Post by Todd on Jul 27, 2016 8:32:19 GMT -5
]Perhaps I find may find myself alone in this, but I have recently inherited a debt, so to speak.
In my possession I have seem to have been entrusted a mysterious diary belonging to one Ogden McNally among other things.
What followed was a distrustful and disturbing case that I will not retell here.
Furthermore, evidence suggests I may have not been the first unfortunate soul entrusted to this story. It seems that this book has been passed around, tormenting souls for a period of time.
I reach out to you, my fellows of adventure and mystery to dissect and discuss this curious case and I hope to hear back from someone....anyone. I cannot be alone.
You are not alone.
www.gutenberg.org/files/18253/18253-h/18253-h.htm#DISCOVERIE
www.gutenberg.org/files/15493/15493-h/15493-h.htm
My writer friend was recently in possession of the original or perhaps copy of the aforementioned material. He received a letter from T.
I think you may not be alone. I searched young Ogden's name and discovered a discussion wherein one person has actually requested the help of local law enforcement.
I'm sure by now those through whose hands this book has passed have noticed the
that correspond to the
I have also noticed the
But none of this makes sense! I resolve to searching for clues in the stuffing paper.
Many Mysteries abound!
are the Ghostbusters involved?, was Oggies name changed after 1984? (On the back of a scrap pic he is refered too as Oden Lancs...) what is Demdikes song? And is it relevent?
Todd, my dear sir, I cannot seem to conjur any awnser to your link! What, mayhap, are you refrencing?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 2 months ago
Those witches are heavy going for all but the most stout of heart.
My assumption was that the "Lancs" on the back of the photo meant
As for the links I provided, it's simply some back-story on the true story of Demdike, Elizabeth, Alizon, and Jennet. There are points where the Weeping Book seems to depart from the historical record.
Unless you are referring to the amulet.
A dear friend of mine received this package recently. I had the opportunity to visit him this weekend and examine the contents of his crate. I made the following observations: On the amulet are 40 symbols with corresponding numbers, 1 through 40. Only symbols numbered 1 through 17 (except for 16) appear in the book. Each page of the book contains a maximum of 17 lines of text.
Could the symbols on the pages correspond to lines of text on those pages?
Prehaps, the lines of text or even the word count could correspond! I shall investagste soon!
You guys are on the right track! Now I'm stuck in terms of what other puzzles there are cause the story is still incomplete.
Most frustrating is the lack of a date or location on the last Nowell obituary.
By the by, the journal appears to end in 1983. So that Oggies pic in 1984 'Ogden Lancas' was taken and marked AFTER his abduction/move to canada. So pairing the '84 with his visit to Lancanshire would be inncorect in the timeline
Also, Nanoburd, the drawings of the feathers and the magpie and crow (both from the corvid family) refrences might mean somthing, eh?
Mr. Johnston,
Ghostbusters was not released until June 1984. Therefore, the visit to Lancashire could not have been prior to 1984.
How are you arriving at your dates?
Dearest Todd, you are correct. I was erroneously coresponding the months in the diary with the published date of the book itself.
This. Is. SO. Scary!!!
I too have received a journal of a one Ogden Andre McNally. I have read the tale, and have moved on to other peculiarities with the package. Like Dr. William S Johnston and Old Possum, I have matched the symbols with numbers on the amulet. I then have
Mr. Gallerani, I'm curious -- if the symbols represent
how are you interpreting those pages that only have one symbol or have more than two symbols?
Old Possum,
The symbols always come in pairs. Some pages have no symbols. Some have two. Some have four.
Aha, I see. I don't have the actual book to refer to, since it is in my friend's possession, so I must be remembering wrong. We also may have missed a symbol or two.
The multiples are confusing!
Intresting Phil. I will have to check that out when I get home. I have been wondering about some of the sketches And how they might tie in. It seems young Oggie did nothing that was not deliberate. I have also just realized that there are
Yes, I too was wondering about the sketches and whether they form another layer. I also wonder whether all of us have the same torn out pages or whether it's possible to compile a complete diary amongst us...
Phil, i dont know where you got the
tip or how it works, seeing as theres only 7 letters in the word. But there is a drawing at the back of the book that corresponds to a description Oggie gives, that is very reminicent of the
The pages? Hmmm
Also, how many of you
Dr. William S Johnston,
I regret to inform you that you have the wrong Kim Novak film. Look to
Well, dear Todd, that torpedos one theory of mine. Thank you. I feel my mental prowess in this endevor can be likend to a dull, blunted blade, failing at cutting even the softest of butter.
It would seem I have misplaced my original shipping label. If you are indeed referring to the fact that I was delivered a wooden crate within a cardboard box...
Incidentally is there significance to
The Cap'n, I am convinced that nothing is accidental or by chance with this expierence And yes, i was refering to the label on the shipping box.
I have called the number but have not quite followed through on it as of yet. This makes me wonder about the address on the shipping label or the one on the postcard, for that matter. Perhaps it is time to start some correspondence of my own?
I do not suppose anyone would be willing to share the relevant information on the shipping label with me?
LoyJ001(AT)gmail(dot)com?
I'd be keen to see any info from the shipping label too please. philljwarrenATyahooDOTcoDOTuk
It has been sent.
To whom it may concern, thank you for your consideration and contribution.
I, too, have not retained my shipping label. I would be most grateful for that information. indypopovichATgmailDOTcom
Glad to be of service.
Recently, I received a suspiciously similar crate. I have tried several ways to decipher the symbols, with some success using the one listed above. Calling the number led to a concerning revelation. It seems that the story reaches past the original diary.
I've foolishly discarded my shipping label as well. To any kind soul who's still willing to share these lost details, I extend my utmost gratitude in advance: reptiliasATgmailDOTcom
In joining with the others, I as well regretfully cannot find the original shipping label. I however, saved everything else! I'm curious if there is anything to the other papers inside the crate. That being said, I would very much appreciate the number as well.
robertDOTgalleraniATgmailDOTcom
Oh! Thank you! That was a terrifying phone call, guess I'm not sleeping tonight, so I'll just go over those codes again. And research professions, I'll post when I have a clue...
Also noted that (yes, of course!) there is a
Yes,
Which is interesting because it means the
I dont imagine the packing paper is supposed to mean the paper was current when the package was sent. Isnt it more likely it should be seen as an 'old' paper?
In reference to the mysterious phone number, has anyone unlocked anything further and discovered
I would like to encourage any or all of you to come to the unofficial chat room where matters can be discussed more freely and openly. Here, mere speculation is often taken as a clue.
I am typically not far unless I am asleep. If I take a while to respond, simply say my name and I will notice sooner.
Instructions to access the chat room can be found on the home page of the Curios & Conundrums wiki.
My misunderstanding Todd, apologies
I think the same as you and have started working my way through the crossword.
Phill,
No apology necessary. Your interpretation was valid, and I could have been more precise.
A different perspective is essential in these adventures, and so quite welcome.
Carry on!
Dear Todd, I now have the correct film. But am at a loss as to how besides having
I am unsure exactly of how it is to be implemented as a guide!
Sorry for the double post. Technology is cursed!
Dear Dr Johnston,
I think you are misleading yourself with the
See my earlier post for advice on how to decipher them. If you're still stuck, send me your email address and I'll be happy to guide you through it.
Have just listened to the message. It would be useful if someone could put a transcript on the wiki. Being based in the UK I can't afford to keep calling it!
Phill, thank you, paying closer attention yo your past post makes all the diffrence! I cannot transcribe it as of yet, but if you have sny questions re: the phone call, just ask!
Dr Johnston, I'd appreciate some pointers as to which specific incident the voice refers to.
Dear Phill,
There are 3 clues in the message. The first is
And the other two are
Withe some investigation, more information should come to light. Let me know if i can be of further assistance on the matter.
dpurves28AThotmailDOTcom
I was one of the foolish souls who didn't keep the original packing box, not realizing it would be important. I'll know for future mailings. Could I get the information that was on that label?
Thanks.
Has anyone had any luck uncovering the messenger's occupation?
Old Possum,
All I have a shots in the dark. There are four clues, I believe in the phone call. but none of them seem terrifically clear in regards to the actual profession of the disembodied voice. all I am sure about is The tragic event in which the voice speaks of.
I'm not even absolutely sure of the event because, while it is the only thing that comes up when researching the clues, there are things that do not fit.
But I believe we're all focusing on the same event at this time.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Todd, yes, i beleive we two at least are focused upon the same event. There are multiple sources that seem to round the death toll up to 50
Perhaps my eyesight is failing me but I have retained the shipping label and see no phone number listed. Did you find the number on the Canada Post shipping label?
Several of us have discussed that event in the chatroom. Many interesting details have come to light. Several strong theories have emerged. We're not aware if the profession has been discovered, or how it would be revealed if it was.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
JandJ,
Was there not a
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear Todd,
I would very much enjoy engaging in that discussion. Is there a time that you all are active more so than not?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Could the crate the journal was shipped in be a clue to the profession?
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
Dr. William S. Johnston,
I am in the United States, in the Eastern time zone. I am typically awake and not far from chat from 6 AM to 11 PM, as I log in from my cellular device. I do work from 8 to 5 Monday through Friday, but as my job typical involves setting wheels in motion and initiating processes in the correct order, I still monitor chat during those hours, buy with a diminished priority.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Here is a Reddit post from someone who received a package. No useful information, but good photographs of the contents... Including the shipping label: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/3e0cq4/my_sisterinlaw_received_this_creepy_box/
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear Dennis and others,
I am un sure if the phone call is even directly related to the McNally incident.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Many thanks to you Todd for posting that link. That information is definitely missing from my shipping label. The return address is the same though. Now to make a call!
JandJ
Posted about 1 month ago
Could our dead confession come from a pirate?
The Genii
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear The Genii,
What is your reasoning may I ask? I believe the confessor could be any number of things, but given the scant information offered, I have been trying to follow what leads appear from the information that our guilty party provides. And That profession, to me, has not entered my thoughts as a possibility yet.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Various words and phrases, accent (which changes during the message), and bits of content. It's just a guess.
The Genii
Posted about 1 month ago
Has anyone made a guess and gotten any kind of response? I'm wondering if they will tell you if you're wrong or if you get some kind of notification either way. I'm actually assuming there's only contact if you're correct...
