DD-OD1704 (Oct 30, 2017)
Puzzle
“Aka-esque.”
Knowledge | Research | 2 Words
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: In relation to Umbra, that is.
Clue 2: What is the basis of the relationship between Umbra and Aka? What are they searching for, and who is aiding whom?
Clue 3: Research time. Umbra was named 'Johnny Hatman' by Robert for a reason.
Clue 4: Who was Umbra, as a human? Think about the First Bible for a bit - does it have any other name?
Clue 5: A person named 'John', linked to Enochian. Did he have any help similar to Aka?
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Edward Kelley
Explanation: Edward Kelley aided John Dee in his mysticism quests, similar to how the Redman aids Umbra - the demon-reincarnation of John Dee - in his hunt for the First Bible.
Summary of Receipt
Summary
Transcript
NUMBER: OD1704
PRIORITY: AND
DATE: 30-10-17
CUSTOMER & ORDER: OFF THE RECORD
SERVER: H.R.
…
S.O.T.
H.R.: What a crazy few days.
Manager: No kiddin'.
Big Guy: We wouldn't have had to deal with that if you didn't play the Redman's game, Jericho.
Manager: Are you seriously trying to pin the interference of an Elder on me?
Big Guy: Mm. I suppose not. Though it was still a stupid plan. What if you had lost?
Manager: Ah—but I didn't, did I?
H.R.: Yeah, but you didn't really win, either. You never got to ask Redman a question back.
Manager: Didn't need to. I confirmed what I needed to know which is that he has no idea what this little beauty is.
[The Manager pulled out a small jar with a black pulsating glob inside.]
H.R.: The… seed?
Manager: Exactly.
Big Guy: And, what, Redman, not knowing what something is means you suddenly do?
Manager: It was a trick question. Umbra already told us exactly what it is—it's a seed. One of the last seeds from the Tree of Knowledge.
H.R.: No way…
Big Guy: How can you be certain?
Manager: I was paired up with the heap o' coke for a long, long week. Not that he let much slip of his plans mind you, but I did at least get enough to piece it together. Eve, Eden, Knowledge… the price one pays for it. This—this is it. A seed of knowledge. A catalyst. It's what Robbie was really after until we nicked it.
H.R.: Why would Robert want that thing?
Manager: It'd complete him. He's a shade, right? A wispy little nothing of an idea born in the pits of the Everdark. He's gotta jump around from body to body just to be. Umbra—well, Umbra wasn't always Umbra. He used to be John Dee—until he ate one of these.
[The Manager shook the black glob around.]
Big Guy: I could believe that whatever that thing is makes someone… or something into a shadow person. Fine. But how do you know it's a "seed of knowledge?" That it is some remnant of Eden?
Manager: Robbie's Plan B. He couldn't get the seed, seeing as we had moved it out of Palm Beach once we knew we lost. So, he went after something else Eve had left behind… a few strands of her hair.
H.R.: I… don't think I'm following.
Manager: Eve made him—Eve made all of them. Even indirectly, like with Umbra, Eve made them. The shadows… they're hers.
Big Guy: The Everdark is Eden?
Manager: No. No… I don't think that's the case. I think the Everdark must be where it all ended up. What's left behind. Like how the Otherside is what's left of the Skald and the Flipside is what's left of Arcadia.
Big Guy: Mm… perhaps. Though, Everdark… it's part of the Otherside, no?
Manager: Not really. Not… not in the technical sense. It was there before the other Seven Planes.
Big Guy: Hm. Okay. So, how does this all tie back into Eve's hair?
Manager: And the seed. Pieces of Eve and Eden all found in the Everdark. Umbra, Dee, he had to get his seeds from somewhere, right? And he said he was running out—not that this was all he had. Eating this thing—it makes you into a shadow, but just touching it seems to be some sort of test for the Dark.
Big Guy: So Umbra wouldn't let Robert eat one of his few remaining seeds. Thus, the betrayal.
Manager: Yeah, or Robert's just a backstabbing power-hungry prick.
H.R.: So… what do we do with that thing now? Eat it?
Manager: No, no, no. Not a good idea. No clue how'd it'd interact with the Blight or, well, the spittin' image of Eden. In the most mundane case, you'd become a shadow person yourself. Mostly immortal but entirely unfeeling and likely at the will of Eve herself.
Big Guy: She is still alive?
[The Manager rattled the seed.]
Manager: Only in the knowledge she left behind. I could've sworn I heard Umbra muttering to himself about Eve. No… we need to… I don't know. Destroy this thing.
Big Guy: You said it yourself; it's not the only one.
Manager: Damn… well, still, I don't want Umbra gettin' anymore of these.
H.R.: We could give it to the Third Cafe for safekeeping? Umbra would expect us to hold onto it.
Big Guy: That's not a bad idea. Even if Umbra couldn't care less if we have one of his seeds, Robert will.
Manager: Until we know what better to do with it, yeah. Sounds like a plan. They've got a huge safe warded out to the nines. Or, eights, I suppose.
H.R.: What about their investors? What if they—
Big Guy: Mammon and Belphegor. Children of Eve herself are likely uninterested in such a thing. It holds no material value, and little seems to stir Belphegor to action.
H.R.: Wait-what, Mammon, and Belphegor?
Big Guy: Mm. I've known for a while. Belphegor is a long-time investor in the Cafe and Diner. Mammon… well… I don't know what he's getting out of propping up the Third Cafe, but I doubt he cares about some black gunk.
Manager: Suppose Princes ain't keen on becoming Shadows. Yeah. Let's leave it with them, then. Mammon or Belphegor won't want it, but they'd probably know better than to let anyone else get a hold of it.
E.O.T.