrab comes up to me, presumably assuming I'm Mona and begins rambling about zombies or something. The crazy old coot keeps blabbering until I see someone in a welding mask show up, and in the spirit of keeping up the scooby-doo shenanigans, I chase them into the old clockworks, scaring off Ghouligrab in the process. Afterwards I see Portricia again, leaving the plant nursery, as well as MCD leaving the hollow tree.

I them move on to phase 2 of my sick armour rampage, which involved collecting trophies from each of the four exhibits, while simultaneously smashing them to bits so that no-one else could claim any after me. I'm almost certain that this is not what the psychic hint I got wanted me to do, but I figured it was worth a shot anyway. I see the Squid ghost guy in the train exhibit, as well Dr. Lyra enter not long after, which is where I decide to go for the kill. Lunging towards her, I swing my sword and… she parries and knocks me clean out with the sledgehammer she's holding. Admittedly, medieval armour may not be the best for mobility. Perhaps I'll need to go back to the drawing board for my next prototype. I'm awakened by the tremendously large sound of a train being derailed and crashing into something, and the whole room is now pitch black.

I make my way outside as I see Albina heading east from the front garden towards the cliffside, and discard my now-dented armour in the graveyard. Lupin is here trying to bury a painting, I'm not sure if he's just an idiot or the worst thief imaginable, but that's not how you preserve an expensive painting buddy. I spray paint him in the face again for good measure before taking the pixelator into the crypt. I see MCD, Tanner and Chad while I'm down here and do some investigating into the mine carts for a Dark Moon shard. Seems like I was too late and someone had taken it already, oh well. As per usual I relax with another bottle of pure joy before heading to bed. Perfect!

 

[Waluigi Time]

Night 4 of the Grand Experiment
Aware that the untimely departed Prince Winter had documents key to defeating the so-called "king", I sought to obtain them myself for safekeeping before any undead or other unscrupulous characters in our number got to them. When I arrived in the Train Exhibit, part of his remains were missing, proving that these people have even less than no shame, but I was able to secure the documents nonetheless. I wish I could have provided him with a proper burial, however based on the previous night's reported Thanos Incident, I suspect this complex has a zombie problem on top of all of Gadd's other incompetencies so far. Pathogens in the soil!!!

A chain was going through the room from the south and upwards to the Nautical Exhibit, and began to rattle on its own. While I tried to investigate, Luke Atmey came from the south and went upstairs, and I also noticed Albina outside near the Icy Lake, beating up surstromming. She is a very odd individual. The chains began rattling even louder before the noise vanished towards the south, followed by an infestation of growing ghost spiders. Unfortunately, I left my homemade ghost insect spray in the car.

I then went to the Study to spend some time organizing information for later. Only Cap'n Cuttlefish passed through during this time, carrying various supplies. I then made my way towards the Cargo Lift - spotting a blue splotch of paint on the floor by the bedrooms - and encountered a malevolent suit of armor, shouting on nonsense about repenting of sins! While I concede that my ghost hunting career may be seen as "sinful" by the undead, they are not to be trusted and their opinions do not matter so I will not repent for anything of the sort. I escaped into the Garage as it went east.

I then returned to the Study to properly examine the data that Prince Winter left to me on his laptop computer. For time's sake, I will not duplicate it in these notes, but I have learned embarrassing things about Gadd that I will be publicizing after the Grand Experiment. Subject Porticia entered during my studies, clearly having fallen for a blue paint trap. Not wanting to be associated with murderous ghosts, I left for the Drafting Office while she searched through books. MCD entered, looking for information on the exhibits, and I directed him to the Study. When he entered, I noticed that subject Porticia had carved a hole into the wall, which now had a ghostly eye in it. Ha! Caught in the act!

Unfortunately, subject Porticia and I went to the Garage at the same time. She took multiple tools during this time, which is very suspicious! We left and saw MCD somehow stuck to the driveway, and copious amounts of ghost spiders crawling into the complex and heading for the Topaz Wing. Subject Vigil arrived to help MCD free himself, and I continued onward to investigate the Graveyard, once again accompanied by that no-good cat. Thankfully, she left towards the Front Garden. Then, Lulu emerged from the mausoleum, clearly turned into a zombie! I gave her a good whack on the head and successfully escaped.

