Dark PerGron's Manor of Mysteries [Hype Thread] {Sign Ups}

[TheOriginalTiki]

Top Five Extinct Animals

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Honorable mention

 

[Disney Warrior]

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For day two of our little game, we tackle another wonderous topic, one that is very near and dear to my heart. As many of you know, my passion above all else are animals. However, what you may not know is that one of my biggest passions within that broader topic are extinct animals, particularly animals that have gone extinct since humans have existed. For that reason, let's take a gander at the species that once were but are no longer. I'm personally going to exclude dinosaurs and pre-Mesozoic species as I feel like that'd be a wholly different list, but feel free to include them if you'd like to.

Also, for anyone reading, we have plenty more spots to fill with only 3 days to go, so please sign up if you're interested in doing so! With that, here is my list of Top 5 Extinct Animals.

#5-Kauaʻi ʻōʻō (Moho braccatus)
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Hawaii has some of the world's most unique and gorgeous bird species on the planet, it's a place I absolutely need to go birding at some point in my life. While there are plenty of extinct birds from Hawaii that are prettier and more unique than the Kaua'i ʻōʻō, the reason this species makes the list for me is the haunting recording of this bird. There is a recording of the (believed) final individual letting out a mating call into the forest with no call in response. With that recording, this little bird plunged itself into my top 5.

#4- Smilodon (Smilodon fatalis)
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I didn't want to flood my list with Pleistocene species as cool and unique as they are. Woolly mammoths and rhinos, giant ground sloths, etc. they're all super interesting, but the reason I don't have them here is I just find anthropocene extinctions more interesting. Sure, humans had a role in Pleistocene megafauna extinctions, but they were also going out regardless. That being said, I'm a big cat fan and there isn't a better example of a cool big cat than the smilodon or saber-tooth cat. I tossed around American cheetah and cave lion for this spot, but really, it's gotta go to our denticulary well-endowed smilodon.

#3- Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)
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I like to put the passenger pigeon in the category of "animals nobody would care about if it were still around," because it really does just look like a pigeon. However, the fact this was once the most wide-spread bird in all of North America with flocks that would darken the skies for hours as they passed over and they've been reduced to nothing is both crazy and tragic. I think one thing that puts this bird this high on the list too is the likelihood of it's de-extinction. While cloning is a controversial topic and people always talk about the woolly mammoth being the big one to get to, the idea of de-extinction for the passenger pigeon has been around and the Bronx Zoo even has a plan for an exhibit for them when it happens. I'd love to see this bird once again on Earth, and I think it has a better chance than most other extinct species which gives it this spot.

#2- Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis)
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Yeah, I'm a bird guy, but the great auk is a fascinating species of seabird that once existed right in my home state of Maine. I could've had what is effectively the northern hemisphere equivalent to the penguin right outside my door, yet it was taken away. In reality, the great auk is a fascinating species of flightless seabird that played the same ecological role as penguins do. The idea of a northern equivalent to the beloved penguin is awesome and I wish they were still around.

#1- Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus)
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Not only is the thylacine my #1 on this list, but it is my favorite species of animal to have ever walked the Earth, and the fact it's extinct is a massive travesty. A carnivorous marsupial the size of a medium dog, with jaws that can unhinge like a snake, stripes like a tiger, and live in packs like wolves, what's not to love? The thylacine is just a fascinating species that is also on the shortlist for de-extinction and I really really need this one to happen. It really is the greatest animal of all time.

So what's your list? Are you a big dino-fan? Do you like the ice age species? Share below and don't forget to sign up for Manor of Mysteries starting this friday!​

1. Trex
2. Pterodactyl
3. Stegasaurus
4. Sabretoothed cat
5. Wooly mammoth
(Pokemon (both real and fanmade) taught me some of these)

 

[cdunlap]

5. Laughing Owl
4. Moa
3. Haast Eagle
2. Carolina Parakeet
1. Passenger Pigeon
(Yes, I know that these are all birds and three of them are from New Zealand and the other two are form the Southern USA!)

 

[ThemeParkPriest]

I do like me a good dodo bird.

 

[cdunlap]

I have a topical image for today!

 

[Mr. Tux]

Deal me in @Dark PerGron ! Thanks!

 

[PerGron]

Deal me in @Dark PerGron ! Thanks!

Welcome!

 

[PerGron]

As we reach closer and closer to our start date, we must get spookier and more mysterious with our daily Top 5’s. Now, how better to celebrate than discussing mysteries themselves. Today’s topic is Top 5 Real Life Unsolved Mysteries. These can be true crime, paranormal, or otherwise, but the rule is, they must remain unsolved.

As a kind reminder, we are still accepting signups. We have 11 players currently with room for 20, so still plenty of spots if you’d like to sign up!

With that, here’s my top 5.

