The Hunt — Cello's Gate Treasure Hunt
Cello's Gate — hardcover

WELCOME TO THE HUNT!

Sky pirates, assemble! We’re heading to De’gaté, an uncharted island off the coast of Merigold, rumored to be the home of one of the fabled Stones of Indigo.

Solve riddles, complete tasks, locate hidden secrets, and rack up points between now and pub day for Cello's Gate (November 3rd, 2026) and walk away with TREASURE*.

*Not a metaphor about pride in a job well done or the frens we made along the way. There’s an actual treasure box at the end of this that three diligent and hard-working sky pirates can win!

HUNT PROGRESS
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HOW DOES IT WORK?

SEPTEMBER 20TH - NOVEMBER 3RD

Assemble a crew wily and capable enough to follow you to De’gaté, aka “The Gate of Death.” Explore the island, conquer unknown obstacles, and find the stone. You have until November 3rd, 2026.

Three winners will win THE TREASURE BOX.

But everyone who dares to enter will be rewarded.

THE MECHANICS

Every pre-order receipt, completed task, secret cache of credits uncovered, and solved riddle will help you unlock rewards, reveal new milestones, and get us one step closer to finding the stone!

The hunt runs in three time-locked acts from:
SEPTEMBER 20TH - NOVEMBER 3RD
Each act comes with new challenges, new tasks, and new opportunities to earn points.
The 3 SKY PIRATES with the most points by the end of the hunt will earn the GRAND PRIZE!
WHAT DO POINTS DO? A FEW THINGS:
  • Increase Your Individual Point Total
  • Unlock Group Rewards
  • Unlock Hidden Obstacles and Challenges

HOW TO EARN POINTS

PRE-ORDER CELLO'S GATE (ANY EDITION, PER RECEIPT)
50 POINTS
BECOME A CREST KNIGHT (LEARN HOW!)
50 POINTS
SUBMIT FAN ART TO THE FAN ART CONTEST
15 POINTS
SUBMIT FAN FICTION TO THE FAN FICTION CONTEST
15 POINTS
COMPLETE A TASK
10-25 POINTS
SOLVE A RIDDLE
10 POINTS
FIND A HIDDEN KEYWORD OR CLUE
10 POINTS
10 POINTS
5 POINTS
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. EVERY GIVEAWAY FEATURED IN THE HUNT HAS A FREE ENTRY PATH.

BUILD A CREW

Invite your frens! Share the word about the treasure hunt. The more people who get involved, the more points you earn, and the more sick sky pirate merch you unlock.

To overcome obstacles, solve puzzles, and *cough* uncover secret challenges *cough*, you must work together to earn points.

The total points earned by the collective in each act will impact the number of unlocked rewards you receive.

THERE ARE 20 POTENTIAL REWARDS AVAILABLE DURING THE HUNT

FOLLOW ALONG ON THE MAP!

The map updates as the crew moves through the hunt. Earn as many points as you can to explore the entire map, unlock secret tunnels, and discover loot caches hidden throughout the map!

Map of De'gaté
CLICK TO REVEAL THE MAP!

REWARDS UNLOCKED

ACT ONE
ACT ONE PROGRESS
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Exclusive Short Story “The Blind Duel”
Crew Dossier (Character Profiles)
Exclusive Digital Phone Background
Act One Giveaway: “Signed Deluxe Edition” (5 Winners)
ACT TWO
ACT TWO PROGRESS
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ACT THREE
ACT THREE PROGRESS
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THE GRAND PRIZE!

Cello's Gate — signed deluxe edition

3 WINNERS WILL RECEIVE

CLICK THE NAME FOR A SPECIAL PREVIEW!
*US ONLY
ACT 1

ASSEMBLE THE CREW

SEPTEMBER 20TH - SEPTEMBER 30TH
A NOTE FROM CPT. GREY SHIMADA

Every job starts the same. A landing strip in a city no one loves, a back alley handshake, and a contract offering too little for too much. But that’s the gig. We’re not in this for the money. We’re in it for the love of the game. Dalia, the immortal daughter of the ArchGovernor, has made an offer. And I know that we said we’re not in it for the money—and we both agreed—but it’s a lot of money. Like … a crazy amount of money.

So we’re doing it. But before we go out and chase a myth, we need hands on deck. I want schemers, sharpshooters, amateur cartographers, imperials, intangibles, assassins, knights, and maybe one arachnologist for when the spiders show.

You know the drill. Make some noise so the whole sky knows we’re coming.

TASKS

BUY THE BOOK!
50 POINTS PER RECEIPT

PRE-ORDER CELLO’S GATE in any edition, then SUBMIT YOUR RECEIPT! Every receipt = 50 points and an entry into the ACT ONE GIVEAWAY.

CREW ROLL CALL
10 POINTS

Join the TRENCH COMMUNITY DISCORD then confess your crimes in #criminal_records.

STAY IN THE KNOW
10 POINTS

Sign up for MAURICE’S NEWSLETTER!

POST YOUR WANTED POSTER
20 POINTS

Use the template to make a wanted poster for your sky pirate self (or a crew member). Post it, tag us, name your bounty, submit for points.

RECRUIT A FREN
5 POINTS

Tag a friend who doesn’t know they need this book yet in the TREASURE HUNT LAUNCH VIDEO. Every qualifying tag counts!

COMMENT “HUNT”
10 POINTS

Comment “HUNT” on the TREASURE HUNT LAUNCH VIDEO. You will then receive a mysterious DM with a hint for the location of one of the SECRET LOOT BOXES!

RIDDLES

#1

I have a needle yet cannot sew.
A face, a gear, letters, and sometimes, numbers.
When it’s dark, you need me most.
What am I?

#2

I can be folded into a square,
and yet, I contain the world.
Mountains sleep within me.
As do rivers and lakes and oceans.
What am I?

#3

Ah…
Say what you must but
know that the truth does not
yield to whining scrutiny.
Pride would have you think
I am less than you, but you’d be wrong.
Relinquish the brief belief that you
are somehow entitled to wealth—
the money you made on lies or
“earned” by pilfering the work of others.
What am I?

ACT COMPLETION REWARDS
Exclusive Short Story “The Blind Duel”
Crew Dossier (Character Profiles + Art Release)
Exclusive Digital Phone Background
Act One Giveaway: “Signed Deluxe Edition” (5 Winners)
ACT 2

THE ISLAND

OCTOBER 1ST - OCTOBER 15TH
COMING SOON!