By Dale A. Hildebrandt with Adam White and Caleb Strange
WARNING!!!: What follows, if pulled off, could very well traumatize small children (or, done properly, even traumatize a few adults). You risk many a lawsuit and possibly worse by attempting this routine. This is offered as a thought exercise only. The author(s), publisher(s), and all those involved in selling this book, assume no
responsibility for your actions and do not condone actually doing this routine. Again, this is offered only as an exercise in thought.
Deep in the forest, some camp counselors start a camp titled “Camp Dragon”. Rumors spread that an actual dragon lives near this camp, possibly taking campers as sacrifice every so often. The legend continues to build while being officially denied. Some children are actually sent to this “theme” camp.
Every morning, the children and counselors meet around a circle by a large tree. The counselors warn about the dragon. Some of the children scoff. The children who are scoffing, stop scoffing, when they hear a large splash come from the close by lake and hear wings flapping. Some of the children begin to cower or cry, and ask to be sent home
immediately. The camp has wisely adopted a “No Refund” policy. At night, the children can hear the low grumblings of the dragon every so often, and sometimes the wings beating as it flies across the night sky.
The third morning that the children and counselors meet around the tree, they notice something has changed. The tree is scorched, and blackened. The leaves and twigs around the tree are crushed, as if something heavy had landed in that particular spot. The dragon has been to the meeting spot, and his fiery breath has left a burnt tree! A couple more children ask to be sent home. The camp counselors are very happy they adopted that “No Refund” policy.
The next morning, what is left of the brave (or, quite possibly, the curiously stupid) campers go on a hike with the counselors. As they get deeper into the forest, they see large tracks...footprints. Footprints of the dragon! The counselors hurry the campers back to the camp, just in case the dragon is too close.
That night, the camp counselors organize a campfire and tell some ghost stories. These are typical camp ghost stories, not all that scary, not all that entertaining. The children become a bit more fascinated, however, when they see fireballs shooting in the distant night sky. The children are reminded to be in their cabins before nine at night. Some more of the children ask to be sent home. The counselors congratulate themselves on the “No Refund” policy.
A few days pass with no dragon activity. Then, the camp counselors take the children on a hike, down a different trail. A cave is found on this trail. There are bones scattered around it, and the rocks are scorched. There is a smell of sulfur emanating from the cave. The counselors rush the children back to camp, and try to entertain them with typical camp craft projects. A child or two asks to be sent home. The “No Refund” policy is still in full effect.
A couple nights pass with the sky lit up with fiery dragon breath, but other than there seems to be little dragon activity. One night the campers see what appear to be bright, red eyes off in the distant forest. The counselors rush them into their cabins, in case the dragon is too close.
Then Timmy, one of the campers, sneaks out of his cabin after all the other kids are asleep.
The next day the counselors ask where Timmy is, but nobody knows. The counselors take the kids into the forest to search for Timmy, and they find hi backpack and a shoe.
The dragon has taken Timmy...possibly even ate Timmy. The counselors tell the kids, “We told you to be in your cabins before nine.” The camp counselors are very glad ecstatic even, over their “No Refund” policy.
OPTIONAL EVEN #1: Instead of the dragon eating Timmy, a bunny is taken care of by the campers. Then one night there is a terrible scream. The kids wake up and discover tufts of bunny fur in the forest.
OPTIONAL EVENT #2: One of the camp counselors has been wearing a vial that
contains a dark blue substance around his neck. Whenever questioned about what it is, he replies with dead seriousness, “Dragon blood”. The night after Timmy (or optionally the bunny) is devoured by the dragon, the counselors tell the children that they may be able to bring Timmy back using the dragon blood and a small magickal ritual. They bring out a dark sheet and pour the dragon’s blood behind it. Suddenly, a shape in the sheet starts to materialize. Timmy has been saved, but he is crying and the counselors quickly separate him from the other children. Timmy is sent home, and the camp counselors are very grateful for their “No Refund” policy.
OPTIONAL EVENT #3: One of the camp counselors goes on a mission to slay the dragon. He comes back two days later, with meat from the dragon. The children and the counselors feast upon the remains of the dragon.
OPTIONAL EVENT #4: Before the camp starts, the owner of the camp attempts to take out an insurance policy on “real dragons” affecting the camp. If the insurance company actually provides the policy, that is even better. Of course, the insurance company gets mentioned when the camp counselors talk to the press about the camp. If no one is willing to insure the camp against dragons, then the camp owner makes a big deal out of
it. “Something serious could happen, but we’re not responsible. Please sign these waivers.” The camp counselors tell the press, “There aren’t any such things as dragons, but since these rumors started, we’ve been advised to take extra precautions, just in case.”
