Camp Smoothie: Disappearance Investigation Discussion

[SunstonePhoenix]

I would like to ask the owls if they know that someone is lying.

[Arianbelle]

Y’all I think the individual “walking strangely” was Cirrus. Would you not walk strangely if you were blindfolded and being pushed along in the forest?

Yes, I think so too

[SunstonePhoenix]

I would also like to ask Seraphine if they have a secret that they want to share - something that they want to feel safe and unjudged for.

[LexyLooHoo]

im not understanding any of this

[SunstonePhoenix]

Alright then, final answer...s

Either this was a team building exercise.

Or Seraphine is a cryptid. Became good friends with Cirrus, and wanted to show her their true form. They went in the woods together, and had some food around a campfire. Maybe Cirrus ended up friendly with some of the local cryptids (who are Seraphine's friends remember, they introduced us to them). Stayed at the cave with the cryptids and came back later. Seraphine didn't want Mason to pry too deeply, so tried to steer him off by providing logical explanations for the cryptid phenomena. Cirrus wanted to cover for Seraphine and so made up the kidnapping story. And Seraphine's red coat was what the Creamsicle flashlight reflected off of in the night. They were getting some berries too, after all, interspecies introductions can be hungry work!

[Meridork]

I love all those theories! I'm still holding out hope it's someone we don't suspect as much, like Moose or Beryl! I agree, Moose has the strongest motives of all and i didnt even NOTICE him throwing Mason under the bus. SO SUSPICIOUS!!!

And maybe we'll get some answers from the NPC's, you guys all asked super good questions that i think will shed a lot of light!

[Palimpsest]

Lakeside detective on the case


Once Cirrus returned, it seems the glampers started cleaning up, and the cryptids and forest animals seemed grateful! That's one mystery solved. It looks like the glampers upset the balance, and that's why the forest animals were coming into camp.

At least we've figured out why we had so many animals coming into camp--the balance of everyone using the forest resources needed to be restored! If we make peace with the cryptids everything should go back to normal.

So, what happened that night?

That was not my kind of adventure! The night it happened I heard some rustling outside my tent. I was worried it was bears, but I had put my bear bag up just like I was supposed to, so I hoped they would pass me by. I closed my eyes tight and covered my ears, but then the next thing I knew, someone came into my tent and was blindfolding me! They didn't say a word, so I have no idea who it was. I panicked and froze; It was so scary! I honestly didn't even think to try and scream, and then they covered my mouth too. They led me away, and kept prodding me to walk through the woods further and further. I tripped and stumbled a few times, but they kept pulling me along.

When we stopped I begged for them to tell me who they were or why they were doing this, but they still didn't say anything, and then they were gone. It took me a minute to get the blindfold off, and it was so dark. By the time I could check I was alone. There was food and water and some other supplies that looked like they had been taken from others at the Glampgrounds. I had no idea how to get back safely, and I remembered a lesson Moose had taught me--if you're ever lost, stay put! So I did, and I built a fire hoping Seraphine would see it.

When I looked around there were several different kinds of strange tracks, but I didn't know what to make of them. Some were big, and others were small. And it looked like something had been living in the cave there! I found this brown fur. At night, I swear I heard wings and felt eyes watching me. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, but I don't know enough about what's normal in the woods. I'm just so glad to be back. Thank you so much for not giving up on me!

Cirrus' report reveals a lot about what happened. As the clues fit into her narrative, we know that...

The glampgrounds are a fancy camping place that some claim camp improperly, leaving fairy lights on well into the night, and leaving food and trash in reach of bears. Some of their items, such as fairy lights and a gas stove, were confiscated by Mason, while other fairy lights were found by birds. However, not all glampers appear to be nature-averse - some have high tech camping setups, and most appear to tie bear bags out of reach in the trees.

Cirrus arrived at the campground to stay with Andrea. As a pony who wasn't inclined to nature, it was an ill fit for her. She didn't know how to light a fire when she first arrived, is very particular about her things, and doesn't like bug bites or hiking. However, despite this, she has stayed in the glampgrounds for a long period of time, learning how to light a fire from Moose, as well as other safety procedures, like staying in one place if you get lost. She is very close with Andrea, coveting a purple-stringed rhinestone friendship bracelet that Andrea made for her, and would never have left on her own. It is confirmed that her and Andrea are in a relationship, and Andrea was incredibly concerned when she left.

The night she went missing, a glamper recorded, using heat sensors, someone walking towards Cirrus' tent, and two people walking away. If Cirrus were the one walking away (walking oddly under blindfold & duress), then that means one person arrived at her tent, gathered items from the glamper's bags to leave with her at the cave, then entered her tent, blindfolded and kidnapped her, and left on foot. Based on the evidence trail, they then proceeded to the watchtower (where the rhinestones were found), before passing through the far side of the lake (farther than the trails we hiked, where her bracelet was found).

