Something is Happening...
Whispers and ghost stories are spreading in the Haunted Woods about strange creatures vanishing into the night... A breeze floats out from a hidden cave deep within the woods, promising adventure and discovery... Do you dare seek out the truth behind the legends?
https://www.neopets.com/halloween/scary_cave.phtmlPan Almas
After a moment of regaining his bearings, Pan begins to shuffle around the cave. He carefully sets out a collection of odds and ends, treating them like ancient, delicate treasures.
"I've searched this cave high and low for clues to the whereabouts of our mysterious creatures, but this is all I've managed to find," he says, gesturing to three objects on the ground: a chewed-up apple, a stone with an epitaph etched onto it, and a bent and broken... tambourine? "I'm certain they must mean something, but I'm afraid I can't tell what..."
"Go on, have a look. Pick them up if you need to. I'm sure that someone savvy enough to find this place on their own will be able to catch something these old eyes didn't! Hoh hoh!"
Rotten Apple
You pick up the chewed-up apple Pan set out. It's pretty gross—its skin is wrinkled and the flesh looks like it's been brown for a while—but there's something strange about the bite marks. They're more like deep incisions, as if from exceptionally large teeth, or even fangs...
Wait. When you look closer, the apple isn't chewed up at all! It's just lost one big chunk, like it was only bitten once—or simply picked up by some creature. Now, what could that possibly mean...?
Etched Stone
You pick up the odd stone Pan showed you. There seem to be words etched into it, but they're so small it's hard to make anything out. What you can see, though, are three big letters engraved into the surface:
R.I.P.
Could this be some sort of epitaph or offering that someone forgot about?
Lost Tambourine
You pick up the bent tambourine and give it a shake. The sound it makes is pitiful and fumbling.
Yep. This is definitely a broken tambourine. You wonder who it could have possibly belonged to, who could have broken it, and how it could have wandered over to such a strange place.
Venture deeper into the cave...
You move further into the Scary Cave, pushing past the frigid breeze that claws at you and tries to keep you from venturing any deeper. It's far too dark inside to see anything, and any light you try to bring in fades after a few steps...
You stub your toe. You run into walls, and stalagmites, and stalactites. There's a persistent drip from the ceiling. Your feet are wet, you're cold, and you think you might just be lost.
After a few moments of fruitless wandering in the dark, you decide to turn back. If you had something to help you navigate this mysterious cave, then perhaps you could try again...
Strange Spectre
Together, you and Pan move past the broken concrete gates of the Forgotten Graveyard. He pulls his coat tighter around himself and shivers, though it's surprisingly warm out right now...
Suddenly, something shifts in the dreary air. It whispers, its breath a frosty breeze, and you realise with a roll of frisson down your spine that it must be a ghost. You can't quite see what shape the spirit is, though—if you look right at it, it seems to dissipate into a translucent mist; and yet, out of the corner of your eye, you can see some semblance of a form, like the fog is trying to piece itself together: big ears; long, sharp fangs.
"How odd..." Pan murmurs at your side. He squints and adjusts the spectacles on his snout, and when you glance at them, you swear you can almost see a face reflected back in them.
The wind sighs, and you hear a voice belonging neither to you nor your scholarly companion.
"That smell... The smell when fruit goes soft and plants wither and shrivel away... when life crumbles to dirt and we feed from the pungent remains... What is that smell? Tell me... Please... I can remember so little..."
(What word is the spirit searching for?)
Rot
There's a shiver in the air, then a nearly-silent giggle accompanying it as the spirit's shape ripples like the shaking of wet fur.
"Yes... That's it... Rot. What a wonderful thing! Oh, I wish I could still eat..."
The air shudders again, and from the corner of your eye you can see the ghost bounding toward a gravestone. When you follow it, you see a small scattering of bones with... something still stuck to them. Gross! But sticking out from the soil beneath them, you see a piece of crumpled paper...
You feel that ripple in the air again, and a cool breeze tickles your cheek. "My friends used to bring me such delicious rotting food... Pumpkins, fruit, fungus... If you ever see them, please return the favour."
