Geocaching

Location: //Withering under an open sunroof// (set:$steps=0)(set:$waitedInCar=false)The sky's bright blue as you're riding along with Dippy in a car. Despite the strange weather forecast you heard earlier, you hope your luck holds, because your friend Kipper is driving you all to your first geocaching expedition! You're not sure what that entails quite yet, but Dippy seems really excited for it. "Are we there yet?" you whine to Kipper. "No." says Kipper. "You can sit in silence and [[wait->Waiting in the Car]] until we get there, or you can just [[fall asleep->Wake Up]] and wake up when we get there. You know, geocaching requires a lot of decision-making, so it's probably good to practice that skill right now."

Location: //Everywhere but where you want to go// (set:$steps+=1)You wait. Man, it's boring (if:$waitedInCar)[continuing to watch](if:!$waitedInCar)[watching] other cars whizz by. (if:!$waitedInCar)[(set:$waitedInCar=true)It feels like something important is currently going on unseen to you, but you're just sitting in this car. "Hey Kipper, why's your name Kipper?" you ask the person whose name is Kipper. "Oh, it's a synonym of 'red herring'. My name means 'red herring', get it?" replies Kipper. "No."] Nothing visibly exciting is happening. What do you do? Continue [[waiting->Waiting in the Car]]. [[Fall asleep->Wake Up]] from sheer boredom.

Location: //A parking lot near you// (set:$steps+=1)You jolt awake with a start as Kipper pulls up to Flushed Fish Lake. Huh, seems like you drifted off to sleep at some point. (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[However, you quickly wake up in the blindingly bright sunlight.](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[By the time you woke up, it's already getting cloudy.](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[It's already starting to drizzle, unfortunately, but you heard it might clear up in the future.] "You're finally awake! Hurry up, Kipper's already got our supplies outside. I can't wait to get started!" Dippy elatedly screeches at you. You open the car side, and Dippy practically pushes you out trying to escape. Small particles of ash float onto your shoulders. <s>You know, it's a bit weird Dippy hasn't burned you, Kipper, or the car.</s> There's a large-ish park map at the edge of the weirdly empty parking lot standing guard over a narrow trail. It appears to lead into a coniferous forest, which you assume is the one famously surrounding Flushed Fish Lake. You're about to go look over at it when Kipper pulls you back. "Are you sure you want to just [[go off into the forest->Not Visiting Information Center]] unprepared? We should probably [[go visit that visitor center->Walking to Visitor Center]] to figure out what exactly we're doing on this geocaching trip. I mean, all we have right now is a bunch of coordinates."

Location: //Exterior of visitor center trail// (set:$steps+=1)(set:$yougps=false)You walk to the visitor center. Kipper continues to rummage through their backpack and suddenly looks mildly concerned. "Uhhh, I think I left our GPS on top of the dashboard. We kinda need that to find our caches," they announce. "Aw, c'mon Kipper. Do we really? Here's a decision: either we can go get the GPS or we don—," you're about to propose before Kipper interrupts with, "No, we're getting the GPS and that's final. I don't want to die alone in the woods(if:$steps % 3 is 0)[ in this broad daylight](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[. It's already gloomy and ominous enough as it is right now](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[ while it rains on our corpses]. The only real choice is whether [[you go get the GPS->You Get GPS]] or [[I do->Kipper Gets GPS]]." "Why not Dippy?" you question. "It's a plot device, just go along with it," replies Kipper.

