Usufructuary

Welcome to the Usufructuary. To summarize what you’re getting yourself into, here’s a brief excerpt from the rules page:

Usufructuary is a game that combines the spirit of usufruct and urban exploration with the format of a scavenger hunt. Completing a Challenge in the game usually requires both knowledge of the urban landscape and the ability to navigate with cunning. Some challenges require ingenuity and stealth, while others require speed, agility, or luck.

Because this is the first challenge, I’m not going to make it too difficult. Today’s Object is a film canister, completely visible in the picture attached below. You’ll know you have the right film canister because:

1. There are identifying green circular stickers on the top, bottom, and side of the canister.
2. The canister contains an email address and a secret phrase.

The first player to identify the Location, find the Object, and send the phrase to the email address inside will earn 200 Points. While this is really only a 100 point challenge, at most, I’m giving a Bonus because it’s the first such challenge.

Keep in mind that while you’re welcome to give out hints and spoilers in the comments, it’s usually beneficial not to do so until a winner is declared.

While Challenge #2 involves yet another easily-identifiable Location, there’s one hitch: speed is of the essence. At certain times of day, the Object is easily visible to the public and likely to be removed from its place.

Be the first Player to follow the footpath which begins in today’s Hint. Find the (clearly-marked) Object at the end of the footpath and send the phrase on the enclosed card to the email address written above it. Good luck and godspeed.

Because of the need for speed, this simple challenge is worth another 150 Points.

Today’s challenge comes at the beginning of a long beautiful weekend full of sunshine and picnics in the park. Identify the location in the video below and find the message-in-a-bottle centered in the last frame.

(Click on the interrobang to start watching. There is no sound.)

The message contained within today’s Object is a section of an author’s biography. Post in the comments here the author’s full name as well as the town in which he was born for another 200 Points.

(Click on the interrobang to start watching. There is no sound.)

Another piece of video evidence today and we’re beginning to make things a little more difficult. Today’s clip begins by showing the Object itself being put into its place, then zooms back out and pans to show more distinctive landmarks.

Inside the object is another quoted phrase and unique email address. Be the first to send the phrase to the address for 300 points.

(Click on the interrobang to start watching. There is no sound.)

Good evening sports racers…err, Usufru Players. Tonight we’ve got another short and to-the-point video clue for you, streaming almost-live from a location that SF dog owners and rock climbers would both be very familiar with.

In that spirit, I’ll lay off the rest of the diatribe and tell you that solving tonight’s Challenge will net you another 150 Points. Send the phrase to the email to claim them.

(Click on the interrobang to start watching. There is no sound.)

Yet another day, yet another video clue. While the outdoors may be clearly visible in this clip, make no mistake: indoor exploration will get you where you’ll need to be to solve this Challenge.

For the courage needed to meet and complete this Challenge, 250 Points are on the line. Send the phrase to the email and good luck.

(Click on the interrobang to start watching. There is no sound.)

This is the part of the show where I hearken back to my photographic roots and kick off a challenge with a little SF graffiti. Some artists make their letters fancy, while others, like the ones featured in today’s video, just make them big. Compare the size of the ASOLT and MUSKET blockbusters to the cars on the freeway. Those are some big words!

Solving today’s Challenge will net the lucky Player another 250 Points — this one requires a little ingenuity and a little social engineering. Don’t let security scare you. They don’t bite…hard.

(Click on the picture to start watching. There is no sound.)

Graffiti notwithstanding, this is probably my personal favorite Challenge to-date. And what’s more: with the type of traffic today’s Location tends to get, the Object is likely to remain in place until someone seeks it out.

Inside the Object focused in the last frames of today’s video is, as usual, a slip of paper. To earn 200 points, post the quoted phrase on that paper into the comments here. Make sure to register and login first — that’s how I keep track of scores.

(Click on the picture to start watching. There is no sound.)

Were you aware that in certain areas of the San Francisco Bay, spring tides cause the water level to vary more than eight feet over the course of seven hours?

Today’s first Challenge will award 300 Points to the first player to find the Object and post the quoted phrase here in the comments. I’d advise you to make use of a tide chart.

(Click on the picture to start watching. There is no sound.)

Today’s second Challenge (yes, it’s been a busy day — hopefully it’ll make up for a rainy day elsewhere) involves historical artifacts of spiritual importance to certain infamous groups of San Francisco radicals. We’ve collared the historical Doggie Diner heads!

Location obscurity: low-medium. Obstacles to overcome: medium-high. Time-sensitivity: medium-high. Points to be awarded: 250. Way to win: post the phrase in the comments.

The spiritual influence of the Dog Heads has only spread since being separated from their humble commercial beginnings. Bishop Joey, the High Prelate (and chief dishwasher) of The 1st Church of the Last Laugh decreed the Dog Heads official church icons in 1996. As such they make an annual visitation at the annual “St. Stupid’s Day Parade” the Churches High Holy day which falls on April 1st of each year. This year (2000) the event meets just before noon on April 1st at the Pointy Building downtown (The TransAmerica Pyramid).

These enigmatic Doggie Diner dog heads have mysterious ties to The Cacophony Society and The First Church of the Last Laugh. They are reported to have a direct affilation with PETA (People Eat’n Them Animals) and have been sighted at the annual ArtCar Fest.

Their primary function is as patron saints of the Dogminican Order (a cloistered and kenneled sect of the church). This holy trinity of ecclesiastical canines is rarely together in one place. Suppressed Vatican documents declare that if a quorum (13 of the original 25) of dogheads ever gathers, world peace will break out (putting the Catholics and other fattening creeds out of business for good!).

(Click on the picture to start watching. There is no sound.)

Today we’ve ventured through another serene pocket of green in the urban landscape - a shrine to the man who loved his blue suede shoes. Pull out the letter from the bottle and post the quoted phrase in the comments here for 150 points.

On the roof of the building from which I took tonight’s first photo clue stands the door photographed in tonight’s second photo clue. Inside that dark black box reside no electrical wires, but instead you’ll find today’s Object. Pull out the slip of paper inside and post the phrase in the comments below.

I don’t expect identifying the location to be difficult for anyone — that’s not where the Challenge lies. Tonight’s real Challenge requires gall and a little social engineering. There will be no climbing up the side of this building: to rooftop it here, you’ll need to maneouver past a number of personnel and technological obstacles. As such, tonight’s challenge is worth another 300 Points. Good Luck.