My final order of business for the night was to finally solve the mystery of the Clockwork Courtyard. As it turns out, it was as simple as walking between the numbered gears in order, which caused a pedestal with a key on it to rise from the ground. Finally, a breakthrough in my research! I then grabbed the key.

Suddenly, and with no correlation whatsoever to any previous events, a bolt of ghostly lightning struck the Clock Tower, plunging the entire complex into a blackout! Thankfully, the situation seemed to quickly resolve itself on its own, no doubt thanks to Mona's own security preparations as I refuse to credit that hack Gadd with any meaningful amount of foresight.

The next thing I know, the key was gone, clearly stolen by ghosts while my attention was averted. Blast it all! I went back inside through the Aviation Exhibit, finding it filled with smoke and a burning comet spinning from the ceiling, which turned out to be Cap'n Cuttlefish riding a burning plane under closer examination. I paid it no mind, it's no concern of mine if the ghosts want to set themselves on fire as long as it doesn't burn my equipment and/or research. The plane crashed, and there was also a floating painting heading towards the Z-Gate, and MCD painted blue. There was also blue paint on the ground leaving the Gloomy Bedrooms.

I am very tired of Gadd enabling this nonsense.

 

[Turboo]

If it's okay, I'd like Tanner to recover what's at the bottom of the Cliffside. Otherwise, I'll go down with a really sturdy, secured rope, like what Miss Lyra used one night.

 

[Dr. Lyra Orpheus]

Ahhh, there we go. Feeling better now. A little rest and relaxation is good for the brain every now and again. Kyehehehe, you've made just as little progress on the case as I'd expected though - typical, when the biggest thinker you've got (besides yours truly) is Ghouligrab of all people. And look at that - he's found a Dark Moon Shard! Yeah, too bad it's not the "Shard of Youth"!

Point is, I'm finding your investigations lacking. A little bit of specificity might help.

The body, it's wet, right? How wet are we talking? Is the whole body wet? I'd like to compare it to the water in the Solarium, does the "water line" on the body line up with the depth of that water?

Is any of the Solarium water bloody?

Check Porticia's Inventory.

 

[Waluigi Time]

Check the chain in the Train Exhibit, follow it to both ends

 

[GBA]

If it's okay, I'd like Tanner to recover what's at the bottom of the Cliffside. Otherwise, I'll go down with a really sturdy, secured rope, like what Miss Lyra used one night.

Ahhh, there we go. Feeling better now. A little rest and relaxation is good for the brain every now and again. Kyehehehe, you've made just as little progress on the case as I'd expected though - typical, when the biggest thinker you've got (besides yours truly) is Ghouligrab of all people. And look at that - he's found a Dark Moon Shard! Yeah, too bad it's not the "Shard of Youth"!

Point is, I'm finding your investigations lacking. A little bit of specificity might help.

The body, it's wet, right? How wet are we talking? Is the whole body wet? I'd like to compare it to the water in the Solarium, does the "water line" on the body line up with the depth of that water?

Is any of the Solarium water bloody?

Check Porticia's Inventory.

The whole front side of her body is wet and slightly bloodied, while the backside of her body is very bloodied around one particular wound. It doesnt appear like she was fully submerged.

Due to the room being designed to amplify and enjoy the sun's warmth during the day, the water in the solarium has dried in places and remains patchy, so you can't perform a water line test. However, you note some of the water is a rather faded purple.

Check the chain in the Train Exhibit, follow it to both ends

You uncover no chain in the Train Exhibit. You wonder if there's a Chain Exhibit...

Instead you find the train has completely derailed and theres smashed artifacts and exhibit partitions all over the ground. Winters inventory is missing, but he looks at peace. Or pieces.

