C-DWW02 (Oct 16, 2021)
Puzzle
“Mr. Lucia has just returned from Baltimore.”
See: DWW01 | 2 Words
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: Mr. Lucia, mind stating your real name for posterity?
Clue 2: Well, I come from the Santa Lucia range.
Clue 3: The travelers' observers.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Dark Watchers
Explanation: Mr. Lucia is implied to be the Dark Watchers of the Santa Lucia mountain range.
Summary of Receipt
1313, 71 and 323 head to the Santa Lucia Mountains to track down the Dark Watchers. The First Cafe was led by them to the Hotbed, while in the Second Cafe’s era they were coerced into helping the Astorians and Abbadon. The three of them will probably need to find a Gowen cypress tree to see them.
Transcript
[BRANCH] LONG BEACH
[SERVER] EMPLOYEE NO. 323
[DATE] 10/16/21
[INDEX ID] DWW02
[SECURITY] CAFE
Well, it's a pleasant surprise to get to work with 1313 and 71 again. Plus, it's nice to not be knee-deep in frigid funny business too. According to 1313's premonition, we'll be dealing with Mr. Lucia, or the Dark Watchers as Baltimore would know them. I've been asking around, and it seems like the original and second Cafe both had run-ins with Mr. Lucia at one point or another. Third Cafe never did, at least not to my knowledge, so it'll be interesting to meet some new faces. Or, well, maybe "lack of" faces. From what I've heard, the Dark Watchers don't necessarily have… features. Just a set of ever-watching eyes.
So, what happened with the first Cafe? Well, 1 has been too busy to chat lately, but 2, 17, and 2312 filled me in. Not that 1 would really know much about them, though, as the Cafe served Mr. Lucia back in what 161 has dubbed "We Are Open"—sometime between 92-93. Mr. Lucia might be a mute customer by all accounts, though they are the ones who lead the first Cafe to the Hotbed through a series of esoteric signs and warnings. Could Mr. Lucia be linked to the Hotbed? Maybe. I mean, for as much as I do know about the Hotbed, there's a comparable amount I still have no clue about.
But what about the second Cafe? Well, the Dark Watchers were actually working WITH the Astorians in the plot to unleash Abaddon. Or, perhaps, "working with" is a bit strong. From how 17 and 2 described it, the Watchers were more coerced into helping. How and why? Well, that's a secret that probably lies with Astoria. Well, Astoria and the enigmatic "Lungo" from the second Cafe. Though those reports have yet to be decrypted and, like I said, 1 has been busy. Though despite having a hand in almost bringing about the end of the world, I don't think the Watchers hold any animosity towards us as an organization. I don't think it's really in their nature. They don't pick sides; they only watch.
In any case, 1313 and 71 should be here later today, and then tomorrow, we'll head out to the Santa Lucia Range and see if we can't find them. 1313's insight, while very abstract, is usually pretty spot on, so I wouldn't be surprised if they are there waiting for us. We'll probably need to find a lone Gowen cypress if I had to guess.