You reach for the paper and pull it out. As you do, the spirit vanishes in another silent flurry. What was all that about?
You have received:
Scary Cave Map Piece
You found a Map Piece!
The trek to your destination is a long one, filled with meandering paths and some rather unhelpful directions from some of the Neovian locals. Finally, though, you come to Vandebart Biggsby's Apple Bobbing stand, and he greets you with a wide smile and a jubilant twirl of his cane. "Step right up, step right up! I can see you've got an eye on my apples over there, and for a few paltry Neopoints I'd be happy to let you have a go at grabbing one—or any of the other marvellous, awe-inspiring prizes you can get your mouths on!"
When you look down at the barrel, it's plain to see there are more than just apples in there, and the water looks... Well, this IS the Haunted Woods. Seeing your discomfort, Pan steps ahead of you, tugging the lapels of his coat.
"Don't worry, my friend. Let old Pan take this one—I was a right swindler when it came to festival games back in Dacardia, hoh hoh!" You aren't sure you believe that, but even if he's just saying it to make you feel better, you're still grateful he volunteered; and so you let Pan step up onto the stepstool. He hovers over the barrel, studying it, and then, with a deep, deep breath... *SPLOOSH!* He plunges his head in, and in a moment comes back up with... something in his mouth.
"Ptooey!" He spits whatever it is into his hand -- a ball of soggy, crumpled-up paper. When he unfolds it...
"Ah-ha! This is just what we were looking for. Nice work, friend! You led us right where we needed to be."
You have received:
Scary Cave Map Piece
The Wanderers
With every step you and Pan take (or flap of the wings, in Pan's case), the broken tambourine he's carrying makes another pitiful, fractured, arhythmic rattle. It's starting to get on both of your nerves by the time you get to the Wanderers' Camp, as evidenced by the sigh of "thank goodness" Pan utters when you get there.
Your approach gathers the attention of the campers around the fire. A few of them exchange looks, and one stands up from their seat on a log -- a young Usul with a kind face. She prances over, smiling brightly, and says, "Hello! I'm Gilly, here to visit some old friends. We were just about to start singing some campfire songs; would you like to join us?"
"Ah, I do love a good campfire song. They're an excellent source of folktales and legends, and I've something of a passion for such things... But I'm afraid we haven't the time today," Pan says. He lifts the broken tambourine up and presents it to Gilly with both hands. "We're chasing after the sort of legend that might be sung about around campfires for years to come, and it may be linked to this very tambourine, broken though it is. I don't suppose you could help us out?"
As he speaks, Gilly takes the tambourine. "Hmm... I don't know how much I can help, but I'll try. I can at least say this tambourine probably did come from here, based on the way it's painted... I wonder what could have broken it so badly?"
"We're wondering that ourselves, lassie," Pan says. "I'm beginning to suspect we're on the trail of a great beast... but we'll need to figure out which way to go to find it, and piece together a more concrete picture of its lair before we can say for sure."
Gilly bounces on her heels. "I'm pretty well-traveled, so I might be able to tell you some stories I've heard on my adventures. What exactly are you looking for?"
(What are you and Pan trying to find?)
-map
You found a Map Piece!
Gilly hums. "A map, huh? I don't know about any campfire songs or legends about maps, but I do know a little about maps themselves!" She gleefully reaches into an inner pocket of her riding cloak. "Or at least, I know about this one. I may look young, but I'm a full-fledged adventurer, and on one of my adventures, I found this torn-up map piece. I never could figure out where it led or where any of the other pieces were, though... But maybe you can?"
She hands you a piece of paper that's folded up, crumpled up, and torn at the edges. Pan carefully unfolds it, trying not to tear it with his claws, and sure enough, it looks like a part of a treasure map. But not just any treasure map...
Pan lifts the map piece above himself and bounces up into the air, shaking it in his excitement. "Yes, this is it! This fits perfectly with the map fragment I followed to that cave! We've done it, my friend, we've come one step closer to uncovering the lost legend of the Haunted Woods!"
"That all sounds very dramatic and exciting," Gilly says. "I'm glad I could help! Please make sure you come back and tell me how your treasure hunt goes - I'm dying to know where that map piece leads!"