This was inspired by Caleb Strange’s ideas on how to accomplish a dragon sighting hoax. Adam White and I discussed the creation of a dragon hoax. Adam came up with the idea of having the dragon invade a small camp, in order to bring the thing down to a smaller scale. His first idea was that if a whole, small, town went in it together they could
possibly create quite the tourist attraction. He then suggested the idea of having it happen on a “smaller” scale inside a camp. Adam White and Caleb Strange came up with most of the effects; my contribution is in making a routine out of them (with permission from both Adam and Caleb).
One could use any type of camp. A medieval themed camp seems ideal. However, a camp that has no theme makes the dragon appear much scarier, because it will seem more realistic, instead of being brushed against the background as part of a fantasy theme. I’m sure you’re wondering how it’s all done, so I will now detail the various methods.
One important aspect is to get the rumors started that there is a dragon near the camp. Then deny such rumors as fervently as possible. The more the rumors are denied,
hopefully, the more this will reinforce that there may just be a dragon there and the camp doesn’t want anybody to stop going to the camp, so they will, of course, deny such things!
The large splashes of water are caused by air tanks planted beneath the dark surface of the lake. They are set off by one of the operators. Accomplishing this routine would take a lot of resources, including a lot of manpower and know-how in various fields. The ided of air tanks in the water was created by Adam White.
The sound of the beating wings is caused by speakers hidden deep inside the forest. A small recording of something that sounds like wings beating will accomplish this task. Amplify the recording, and it will seem like a large beast is flapping its wing in the distance. You may want to use a sound sample of thunder, appropriately looped, for the sound of beating wings.
The low grumbling of the dragon is also accomplished via the hidden sound system. The sound system should be well hidden so that no campers accidentally discover it and ruin the illusion. The idea of hiding speakers in the forest was brought to my attention by Adam White.
The tree isn’t really scorched by dragon breath (well, I’m sure you knew that fact). The tree is slightly singed with a blow torch. It takes a steady hand and a person who knows what they are doing in order to only singe the tree and start a forest fire. Black spray paint can help add to the illusion. A heavy box is thrown down on the twigs and leave to make it appear that something heavy landed in that particular spot. Scorching the tree is the invention of Caleb Strange. Throwing the heavy box down to break twigs is something I
added. The footprints are created via the typical way. Large wooden sandals in the shape of a dragon’s foot (or claw) are fashioned and worn by one of the counselors.
The counselor walks around one trail, then takes off the feet and walks back to the camp using another trail. A forked trail is best for this stunt. The idea of adding footprints was developed by Caleb Strange. The idea of using a forked trail to get back to camp was mentioned by Adam White.
The fireballs in the night sky are accomplished by a system of pyrotechnics, far, far away from the camp. An experienced pyro-technicican operates the pyro and has a fire safety crew on hand. Adam White thought of having fireballs appear in the night sky.
The bones by the cave are acquired from one of the few stores which sell bones to people. Alternatively, perhaps the counselors have gone deer hunting and saved back some bones for this particular feat. The rocks are burnt using a blow torch, operated by an
experienced person who won’t set the whole place on fire. The smell of sulfur is caused by stink bombs that been set off inside the cave. These ideas were created by Caleb Strange.
The bright, red, dragon eyes seen deep in the forest are actually the headlights of a jeep that belongs to one of the camp counselors. The headlights are temporarily covered in red saran wrap to cause two, glowing red eyes. The counselor does not drive with the
busy with something else. Alternatively, the jeep is already there before the campers show up from the other side of the forest for camp. The headlights are covered after the jeep is put in park. The lights are then switched on and off to cause blinking eyes to be seen. The saran wrap is removed before the counselor drives the jeep back to its destination.
Timmy, the disappearing child, is actually a plant or stooge. He is the child or nephew of one of the camp counselors. Timmy is “in” on the whole thing. He sneaks out of the cabin at night after he is sure everyone is asleep. He is then driven home that night by one of the camp counselors. The idea of Timmy disappearing can be credited to Adam White.
You can have a bunny disappear, instead of little Timmy. In this case, you simply take the rabbit to a different location at night when all the campers are asleep, and then deposit some tufts of rabbit fur around the edge of the forest. This was inspired by Caleb Strange and Tony “Doc” Shiels.
You can, if you choose, bring Timmy back to life using the vial of dragon’s blood. The re-appearance should be caused by the simplest of illusions. Described above is the illusion where two counselors would walk out with a large blanket between them.Timmy would be walking in front of one of the counselors, but behind the curtain. The two counselors then fold the sheet in half, and switch places to show the sheet empty. (Not that they actually need to show anything empty). Timmy just stands behind the folded
sheet. The sheet is then thrown around Timmy and he “materializes”. This is much like a giant version of a silk acquittal move to make a coin appear.
The dragon meat is actually deer meat or buffalo meat or some other large animal. Tell them that dragon tastes like chicken!