Posts Tagged ‘hunts’

Rewards offered for ghost sightings

by on Tuesday, November 7th, 2017

Following a sharp rise in reports of local hauntings, a fresh survey of ghostly activity is taking place in New Toulouse Parish.

The Spectral Activity Survey will continue through December 5, so be on the lookout for any haints, spooks, wraiths, phantoms, specters, poltergeists, or other apparitions. Citizens who register 20 ghosts with the Beacon Spiritualist Institute will gain access to gifts organized by the Taloo Boosters Society.

“The ghosts of this parish, among them the oldest inhabitants of the area, have for too long been without a voice,” said Richard Mains, a recently deceased candidate for New Toulouse mayor. “Since many ghosts are housebound, we call upon the living to find us and tell our stories.”

The most recent survey of this type was undertaken in November 1914, when 2,720 spirits were reported in this parish.

To get started finding ghosts, visit the Beacon Spiritualist Institute at 23 Nightingale Street, New Toulouse, and pick up your “Ghost Hunter’s Kit.”


Jack Mondieu, Ace Reporter, is awfully fond of spirits.

Cards on the loose in New Toulouse

by on Wednesday, November 16th, 2016

When Celestina Navarre arrived in New Toulouse, she couldn’t have known that she would become the most celebrated soothsayer in the parish. Or maybe she did know. All bets are off when it comes to fortune tellers.

Madame Celestina, as she is known to her many satisfied patrons, was part of a traveling carnival but jumped ship to set down roots in New Tou, in what was to be the most heinous mixed metaphor in Tattler history. She soon built up a large and varied clientele that ran the gamut from housewives and underpaid journalists to moneyed landowners and the holders of the highest offices of city government. Now these patrons are upset because she can no longer offer her acclaimed tarot card readings. Why? Her special cards are missing.
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You would think that a seer would be able to find her own lost property, but apparently that’s not how it works. It seems that this is akin to losing one’s eyeglasses: Without her cards, poor Celestina cannot see any farther than you or I can.

If her cards are so important to her, how did she come to misplace them? When asked, Madame Celestina said that she discovered the cards’ absence right after the leader of the Goat Gang had asked for a reading. She hinted darkly at a connection between the two incidents but did not outright accuse the gangsters of stealing her cards. This reporter tried to get her to divulge the identity of the mysterious Goat Gang leader, but she demurred, citing professional confidentiality.

A coalition of Madame Celestina’s clients is offering a reward for the return of her tarot cards to their rightful owner. Without her insight into their lives, they say, it is harder to make important decisions. For more information about this effort, citizens are urged to visit Madame Celestina’s place of business, located at #8 Bayou Street (rear entrance).


Jack Mondieu hopes for the return of Madame Celestina’s cards, because he can’t recall where he left his best pair of trousers.

Mayor’s task force unrelated to kraken

by on Friday, November 6th, 2015

no-such-thing266x400The Mayor’s Office once again reminds the people of New Toulouse that kraken do not exist, especially not air-kraken. Neither does the mayor’s new special task force have anything to do with the accidental release of air-kraken hatchlings all over the parish.

“It certainly has nothing at all to do with kraken,” Mayor Godenot said with a chuckle. “We all know they don’t even exist.”

Civic-minded persons who would like to be part of the task force (which we have been assured is completely unrelated to any nonexistent creature) should apply at the upper floor of City Hall, just outside the back room that doesn’t contain the municipal False Memory Generator.


Gigi Lapin is a member of New Toulouse’s Tiny Social Aid & Pleasure Club, #1 Red Drum Place.

Hunt for lost marbles begins

by on Saturday, May 9th, 2015

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The regional marbles tournament is fast approaching, but without your help, New Toulouse Parish may go unrepresented. That’s because Boudreaux, the local star “mibster,” recently misplaced his lucky marbles.
 
Apparently trusting in a bag whose structural integrity is less than ideal is a good way to scatter one’s prized possessions all over town. The heartbroken Boudreaux told us, “Maybe I’ll just give up playing marbles forever, me.”
 
But Boudreaux’s friends aren’t giving up so easily. The Boudreaux Spotters Illiance (“Yeah, we spell it with an ‘I’—what are you, the dictionary police?”) formed recently with the goal of finding every one of the missing marbles in time for the June tournament. Headed by Boudreaux’s pals Thibodeaux and Robicheaux, the BSI is calling on the public to assist in the hunt.
 
According to Thibodeaux, the good people of New Toulouse have stepped up to offer rewards for the marbles’ return. (Turn to page 7 for the current list.) Said Robicheaux, “Boudreaux, he loves them marbles. He even gave them all names, like they was people. Please help us get them back!”

Mayor Henri Godenot added, “That Boudreaux was the best marble player in the world, but he can’t be the best if he lost his marbles. We need to help him so he can go on to marble fame and glory.”

If you would like to help find the marbles, go to the New Toulouse land office to obtain a marble hunter’s kit. The Missing Marbles hunt runs through May 30.


