Moogle Murder Mystery II - Game Thread

[Soulcorruptor]

Taking the note with him Raptorbo goes to old fossil beach to talk with Old Pommy, showing him the note as well as reading it to him Raptorbo explains he would like to see McHank's murderer brought to justice and urges Pommy to tell him everything he knows of the pirates, the people of the beach, and who he suspects to have the means and reason to murder McHank.

 

[Linnaete]

Perhaps the trauma of the day has finally made its way to Cluckbeak's brain, because the man is now about to display behaviour that is wholly out of character and ill-befitting of his proud, secretly cowardly self. He is now prepared to storm the enemy's fortress once again, this time to reclaim from their clutches that broken, bloodied harpoon that presumably belongs to the former Karl Abos. He knows Kuporge is obviously lying out of his rotted, scurvy-ridden teeth and is doing a particularly poor job of disguising his past. What other former sailor Moogle is there with a disturbing obsession with his massive, long harpoon with a shaft that thick and sturdy?

"Sir, it may alarm you to hear this news, but I do know where your beloved harpoon weapon is. It has inexplicably ended up inside a treasure chest on a bed of pilfered gold atop the tree in the middle of this town and guarded heavily by NUTS members. The factionalism within the Confederacy must have been severe enough to allow a band of lunatics to steal a hefty collection of ill-gotten gains and your harpoon like that.

If I reclaim the harpoon from the clutches of evil and return it to its rightful owner, I command you to be upfront and truthful to me for once. You will do my every bidding. Every pertinent secret you know. Every morsel of relevant backstory and context. Anything to fashion in me a reasonable enough sequence of events surrounding this town that can possibly lead me to identify the true culprit behind these vicious murders."

Without even stopping to see if Kuporge even agrees to the bargain, Cluckbeak marches gallantly off to the north end of town, armed and ready with nothing but a few lodged splinters in this feathers. From the ashes of humiliation come the flames of rebirth; he is now poised and ready than ever to settle this matter once and for all.

Just as he is about to turn a corner from the main beach to head north, he is met with the sinister presence of a masked NUTS member. Whether this is an ambush or not, Cluckbeak is not about to allow one man to impede him. He grits his beak and tears out one particularly nasty splinter from his feathers. Wielding it like the world's worst shiv, he jams it into the cultist's stomach and shoves him aside. The path is now open for him to continue his northward march.

Charging straight into the Great White Kuponut Tree interior, he quickly stops to grab a few acorns lying around by the entrance. With the uncharacteristic swiftness of a ninja, he pelts three in quick succession at Gerry Adams - and only at Gerry Adams. That filthy nationalist wanker deserves three times the pain today.

Ignoring the other two NUTS members hanging out with Gerry (it wouldn't be the first time that man hangs around with terrorists!), Cluckbeak marches to the the stairs to the room above where the chest resides...

 

[Ilyena]

The more I learn about Captain Annie, the more suspicious she seems. I really would like to hear Captain Scherwiz's side of the story. Fake Zazu lands on one of the pirates shoulders. "I believe you. Annie is very likely guilty and my companions and I would like to see justice done. I think Captain Scherwiz can help us but I'd need to speak with her. Just think, if we bring Captain Annie in, it will go a long way towards avenging your captain."

 

[Dionysos]

Round 24:
Maps:
Click the maps to enlarge. For the clearest image open in a new tab.

Main Beach:

Fish N' Chips:

Old Pommy’s Cottage:

More Open Sea…:

'Nippynut's Nudist Beach':

Sultry Siren:

Upper Town:

Great White Kuponut Tree:

Great White Kuponut Tree (first floor):

Great White Kuponut Tree Boughs:

Fossil Beach:

Fossil Club:

-
Particulars:

OG Angry Bird's moogle doll and pirate posse threateningly raid Fish N' Chips to accuse Arnut 'Chipper' Keelpom of not keeping his cutlass clean...

Arnut 'Chipper' Keelpom meeps the following:

Me sword! I know th’ code, kupo! Don’t know how got blood on it. I lost it not long ago me swear! I turned around t' pack a fish an' me cutlass be gone, kupo! I always keep mine cutlasses clean! I use ‘em wit’ me fish too so they ne’er dirty for that, kupo!
Come on, you fairy-lookin' walrus waffle! Can I have me sword back now, please? Don’t tell Annie it is dirty, me swear it weren’t me, kupo! Arrr!

Meanwhile OG Angry Bird examines McHank's body to check for stab wounds.

He notices that there is indeed a stab wound around his abs!

Turning Furaway over, it is clear that the sword had been run all the way through the body.

His pockets, if they were ever full, have since been picked.


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

-

Raptorbo takes the note discovered in Old Pommy's Cottage and presents it to Old Pommy on the Fossil Beach. Raptorbo reads it aloud, slowly, to ensure that Old Pommy can understand.

Old Pommy scrunches up his face and sticks out his tongue. He then attempts to speak five times, taking minutes before finally coming out with the following.

Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-YO.... YOUUuuu BEEN IN MY HOUSEeee, KUPOOooo? HEH! *cough* MY BIRDS! MY LOVELY BIRDSsss! THOSEeee PIRATES LOVE THEM, KUPOOOoooo.... THEY ALWAYS WANT TO USE THEM TO DIG FOR GOOOoooLLDDddd! *cough* BUT SOME OF MY FAVOURITESsss WERE THEMSELVES HANGEDddd... AH! NO MORE! I WANT NO MORE TO DO WITH ITttt, KUPOOoooo! LEAVE ME ALONE, PIRATESsss! MY BIRDS WANT TO BE HAPPY HERE WITH MEeee!
FURAWAY... WARNING ME??? AACK! MY HEAD HURTSsss! LEAVE ME! SHOO, KUPOOOooooo! I CAN HANDLE MYSELFfff! FATHER POMPOUS HAS MY BACKkkk!

-

Count Cluckbeak pledges to Kuporge that he shall retrieve the broken harpoon from the Great White Kuponut Tree chest.... He sets off on his mission, a chicken of action.

Gritting his teeth, Cluckbeak plucks a splinter from his feathers to use as a deadly weapon...

Spying an unsuspecting NUTS member, the crazed chicken aristocrat-turned-warrior shanks him in the stomach!

Nearing his mission objective, Cluckbeak picks up three kuponuts from the Great White Kuponut Tree's sacred store and throws them at Gerry Adams... Entirely for his own amusement!

Finally, the Feathered Fury snatches the broken harpoon and tears the two pieces from its rope.

The broken harpoon has now been added to Cluckbeak's inventory.

-

Maybe the knock to the head affected Gerry Adams. Maybe he was inspired by Ruff 'Chops' Hugwood's inspirational speech. Maybe things were just going this way... Regardless of the why, Gerry Adams decides to stip off naked and run about the tree house.

