Be sure to read the previous chapters for more information on prizes and how the Quest works!
Sign-Ups
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III

The dawn arrives dark, wet, and dreary. Water sheets down the thick glass panes of your window, and you can see nothing of the world beyond. Just clouds, thunder, and rain.

A note has been slipped under your door, sometime in the early hours after you’d finally managed to get some sleep. It’s signed by the Archmage.

“As host and caretaker of your wellbeing, I offer you my humblest apologies for the disturbances through the evening last. I thank you for your compliance, however I beg your indulgence once more and must ask that you continue to remain in your quarters until further instructions have been received. This is for your own safety, and the safety of others.

I apologize once more for the inconvenience I’m sure this must be. Rest assured, this is highly unusual, and I will do my best to compensate everyone fully. At the very least, explanations will be given in due time.

Faithfully yours,
Eidolus Buchanan, Archmage”

A knock comes at your door mere moments after you’ve dressed for a day indoors. You hesitate, just for a breath, hand on the latch. After the night you’ve had, the strange sense of danger that loomed in the dark, you are wary. The unfamiliarity of the voice on the other side does little to comfort you.

“It is safe to answer,” the voice declares, accent heavy but clear. “I’m Detective MacLeod, Malcolm MacLeod. A body’s been found in the castle. I need to ask you a few questions.”

Welcome back to the 2022 edition of my Epic Quest - Darkwater! 

Here’s how the Epic Quest works: I will host an activity each month that plays into the story being told. You’ll earn small prizes for each activity you complete - like points, HPD, or cash shop items. You’ll also earn XP points, and the player with the most XP points at the end of the year - December 2022 - will win the grand prize:
1. A fully coded tabbed layout from me featuring a graphic themed after this year’s quest and
2. Matching animal CSS and
3. A 1-year upgrade

The runner-up will receive:
1. A custom coding slot for simple layout (scrolls or expandables) and
2. A 6-month upgrade

Participate in the Epic Quest activity every month of the year, and you’ll earn a special prize:
1. An official HP achievement and
2. A store pair with 100k points

If you haven't joined yet but would like to, check out the sign-up thread to create your mage! You must have a mage created before you can participate in the activities.

If you have any questions about the quest, prizes, or how it works, don’t hesitate to message me!



After a harrowing night filled with a mysterious threat of danger, the last and most mysterious of Cairnhart’s guests has arrived at your door with grave news: someone has been murdered in the castle. In order to get to the bottom of the crime, everyone has been separated, and the good Detective Malcolm MacLeod is questioning every possible witness.

GET YOUR STORY STRAIGHT

To start off the activity, you must message me! You will be given one untruthful statement. You will then come up with two statements that will be truthful. These statements should come from your character, not you as a player, and should revolve around your character’s activities, backstory, motive, or alibi. These three statements will be your two truths and a lie. 

The only rule when creating your two truths is that they cannot conflict with the lie you’ll be given. For example, if your lie is “I was alone at 11 o’clock,” you cannot make one of your truths “I was with someone at 11 o’clock” as it makes it obvious that the lie has to be one of these statements. 

The NPCs will be providing their three statements below, and you can use those as examples to create your own.

Once you have your three statements, reply to this thread with all three! All three statements must be posted here in order to earn your prizes.

You have until 11:59 pm HP time on May 26th to post your statements! Anything posted after this time will not count!

BECOME THE DETECTIVE

Each of you will now get to take on the role of Detective MacLeod! Take a look at each character’s statements and try to guess which is the lie, but do not post your guesses here! Make a list of your guesses and message them to me. Remember to include the NPCs in your list!

I will tell you which ones are correct, and which are wrong. If you get any guesses wrong, you can guess again, however you only have two more chances to send a list of guesses to me! This means you can only send me your list of guesses three times. On the third message, what you have is what you’ll be awarded for!

You may message other players and try to figure out their lies before sending the list to me! You can guess as many times as needed when messaging other players about their lie, but keep in mind that you must still compile your list and send it to me by the deadline in order to earn your prizes! Some players may not respond on time or at all, so don’t rely on that method or put off sending your completed list until the last minute, or you might miss the deadline.

You have until 11:59 pm HP time on May 30th to send me your list of lies!

PRIZES:
Posting your two truths and lie: 3 XP
Each correct guess sent to me: 1 XP
Participation: 10 extra energy on an animal