You have received:
Scary Cave Map Piece
Pan Almas
You return to the Scary Cave, Map Pieces in tow, to take stock of the situation. Pan spreads each piece out on the floor, scratching his chin in thought.
"We don't seem to have found all the Map Pieces yet," he muses, "and unfortunately, it seems the trail has run cold. I doubt there are any more clues in here... But, ah, if it's a legend we seek to uncover, perhaps others may have heard whispers of it as well?"
As he speaks, his bushy eyebrows lift and a smile begins to dawn across his face. "Yes, that's it! I'm certain I know of a few knowledgeable Neopians who could help point us in the right direction. It'll be a long journey to go speak with all of them, of course, but anything worth doing is worth a bit of trouble, or something like that."
You ask Pan if there's anyone in particular he's thinking of, and after a moment of consideration, he counts out a list on his claws:
"Well... I used to run with a group of other archaeologists and myth-chasers. They might know something about Haunted Woods Legends. It's been some time since I last brushed tails with them, but last I heard they were investigating some old ruins that popped up in Tyrannia...
"Who else? Oh, there's an old friend of mine in Altador who's always got his beak in a book...
"Speaking of books, libraries and bookshops are always worth 'checking out!' Hoh hoh, a little library humour there...
"But where else would we find learned individuals? Ah, if I recall, I've had some rather pleasant experiences in Brightvale. Some of the wisest Neopians I've ever met have called that kingdom home!
"And surely there are some savvy inhabitants of these very woods. I confess, though, that I'm not acquainted with many. Something about the more, erm, shall we say, 'cerebral' creatures here frightens me a little.
"Neovia, though... I'm a touch more comfortable there, eerie though the perpetual fog can be... But I'm certain that's where we'd be able to find someone knowledgeable about these woods and the creatures that inhabit them.
"Now," Pan says, "Let's go seek out some scholars!"
(Explore Neopia and find someone who might know about legends in the Haunted Woods!)
Reginald and Willa
The floorboards creak under your feet as you step into the dimly-lit Neovian Printing Press. Willa Wagtail, the Pteri who keeps this shop, turns to look at you as you enter, apparently startled out of conversation with her only other customer—a brown Lupe whom you recognise as exactly the Neopet you're looking for: Reginald. What luck, finding him here!
"Can I help you?" the shopkeep asks.
"Why, yes, I believe you can!" Pan says, clapping his claws together. "You and the good sir Reginald here both, lass. You see, my friend here and I have been hunting down legends in the Haunted Woods, and we've heard of Reginald's great intelligence through another legend entirely. We were wondering if either of you would know anything about a certain Scary Cave in the Haunted Woods, and perhaps a map to help navigate it?"
Reginald and Willa exchange a look, then at once, they both smile. "I do indeed," Reginald says. "And in fact, if I recall..."
Willa flits over to a nearby shelf and pulls out an old-looking book—one that's got a damaged spine and peeling cover. She brings it over, chirping, "This the vol you're talking about, Reg? It's a one-of-a-kind first-edition donated by... Well, rumour has it a monster dropped it off at our doorstep, and I'm willing to believe it with the tooth-and-claw marks on some of the pages. You didn't hear that from me, though."
Reginald laughs. "I doubt it was really a monster. There are plenty of misunderstood creatures in the Haunted Woods, after all. I'm happy to share some tales with you all if you have the time."
"That sounds lovely," Pan says. The four of you then retreat into the back room, where Willa steeps you a pot of tea. Reginald reads from the scuffed-up book she fetched, regaling you all with stories of disappearing creatures that skirt the walls of Neovia, leaving rotten food and shimmering fur in their wake... and how most of the deposits of food have been found in one specific hollow hiding in the brush just outside Neovia.
As you chat, Reginald leafs through the book, then suddenly stops. "What's this...?" he murmurs to himself. Perplexed, you all watch him carefully extract something that was wedged tightly between two worn pages: a folded piece of paper.