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
I have made a number of guesses and thus far, the call has simply disconnected after telling me Goodbye. I am intrigued by the options to set the message as urgent, confidential, or urgent and confidential. I have also been pondering the phrasing and meaning of words. I may be on the wrong track, but
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
Aurélie, your last comment might be brilliant. I had not considered that tack and given what I HAVE been able to unearth given what clues and available information is at hand (i.e. the event which the voice is probably speaking of) and what I haven't, due to a distinct lack of clues(I.e.any Career that the Voice might have had) it seems the most likely tack to date!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
I received none of the options to send the message. Just a beep. Am I missing something?
The Genii
Posted about 1 month ago
I received none of the mentioned options either.
EDIT: I just called again and got the options. It's possible I just missed them the first time or that I was just too anxious in choosing send.
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
Specifics regarding the options:
And thank you Dr. Johnston. I have not been able to glean anything further as of yet, but at the very least, it has expanded the way I am approaching the message and research materials.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
Aurélie, have you knowelage of the event that the voice refers too? I am convinced that i have pinpointed the
Any other interpretations of phrasings are very welcome!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Dr. Johnston, I do feel that I have pinpointed the tragedy that lead to the woeful message.
I am currently logged into the Curios & Conundrums chat if any are around and interested in discussing their current theories and findings!
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
Quoted material:
The Genii
Posted about 1 month ago
Aurélie et al, maybe we may chat at a designated time later this evening? To the Genii, i Think you were on the right track my friend… But in my opinion, The tragedy is
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
In regards to the original mailing package, does anyone know the significance of the address or
The address doesn't seem to exist and while I'm sure
must stand for something, I can't quite figure out what. I think we're all going under the assumption that everything done here is deliberate and could be a clue of some sort.
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
The actual street address does exist, and it is the same return address that MPC has used for everything I've received from them, except they moved the suite number to the beginning instead of the end. Incidentally, I wonder if they know about the history of that address? www.housecreep.com/places/20363
As for the initials, they remain somewhat elusive to me. I want the T to stand for
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Indeed,
but the other two letters still seem to be a mystery.
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
All, if you remember
So that's probably out.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Dr. Johnston,
Agreeing in general, except for the fact that
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Todd, quite possibly. Although I was thinking that he was referring to the fact that
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
I had recently been toying with TCS being some sort of acronym involving the word "touchstone".
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Todd, www.thompsoncreekmetals.com/s/Home.asp
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
I would love to set up a chatroom time with any interested parties. I too am pretty clear on the event, and have thoughts about the profession but nothing concrete and I'd love to talk it out with fellow puzzlers. Can we set something up?
Za
Posted 27 days ago
Dear Za, i to would like to set something up. Perhaps tomorrow given that it's a weekend? I might even have a little bit of time tonight.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 27 days ago
Tonight would work pretty much any time at this point, and possibly tomorrow between 10:30-1:30 CST. Let me know!
Za
Posted 27 days ago
? www.republicofmining.com/2009/02/18/inco-case-study-background-reading-the-end-of-monopoly-a-new-world-for-inco-part-1-of-3/
The Genii
Posted 27 days ago
?
The Genii
Posted 27 days ago
?? news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=18911118&id=KPkgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WHQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3765,5406680&hl=en
The Genii
Posted 27 days ago
The Genii
Posted 27 days ago
Za , how about Sunday?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 27 days ago
My friend did some awesome sleuthing and I believe this answers our questions about the phone number. It appears to be a mistake and from Tempus Fugit. See bluedepth.tumblr.com/, the February 27 post and hashtag.
Za
Posted 26 days ago
Thank you for clearing that up, Za. Though I certainly do not regret the interesting historical tidbits I discovered.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted 26 days ago
Dear Za, so we must do the tempus fugit experience to solve this mystery? So now I have (more of) a reason and excuse to sample them all!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 26 days ago
Za and Dr. William S. Johnston,
I have spoken with others who have Tempus Fugit and this did not seem to be part of that story. Perhaps it was also incorrectly printed on their shipping labels? I'm sticking with the Bespoke Experience with the ship's wheel, as the story elements match, excepting the number dead.
It is frustrating that he has deleted all of his blog posts on this topic.
Todd
Posted 26 days ago
I have done Tempus Fugit and while there are questions that remain, the phone message seems entirely unrelated.
The Genii
Posted 26 days ago
It was a fun sidetrack but it's good to be refocused!
Za
Posted 26 days ago
Besides the translation puzzle, what other puzzles are there? Maybe the crossword in the newspaper, but beyond that i see little else.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 26 days ago
So...is the phone message connected to this or not? It sounds like the feeling now is that it's not. If it's not, I'm certainly interested in whatever it is that it is connected to.
Dennis
Posted 26 days ago
Dennis, if you head over to the thread titled "A Question", there are some details in one of the responses that give more information.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted 26 days ago
It seems to me that we can categorize the mysteries of the a Weeping Book on three levels:
While this list is by no means exhaustive, it should prove a starting point to foster discussion.
Of the first variety, we have things like
Of the second, we have
And of the third,
Perhaps there are other categories I have missed. There are many elements I have not listed.
Does this seem useful?
Todd
Posted 26 days ago
Hi all - I am working on this with Za, and I thought for sure the phone number was a part of another mystery, based on that blog I found, but it appears not. Thanks for clearing that up. Todd - it is very useful to have that all written out. I think we also need to keep the mystery of the phone message in play for now based on feedback that others who have done Tempus Fugit have provided. Thanks!
I did do another reverse directory lookup for the number and I found that it is listed in Boatman Ln, Cookeville, Tennessee. I got that info from this site: www.cjb.net/866/495.html
I don't know that it really matters, but just wanted you to know how I got the blog information in the first place.
Tracy
Posted 26 days ago
For those interested in the experience the phone number was associated with, here is a photo: emshort.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/wheel.jpg
This is the same Photo that was printed in the Circular Egg Maker as belonging to a customized Bespoke Experience that was commissioned for a single recipient.
The article from which the photo was taken can be found at emshort.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/the-century-beast-the-mysterious-package-company/.
It is a valid mystery, though, how the number ended up on the shipping labels for the pre-orders of the Weeping Book, and at least some shipments of Tempus Fugit.
Alas, I believe solving that mystery will not lead us anywhere on our quest for Ogden.
Todd
Posted 26 days ago
Ogden can take a hike. I've had way more fun with this whole disembodied voice thing! And I even learned a little bit about certain Gothic historic horrific disaster!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 25 days ago
That said, the
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 25 days ago
So much discussion! I seem to have chosen the wrong two weeks to be on vacation. I have received the packing slip that I foolishly tossed away. (Thank you again Dr. William S Johnston and Mr. Loy). I have phoned the number and listened only once, and must call again to pay closer attention to tease out more information. I also have looked into the crate the book was shipped in, and I feel there must be something I'm missing as a crate from a
seems tangential to the Ogden tale. At least with what I know right now. I will be in the sitting room this evening, hoping to glean some more thoughts on the matter. I also have tried to decode the
Mr. Gallerani
Posted 25 days ago
So although one phone number has now been deemed irrelevant, has anyone attempted to call any of the many numbers in the classified ads on the packing newspapers?
Dennis
Posted 25 days ago
My dear Dennis, I called one and just got a "hello? " I'm sure they are random. Maybe.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 25 days ago
It's tricky, because you have to assume everything is deliberate, therefore anything COULD be a clue although probably most things aren't. Any of the classified ads could potentially be pointing to something we need to pay attention to, or not. We may assume that solving the crossword puzzle is important, while perhaps a clue is already in plain sight within the solution to last week's. The
seems so deliberate that it feels like it must be important, but perhaps a box is just a box. This is my first experience with MPC and I can see where it's very possible to start overthinking everything.
Dennis
Posted 25 days ago
I agree with you, Dennis. Some elements may be there merely to add a sense of authenticity. Admittedly, a crate of flange seals seems like an odd thing to have lying around. It did seem to match up to me that someone who would have need for a crate of those would also hold onto a classifieds section with all those mining and mechanic related jobs.
I did the crossword puzzle because I like doing crossword puzzles. Nothing stood out to me, though one of the answers made me think of the quarterly chapters. I am not a subscriber yet, so don't take my word for it.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted 24 days ago
I actually showed this to my friend the other night. He had never heard of this but was absolutely fascinated by it, and I suggested that perhaps the next experience I get I might hold and open with him and a few other people who we suspect would also be interested. Anyway, we both found ourselves wondering if the miniscule amount of straw in the
was important and possibly a clue. The newspaper was there as packing paper, not that it was even necessary since the diary wouldn't really be considered fragile plus it was jammed in so it wouldn't be bouncing around. There really seemed to be no reason to include the straw. Again I wonder if we're overthinking things and looking for clues where there aren't any.
Dennis
Posted 24 days ago
Excelsior! Not straw.
The Genii
Posted 24 days ago
I just wanted to say, I have greatly enjoyed this experience and I am excited to delve deeper into it's secrets. This is my first time posting in the Sitting Room, and I am thankful to be among friends!
Serburas the Traveler
Posted 23 days ago
Hey all - this is a bit of a breakthrough Za and I just had. Go back to the crossword puzzle. Note the pattern with the black boxes. It is totally consistent all around the puzzle and if you fill in the white spaces, it forms a swastika. I have not figured out the message, but if you look at the pattern, it is totally clear.
Tracy
Posted 22 days ago
Has it been suggested that Oggie came under the influence of a
The Genii
Posted 22 days ago
Yes, clearly
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 22 days ago
You all are too funny! I can't figure out what it might mean, but even to have a pattern in it seems like it couldn't be a coincidence, particularly when you consider that the "last week's answer" crossword does not have any type of pattern. When I look into the history of the gammadion cross, it is an auspicious symbol of good luck. The earliest known object with the symbol was on a bird carved from the tusk of a mammoth. The nazi party used a right facing symbol, and this one is a left facing symbol, so I am going to say that is not the connection (if there is one, lol!)
Tracy
Posted 21 days ago
Hmmm. It seems there is instruction to submit guesses regarding the profession via a postal address I have found rather than via voicemail. Haven't seen mention of this before, has anyone else found this?
