On August 29th 2023 Michel Becker released an image clue on his Discord server. Since he took over the organisation of the game and received the solutions in 2021 he has been urged by owlers to draw the lines on the map to verify this aspect of the solution. He finally did this and showed a picture of his map with rulers and a second map underneath.
It was quickly noticed that there was a pencil line drawn on the second partially obscured map.
Becker revealed that this was a line drawn in relation to the 560 clue.
Many people attempted to replicate this line, and it appears to start at Cherbourg and land slightly to the west of Llanes in northern Spain.
It is interesting to note that the angle of this line echoes the image in the 560 illustration.
On its journey across the map the line does not appear to hit any previously mentioned places in the game. Its placing is quite a mystery with no obvious direction leading to a line in this place.
Here is the line’s approximate position.
It is worth reflecting on the line and the text of the 560.
When, at Carusburc (Cherbourg), you will have Albion in the back,
Look for the Opening that reveals the Heavenly Light.
Do not wait, do not ask for your rest, But get ready to walk on the water.
Twice, Neptune will come to your rescue And lead you away from the icy North.
Pursue your way and do not interrupt your journey
Before seeing through the opening, the becalmed Nave.
Without deviating an inch, draw a line, and you will not regret what you did.
Does this mean that the line passes through an ‘Opening’ and the ‘becalmed Nave’? It does fit with the idea of Neptune’s rescue, presuming this means that the God carries us across two seas.
This line is not on any trajectory that has been explored by owlers before so it’s going to lead to a lot of debate.
Becker’s comments on drawing the lines
Here are a few comments from Becker, in case they offer additional useful information.
“Nothing changed regarding the precision of the end solution.”
“Many wanted me to draw the lines, I did. Some are not decisive, that’s all.”
“I never said one line or another was wrong, and added that I was leaning into never-resolved but non-blocking stuff. I struggled a bit myself with the lines, it’s not what is best explained in the solutions. But rest assured, it works and, for what might not be found, it will not prevent the discovery of the cache.”
It will be interesting to see if this new clue leads to any new theories. It may well disappoint many owlers who feel they have well developed solutions but have no line in this section of the map.