Reginald opens it up and smiles widely. "I think this might help lead you to what you're looking for," he says with a wink. You take the page, and when you examine it, you realise it's another piece of the map you and Pan have been assembling! You thank Reginald and Willa profusely, and after finishing your tea, depart the shop in high spirits.
You have received:
Scary Cave Map Piece
The Brain Tree
You and Pan trek through the Haunted Woods, seeking out the land's greatest seeker of knowledge himself: the Brain Tree. As his pointed brown branches breach the field of your vision and his large, glossy brain comes into view, you see Pan shudder beside you.
"I never did like this sort of thing. Brains and gore and the like," he tells you. "In all honesty, I'd rather not talk to the Brain Tree at all... but in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, we scholars must sometimes confront that which makes us uncomfortable."
Wise words, but Pan still looks a little green when you finally speak to the Brain Tree and ask him if he knows anything about the Scary Cave or how to navigate it.
"My records of the Haunted Woods and its denizens is vast, but incomplete!" he bellows. "Bring me information to fill in those gaps, and I shall tell you what you need to know!"
Pan looks squeamish as he pulls you aside. "He can't really be sending us on a quest, can he? Oh, I was dearly hoping we'd be done and scrubbed of dealing with him in just one go..."
The Brain Tree
After a grueling adventure through the Haunted Woods searching for food to feed the hungry Esophagor, you finally have the answers to the Brain Tree's questions (and a very shivery, queasy-looking Pan). You tiredly recite the information the great tree is after, and his gnarled branches curl and wiggle as he processes it. Poor Pan has to look away.
"That is correct. Good. You are worth something after all, mortals. I shall tell you what you want to know."
You look at Pan. He's turned away from you, but he waves his hand to signal he's okay. You decide you'd better handle this yourself, so you ask the Brain Tree where you can find what you're looking for.
"Your request is as plebian as it is nonspecific," he says. "But for your contribution, I will help anyway. Search the Haunted Woods high and low. Leave no stone unturned, no door unknocked, no path or village untraversed. What you seek is hidden, and once you find it, you must return often. Decay gives way to new growth, but sometimes must be helped along—cooked down, changed, transformed from one state to the next."
"How... how cryptic," Pan says, stumbling over to you and clutching his stomach. His poofy hair is drooping a bit and speckled with cold sweat. "But thank you, O Great Brain Tree... We will be taking our leave of you now."
The Brain Tree makes no attempt to stop you. When you are some distance away, Pan breathes a loud sigh of relief. "Phew! Thank goodness we no longer have to rub elbows... er, branches, perhaps... Ach, it doesn't matter. It sounds like we're looking for a number of things, and they're hidden... or not-so-hidden... in the Haunted Woods. We'll have to run over every centimeter of this place: fairground, Neovia, and all... So let's get a start, shall we?"
The Library Faerie
As you and Pan make your way through Faerie City, a few Faeries nod hello. Pan waves back to them, chipper as a Moehog in mud. "I do enjoy visiting Faerieland," he notes, as you cross the cobbled walkway to the Faerieland Bookshop. "As tragic as it is how this all came about, I am glad it's on the ground right now, though. I doubt these old bones could carry you up to a Faerieland in the sky, hoh hoh! ...Er, assuming I'd need to. Can you fly? I suppose I never thought to ask..."
The bell tinkles as you push open the door. Seshatia is sitting behind a desk, but when you enter the bookshop, she wheels herself out to greet you. "Welcome! Is there any book in particular you're looking for today, or would you like some reading recommendations?"
"A recommendation or two, if you will," Pan says. "See, we've been chasing some ghosts in the Haunted Woods, so to speak, and I have reason to believe from the clues we've found and what all we've seen and heard that there may be some strange creatures at the heart of the legends we've been following. I don't suppose you have any books about things like that, do you?"
Seshatia ponders a moment. "Strange creatures that live in the Haunted Woods? Hmm... There are lots of those. Do you happen to know what they might be called, or a title or epithet they're known by in myth?"
(What are the creatures you and Pan are trying to learn about?)
The Library Faerie
"Ferment Foragers... Ferment Foragers, hmm..." Seshatia's brows pinch as she contemplates your words, and then—"Ah, I recall something like that in an old Altadorian legend. Let me see if I can find the book."