 

[GBA]

If it's okay, I'd like Tanner to recover what's at the bottom of the Cliffside. Otherwise, I'll go down with a really sturdy, secured rope, like what Miss Lyra used one night.

Tanner seems a little relieved you're not going to throw him off a cliff just yet. He takes a while, and returns with some of the loose objects scattered amongst the rock spires, spreading them out by the Cliffside for investigation.

A tail pipe cutter, a ball peen hammer, a soil knife, and various shattered darklight lenses, a busted up steel trolley, two tarps, a spiked rock hammer, and a notebook with notes scratched into it.

He asks KBB to lift up the forklift wreckage, and KBB summons it with a flex.

The forklift is completely totaled. It's got a massive dent in the front, and the back and sides are crumpled and collapsed in. The forklift is electric, otherwise the whole thing might have exploded on impact.

Check Porticia's Inventory.

It seems theres only a few leftover lenses in her satchel, which is open.

 

[Turboo]

Do any of the implements recovered from the Cliffside appear to be used, or bloody, or dirty? And, are the notes Miss Porticia's, or is it like Winter's scrapbook? Fascia wants to know this in particular.

The water in the Solarium - I'm still learning color theory. If we use another pool of water somewhere and mix blue paint and blood from a blood pack, will it create a similar hue? If not, what does the color in the Solarium most resemble?

Is it possible to discern what kind of weapon made the stab in Miss Porticia's back? Long, or short? Thin, or wide?

Are there similar forklifts in the Garage?

 

[GBA]

Do any of the implements recovered from the Cliffside appear to be used, or bloody, or dirty? And, are the notes Miss Porticia's, or is it like Winter's scrapbook? Fascia wants to know this in particular.

Tanner returns with more junk, and KBB shoots him a grimmace as he realises he forgot to get everything.

In addition to the previous items, there was also a kitchen knife, a utility knife, a jab saw, welding gloves, and a pair of sunglasses.

You note that besides the dirt from their bottom of the cliffside expedition, all of the tools and tarps do not appear to be used, dirty, or bloody, except for the utility knife.

You rifle through the notebook. You don't recognise the handwriting.

North Roundhouse wall, across from southern door

Eye Sensor #1
Made with hammer

Hollow Tree's roots, B1F

Made with utility knife

Eye of portrait in West Gallery

Eye Sensor #2
Made with jab saw

East Hallway, directly across from Coatroom entrance

Made with utility knife
Eye Sensor #4

Fishing Hut door

Sun-shaped (circle with radiating little triangles)
Eye Sensor #3
Faces outwards, towards Icy Lake
Made with utility knife

Parlor

Made with utility knife, placed in wall where grandfather clock was moved
Eye Sensor #5

Hollow Tree, 1F

Made with utility knife
Eye Sensor #6

Sewer

Made with hammer
Eye Sensor #7

Study

Made with utility knife, in wall between bookshelves
Eye Sensor #8

Rumpus Room

Made with utility knife, where large teddy bear sits
Just over teddy's head - less hidden in exchange for line of sight
Eye Sensor #9

Quarry Pit

Made with ball peen hammer
In north wall above central pit, facing the south to point at Dark Lab
Eye Sensor #10.

The water in the Solarium - I'm still learning color theory. If we use another pool of water somewhere and mix blue paint and blood from a blood pack, will it create a similar hue? If not, what does the color in the Solarium most resemble?

You perform this test. The deep red of the blood mixes with the blue paint and produces a rather offputting purple-maroon. It's much stronger than the water color, until you mix it with water and it dilutes more. It appears to be similar, but maybe the quantities aren't exact.

Is it possible to discern what kind of weapon made the stab in Miss Porticia's back? Long, or short? Thin, or wide?

Theres a few wounds on her back and front, the smaller ones are jagged and her skin is scratched, while the most prominent wound on her back is circular, and deep. Vigil says it also curves inward.

Are there similar forklifts in the Garage?

There was only one forklift on the premises. Damb

 

[Turboo]

May Fascia and I examine the following oddities? I think it's okay to do so.