Gigi Lapin lives in New Toulouse Bayou with her pet crawfish, Jimbo.

Local ghosts tallied

by on Wednesday, November 26th, 2014

haunted-cert1For three weeks in November, parapsychologists, spiritualists, and amateur ghost hunters descended upon New Toulouse in search of ghosts for the Beacon Spiritualist Institute’s registry of Louisiana hauntings. With 2,720 ghosts reported, New Toulouse is the most haunted place in Louisiana by a considerable margin.

Liza Veliz runs a cafe across the street from the project’s headquarters. Asked if she met many out-of-town ghost hunters, she said, “So many, it was unbelievable—a real little invasion.”

Being a ghost herself, Miss Liza acted as the local “spectral liaison” for the project. Did any of the hunters try to hunt her? “Yes, several! They just hugged me and said, ‘I found a ghost!’”

Travelers from as far away as the Wastelands came looking for specters, and local business and community leaders offered rewards.

The Still House saloon saw lots of visitors as well. The tavern’s owner, Blake Palmer, says some of them ceased hunting there and commenced drinking instead. And a few decided to stay in town. “Ms. Fern Barker,” said Palmer, “came here for the ghost hunt, and now she owns the land beside my saloon.”


Gigi Lapin lives on the bayou with her pet crawfish, Jimbo.

Sightings

by on Sunday, November 16th, 2014

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On Saturday afternoon, a large group of oddly dressed people descended upon New Toulouse, causing some alarm until it was determined that they were ghost hunters from foreign parts. Here is Insanity Lobotomy searching the Green-Eyed Fairy for spirits. (Photo credit: Liza Veliz.)

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The one calling herself the Mutant Witch of the Wastes found many ghosts in record time and was the first of the group back at hunt headquarters to claim her rewards. (Photo credit: Nikita Weymann.)

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Many Wastelanders gathered outside the land office after hunting to rest and await their compatriots. Seen here are Aposiopesis Fullstop, who seemed to be their leader, Akiko Thursday, and the aforementioned witch. (Photo credit: Liza Veliz.)

The perils of ghost hunt rewards

by on Wednesday, November 12th, 2014

In recent days, our fair city has seen an influx of foreign visitors, in response to the Beacon Spiritualist Institute’s call for ghost hunters. The society is cataloging ghost sightings and legends from all over the state. As reported by my colleague Jack Mondieu, several New Toulouse business and community leaders have volunteered to offer rewards as an incentive to ensure that our local ghosts are well represented. Intrigued by some of the stories I was hearing from the hunt headquarters, I set out to get more information about these rewards.

Jack was out of the office, but even the most intrepid of reporters is not foolish enough to hunt ghosts alone, so I enlisted the aid of my neighbor, Ms. Kristine Jinx-Kristan. Armed with lanterns and notepads, we followed the trail of the ghost hunters and learned quite a bit about our local haunts. For those who may still be in the process of hunting, I won’t spoil those stories here.

Suffice it to say, we made it back to headquarters minus our shoes, plus a few gray hairs and a case of the creeps. But that’s when things got weird.

After we returned to headquarters with sufficient proof that we had visited plenty of haunted sites in town, we were given an armload of boxes and vouchers for various services, and instructed very mysteriously not to open anything at headquarters.

Some of the prizes were what you would expect from local businesses sponsoring an event—clothing with logos, beautiful handcrafted curios, useful items to have around the house. We unpacked some of those in the Tattler office.

Some prizes from the ghost hunt, brightening up the Tattler office

Some prizes from the ghost hunt, brightening up the Tattler office


Many of the prizes were definitely geared toward the interests of the type of tourists who might come to town specifically to chase ghosts: spooky decor, eerie illustrations, and furniture and artifacts associated with haunted sites. The prize from the French Market Apothecary included a voucher for free fortune-telling, so we stopped in to see what was in store for us.
Ms. Jinx-Kristan and Ms. Moreaux hear their fortunes, while surrounded by some of the prizes from the ghost hunt

Ms. Jinx-Kristan and Ms. Moreaux hear their fortunes, while surrounded by some of the prizes from the ghost hunt


The seers told me, “Many will travel to hear you speak.” To Ms. Jinx-Kristan, they said, “Your mind is your greatest asset.” I was a little sad that I hadn’t brought Jack, because I imagine his fortune would be fascinating. We thanked the seers and went to open our last prize, which awaited us on the dock near the French Market.

It was at this point that we realized we’d forgotten the time-honored New Toulouse tradition of hazing the tourists. Really, being locals, we should have known better, but we pried open the crate anyway … and that is the story of how my neighbor and I ended up running for our lives through the market, in our socks, to get away from a gator so hungry that he’d brought his own condiments.