Location: //Heated visitor center and geocaching start// (set:$steps+=1)The visitor center is a medium-sized building covered with the kind of fake-stone exterior you'd see at a national park. There's two large wooden doors at the end of the walkway you're on. Dippy opens the doors by burning them down. "I'm not entirely sure that was necessary," says Kipper with a mildly disapproving look. It's too late to do anything about it though; you all walk through the charred remains of the doorframe. Over on the far right of the building is a visitor's desk. A helpful-looking employee pops up from somewhere beneath. "Hi! How can I help?" she cheerfully asks. You freeze. You've never been particularly good at speaking to anyone you don't really know. "Uhh, do you... have anything interesting to... do...?" you gingerly ask. "OK, not like that," sighs Kipper, slapping their backpack into your hands. "We're here for the geocaching. Do you have any pointers?" "Oh yes, here you'll need this." The employee hands you a brochure, which contains a lot of probably-semi-interesting information about Flushed Fish Lake. On the back is a riddle with 5 blanks. It reads: "What would a _________(☀️) call a piece of _________(☁️) _________(🌧️)? A _______ _____!" "Yeah, so there are three 9-letter words to fill in, creating the riddle. If you answer the riddle correctly, those last two words (which have lengths of 7 and 5 respectively) will be your final answer," the employee informs you. "Oh no, a puzzle where the extraction clue phrase requires you to use your brain and think of a punny answer," says Dippy. "Oh, no, this isn't a puzzle. I agree to not do that in a puzzlehunt, but this is geocaching!" responds the employee, suddenly looking mildly disconcerted at the presence of a large flying dragon-phoenix. "Anyway, you have all the coordinates to find the 3 locations, right?" "Right," replies Kipper. "Each of the locations will have letters hidden in caches for you to find. Fill them in in the correct places. Good luck and have fun!" And with that, the employee pushes you out the burned-out husks of the doors that used to close off the visitor center. "You know, this jamb is a lot smokier than I remembered when I unlocked these doors. Huh," you hear the employee mutter. Maybe you should [[quickly leave for the forest->Trailing Off]] before the employee puts two and two together.

Location: //The park map instead of the information center, for some reason// (set:$steps+=1)You approach the park map. Kipper and Dippy reluctantly follow you. The map is pretty basic. There's forest everywhere, but the trail cuts through it until it reaches Flushed Fish Lake and splits in two. Except then the two ends wrap back around on the other side of the lake. "Wait, if you were walking along this trail in one direction, wouldn't you just loop back around and crash into the people just starting to walk along the trail? Shouldn't this path just, like, begin and end on opposite sides of the parking lot or something?" you ask nobody in particular. "I don't think we should worry too much about that," Dippy responds. "It's probably a Möbius strip trail or something. Also there doesn't appear to be anyone else here to crash into." "That makes no sense, but sure, makes sense." You start [[boldly walking off into the forest->Still Haven't Visited the Information Center]]. Kipper reluctantly fumbles around in their backpack to find the GPS so you can figure out the coordinates for the caches. Dippy flaps off ahead of you.

Location: //Halfway into getting killed// (set:$steps+=1)You stop a bit into the trail. "Wait, guys, what are we looking for exactly?" you suddenly ask. "Gee, I don't know, maybe we're looking for some sort of visitors' guide, like the kind that could be found in an information center like the one over there. None of us have been geocaching before; we should go ask someone what exactly we're trying to do," Kipper snarks from behind you. You're about to argue that you technically have all you need for the geocaching trip, but Kipper [[drags you along to the visitor center->Walking to Visitor Center]] anyway.

Location: //Running back and forth along the visitor center route// (set:$steps+=1)(set:$yougps=true)You decide to go get the GPS. You run back to the car. The parking lot's still empty, so luckily you don't need to remember where Kipper parked. You run up and... Oh shoot. The door's locked, even though you can clearly see the GPS through the windows. Oops. You probably should've realized that. You run back to beg Kipper to [[retrieve the GPS->Kipper Gets GPS]].

Location: //Completely motionless on visitor center trail waiting for GPS unit// (set:$steps+=1)(if:$yougps)["Krwksskwzky, fine, I'll go get the GPS. Wait right here," gargles Kipper exasperatedly. ]Kipper runs off to get the GPS. Around 10 minutes later, they come running back. "Got it. Now. [[Let's. Go to. The. Visitor. Center.->Visitor Center]] Thisistakingfforeverrrrrrr," they pant.