Ruff has the following to say before heading out of the treehouse.

That's the spirit, kupo! See, Fura? You were right! There is another way! "Lift nuts, not grenades!" - How is that for a new slogan for NUTS, Fura? Kupo! Let's show them!

Oh... And little naked man? Father Pompous is untrustworthy, you are right about that, kupo.... Maybe showing him your blessed bareness will get him talking? He he!

Meanwhile, Gerry's pocket moth has been a bit naughty. Admiring the lit sacred lamp in the boughs of the tree, the moth has accidentally broken the rope!

The lamp has fallen down and started a fire at the base of the tree...

-

Fake Zazu attempts to persuade Faris' crew to let him speak to Captain Faris herself....

Just as the two purple pirates are about to draw out their cutlasses and skewer their presumptuous guest, Captain Faris steps out of the captain's cabin.

Captain Scherwiz has the following to say:

Arrrr! It be okay, lads! Stand down! I'm all dressed and fit fer duty once more! By the feathers of Sally Seagull, ye'd make a fine companion at sea m'boy! Fancy joinin' me crew when we're done?
That's if we ever get this ship movin' again... It's probably for th' best that th' others don't see her... She were sunk! Forget what Annie and th' Confederacy would have ye believe. I did not hide treasure from 'em! Davy Jones took it all! We barely survived to tell th' tale! Most strangely, th' ship itself has risen from th' depths to sail once more. It is currently inoperable, but in surprisingly good condition considering everythin'. I know there be a spirit watchin' o'er me. McHank knew it!

-

You may all now post your final moves!

That's right.... These next moves are your FINAL moves. Make them count!

@Soulcorruptor @Linnaete @Ilyena @Paddy McGee @sly

 

[Soulcorruptor]

Raptorbo taking the same note now decides to confront the father, which he reveals that Old Pommy has given him up and named him as an accomplice demands to know answers or he will pluck at the father gut and eat his entrails.

 

[sly]

Moogle Doll tells Chipper to follow him and the other pirates in hopes of finding the thief. They head out to the beach and surround Kuporge so he can't go anywhere and make accusations that he stole the sword and claim Chipper ratted him out. He also asks the pirates if they recognize him as Karl^Abos.

OGAB confronts Annie about her relationship with Karl^Abos and Scherwiz and show her the group photo noting that Scherwiz is looking at Andre and Annie is looking, fairly lustily at Karl. He explains that it really doesn't matter since they're both likely dead.

 

[Linnaete]

The adrenaline has run out and some semblance of normalcy returns - as normal as you can get when your right hand is stained with someone's blood and you're wielding two halves of a broken harpoon in each arm. Now awakened from his bloodlust stupor, Cluckbeak is horrified to realise he had forcibly broken straight into the heart of enemy territory and...is that smoke emanating from somewhere? The last time he smelt billowing smoke this ominous was when he had the unfortunate pleasure of being driven past the burning Grenfell Tower by his personal chauffeur with the backseat windows drawn down.

Though no longer a spring chicken, Cluckbeak instinctively hurtles himself out of the room and down the stairs towards the exit. Hoisted before him is the bloodied spear end of the harpoon - no doubt the blood of some poor sea mammal that had witnessed the wrath of a whaler. Essentially, this harpoon is likely not the murder weapon; the real weapon that felled Furaway McHank must have been that cutlass that was found back in the Confederacy cave hideout. This tells Cluckbeak one thing: the culprit has to be someone who is, or had been, in the Confederacy, but for whatever reason deemed Furaway McHank to be sufficient enough a threat that he had to end up unceremoniously dead. But why? McHank seemed keen to protect the secrets of his friends in the splintering Confederacy, to the extent that he was willing (based on scraps of notes) to help cover for them. So what could motivate anyone to kill McHank? A pirate in an opposing faction who feared McHank would rat them out to the public?

Presumably the culprit orchestrated for the mechanical shark to seemingly go haywire and take a generous chomp out of McHank's body to paint the impression that he was simply an unlucky surfer who was caught up in a very unlucky shark attack. But WHERE was McHank killed? His body ending up on the main beach does not necessarily mean he was killed there. Of course not. Who would be so brazen as to commit clear homicide in front of beach-goers? No, he was most certainly killed elsewhere, thrown into the water, had a chunk of his torso and arm torn out by the mechanical shark, and left to wash up. Perhaps the culprit stole a cutlass, rammed it into McHank's torso and sent him to sleep with the fish. Furchin's death meanwhile is also curious. He had drifted off to sea and was later found with his spine twisted and his head facing the other way, which does not immediately sound like the handiwork of a robot shark...

Though many questions are unanswered, Cluckbeak notices with the available information he does currently recollect that the former Karl Abos, aka Kuporge Pomard Jr. Perhaps McHank saw through the disguise and threatened to out him? Perhaps Kuporge reacted in rage, saw McHank as the embodiment of all that was wrong with the Confederacy and the one responsible for his exile, and made his move to kill him with a sword he stole, as he obviously could not rely on the old trusty harpoon. But the man has lost a leg and supposedly requires a crutch to get around - how is a man in such a physical condition able to overpower and kill a fully able-bodied Moogle in his prime?

Oh well, he at least has the leverage to make the man speak.

His escape from enemy territory is surprisingly easy. Perhaps the NUTS fanatics dare not mess with a battered and bruised chicken wielding a broken harpoon who was willing and able to fell a man with just a simple splinter that had been lodged in his own flesh. In fact, I wonder how beach-goers in this town will react to the sight of a punished chicken armed with a bloodied, lethal weapon. You'd think after the double homicide, the fun is long over and all visitors would rather scramble back to either their hotels or the first bus/train out of town, but they're still prancing around, frolicking in the waves and soaking in the sun like nothing had happened. Perhaps these dullard simpletons would mistake him for some novelty street show.

As he approaches Kuporge in Fossil Beach, to his dismay he realises a rowdy, boisterous gang of pirates has already beaten him to the prey. There they are, surrounding the one-legged old codger like a pack of wolves about to pounce on easy lunch. Not if Cluckbeak has anything to say about it.

"UNRULY PIRATES!" he squawks, dedicating extra effort in ensuring the blade of the harpoon is very visible and glistening in the intense sunlight, "that man shall not be harmed, for I have questions for him. And I will make sure he answers my questions, unless he wants his beloved harpoon cast aside and left to sink to the bottom of the sea to some remote tomb where it belongs!"

Yes, he too, suspects Kuporge, aka Karl Abos, of murder, though whether he acted as principal or agent is unclear.

 

[Dionysos]

We're at the last round, folks!