Phill
Posted 21 days ago
Phill, I didn't encounter any option to submit guesses via an address, and am certainly curious about where this option was given. However, if you read some of the above posts it's been determined that the phone message and the guessing of the profession is actually attached to another mystery and has no relationship at all with the Weeping Book, as the phone number was included on the package by accident.
Dennis
Posted 20 days ago
Hi Dennis, if you look carefully at the newspaper packing material it would seem the phone number may not have been a mistake. It seems to contain clear instructions on how to respond to the profession question and directly references something said in the voicemail.
Phill
Posted 20 days ago
Hmmm. I don't currently have those materials as I left them with a friend who also wanted to study the package, but when I get them back I'll certainly check that out. I hope you're right as I found that aspect of the mystery to be quite fascinating and was very disappointed when it seemed like it was irrelevant.
Dennis
Posted 20 days ago
Phill,
I have rather thoroughly perused both sheets of the newspaper and nothing pertinent stood out to me. The best thing I can think you are referring to is the Use of Confidential Service blurb at the top left of the page on back of the crossword, but I don't see how that is related to the phone message.
Additionally, the phone number was also printed on the shipping labels for some recipients of Tempus Fugit.
Todd
Posted 20 days ago
Phil - I see where there are instructions on how to reply via post, but nothing to suggest what the profession might be. Did you find direction on that as well?
Tracy
Posted 20 days ago
Todd - I found that same blurb about the Use of Confidential Services and it seems to me that the last sentence is very odd about the guesses. I think that is what Phil is referring to.
Tracy
Posted 20 days ago
Tracy,
It doesn't seem to be an unusual way for Confidential Service to work for me. It assures the anonymity of the poster of the ad, and allows the responder to filter his reply from certain potential posters. I don't find any direct reference to anything said in the message, and this appears to be entirely based on the use of the word "guess".
Am I missing something?
Todd
Posted 20 days ago
Tracy and Todd, that last sentence certainly seems out of place. Also note the title "use confidential service" and think about the instructions for the 3 options at the end of the voicemail. I may be wrong but this all seems to suggest that the phone message does belong with this experience.
Phill
Posted 20 days ago
Phill,
I won't discourage you from pursuing it, but I don't think there's anything to it.
Apparently, issues of the Vancouver Sun are available online, but you need to have a library card from the Vancouver Public Library. Know anyone in Vancouver with a library card? www.vpl.ca/electronic_databases/cat/C92.
Todd
Posted 20 days ago
While I really want to believe the phone message is part of all this, it was relatively easy for me to accept that it's not because it just doesn't seem to gel with anything else in the experience. Even when I shared all this with my friend last week and played the message for him I commented about how it's taking things in a seemingly unrelated direction. It's not impossible that this is the case, but it's hard to overlook. Plus, while I don't know this for sure, I assumed that the event mentioned in the message was the ship exploding near Fishers Island. If that is the case, then that occurred in 1846, so a classified ad from 1980 would seem to be completely irrelevant.
Dennis
Posted 20 days ago
Todd - I reread it from your perspective and now I think I agree with you. You are to provide a list of names to which you don't want your job application to go to (such as your current employer) and if you happen to provide the name of the company that is actually hiring (i.e. your guess) then they will destroy your letter and not forward it. So, yeah, I am going to say it is strangely worded but not related.
Tracy
Posted 19 days ago
Hope this helps.Fellow posters, the Vancouver Sun crossword can be found on Google news and does not need a card. This is the link for the answers for the Feb 4 crossword news.google.com/newspapers?nid=ifIdVpG6JtcC&dat=19800205&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
The Lady in the Shadows
Posted 19 days ago
M'Lady THANK YOU for that link. If you go back a day, to Feb. 4th, you will find the *exact* same pages in the classifieds as we have in our hands EXCEPT for the "Business" articles. There are two articles on our pages
Za
Posted 19 days ago
All of which does beg the question - what is the significance of the newspaper? Giving everyone the same pages of the same newspaper from 35 years ago just to point us back to
seems rather over the top. There's either some as yet unknown significance to that added article, or could the purpose be to point us to that particular issue of the Sun because there's a significant article on a page not in our possession that links to the story?
Phill
Posted 19 days ago
It is worthy of noting that the
The way I see it, there are two ways of looking at things:
1.
2.
Personally, I am not predisposed to either option. But it is my opinion that the path
Todd
Posted 19 days ago
I wondered whether the paper was just incidental too, but that brings us back to the question of why give everyone the same particular pages from a particular date, AND go to the trouble of changing one article and fabricating another entirely. That consistency and attention to detail would seem to suggest that the newspaper serves some purpose. There still remains the question of what importance (if any) to place on the
I also wonder whether there are any clues to be found in Tom's letter - but I may be reading too much into things! I have also asked the Curator to confirm whether the voicemail message is part of this experience or not.
Phill
Posted 19 days ago
Phill-
As I mentioned earlier, both articles are from that issue of the Sun. The TOURISM article was moved from page A9. No articles were fabricated.
Not that that really makes much of a difference.
Todd
Posted 18 days ago
My thinking is that the newspaper was altered just to tie
I'm not convinced that we were supposed to notice it's a Vancouver paper, although that is honestly too easy to do. The crossword is exactly the same as that printed in 1980, so I doubt there are clues there
Todd, I found this www.thornber.net/famhist/htmlfiles/nowell.html which indicates that Nowell did indeed have male descendents, although it appears the direct male line effectively died out in the 1770s. I have no idea how the 1890s 1920s and 1980s Nowells came about their lineage. Creative license, she's a pill
Za
Posted 18 days ago
Has anyone received any follow-up mailing to this experience? I am hoping that some of those missing pages show up...
nizzler
Posted 17 days ago
This is a single mailing experience, the crate and the following reveal are the only two mailings in this experience, Mx. nizzler. Although, I did send a letter to Tom Abbot's address as listed on the postcard in which I asked about the missing pages, but it was sent back. No such address. I thought it would be worth a shot, though.
Indiana Popovich
Posted 17 days ago
Spoiler alert. I have confirmation that we have completed the experience, at least in terms of solving puzzles. So it is up to us to determine the solutions to the "open ended" story pieces given the clues that we already have. Todd, thanks for your engaging discussion and attention to detail, it is unmatched!
Za
Posted 11 days ago
So Za, the only actual puzzles are the
yes? The matching of the historic background is fun study and the phone # puzzle was tied to another expierence... Is this what you have confirmed? Because I was just about to spray the wanted poster with lemon juice to see the secret writing!
Dr William Scott Johnston
Posted 11 days ago
I'm not sure if I can get any more than an opinion on this, but if those are the only two puzzles and everything we need is in the box, is it actually possible to figure out anything beyond
Like others I'm sure, I was really hoping there'd be some way to see what was on those missing pages. As I said in an earlier post, I don't currently have the box in my possession so I can't really do much of anything with this right now. I still think the
Dennis
Posted 11 days ago
Actually, the crossword puzzle wasn't part of the experience at all. It was literally a reprint from the newspaper and its inclusion was merely incidental.
I don't believe that there is actually any content written for the missing pages. For example, the last I have of the September 3 entry is "... But when I looked back at Buster he was...". The torn out page begins "gue...". I can't find a single word that would logically continue that sentence.
I think the torn out pages are a convenient way to propel the narrative forward and instill a bit of mystery.
Todd
Posted 11 days ago
Yes, Dr. WSJ, that is what was confirmed. And Todd is correct, the crossword was merely a reprint. I believe the
were merely to
Todd, I always thought that the way that sentence ended
Anyway, fun working together with you all and look forward to the next one!
Za
Posted 10 days ago
Since Za has noted how the marketing of The Weeping Book has affected some of our expectations of what we should be looking for in the experience, i.e. "a great number of puzzles." I wonder what Za and others make of the line in the product description about "a poster of unexpected import." Have we discovered the unexpected importance of the poster?
Old Possum
Posted 10 days ago
Perhaps we should hit that poster with some lemon juice. I definitely read way more into the mystery than it looks like I should have. Well, it was my first experience with this and I thought it was safer to assume everything was a clue than to start overlooking things. Oh well. I wonder if it would be a good idea for them to send one additional mailing containing the official solution which would be clearly marked as such and the recipient could choose to open it whenever, or not. It might serve to eliminate any lingering feelings that there might still be pieces of the mystery to be solved because at this point I don't know that there's anything beyond us feeling satisfied that everything has probably been covered while not ever knowing that 100%.
Dennis
Posted 10 days ago
Lemon juice or heat or UV light or rubbing for an impression. I don't have the materials in my possession, so I can't try any of this, but I'd like to read a report by someone who has.
Old Possum
Posted 10 days ago
Well... if UV/black light will actually do the trick, I just used a small special flashlight able to do that and all I could see were
Mystfield
Posted 10 days ago
If there is a hidden message, and it's not revealed with UV light, ironing the paper (without steam) might do the trick to reveal something.
Old Possum
Posted 10 days ago
No Iron...but decided to take a break from trying to decipher the
Mystfield
Posted 10 days ago
For your interpretation, here is what I received from the Curator:
Whilst I cannot speak to the specifics of The Weeping Book, I can say that it, like our other experiences, is focused primarily on the story, and not on being a source of interwoven puzzles in a literal sense. Our stories are left purposely open-ended, to allow the recipient to decide for themselves (or in a group) what happens, and integrate it with their own life. Based upon Bernard's report to me about the discussions within the Sitting Room, I believe you have exhausted the extent of the puzzles contained within. I am sorry for any consternation this may have caused, and I do hope that the enjoyment of The Weeping Book remains. Of course, should you have any further questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me forthwith...
Therefore, I do not believe the poster has anything further to offer us.
Za
Posted 10 days ago
Well, I for one have thoroughly enjoyed all the discussion on this. I thought there'd be some true closure but I'm okay with it being open ended if that was the intent and will know for future experiences. Now I just need to decide which one to try next.
Dennis
Posted 10 days ago
Thank you for posting the Curator's response, Za.
Old Possum
Posted 10 days ago
But what about the Not straw?!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 10 days ago
Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.