At the cave, Cirrus reports strange tracks (large and small), brown fur, wings, and eyes. She was left with supplies from the Glampgrounds, and lit a fire and stayed put, on the advice of Moose. Her fire was then seen from the watchtower by team green, but not by Seraphine (who had gone missing) or Mason (who had taken over watching the tower, and fallen asleep). Cirrus was taken at night, and when she got her blindfold off, it was still night. This was when she stoked her fire.

Seraphine and Cirrus were discovered missing on the morning of day 6. That same day, we explored camp, and team green saw the fire. The next morning, Seraphine returned to camp. Therefore, Cirrus must have been taken, traveled, and arrived at the cave in one night. Team Green states "you think it might have taken all day to hike there," so it is likely that the person who walked Cirrus there wasn't at camp the following morning, unless they returned by a faster method, such as by boat, flight, or riding. The only person missing from camp that morning, other than Cirrus, was Seraphine.

Seraphine left to go walking the trails on the evening of day 5. They got last that evening, and remained lost all night. On day 6, the day we went searching for clues, Seraphine tried to make their way home, and ended up finding the lakeshore that evening.

The strangest thing happened. I went for a walk in the woods along one of the trails I hadn't explored yet because Mason told me there was a grove of raspberries down there. He was supposed to watch the tower while I was gone. And there were raspberries! They were delicious. But, when I headed back, I followed the trail signs and somehow got all turned around. It was already getting dark, and I ended up lost out in the woods all night because my compass got broken somehow! Thankfully, I had enough supplies with me that I was okay, and once the sun came up I was able to navigate back to the lakeshore. I'll have to go out there and investigate what's wrong with that trail more thoroughly once we've solved this mystery. As for tomorrow, it's important that I stay here in the Firewatch Tower while Mason is away from the Ranger Station. If there's a fire, no one would be here to report it! If there's anything you need from me before you go, I'm happy to help.

Seraphine, according to Moose, is a new recruit this year, and still learning the forest trails. They're very knowledgeable about forests in general, and especially about mushrooms. They're also, supposedly, very reliable, and would be unlikely to abandon their post without coercion. They keep their quarters neat and orderly, and there was no sign of a disturbance or that they left anything unexpectedly. Seraphine's fur was discovered near some neon yellow trail signs, The trail, when followed, leads to a clearing of raspberry bushes, with something red reflecting within them. Seraphine was last spotted (according to Penny) returning from the clearing with raspberries that night (alone). One of the trail signs, on the returning route, was tampered with to point in the wrong direction. All of this corroborates the story that Seraphine went out searching for rasberries that evening, and could have gotten turned around, especially if their compass were tampered with.

In their quarters, they have maps, a paintbrush, and a can of neon yellow paint. Outside of their quarters, near the watchtower, were found abandoned rope, a rusted spoon, two crystal rhinestones (identified as similar to ones Andrea used to make a bracelet for Cirrus), and a large bird presence. From the top of the tower itself can be seen the entirety of the lake and most of the forest, including a shadow under the lake, a cave with a fire out front, and the brightly lit glampgrounds.

~~

Here's one theory about what happened that night.

The counsellors arrive at the campgrounds, and Cirrus comes along with Andrea. The glampers are in full swing, disturbing the environment and upsetting the local animal and cryptid populations. Someone (our suspect) recognizes this, and realizes that something has to be done. This person gathers information on a likely person to kidnap, someone who doesn't know enough to get themself out of the situation, but knows just enough to be safe and found again - someone that the campers would notice was missing and be very concerned about. They then make a plan. They know who to kidnap, but how will they do it without raising suspicion themselves? And how will they get someone to help?

The night of the campout comes, and all the campers are taken out on the hiking trails they explored the previous day, near the lake. All the counselors, including Moose and Andrea, and all the campers were present. That evening, while everyone was going on the campout, Mason told Seraphine about the raspberries, and promised to watch the tower while she was gone. Like they often do, walking the trails to learn them and doing upkeep on the signs, Seraphine left to gather raspberries. Mason then left the watchtower, went to the glampgrounds, used his extra supplies to reach the bear bags and obtain supplies, then kidnapped Cirrus and walked out of camp with her. He then proceeded to walk her to the watchtower, where he left the rope he used to reach the bags and dropped a spoon, and on to the hiking trails that we were camping out on. Moose then took over walking Cirrus past our campout and to the cave, then back to the campgrounds, allowing everyone to return before they were noticed missing on what should have been a lengthy hike.

Moose, concerned about the impacts on the environment and prone to taking forceful action, convinced Mason to help him kidnap Cirrus by promising it would reveal to everyone the presence of the cryptids, and then laid the blame on him. His plan succeeded! The suspicious creatures of the forest were investigated and discovered, the glampers either left or cleaned up their act out of fear, and Cirrus was safely rescued and returned home by the diligent campers.

