Moogle Murder Mystery II - Game Thread

[Paddy McGee]

Gerry nods, smiling gratefully at the pair

"Sound for the info lads, yer bleedin' deadly cunts so ye are."

Gerry then skipped off towards the exit- he decides to have a search around the graveyard- he goes from each grave, examining them in detail, looking for a hint.

 

[Linnaete]

What greets Cluckbeak inside the Fossil Club is a dingy, dusty smell, not too dissimilar from that of an old library. The only difference is the considerable dearth of sweaty, panicky undergraduate students feverishly shuffling through dusty tome after tome, desperate to complete their long assessed essays on time before the deadline in twelve hours' time.

To the right of the entrance is a giant skeletal reconstruction of some kind of primordial aquatic creature. Just look at that distinctively long neck. Heck, just look at the size of this creature. It is absolutely astonishing and Cluckbeak quickly imagines how grand this creature would look in his personal treasures room back at the manor. He wonders if this Fossil Club is willing to part ways with this magnificent creature. Cluckbeak can offer to pay any reasonable sum for it - well, as reasonable as it can get for a town full of impoverished urchins. Just handing these lowly residents a few bank notes is probably enough to send them staggering to their knees in tearful joy and gratefulness.

Over on the wall toward the far corner is what appears to be a visual of Moogle evolution, chronicling a tale spanning millions of years of how one of the least cellularly complex organisms with a pompom-like adornment on their head to have ever roamed this planet would end up becoming the distant ancestors of all Mooglekind today. Note how that pompom is a constant, unchanging feature. Despite countless generations of gradual evolution at work, that pompom was never lost. It's always remained an integral part of Moogles' genetic makeup, as firm and sure as the genetic makeup that allows them to have limbs.

What is most profoundly surprising is...hang on a moment, is this mural telling Cluckbeak that at one point in the evolution ladder when the world was still untamed and primordial, one ancestor of the Moogles was a giant, flying apex predator with fangs and a maw so cavernous and vicious it could swoop down and gnash on a fleeing velociraptor with ease? What about that fossil on the cliff outside? Could this creature be what that fossil is the remains of? How on earth did this apex specimen go on to devolve into the modern, tiny Moogles of today with only a pair of pathetic little wings as useful as an appendix and the laughable inability to fly? Cluckbeak himself cannot fly either, but his species is a distant cousin of the modern Chocobos, and when was the last time you've seen a flying Chocobo?!...besides black Chocobos?

That said, it's the skeletal reconstruction of that ancient sea monster over there that particularly fascinates Cluckbeak. What connection does this creature hold to Syldra, the phantom sea monster? Who in this musty building can yield the answers? Aha. Wait, have I seen this gentleman from some kind of popular, seminal blockbuster film in the early 1990s about a nature park full of real dinosaurs that went horribly wrong? Maybe he's just imagining things. We all know Cluckbeak does not like watching moving pictures. He prefers the sophistication of a theatre play.

"Excuse me, sir," says Cluckbeak to a certain John Hammond lookalike, "I am Count Cluckbeak, Bane of All Fowl Play. No doubt you must have heard of my countless exploits in the capital. Please excuse these splinters lodged into my feathers, sir. It is a long story.

"I am here to investigate two mysterious deaths. Both have occurred out on the main beach. I have reasons to suspect some kind of double homicide at work here, but deciphering who the potential suspects may be has proven to be a challenge. I am a man of logic and sound reasoning, sir. I presumed some episode of intense jealousy, rivalry or socio-political spat led to these sudden, suspicious deaths, until it came to my attention that there may be a phantom sea monster named 'Syldra' by the pirate denizens of this town. I wish to ask about that skeletal reconstruction over there of what appears to be a similar looking sea monster. You look learned, sir. What can you tell me about this fine specimen?"

 

[Ilyena]

"He never saw McHank practicing because he was a cheater cheater pumpkin eater," Fake Zazu said. "From the sounds of it, he wasn't very liked in the surfing community."

"Typical of competitive athletes. And never use the term 'cheater cheater pumpkin eater' in my presence again." Tobias considered the clues. It certainly seemed like Furaway's body had been ripped apart by something. If not a shark, a sea monster was certainly a possibility. And come to think of it, the remnants of that tattoo..."Fake Zazu, remember that tattoo Furaway McHank had?"

"You mean what was left of it?"

"Yes. Didn't it sort of resemble a plesiosaur? Could it be the same phantom sea monster from the picture?"

Fake Zazu landed on the sand in front of him. "I suppose so. How many phantom sea monsters could there be in one town? I do wonder if it turned on McHank, why?"

"Perhaps whatever deal McHank had with this sea creature was no longer desirable." Tobias realized how silly it all sounded but who was he to judge a plesiosaur for helping to rig a surfing contest? "Perhaps we should talk to the other available surfers. Be on the look out for tattoos."

