Do you believe in ghosts? Well, in some places there are people who do, and for good reasons. If you travel up the Hudson River from noisy and crowded New York City you will come to a quiet little valley tucked awake along the rolling hills where time has seemed to stop. The people who live here are the families of the first Dutch settlers. They like their old ways and see no reason to change or to leave their quite farmlands to travel to the big cities of the outside world. I've heard it said that once an Indian tribe leader cast a magic spell over the land. Whether it is true or not, there sure is an enchanted feeling in this region and it’s easy to believe that some very strange things can happen here, in fact, everything is so dream like in this valley it is known as Sleepy Hollow.
Several centuries ago a young schoolmaster came to Sleepy Hollow. He was odd looking from the rest of the citizens of the hollow. Many town folks thought a scarecrow has run away from its cornfield. The schoolmaster's name was Ichabod Crane and he was a Yankee from Connecticut. He made the journey to Sleepy Hollow looking for a teaching position in the old school house, but he wasn't the only one telling stories. As Ichabod stayed in the houses of his students he would hear folklore and legends about the hollow from their ancestors. He heard stories about ghosts and goblins, but his favorite was the story of the headless horseman. Ichabod was fascinated with the tale, and let his wild imagination get the best of him.
Fast forward several centuries and quite a bit has changed. The city has undergone a change in names and is now known as Barrackville. However, the residents of the former town are still around and to them, it will always be known as Sleepy Hollow. Among these citizens is the school teacher, Ichabod Crane. Throughout his time in the hollow, he has had numerous run-ins with the headless horseman, but nothing too interesting, until tonight. Every night, Ichabod comes to the library and writes in his journal about his experiences. In fear of being haunted by the ghosts of Sleepy Hollow and hid the book in a place, he was sure no one would find it. Legend has it, the Headless Horseman haunts Ichabod because he believes Ichabod has his long lost head.
To start this wherigo you will need to meet the headless horseman near his grave during the witching hours, the only time he can come out. The cemetery where the headless horseman is buried was once behind the church, but it is nothing more than a paved lot for big horses. However, the caskets still remain and so do the souls. In order to communicate to the supernatural, you will need to download the wherigo cartridge from Wherigo.com. Once this is complete, you may go out to Sleepy Hollow and begin your journey!
Know Before You Go
This cache can be completed in one night if you have the right equipment and the right team. I suggest you bring a smartphone, a portable phone charger, a notebook, a pen, a UV light, a flashlight or headlamp, and a friend or two. While you won't need two people to complete this wherigo, having more than one brain is always a plus!
For best results, you will need a bright flashlight that illuminates for a significant distance. One of those cheap multi-LED lights or keychain lights simply won't cut it. Be sure to bring along spare batteries for your flashlight. This cache should take about an hour to complete and you don't want to be stuck way out in the woods with a rapidly dimming bulb. We suggest you bring a backup flashlight, just in case.
When searching for a reflector, hold your flashlight slightly above eye level. Reflectors bounce light directly back to its source, so holding your light beside your eyes will make the reflectors much easier for you to see. If you have a headlamp, use it!
A Note From The CO
This is my first time placing both a night cache AND a wherigo, despite having done plenty of both. Killlerbee has assisted in the night cache, but this is both of our first wherigos. That being said, it is not unlikely to occur some slight errors, mainly on the wherigo end. The cartridge has been tested and tested, and all known bugs have been worked out, but that doesn't mean there aren't still some lurking. If you encounter an error, please message me and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Also, before heading out please check the logs to look for a version update to the wherigo to ensure you have the correct version of the wherigo downloaded. Thank You!
What is a Wherigo?
Wherigo is a platform that allows you to build location-based GPS experiences on your computer and play them in the real world. Think Zork, Secret of Monkey Island or Myst, but in the park around the corner, or on the beach during your family vacation. Rather than clicking the mouse and selecting a location to move your character, you actually walk from one location to the next to advance the story.
To play this Wherigo cartridge you will need a smartphone or GPS device capable of running Wherigos. This cartridge involves a lot of zones, characters, and interaction with the device along with sounds. I suggest playing this wherigo on a smart device as a GPS unit may encounter glitches and won't get the full effect. If you have access to multiple devices I would recommend running the cartridge on as many of them as possible in case one crashes or the battery dies.
Click here to download this cartridge and begin your adventure!
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Cartridge Update Log
10/31/16 - Version 1.0 - Published Wherigo
11/20/16 - Version 1.1 - No major features have been added other than some spelling and grammar corrections (Thanks, Leighismine!) and some slight nudges to help you along your journey.
8/18/17 - Version 1.2 - The head has been replaced and now resides in a new location. The wherigo has been updated to 1.2 to account for these changes. In addition, new hints have been added by clicking on "The Headless Horseman."
