grey griffins adventure pack

8/2/2019 Grey Griffins Adventure Pack

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Then open this adventure pack!

AuAdor anepic battle with

evil orces?


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Your Adventure PAck Contains...A sneak peek oGrey Grifns: The Clockwork Chronicles #1:

The Brimstone Key. .3

discssion Qestions. .16

Crack the Grey Grifns coe!. .17

Want more Ad ST AdVNTu? . .18

G Gff:T ClCkwk CCl 1:

The Brimstone key

by Derek Benz& J.S. Lewis


3/18LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY

N Y k B


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The Leader: Max Sumner

After his grandfathers mysterious death, Max learned that his

wealthy family was a part of the secret Templar society. He

became the Guardian of the Codex Spiritus, an enchanted book

that holds monsters, evil faeries, and other dangerous creaturescaptive within its magical pages. The Codex can change shapes,

from a book, to a ring, to a gauntlet capable of channeling Maxs

family power: Skyfire!

The Inventor: Harley Davidson Eisenstein

Built like a linebacker and incredibly smart, Harley is a

technological prodigy who designs gadgets critical to any

successful monster hunt. Unlike Maxs wealthy family, Harley

and his mother are barely getting by. But hes not bothered; he

knows that happiness isnt measured by how much money you

have in your bank account.

THE GREY GRIFFINS


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THE GREY GRIFFINS

The Changeling: Ernie Tweeny

Ernie became a changeling after a transfusion of faerie blood,

which gave him super speed, rapid healing, and enhanced

eyesight. But theres a catch: whenever Ernie uses his powers, he

becomes more faerie and less human. Despite that risk, he has

vowed to fight evil as his superhero alter ego, Agent Thunderbolt.

The Sleuth:Natalia Romanov

Fearless, fiery, and intensely smart, Natalia uses her keen

observational skills and her analytical mind to solve any mystery.

As a part of her sleuthing kit, Natalia carries a Phantasmoscope

that allows her to see into the faerie spectrum. Since a close friend

betrayed her, Natalia has had a hard time trusting other girls. She

feels more at home with the Griffins than with anyone else.

The Knights Templar

The Knights Templar is an ancient society that has sworn to

protect mankind against unseen dangers like monster invasions

and zombie uprisings. In recent months, the Templar were nearly

exterminated by an army of werewolves called the Black WolfSociety. They are slowly rebuilding their strength.


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errified, Max Sumner forced himself to walk

down the long corridor. Water dripped from the ceiling,

as an eerie light flickered through tattered sheets of plas-

tic strung across the end of the hallway.

Max didnt notice the fallen bicycle until it was too late.

He tripped, cutting his shin. But he couldnt turn back.Not now. The front wheel spun as he walked toward the

light. When he finally reached the ragged sheeting, Max

pushed it aside and stepped through. The temperature

plummeted and breath rose from his mouth like a ghostly

serpent.

Crunch . . .Max looked down at a rotted yellow bag half-filled

with decaying newspapers and swallowed hard. Then he

heard the faint whistle of drills, and Max was certain that

the stench in his nostrils was blood.

He passed a discarded sneaker, then a baseball cap

with the name Johnny Geist written on the lining of

the bill.

Help me . . . a small voice begged.

Max raced through the doorway ahead only to find

an empty room. It was some sort of laboratory with rusty

instruments and tools that lined tarnished trays. Glass

jars filled with mysterious liquids crowded dilapidated

shelves, and a faint red stain ran along the concrete floor

T

THE NIGHTMARE


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THE NIGHTMARE

toward a drain. A steel table with leather straps for hands

and feet stood in the center of the room. Then Max felt a

cold hand on his shoulder.

Max pulled away and turned to look into the eyes of

a young boy. He was dressed in a striped shirt and jeans,

with a lone sneaker on his left foot.Did you call me? Max managed to ask. Are you

Johnny?

The boy said nothing but continued to stare, unblinking.

Thats when Max realized that instead of eyes, there were

camera lenses in the boys sockets. And worse, the veins in

the boys pale arms were pulsing with a silver-blue glow. No

matter where Maxs eyes fell, he found machinery in place

of humanity. There wasnt much left of the boy, but the sin-

gle tear running down his silicon cheek was real.

Maxs stomach lurched and he tried to look away,

but the same cold hand forced him to look back. This

time the boy was gone. Ernie Tweeny, one of Maxs best

friends, was standing in his place.

Help me . . . Ernie moaned through blue lips. Max

stumbled back and fell against a tray of rusty instruments,

sending them clanging to the floor. As Ernie walked into

the light, Max saw that part of his friends skull had been

cut away, revealing a mechanized brain of whirling gears

ticking like a clock.


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Max cried out as strong hands took hold of him from

behind, lifting him into the air. He struggled against the

invisible grip as his arms and legs were strapped to the

table. A convex mirror hung over the table, and strangely,

it wasnt his own face looking back at him. Somehow

Ernie had taken his place. Max fought to break freefrom the straps as a man in a stained lab coat walked into

view. He was tall, with neatly combed silver hair, and as

he turned to face the table Maxs blood froze. He would

never forget those eyes. They were intelligent, cold, and

as sharp as the scalpel he held in his gloved hand.