Tobias cycled towards the great white kuponut tree to find Fura Hugwood, who last appeared to be heading in that direction. He would ask her what she knew about McHank's exploits and whether she had any affiliation with NUTS. He would also take note of any markings or tattoos she had.

 

[Dionysos]

I hope to get at least another round in before Sunday (when I'll need to take a ten day break from doing drawings, etc). Therefore I'm posting this next round now to give you all a chance to get your posts in.


Round 13:

Maps:
Click the maps to enlarge. For the clearest image open in a new tab.

Main Beach:

The Tidus' Head:

'Nippynut's Nudist Beach':

Upper Town:

St. Mogin's Church:

Great White Kuponut Tree:

Great White Kuponut Tree First Floor (Second Floor for Americans):

Great White Kuponut Tree boughs (discovered by Raptorbo):

Fossil Beach:

The cave:

Fossil Club:

Particulars:

OG Angry Bird orders his moogle doll to pick up the oglop statue and to begin marching the two pirates towards The Tidus' Head.

While Annie is a little concerned, the two pirates from the cave seem to be enjoying a-pirating in public once again!

At The Tidus' Head the party of pirates awaken the drunken pirate on the pub's table.

OG Angry Bird takes the opportunity to explore the vacant cave and examines the note pinned onto the wall of the cave.

Camera activities:
OG Angry Bird snapped this photograph during this turn:

-

Raptorbo heads back to the The Great White Kuponut Tree to seek out the door on the upper floor.

As he dashes past Ruff 'Chops' Hugwood and a NUTS radical, they painfully pelt him with their nuts. Several of them hit Raptorbo in delicate places.

Upon reaching the upper floor, Raptorbo manages to open the door to discover a ladder leading to a new area: The Great White Kuponut Tree Boughs.

This is the very top of the tree, and one should be very careful up here...

-

Chavvy Gerry Adams leaves St. Mogin's Church and takes an investigative stroll through the graveyard....

Gerry almost prances onto a photograph, but manages to redirect his foot before ruining it.

Gerry Adams picks up the photograph and adds it to his inventory.

-

Count Cluckbeak asks Pom Pommond about the marine reptile skeleton in the corner and its possible connection to the phantom sea monster.

Pom Pommond smiles with pride and then says the following.

Welcome... To Fossil Club!
Kupo! Heh-heh! You're curious, I see? It is a fine specimen indeed, kupo! It is a rare type of plesiosaur, Plesiosaurus shirudora. They lived from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous Period, kupo! Their derived features are notable horn-like protrusions on the skull, and spiny sails on their backs.

You say there is a phantom on the loose resembling one of these magnificent sea dragons? HA! My chief geneticist did once recreate one by cleverly splicing the poor sample we had with fish and frog DNA to fill in the sequence gaps, kupo.... I spared no expense! But the specimen was lost as a baby, kupo! It cannot have survived to maturity in order to die and become this spectral 'Syldra' you claim haunts our beaches... Nonsense! Phantom sea monsters sound like a sailor's yarn to me, kupo! There must be a scientific (though no less magnificent and miraculous) explanation for these sightings. But I'd put my money on these 'pirates', if you say they are about, being too drunk to tell a seagull from a siren! Kupo!

-

Tobias and Fake Zazu approach Fura Hugwood and ask her about McHank's exploits and if she has any connections with NUTS, while also keeping an eye out for tattoos or markings.

Fura Hugwood replies as follows:

McHank was a cocky surfer, kupo... Adored by all (though not me), but people adored him only in a shallow sense. He was surprisingly inept at surfing, and yet he always managed to win, kupo... The formerly unbeatable surfing champion, Pomeidon, uncharacteristically fell off his board every time he came close to beating Furaway... Something was amiss, kupo... I suspected it had something to do with McHank's late-night meetings with some suspicious individuals who say 'Arrr!' a lot, but his success continued after he seemed to fall out with them.... It's a bad life for a moogle, kupo!

Are you really asking me outright about my NUTS affiliation, kupo?! No. I am not a member of NUTS, but I am sympathetic to their dream, kupo... Our current way of life is not sustainable for the planet. Human culture has consumed the moogle way of life, kupo! This tree we stand in now is the final bastion of our culture remaining in Whitnut-on-Sea, yet most moogles here have neglected it. I don't believe in violence, but this town will one day learn that if you keep squeezing nuts, they'll POP!

Fura Hugwood's skin is pure and untainted by any ink or blemishes.

-

Susan Boyle, still drunk, becomes a toilet for a flock of seagulls.

-


You may all now post your next moves!

@Soulcorruptor @Linnaete @Ilyena @Paddy McGee @sly @Sprout

 

[sly]

Woody uses the megaphone to, in his best pirate impersonation, strike up a conversation with the new pirate. "Long ears are ears too!... Arrggh! Say us yer tale shipmate!" He then turns to the bartender and orders rum for all. (He totally has a bunch of gold that fell out of the crates that nobody noticed he picked up.)