She wheels away towards the back of the shop, and after exchanging a hopeful glance, you and Pan follow. Seshatia extends a wooden tool, reaching up to a tall bookcase with suns carved into the wood, and plucks an ancient book from the top shelf. She opens it in her lap to flip through the pages and, when she finds what she's looking for, presses a finger to the handwritten text.
With a glittering flurry, images dance before your eyes: an orchard under a starlit sky, its fruit trees swaying in the wind. Seshatia reads: "It came with the cracking of twigs, the shuffle of dirt beneath large claws. The farmer looked out of his window, out into the once-pristine orchard. The wind was strong that night, and blew figs right from the branches of their trees. And it was in that gust of wind that he saw it."
The images morph. Something moves between the trees, kicking over the underripe figs—a shadow with thick fur, bright golden eyes, and long, dripping fangs.
"The creature bit into the figs, one by one. Its teeth, gleaming in the starlight, dripped with their juices -- but only for a time. It locked eyes with the farmer, golden irises flashing. And then -- it vanished, gone in the beat of a heart.
"Night after night, the farmer watched for the creature, and found it returned only when the figs grew ripe and spoiled under the hot daytime sun. The figs were devoured, and, curious, the farmer began to set out more food... yet each time the creature returned, it remained invisible but for its terrible yellow eyes and gleaming white fangs."
The images transform into a stirring pot. Ingredients tumble into the concoction as Seshatia reads, "The creature devoured mushrooms, fruit, squash -- all left to the mercy of time and heat... And finally, the farmer approached it."
The story goes on to say that the farmer befriended the creature, despite limited communication. Either it couldn't speak, or wouldn't, so the farmer never learned its name. Still, he became famous for his fruitful harvests and fed all of Altador until he passed, all thanks to the creature's knowledge of fermented fertilizers.
Pan graciously thanks Seshatia for her help, then turns to you. "Well, still no lead on another Map Piece, but I think we've learned something quite valuable here today."
You nod in agreement. Best to make note of what Seshatia read to you...
The Seekers
The formidable structure of the Obelisk cuts an imposing shadow over the hot, flat, barren ground, but you decide it's a nice change of pace from the Haunted Woods' constant darkness. Sitting in the shade, among others, you can see a group of Neopets wearing fancy clothes not at all suited for the weather. Some of them, though, are at least in expedition gear...
One of them, a Gnorbu in frilly attire, spots you and rises to his feet. "Pan Almas! Ah, it's been an eon, dear chap!"
"Indeed it has been, Professor Lambert!" Pan says, fluttering over to shake his hand. "I suppose you've gotten my letters, though—Adler quite enjoyed your last; that old recipe card you sent with Meridell's take on a Brightvale Berry Pudding occupied him for—ah, but that's not why I'm here. Professor, we've come here with a purpose in mind..."
Pan takes his time explaining your adventure in very verbose detail. Professor Lambert looks quite enthralled, nodding along at all the appropriate points and asking a sprinkling of questions here and there until the story ends.
"A riveting tale!" he says. "And I would love to help you, old chum, but I am far too busy preparing the Seekers' next expedition into the Obelisk. The Haunted Woods are an old haunt—ho ho, if you'll excuse the pun—of Sandro's, though. Now, where is he...? Sandro! I say, Sandro!"
Upon hearing his name, a yellow Gelert with a mop of hair over his eyes rises and comes your way. He tugs on the lapels of his jacket, bows briefly to Professor Lambert, and then to you and Pan. "Greetings. It's been some time, Pan. Are you here to join us on our latest archaeological expedition? I daresay we could use your expertise in such matters; some of the others here are a touch... lacking in the proper techniques—"
Before he can continue, though, Pan cuts him off. "Afraid not, Sandro. We're on a mission and were hoping you could give us some information, considering you've lived in the Haunted Woods awhile, or so old Lammy says."
"Really." Sandro's hair moves a little bit. You assume he rose a brow. "What is it, then, that you'd like to know about?"
(What are you and Pan trying to learn about?)