Another story could have gone similarly, but instead been Seraphine rather than Mason. However, Seraphine's motives don't line up with the crime. If they didn't believe in the cryptids, or perhaps wanted to protect them like much of those around the lake, why would they lay so much suspicion on their shoulders? Also, if it were Seraphine, then this would explain why someone was gone for the whole time. But the choice of kidnapping Cirrus ONLY makes sense if one of the counsellors was involved - no one else would have known that she was the perfect choice, someone intimately connected to camp, with just the right amount of knowledge, but not the disposition to fight off her attackers or be able to identify them.

I'm gonna spend the last few minutes before rollover reviewing the evidence I didn't get to and seeing if it points elsewhere! Unfortunately I ran out of time gathering evidence XD

[Meridork]

Lakeside detective on the case


[snipped]

I think this is a great write up and an awesome theory! JUSTICE FOR MASON!! It's so narratively satisfying for the most anti-cryptid counselor to be framing Mason with the very thing he's denying!

I still feel like Mason's brother must play into this somehow, but Moose might be his bro! it would make sense for a skeptic to pretend to be a cryptid!

Also, i feel like the bear bags being rooted through--maybe the cryptids actually rooted through the bags to bring supplies to Cirrus to make sure she was OK, rather than her kidnapper thinking it through that much!

[Palimpsest]

Lakeside detective on the case


[snipped]

I think this is a great write up and an awesome theory! JUSTICE FOR MASON!! It's so narratively satisfying for the most anti-cryptid counselor to be framing Mason with the very thing he's denying!

I still feel like Mason's brother must play into this somehow, but Moose might be his bro! it would make sense for a skeptic to pretend to be a cryptid!

Also, i feel like the bear bags being rooted through--maybe the cryptids actually rooted through the bags to bring supplies to Cirrus to make sure she was OK, rather than her kidnapper thinking it through that much!

I love those thoughts ^^
After reviewing what the NPCs said, I'm pretty certain on this theory. The only thing I'd add is that the cave seems to be a cryptid center - where all the ones we got recently were from, and where the owls came from. Bringing Cirrus there is the perfect way to shine suspicion on them.
So far the cryptids and forest creatures themselves have done nothing to make me suspect them on their own. They don't have the knowledge of Cirrus that would be required, and they seem to be both shy and helpful. They don't seem to be malicious enough to go this far for someone to listen to them.
But maybe there are.
We won't know for sure unless someone confesses, I suppose.

My final theory is Moose & Mason
Seraphine checks out IMP

[Chelydra]

I honestly have no idea who could be behind the kidnapping. All I can come up with are reasons why someone couldn't be the culprit. I'd need another day of new evidence / having the NPCs answer questions before I could settle on a suspect.

The problem is: I would rule out all of the NPCs, but I would also rule out the cryptids.

We found out that Seraphine and Cirrus are missing on Day 6 in the morning.
Cirrus was kidnapped the night before (Day 5). (according to what Cirrus said herself on Day 9)

One glamper has a heat sensor that showed one person walking by their tent late at night and later two people walking back with one of them walking strangely. (Creamsicle clue 6) These are most likely Cirrus and her kidnapper.
I'd assume Cirrus was the one walking strangely, since she was blindfolded and scared and just stumbled along.
If the image on the heat sensor is detailed enough to notice that a person walks strangely, then would it not be obvious if a cryptid walked by? Wouldn't a Creamsicle member have shouted: "Wait a second! Are those walking pants / a bunny with wings / something that is most certainly not normal ?!"
With a more detailed description of the image on the heat sensor, we might be able to tell the species of the people walking past, which would narrow our list of suspects down considerably. Or prove that it was not Cirrus at all, it's not relevant to our case, just some glampers taking a midnight stroll.
If all we know is that the culprit doesn't look unusual compared to the stumbling pony, we can still rule out cryptids except for maybe owl mothman, Littlefoot and Crowdragon (if dragons are considered normal in our speaking-animals-go-camping-world)
Which points us toward the NPCs.

However! According to Green Cabin the cave is "far in the distance. You think that it might take all day to hike there." Dusk falls, the Green beans turn to leave and just then (dusk, Day 6) a campfire appears in front of the cave. (Green clue 5)
And Cirrus says she walked all the way to the cave; when she got the blindfold off and could see again, it was dark; and she worked on building the fire immediately.
This means the culprit escorted her from the night of Day 5 to the evening of Day 6! If the culprit was with Cirrus the whole day of our clue hunt, then everyone we saw that day cannot be her kidnapper! And we spoke with everyone except for Seraphine, who was also missing that day and only returned on Day 7.

Unless we're not dealing with a single perpetrator, but a team of (at least) two. In that case anything's possible again.

I'm also still really hung up on the mystery of the FINTASTIC canoe.