Meanwhile, Woody and Sam photograph the map on the wall before making a quick exit and returning to the beach.

 

[Paddy McGee]

"GERRY GOWAN YE GOOD TING YE CUNTBAG DOPE" Gerry leapt up, as he noticed the photograph. He examined it closely, as he returned into the church, taking a sit in the back row of the seats.

 

[Soulcorruptor]

Chocobuncle using his evasive maneuvers he used before to get away from these nuts goes back into the treehouse then decides to investigate the bank that has an image striking his resemblance on it.

 

[Linnaete]

A brig ship named 'Syldra' that once belonged to the Confederacy, commanded by a Captain F. Scherwiz who had since seen their post stripped from them. Now the revelation that a recreated specimen of the ancient plesiosaur creature was lost as a baby. Something is amiss. Very amiss. Seriously, what kind of harebrained scheme is that? Recreating giant extinct oceanic reptiles for the sake of science?! Who funds this nonsense? This is the problem with those of "new money". They have so much capital and flaunt it in the most ridiculous ways, while he, of the noble aristocracy and of "old money" invests his inheritance in sensible things. Like cultural relics forcibly taken from their native lands and perched on glorious marble pedestals in his manor.

Exiting the Fossil Club, Cluckbeak takes a deep breath, knowing full well he has to find Captain Annie Adamantoise once again to ask her further questions. The last time he approached her...ack, let's not even countenance such a traumatic incident! Cluckbeak's poor, delicate nethers twitch in pain at the very memory of that vicious assault. But given how long he's dawdled for in this accursed town, this mystery must be solved post-haste and he cannot wait another hour to leave this place and return to the capital before his butler takes his prolonged absence as the cue to forego the rest of his employment and flee from the confines of indentured servitude.

"YOU THERE, ACCURSED WOMAN. IF YOUR FOOT GOES NEAR ME EVER AGAIN, I WILL ENSURE MY REPUTATION IS UTILISED TO HAVE YOU AND YOUR PIRATE ORGANISATION ALL ROUNDED UP, ARRESTED AND HANGED."

Oh look, it would appear he's finally discovered the whereabouts of his arch-nemesis. Annie is standing quizzically by the boats overlooking the mouth of the cave, no doubt wondering why the scallywags have commandeered a boat out of the cave and where on earth they've buggered off to.

"I have more questions to ask of you. Furaway McHank had clandestine meetings with your...lot, if I'm correct? What exactly were this meetings about? Surely a Moogle who had the adoration of fans in this town and the ability to present himself as a competent surfer (despite new evidence to the contrary) had all the means to live a content life without the need to deal illicitly with a group of aquatic bandits like you!

"Furthermore, all this nonsense I hear about Syldra and McHank claiming he had a connection with this now phantom sea-monster gives me a headache. That said, I received word from a barmy archaeologist over yonder in the Fossil Club who claims they did try to recreate a plesiosaur similar to this phantom Syldra, but it had been lost as a baby. I notice you once had a vessel named 'Syldra' as commanded by a former Captain F. Scherwiz. There is a connection, surely? What happened to this Syldra 'brig'?"

 

[Ilyena]

Still not completely convinced of Fura's innocence but with no other angles for questioning, Tobias decides to leave her be for now. He spies Pomeidon in the back of the room. Why is he still hanging about in here? Had he questioned him yet? He couldn't remember at this point. He had talked to so many strange people and the mystery had only deepened. He cycles over to the green moogle. "I've heard about you mysteriously falling off your surfboard during competitions with McHank," he said. "Did you notice anything strange when this happened? What do you know about the rumors of Furaway cheating?"

 

[Dionysos]

I'm away from now for a little over a week. You can use this time to post your next moves, but also to try and piece together the mystery as a whole. I might still be about on Discord or the forum from time to time, but I'll not really be able to do new drawings and post rounds here.



Round 14:

Maps:
Click the maps to enlarge. For the clearest image open in a new tab.

Main beach:

The Tidus' Head:

'Nippynut's Nudist Beach':

Upper Town:

St. Mogin's Church:

Great White Kuponut Tree:

Great White Kuponut Tree First Floor (Second Floor for Americans):

Great White Kuponut Tree boughs:

Bank (discovered by Raptorbo):

Fossil Beach:

The cave:

Fossil Club:

-

Particulars:

OG Angry Bird's moogle doll asks the Ivalicean moogle pirate for his story.

Nutloote Arrpomlad has the following to say:

Arrrr! Ye speak steadfast when ye say long ears are ears too, kupo! I be Nutloote, an Ivalicean moogle, kupo! I sail under Cap'n Davies, unless I'm call'd for a Confederate joint venture!