The man raised the gleaming instrument.Max screamed. Then he woke up.


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part one

iron bridge

academy


10/18

The Unmarked

Package

Max Sumner pedaled his bike through the quiet streets of

Avalon, Minnesota, trying to shake the nightmare from his

head. He had been awake all night, too frightened to go

back to sleep. The only thing keeping him from taking a

nap was the last summer meeting of the Secret Order of

the Grey Griffins. Max didnt want to be late.

With school starting on Monday, the four friends had

decided to spend their last day of summer vacation read-

ing comic books and watching movies in their secret head-

quarters a tree fort that Max decided to call the Griffins

Aerie. Over the last year, Max, Harley Eisenstein, Nata-

lia Romanov, and Ernie Tweeny had faced everything


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from leprechauns to six-armed ogres, and just about every

monster in between. Their adventures had brought them

closer than ever, but they were about to embark on their

most intriguing quest yet the Grey Griffins were trans-

ferring to a new school.

Iron Bridge Academy was a private military school run

by the Knights Templar. The curriculum was designed to

train students to combat unseen forces from the darkest of

nightmares. The academy had been shut down for nearlya century, following an explosion that destroyed most of

the buildings. Now the doors were opening again.

There were only two ways to be admitted into a Tem-

plar academy. The first was through birthright, which

Max possessed. The Templar also chose individuals from

the general populace who had extraordinary talent, intel-lect, and ingenuity, so Harley, Natalia, and Ernie were

extended invitations as well.

By the time Max reached the Old Woods, Harley was

already waiting for him.

What are you doing? Max asked as he set his bike

down. Harley had a screwdriver in one hand. In the

other, he held a palm-sized device with its electrical guts

exposed.

Just making a couple of adjustments, Harley replied

as he replaced the casing and screwed it back together.

Its a tracking device.

Harley handed Max a metal chip and told him to put it

in his pocket. Harley then twisted a dial on his invention,


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and the dark screen flickered to life. Two flashing green

dots instantly appeared. Thats us.

What about Natalia and Ernie?

I gave them ID chips this morning, Harley replied.

According to this little gizmo, they should be here right

about . . . now.

Max turned to find the other two members of the Grey

Griffins coasting down the gravel road on their bikes.

Natalias red hair was woven into braids that flew behindher. Ernies vintage World War I Army helmet bounced

on his head.

I thought you were excited about transferring to Iron

Bridge, Max heard Natalia say.

I was, but Kings Elementary is the last normal

thing in our lives, Ernie explained. Once we leave thatbehind, itll be nothing but a bunch of rigid rules.

Come on, Ernie, you know thats not true, Max said.

Were going to accomplish things that we never dreamed

we could do.

And what about all the other changelings at the

academy? Harley added. Youll finally be able to put

together your own team of superpowered humans. Itll be

like a real-life comic book.

I never fit in anywhere I go, Ernie complained.

Trust me, Iron Bridge isnt going to be any different

changelings or not.

Natalia sighed. Look, Ernie. According to Brooke,

were kind of famous.


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Yeah,r ight.

Im serious. Everyone at Iron Bridge thinks were

heroes because we helped defeat the Black Wolf Society.

Ernie smiled.

Dont get ahead of yourself, Max warned. Brooke

may be exaggerating.

Brooke Lundgren was the only honorary member of the

Grey Griffins. The boys wanted to make her membership

official, but Natalia wasnt quite ready to share the spot-light with another girl. Brooke knew that Natalia didnt

mean anything by it. A close friend had betrayed Natalia,

so it wasnt easy for her to trust other girls. Besides, Brooke

had her own troubles. Her dad, Baron Cain Lundgren, had

been given the directorship of Iron Bridge Academy. He

had a reputation for being strict, and Brooke hoped thatthe other students wouldnt hold it against her.

I knew it was too good to be true, Ernie sulked.

What if I told you that my mom stocked the fridge

with tons of junk food last night? Would that get your

mind off school for a little while? Max asked.

The Aerie was constructed of three separate buildings

linked by suspension bridges and rope swings. It boasted

air-conditioning, a cobblestone fireplace, a working kitchen,

and hidden rooms with trick entrances. When the four

friends reached the central building, Ernie scaled the ladder

and pressed his thumb against a hidden sensor pad on the

rafter. It had been installed as a safety precaution against

prowling monsters. The lock on the door released with a


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click, and Ernie rushed straight to the refrigerator. In a mat-

ter of moments, his arms were overflowing with snacks.

Hey, Harley, clear the table, will you? Ernie asked

as he tried to balance all the food.

Clear it yourself, Harley replied, sitting down to read

through a stack of comic books. Thats when he saw the

strange box wrapped in brown paper. It was unmarked,

except for a faded Templar cross stamped on the top.

Whats in the package?Maybe its our next assignment, Max said. I overheard

someone talking about an infestation of Vampire Pixies.