Our heroes scamper up a tree just in the nick of time

Our heroes scamper up a tree just in the nick of time


In summary, there were some wonderful treasures awaiting us after finishing the ghost hunt, although the best prizes were the local ghost stories themselves. If you haven’t started the tour yet, it runs until Nov. 23, and it’s definitely worth your time. Just make sure you bring a light source, an extra pair of shoes, and maybe a big stick.

Trust us.
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Jane Moreaux keeps all four eyes on New Toulouse. Kristine Jinx-Kristan owns Look What the Cat Dragged In, a secondhand store on the ground floor of Spiegel Hall.

Seeking fearless ghost hunters

by on Saturday, November 1st, 2014

hauntedNT512
Everyone knows Louisiana has plenty of ghosts, but a society in Lafayette is out to count them. The Beacon Spiritualist Institute is building a repository of ghost sightings and stories from all over the state.

“Let’s make sure the ghosts of New Toulouse are well represented,” said Miss Yvonne Follet, who is coordinating the local effort, based in the parish land office, where she works as assistant to Mayor Godenot.

Miss Liza Veliz added, “I hope every ghost is treated with respect, by the people who now share their homes and by the visitors seeking their stories.” Being a ghost herself, Miss Veliz has been appointed spectral liaison for the project.

Several local businesses and community members are offering rewards for participation. If you would like to help find ghosts and gather their stories, go to the land office to obtain a ghost hunter’s kit. The Haunted New Toulouse project runs from November 1 to 22.


Jack Mondieu knows spirits.

Paper trail leads to secret clubhouse

by on Tuesday, October 21st, 2014

When I came back to New Toulouse, I began looking around to reacquaint myself with the area. I was not surprised to see so many changes. Seems like things are always changing in this world. And given the fact that I travel to many regions during different time periods, I have gotten accustomed to change. But that’s another story.

While hiking around town, I came upon the ferry that crosses over to the bayou. Hopping on board, I made my way across the river, thinking about life in New Toulouse several years ago, before I’d left on my last journey.
As I departed the ferry, I found myself still reminiscing of times past, so I perched on a bench to take in some evening air and ponder. My fingers brushed a piece of paper tacked onto the bench. It read, “We said we’d tell you where to find the clubhouse, but we never said it would be easy. Look in the train station for more instructions.” Well, that was enough pondering for me. I had to find out what this was all about.
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Now, I could tell you more about this find, but that would ruin all the fun. There’s just nothing like a peaceful day’s stroll on the bayou. Oh, did I say peaceful? Be sure to grab one of those sawed-off shotguns available in the train station. You’re gonna need it.


Shantz Hawker is an Acadian lone wolf who returned to New Toulouse after a long, hard journey through his ancestral heritage. He has settled here once again to open an apothecary in the French Market.

The Curious Ghost

by on Saturday, August 16th, 2014

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Pictured are Nikita Weymann, Gigi Lapin, and me. We sit among some of the prizes you can get at the Post-Storm Pirate Booty Hunt that runs till September 1 in New Toulouse.

Last night was the hunt kickoff pub crawl, in which we enjoyed rum and went around to all the places where treasure chests are to be found. So much stuff washed ashore during the last hurricane that Taloosters have made these chests to get rid of it. The pub crawl was so much fun, but today I am completely exhausted. So I went to see Niki at her house on the bayou, and Gigi joined us, and I showed them some of my treasures.

The lovely little frog on the barrel, the washed-up trellis bench, and the junk shop lawn chair are from Noctis. The vampire gentleman and the zombie head trophy are from Harley’s Hotel. The zombie is wearing a black leather beret from the Old Spanish Stable.

Dare Munro’s book Musings in the Dark is published by my very own company, Darker Shadow Productions, and you get it from the Ghost of Liza Veliz Books & Poems at La Coquette. The book chaise Niki is lounging on is from Galerie Shotgun/Argonaut Travel on Shotgun Road.The kraken-themed rugs are from Look What the Cat Dragged In, #2 Spiegel Hall. The candle bowls are from Grimalkin Workshop in the bayou. Look out for bats—just saying.

The Paradiso Firepit is from Lei’s Café on the Bayou. The Poe’s Raven plushie I’m holding is from Ravenwood Arts & Curios on Shotgun Road. Do I need to mention that it says “Nevermore” when you touch it?

I am wearing the fish hat that Francesca Alva designed and put in her chest at the Green-Eyed Fairy for scurvy knaves to find. There’s a version for tinies too! To be totally honest, I was expecting us all to turn into fish people when the flood after the hurricane took so long to dry up, so I enjoy this cute hat very much. It is hilarious to watch it cuddle people as if it wants to eat them when they sit on my lap.

You should totally do this hunt! There are so many fun treasures in those chests that you can find all over the city and bayou. If you are feeling lazy, you can always use the list of treasure spots.

The start of the pub crawl, at the Still House Tavern

The start of the pub crawl, at the Still House Tavern


The Ghost of Liza Veliz fell in love with New Toulouse at first sight. She publishes books by various authors; find them at her reading cafe on Shotgun Row.