Some folk would think less o' me on account of th' length of me ears, but not these lads and ladies... Arr! Us pirates follow our own code, and we're race-blind, kupo! Arrr! See ye right 'ere. Ye could be anythin' controlling th' moogle doll right now. Ye could even be a basement-dweller who ne'er says a word to anybody in real life an' we'd accept ye if ye swear to the code and come a-piratin' wit us, kupo! Arrr!
*hic*
I had a good night celebrating last night and got a little too drunk, even for a pirate, kupo! Jus' woke up on the table an' saw ye! Is it time to pirate again? Arrr!

The moogle doll then orders a round of rum for all the pirates.... The pirates enjoy this very much and start to sing pirate shanties.

Kupa Skiphop is startled and shrieks the following:

Oh my! Kupo................. Meep! I thought people were joking with the pirate stuff! I thought it was all role play for the boat tour, kupo! I think.... I think I might hand in my notice - again! Go ahead - have the run of the place!

OG Angry Bird himself photographs the map of the island of Kuposus and then leaves for the beach.

Back on the beach, Annie the Adamantoise screams at OG Angry Bird.

Camera activities:
OG Angry Bird snapped this photograph during this turn:

-

Gerry Adams takes a seat on one of the pews at the back of the church... Father Pompous re-enters the church and immediately notices a potential new member of his flock.

Father Pompous has the following to say:

Hello, my child. Kupoooo.... I see in you a man of faith and spirrrritt. Are you seeking to join my congregationnnnn? My flock has been getting thinner in recent yearsss..... I can touch you with the Dew from the Great Nuts and yourrrr soul would be eternallyyy blessed among the boughs, kupoooo.... I sensee a dark cloud over youuur pastt.... If you wish, you can confess to me and I shall release you from any sins which burdennn you, kupooo.. What did you dooo? Were you a pirate? A cheat? A gamblerrr? A drunkarddd? I do smell alcohol on you, my childdd... Kupoooo.....

-

The Raptorbo runs back down the stairs, continuing to get pelted by the nuts of NUTS.

They cause considerable pain to Raptorbo, who now limps. NUTS only stop throwing nuts at him when they accidentally hit Fura Hugwood.

Raptorbo limps on to discover a new area: Bank.


-

Count Cluckbeak shouts to the beach that he will round up and hang the pirates if Annie should kick Cluckbeak in the pecker and wattle ever again... Cluckbeak then once again openly acknowledges Annie's identity as a pirate, asking her what McHank's meetings with the pirates were about, what happened to the brig named 'Syldra', and possible connections to the phantom sea monster...

Annie the Adamantoise has the following to say:

Arrrr! I heard ye threaten to expose me, landlubb'r! I don't appreciate th' accusation and threatenin' to hang me! I'm half tempted to draw on ye right this moment, but If I answer ye honestly, will ye leave me be? If not, I'll pull out me cutlass and slice off your feather'd drumstick and nuggets and feed 'em to th' guppies! Arrr!

Why should McHank meetin' wit' us be so peculiar? Those raised by dolphins meet from time to time... McHank ceased to have anythin' to do wit' us once his Cap'n was booted out of -... Our friendly sailing club! Arrrr! Incidentally, their ship, the 'Syldra', was indeed named for their beast, but it were lost to a whirlpool - or were it a giant crab? One o' th' two! I ne'er did get confirmation on th' true cause! I suspect'd we were bein' swindled of precious cargo an' that it remains buried somewhere unbeknownst to us... Arrrr!

-

Tobias and Fake Zazu approach Pomeidon as he cowers from the NUTS gang.

Pomeidon Damphare has the following to say:

AAAAOOOOAAUUUOIIIIIIIIII!!
I THOUGHT YOU WERE NUTS FOR A MOMENT THERE - NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART-ATTACK! KUPO!
YOU CYCLE UP TO ME WITH ALL THE SUBTLETY OF A KLAXON-HOOTING CLOWN AT A FUNERAL, KUPO!!! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M HIDING FROM THESE FANATICS? I DON'T WANT TO GET PELTED UP THE ASS WITH NUTS LIKE THAT FEATHERY TEAL TWIT WHO KEEPS COMING BACK FOR MORE, KUPO!

TALKING ABOUT ME FALLING OFF MY BOARD BRINGS ME GREAT SHAME AND SADNESS, BUT I SENSE IN YOU A THIRST FOR THE TRUTH RATHER THAN A DESIRE TO HUMILIATE ME FURTHER, KUPO....

YES, IT WAS MOST PECULIAR. AS THE 'GOD OF THE SEA' I USUALLY LIKE TO THINK THAT I HAVE CONTROL OF THE WAVES AND FULL COMMAND OF MY OWN BODY IN UNISON WITH THE SEA... BUT SINCE FURAWAY ANNOUNCED HE WAS TO TRY SURFING, EVERYTHING CHANGED, KUPO! I SAW NOTHING, BUT I FELT AN EERIE PRESENCE UNDERNEATH MY FEET AND THEN THE WAVES BEGAN TO BEHAVE UNNATURALLY... IT ALMO- IT ALMOST FELT AS IF I WAS BEING P-PUSHED BY SOMETHING, KUPO! THOUGH I SAW NOTHING. I DON'T KNOW HOW FURAWAY MANAGED IT, BUT I KNOW HE WAS BEHIND IT! THE UPSTART SQUIRT HAD NO INNATE SKILL OR NURTURED TALENT AT ALL, BUT HE MANAGED TO WIN AND I MANAGED TO LOSE. AGAIN AND AGAIN! FOR SURE HE WAS A DIRTY CHEAT, KUPO!