Todd
Posted 9 days ago
I wish to pass along the response my daughter gave today upon receipt of The Weeping Book. She was confused and called me for help, which I of course did not provide. Then one of her roommates arrived and explained to her how it was all a sick joke by someone and to just pitch it all in the trash. My daughter kept the smallest part and pitched all the rest including the book in the trash. I had to have my son call and convince her it was a gift, which should be kept and shared. This experience did not go as planned, waste of money on this one. Oh well.
Freya
Posted 9 days ago
Sometimes, especially for those who are not used to gifts of this nature, a few helpful prods and a partner-in-crime prepared in advance are invaluable resources. Even though I selected this experience for myself, I still found it to be a chilling tale (in a most enjoyable sense). It certainly seems to have provoked an intense range of emotions and reactions from recipients.
I enjoy perusing Ogden's journal to this day but one's mileage may vary!
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted 9 days ago
I have been a member since 2014, but have not participated in the discussions in the sitting room but I really enjoy the discussions, this is my first experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the story of the
Nyx
Posted 9 days ago
Therein lies the rub. From one of the obituaries, we see that
There was a reference to an
So, if it is inherited, why did
Todd
Posted 9 days ago
I interested in the story that arrises from imagining when and where the various articles were acquired. Did Ogden and his mom stop at libraries in various cities along the route of their road trip to do research on old newspaper articles about the deaths of Nowells? At what point were these clippings acquired. Were these clippings compiled by Abbot?
Old Possum
Posted 8 days ago
I am afraid I have misplaced my shipping container, and with it, any clues that may have been present. If one would be so kind as to provide the relevant information, I would greatly appreciate it. Better care will be taken in the future, as this is the first curiosity I have had the dread pleasure to receive.
jeremykylejackson(at) gmail(dot) com
Cheers.
Obsidian Mind
Posted 3 days ago
A thousand pardons, friends; please disregard my previous message.
A cursory search into the macabre Book of Faces has provided information relating to a clandestine (and more prudent) group of agents who have retained the relevant entity information sought above. But alas, I've said too much.
Many thanks to those who responded to my request.
Best regards.
Obsidian Mind
Posted 3 days ago
Obsidian Mind,
All of the experience was contained within the cardboard shipping box. The box itself and the shipping label are impertinent.
Todd
Posted 3 days ago
Dear Todd,
Many thanks. After reviewing all of the documents submitted, I have located the information in question. I'm sure these will help in my investigation.
Very truly yours,
Obsidian Mind
Posted 2 days ago
Pardon me for seeming dense, but is there really any puzzle to be solved regarding any part of The Weeping Book? The Curator's comment above make it seem as if it is simply an "experience" to be had in the reading, and perhaps tracing the name of the witch responsible for the possessions which might add some background, but is not necessary.
The Genii
Posted 7 days ago
The Genii,
Yes, there is a puzzle.
Todd
Posted 7 days ago
Will I see it by rereading this thread again?
The Genii
Posted 7 days ago
The Genii,
Yes.
Todd
Posted 7 days ago
Thank you. Time to concentrate and read with a clear head.
The Genii
Posted 7 days ago
The Genii,
It is mentioned early in the thread, pertaining to
Todd
Posted 7 days ago
Ah yes, I do recall that. Thank you, Todd. Oddly, my amulet is aged to the point of darkness and it is quite difficult to make out the doodles/symbols. Perhaps a magnifying glass and very bright light, or a gentle brush with steel wool, are required.
The Genii
Posted 6 days ago
In my possession I have seem to have been entrusted a mysterious diary belonging to one Ogden McNally among other things.
What followed was a distrustful and disturbing case that I will not retell here.
Furthermore, evidence suggests I may have not been the first unfortunate soul entrusted to this story. It seems that this book has been passed around, tormenting souls for a period of time.
I reach out to you, my fellows of adventure and mystery to dissect and discuss this curious case and I hope to hear back from someone....anyone. I cannot be alone.
The Cap'n, W.F.J.C.
Posted 2 months ago
You are not alone.
Todd
Posted 2 months ago
www.gutenberg.org/files/18253/18253-h/18253-h.htm#DISCOVERIE
Todd
Posted 2 months ago
www.gutenberg.org/files/15493/15493-h/15493-h.htm
Todd
Posted 2 months ago
My writer friend was recently in possession of the original or perhaps copy of the aforementioned material. He received a letter from T.
Mena Morningstar
Posted about 2 months ago
I think you may not be alone. I searched young Ogden's name and discovered a discussion wherein one person has actually requested the help of local law enforcement.
Ms. C.F. Davis
Posted about 2 months ago
I'm sure by now those through whose hands this book has passed have noticed the
numbers on the amulet
that correspond to the
doodles on the pages
Todd
Posted about 2 months ago
I have also noticed the
symbol pairs, the second symbol (assuming symbols closest to the top left is the first one) never exceeds 7.
But none of this makes sense! I resolve to searching for clues in the stuffing paper.
nanoburd
Posted about 2 months ago
Many Mysteries abound!
symbols coresponding to 1 - 40, of what?,
are the Ghostbusters involved?, was Oggies name changed after 1984? (On the back of a scrap pic he is refered too as Oden Lancs...) what is Demdikes song? And is it relevent?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 2 months ago
Todd, my dear sir, I cannot seem to conjur any awnser to your link! What, mayhap, are you refrencing?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 2 months ago
Those witches are heavy going for all but the most stout of heart.
The Genii
Posted about 2 months ago
My assumption was that the "Lancs" on the back of the photo meant
that it was taken in Lancashire.
As for the links I provided, it's simply some back-story on the true story of Demdike, Elizabeth, Alizon, and Jennet. There are points where the Weeping Book seems to depart from the historical record.
Unless you are referring to the amulet.
Todd
Posted about 2 months ago
A dear friend of mine received this package recently. I had the opportunity to visit him this weekend and examine the contents of his crate. I made the following observations: On the amulet are 40 symbols with corresponding numbers, 1 through 40. Only symbols numbered 1 through 17 (except for 16) appear in the book. Each page of the book contains a maximum of 17 lines of text.
Could the symbols on the pages correspond to lines of text on those pages?
Old Possum
Posted about 2 months ago
Prehaps, the lines of text or even the word count could correspond! I shall investagste soon!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 2 months ago
You guys are on the right track! Now I'm stuck in terms of what other puzzles there are cause the story is still incomplete.nanoburd
Posted about 2 months ago
Most frustrating is the lack of a date or location on the last Nowell obituary.
Todd
Posted about 2 months ago
By the by, the journal appears to end in 1983. So that Oggies pic in 1984 'Ogden Lancas' was taken and marked AFTER his abduction/move to canada. So pairing the '84 with his visit to Lancanshire would be inncorect in the timeline
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 2 months ago
Also, Nanoburd, the drawings of the feathers and the magpie and crow (both from the corvid family) refrences might mean somthing, eh?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 2 months ago
Mr. Johnston,
Ghostbusters was not released until June 1984. Therefore, the visit to Lancashire could not have been prior to 1984.
How are you arriving at your dates?
Todd
Posted about 2 months ago
Dearest Todd, you are correct. I was erroneously coresponding the months in the diary with the published date of the book itself.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 2 months ago
This. Is. SO. Scary!!!
LaniPuppetmaker
Posted about 1 month ago
I too have received a journal of a one Ogden Andre McNally. I have read the tale, and have moved on to other peculiarities with the package. Like Dr. William S Johnston and Old Possum, I have matched the symbols with numbers on the amulet. I then have
identified those matching symbols within the journal.I am assuming the two numbers are line number and word in the line. This has given me a very rough but somewhat understandable message.
Has anyone else found this to be the case? Or am I proceeding under false assumptions?
Mr. Gallerani
Posted about 1 month ago
Mr. Gallerani, I'm curious -- if the symbols represent
line number and word on the line,
how are you interpreting those pages that only have one symbol or have more than two symbols?
Old Possum
Posted about 1 month ago
Old Possum,
The symbols always come in pairs. Some pages have no symbols. Some have two. Some have four.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Aha, I see. I don't have the actual book to refer to, since it is in my friend's possession, so I must be remembering wrong. We also may have missed a symbol or two.
Old Possum
Posted about 1 month ago
The multiples are confusing!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Symbols always appear in pairs, some can be hard to find on the page. 1st is line number, 2nd is word. Make allowance for blank lines. The title of a Kim Novak film will help you know if you're on the right lines.
Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
Intresting Phil. I will have to check that out when I get home. I have been wondering about some of the sketches And how they might tie in. It seems young Oggie did nothing that was not deliberate. I have also just realized that there are
17 letters in Ogden Andre McNally!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Yes, I too was wondering about the sketches and whether they form another layer. I also wonder whether all of us have the same torn out pages or whether it's possible to compile a complete diary amongst us...
Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
Phil, i dont know where you got the
Vertigo
tip or how it works, seeing as theres only 7 letters in the word. But there is a drawing at the back of the book that corresponds to a description Oggie gives, that is very reminicent of the
poster for Vertigo. I wonder, in conjunction with the bird sketches and others is Hichcock is a clue or theme.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
The pages? Hmmm
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Also, how many of you
called the number on the shipping label?!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Dr. William S Johnston,
I regret to inform you that you have the wrong Kim Novak film. Look to
her other 1958 film.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Well, dear Todd, that torpedos one theory of mine. Thank you. I feel my mental prowess in this endevor can be likend to a dull, blunted blade, failing at cutting even the softest of butter.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
It would seem I have misplaced my original shipping label. If you are indeed referring to the fact that I was delivered a wooden crate within a cardboard box...
Incidentally is there significance to
INCO International Nickel Flange Seals?
The Cap'n, W.F.J.C.
Posted about 1 month ago
The Cap'n, I am convinced that nothing is accidental or by chance with this expierence And yes, i was refering to the label on the shipping box.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
I have called the number but have not quite followed through on it as of yet. This makes me wonder about the address on the shipping label or the one on the postcard, for that matter. Perhaps it is time to start some correspondence of my own?
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
I do not suppose anyone would be willing to share the relevant information on the shipping label with me?
LoyJ001(AT)gmail(dot)com?
The Cap'n, W.F.J.C.
