The Lost Crown: A Ghost-Hunting Adventure Part #6

Part 6: Day 2 Part 3: Unknown Anglia

Yay page 2! I was hoping I wouldn't have to put another update on page 1, lots of images and all.

To address someone's comment, I've been trying not to explain everything because I thought people might enjoy putting some things together themselves. So if I say "that sounds familiar" or ask a likely question, I guess that's me pointing out that there's something to pick up there, but leaving that to you if they're interested. However I will refer back to things when they become relevant or wrap up.

Also my hard drive died before I'd completed this update, and somehow my .avis of this session got messed up and I can't seem to fix them- so there's two new people we talk to in this update, but I haven't got videos of it. I'll have to re-record them (my netbook's not quite up to it) and post them. Hopefully on Monday!

You'd think that Nigel would be a little tired after his super-successful ghost-hunting morning, but no- he's hungry... hungry for ANSWERS.

We left off with Nigel having found and read a lost captain's log by Spivey, local smuggler and scoundrel. It turns out he was double-crossed by an even bigger scoundrel, a man named Gruel. Nigel decides that a sensible follow-up would be to see if Gruel has any local descendants. I guess people in England don't move too far from home.

If you've had a look a the Saxton town map, you'd have found an antiques shop. Maybe it's a family business? Looks like that's our next stop!

Now, everybody knows that gruel is some kind of gross food that evil orphanage matrons feed suffering children- so this Gruel fellow has quite a name to live up to. Nanny Noah did say that she avoids the antiques shop because "it's unpleasant," so there's that. But maybe it's just one of those skeevy "antique" shops?

Gruel's Antiques, all right. Nigel notices a book in the window with three crowns on it. If you haven't cottoned on yet, crowns are important symbols in this region, and also in the game. Usually seeing them means we're on the right track. Let's go in.

Seems pretty average! At the back of the shop, Nigel finds this man:

It looks like he's assessing a doll? Oh, there's another three-crowns book on the table in front of Nigel!

Oh.

Meeting Mr. Gruel (and Jemima) (2 minutes)

Hello... Mr. Gruel, I presume?

aa oo aa (baby doll-talk)

Yes, this is all very interesting... but I'd like to ask you something.

uuh uuh?

Look, could we forget the ragdoll for a second?

I'm Jemima.

Hello Jemima. Can I speak with Mr. Gruel?

ee uu aa.

Mr. Gruel, I really must insist that you

aa aa oo uu oo!

I'm Nigel, Nigel Danvers... and you are?

I'm Jemima...

I'd love to learn more about the town's ghosts.

Have you heard the legend of the 3 Anglo-Saxon crowns?

What do you know about the Saxton Caverns?

I'll have a look around, if you don't mind.

Mr. Gruel's/Jemima's response to all of these questions is more dolly-talking and laughing.

Yeah we're not getting much out of Mr. Gruel OR Jemima. How does he conduct business? Maybe customers just bring him their purchases.... I try to pick up the book, but:

Uh uhhhh! (angry)

Three Crowns. I must have that book!

I can't grab it. The trick is to wait until Mr. Gruel lifts Jemima in front of his face, then grab the book when he can't see. That's right, Nigel straight-up steals a book from a man with probable mental health issues. ~But I must have it!~ he whines.

I should go somewhere private to study the book.

We exit the shop. Note that we leave the three-crowns book from the window alone. I guess Nigel doesn't need need that one. After all, the one we stole DOES have a lock on it, it must be important.

A lock we can't open! Now... who do we know who could probably open this for us?

No, not Cairan (good piggy

)

Hello again.

Hello, lad. What can I do for you.

Could you open this book for me?

Oh. Lost the key have you?

Not exactly. I never had it.

Ahh, I see. Leave it with me. I'll see to it this afternoon.

Hello Mr. Tawny, please open this book I stole, also, I don't intend to pay you or anything.

As Nigel leaves the shop, a cat crosses his path. Nigel automatically follows and we enter a new area which was blocked to us before: Celtic Corner.

This is Saxton's new-age folksy bric-a-brac shop, because the Celts were all about that kind of thing. Every small town needs one. Nigel heads inside.

Meeting Rhys Branwen (and Mr. Tibbs) (2 minutes)

Can I help at all?

No thanks, I'm just browsing.

Browsing, eh? See anything you like?

I'll let you know.

Could you help me?

Certainly! Anything for you, Nigel.

Ah, news travels fast.

The arrival of a young man in Saxton would not escape me. (Did you think Lucy was the love interest?)

I see. Well, I hope I live up to expectation.

Oh, you've already managed that.

I'm Nigel, Nigel Danvers... and you are?

I'm Rhys, thanks for asking. Rhys Branwen.

Is that Celtic? Or Welsh? Or something?

Welsh! Well done. Not just a pretty face, you. (

)

Tell me about the photo competition.