-

You may all now post your next moves!

@Soulcorruptor @Linnaete @Ilyena @Paddy McGee @sly @Sprout

 

[Paddy McGee]

"AYE AYE LAD I WAS NEVAR IN DE AYE ARRGH AYYYYYYYYYYYY, YE HERE YE CUNT"

Gerry said, in momentary anger. He most certainly was never in the IRA. NOPE. Never. No bollox will ever say he was.

Gerry got up and strolled outside, examining the photo as he did so.

 

[Soulcorruptor]

Raptorbo asks the bank attendant if they know anything about the murder and if anything or recent value was deposited in the bank recently especially of the deceased, or if the deceased had anything of value in the bank.

 

[sly]

Woody slyly turns away and uses the megaphone to ask the pirate horde how blood got on his sword.

"I didn't notice it before, did I run someone through by accident? Wouldn't be the first time! Arrggghhhhahahaha More rum!", The MogBot crowed.


Woody then carefully hides the megaphone in his inventory and turns back to Annie, who is approaching to question him.

"Annie, I heard a terrible racket coming from that cave, it's yours huh? Anyway, I went to check it out. I'm here to investigate the murder by the way. Some sort of robot broke a bunch of crates and then left with a statue and a bloody sword. Any idea how blood got on that sword, or where it came from? The statue appeared to be a massive oglop, was it yours? He was carrying it out of your cave, must be yours, right? I don't care how a person lives their life, but the evidence strongly points to you being a pirate. Now I don't care if you are or not, big deal I say.... But if it turns out that some pirate killed that lad there and the police discover that you're a pirate, well, they may think that you were involved, or maybe even that you ordered it if you happen to be an important pirate. I'd hate for them to make an example of you. So anyway, do you think you could rally your crew to help me solve this murder? Clear your good name, keep your secret a secret. Maybe order your crew to tell you what they know and get back to me."

Woody silently lets Annie's situation sink in.

 

[Linnaete]

He's a detective, not some crook who looks like he's about to infiltrate some facility like a lowlife! Cluckbeak gingerly peers his head around a corner on his way to the church in the Upper Town. If one of those lunatic cult members spot him, he shudders to imagine what the savages will do to him. De-feather him and shove him into an oven? Unacceptable! Why on earth can he not simply use his contacts to bring the Army in to put down these psychopathic fanatics?

Sensing the coast must be clear, Cluckbeak takes the cue to run straight ahead, sprinting as quickly as his porky little legs can carry him, not intent on even stopping until he is within the safe walls of the church. He cannot recall the last time he's had to leg it like this - was it when he was accosted by a hooligan mob of protestors back in the Capital who were hurling volleys of verbal insults and half-empty cans at members of the aristocracy? Naturally the aristocracy is scapegoated for all of today's societal ills. These commoners should seriously re-evaluate their lives and think of a way to be constructive for once, rather than simply idle around, typing away feverishly on their keyboards and thinking their critical insights into the state of contemporary society are anything other than the irrelevant waffle of unemployed sociology graduates...

Once inside the church, and after ten minutes to gather his breath and strength once more after all the heavy heaving and panting, Cluckbeak, who doesn't forget to stick a middle finger up to the republican IRA terrorist as he marches past in the opposite direction, sidles up to Father Pompous. His eyes however, focus on this tiny bit of graffiti left on one of the pews. Left by whom? Who knows, but this person must have known something and it could well be a salient clue. "Father Pompous is a crook" is marked against the wood next to a crude illustration of presumably Pompous himself with his paws on a large treasure chest. It's as if the good priest had pilfered these goods, but from who? And when?

Thinking back, he vaguely recalls what Annie the Adamantoise had just told him. What had happened to her crew in the recent past? "Swindled of precious cargo"? Does Father Pompous know more about the goings-on than he initially let out on? It's time to ask him a few more questions.

"Good day again, Father. Say, it must be infuriating when you sit down on a lovely pew like this to take a moment and be thankful to the Lord for His mercy only to find graffiti left behind by uncouth vandals. It even accuses you of being an unsavoury crook who presumably took treasure from someone, Father. You know, I've always wondered: if one steals treasure from pirates, who by definition are lawless crooks to begin with who steal and plunder their goods, is it even theft anymore? Or is it a public duty? I just want your thoughts, Father. You haven't taken precious cargo from any pirates of late, have you?"