Posted about 1 month ago
I'd be keen to see any info from the shipping label too please. philljwarrenATyahooDOTcoDOTuk
Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
It has been sent.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
To whom it may concern, thank you for your consideration and contribution.
The Cap'n, W.F.J.C.
Posted about 1 month ago
I, too, have not retained my shipping label. I would be most grateful for that information. indypopovichATgmailDOTcom
Indiana Popovich
Posted about 1 month ago
Glad to be of service.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
Recently, I received a suspiciously similar crate. I have tried several ways to decipher the symbols, with some success using the one listed above. Calling the number led to a concerning revelation. It seems that the story reaches past the original diary.
McMurdo
Posted about 1 month ago
I've foolishly discarded my shipping label as well. To any kind soul who's still willing to share these lost details, I extend my utmost gratitude in advance: reptiliasATgmailDOTcom
Casablancas
Posted about 1 month ago
In joining with the others, I as well regretfully cannot find the original shipping label. I however, saved everything else! I'm curious if there is anything to the other papers inside the crate. That being said, I would very much appreciate the number as well.
robertDOTgalleraniATgmailDOTcom
Mr. Gallerani
Posted about 1 month ago
Oh! Thank you! That was a terrifying phone call, guess I'm not sleeping tonight, so I'll just go over those codes again. And research professions, I'll post when I have a clue...
Artemis Kalliste
Posted about 1 month ago
Also noted that (yes, of course!) there is a
cross word puzzle in the packing paper in my crate. The newsprint seems to point to a print date of Feb. 4th, 1980, and I don't think that I have ever seen a crossword published in the classified section.... Have you?Those of you with the original packing paper, is it the same date?
Artemis Kalliste
Posted about 1 month ago
Yes,
my packing paper has the same date.
Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
Which is interesting because it means the
newspaper is from four years before the events recorded in the journal.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
I dont imagine the packing paper is supposed to mean the paper was current when the package was sent. Isnt it more likely it should be seen as an 'old' paper?
Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
In reference to the mysterious phone number, has anyone unlocked anything further and discovered
the profession referenced in the call?
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
Phill,
I was not implying that the paper was current when the box was packed. I was merely pointing out
the possibility that there was something important enough in the paper to keep it around for four years.
I would like to encourage any or all of you to come to the unofficial chat room where matters can be discussed more freely and openly. Here, mere speculation is often taken as a clue.
I am typically not far unless I am asleep. If I take a while to respond, simply say my name and I will notice sooner.
Instructions to access the chat room can be found on the home page of the Curios & Conundrums wiki.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
My misunderstanding Todd, apologies
I think the same as you and have started working my way through the crossword.Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
Phill,
No apology necessary. Your interpretation was valid, and I could have been more precise.
A different perspective is essential in these adventures, and so quite welcome.
Carry on!
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear Todd, I now have the correct film. But am at a loss as to how besides having
17 letters (and of course the title)
I am unsure exactly of how it is to be implemented as a guide!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
My dear friends of the arcane! I am now burdened with the woeful knowledge of a terrible event that happened many years ago.
A hidious message delivered by a pitiful wrech from beyond the grave, came to me through the corrupted wires of the very telephone!
I am certian in my knowelage of the terrible tragic event of which the spectre speaks and the detestable crime that caused it!
But as to the profession of the dammed soul there are many threads of possibility. None more maddeningly likley than the next, given what little information i have fromthe evil voice` and what i have been able to find in the archives and dusty libraries on the matter.
Any theories? I have a few of my own.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Sorry for the double post. Technology is cursed!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear Dr Johnston,
the title of the film
is repeated (in a fashion) at the start of the message obtained by decoding the symbols. I mention it as a way of checking whether you're on the right track.
I think you are misleading yourself with the
17 letters, at least as far as decoding the symbols is concerned.
See my earlier post for advice on how to decipher them. If you're still stuck, send me your email address and I'll be happy to guide you through it.
Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
Have just listened to the message. It would be useful if someone could put a transcript on the wiki. Being based in the UK I can't afford to keep calling it!
Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
Phill, thank you, paying closer attention yo your past post makes all the diffrence! I cannot transcribe it as of yet, but if you have sny questions re: the phone call, just ask!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Dr Johnston, I'd appreciate some pointers as to which specific incident the voice refers to.
Phill
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear Phill,
There are 3 clues in the message. The first is
related to the place you are actually attempting to call.
And the other two are
conveyed by the voice that should not be!
Withe some investigation, more information should come to light. Let me know if i can be of further assistance on the matter.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
dpurves28AThotmailDOTcom
I was one of the foolish souls who didn't keep the original packing box, not realizing it would be important. I'll know for future mailings. Could I get the information that was on that label?
Thanks.
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
Has anyone had any luck uncovering the messenger's occupation?
Old Possum
Posted about 1 month ago
Old Possum,
All I have a shots in the dark. There are four clues, I believe in the phone call. but none of them seem terrifically clear in regards to the actual profession of the disembodied voice. all I am sure about is The tragic event in which the voice speaks of.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
I'm not even absolutely sure of the event because, while it is the only thing that comes up when researching the clues, there are things that do not fit.
Like the number of fatalities is actually unknown, and most likely fewer than 50. And also, there were survivors, so how could he be certain he took the life of his target? Additionally, there is no mention of sabotage in any of the accounts. And I have been unable to find more than a handful of the names of the deceased.
But I believe we're all focusing on the same event at this time.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Todd, yes, i beleive we two at least are focused upon the same event. There are multiple sources that seem to round the death toll up to 50
the black powder' refrence seems to point to the explosion and the proximity to Fishers island cannot be coincidence I am confident in the event... But still strugging with the profession of the voice! i have my theories, however.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Perhaps my eyesight is failing me but I have retained the shipping label and see no phone number listed. Did you find the number on the Canada Post shipping label?
JandJ
Posted about 1 month ago
Several of us have discussed that event in the chatroom. Many interesting details have come to light. Several strong theories have emerged. We're not aware if the profession has been discovered, or how it would be revealed if it was.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
JandJ,
Was there not a
phone number in the "Ship to:" section of the box label?
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear Todd,
I would very much enjoy engaging in that discussion. Is there a time that you all are active more so than not?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Could the crate the journal was shipped in be a clue to the profession?
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
Dr. William S. Johnston,
I am in the United States, in the Eastern time zone. I am typically awake and not far from chat from 6 AM to 11 PM, as I log in from my cellular device. I do work from 8 to 5 Monday through Friday, but as my job typical involves setting wheels in motion and initiating processes in the correct order, I still monitor chat during those hours, buy with a diminished priority.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Here is a Reddit post from someone who received a package. No useful information, but good photographs of the contents... Including the shipping label: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/3e0cq4/my_sisterinlaw_received_this_creepy_box/
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear Dennis and others,
I am un sure if the phone call is even directly related to the McNally incident.
The only thing that could connect the two directly would be the voice referencing 'stealing men's bodies for redemption. ' which in that case would make the voice either a certian cunning matriarch, or someone related to her clan. But I don't believe this to be the case. Obviously the voice on the phone did not send the package. But in my opinion because of a couple things that the voice says during the call, the packaging might reference the profession. Given that I am sure nothing is unintentional in these experiences though I'm not sure how that all adds up giving that T-- would've sent the package and not the voice. I was sort of leaning towards the assumption that the phone call was just another puzzle that I actually had nothing to do with the McNally case… But there's more than one circumstantial piece that could connect the two if you dig beyond the experience evidence that we have been given and delve deeper into certain incidents in history.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Many thanks to you Todd for posting that link. That information is definitely missing from my shipping label. The return address is the same though. Now to make a call!
JandJ
Posted about 1 month ago
Could our dead confession come from a pirate?
The Genii
Posted about 1 month ago
Dear The Genii,
What is your reasoning may I ask? I believe the confessor could be any number of things, but given the scant information offered, I have been trying to follow what leads appear from the information that our guilty party provides. And That profession, to me, has not entered my thoughts as a possibility yet.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Various words and phrases, accent (which changes during the message), and bits of content. It's just a guess.
The Genii
Posted about 1 month ago
Has anyone made a guess and gotten any kind of response? I'm wondering if they will tell you if you're wrong or if you get some kind of notification either way. I'm actually assuming there's only contact if you're correct...
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
I have made a number of guesses and thus far, the call has simply disconnected after telling me Goodbye. I am intrigued by the options to set the message as urgent, confidential, or urgent and confidential. I have also been pondering the phrasing and meaning of words. I may be on the wrong track, but
profession does not only mean a career track.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
Aurélie, your last comment might be brilliant. I had not considered that tack and given what I HAVE been able to unearth given what clues and available information is at hand (i.e. the event which the voice is probably speaking of) and what I haven't, due to a distinct lack of clues(I.e.any Career that the Voice might have had) it seems the most likely tack to date!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
I received none of the options to send the message. Just a beep. Am I missing something?
The Genii
Posted about 1 month ago
I received none of the mentioned options either.
EDIT: I just called again and got the options. It's possible I just missed them the first time or that I was just too anxious in choosing send.
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
Specifics regarding the options:
At the point where the request is made to send a message, I was given a prompt to press 1 to leave the message, but it also offers an additional number for the further options I mentioned (I can't quite remember what it was at the moment).
And thank you Dr. Johnston. I have not been able to glean anything further as of yet, but at the very least, it has expanded the way I am approaching the message and research materials.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
Aurélie, have you knowelage of the event that the voice refers too? I am convinced that i have pinpointed the
historicaly accurate disaster that matches what little information given.
Any other interpretations of phrasings are very welcome!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Dr. Johnston, I do feel that I have pinpointed the tragedy that lead to the woeful message.
I am currently logged into the Curios & Conundrums chat if any are around and interested in discussing their current theories and findings!
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted about 1 month ago
Quoted material:
In 1807 a ship containing 37,000 pounds of black powder exploded in the centre of Leiden. The effects were devastating, resulting in a large number of casualties and an area of 5.5 ha (5.5×104 m2) completely destroyed. The effects of the explosion were calculated, based on an equivalent amount of 9000 kg of TNT, making use of formulas and knowledge derived from detonation tests with conventional explosives. Within a radius of 168 m all houses are collapsed completely or non-repairable. Smaller damage occurred up to 485 m from the explosion point and in the whole city of Leiden glass windows ruptured. The calculated damage areas correspond well with the actual damage after the explosion.
