The Cabinet

[Saberlane]

Originally published at: The Cabinet - Ackerly Green

So, strange things continue in the offices of Ackerly Green, not that you’d expect anything less at this point.

We’ve been receiving packages and letters from a handful of people, Mountaineers mainly, with strange stories and even stranger artifacts. The stories of how these objects came into their possession are all different, but all in keeping with the weird goings on these past few years. Odd printing-themed curios imbued with powerful, tempting, (and dangerous) magiqs, a bone-carved key found buried with a mummy that opens a still-unknown lock, strange seeds that may grow into even stranger plants, and a trove of treasures from Neithernor.

It makes sense. Ackerly Green, for reasons we’re still working out in within The Secret Society, is some kind of hub of magimystic energy. So it would reason that the strange and unusual, the magimystic and mysterious, would seem to have a home here. What is all the stranger is that Catherine and I had just made a very unusual purchase prior to these packages showing up, and it’s almost as if we called them.

We found this antique library desk. It has a chalkboard on it and unfolds to reveal a writing surface, and a narrow (only 3 inches deep) box of shelves to hold supplies and whatnot.

Here’s the thing… Catherine and I started storing things that Martin, Cole, and Deirdre had left behind after unlocking The Book of Briars. We have a postcard for Ackerly Green’s Guide to Magiq, Brandon Lachmann’s bookmark that his mother gave Martin, the token Cole found under the bridge in Central Park, and the bottle of keys Deirdre bought in Hudson that was instrumental in unlocking her father’s spell on her. We’d started calling the little box “The Cabinet of Wonders” and days later packages started showing up.

I’ve long stopped believing in coincidences.

Know, how honored we are to be the custodians of these treasures, and we vow to keep them safe in Ackerly Green’s ever-growing Cabinet of Wonders.

[Revenir]

It is both spooky and reassuring to know quite a few of us are stumbling on strange magiqal artifacts. But really, it amazes me how this all came together, definitely feels like a sign that magiq has a home at Ackerly Green.

I am curious about these objects, though. Sabes, would it be cool if people posted here about what they found, maybe some thoughts they have? Really interested to know more, if folks are willing to share!

[Saberlane]

Out of respect, I wasn’t sure how much I was allowed to share, but absolutely!

[Revenir]

Oh, I didn’t think about that! Hopefully some folks will be interested in posting about them, so my curiosity will be sated.

My package is saying it’ll be delivered tomorrow, so I’ll share a bit once it’s safely at the AG office. I’m an open book, so I’m excited to discuss what I found!

[Ashburn]

…I guess I can share some about my find.

I’ve always hated going first.

When I peeked inside the box, some of the wording reminded me of that old pre-Mountie page with the butterflies that Steve shared what feels like ages ago, and the handwriting looked pretty old to me, maybe even hundreds of years depending on which fight the note referred to.

Those folded pages in the upper right corner looked like they might be a bit much for one Mountie, I’m sure you could get plenty of volunteers if you want to share the puzzling load.

Now that I think about it, I may have forgot to put my name on there…

[Saberlane]

Oh absolutely, @Ashburn, we’ll be sharing the puzzle load with others. Also, we’re going to be hanging some of the other objects up in the office. They’re stunning.

[Sellalellen]

While I’d like to take credit for finding the bone key, it’s really one of my friends who found it. She works in a library and found the necklace and what looks like a few journal pages in the bottom of a box of donated books. She tried to get in contact with the original owner but no one she called knew anything about them. She had heard me talk (probably too much) about The Book of Briars and she thought that some of what was in the pages could be related.
I regret not taking pictures of the pages before I sent them but I was in a bit of a hurry to get them to Ackerly Green Publishing. It felt important that they be there for some reason.
On a (only slightly) less magimystic note, I did do a little research into the artifacts. The dates on the papers place them at the height of the Egyptian mummy-unwrapping craze so the story does seem to line up as far as timelines go.
I don’t have equipment to test the bone but the lace matches patterns dating back to the early 1900s so while I can’t verify the key, the necklace itself is likely genuine.(it also has a clever little button clasp that I might try to emulate in my own crocheting, but that’s not really relevant here)
It feels strange though, and I’ve learned not to discount those feelings. Okay I’ve Thorned the heck out of this and accidentally written an essay. Oops.

[Saberlane]

Well, there’s a lot to unpack, both literally and figuratively, but it looks like Ackerly Green is becoming quite the hub of magimystic mysteries and artifacts. Thank you @Revenir for the incredible surprises.

[Catherine]

It’s been quiet for a while on the strange magimystic artifacts front, but just yesterday we received this mysterious scroll from @Deyavi. From the looks of it, it seems to have made quite the journey.

We haven’t had any luck deciphering the scroll yet either, but something about it makes me want to keep trying. Either way, it’s in safe hands with us. Thank you @Deyavi!