Shine Darklight on the following things:
* The water in the Solarium, and the Solarium in general
* Miss Porticia and her belongings
* The items retrieved from the Cliffside that are scattered about, including the forklift
* The Pixilators in both the Solarium and Cliffside

 

[Dr. Lyra Orpheus]

Kyeheh... One more thing - just in case you think I'm dumb enough to shoot my shot at another murder after I've already gotten everything I needed, let me show you something cool.

I'd like to take a knife from the Kitchen and brutally stab Lulu to death. Let's call it a scientific demonstration!

 

[GBA]

Shine Darklight on the following things:
* The water in the Solarium, and the Solarium in general
* Miss Porticia and her belongings
* The items retrieved from the Cliffside that are scattered about, including the forklift
* The Pixilators in both the Solarium and Cliffside

You learn the following things:
- The water glows very faintly. It resembles the water from the Kitchen during Case 2. The rest of the Solarium has nothing of interest, besides the hologram display that was discovered yesterday.
- Nothing on Portricia particularly reacts to darklight, except the water as above.
- You scan the forklift over, and find a large rock stuck in the lower seat/brake area. It seems to have smashed. Like the rest of the forklift, it doesn't react.
- When you flash the Pixilator with darklight, it shoots out a cone of light that converts you and your belongings to blocks in a few milliseconds, and then sends you through a portal with a bright flash. It rebuilds you on the other side rather quickly. Like with Lulu, you have to catch yourself on the cliff before you fall onto the spire where you found Portricia.

 

[GBA]

I'd like to take a knife from the Kitchen and brutally stab Lulu to death. Let's call it a scientific demonstration!

You jump tackle and begin to brutally stab Lulu in front of everyone, but as you go to perform the first thrust, the knife vanishes from your hand, and she lives.

KBB tuts his lips. Save that for tonight, he says.

 

[Salmancer]

Cannon fire? In a mansion? I'd question it, but I think that the whole Killing Game deal makes the answer obvious. Still, weird if it was floating outside the mansion to get into position by the Tree Roots. The only way that could happen is if it were on some kind of ghost path.

The cannon should be somewhere in the Hollow Tree, likely in the Tree Roots. Look over it, and bring a Darklight in case we can glean ghostly possession or something from it.

 

[Lulu Azhal]

...

Haaah... Perhaps... that is on me for trusting her, I should have expected this. But yes, she and I are responsible for obtaining both the Dark Moon Shards tonight, though it seems she had other ideas for who it should go to... Welcome, Captain, to this game. I don't begrudge you, at least

Anyway, here is my recollection of events.

I woke up, heading towards the Plant Nursery as soon as I got out of the dorms. I needed to see which plants survived this room's destruction, for certain plans. The one I found was called the Crimson Eye, and I set it up in a little trolley with dirt in it and moved the plant there. After setting that up, I left towards the Shaft with it, passing Lee Chaolan setting up a childish paint can trap over the door to the Gloomy Bedrooms.

I used the Shaft to head to the second floor, and I saw Mona repairing a hole in the floor... with a second Mona? The second Mona had a wheelbarrow with tools and planks and seemed to be helping the first Mona. I entered the West Gallery, deciding I didn't really want to deal with a potential doppelganger, and the first thing I saw was a shuttered gate with lasers on one of the walls, but it wasn't my business, so I passed through, passing by the Library and Kiln Room so I can reach the Toolshed.

In the Toolshed, I collected gardening supplies to enact my plan that I had with Lyra. and after getting everything I needed, I left towards the Cargo Lift on the east side of the building, passing through the Greenhouse, and also hearing the Restrooms flush as I passed them.

I took the Lift down to the first basement, and I saw Miss Albina and her companion, Fascia, and they were covered in blood. She was carrying an icy flower and seemed to be worried for Fascia's safety. I do hope things worked out.

After the apprentice artist passed me, I entered the Hydro Generator, looking for a certain painting that Lyra had agreed to place here, and I found it quite quickly. It was the Son of Man, but it had a bean in place of the apple it normally contained. I picked it up, placed it in my trolley, and rushed over to the Dark Lab. I passed by Mona again, she was in the hallways examining something or another, but after I passed her, she went in the direction I came from.