Location: //A crossroads that looks out over a surprisingly serene lake// (set:$steps+=1)(set:$sat=false)(set:$wentleft=true)(set:$returning=false)(set:$firstleft=true)(set:$firstright=true)As you start walking towards the trail, you briefly glance at the park map on the outskirts of the parking lot, but you notice the map is reproduced in the brochure. There's the same trail that splits in two at the lake, but then it meets itself again in a closed loop on the other side of the lake that has been here since time immemorial—or at least the early 1900s, which to you is time immemorial. "Wow it's a good thing we went to the visitor center and got this brochure before walking into the forest without knowing what we were looking for, right?" you ask Kipper. Kipper just rolls their eyes. Within a few minutes you're completely enveloped by the forest. If it weren't for the clearly delineated path you were on, you might not even believe there was a civilization so close to you. The sounds of various woodland creatures fill your ears and pierce through the mild fog that always encompasses this forest no matter the actual weather. Incidentally, it's currently (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[really sunny outside](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[pretty cloudy outside](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[raining mildly outside. You shiver slightly]. Soon, you've reached the fork in the road; that means that if you were to keep walking you'd walk into the lake. It's really pretty here. You could just [[sit on those large rocks over there and stare into the water->Stare Into Lake]] for an indefinite period of time. There's also a signpost. The two branches of the trail are uncreatively named the "Left Side Trail" and the "Right Side Trail". The two trails are almost identical, although far off along the Left Side Trail, a lone man appears to be walking back to the parking lot. You can start off on either the [[Left Side Trail->Start of Left]] or the [[Right Side Trail->Start of Right]].

Location: //Nowhere in particular// (set:$steps+=1)(if:!$sat)[(set:$sat=true)There's a few large rocks that seem to be perfectly positioned to be sat on to stare into the water of the famous Flushed Fish Lake. You're sure generations of hikers before you must have actually done so. You decide to join them. "Wait, where are you going!" yells Kipper as you run off. You clamber onto a particularly seat-shaped boulder and take off your backpack. ]The lake's a pure shade of bluish-green, although you can't tell exactly which shade it is. Aquamarine? Teal? Nearer to you, in the shallow and frigid-looking waters of the lake, you can actually see clear through to the bottom—occasionally, some aquatic animal skitters through the water. In the far distance, you can barely make out an island with some sort of cabin in it enshrouded by haze. The trees on both sides drape over your field of view perfectly, flanking the island and sky with beautiful leafy vignetting. It... almost looks like a scene worthy of a postcard or video game box art. How much time has passed? Maybe you should [[go back to Kippy and Dipper->Go Back to Kipper and Dippy]]. Wait no, Kipper and Dippy. Although, you could probably afford to [[spend another second gazing->Stare Into Lake]].

Location: //Going back to Kipper and Dippy, who seem to be in some sort of distress// (set:$steps+=1)(set:$wentleft=true)"Uhhh, what was that?" Kipper asks as you sit up with a start, realize you're wasting time, and sheepishly slink back to Kipper and Dippy. "Never mind, just help me decide. Do you want to go to the [[left->Start of Left]] or [[right->Start of Right]] on this trail?"

Location: //Entering the left-side road// (set:$steps+=1)You, Dippy, and Kipper (if:$returning)[are now](if:!$returning)[start] confidently hiking on the Left Side Trail.(if:!$returning)[ You quickly catch up to the returning man on the trail. [[You can go talk to him right now if you want.->Talk to Hiker]] [[The trail ahead does look enticing though.->Left and Island]] ](if:$returning)[ "Hey wait, where did that man we saw earlier go?" you suddenly stop, realize, and ask. "He probably walked off a loooong time ago. Why would he wait for us?" Kipper responds. "Aw, we should've talked to him," says Dippy, flapping dejectedly. [[You continue on to your car.->Back in Car]]]

Location: //Entering the right-side track// (set:$steps+=1)(set:$wentleft=false)You, Dippy, and Kipper (if:$returning)[are now](if:!$returning)[start] confidently hiking on the Right Side Trail.(if:!$returning)[ "I sure hope we made the RIGHT decision," squawks Dippy. "That was such a cringe-worthy pun. Like, it's bad enough to be the meta answer to a mid-sized puzzlehunt," laments Kipper. "[[Can we please move on?->Right and Island]]" ](if:$returning)[ "Ah, we're back where we started, basically," you exclaim once you spot a vaguely-familiar signpost. "I can't wait to [[get back to our car->Back in Car]] and relax our feet slash solve this riddle."]