 

[Ilyena]

Tobias considers asking Pomeidon why, if he's so afraid of the NUTS gang, did he come rampaging into their hideout. Pomeidon doesn't seem like the type who finds thinking ahead useful. Probably didn't even realize what he was doing. Now that we're in here, we may as well explore the place.

"Fake Zazu, the NUTS gang appears to be busy tending to Fura, perhaps you should fly upstairs and check things out."

"They'll see me, I'm sure."

"I'll create a diversion."

Tobias cycles over to one of the large bowls of nuts near the door. With a loud roar, he swings his head into it, knocking it over. He cycles over to the other bowl, enjoying the crunch of nuts under his unicycle. Roaring again, he knocks the other bowl over. Tobias then begins riding the unicycle in circles over the nuts covering the floor.

Fake Zazu flies quickly up to the second floor of the great tree. There are red marks on the wall that appear to be blood splatter. 'Gruesome. I wonder what happened in here. Spying a chest on one side of the room, Fake Zazu flies over and tries to open it. He keeps an eye out for NUTS, prepared to fly out of the window if they show up.

 

[Dionysos]

Let's resume this and get it finished within a few more weeks, I think!

You can do it!


Round 15:

Maps:
Click the maps to enlarge. For the clearest image open in a new tab.

Main Beach:

The Tidus' Head:

'Nippynut's Nudist Beach':

Upper Town:

St. Mogin's Church:

Great White Kuponut Tree:

Great White Kuponut Tree First Floor (Second Floor for Americans):

Bank:

Fossil Beach:

-

Particulars:

Gerry Adams steps out of the church and takes a closer look at the photograph he picked up in the church cemetery.

The writing on the photograph appears to have been added recently.

Gerry also checks the reverse side of the photograph.

-

Raptorbo asks the bank attendant for information about the murder or any recent deposits (particularly items related to the deceased).

Penny Scrimpalot has the following to say:

Hello, sir. You can bank upon us, kupo! How can I help- Oh! Wow! Kupo! Nice imitation of our mascot! Where did you get that costume, kupo? Looks a bit creepy with the teeth though… This is a family friendly bank, kupo... Please don't scare our... Currently absent customers away....

The murder? Unless he was murdered by insidious interest rates on a loan, I wouldn't happen to know much about that, kupo! HA HA HA HA HA! Ermm.... That was inappropriate...

I am dreadfully sorry, sir, but you must know I cannot give out details about our customers unless you have a warrant. I can, however, inform you that when filling out their forms with us, a lot of customers have been putting their parentage down as "Dolphins" or "Mr. and Mrs. Dolphin" or some similar nonsense.... Kupo! I don't get it! This does not make any sense, kupo! They are valued customers and leave a lot of gold with us for safe keeping, but it is problematic for our databases!

-

Now that the pirates have complete control of the bar, Angry Bird orders the Moogle Doll to ask his pirate chums about the blood at the tip of his sword.

The pirate in red has the following to say:

Arrrrr! I ne'er did see ye stab a landlubb'r today, kupo! *hic* Arrrr!

The pirate in blue says the following:

*BELCH*

Nutloote Arrpomlad responds as follows:

Arrr! I were sleepin' me grog off an' dreamin' o' bein' massag'd by a buxom mermaid wench when ye woke me to go a-piratin'! Kupo! But looks to me like th' blood be dried on, kupo! Arrr! This blade struck its mark recently, but before ye journey'd t' me - I'd wager me favourite pearl on it. Arrr! Ye had it long?

Meanwhile, OG Angry Bird turns to Annie, accuses her of being a pirate, and bargains with her for information.

Annie carefully contemplates her situation, unsure if this is a trick or not...

Eventually she opens up with the following:

Arrrr! I'm fed up of people threatnin' to out me as a pirate! I refuse to hang! But yer be right: th' situation doesn't look good... Like crabs standing next to a nipped bottom, we look guilty... Arrr! But it weren't we who did the nippin'! Us pirates be- Errr. Us sailors be... AAARGH! KRAKEN'S SPERMATOPHORES! Yer seen inside me cave anyway! If yer speak truthfully that ye'll keep me secret, I'll promise t' be helpful t' ye. Arrr! If not, I'll bury me tusks into yer eyes and maroon ye on an island of cannibals! Or maybe we'll put ye where we maroon'd Karl Abos... Arrr! If he be alive, which I doubt, the nearly-starved skeletal figure he'd now be'll probably harpoon ye for dinner!

I know nothin' of any particular bloodied sword. Arr! I don't know what fever be possessin' whoe'er's controllin' the moogle doll at th' moment, but I be worried that their display will expose the entire Confederacy! Arrr! And the oglop statue! That be an important relic for pirates. We pirates can relate with the oglop: we both use skulls fer decorat'n, we were both despis'd and chas'd out of Whitnut into th' sea, and we both surviv'd our ordeals by hidin'.
Arrr! Please don't let them ruin that statue! Andre stole it for me as an anniversary gift!