In the Dark Lab, I saw Coral Glasses, examining the wall with darklight, but when she spotted me, she asked me if she could take the Crimson Eye off my hand. I trusted her enough, so I let her have it as I went to complete my own goal. I sent the Son of Man through the Portificationiser, and was able to acquire the Bean, which had glowed in darklight last night when I checked it then.

Satisfied, I headed for the door, but ran into Miss Albina again before exiting. She seemed to be even messier than before, but it seems her worries from before have been solved. She asked me if I had seen Lyra or Tanner, and I let her accompany me to meet up with Lyra. We start heading towards the Tree Roots, and Lyra emerges from the Pit Mine, seemingly finishing a deal with our host.

Tanner also showed up, coincidentally, and Albina started chasing him while screeching, leaving Lyra and I to head towards the Tree Roots alone. We planted the Bean from the Son of Man, and it grew to full length as quickly as it took to plant. A cannon almost fell on top of Lyra from the force of the beanstalk breaking the stairs. When it landed, it shot an ice projectile up and blasted a hole all the way to the second floor.

We climbed all the way to the top and... well, I'm sure you can guess the rest. A shard was found, I was betrayed. She acquired it while I had to take a tumble down to the Roots. It was an embarrassing moment for me, but her triumph did allow the Captain to come back, I suppose.

I ran into the Crypt after I took my fall, so I used the Pixelator to transport myself to the Graveyard Mausoleum, which had been opened by the time I arrived. Frankly, I didn't actually have much plans here outside of assisting Lyra after she assisted me, so it felt like a waste of time. When I left, Dr. Ghouligrab spotted me and accused me of being a zombie. Quite rude...

Vigil also approaches, but I wasn't in the mood to talk, so I just spent a bit of time looking at the graves for any clues, but found none. I went back to the Front Garden, and it seems someone has dug a hole in front of the Fountain. This also didn't concern me so I entered into the Foyer, and then the lights went out after a flash of lighting.

I used the darklight flashlight for some visibility, but it was still a pain to navigate. I was heading upstairs, to the Solarium to grab some more paintings. During my journey, when I was on the first floor, I heard someone behind me, and armor to the north. I used the Clocktower to climb, and hear some more sounds, someone entering from the west, and more armor clanking. In the Restrooms, someone had smashed the mirror, but taken most of the glass shards, and a valve of green spirits had leaked onto the floor. When I got to the Rumpus Room, the lights of the complex came back on, and the bear of the Rumpus Room had been tipped over.

In the Solarium, the floor was wet with paint and water, but I didn't spend much time investigating, because all I wanted to do was grab the paintings and go back down to the Dark Lab. I spot Tanner, and he informs me not to touch the humming plant in Crystal Quarry, and... I agree, it was not one of the plants missing from the paintings. I finished up quickly and decided that now was time for bed. Lupin was chasing a floating painting as I went upstairs, but I didn't even care at this point. I was too tired.

Lyra, I don't know what sort of deal you made with our host, but I would like you to think, if this partnership truly is to your best interests. Your boss just talked to us and they didn't seem quite so magnanimous about your safety...

 

[Lulu Azhal]

Oh yes, I would like to also grab a blade from the armory and stab Lee for scaring me during the power outage with his armor.

 

[GBA]

The cannon should be somewhere in the Hollow Tree, likely in the Tree Roots. Look over it, and bring a Darklight in case we can glean ghostly possession or something from it.

You examine the Tree Roots. A giant beanstalk now shoots through the center of the Hollow Tree, leading to the Tree Tops. It appears to have damaged and dislodged many of the staircase panels, replacing them with climbable leaves. You note theres a few divets of dirt here, and in the largest one is a very well-wedged cannon, its end coated in ice, and pointing towards the new hole in the 1F Hollow Tree and 2F West Hallway. You flash a darklight over the cannon for everyone, and the interior lights up. The ice sparkles under the darklight.