Round 25:

Maps:

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

Main Beach:

Fish N' Chips:

More Open Sea…:

'Nippynut's Nudist Beach':

Upper Town:

Great White Kuponut Tree:

Great White Kuponut Tree (first floor):

Fossil Beach:

-

Particulars:

Raptorbo shows the note to Father Pompous and explains that Old Pommy has 'given him up ' as an accomplice and demands answers or he will be disemboweled and eaten.

Father Pompous has the following to say as he reaches to undo his clerical cassock:

Wha-whattt? Kupooooo. Accomplicccce? I conspire only to rid this town of sinful piracy... I am Whitnut’s salvationnnn. Don't get in my way, kupoooooo! I’m off to slay them all!

-

Angry Bird’s Moogle Doll orders Chipper to join the pirates to find the sword thief... They surround Kuporge Pomard Jr. and accuse him of stealing the sword, saying that Chipper said so... The doll then asks the pirates if they recognise him as Karl Abos.

Arnut 'Chipper' Keelpom yells the following:

Wh-what?! But I never named ye as th' thief, sir! Me swear! Kupo!

The pirate crew painfully study the features of Kuporge Pomard Jr...

The pirate in blue says the following:

Arrr! I’ve ne’er drank, killed or pillaged with this man in me life, kupo!

The pirate in red says the following:

His eyebrows be familiar, but th’ beard really throws me off-kilter, kupo…. Arrr!

Nutloote the Ivalicean moogle pirate snaps his fingers and screams the following:

But imagine th' beard isn’t there, kupo! Arrr! And th' pipe! THE PIPE, KUPO! Rub an urchin on me crotch it be Karl!

Angry Bird confronts Annie about her relationship with Karl Abos and Scherwiz... Suspecting that Annie had been looking rather lustfully at Karl in the group photo, and Faris appeared to be looking at Andre...

Annie has the following to say:

Clap yer hands an’ smack yer seahorses - Karl was a wild hunk! A temptation! An incubus! It was jus’ one drunken kiss, I promise! I always needed th’ threat to me happy marriage remov’d.

Karl, muscular and attractive as he was, was too violent an’ temperamental to keep around... Andre was right… Arrr! Karl slew Scherwiz's beloved Syldra just coz he were itchin’ to whale. He had no respect for fellow pirates.

Captain Scherwiz and Karl Abos' stormy feud work’d in my favour… I wanted rid of both of em! Fer sure I suspect’d Faris felt more than respect for Andre… But alas! Sweet Andre had already passed.... None of it mattered anymore. He loved me. I loved him. Arrrr! I do what I do in his name and memory!

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

-

Cluckbeak runs with the harpoon from the burning tree. Arriving at the Fossil Beach, Cluckbeak then stands between the pirate gang and their quarry! The brave Count threatens the pirates with the harpoon, demanding that Kuporge Pomard Jr. should not be harmed until he answers his questions. Cluckbeak suspects Kuporge Pomard Jr. of murder.

Kuporge Pomard Jr. has the following to say for himself:

My harpoon! Thank ye, m’boy! KUPO! Even if laughter-loving Aphrodite herself emerged from the sea offerin’ me all her sweet delights, I’d turn her down jus’ to ‘ave me harpoon! I’d shut her up in her shell and kick it back out to sea! KUPO!

Now just toss me harpoon in ‘ere and we’ll be grand as gold. Please! Be a good lad, KUPO! I said I’d reward you… See that priceless golden oglop statue? Grab that and it is yours! It’ll set you up for life!

What? Do I look like I've killed someone? I’m hardly capable of anything… KUPO! Barely livin'. I only have hands, one foot and a head! I'm a write-off!

Right... I admit I did once go by th' name o' Karl Abos back in th' day... These madmen have seen to revealin' that.... Can ye blame me for choosin' an alias to evade these bloodthirsty brethren of mine? Stand by me, lad, and prevent them from tearin' me to pieces like a ship caught by Charybdis! KUPO! Can ye row, lad?

-

Fake Zazu asks Captain Scherwiz about what McHank knew and if she thinks Annie would have him killed.

Captain Scherwiz responds as follows:

Arrrrr! McHank claimed to have seen me serpent sister's spirit! Claimed she helped steady him on his board…

McHank be a better pirate than he were surfer. Always had his fellow pirates’ backs. Pure as sculpted ivory was McHanks.... He knew right from wrong... Even when the code itself was unfair. He were ne’er afraid to speak out against Annie. I’d wager that Annie would rather like to make example out of him, aye…

-

Gerry loudly screams the priest did it while fire consumes the entrance and begins to burn The Great White Kuponut Tree….

-

Your moves are over!

Now is the time to post your final theories, accusations, arrests, etc, and solve the mystery.

I'll then post the final results before Christmas Day.

@Soulcorruptor @Linnaete @Ilyena @Paddy McGee @sly

 

[Paddy McGee]

As mentioned before, Gerry thinks the Priest did it, because of course.

I, Paddy McGee, feel the pirate did it!

 

[sly]

Theory

Karl^Abos was marooned by the pirates for killing Syldra but paid him off as per the code for losing his leg./

McHank participated in surfing competitions after his days of pirating semi-ended./

Karl was rescued by Mogabod, and brought him to Whitnut. Using new clothes he pretends to be be a whaler named Kuporge./

Karl has a contact within the confederacy to bring him up to date, possibly Chipper, and had been paying for that knowledge by delivering rum to the pirate cave./

McHank recognizes Karl./

Karl stole or borrowed Chippers sword to and uses it to kill McHank./

Karl tossed the body into the sea with the intention of the mecho-shark destroying the evidence or making it seem as though he was simply killed by the shark./



Lot's of things left unanswered. I suspect Karl funded the Nuts through the church, possibly to bring down the confederacy as an act of revenge. Was McHank guided by Syldra, or just the shark? What was the connection with the drugged cop at the jail, if any? Did Karl possess the ability to converse with sea creatures like the crab and somehow cause the downfall of Scherwiz?

 

[Ilyena]

Tobias and Fake Zazu are torn between the priest and Annie but are leaning more towards the priest.

 

[Linnaete]

Chief suspects:

1) Karl Abos/Kuporge Pomard Jr
If this man is indeed the killer, his foolproof disguise would help explain why the individual who stole Chipper's sword and presumably did Furaway McHank in was only recognised as a mere "thief" and not as a former swashbuckling comrade turned murderous angel of vengeance. But what would motivate this whaling rogue to resort to murder? If he feels the code of piracy has been too unnecessarily harsh on him (hence why he was marooned), is Furaway necessarily culpable? Or is it something else? The fracturing politics of the Confederacy creates factions and Furaway was just in a particularly troublesome influential position to expose potential enemies, including Karl himself? Karl claims he cannot physically do much in his current sorry state, but that is simply what he claims. Unless...unless he ordered someone or something else to physically do the killing, like a certain Moogle doll.