#5- The Year of the Clown (2016)

The only one on the list most of us have lived through, it’s not necessarily a mystery who these clowns were, it was just people. The mystery is why it became such a phenomenon and who started it. I’ve seen theories it was tied to the marketing push for 2017’s “It” remake, but that doesn’t make any sense because it was never actually claimed. Most of the incidents I’m sure were just people setting out to jump on a trend and scare some people, but the whole year of 2016 was wild and crazy with Pokemon Go and so many celebrity deaths that clowns just rounded out the insanity.

#4- Barney & Betty Hill (1961)

Growing up in New England, this was our scary extraterrestrial story. We didn’t have Mothman or Area 51, we had Barney and Betty Hill. Now, I don’t personally believe in extraterrestrial life that is capable of interplanetary travel or anything like that, but the mystery of what happened to the Hills was always an interesting mystery growing up. Theories range from actual extraterrestrials to kidnappings due to the couple being mixed race, but whatever the incident was, there’s no denying it’s captured my attention for a long time.

#3- Dyatlov Pass Incident (1959)

One that has probably been solved but no official solving has been 100% confirmed so I’m claiming it as unsolved. What led these college students to taking a different trail and getting lost and frozen? Why were they missing clothes and why was everything torn up? I’ve seen theories from other hikers to yetis, though the answer probably is just an avalanche. Still, a classic unsolved mystery.

#2- The Hope Diamond (Throughout History)

As a kid I remember going to Washington D.C. and my mom and aunt making such a big deal about the Hope Diamond and us having to walk through a huge geology section to reach this tiny necklace in a glass box surrounded by people. It reminded me of seeing the Mona Lisa and I thought it was so boring. However, having since learned it’s history, the Hope Diamond is fascinating, from being sold in India to a French Merchant and eventually trading hands to Marie Antoinette and beyond, this Diamond is allegedly cursed, leading to the death and downfall of all who own it. It’s an interesting and intriguing story, and one that may or may not play a role in my Manor..,

#1- The Flannan Isle Lighthouse Disappearances (1900)

Since I’m a huge fan of 2019’s “The Lighthouse,” it should come as no surprise that one of the stories that inspired it tops the list. I grew up around lighthouses and had friends whose dad tended them. Stories similar Flannan Isles were passed around, but the fact this is a true story that occurred is crazy and fascinating.

So what are yours? Share below and don’t forget to sign up if you haven’t already!
​

 

[cdunlap]

My Top 5 Historical Unsolved Mysteries:

5. The Missing Twin Pyramids of Lake Moeris in Egypt: Two Identical Pyramids located in the center of Lake Moeris, a man made lake in the Egyptian Sahara, were documented by several Greco Roman sources but aren’t standing today. They were taller than the Pyramids of Giza and they were capped with twin statues of a god or pharaoh.

4. The Collapse of Teotihuacan: Teotihuacan was a major city and cultural hub in Central Mexico long before the Aztecs. It expanded by way of conquest. One day, it all vanished. The reason why is unknown to this day.

3. Roman Dodecahedrons: Small, metal dodecahedrons with large holes punctured into each face and knobs on each corner have been found at several Roman sites. Nobody knows what their function was.

2. Quipu: The quipu was a set of knotted strings that the Andean Natives of South America used for accounting and record keeping. The colorful strings filled with patterned knots kept track of detailed data about many things, such as population, taxes, dates, and the military. Many scholars believe that they only document numeric information but some of my books would like to say otherwise.

1. The Voynich Manuscript: Named for the rare books dealer who rediscovered it in the early 1900s, the codex dates back to the 1400s. It’s page after page of hand written text in an unknown language accompanied by images of unidentifiable plants and astrological charts. Cryptographers have studied the book, kept at Yale, for decades, certain that the book’s text can, in fact, be read but none have succeeded. It may shock you, but I have a book with a copied page from the Voynich in there and the book claims that it can read it, but this is clearly not Voynich script!

(Yes, I know that Ancient Mexico and Ancient Peru appeared, but come on you guys, you all know that was inevitable. However, I did branch out and choose Egypt, Rome, and the Middle Ages as other eras. I also tried to do more niche historical mysteries than Atlantis, Stonehenge, geoglyphs only viewable from above, etc so I chose some that I am very passionate about. I hope one day we can read Quipus and the Voynich, I hope one day we find out what the use of a Roman dodecahedron is and how Teotihuacan fell. I hope one day we find the ruins of Lake Moeris's twin pyramids. Another thing about me is I like twin structures in history like the twin pyramids. My favorite is probably the former Twin Towers of NYC. My teacher showed the interiors and events that happened there before that fateful day in 2001, like weddings atop the towers. It made me miss two buildings I never had pleasure of seeing.)

