Be sure to read the previous chapters for more information on prizes and how the Quest works!
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Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI

No one noticed at first.

She came to breakfast, sat quietly beside Ms. Bell as was her usual, and made no conversation. But as all the meals at Cairnhart had taken on a grim silence, her soundless demeanor garnered no undue attention.

No, the ghost of Ms. Elsie Ridel joined their midst with nary a stir. Her state might have gone unnoticed completely if Celestine hadn’t glanced over at the right moment to see her friend flicker, as though she were merely a flame in the breeze.

As if in a trance, Celestine lifted a hand to brush that of her companion, only for her touch to simply pass through.

Struck dumb with a sudden gut-clenching terror, Celestine could only grasp at her throat, clawing at the scream that refused to let loose.

Elsie turned then, her apathetic expression blazing to life as her mouth stretched wide - too wide. No teeth to be seen, but instead a gaping black maw that stretched down and down and down-

And then she - it - shrieked.

The sound of shattering glass, claws on stone, wrenching metal. Blood and death and fear and cruelty and bitter, bitter cold-

The guests stumbled from their chairs, falling over themselves to get away from the howling wraith, clutching their ears in a futile attempt to escape the sound-

And then it went silent.

Elsie’s mouth still horrifically wide, a wretched twisted voice spilled through the dining hall. It came from all corners of the room and surrounded every soul. Not even fingers in their ears could block it out, as though the voice was coming from within their own minds.

W?????i?????l?????????l????????? ???????b?????????e?????????? ??????m???????a???????????y????? ?????????b??????e????????????h????????a????s??????b??????e????e????n????????,?????? ?????s??????h?????o?????????????u???l???????d?????????? ??????????b???????????e??????

W i Ll  b e ,  m Ay  b e ,   h AS   b e e n ,   s H o u L d  Be .
WILL BE MAY BE HAS BEEN SHOULD BE-

The crack of thunder cut the voice short, and silence fell. But it was airless, haunted, taut. Every limb was frozen, every heart still, waiting.

Magnolia Buchanan gasped.

The wraith vanished.

All gathered waited to see what would come next, but as the seconds ticked on with no further sound, they finally began to move, making for the doors to the drawing room. All but the dowager countess, who remained where she had been sitting through it all. Her skin was pale, the blood fleeing from her face.

Detective MacLeod frowned, turning to the woman.

Before he could inquire, she answered the question caught on his tongue.

“I’ve heard those words before,” she rasped, eyes wide and far, far away. “I’ve heard that voice…"

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

Be sure to read the rulebook!

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!

A ghost has appeared at the table, and aside from the realization that another of their number has died, it seems also to have sparked something in the dowager countess’ memory. Something she’d hidden deep down long ago…

But it remains locked away, trapped behind years of inexplicable fear and the hardened training of a countess. She’ll need the help of great magical minds to unlock this memory, and perhaps find answers to questions that have been plaguing all the current residents of Cairnhart Castle.

COMPLETE THE PICTURE

A simple challenge this time...

To unlock her memory, you must complete this puzzle! It will reveal a critical scene from Magnolia Buchanan’s memory - and lead to a very important story…

Complete the puzzle and post your screenshot here. IMPORTANT: Your screenshot must include your time AND the number of pieces. You MAY NOT change the number of pieces to complete the puzzle in a shorter time.

You may complete the puzzle as many times as you like in order to get a faster time. However, you MUST make a new post each time you wish to submit a new attempt. You may not update your original post with a new time.

PRIZES:
Fastest time: 10 XP & 10mil HPD
Second fastest time: 8 XP & 5mil HPD
Third fastest time: 6 XP & 2mil HPD
Everyone else: 5 XP & 1mil HPD

You have until 11:59 pm HP time on Monday, October 3rd to post your puzzles!

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

Eimear Fraser - 81 XP
Conjurer, Buchanan family's ward

Anya Ruzicka - 80 XP
Diviner, Russian Heiress

Lili Findlay - 75 XP
Evoker, Eidolus Buchanan's younger sister

Acacia Weatherspoon - 75 XP
Diviner, National Hero

Pohta Doux - 75 XP
Evoker, Combat Expert

Thea Deathwhisper - 75 XP
Necromancer, Archmage's apprentice

Elena - 74 XP
Conjurer, Battlemage

Ioetta Dawnreaver - 68 XP
Conjurer, Military Officer

Jem Marion - 64 XP
Evoker, Polish Mage

Willow - 52 XP
Diviner, Queen Victoria's Diviner

Scarlett MacDonald - 47 XP
Diviner, Divination Scholar

Ethniu Dagon - 44 XP
Evoker, Scholar of Medicine

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

Seph Reid - 1 XP
Necromancer, Philosopher

Angela Eglantine Ramirez - 0 XP
Evoker, Botanist

The Staff

Raleigh Whitlock - NPC
Evoker, Butler

Fiona Ferguson - 64 XP
Evoker, Cook

LaleLa Lou - 39 XP
Evoker, Housekeeper

Elizabeth Odd - 10 XP
Evoker, Gardener

Vincent Myrddin Thorne - 0 XP
Necromancer, Footman

The Dead

Evangeline Glen - 67 XP
Conjurer, Lady's Maid to Dowager Countess

Elsie Ridel - 20 XP
Necromancer, Friend of Celestine Bell

Saving my spot :)

Restarted this a couple of times today....but.....geeze louiese batman! D:
Screenshot

I still have to go through and update XP from last time ^^ What's there currently isn't 100% accurate right now :D

https://i.imgur.com/qVCtFbq.png

Might give this another go to see if I can do it faster.

https://i.imgur.com/2PBnP0q.jpg

Miss Mango, you and I may need to have a discussion on the definition of "simple," :P 

Screenshot

I second what Skelletor said.. lol

omg I hate puzzles. BUT I DID IT!!!!

https://i.imgur.com/IuuzMdB.png

OH MY GOSH

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

.. to get the fastest time!

I'm so pleased you're all enjoying the puzzle with such... fervor ;D

https://prnt.sc/jV6Dvgb7O6ea

-bleeds from eyeballs-

HOW ARE YOU GUYS GETTING IT DONE SO FAST?

WIZARDS, ALL OF YOU!

https://i.imgur.com/RI3uk34.png

oophh..  https://prnt.sc/N7jJq5C5g7E1

Finally, something I CAN do XD

gah! I never made time to do the puzzle this weekend x.x Hopefully I can devote an hour or so to it tomorrow after work. You guys are amazing for getting it done so fast! I'm sure I'll be working as snail pace xD

Attempt #2: https://i.imgur.com/sQsUwte.png

*eye twitch* 87:51 ... I almost had it. I was at 75% at 50 minutes, but then I got distracted with work, forgot to pause and it screwed up my time. 
https://skyler-keller.imgbb.com/ 

Oh no, Sat! :(

(Also, just wanted to follow-up: I messaged you, Mango, on the 27th for something related to the quest and haven't gotten a response. Just want to make sure it'll count for the September quest. :) )

Well can I just start off by saying how much I hate puzzles xD I feel like I should get a participation award for the amount of stress and eye strain this caused me sad attempt