2) Father Pompous
The man is arguably more adept a pirate than the actual pirates, seeing as he supposedly managed to steal such an enviable collection of pilfered treasure from the pirates without one of them turning up to his parish in the middle of the night to stick a scimitar through his stomach. His agenda clearly aligns to a degree with that of NUTS and he is certainly no fan of the Confederacy, hence his decision to help sabotage them as part of the pursuit for the greater good. But why specifically kill Furaway McHank and not say, Annie, who leads the pirates?

Major unsolved factor: Furchin's untimely demise. We know he drifted out further away from the beach and out of sight on his float before he returned face down and with his neck twisted, so who could have done that? It doesn't look like a mechanical shark's doing. Who was out there at sea besides the stranded former Captain Faris Scherwiz crew? And why kill Furchin?

But anyway, on balance, I believe Karl Abos/Kuporge Pomard Jr is certainly guilty of murder to some degree. He need not physically do the killing(s) to be a murderer. Furchin is still a big question mark and the above paragraph has me wondering if Captain Scherwiz also has blood on her hands in some way.

 

[Soulcorruptor]

Theory:

The priest and old Pommy did it, what really is curious is the note that was addressed to old pommy from Mc.Hank warning him to be careful and they may have been on to him(may have chars mixed up but with what's going on who can blame me). While the priest obviously disgruntled and hating the pirates in his own right he probably went to Pommy for the identies of all of them and the best way/easiest way to get to them and kill them. Old Pommy probably delivered the sword to the priest who did the dead then later stole the remote to the lifeguard shark thingy and made it look like a shark attack to try and cover his tracks.

 

[Dionysos]

MMM2 Final Post: THE REVEAL ROUND.

What happened (CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY):

Spoiler

After a Proclamation to rid the region of piracy was announced, the pirates who had openly thrived in the seaside town of Whitnut-on-Sea were forced to go into hiding. Andre the Adamantoise formed a secret Confederacy of Pirates whereby they could adhere to strict codes, continue acts of piracy, but also live double lives as ordinary, respectable citizens of Whitnut. Pirates used the euphemism ‘raised by dolphins’ to address each other in public, and those not initiated in the Confederacy would not suspect anything by it.

Various pirate crews grouped together with one captain (Andre the Adamantoise) holding authority over all others. Together, and with the aid of Old Pommy’s chocobos, the pirates were able to dig up vast amounts of treasure, raid ships, and drink a lot of rum.

But the halcyon days of the Confederacy of Pirates was not to last. When Andre was rather embarrassingly murdered during a visit to the hostile shores of FFF, Annie had to take over to avoid the whole endeavour splintering apart.

Others, however, had other plans. Some individuals who had formerly obeyed the code out of fear of Andre began to disregard them. One such individual was the crab-obsessed Karl Abos.

A keen whaler, Karl had long had his eye on Syldra. This sea monster was a cloned Plesiosaurus shirudora which Pom Pommond lost as a baby, and which had been discovered by a young Faris Scherwiz with whom a natural bond swiftly blossomed.

With Andre gone, Karl Abos no longer resisted the urge to slay Syldra, the hunting of which would make the perfect trophy to top his career… Karl fatally pierced the beast with his mighty harpoon, but Syldra pulled Karl into the water, snapping his harpoon, and also biting off Karl Abos’ favourite leg in the struggle. Alas, Syldra quickly bled out and Karl was apprehended by other pirates.

Furious, but also welcoming the opportunity to get rid of this live-wire, Annie immediately orchestrated the vote for the marooning of this individual, but also the delivery of treasure on account of his missing leg. This was supposed to be a sign to other pirates that Annie adheres to the code, but also an insult to Karl Abos who should have no use for gold on a deserted island.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Annie and Captain Faris Scherwiz continued to be strained. Some pirates thought that Captain Scherwiz would be better suited for leading the Confederacy. Faris’ Quartermaster, Furaway McHank, certainly believed it.

When Captain Faris Scherwiz was shipwrecked and lost the biggest haul the Confederacy would ever see (but none of her crew perished), Annie was quick to accuse Faris of making up the story and keeping the gold for herself. Captain Scherwiz was stripped of rank (and literally stripped) by an angry, jealous Annie the Adamantoise. This shocked some pirates, but greatly amused many others, fracturing the Confederacy even more.

With key pirates dropping by the minute, some former trusted informants noticed a chance to break free. Old Pommy, fed up with the poor treatment of his chocobos, decided to confess to Father Pompous, telling him the names of certain pirates. Father Pompous then noticed an opportunity to extort money from some of these sea bandits, wisely choosing the weakest-minded pirates as his targets for blackmail. Father Pompous’ plan? With the church of St. Mogin struggling due to the recent political correctness which determined that an oglop-slaying saint was somehow unkind to an endangered species, Father Pompous needed to fund the church somehow. Getting money from pirates and then later giving up their names to the authorities anyway (once the money was secured) would certainly be a morally justifiable thing to do…. His nuts would be safe in the Blessed Boughs.

However, the terrorist organisation, NUTS, also needed to be paid off. Father Pompous donated a chest of pirate gold to NUTS (with which they planned to fund their violent campaign) to guarantee that NUTS would never lay their nuts on St. Mogin’s sacred structure. The rest of Whitnut could burn, because Father Pompous wanted rid of all scum and villainy, but St. Mogin must survive! Meanwhile, NUTS wanted to rid Whitnut of all unmooglish behaviour. Their clash of ideologies meant that neither party planned on sticking to this temporary arrangement.

Lost without his captain, Furaway McHank started surfing in the aftermath of his captain’s humiliation. Unfortunately he wasn’t very good… That is until things took a very weird turn…. As some inexperienced NUTS fanatics were carrying in the chest donated by Father Pompous, the broken harpoon of Karl Abos fell out and accidentally touched a very important, mystical artefact….

It turns out that Mogabod (curator of Moogle Museum) had donated the statue of Pom-g'on, the ancient Moogle 'god of death' to the Great White Kuponut Tree. When this enchanted wooden object was touched by Karl’s harpoon, green sparks flashed from the object, and immediately the cosmos burped out an anomaly in the ocean; the last thing the harpoon had killed, Syldra the sea monster, was resurrected in spectral form.

While resurrected, Syldra wasn’t visible to all: only those she wished to see her. Syldra found and struck a deal with former crewmate Furaway McHank, that she would help him become a surfing champion by steadying and directing his surfboard, and also knocking rival competitors off theirs. This worked a treat, much to the fury of the actually talented Pomeidon Damphare who was thrown off his surfboard and humiliated in front of a packed beach.