The Genii
Posted about 1 month ago
Aurélie et al, maybe we may chat at a designated time later this evening? To the Genii, i Think you were on the right track my friend… But in my opinion, The tragedy is
more American, then European.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
In regards to the original mailing package, does anyone know the significance of the address or
TCS?
The address doesn't seem to exist and while I'm sure
TCS
must stand for something, I can't quite figure out what. I think we're all going under the assumption that everything done here is deliberate and could be a clue of some sort.
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
The actual street address does exist, and it is the same return address that MPC has used for everything I've received from them, except they moved the suite number to the beginning instead of the end. Incidentally, I wonder if they know about the history of that address? www.housecreep.com/places/20363
As for the initials, they remain somewhat elusive to me. I want the T to stand for
Tom, since he signed the letter, but that's only a third of the answer at best.
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Indeed,
Tom seems a likely candidate for the T,
but the other two letters still seem to be a mystery.
Dennis
Posted about 1 month ago
All, if you remember
Toms last name was Abbot.
So that's probably out.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
Dr. Johnston,
Agreeing in general, except for the fact that
Ogden had a feeling that Tom wasn't who he claimed to be. Perhaps TCS are Tom's real initials?
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Todd, quite possibly. Although I was thinking that he was referring to the fact that
Tom was some sort of spirit in human form due to his power. I do think it would be strange for him to expose himself either way by putting his real initials on the shipping label ... Could be!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
I had recently been toying with TCS being some sort of acronym involving the word "touchstone".
Todd
Posted about 1 month ago
Todd, www.thompsoncreekmetals.com/s/Home.asp
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted about 1 month ago
I would love to set up a chatroom time with any interested parties. I too am pretty clear on the event, and have thoughts about the profession but nothing concrete and I'd love to talk it out with fellow puzzlers. Can we set something up?
Za
Posted 27 days ago
Dear Za, i to would like to set something up. Perhaps tomorrow given that it's a weekend? I might even have a little bit of time tonight.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 27 days ago
Tonight would work pretty much any time at this point, and possibly tomorrow between 10:30-1:30 CST. Let me know!
Za
Posted 27 days ago
? www.republicofmining.com/2009/02/18/inco-case-study-background-reading-the-end-of-monopoly-a-new-world-for-inco-part-1-of-3/
The Genii
Posted 27 days ago
?
Walworth and his family vacated [Fishers] island nine years later due to the threat of pirates.
The Genii
Posted 27 days ago
?? news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=18911118&id=KPkgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WHQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3765,5406680&hl=en
The Genii
Posted 27 days ago
The Atlantic left the dock just after midnight on the early morning of Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1846. By the time she was making headway down the Thames River, the weather was turning nasty with a harsh northwesterly wind kicking up faster and faster. The Atlantic made it to the mouth of the river and turned to the west. As the great steamer churned in the howling wind, it drew west toward Bartlett’s Reef lightship. Near the reef, there was an explosion on the ship, blowing the boiler and leaving the ship without power. While they tried to maneuver into to the wind and keep the waves from hitting them broadside, the steerage lines broke and the giant ship was floundering. The order was given to drop anchors, but the storm was so fierce that they continued moving in to the southeast. Over the next few hours, the Atlantic continued to move across the sound in slow terrifying increments until she was at the shore of Fisher’s Island. The article from The Day Newspaper commemorating the disaster in November of 1891 described, “As she careened toward the shore, by the action of the waves those of her passengers and crew who were over and off the boat at the same time, were mostly saved; while those who clung to the boat in her severe tumbling’s, were chiefly lost.” The ship was wrecked in the pounding waves that seemed to have crushed and rolled the ship to splinters. A portion of the main shipworks remained, and the infamous bell tolled with the rocking of the vicious sea. That bell would forever be connected with the disaster that took at least forty two lives. The Day article gives the gruesome reports that “Some of the victims were found with limbs gone, caused by breaking timbers of the boat. Arms and legs were picked up on the shores that had been appendages of persons not recognizable. When the boat first struck the shore, so powerful was the shock, one of the great boilers broke from its fastenings and went high and dry beyond the sea; and strange as it may seem, a little boy was found in it alive.” When the weather gave way, ships came to the scene of the grisly wreck and brought bodies and survivors alike back to the landing.
"A little boy was found in it alive."
"A little boy was found in it alive."
The Genii
Posted 27 days ago
Za , how about Sunday?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 27 days ago
My friend did some awesome sleuthing and I believe this answers our questions about the phone number. It appears to be a mistake and from Tempus Fugit. See bluedepth.tumblr.com/, the February 27 post and hashtag.
Za
Posted 26 days ago
Thank you for clearing that up, Za. Though I certainly do not regret the interesting historical tidbits I discovered.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted 26 days ago
Dear Za, so we must do the tempus fugit experience to solve this mystery? So now I have (more of) a reason and excuse to sample them all!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 26 days ago
Za and Dr. William S. Johnston,
I have spoken with others who have Tempus Fugit and this did not seem to be part of that story. Perhaps it was also incorrectly printed on their shipping labels? I'm sticking with the Bespoke Experience with the ship's wheel, as the story elements match, excepting the number dead.
It is frustrating that he has deleted all of his blog posts on this topic.
Todd
Posted 26 days ago
I have done Tempus Fugit and while there are questions that remain, the phone message seems entirely unrelated.
The Genii
Posted 26 days ago
It was a fun sidetrack but it's good to be refocused!
Za
Posted 26 days ago
Besides the translation puzzle, what other puzzles are there? Maybe the crossword in the newspaper, but beyond that i see little else.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 26 days ago
So...is the phone message connected to this or not? It sounds like the feeling now is that it's not. If it's not, I'm certainly interested in whatever it is that it is connected to.
Dennis
Posted 26 days ago
Dennis, if you head over to the thread titled "A Question", there are some details in one of the responses that give more information.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted 26 days ago
It seems to me that we can categorize the mysteries of the a Weeping Book on three levels:
Unresolved questions from the narrative
Discrepancies between the narrative and historical record
Actual cyphers and puzzles
While this list is by no means exhaustive, it should prove a starting point to foster discussion.
Of the first variety, we have things like
what happened on the missing pages of the journal, what was Ogden's Relationship to the MacGregors, who was Tom, where was the final Nowell that we have an obituary for killed, and when did Ogden go missing from Montana?
Of the second, we have
Nowell's son, and the timeline of Demdike's death.
And of the third,
there is the medallion and the symbols on the pages, and I feel that the resulting incantation also seems to provide instructions to follow.
Perhaps there are other categories I have missed. There are many elements I have not listed.
Does this seem useful?
Todd
Posted 26 days ago
Hi all - I am working on this with Za, and I thought for sure the phone number was a part of another mystery, based on that blog I found, but it appears not. Thanks for clearing that up. Todd - it is very useful to have that all written out. I think we also need to keep the mystery of the phone message in play for now based on feedback that others who have done Tempus Fugit have provided. Thanks!
Tracy
Posted 26 days ago
I did do another reverse directory lookup for the number and I found that it is listed in Boatman Ln, Cookeville, Tennessee. I got that info from this site: www.cjb.net/866/495.html
I don't know that it really matters, but just wanted you to know how I got the blog information in the first place.
Tracy
Posted 26 days ago
For those interested in the experience the phone number was associated with, here is a photo: emshort.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/wheel.jpg
This is the same Photo that was printed in the Circular Egg Maker as belonging to a customized Bespoke Experience that was commissioned for a single recipient.
The article from which the photo was taken can be found at emshort.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/the-century-beast-the-mysterious-package-company/.
It is a valid mystery, though, how the number ended up on the shipping labels for the pre-orders of the Weeping Book, and at least some shipments of Tempus Fugit.
Alas, I believe solving that mystery will not lead us anywhere on our quest for Ogden.
Todd
Posted 26 days ago
Ogden can take a hike. I've had way more fun with this whole disembodied voice thing! And I even learned a little bit about certain Gothic historic horrific disaster!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 25 days ago
That said, the
crossword in the newspapers that Tom sent has totally floored me. In regards to this experience and puzzles i'm curious, has anyone come up with anything other than the secret decoder ring puzzle?
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 25 days ago
So much discussion! I seem to have chosen the wrong two weeks to be on vacation. I have received the packing slip that I foolishly tossed away. (Thank you again Dr. William S Johnston and Mr. Loy). I have phoned the number and listened only once, and must call again to pay closer attention to tease out more information. I also have looked into the crate the book was shipped in, and I feel there must be something I'm missing as a crate from a
mining company
seems tangential to the Ogden tale. At least with what I know right now. I will be in the sitting room this evening, hoping to glean some more thoughts on the matter. I also have tried to decode the
QR codes on the packing label, but my current technology at hand makes nothing of it. Anyone else have any luck?
Mr. Gallerani
Posted 25 days ago
So although one phone number has now been deemed irrelevant, has anyone attempted to call any of the many numbers in the classified ads on the packing newspapers?
Dennis
Posted 25 days ago
My dear Dennis, I called one and just got a "hello? " I'm sure they are random. Maybe.
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 25 days ago
It's tricky, because you have to assume everything is deliberate, therefore anything COULD be a clue although probably most things aren't. Any of the classified ads could potentially be pointing to something we need to pay attention to, or not. We may assume that solving the crossword puzzle is important, while perhaps a clue is already in plain sight within the solution to last week's. The
INCO box
seems so deliberate that it feels like it must be important, but perhaps a box is just a box. This is my first experience with MPC and I can see where it's very possible to start overthinking everything.
Dennis
Posted 25 days ago
I agree with you, Dennis. Some elements may be there merely to add a sense of authenticity. Admittedly, a crate of flange seals seems like an odd thing to have lying around. It did seem to match up to me that someone who would have need for a crate of those would also hold onto a classifieds section with all those mining and mechanic related jobs.
I did the crossword puzzle because I like doing crossword puzzles. Nothing stood out to me, though one of the answers made me think of the quarterly chapters. I am not a subscriber yet, so don't take my word for it.
