semi-open || secret societies on the other side of the wall

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WHO: Dreadful Women's Adventure Club
WHERE: Escape Mechanisms in Tisse
WHEN: May 27th
WHAT: May's DWAC adventure is at a 1920s speakeasy escape room! Please sign up here to join the club!
WARNINGS: Lots of text. I'm so sorry. To make things easier, this log is going to have pre-established toplevels for each puzzle that everyone can freely tag into, since I'm going on the assumption that the club will be working as one big group. Feel free to make your own toplevels for the accidentally breaking things prompt, the running out of time prompt, and the post escape room prompt, though. And don't hesitate to PM me at raynestorm with any questions about the puzzles ♥

This month’s adventure is at a nondescript looking building in Tisse, but it’s very clear once the group meets with their attendant that there’s a distinct 1920s flair to everything from the woman’s clothes to the furniture and décor. "Feel free to get dressed up," she says, and pushes a rack of period appropriate costumes at them. Ten minutes later, whether they decided to dress up or not, she returns and opens a file on the table in front of them.

She proceeds to explain that they, as the players, are undercover detectives trying to gain access to the office of an infamous crime boss inside his speakeasy. Their goal is to get into the office, find incriminating evidence against him, and then secure the escape route before his gang returns to the speakeasy in an hour. If they fail to do so, the gang will certainly discover someone snooping around...and will start disposing of the intruders for good.

After this, the attendant takes on her informant persona and leads them into a pitch black room. "Wait here, I’ll take care of the guard," she says, and proceeds to the next room alone. A flirty conversation happens, which is quickly interrupted with a loud thump. The informant lets them in to reveal the guard 'knocked out' on his chair. "That's Barry Costello. He's a nasty piece of work, so don’t let him hear you, okay?" she whispers, as a secret panel in the wall gives way to stairs leading down. “Good luck!”

BOSS’ OFFICE

[The bottom of the stairs opens up to a large replica of a speakeasy, with a grandfather clock in the back signaling the start of their hour to escape. There are several points of interest that lead to the incriminating evidence on the crime boss:

• A wooden keg connected to a series of knobs and corresponding pipes that, curiously, has a little glass window, revealing a key floating in the wine. Players must fiddle with the wine level inside the keg into order to get the key out from the oddly placed spigot. The key unlocks the secret room...once you actually find the secret room.
• That’s done by reading the file's report on how the gang likes to hide notes to each other in plain sight and marking them as secret with a drawing of a lemon. This refers to their invisible ink writing method, and players will have to search the room for the correct loose leaf page to hold up to the fireplace to see...
• An image of a specific spot in the wall and various arrows pointing in a variety of different directions. This is a sliding panel puzzle, and pushing the panels in the correct order and direction will reveal the button that leads to the boss' office.
• Inside, the two safe boxes are very obviously in sight, but the problem is finding the codes for the locks. That's done by reading a log of 'code keepers' and remembering that the latest code keeper on the list is the 'unconscious' guard upstairs, Barry Costello. Players will have to go back up and reach into his shirt pocket to retrieve the codes without waking him. If players are having difficulties with the escape route puzzles, he can be heard mumbling hints under his breath!]

ESCAPE ROUTE

[Because the office and escape route puzzles aren't connected, group members can split up and work to complete both at the same time. In order to find and open the escape route, players will have to go through a few steps:

• Investigate a meowing sound coming from a cabinet behind the bar. Upon opening it, a cat will jump out, revealing a crawlspace inside the cabinet behind her. Someone will need to squeeze in to retrieve the key and a note, which talks about...
• The loose floorboards puzzle. Players need to either push or pull the correct floorboards in the correct order to open up a secret compartment under the floor. The key from the crawlspace opens up a crate inside of it that contains various wine bottles.
• The wine bottles inside the crate are of all different sizes, as well as different weights thanks to the volume of wine inside. Players must use number clues on the crate lid and bottle labels to find the bottle's corresponding dining table before setting the bottles into the divots in the wood. Doing this correctly will activate the mechanism to open up a different section of the wall, revealing a staircase leading up to the escape door. If the players figure out to put the extra bottle from the crate in the divot on the bar counter, a drawer will pop open. Inside of it, evidence on a rival gang that counts for bonus points can be found in the false bottom.
• It should be noted that the speakeasy has a lot of breakable objects not related to the puzzles, if there are group members who are likely to investigate every little thing in the room...
• Group members might also notice that by this point, they only have five minutes left. At the one minute mark loud voices from upstairs can be heard, a clear indication that the gang has come back, ready to spill blood...]

SPEAKEASY BAR AND RESTAURANT

[Win or lose-- though let's be honest, these ladies definitely won-- after the hour is up, all participants are rewarded a free glass of wine from the bar at the replica speakeasy restaurant adjoining the escape room building! They have a menu of reinvented 1920s dinner fare, so if people are in the mood for a sit-down meal to relax after the event, they're welcome to take a table.]

Comments

COSTUME DRESS UP

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[Minako had already gotten the chance to see the costumes weeks ago, when she'd come in scoping the place out for the event. So she knows exactly which dress she wants to wear. Whisking it off the rack, she disappears into the changing room that adjoins the briefing room, and emerges with a little grin, adjusting the headpiece nestled into her hair.]