Meanwhile, Furaway also caught wind of the scheme to name the pirates and their associates, and he began his own investigations. Fearing for Old Pommy (and not realising that he is a key aspect of this plot), he warned the old man, and also told Captain Scherwiz to encourage her to solve this conspiracy and restore her rank.

Things were troubling, but McHank’s prospects were improving… Until Mogabod took his daughter Mogette on a trip to the Fossil Club to acquire new fossils for Moogle Museum… A storm forced Mogabod to take a different route to Whitnut, and while passing by a deserted island he spied a crazy, one-legged man: Karl Abos (now calling himself Kuporge Pomard Jr.)…

Rescued, clothed, returned to his home turf, and protected by his alias and a bushy beard, Karl Abos could finally get the revenge he had planned during his time in isolation.



While most pirates failed to recognise the resurfaced Karl Abos, Furaway McHank (who had a knack for recognising faces and for noticing things like missing legs…) soon realised what had happened, and couldn’t bear thinking about the murderous schemes his captain’s rival was concocting. Furaway sent off a warning letter to his closest pirate friends, but Karl managed to intercept it and tear it apart.

One pirate was more welcoming (albeit reluctantly) to the prospect of a returning Karl Abos… One Arnut ‘Chipper’ Keelpom, the local chippie, was one of several pirates being threatened by Father Pompous… Surely helping Karl Abos out, getting rid of Annie and Faris for good, would mean a stronger warrior-Captain would lead the Confederacy into a new age where they need not fear anybody… That’s how he justified it, but in reality Chipper was more than a little scared when Karl Abos appeared at his chip shop counter demanding the use of his cutlass…

Furaway McHank must be the first to go, Karl decided, or the whole plan would fall apart. If he did it quietly, he could proceed with his plan of revenge. Unfortunately, upon discovering Furaway McHank on the Fossil Beach beginning to load a boat to row to Andre’s cave, Furaway noticed Karl’s presence and smirked at the crippled, harpoon-less whaler. Furaway began to taunt Karl, falsely claiming that he himself had kept the harpoon and used it to hold his toilet paper. Though the sea be blue, Karl saw red, and he knew then he had to feed the ocean with McHank’s blood… Yelling “THIEF!!!!” as loud as he could, Karl took a swing with his cutlass. A smirking McHank slid to the side and avoided the blade, but stupidly tripped on a rock and got his foot caught on the rope tying the boat to the beach… As McHank struggled and tried to lift a rock to use as a weapon, the rope got tangled more tightly on his leg. Karl seized his opportunity and stabbed McHank straight through the abdomen, untied him, and then rolled the surfer-pirate into the sea…


Stealing the Baywatch shark remote control was easy (the whereabouts of which Karl already knew from his pirating days from his favourite Sultry Siren dancer, Pomerta Wing, who herself knew where it was kept as she loved to flirt with the lifeguards)… Using C.J. (the shark which the lifeguards used to clean the waters of the beach) would be the perfect tool to throw off any suspicions of foul play.

However, just as Karl was beginning to resume his plans against the captains of the Confederacy, he became aware that an innocent holidaymaker in a rubber ring, Furchin, had overheard Karl’s slip of the tongue. He also had to die, in case his voice would be recognised. Using the remote control from a location nobody could suspect, Karl had the shark gently tow Furchin out to sea, causing him to panic and flip upside down… The robotic shark could then swim away, turn around, speed up and ram the unfortunate holiday maker to make it look as if he had been struck by a boat or some other object capable of such an immense force.

This deed done, Karl smashed the remote and returned it to the lifeguard hut… His original plans had been thwarted, but what he had set in motion might be enough to attract detectives, expose Annie and Faris and get them convicted of murder, piracy, or any number of things… And he, a wounded ex-whaler, would get the last laugh on the beach…

But, of course, his tale would not end as he had hoped...

-

Theories:

O.G. Angry Bird correctly worked out the main details of the murder and the story which led to it, but Karl Abos had no direct connection with NUTS or the church of St. Mogin. Since these latter things were more open musings than forming part of an actual theory, the theory itself holds water and matches the truth.
Cluckbeak is also mostly correct. Doesn’t commit to whether Karl Abos was capable of murder or not, but strongly considers it.
Neither Angry Bird or Cluckbeak are clear about the murder of Furchin.


Raptorbo correctly works out Old Pommy and Father Pompous had an arrangement where Old Pommy gave up the names of the pirates… But that is where it ended. Father Pompous had no hand in murder.
Father Pompous’ relationship with Old Pommy unknown to Furaway McHank, who trusted Old Pommy and was concerned for his well-being.
Tobias / Fake Zazu and Gerry Adams are also incorrect in accusing Father Pompous.


-

Scores for clues:
Points for clues depend on how important they were as clues.

• Blue = critical important (murder wound, weapon, etc, related to act itself) = scores 5
• Dark blue = important (motives and breakthrough clues) = scores 4
• Green = semi-important (background info / indirectly connected to murder / circumstantial) = scores 3
• Red = not important / red herring = scores 1

Some of these scores look harsh and don’t reflect how well you all did. The problem is that because some of you went off on the wrong track and solved important clues unrelated to the murder, they score less points.
If you have any questions or concerns about the scoring, please ask.

Spoiler

Count Clarence Cluckbeak:

Reports to: Linnaete
Clues:

• The 'Mog Doe' led a lifestyle which Father Pompous disapproves of.
• Two starfish have attached themselves to our 'Mog Doe'
• The shark is known to lifeguard Damane, but it only eats dead flesh.
• NUTS is an acronym for Nostalgic Unit for Tree Societies. They believe in strict moogle-pure lifestyles free from human cultural influences.
• The NUTS member with scars scares Kupa Skiphop (the barmaid of The Tidus' Head).
• Pomid Hasselmog claims that suspicious people have been lowering items down the cliffs in a bucket.
• Independent deduction: The cave belonged to Andre and Andre’s symbol is used to identify his gravestone.
• Andre the Adamantoise's wife has assumed command of his crew. The crew are still in Whitnut according to Fura Hugwood.
• Pomfri Kisbug intends to reintroduce oglops into the wild at Whitnut.
• Independent deduction: Captain Andre and Annie the Adamantoises are on a photograph in The Tidus' Head. The same Annie is on the beach.
• Independent deduction: A ghostly sea monster has been captured on camera and matches the tattoo on McHank.
• Annie says that McHank had a special arrangement with the ghostly sea monster.
• Independent deduction: the giant fossil matches the moogle evolution artwork in Fossil Club
• The plesiosaur specimen in the Fossil Club is Plesiosaurus shirudora. Pom Pommond's geneticist once cloned one but it was lost as a baby.
• McHank stopped meeting pirates after his captain was booted out under suspicion of stealing cargo from the confederacy.
• Independent deduction: notices Father Pompous has been taking pirate plunder.
• Father Pompous decided a while ago that he should do something about the 'sinners' in town. The Father has been blackmailing them by threat of exposure.
• Independent deduction: the harpoon was used for slaying Syldra.
• Father Pompous reveals that being raised by dolphins is a euphemism so that certain 'sinners' can recognise each other.
• Independent deduction: the sand sculptures depict a shark.
• Phidias Morrowsee says that the sand showed him that the shark kept the beach clean and guarded it.
• Hasselmog suggests that someone must have stolen the shark's remote control and broken it.
• A scrap of paper falls from the 'beach butt' as it was kicked.
• Nutalie says that McHank's autobiography reported that people would surrender their goods to him when he sailed.
• Pomerta Wing says that the Baywatch team know how to use the shark remote, since they own it.
• Pomerta Wing suggests that people should be considering why the shark remote has been stolen and misused only now.
• Kuporge Pomard Jr. would like his harpoon back.
• Kuporge / Karl Abos points out that he only has two hands, a foot, and a head.