Camera activities:
OG Angry Bird snapped this photograph during this turn:

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As Count Cluckbeak enters St. Mogin's church he exacts his digital revenge on Gerry Adams.

Once in the holy sanctuary, Cluckbeak questions Father Pompous whilst eyeing the graffito on the pew.

Father Pompous replies as follows:

Hello, my child. Kupoooo... *sigh* These sinners have corrupted another pewwwwww.... At least this one is clothed, kupooo... Thank you for reportinnnng this. The Blessed Boughs will welcome your soul, when it is ready to leave this mortal realmmmmm... Kupoooo....

As for the accusatory content of this crude scribble, I am no crookkk.... What I do, I do for the good of St. Mogin (which is for the good of Whitnut-on-Sea), kupooooo... Without this church, our community returns to sinnnn.. I cannot let that happen, kupooo... By your comments, I know we've both seen the sinners... I elected to do something about the problem, kupooo... Between you and me, I have through threat of exposure frightened some of Whitnut's cancerous inhabitants into parting with some of their golddd... It is for a holy cause, kupooo... I shall expose them anyway when I'm done, of courssssee....

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In the Great White Kuponut Tree, Tobias creates a distraction by upturning the bowls of kuponuts and crushing them with his unicycle.

The stunned NUTS fanatic is not very happy.

Meanwhile, Fake Zazu flaps up to the first floor and opens the chest.

The chest contains confiscated gold, with a broken harpoon resting on top.

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Exposed to the elements and covered in avian excrement for a long time, Susan Boyle is now critically ill.

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You may all now post your next moves!

@Soulcorruptor @Linnaete @Ilyena @Paddy McGee @sly @Sprout


I know you are on holiday, Adam, so I understand if you don't manage to get a post in for the next round.

 

[Linnaete]

Father Pompous has that air to him that dulls the senses and the vibrancy of colour itself. How apt to describe this man but a sinister crusader, whose mind is preoccupied with delivering righteous justice on a town of hedonistic inhabitants? By all accounts, Father Pompous has every reason to want the death of McHank; the latter to him is one of the town's "sinners", who may have had illicit dealings with the pirates, the very faction our pious priest here has essentially declared war against. As tempting as it is to seize the man by the collar and drag him to the police station, Cluckbeak has no actual proof that the man is anything but an embezzling blackmailer with a remarkable knack for plundering ill-gotten gains from plundering pirates. Yes, the man is almost certainly in league with NUTS, but that surely isn't a crime? It's not like NUTS may have just committed a terror attack in this town...right?

However, the discovery of a treasure trove of gold and a bloody, broken harpoon in the NUTS lair is alarming. Who else must have been responsible for that confiscated chest but Father Pompous? And what of the harpoon? It's an odd thing to find amongst the gold. What was the harpoon used for? Slaying a large sea creature like a shark or a...mythical aquatic dinosaur monster??? What connection does the ghostly Syldra creature have with this entire mystery? Why are many inhabitants in this town - including the two deceased McHank and Andre the Adamantoise - claiming to be raised by dolphins, as well as being named after dolphins? What is happening here?

Cluckbeak isn't done with Father Pompous yet. The man may be unsettling with those piercing, judgemental eyes, but he's a valuable source of answers. So long as Cluckbeak plays this diplomatically and project himself as a potential sympathiser rather than cast away the subterfuge and pivot straight to hostility, maybe he can squeeze a few more juicy morsels from the man.

"That is very interesting, Father. I presume you must have donated one of these uhh, liberated treasure troves full of gold to NUTS? I have heard a lot about them and their goal of wiping away the vestiges of accursed modernity and uhh, hedonism and faithlessness from this lovely town. It must have taken considerable fortitude and steel to undertake such an endeavour with the threat of pirate retaliations.

"While I'm here, Father, I have a few more questions. Have you personally known Furaway McHank, the dead sinner? I've come across some curious rumours indeed about the man. Some say he lacked actual surfing skills, and his performance in the waves was more attributable to something else entirely - perhaps something otherworldly or even ghostly. Others point to the backstory he would craft for himself, such as his claim he was raised by dolphins. Apparently it is not uncommon for residents of this town to claim dolphin lineages! How preposterous is that?! Finally I am very sure the man had illicit dealings with the pirates! What are your thoughts on this tangled web of madness, Father?"

 

[sly]

Woody uses the megaphone to coerce his pirate crew into taking their pirating to the Sultry Siren. Then he approaches the former pirate Kuporge Pomard Jr and asks him about the sea creatures in league with the confederacy, the former Captain Scherwiz, and the circumstances surrounding his banishment.

 

[Ilyena]

Confiscated gold and a broken harpoon…what could this mean? Father Pompous has been confiscating gold from some of the more sordid inhabitants of the town. Perhaps NUTS is in league with him. Though St. Mogin and this ancient moogle god of death would perhaps be at odds.

