Strange Sounds of Castle Rock - May 2017
An expedition crew ventured out in search of the strange noises coming from the area known as Castle Rock State Park. Though our pace was slowed by belayer congestion, the troupe refused to be delayed by such inconveniences. After taking stock of supplies, we trekked about a mile into the site and thus began our journey.
We discovered that the Guild had dispatched the ornithologist and stellar historian Annie Bell a few weeks earlier to uncover the source of the sounds. Our mission comprised two parts:
Document carefully the sounds and noises heard, along with their possible sources.
Find Annie Bell.
For our first task, we came upon Goat Rock (the supposed source of the sounds) and began taking extensive research notes spanning all of the senses. Thorough records of these observations were logged in the Stellar Cartography book. Of particular note was the discovery of a two-tone harmony tone, similar to the sound of waves in a shell. This tone, a major sixth, is a natural phenomena that’s striking to hear in person.
We continued our notes on our way to find Annie Bell’s last known location, where we learned the story of Duck Robbins and his unconventional gold mining style. He’s a potential source for the origin of these strange sound rumors. His tales of an underground city full of treasure were strongly questioned by his peers in the mid 1800s, adding an intriguing layer to our exploration.
When we finally came to the last known whereabout of Annie, the expedition found a bird house she had left behind, secreted away out of sight. Though we’re assured of her current safety, she must now continue her research remotely. She identified a dead drop: Alpha Bravo One, in Berkeley, which was used to hand off our notes on the sounds and experiences from our journey. We’re certain this isn’t the last we’ll hear from Annie.
Explorers discover Annie's bird house, containing her secret message.