= 86


Areas discovered:

• The Tidus' Head
• Fossil Club

= 7


Total = 93

*

O.G. Angry Bird:


Reports to: sly
Clues:

• Paintbrush covered in pink paint was found underneath the Nippynut's Nudist Beach sign.
• The surfers known to the Tourist Info attendant Mogsteven are: Pomeidon, Furaway, Fura, Floppom, Kupostrous.
• St. Mogin is no longer politically correct.
• The dead surfer is Furaway McHank, according to Nutalie Selz. His death is likely to be of great benefit to Pomeidon.
• Independent deduction: Angry Bird independently recognises that Furchin Pomsnore has drowned and is floating upside down.
• Damane Mogson is relieved that Furchin died before he could be ghost food. And he ponders over whether 'the prank' went too far with regards to the sinking boats.
• A sword with bloodstain at its tip was found in the cave.
• Phidias cryptically suggests that the sand warns him.
• The bloody sword's hilt is engraved with a symbol and the word 'Chipper'.
• Modern surfers have forgotten the original religious nature of surfing. This angers Father Pompous.
• The cave pirates imply that there are multiple captains of the confederacy.
• Old Pommy believes Pomeidon to be the most talented surfer there is. He warns not to trust the pirate one.
• Nutloote the pirate woke up when he heard the pirate party approaching The Tidus' Head
• The note pinned to the wall of the cave reveals the captains, ships, and code of the Crossbone Confederacy.
• Nutloote the pirate celebrated the previous night and had too much to drink.
• Island of Kuposus map.
• The blood on the sword has dried on.
• Annie speaks of a certain Karl Abos who was marooned on a previous occasion.
• Kuporge Pomard Jr. explains that people who have been banished are never the same again if they survive...
• Somebody has recently turned the harbour into a nudist beach, according to Ultros.
• Mogabod explains that he restored some artefacts from the Moogle Museum to their rightful owners, and donated some of the forgeries to homes who needed them.
• Pirates love the barrel-themed hot tub.
• The sleepy policeman dreamily states that his coffee tasted odd.
• A photograph of some pirates is discovered at the hot tub.
• Pomerta Wing knows where shark remote is kept.
• Pomerta Wing mentions that Karl Abos used to follow her to the location where the remote is kept.
• Ruff 'Chops' Hugwood mentions that the harpoon accidentally touched the death-god statue and caused something weird to occur.
• The harpoon was Karl Abos' weapon of choice.
• Independent deduction: recognises Mogette as Mogabod’s daughter and that they rescued Kuporge Pomard Jr.
• Mogabod and his daughter, Mogette, recently found a strange one-legged man on a deserted island and rescued him and lent him clothes.
• Polyphemos Bromios doesn't think a return of Karl Abos is very likely, for surely the Confederacy would recognise him and apprehend him.
• Arnut 'Chipper' Keelpom swears he lost his cutlass recently.
• Furaway McHank was run through the abs all the way through. There is a stab wound.
• Kuporge Pomard Jr. is definitely Karl Abos.
• Independent deduction: there is a jealous love tangle among the pirates.
• Annie the Adamantoise wanted rid of both Karl Abos and Captain Scherwiz.

=108


Areas discovered:

• Tourist Information Centre
• 'Nippynut's Nudist Beach'
• Sultry Siren
• SS Kuporius
• SS Kuporious Lower Deck

= 16


Total = 124


*

Raptorbo:
Reports to: Soulcorruptor

Clues:

• Fish and chips remains and litter are present in the rubbish bin.
• Pomeidon has been training for the surfing championships.
• NUTS graffito on the wall near the toilets.
• Kuporge Pomard Jr. warns of pirates, surfers, 'Oglop-lovin' creeps' and NUTS fanatics.
• There had been a deadly rivalry between the two best surfers, according to Mogabod.
• A statue of the ancient moogle god of death is found next to a recently pinned NUTS banner in the Great White Kuponut Tree.
• Pomeidon claims that he wanted to humiliate Furaway publicly as revenge.
• KFC had been threatened by a warning nut from NUTS that if they did not close, NUTS would close it for them.
• NUTS stop throwing nuts at Raptorbo after they accidentally strike Fura Hugwood.
• Many bank customers list their parentage as 'dolphin'.
• The shark is a robot! It has washed up on the beach.
• The ownership of the robot shark is marked 'Kupocestershire County Lifeguards' on the robot's panel.
• There is circuitry and wiring within the body of the shark.
• The wires inside the robot shark are live! And dangerous!
• A handful of chocobo eggs were found in Old Pommy's wardrobe.
• The backdoor of Old Pommy's cottage leads into the garden in Upper Town.
• A note in Old Pommy's cottage suggests that the old moogle had an understanding with the pirates which might put him in danger now that the Confederacy is 'breaking apart'.
• Old Pommy claims he is done with pirates and that Father Pompous has his back.
• Father Pompous is 'off to slay them all'.