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted 24 days ago
I actually showed this to my friend the other night. He had never heard of this but was absolutely fascinated by it, and I suggested that perhaps the next experience I get I might hold and open with him and a few other people who we suspect would also be interested. Anyway, we both found ourselves wondering if the miniscule amount of straw in the
was important and possibly a clue. The newspaper was there as packing paper, not that it was even necessary since the diary wouldn't really be considered fragile plus it was jammed in so it wouldn't be bouncing around. There really seemed to be no reason to include the straw. Again I wonder if we're overthinking things and looking for clues where there aren't any.
Dennis
Posted 24 days ago
Excelsior! Not straw.
The Genii
Posted 24 days ago
I just wanted to say, I have greatly enjoyed this experience and I am excited to delve deeper into it's secrets. This is my first time posting in the Sitting Room, and I am thankful to be among friends!
Serburas the Traveler
Posted 23 days ago
Hey all - this is a bit of a breakthrough Za and I just had. Go back to the crossword puzzle. Note the pattern with the black boxes. It is totally consistent all around the puzzle and if you fill in the white spaces, it forms a swastika. I have not figured out the message, but if you look at the pattern, it is totally clear.
Tracy
Posted 22 days ago
Has it been suggested that Oggie came under the influence of a
neo-Nazi?
The Genii
Posted 22 days ago
Yes, clearly
"Tom Abbot" was a Thule necromancer who had fled to Canada after WW2. He ovbiously was in cahoots with the editor of the local newspaper who, ovbiously was Hitlers former minister of propaganda Joseph Goebbels.
If you hold up the Pendle amulet up against the moon and have a reflect on certain pages you also come to understand that Mr. McGregor was actually Mussolini, who had gone into hiding in England and had plastic surgery to hide his identity. And I'm working on this theory I'm very close to being able to prove that Oggies dog was a werewolf!` Jokes aside Tracy... I totally see that!
If you hold up the Pendle amulet up against the moon and have a reflect on certain pages you also come to understand that Mr. McGregor was actually Mussolini, who had gone into hiding in England and had plastic surgery to hide his identity. And I'm working on this theory I'm very close to being able to prove that Oggies dog was a werewolf!` Jokes aside Tracy... I totally see that!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 22 days ago
You all are too funny! I can't figure out what it might mean, but even to have a pattern in it seems like it couldn't be a coincidence, particularly when you consider that the "last week's answer" crossword does not have any type of pattern. When I look into the history of the gammadion cross, it is an auspicious symbol of good luck. The earliest known object with the symbol was on a bird carved from the tusk of a mammoth. The nazi party used a right facing symbol, and this one is a left facing symbol, so I am going to say that is not the connection (if there is one, lol!)
Tracy
Posted 21 days ago
Hmmm. It seems there is instruction to submit guesses regarding the profession via a postal address I have found rather than via voicemail. Haven't seen mention of this before, has anyone else found this?
Phill
Posted 21 days ago
Phill, I didn't encounter any option to submit guesses via an address, and am certainly curious about where this option was given. However, if you read some of the above posts it's been determined that the phone message and the guessing of the profession is actually attached to another mystery and has no relationship at all with the Weeping Book, as the phone number was included on the package by accident.
Dennis
Posted 20 days ago
Hi Dennis, if you look carefully at the newspaper packing material it would seem the phone number may not have been a mistake. It seems to contain clear instructions on how to respond to the profession question and directly references something said in the voicemail.
Phill
Posted 20 days ago
Hmmm. I don't currently have those materials as I left them with a friend who also wanted to study the package, but when I get them back I'll certainly check that out. I hope you're right as I found that aspect of the mystery to be quite fascinating and was very disappointed when it seemed like it was irrelevant.
Dennis
Posted 20 days ago
Phill,
I have rather thoroughly perused both sheets of the newspaper and nothing pertinent stood out to me. The best thing I can think you are referring to is the Use of Confidential Service blurb at the top left of the page on back of the crossword, but I don't see how that is related to the phone message.
Additionally, the phone number was also printed on the shipping labels for some recipients of Tempus Fugit.
Todd
Posted 20 days ago
Phil - I see where there are instructions on how to reply via post, but nothing to suggest what the profession might be. Did you find direction on that as well?
Tracy
Posted 20 days ago
Todd - I found that same blurb about the Use of Confidential Services and it seems to me that the last sentence is very odd about the guesses. I think that is what Phil is referring to.
Tracy
Posted 20 days ago
Tracy,
It doesn't seem to be an unusual way for Confidential Service to work for me. It assures the anonymity of the poster of the ad, and allows the responder to filter his reply from certain potential posters. I don't find any direct reference to anything said in the message, and this appears to be entirely based on the use of the word "guess".
Am I missing something?
Todd
Posted 20 days ago
Tracy and Todd, that last sentence certainly seems out of place. Also note the title "use confidential service" and think about the instructions for the 3 options at the end of the voicemail. I may be wrong but this all seems to suggest that the phone message does belong with this experience.
Phill
Posted 20 days ago
Phill,
I won't discourage you from pursuing it, but I don't think there's anything to it.
Apparently, issues of the Vancouver Sun are available online, but you need to have a library card from the Vancouver Public Library. Know anyone in Vancouver with a library card? www.vpl.ca/electronic_databases/cat/C92.
Todd
Posted 20 days ago
While I really want to believe the phone message is part of all this, it was relatively easy for me to accept that it's not because it just doesn't seem to gel with anything else in the experience. Even when I shared all this with my friend last week and played the message for him I commented about how it's taking things in a seemingly unrelated direction. It's not impossible that this is the case, but it's hard to overlook. Plus, while I don't know this for sure, I assumed that the event mentioned in the message was the ship exploding near Fishers Island. If that is the case, then that occurred in 1846, so a classified ad from 1980 would seem to be completely irrelevant.
Dennis
Posted 20 days ago
Todd - I reread it from your perspective and now I think I agree with you. You are to provide a list of names to which you don't want your job application to go to (such as your current employer) and if you happen to provide the name of the company that is actually hiring (i.e. your guess) then they will destroy your letter and not forward it. So, yeah, I am going to say it is strangely worded but not related.
Tracy
Posted 19 days ago
Hope this helps.Fellow posters, the Vancouver Sun crossword can be found on Google news and does not need a card. This is the link for the answers for the Feb 4 crossword news.google.com/newspapers?nid=ifIdVpG6JtcC&dat=19800205&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
The Lady in the Shadows
Posted 19 days ago
M'Lady THANK YOU for that link. If you go back a day, to Feb. 4th, you will find the *exact* same pages in the classifieds as we have in our hands EXCEPT for the "Business" articles. There are two articles on our pages
"More details wanted on energy policy" and another untitled but under "Tourism". The energy policy article is verbatim that of the actual Vancouver Sun 2/4/80 p. except that names are (slightly) changed and the location entirely is (Vancouver Island to Manitoulin Island). I'm not sure there's much there except that Tom lives on Manitoulin Island. The second "article" on our newspaper is under the Tourism heading and that is NOT related to any of the deleted articles from the actual Vancouver Sun 2/4/80. Either it's filler or it has information we need.
Za
Posted 19 days ago
All of which does beg the question - what is the significance of the newspaper? Giving everyone the same pages of the same newspaper from 35 years ago just to point us back to
Tom's address
seems rather over the top. There's either some as yet unknown significance to that added article, or could the purpose be to point us to that particular issue of the Sun because there's a significant article on a page not in our possession that links to the story?
Phill
Posted 19 days ago
It is worthy of noting that the
TRAVEL article is from the same issue of the Vancouver Sun, on page A9.
The way I see it, there are two ways of looking at things:
1.
That the newspaper contains pertinent information. Then the questions become why it is a Vancouver paper from 1980? Did Tom live in Vancouver in 1980 are relocate to Tehkummah some time before 1987? Do we know for a fact whether Tom lived in Vancouver or Tehkummah in 1984? What was in this paper that made him save it in 1980, and use it to pack the journal and the amulet in the Inco crate in or after 1987?
2.
That the papers are simply to be viewed as incidental packaging materials, which could explain why the title of the paper was obscured on the top of the page, and why the location in the Business article was changed from Vancouver Island to Manitoulin Island, so as not to call attention to the fact that they do not originate from Tom's location. With any manufactured experience, there may be a level beyond which the creator does not anticipate an experiencer will go. Perhaps that would include reading some of the Want Ads in a piece of packing material and realizing they're from British Columbia? You might notice the description of "What You Get" on the Weeping Book experience does not mention "two pages of classified ads from a newspaper of mysterious origin".
Personally, I am not predisposed to either option. But it is my opinion that the path
had led us to an incantation with awkward wording in one spot that seems perhaps to include some sort of instructions. Has anyone made better sense of that awkward spot?
Todd
Posted 19 days ago
I wondered whether the paper was just incidental too, but that brings us back to the question of why give everyone the same particular pages from a particular date, AND go to the trouble of changing one article and fabricating another entirely. That consistency and attention to detail would seem to suggest that the newspaper serves some purpose. There still remains the question of what importance (if any) to place on the
INCO crate.
I also wonder whether there are any clues to be found in Tom's letter - but I may be reading too much into things! I have also asked the Curator to confirm whether the voicemail message is part of this experience or not.
Phill
Posted 19 days ago
Phill-
As I mentioned earlier, both articles are from that issue of the Sun. The TOURISM article was moved from page A9. No articles were fabricated.
Not that that really makes much of a difference.
Todd
Posted 18 days ago
My thinking is that the newspaper was altered just to tie
Tom to Mantoulin since 1980.
I'm not convinced that we were supposed to notice it's a Vancouver paper, although that is honestly too easy to do. The crossword is exactly the same as that printed in 1980, so I doubt there are clues there
(though Cabot does rhyme with Abbot).
Todd, I found this www.thornber.net/famhist/htmlfiles/nowell.html which indicates that Nowell did indeed have male descendents, although it appears the direct male line effectively died out in the 1770s. I have no idea how the 1890s 1920s and 1980s Nowells came about their lineage. Creative license, she's a pill
Za
Posted 18 days ago
Has anyone received any follow-up mailing to this experience? I am hoping that some of those missing pages show up...
nizzler
Posted 17 days ago
This is a single mailing experience, the crate and the following reveal are the only two mailings in this experience, Mx. nizzler. Although, I did send a letter to Tom Abbot's address as listed on the postcard in which I asked about the missing pages, but it was sent back. No such address. I thought it would be worth a shot, though.