 

[Lord Fozzinator]

My Favorite Mysteries
1. D. B. Cooper
2. Amelia Earhart
3. Jack the Ripper
4. Loch Ness Monster
5. The Flying Dutchman

 

[Disney Warrior]

The only ones I really know about are ones already said by other people and lost media. Some of my favorite unsolved mysteries include lost songs such as “Everyone Knows That” and “Like the Wind” because they are good songs and I want to know who made them, it is fun to track the progress

 

[spacemt354]

5. Havana Syndrome
4. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
3. Atlantis
2. Dark Matter
1. The mystery of the universe

 

[ThemeParkPriest]

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?

 

[Miru]

Alright, for extinct animals:

5. Neanderthal (while yes they’re a variant human, humans are animals too)
4. Thylacine
3. Therizinosaurus
2. Utahraptor
1. Triceratops

Mysteries
5. Sonic Adventure 3
4. The Disney Animation Research Library
3. Walt Disney’s frozen head
2. Bigfoot
1. Hollow Earth

 

[Chaos Cat]

I don't really do top 5 lists, but I will bring up my favotie mysteries not yet mentioned: The Beast of Gevaudan and the Dancing Plague.

I feel like the fact that they're both French says something, but I'm not sure what.

 

[spacemt354]

I don't really do top 5 lists, but I will bring up my favotie mysteries not yet mentioned: The Beast of Gevaudan and the Dancing Plague.

I feel like the fact that they're both French says something, but I'm not sure what.

I forgot to add one mystery, what happened to Diplomacy Dog?

 

[PerGron]

As our final day before starting the game, today will be more active with multiple different Top 5 showcases throughout the day so keep your eyes peeled for them!

To start us off though, Halloween is tied for my favorite holiday and one of my favorite parts of Halloween is ghosts. I don’t believe in ghosts personally, but the idea of them is thrilling and exciting to me, so for our first top 5, we have Top 5 Ghosts. These can be from movies, television, comics, literature, or urban legends, the only caveat is they have to be non-corporeal spirits, no ghouls or zombies here.

Also, a reminder, we have spots open for the game. Teams will be announced tonight before the game starts at the stroke of 12, but it’s not too late to get in on the fun if you haven’t already. Now, let’s rank.

#5- Zero (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

A lot of famous ghosts were fighting for this spot, like the twins from the Shining, Freddy Krueger, and a few others. Yet the one that had to take the spot was Zero. I love dogs and the idea of a ghost dog just brings joy to my heart. He doesn’t do a whole lot in the movie, but just the fact we have a ghost dog makes me happy.

#4- Chandelure (Pokèmon)

It’s been a minute since I’ve played Pokèmon, I kinda fell out right after X and Y came out due to how ridiculously easy those games were. From there on, I haven’t thought a whole lot about the generations post Gen 4 where I was the prime age to enjoy it. However, one Gen 5 Pokemon that has stuck with me was Chandelure. I had a shiny one in my play-through of Pokemon White that helped me defeat the league and it’s stuck out as one Pokemon I’ll never forget. Definitely my favorite ghost type.

#3- The Ghost of Christmas Present (A Muppet’s Christmas Carol)

You can substitute this one with any of the Ghost of Christmas Present from any of the adaptations of this story. A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite stories of all time and the Muppets just happen to have made my favorite adaptation of it, so I went with him. That being said, I love how jovial this character is despite his existence not lasting past the present. It’s a great character and my favorite of the many Christmas Carol ghosts.

#2- The Bent-Neck Lady (Haunting of Hill House)

All my ghosts prior to this were friendly, but you know I had to throw on a scary ghost. Still, if you’ve seen Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, this character is both terrifying and horribly tragic which is what I like in my ghosts. I find the idea of ghosts as guides or as tragic figures to be the best ghosts over something just evil and scary and this ghost is one of the best examples of both.

#1- Grand Master Yoda (The Last Jedi)

My hottest take that gets me in trouble a lot is I think The Last Jedi is the best Star Wars movie, and while I love all the stuff with Luke and Rey and Kylo and I even like the Poe stuff, the biggest part of why I love this movie so much is the sequence with Yoda. Yoda felt like the OG character who we hadn’t seen in a very long time. Add onto that some great lines about being a teacher and just great overall Yodaisms, it is easily my favorite scene in all of Star Wars bar none.

With that, share your favorite ghosts and keep your eyes peeled for more before tonight!​

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

@Dark PerGron will be joining us for a Halloween Edition of Disney Debates tonight at 10PM Eastern. We'll be covering the following spooooooky questions.

1. Which Marvel character should star in the next horror themed "Special Presentation"?

2. Besides the Haunted Mansion, which Disney attraction should Jack Skellington take over?

3. Which Disney character should get possessed in the next Exorcist movi

 

[ThemeParkPriest]

I'll go the Scooby-Doo route:

Ghost of Blackbeard
Snow Ghost
Ghost of Vazquez Castle
Technicolor Phantoms (Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla)
Green Ghosts/Phantoms

Edit: some of mine were "ghouls"