=45

Areas discovered:

• Fish N' Chips
• Upper Town
• Great White Kuponut Tree
• Great White Kuponut Tree First Floor
• Police Station
• KFC
• Great White Kuponut Tree boughs
• Bank
• Old Pommy’s Cottage

= 22


Total = 67


*

Gerry Adams:
Reports to: Paddy McGee
Clues:

• Phidias tells Gerry to look and he shall see what can be...
• Weeping kupo-nut symbol and letters NUTS found attached to the Amusement Arcade which was shut down due to vandalism.
• Mrs. Kupan says that the 'Mog Doe' is familiar to her, but her family are only visiting on holiday.
• There is a suspicious mark on the leg of 'Mog Doe' which suggests something had been tied to it.
• Some of the surfers would buy ice creams for the children in return for information.
• Furaway took photographs of Pomeidon after he fell off his board. This humiliated Pomeidon in front of the entire beach.
• Kupobella recalls hearing a clergyman yelling that Furaway was a sinner and that all sinners shall share his fate.
• Mogsteven informs that St. Mogin chased oglops into the sea to free Whitnut of infestation. In doing so, he invented the surfboard.
• Father Pompous is secretly training for the surfing competition.
• A photograph of Fura surfing was discovered in the graveyard. Writing on the photograph states "Remember there is another way - Fura"
• Fewer and fewer people have been attending St. Mogin's Church in recent years.
• The writing on the photograph discovered in the graveyard has been added recently. The reverse of the photograph is of an earlier date (2013) revealing that Fura and Ruff are siblings.
• An oglop hands over a scrap of paper with some writing in purple ink. The scrap warns about someone who has returned, and about clearing somebody.
• Interceptor has a nose for investigation leads.
• The dog called Interceptor is Interceptor.
• The pocket moth wants a lamp.
• The moth likes to flap in your face.
• The pocket moth is attracted to a lit sacred lamp in the boughs of the Great White Kuponut Tree.
• Ruff 'Chops' Hugwood claims that Father Pompous is untrustworthy.

= 46


Areas discovered:

• Kupo-Mart
• St. Mogin's Church

= 4


Total = 50

*




Tobias and Fake Zazu:
Reports to: Ilyena
Clues:

• The moogle family claim that the 'Mog Doe' is one of 'those types' and that they get cuts and bruises a lot.
• There are preserved remnants of a tattoo on 'Mog Doe's' arm.
• Furchin Pomsnore heard someone shout 'Thief!' before our 'Mog Doe' died.
• Ruff 'Chops' Hugwood is furious that mooglefolk have started to imitate human culture.
• The radical group NUTS are suspected of causing the vandalism which shut the Amusement Arcade down.
• Letter found in the Fossil Beach sack. Informs of a delivery request.
• Furchin's neck was broken.
• Phidias explains that a confederacy tried to harm the sand to alter their fate.
• Independent deduction: Kuporge Pomard Jr missing a leg might mean he has been mauled by a sea creature.
• Independent deduction: McHank’s surfboard was guided by a sea monster spirit.
• Surfers often leap from the cliffs on the fossil beach, and they practice surfboarding anywhere. According to Hasselmog, Furaway McHank has never been seen doing this.
• Furaway McHank used to meet with pirates late at night.
• Pomeidon recalls feeling an eerie presence under his board whenever he went surfing, and felt he was pushed off, despite not seeing anything. This happened when Furaway started surfing.
• Confiscated gold and a broken harpoon are discovered in the chest in the NUTS hideout.
• Ruff reveals that Father Pompous' chest of gold was to go a long way in funding NUTS operations in Whitnut-on-Sea and beyond.
• The robot shark can be accessed through a panel or through the mouth.
• There are multiple objects floating in salt-water within the stomach of the robot shark (including arm).
• A soaked receipt within the stomach of the robot shark reads 'Pomeidon' found in association with a can of 'Coeurl' deodorant and purchased at Kupo-Mart.
• Annie believes Captain Scherwiz stole treasure from the confederacy by making up a story that her ship was destroyed.
• The ocean is rather big.
• The scanty remains of Captain Scherwiz's crew are committed to getting revenge on Annie the Adamantoise.
• Captain Scherwiz's ship has magically risen from the bottom of the ocean.
• Furaway McHank claimed he saw the spirit of Scherwiz's sea monster.

= 66


Areas discovered:

• Fossil Beach
• The Cave
• Open Sea
• More Open Sea…

= 13


Total = 79


*


Susan Boyle:
Reported to: Sprout
Clues:

• Kupa Skiphop namedrops the Crossbone Confederacy.
• Kupa Skiphop is worried that Annie will fire her if the customers are too drunk to pay.

= 5


Areas discovered:

0

Total = 5.

Climax and results:

O.G Angry Bird and Count Clarence Cluckbeak correctly determine that Karl Abos (AKA Kuporge Pomard Jr) murdered Furaway McHank...

While Cluckbeak is daydreaming about the potential pose the commemorative statue of himself at Trafalgar Square could be holding, 'Chipper' grabs the pointy half of the broken harpoon, tosses it towards Karl Abos and hops aboard.

Angry Bird's pirate posse draw their pistols and fire at the escaping pair as they row out the sea. Karl's confidence in escape is undermined when he thinks he sees the hazy image of his nemesis in the water beneath him...

Oh no! 'Chipper' has been shot... And.. Whoops! Watch where you swing that plank-paddle, 'Chipper'!

Syldra gulps, burps, then dives into the depths of the ocean one last time...


O.G. Angry Bird and Count Clarence Cluckbeak both take credit for solving the murder...

But Count Clarence Cluckbeak has made the tabloids for all the wrong reasons...

O.G. Angry Bird = 124
Cluckbeak = 93

-
Raptorbo bites an eye out of Father Pompous and places his claws on his belly ready to disembowel the poor priest.

Tobias and Fake Zazu look on as Raptorbo's claws scratch at the Father's clothes, revealing some red-herring swimming trunks underneath.

Father Pompous braves the following words:

Noo! I was only goingggg to ‘slay them’ figurativelyyy - in the surfinnng competitionnnn!!! KUpoooo!

Tobias and Fake Zazu = 79
Raptorbo = 67

-

Gerry Adams also accuses the priest, but he never thought to leave the raging inferno of the Great White Kuponut Tree...

Local legends will claim that Gerry Adams' ghost can still be heard screaming "THE PRIEST DID IT!" from the spot where the tree once stood. Or maybe, it is just a trick of the wind.

Gerry Adams = 50

-

During the 2018 Whitnut-on-Sea Surfing Championships, Pomeidon performed brilliantly with Furaway McHank and his spirit guide no longer stopping him... However, Fura Hugwood stripped off mid-surf in protest of human-influences on moogle culture. Her demonstration wowed the whole beach and she ended up with first place!

The loss of the Great White Kuponut Tree was devastating to Fura and Ruff 'Chops' Hugwood... Not knowing about the naughty pocket moth, they see it as their fault and a sign of their own neglect.

They use the loss to further their aims, however, and they decide that "home is where the nuts are". The money gained through the surfing championships goes towards planting new trees in order to create a (non-violent) moogle haven free from any human influences.

-

Caught red handed in an act of open piracy, Arnut 'Chipper' Keelpom is swiftly sentenced to death by hanging.

Captain Annie Adamantoise pities the pirate, who had always been a valuable member of the Confederacy. While 'Chipper' had wronged the Confederacy by aiding Karl Abos, Annie doesn't think that the chippie chef deserves such a final punishment. Yet, to cut him loose and save him would be an open declaration to the pirates for Annie and any other pirate who should attempt such a rescue.... Annie fears she must watch him hang.