Indiana Popovich
Posted 17 days ago
Spoiler alert. I have confirmation that we have completed the experience, at least in terms of solving puzzles. So it is up to us to determine the solutions to the "open ended" story pieces given the clues that we already have. Todd, thanks for your engaging discussion and attention to detail, it is unmatched!
Za
Posted 11 days ago
So Za, the only actual puzzles are the
cipher and the crossword for this expierence,
yes? The matching of the historic background is fun study and the phone # puzzle was tied to another expierence... Is this what you have confirmed? Because I was just about to spray the wanted poster with lemon juice to see the secret writing!
Dr William Scott Johnston
Posted 11 days ago
I'm not sure if I can get any more than an opinion on this, but if those are the only two puzzles and everything we need is in the box, is it actually possible to figure out anything beyond
that Ogden was possessed and then freed, and Nowell eventually did die, date unknown?
Like others I'm sure, I was really hoping there'd be some way to see what was on those missing pages. As I said in an earlier post, I don't currently have the box in my possession so I can't really do much of anything with this right now. I still think the
box must be a clue of some sort as well.
Dennis
Posted 11 days ago
Actually, the crossword puzzle wasn't part of the experience at all. It was literally a reprint from the newspaper and its inclusion was merely incidental.
I don't believe that there is actually any content written for the missing pages. For example, the last I have of the September 3 entry is "... But when I looked back at Buster he was...". The torn out page begins "gue...". I can't find a single word that would logically continue that sentence.
I think the torn out pages are a convenient way to propel the narrative forward and instill a bit of mystery.
Todd
Posted 11 days ago
Yes, Dr. WSJ, that is what was confirmed. And Todd is correct, the crossword was merely a reprint. I believe the
paper and INCO box
were merely to
tie Tom down geographically (Manatoulin Island, working in or receiving from INCO in Sudbury, about 100mi away).
Todd, I always thought that the way that sentence ended
(with the image of the bird eating off the empty street) indicated that in the dream, Buster had disappeared (as a familiar easily could, although of course it's a dream, so who knows). I agree about the torn-out pages as providing mystery, and doubt they contained anything critical to the story. We have a slightly inaccuate (factually) but still mesmerizing story of a boy who, we assume, is last in a bloodline of murderers possessed by the spirit of Old Demdike. It's a cool story, but I did give feedback that "a great number of puzzles" might be reworded in the marketing. It's more like a historical puzzle with "a great number of clues" to piece together.
Anyway, fun working together with you all and look forward to the next one!
Za
Posted 10 days ago
Since Za has noted how the marketing of The Weeping Book has affected some of our expectations of what we should be looking for in the experience, i.e. "a great number of puzzles." I wonder what Za and others make of the line in the product description about "a poster of unexpected import." Have we discovered the unexpected importance of the poster?
Old Possum
Posted 10 days ago
Perhaps we should hit that poster with some lemon juice. I definitely read way more into the mystery than it looks like I should have. Well, it was my first experience with this and I thought it was safer to assume everything was a clue than to start overlooking things. Oh well. I wonder if it would be a good idea for them to send one additional mailing containing the official solution which would be clearly marked as such and the recipient could choose to open it whenever, or not. It might serve to eliminate any lingering feelings that there might still be pieces of the mystery to be solved because at this point I don't know that there's anything beyond us feeling satisfied that everything has probably been covered while not ever knowing that 100%.
Dennis
Posted 10 days ago
Lemon juice or heat or UV light or rubbing for an impression. I don't have the materials in my possession, so I can't try any of this, but I'd like to read a report by someone who has.
Old Possum
Posted 10 days ago
Well... if UV/black light will actually do the trick, I just used a small special flashlight able to do that and all I could see were
one or two splotches that bled around the MI in missing at the top of the poster
Mystfield
Posted 10 days ago
If there is a hidden message, and it's not revealed with UV light, ironing the paper (without steam) might do the trick to reveal something.
Old Possum
Posted 10 days ago
No Iron...but decided to take a break from trying to decipher the
"...between the lines" and I turned my oven to 150 and let the sheet lie on a cookie pan than hit it again with the light after about 3min. The bleeding seemed a bit stronger, but no visible marks indicating a code. There's always a possibility the flashlight is of lower quality. I think I picked it up for $10 on amazon or I didn't heat it up long enough...but I'm guessing there's nothing untill we find out more from an unknown source of its importance, if any
Mystfield
Posted 10 days ago
For your interpretation, here is what I received from the Curator:
Whilst I cannot speak to the specifics of The Weeping Book, I can say that it, like our other experiences, is focused primarily on the story, and not on being a source of interwoven puzzles in a literal sense. Our stories are left purposely open-ended, to allow the recipient to decide for themselves (or in a group) what happens, and integrate it with their own life. Based upon Bernard's report to me about the discussions within the Sitting Room, I believe you have exhausted the extent of the puzzles contained within. I am sorry for any consternation this may have caused, and I do hope that the enjoyment of The Weeping Book remains. Of course, should you have any further questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me forthwith...
Therefore, I do not believe the poster has anything further to offer us.
Za
Posted 10 days ago
Well, I for one have thoroughly enjoyed all the discussion on this. I thought there'd be some true closure but I'm okay with it being open ended if that was the intent and will know for future experiences. Now I just need to decide which one to try next.
Dennis
Posted 10 days ago
Thank you for posting the Curator's response, Za.
Old Possum
Posted 10 days ago
But what about the Not straw?!
Dr. William S Johnston
Posted 10 days ago
Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.
Todd
Posted 9 days ago
I wish to pass along the response my daughter gave today upon receipt of The Weeping Book. She was confused and called me for help, which I of course did not provide. Then one of her roommates arrived and explained to her how it was all a sick joke by someone and to just pitch it all in the trash. My daughter kept the smallest part and pitched all the rest including the book in the trash. I had to have my son call and convince her it was a gift, which should be kept and shared. This experience did not go as planned, waste of money on this one. Oh well.
Freya
Posted 9 days ago
Sometimes, especially for those who are not used to gifts of this nature, a few helpful prods and a partner-in-crime prepared in advance are invaluable resources. Even though I selected this experience for myself, I still found it to be a chilling tale (in a most enjoyable sense). It certainly seems to have provoked an intense range of emotions and reactions from recipients.
I enjoy perusing Ogden's journal to this day but one's mileage may vary!
Aurélie Delaunay
Posted 9 days ago
I have been a member since 2014, but have not participated in the discussions in the sitting room but I really enjoy the discussions, this is my first experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the story of the
Pendle Hill witches . I am wondering if Ogden's mother was the connection to the descendants of the line, Jennie was supposed to have survived and could have had children and Ogden's diary mentions his mother speaking to a relative before she took Ogden away OR was it just bad luck that Ogden found the Amulet while on school field trip while visiting the McGregor's thereby eNabling Demdike to possess whoever finds the amulet, is the amulet the object of curse or is demdike able to possess him because he is a descendent? Any thoughts on what part the McGregors play if any?
Nyx
Posted 9 days ago
Therein lies the rub. From one of the obituaries, we see that
a Nowell had been murdered in Kansas City. Another implies, to me, a Wisconsin murder. If Demdike was already possessing people in North America, why did Ogden have to travel to Lancashire to be possessed? If the Amulet was tied to the possession, how did it get back to Lancashire after the previous Nowell murders for Ogden to find it...
There was a reference to an
Aunt Ginny, I believe, who seemed to know something about what was happening, but she was not mentioned until after Ogden got back from Lancashire and started showing signs.
So, if it is inherited, why did
Ogden have to travel to Lancashire and find the pendant, and if it is not inherited, why did Ogden's Mom, Dad, and Aunt Ginny seem to have some understanding of what was happening?
Todd
Posted 9 days ago
I interested in the story that arrises from imagining when and where the various articles were acquired. Did Ogden and his mom stop at libraries in various cities along the route of their road trip to do research on old newspaper articles about the deaths of Nowells? At what point were these clippings acquired. Were these clippings compiled by Abbot?
Old Possum
Posted 8 days ago
I am afraid I have misplaced my shipping container, and with it, any clues that may have been present. If one would be so kind as to provide the relevant information, I would greatly appreciate it. Better care will be taken in the future, as this is the first curiosity I have had the dread pleasure to receive.
jeremykylejackson(at) gmail(dot) com
Cheers.
Obsidian Mind
Posted 3 days ago
A thousand pardons, friends; please disregard my previous message.
A cursory search into the macabre Book of Faces has provided information relating to a clandestine (and more prudent) group of agents who have retained the relevant entity information sought above. But alas, I've said too much.
Many thanks to those who responded to my request.
Best regards.
Obsidian Mind
Posted 3 days ago
Obsidian Mind,
All of the experience was contained within the cardboard shipping box. The box itself and the shipping label are impertinent.
Todd
Posted 3 days ago
Dear Todd,
Many thanks. After reviewing all of the documents submitted, I have located the information in question. I'm sure these will help in my investigation.
Very truly yours,
Obsidian Mind
Posted 2 days ago
Pardon me for seeming dense, but is there really any puzzle to be solved regarding any part of The Weeping Book? The Curator's comment above make it seem as if it is simply an "experience" to be had in the reading, and perhaps tracing the name of the witch responsible for the possessions which might add some background, but is not necessary.
The Genii
Posted 7 days ago
The Genii,
Yes, there is a puzzle.
Todd
Posted 7 days ago
Will I see it by rereading this thread again?
The Genii
Posted 7 days ago
The Genii,
Yes.
Todd
Posted 7 days ago
Thank you. Time to concentrate and read with a clear head.
The Genii
Posted 7 days ago
The Genii,
It is mentioned early in the thread, pertaining to
doodles and the amulet.
Todd
Posted 7 days ago
Ah yes, I do recall that. Thank you, Todd. Oddly, my amulet is aged to the point of darkness and it is quite difficult to make out the doodles/symbols. Perhaps a magnifying glass and very bright light, or a gentle brush with steel wool, are required.
The Genii
Posted 6 days ago