Location: //Standing in front of hiker and asking for a hint to the riddle// (set:$steps+=1)He looks up. "Oh, hello. I see you're going this way," he greets you all. "Yeah, we're going geocaching," you respond. "Oh, really? Oh wait, I think I know what you're talking about. Is there still a riddle you need to fill 27 letters into?" "Yup. That's kind of a lot of letters, especially for only 3 sites." "Ah, I'm sure you'll figure out everything. Although I should warn you, there's more to finding the letters than you might think 😉." "Wait, do you mind giving us a hint, then? We're beginners." "Hmmmm. Well, I remember the answer being alliterative and that a part of it alludes to a body of water much larger than Flushed Fish Lake. Either way, you should try to visit every location exactly once and note the names of the locations from start to finish. You should get 2 important pieces of information from those names." "Are you talking about the 3 locations we need to visit?" "No. //All// the locations." And with that, he walks away. [[Yeah, OK, you should just go on.->Left and Island]]

Location: //Entering another clearing where that alluring island shows up// (set:$steps+=1)(if:!$returning)[(if:$firstleft)[(set:$firstleft=false)You arrive at a pier located just off the trail. "We need to get to that island in the middle of the lake, and I think this pier is supposed to take us there," says Kipper, focused on their GPS. "That pier looks rather rickety," frets Dippy. "And perhaps our fluttering friends didn't notice, but there's no boat and no other way to get to the island. I bet the boat's docked on the other side of the lake," you say. "Yeah, let's just go on," Kipper says. Although the island is strangely enticing to look at.... Maybe you could stay awhile. ]"What are you doing?" asks Kipper, or maybe Dippy. "Just staring at that island," you vaguely reply. "Not again..." the other one of Dippy and Kipper mutters under their breath. "You have to go on." [[Continue staring at island.->Left and Island]] [[Go on.->Left Caches]] ] (if:$returning)[You arrive at a pier located just off the trail. "Oh hey, there's a boat here, just as I predicted," you exclaim. You all get into the boat and make off for the island in the middle of the lake. Somehow, you don't all drown and [[successfully complete the voyage->Island]]. ]

Location: //Piled into Kipper's car ready to solve the final mystery// (set:$final=$first+$middle+$last)"OK, so what do we have in terms of letters," you ask no one in particular as everyone gets back in the car. Kipper glances over your shoulder at the brochure. "It appears we have '$final', which isn't even something I can pronounce, much less a word. I'm pretty sure gibberish is not going to help us solve this riddle." "We must be missing something here. Should we go around again?" you ask. "I'm tired. I don't want to restart from scratch," says Kipper. "Maybe we can just go back a few steps instead," says Dippy in a weirdly all-knowing voice.

Location: //Exactly at the center of the expedition// (set:$steps+=1)(set:$returning=true)This part of the trail suddenly has a much more pronounced curve. The barren ground where hikers hike looks more delineated (if:$steps % 3 is 2)[even ]under the (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[sunlight](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[weak light barely trickling through the cloud cover above](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[the light showers pooling in the depressions on the trail]. "Guys I think this is the confluence of the Left Side and Right Side Trails—however that works again," you announce to no one in particular. (if:$wentleft)[[[You press on->Right Caches]].](if:!$wentleft)[[[You press on->Left Caches]].]

Location: //Your favorite place to go// (set:$steps+=1)(if:!$returning)[(if:$firstright)[(set:$firstright=false)Just ahead of you, a dock extends off the trail and into the lake. "So there's some caches hidden on that island in the middle of the lake. I bet we're supposed to go from this dock to the lake," says Kipper while keeping their eyes on their GPS. "That dock looks pretty shaky," grumbles Dippy. "And maybe our airborne associates didn't notice, but the boat I presume is supposed to be moored here definitely isn't moored here. And I don't see another way to get to the island. The boat's probably on the other side of the lake," you say. "OK, let's just continue," Kipper says. Although the island is weirdly alluring... Maybe you could stop awhile. ]"What are you doing?" asks Dippy, or maybe Kipper. "Just staring at that island," you vaguely reply. "Not again..." the other one of Kipper and Dippy mutters under their breath. "You have to go on." [[Continue staring at island.->Right and Island]] [[Go on.->Right Caches]] ] (if:$returning)[Just ahead of you, a dock extends off the trail and into the lake. "Oh hey, there's a boat here, just as I imagined," you cry out. You all get into the boat and make off for the island in the middle of the lake. Somehow, you don't all drown and [[successfully complete the voyage->Island]]. ]