-

Game results:

1st place = @sly
2nd place = @Linnaete
3rd place = @Ilyena

4th place = @Soulcorruptor
5th place = @Paddy McGee
6th place = @Sprout

I'll decide on rewards and dish them out a bit later... I think since this has gone on for so long and required a lot of thinking for everyone, it deserves a larger reward than I initially had down...

I just want to say... WOW! What a game... Thanks to all of you for sticking with this and continuing to post such awesome moves. I know it took us a long time, but we all took breaks.

If anyone has more questions, ask. I understand some details may not have been fully revealed, so ask away and I'll tie up any loose ends to ease your mind!

 

[sly]

These are my final notes and unanswered questions. Most of it was covered in the finale, but it shows where my thoughts were leading up to my theory.


kisbug snuck out, of where?
pranks?
kuporge = karl?
when shark is found, KPJ goes to top of cliff and then goes back down (rope disappears)
shark only eats dead flesh, killed then eaten? or just splashing?
empty sack with note mentioning annie, explanation of recent events covering gap in time? bribe? someone with insider knowledge of confederacy
cheerleader = cheerleader from "barry and cheerleader" sculpture? or just wearing a costume based on event? related? face the same as pink lady
pink lady naked last year in pool, scherwiz stripped nude, nude beach written in pink
pink lady seen in the water early
who broke out of jail, who broke them out? when, before or after murder?
annie and karl? what happened to andre?
pink lady looking at andre in photo
mchank not happy about sherwiz being stripped of command
remote for shark is where? in shack? who broke/how
check bucket(?) on rope over ledge
shark projects syldra? or what does? actual ghost?
who normally controlled shark while mchank surfed?
who controlled shark while pomedion surfed?
same small crab from pirate photo found on aerith and shown with KPJ in another photo? reunited after aerith reeled in?
thief? and who yelled? words that sound like thief... or names [Sword?]
who was fisherman who left rod unattended? lobster claw or shark "shadow"
Floppom, Kupostrous = accidental leak of names? who are they
pomeidon using body spray, why, and why was it in the shark
did karl kill syldra, and get himself marooned? syldra ate leg? [seems confirmed]
andre killed by fff, the forum killing game?
pink elephant? relation to pink lady maybe (alluring rider)?
who brought the cop coffee? trusted enough to drink. , mogsteven also talks of spiked coffee..
Someone, possibly Karl/KPJ funded NUTS with pirate treasure as a distraction through the church.
why would pompous fund the nuts, using pirate gold, if they believe in the opposite of the church?
gold referred to as confiscated
pompous doesnt like todays sinner surfers > funds nuts with pirate gold > endgame?
"rope" marks on victims
rd16 where did pink lady go? same time shark appears? [scherwiz now on boat, how?]
What was on the broken stone, what happened to it


I plan to make a final post to clean up Angry Bird/Sams story and probably a gloating session.

 

[Dionysos]

^^^ @sly

I think you worked out some of those points anyway, but I'll answer the ones you may not know.



Kisbug just exited from one of the buildings and it wasn't important where he came from. His sole purpose was to unleash the oglops and act as a distraction.

The shadow underneath the fishing rod was actually the robot shark. If Angry Bird hadn't reeled Aerith in at that moment then the shark would have gone for her and pulled Angry Bird into the sea.

The broken stone slab on the 'Nudist beach' was the original sign marking the area as Whitnut-on-Sea's harbour. The lifeguards smashed it up and created the fake nudist beach sign. That was their practical joke in order to confuse people so that they could laugh as people stripped off and started to use it as a nudist beach. The boats bumped into each other and sank as a consequence of this prank as they did not expect to see naked bodies in the harbour.

The prison was a red herring. The policeman had been drugged in his coffee by NUTS members so that the police wouldn't stop their vandalism of Whitnut-on-Sea. Since most NUTS members were anonymous, they could have been any moogle citizen of Whitnut-on-Sea - including someone he trusted who gave him the coffee.
The same policeman was dreaming about pink elephants (a Dumbo reference but used here to suggest he wasn't really with it at this moment), and the Alluring Rider (a sexy monster in FFVI encountered in Cyan's dreams - a half-naked woman riding a goofy demon creature). The reference to Larry, Curly and Moe as the Dream Stooges was also a direct reference to FFVI's dream scene.

Faris and 'Sexy the Cheerleader' look alike only because I recycled assets a little bit and used Sexy the Cheerleader as a base from which to create Faris. Well spotted that there is some similarity, though this wasn't meant to be noticed as the characters themselves weren’t meant to be related.
The cheerleader herself is a character created by Tom / Harlequin in the first game I created like this (not a murder mystery but a haunted house RPG game). This was a sort of proto-MMM where I was testing some things and tweaking the idea. Never finished it.She ends up fighting Barry the Behemoth in a bathtub (which is where the sand sculpture in-joke comes from, as well as the marble statue in the museum last year).




Other Easter eggs, etc:
I'm not sure if anyone noticed when I had the lifeguards talking about how they would sometimes jump the shark for a training exercise.
This was basically an acknowledgement that in terms of plot I may have been 'jumping the shark' a bit...

They also named this robot shark C.J., which was Pamela Anderson's character in Baywatch.

Did any of you get the reference to Karl Abos = Karlabos (aka the lobster monster in FFV which attacked Syldra in that game)?

The pirates claiming that they were raised by dolphins is more than just a silly concept I created. Ignoring the in-universe explanation I have Father Pompous explain, in real-world Greek mythology Dionysos is kidnapped by pirates. When Dionysos makes vines grow on the ship and turns into a lion the pirates get a bit scared and jump overboard, becoming dolphins as they splash into the sea. It's depicted on my avatar.

The 'Wall's' ice cream freezer is decorated with images of the Donald Trump chocobo (Drumpf). Wall's - get it?

I'll stop there unless anyone spots anything themselves they want me to explain, since maybe I should keep these maps and do a Where's Wally / Waldo style exercise with them....


Did anyone spot the 'Timber Maniacs Issue 1' Easter egg?


If anyone else has other questions or would like a clarification on something, discuss freely.

 

[Ilyena]

I did get the Karl Abos = Karlabos reference though, silly me, I didn't connect the two.

 

[Dionysos]

I've dished out all the prizes now.... Hope you are happy with them!

Thanks to your efforts we have now added Captain Andre the Adamantoise as a smiley.

Use : andre: without the spaces. Arrr!



I'll also get to work on the new Chocobo Egg creation which has resulted from this. It might take a while due to work on the magazine, but it'll be a work in progress in the background.

Thanks again to everyone involved.