Saxton Snappers?

Yes, can anyone take part?

If you have a camera and a good eye.

I'll give it my best shot. Any tips?

Keep in mind that I see a lot of Saxton, day by day... So try to snap something a bit more unusual.

Unusual? Hmm, I can certainly manage that.

Know any local ghost stories?

Oh, hundreds! Check the bookshelf, if you haven't already.

I will. Is that your cat?

Aye, meet Mr. Tibbs. He knows a story or two.

What do you know about Nanny Noah?

Hah! Old Noah been at you, has she?

Well, I wouldn't say that... she just seems...

Distant? She's a good friend, but even I have to admit that she's away with the fairies most of the time.

Thanks for your time, Rhys.

No problem, boyo. Anytime.

We've met the proprietor, he seems nice enough. As is his way, Nigel is again a bit tactless ("or something?") and receives only politeness in return. So English! It actually makes sense that Rhys would know Nanny Noah, as from what we've heard about her this place sounds right up her alley. I do think it's a little strange that people who say they're her friends are happy to tell near-strangers that she's usually "off with the fairies" though.

Rhys invited us to take a look at the books, but we want to look at some other things first.

A crystal ball in which we can see a scene from our future!

Some posters- not really relevant to us (except for another mention of Grindle, local legendary monster). However, note the cover of the M.R. James book. I mentioned before that Boakes took inspiration from some older stories for The Lost Crown, and an M.R. James story "A Warning to the Curious" is pretty prominent. Don't go looking it up though, because it will spoil you on this game as it's about a man's search for the lost third Anglo-Saxon crown. It's a good story though- M.R. James wrote some pretty ace ghost stories back in the day (1900-1930) and if you read them you'll see the beginnings of a lot of ghost story tropes that are commonplace today. He's kind of the grandfather of fireside ghost stories.

And a submission box for the Saxton Snappers! I've brought along the frog and heron photos, so I pop them in. Somehow Rhys knows what they look like. You'd think I could submit some ghost photos (that would really show Rhys a side of Saxton he's never seen), but no. Nigel is gonna keep those to himself, I guess.

Let's check out those books. I've kept these screenshots at their larger resolution to make them easier to read. Some bits of these books will be relevant or even puzzle clues, but I won't say which. They're also here to fill out some local folklore and stuff. I don't actually know how much of this is made-up and how much is true.

a book about Anglo-Saxon symbols

Unknown Anglia vol. 1

Unknown Anglia vol. 2

Unknown Anglia vol. 3

Countryside Festivals of Antiquity, Vol. I

Countryside Festivals of Antiquity, Vol. II

If you read all those, good job! I hope you enjoyed them. Don't worry if that was too much purple for you, I'll reference the important bits when we need them, probably. OK, we're done in here.

But we're not done outside!

This is just a little joke.

In case you wanted to know about yew trees. Actually the thought of a little old lady self-publishing a magazine about a tree species back in the 70s is pretty nice. I'd buy it for £1.

OK, we can carry on a little farther down the path until we reach a lighthouse... perhaps the same one from the book story that you may or may not have just read? Probably not, as it was built in 1911 apparently, though maybe it stands on the same spot.

See? 1911. I had to make Nigel do that or the game wouldn't advance.

The Saxton Bell rings 1pm, which means it's afternoon, which means let's bother Mr. Tawny for our stolen book now.

Hello again.

Ahh, young Mr. Danvers. You'll be wanting your book.

Yes. Did you open it?

Of course. Wouldn't be much of a handyman if I hadn't.

You didn't, ah, read it, did you?

Nope. Reading's not my strong point.

You can't read?

Reading's not the only skill, you know.

Oh, um, quite.

Score! We automatically move to the Cottage to read it....

I have to click on all the parts of this page to get all the clues.

Three crowns. A link to the legend.

A serpent or dragon, guarding a treasure?

Ager, Ager... hmm, a name to look out for.

Ager House... Raven Lane... Northfield. A possible lead?

Now I can read the rest of it:

OK that is pretty messed up. I'm not really sure where to start with that one. This actually sounds kind of familiar.....

spoilered:

Yeah.

While reading the poem, Nigel made a few comments pointing out relevant clues to Ager House's location:

The tracks, the fens... perhaps this Ager character lived along the train line? A possible lead? (Actually this journal is probably too old to reference train tracks, but maybe he was using "track" in reference to a path and Nigel is just dumb.)

All right. It's a little too early for tea ("tea" happens in the late afternoon! There's two of them!) although if we visit Nanny Noah we can show her the journal ("This book will provide some answers to your questions") and our ghost evidence ("You are making amazing progress"). It's also too early to visit the museum (remember that?), as Mr. Oogle isn't back in yet. The only thing really do to is follow up on this Ager stuff. We have a clue about where the house used to be: . So let's be on our way.