Natalia looked skeptical. Since when do we get

assignments in unmarked packages?

Max shrugged as Ernie dumped the pile of food on

top of the box.Ernest! Natalia reprimanded. She began clearing

away the snacks.

What? Ernie sat down and opened a bag of chips.

Did you expect me to hold that stuff forever? I have super

speed, not super strength. With that, he shoved a handful

of chips into his mouth and started smacking away.

Max broke the seal and pulled out a simple wooden

box. Curious, he flipped the latch and opened the lid.

Inside was a red velvet sack tied with a length of golden

rope. He started to untie it, but Natalia grabbed his arm.

Wait. She reached inside the box and pulled out a

piece of paper. Written in looping script were the words

wind stem to find him.


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Wind the stem? Harley read aloud. What does that

mean?

Max opened the little sack and turned it upside down.

Lets find out.

An object fell into the palm of his hand. It was a brass

beetle, no more than two inches long. A perfect sym-

phony of etched brass and silver filigree, the mechanical

creature sat unmoving.

Thats so supersonic! Ernie said, and wiped hismouth with the back of his hand. As the self-proclaimed

worlds first real superhero, Ernie had decided he

needed a catchphrase. So instead of describing things as

awesomeor amazing, he called everything supersonic.

Overwhelmed by curiosity, Ernie grabbed the beetle.

With his greasy fingers, he wound the stem several revo-lutions. Inside, a series of gears engaged, and the beetle

started tick as if it were a pocket watch. When Ernie set

the beetle on the table, small brass legs unfolded. Then

the mechanism spread its wings and lifted into the air.

Whoa! Harley stepped back as it zipped by his head

while circling the room. What is that thing?

Quick! Close the windows! Max called.

Unfortunately, the mechanical creature had already

spotted an open window and flown into the forest.

Max jumped over a stack of comic books and ran

toward the escape slide. Dont let it get away, Ernie!

Well be right behind you.


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ReadingGroupGuide

About the book

A year ago, Max, Natalia, Ernie,

and Harley banded together to

help the Templar Knights stop evil

airies, werewolves, and other

monsters rom taking over the

world. Now theyre up or their

biggest challenge yeta new

school!

1. Who are the members o the Secret Order o the Grey

Grifns? What special characteristics do each o the Grey

Grifns possess? What is the purpose o the Grey Grifns?

2. Why are the Grey Grifns attending Iron Bridge Academy?

What makes Iron Bridge Academy dierent rom any other

school the Grey Grifns have attended?

3. Where does the robotic scarab beetle lead the Grey

Grifns? What do they fnd that motivates them to go on

a quest?

4. Who is Ivers? What roles has he played in the lives o the

Grey Grifns, especially Max? What evidence does Max

have that makes him think Ivers is still alive?

5. Why does Natalia hesitate to let Brooke into the Grey

Grifns? What special power does Brooke possess?

6. Who is assigned a Bounder Faerie? What is the purpose oa Bounder Faerie?

7. What is the history o the Zephyr? What makes the Zephyr

unique? What is the purpose o the Zephyr?

8. What is MERLIN Tech? How is it used?

9. When the Grey Grifns arrive at Iron Bridge Academy,who are the Toad brothers? What do they do to help the

Grey Grifns adjust to their new environment?

10. Why are the changelings and the humans kept separate

at Iron Bridge Academy? What atmosphere does the

separation create? What evidence is there to support that

the humans and the changelings are not treated the same?

11. Why does Natalia seek out Raven to make riends?

Why is Raven so hesitant to respond to Natalia?

12. Who is Maxs ather? What did he do that was so heinous?Why does Angus McCutcheon want to punish Max or his

athers deeds?

13. What is the Codex? Why is Max the guardian? Who helps

him learn how to use the powers o the Codex?

14. How do the Grey Grifns discover the truth behind Otto

Von Stries clockworks? How does this inormation aide

them in the fght against Von Strie?

15. Why is Logan so committed to protecting Max? What do

they have in common that allows them to orm such astrong bond?

16. The Templar Secret Society is a orce to be reckoned

with. How do the members o the Templar recognize one

another? What do they all have in common?

Grey Grifns: The Clockwork Chronicles #1: The Brimstone Key

by Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis

16


17/18

UBlTDT

T

MT

CPTPMAA

DUlG

lAVA

DA

Ernies Superheroname is Agent ??

Te Grey Grinsfght these.

Tis gadget allowsNatalia to see in the

aerie spectrum.

Te new director oIron Bridge Academy

is Baron Cain

Harleys last name is?

Te town where theGrey Grins live

, Set, Adventure!

Think YOUVE gOT whaT iT TakEs

TO EnrOll in irOnbridgE acadEmY?Crack these word jumbles to reveal the entry codeword!

(All the answers are in the preview you just read!)

17


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on a trip back in time

aboard a amous cruise ship?on an epic battle

with evil orces?

to a mysticaland dangerous

land ull o airies?

on a fght with

deadly ninjas?

These adventures dont end here!Where will reading take you next?

grey griffins adventure pack

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