When he last interviewed Ruff Hugwood, he had no clue that Fura was his sister and a surfer. Knowing McHank was cheating certainly gave Ruff more motive. It might be difficult to speak to them after crushing all of their nuts but at least they have no weapons. Oh well, I am bigger and have sharper teeth.

Tobias turns to Ruff and the other NUTS fanatic. “Sorry about your floor, fellows. But what’s a floor and a few hundred nuts when you have a murder to solve?” Tobias keeps an eye on the fanatics, ready to snap his jaws at any sharp movements. “What does NUTS think of Father Pompous and St. Mogin’s church? There are rumors that he’s been confiscating gold from some town residents and it appears that you have a similar chest of gold upstairs? Coincidence?”

 

[Dionysos]

LJ told me his move in private and to go ahead with this.



Round 16:

Maps:
Click the maps to enlarge. For the clearest image open in a new tab.

Main Beach:

The Tidus' Head:

'Nippynut's Nudist Beach':

Sultry Siren (discovered by OG Angrybird):

Upper Town:

St. Mogin's Church:

Great White Kuponut Tree:

Great White Kuponut Tree First Floor (Second Floor for Americans):

Bank:

Fossil Beach:

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Particulars:

Cluckbeak compliments the divine balls of Father Pompous for blackmailing the pirates, and asks if he donated a chest to NUTS, if he knew Furaway McHank, anything about ghosts, and the peculiar claim about dolphins.

Father Pompous has the following to say:

Thank you, my childddd.... I may not disclossse what I did with the chests, kupoooo.... You could be a pirate spyyy. You look like the Stede Bonnet of fowlkind, kupoooo....
But since you are a gentleman of noble stature, I can tell you that I did know Furaway McHankkkkk... If he was guided by a spirit, then it was certainly not the Holy Spiritttt which guided him, kupoooo.... McHank had no love for the Golden Boughs, no fear of the Eternal Nether Nut Roast which awaits sinnerssss... He had his own beliefs: a belief in the sea, kupooo.....

McHank's 'dolphin heritage' dives far deeper than the idle claims of a local surferrr.... The people who make this claim are not just *any* residents of Whitnut-on-Sea, kupoooo... This particular euphemism is utilised so that like-minded people can recognise a fellow brother (or sister) - a secret code, if you will, to signallll their identities in a safe mannerrr in a town where revealing such things aloud would lead to rightful hangingggg.... I worked it out... I read the scriptures.... I LIVE the scriptures! I know the story of Delphipom's crew and their metamorphosis into dolphins as punishment for their naval crimesss! I get the reference! My holy book is a weapon, kupooo....

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Angry Bird sends the Moogle Doll and the pirate crew to the Sultry Siren.

OG Angry Bird has discovered a new area: Sultry Siren.

OG Angry Bird himself questions Kuporge Pomard Jr (who he suspects of being a pirate), asking him about sea creatures in league with the confederacy, and the banishment of Captain Scherwiz.

Kuporge Pomard Jr says the following:

Wh-what?! You think I know about pirates?! KUPO! Who told you that? Arrrnnnd I do happen to know a thing or two about sea creatures, laddie. Aye, I saw those - those sailor folks employin' sea creatures.... Nay, more than that. KUPO! Some sea creatures formed a real, genuine bond with them, and they were jus' as much a part of the crew as the rest o'em!

Banishment is the worst! KUPO! *spit* If sea dogs survive banishment (and that's an if bigger than a mermaid's conch collection), they're ne'er the same again! WARPED! TWISTED! KUPO! The infernal Cap'n Scherwiz was stripped o' rank for stealin' from the pir- sailors... She got off too lightly, in my opinion!

Camera activities:
OG Angry Bird snapped this photograph during this turn:

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Tobias asks Ruff Hugwood and the NUTS fanatic what their opinions are on Father Pompous and St. Mogin's church, and also about the chest of gold.

Ruff 'Chops' Hugwood has the following the say:

FURA!!!! Oh, my sweet sister! Kupo! I'm so sorry! Now I fear you'll not recover in time to live our dream and win the surfing competition for mooglekind!
Oh, dinosaur! Father Pompous is the means to an end, kupo! Of course St. Mogin must go too! St. Mogin is a corruption of the TRUE religion of mooglekind - nature! But Father Pompous' chest of gold was to go a long way in funding our operations in Whitnut-on-Sea and beyond, kupo!
But... It wasn't supposed to end like this...
Dinosaur, leave us be! I have a sister to nurse!

The other NUTS fanatic does not speak, but is silently seething.

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Raptorbo examines the washed-up body of a marine animal on the Fossil Beach...

It's a robot! The shark is a goddamn robot!


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You may all now post your next moves!

@Soulcorruptor @Linnaete @Ilyena @Paddy McGee @sly @Sprout