The Host

Archmage Eidolus Buchanan - NPC
?, Archmage

The Detective

Malcolm MacLeod - NPC
?, Detective

The Guests

Dowager Countess Magnolia Buchanan - NPC
Diviner, Eidolus Buchanan's mother

Celestine Bell - NPC
Evoker, American Acrobat

Elena - 50 XP
Conjurer, Battlemage

Eimear Fraser - 50 XP
Conjurer, Buchanan family's ward

Anya Ruzicka - 49 XP
Diviner, Russian Heiress

Thea Deathwhisper - 45 XP
Necromancer, Archmage's apprentice

Acacia Weatherspoon - 31 XP
Diviner, National Hero

Willow - 30 XP
Diviner, Queen Victoria's Diviner

Pohta Doux - 30 XP
Evoker, Combat Expert

Ioetta Dawnreaver - 29 XP
Conjurer, Military Officer

Lili Findlay - 29XP
Evoker, Eidolus Buchanan's younger sister

Jem Marion - 29 XP
Evoker, Polish Mage

Ethniu Dagon - 25 XP
Evoker, Scholar of Medicine

Scarlett MacDonald - 24 XP
Diviner, Divination Scholar

Elsie Ridel - 20 XP
Necromancer, Friend of Celestine Bell

Ainsley Greer - 20 XP
Conjurer, Distant cousin of Eidolus Buchanan

Meira Wolfsbane - 15 XP
Conjurer, Military Hero

Lake Timberline - 14 XP
Evoker, French Liaison

Lady K - 10 XP
Conjurer, Globe Trotter

Elspeth Grey - 1 XP
Evoker, Family

Seph Reid - 1 XP
Necromancer, Philosopher

The Staff

Raleigh Whitlock - NPC
Evoker, Butler

Fiona Ferguson - 45 XP
Evoker, Cook

LaleLa Lou - 29 XP
Evoker, Housekeeper

Elizabeth Odd - 10 XP
Evoker, Gardener

Vincent Myrddin Thorne - 0 XP
Necromancer, Footman

The Dead

Evangeline Glen - 45 XP
Conjurer, Lady's Maid to Dowager Countess

ARCHMAGE EIDOLUS

1. I was in my study yesterday from 10 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon.
2. I was with Elena at around 11 o’clock.
3. I never had any conflict with the victim, Ms. Glen.

MAGNOLIA BUCHANAN

1. Ms. Glen had seemed anxious this entire week.
2. I saw her last right before breakfast yesterday, at 8:30 in the morning.
3. We got along splendidly. I could trust her with anything.

CELESTINE BELL

1. I didn’t know Ms. Glen very well, having just met her this week.
2. She seemed a little disorganized and disheveled.
3. I ran into her in the conservatory at around 11 o’clock in the morning yesterday.

"She was always kind to me when I was little."
"I was with my brother the Archmage yesterday at around 11 o'clock."
"Evangeline was always busy running about the castle."

I was up late, sitting next to an open window, jotting my recent experiences down in my journal.

I don't know anyone who had an issue with Ms. Glen.

Yesterday, I took a late morning stroll through the stables.

I'd never met Ms. Glen before this week.

I'd spent the majority of the afternoon practicing spells.

During our brief time together at the castle, Ms. Glen and I had gotten along quite well. 

I was planning and prepping all evening for the next day's meals with my kitchen staff.

I heard Ms. Glen had received a modest inheritance recently.

Ms. Glen had been the lady's maid to Dowager Countess for as long as I've been working at the castle, but we didn't interact much aside from when she came to get a tray for Dowager Countess when she needed to dine in her quarters.

I haven't seen wounds like Ms. Glen's before.

She was very pleasant to me, if a bit timid, on the few occasions we interacted.

My evening was spent outside on the castle grounds, practicing my magic and battle strategy.

1. "I was writing a letter in the library yesterday morning."

2. "I was in the conservatory in the evening"

3. "Although i only met Ms.glen this week i took her to be a kindly woman"

I spent the evening out hunting alone with my wolf

I was with the Archmage at around 11 yesterday morning

I have never met the elusive Seph Reid

(I really hope I have done that right!)

Rosa is awesome, Rosa is fine, Rosa didn't write this...

A small note is found in front of the late Ms. Glen's door with the following written statements:

I was killed sometime around 11 o'clock in the morning yesterday.

I caught a very brief glimpse of my killer's reflection before I died.

I was the only person in the room when it happened.

I was with Ms. Bell in the conservatory yesterday morning. 

I worked on my divination yesterday evening at 6pm. 

I walked by Ms Glen's door at 8am this morning. 

I walked in on her arguing with one of the guests the other day.

I spent the evening alone in my room, reading.

I went for a walk in the gardens with Anya yesterday morning.

I didn't foresee such violence at the castle

I was out in the barn mucking stalls out

I decided to hop on Cooper and take him for a evening ride before I went in to shower

I was drinking tea in my room shortly after lunch.

This is my first time visiting the castle and meeting the family.

I foresaw the death of a conjurer through my divination.

1. I was busy accounting the household funds yesterday morning.

2. I was in the hallway dusting the frames late last night.

3. I was taking my morning break at my favorite place, the ground's garden.

1. I'd spent the afternoon studying the tomes in the library.

2. I'd divined some kind of conflict between the Buchanan family and staff.

3. I believe the current structure of the magical government needs to change to avoid catastrophe.

1. I was enjoying a bath last night around 8 in the evening.
2. I spoke with Lili Findlay last evening before retiring to bed for the night.
3. Ms. Glen seemed like a trustworthy person to me.

what do we do about those who haven't participated in this chapter?

I'm assuming its too late because the 2 truths and a lie were supposed to be posted by the 26th. It says any posted after that won't count.

It made me a little sad to see that when I went back through my messages to see who I still needed a response from, that my messages were deleted without being replied too.... I hope it was nought but an honest mistake! 

Rosa is awesome, Rosa is fine, Rosa didn't write this...