What do you think?

[scarlet_devil]

[ Émilie is both very much attracted to women and not at all blind... so forgive her if she stares a bit. She may be already interested in someone, but still...! ]

Um. Was I staring? [ She kind of was. ] You look like you can have most guys and a few girls heart's aflutter.

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[She blinks, and then her whole face is aflame.] Oh! Um. I don't know about that, but thank you all the same. [Minako is Too Busy for the dating life, but it hasn't stopped her from having admirers, and on her good days she knows that she's attractive enough to warrant the attention. And she doesn't particularly like it? But a reminder every once in a while is nice.] Are you going to change too?

[scarlet_devil]

[ She gives Minako a nod, slightly embarrassed for her own actions. ]

Indeed, I bought my own outfit for the occasion. [ She holds up the duffel bag she brought with her. ]

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Whoa, your own outfit? You totally came prepared for this...

[Color her impressed. Minako scoots out of the way of the door, opening it for the other woman with a flourish.]

Take your time, milady!

--did they say it like that back then?

[longwei2go]

[ Yin is sure to be the last one to enter the dressing room because it would no doubt take her the longest, all things considered, and she didn't want to get in anyone's way. after a few minutes wherein she shed her t-shirt, jeans, and boots, she exits into the planning area wearing a fine pair of dark slacks, penny-loafers, and a baby blue button-up men's shirt with a clip-on bowtie. (thank god for that part, too, because that would have been impossible otherwise.)

look. Yin's met her dress quota for the spring, it's time to change things up. plus this way it covers most of her tattoos, which helps her blend in to the theme of the place. mostly. there's no taming that hair or getting her to pull her piercings out for no one, no how.

she sets her suit jacket on the table and then holds up a pair of suspenders dangling from her hand. ] Anyone mind helping me strap in?

[ clearly she's out to make an impression as a new recruit. whether it's good or bad is up to the others to decide. ]

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Oh hey, nice! I'm glad someone decided to go with the pants options.

[Minako reaches out and snags the suspenders, fiddling with them for a moment before handing Yin the front clips.]

Here you go! I got the back ones.

[longwei2go]

Skirts aren't usually my thing anyway...

[ Yin waits patiently for the ends to come over so she can secure them. finished with that, she turns and smiles. ] Thanks for the assist, doll.

—did they say "doll" in the 20s? "Broad"? "Sweetheart"? [ that was a terrible Bogart inflection. ]

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[Minako laughs and shakes her head hard enough that the fringe of her headdress waves back and forth with the motion.]

You're asking the wrong girl about that, I have no idea. Sweetheart sounds the nicest, though?

[longwei2go]

[ that's an eye-catching motion. Yin blinks a couple times then looks around for suit's coat. ] Ahah, well tonight was your idea — or at least inviting me was. I thought you'd know more about it than me.

[ she smiled. ] You look pretty at home in that getup.

WATER KEG PUZZLE

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[longwei2go]

[ Yin is staring intently into the window for what seems like a good minute before finally offering her suggestion. ] I'm thinking: drink it, or break it.

[ no one should be surprised. "break it" seems to be her go-to idea for every puzzle in here. ]

[mincingminuet]

Breaking it seems like a waste.

[Penelope looks at the keg, peering into the window. The key is obvious but how to use it something else.]

I think we could theoretically use these knobs to do something.

[longwei2go]

I take alcohol abuse very seriously. [ she straightened up and grinned. ] If we can find a bucket, we don't have to waste much.

[mincingminuet]

A bucket?

[Penelo whips around, looking for one and starting to root around in a box.]

Found some!

[She holds up a couple of buckets and tosses one to Yin.]

[longwei2go]

[ luckily, Yin's pretty handy and has good reflexes. she reaches out and catches the one bucket by letting it slip over the top of her hand, then flips it over and places it on the ground beside the keg. ]

Nice. Okay. Now... to find a crowbar... [ someone might want to physically stop her from destroying this puzzle!! ]

INVISIBLE INK NOTE/SLIDING PANEL PUZZLE

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CODE STEALING

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CRAWLSPACE/LOOSE FLOORBOARDS PUZZLE

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[Minako immediately went for the cat, because kitty, and is now holding her in her arms, looking at the crawlspace dubiously.]

Do 'not it' rules apply here?

[longwei2go]

[ Yin just gives a shrug of her broad shoulders. ] Pretty sure I won't even fit.

[ yeah, she may be missing most of her right arm, but she's probably the tallest lady here even wearing flats. ] But hey, if no one wants to scuff up their fancy clothes, I'll do it.

[ that isn't meant as a challenge, but there you have it. ]

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[Minako grins and shrugs.]

You don't have to fit all the way, you just have to reach in far enough to get whatever clue is probably back there.

[longwei2go]

Okay, sure. But if I get stuck you'll have to be the one to get me out. Deal? [ she hopes it won't come to that but, worst case scenario, Yin could be heavier all things considered...

she is already moving into place, confident that help will arrive should she need it. they all depend on it or something. ]

WINE BOTTLE WEIGHT PUZZLE

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