The Seekers
"Haunted Woods legends, eh?" A light smile pulls across Sandro's lips. "Oh, there are plenty of tales circulating about those woods. In fact, in recent years, there have been quite a number of ghost stories floating around about the mysterious appearance of rotten food and unidentifiable heaps of scraps littering the outskirts of Neovia."
Pan leans forward, intrigued. "Oh?"
"Yes. Most of them seem to be quite the load of Moehogwash, though—typical Haunted Woods fare, bright golden eyes appearing in the dark and vanishing in a blink, leaving nothing but the rotting carcasses of their prey behind... Supposedly there have been some sightings of these beasts before they vanish, but I wouldn't put stock in anything that hasn't been properly documented."
"Anything that's not in a book, you mean," Pan supplies.
"Precisely. But," Sandro lowers his voice and casts a glance over his shoulder. Nobody seems to be paying attention to the three of you, and he appears relieved. "If you're trying to get to the truth of those stories, I'd recommend asking around Neovia if you haven't already."
With that, he turns from you and departs. Pan hums, contemplative, and then shrugs.
"Well, I can't say for certain if all that will lead us to another Map Piece, but it seems we should note down Neovia as a future investigation destination."
King Hagan
The halls of Brightvale Castle are indeed bright as you expected them to be, illuminated by the reflections and refractions of multicoloured glass along its marble walls. You ponder the historical significance of the figures depicted in them, and Pan helpfully notes who some of them are. Eventually, though, you reach King Hagan's throne room, and he eyes you with the air of someone who would much rather be reading in his private library.
Pan bows before him anyway, and you follow his lead. King Hagan bids you both to rise. "I assume you are here to seek fortune in exchange for your wisdom?"
"Actually, Your Majesty, we are here to seek your wisdom and knowledge," Pan says. King Hagan's brows rise beneath his crown and he shifts forward on his throne, intrigued.
"Is that so?" he asks. "I suppose I can't be surprised, but I do not bestow my wisdom upon just anyone—I need to be assured you hold wisdom yourselves. So go on, let me hear it—share with me your great wisdom, and I will judge whether or not you are worthy of mine."
King Hagan
King Hagan clicks his tongue as he processes your words. "I suppose there's... some wisdom in you," he admits after a very long, very loaded pause. "Very well; I shall tell you all I know... But even my vast knowledge is limited in some fields."
"That's quite all right, Your Majesty," Pan chimes in. "If someone held the answers to every mystery in Neopia, why, I daresay there would be no mysteries left to solve! Hoh hoh!"
King Hagan narrows his eyes slighty, as though he can't decide if what Pan has said is intelligent or not. "Yes, well. Perhaps 'mystery' is a good term here—what I know is more a riddle passed down through legend than anything. *Ahem*..."
He recites: "A single ingredient does not make a stew. So too can one farmer alone produce only half a harvest. It takes many ingedients to make a feast, and many to lead one along the path to discovery."
Pan blinks. "Th...thank you, Your Majesty," he says, bowing deeply. The two of you are shortly thereafter dismissed, and once you are back in the halls of Brightvale Castle, Pan turns to you with a sigh.
"Well, I think I may have permanently damaged my knees with all that grovelling... but no matter. He may not have given us much, but he's right; we may have to work together with other Neopians in order to find the rest of the Map Pieces we seek. And we may have to cook up a feast, or something? ...He was a little bit obtuse—but, ah, please don't repeat that to anyone, especially not here in Brightvale."
Pan Almas
You make your way back to the Scary Cave once more, wiser than you were before. Pan, exhausted, takes a seat on the ground and mops his brow with a handkerchief. When he's caught his breath, he starts to arrange the Map Pieces the two of you have found in front of him.
"We're making excellent progress, my friend," he says, flattening out some wrinkles in one of the Map Pieces. "But have we made enough? We'll have to examine these Map Pieces more closely, and if we've managed to find them all, then we'll have to put 'em together and turn 'em in. If not..."
Despite the tired droop in his wings, Pan smiles at you. "We'll just have to keep looking, and see if any other Neopians have had any luck! Some may even be willing to sell or trade us what we're missing, if by some stroke they've found it before us."
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