Location: //Valley where you want to find a cache// (set:$steps+=1)"😮. Guys, this is one of the three locations we can find caches in," announces Kipper. Everyone gets to work trying to find the hidden caches. It's super fun and fast(if:$steps % 3 is 0)[, especially with this amazing sunny weather](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[ even as a light breeze blows through the overcast sky](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[, although you're all a bit hampered by the occasional droplets hitting your heads]. Kipper finds a box on the lee side of a rock. You find a microcache hanging from a prominent tree. Dippy flies up really high, singes the tops of a few trees, and declares having found a letter to fill in the brochure. Speaking of which, you pull out said brochure(if:$steps % 3 is 2)[, sheltering it from the rain]. "OK, everyone. What did you find?" you ask Kipper and Dippy. "I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[G](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[P](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[T] and the number 1 in parentheses," announces Dippy. "I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[E](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[E](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[A] and the number 2 in parentheses," chimes in Kipper. "And I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[O](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[A](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[B] and the number 3 in parentheses," you conclude. "I think that means the first three letters are (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[GEO(set:$first='GEO')](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[PEA(set:$first='PEA')](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[TAB(set:$first='TAB')]." "The first three letters of what?" asks Kipper reasonably. "...uh, let's just save these letters and fill them in later..." you reply. You (if:$returning)[[[continue on->Left and Island]]](if:!$returning)[[[continue on->Midpoint]]].

Location: //Standing outside a cabin// (set:$steps+=1)You land on the island, the land area of which is mostly taken up by a large clearly-locked cabin(if:$steps % 3 is 0)[ enshrouded by sunlight](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[ enshrouded with mist. The lighting and mood isn't helped by the leaden sky hanging over your heads, threatening to burst at any time]. "I think the caches are in or around that cabin," says Kipper. "Well, hopefully around," says Dippy. (if:$steps % 3 is 2)[ "Bit of a shame the cabin is locked, since we could really get inside to get out of this rain," you sigh. ]You all get looking for caches. At this point, everyone is getting a bit antsy to finish up, so you all do it wordlessly and with none of your usual antics. Half an hour later, you gather with your finds. "I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[L](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[C](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[L] and the number 4 in parentheses," says Dippy. "I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[O](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[E](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[E] and the number 5 in parentheses," says Kipper. "And I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[G](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[A](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[W] and the number 6 in parentheses," you say. "I think that means the 4th, 5th, and 6th letters are (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[LOG(set:$middle='LOG')](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[CEA(set:$middle='CEA')](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[LEW(set:$middle='LEW')]." "Still just as confused where these letters go as with the other 6 letters," says Kipper, looking just as confused as they had been while discovering the previous 6 letters. [[Continue.->Leaving Island]]

Location: //Right Side Trail area with a lot of caches to find// (set:$steps+=1)"😮. Wait, everyone, according to my GPS we can find some caches here," announces Kipper. Everyone gets to work hunting for caches, (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[especially with this amazing sunny weather](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[even as a light breeze blows through the overcast sky](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[although you're all a bit hampered by the occasional droplets hitting your heads]. Kipper finds a microcache on the underside of a tree on the side of the trail. You find a box on the lee side of a sizable bush. Dippy flies up really high and notices a plane conveniently skywriting some symbols. You pull out the brochure you got at the visitor center. "OK, everyone. What did you find?" you ask Dippy and Kipper. "I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[I](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[B](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[A] and the number 7 in parentheses," announces Dippy. "I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[S](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[L](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[R] and the number 8 in parentheses," chimes in Kipper. "And I found the letter (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[T](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[E](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[E] and the number 9 in parentheses," you conclude. "I think that means the 7th, 8th, and 9th letters are (if:$steps % 3 is 0)[IST(set:$last='IST')](if:$steps % 3 is 1)[BLE(set:$last='BLE')](if:$steps % 3 is 2)[ARE(set:$last='ARE')]." "The letters of what?" asks Kipper reasonably. "I mean, those blanks are 9 letters long, so they're probably the last three letters of one of the words, but which one?" "...uh, let's just save these letters and fill them in later..." you reply. You (if:$returning)[[[continue on->Right and Island]]](if:!$returning)[[[continue on->Midpoint]]].

Location: //Traveling back to shore with letters// (set:$steps+=1)"OK, let's just leave this island and get back to our car to finish up this mystery," you suggest in a reasonable tone. You all get back to where your boat was moored and (if:$wentleft)[[[travel back to the wharf you originally left from->Start of Right]]](if:!$wentleft)[[[travel back to the wharf you originally left from->Start of Left]]].