MOTH stands for Multiplayer Outdoor Treasure Hunt or Multiplayer Online Treasure Hunt. It’s a community of adventurers, explorers, and puzzle enthusiasts who participate in periodic treasure hunts designed to take them outdoors or challenge their minds online. Founded by Shane Richardson, MOTH.club creates immersive experiences that blend exploration, teamwork, and excitement.

MOTH was created to offer a unique and immersive treasure hunting experience, blending the thrill of adventure with problem-solving in real-world settings. The goal is to encourage participants to disconnect from screens and devices and reconnect with nature while sharing memorable experiences with friends and family. MOTH also supports local tourism, encouraging participants to explore lesser-known areas. The treasure hunts also provide non-trivial amounts of cash and prizes to the winner as well.

MOTH.club plans to organize at least 3 major treasure hunts each year, with each event taking place in different regions and offering various types of challenges. Some will be fully outdoors, while others may include online "armchair" only elements. We may provide some short, pop-up, mini quests and puzzles along the way as well.

You can join MOTH.club by purchasing a Searchers Permit for any of our upcoming treasure hunts. This gets you private community access for now and into the future. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on new events, or follow us on social media for announcements.

"The Quest for the Death's-Head Relic" is a 10-day immersive treasure hunt where participants compete to find an ancient artifact hidden somewhere on public land in West Virginia. The relic, known as the Death’s-Head Relic, is a skull carved from Fluorescent Sodalite—a rare stone known for its glowing properties and spiritual significance. Along with the relic, there is an ever-growing cash bounty for the winner. The quest begins November 1st, 2024.

You can get an up to date list of everything that is included in the Treasure, Bounty and Prizes here.

The event begins on November 1st, 2024, and runs for 10 days. Daily clues will be released each day to guide participants closer to the relic. The game is played mostly online, solving the clues and narrowing down the location. When a Searcher thinks they know where it is, that's when they deploy boots on the ground (BOTG) to retrieve the treasure.

To receive clues in "The Quest for the Death’s-Head Relic," you need to purchase a one-time Searchers Permit on our website, which grants you access to the daily map clues, puzzles, photos, videos, graphics, images and other exclusive resources. Half of the permit fee goes toward the growing cash bounty for the final winner.

The quest plays out over the course of 10 days. Most of the game is played online and in your spare time. Daily clues are released narrowing down the search location bit by bit. You can play from home until you think you have discovered the location and then go to the location to retrieve it. You are free to spend as much or as little time as you want but it shouldn't require hours and hours of your time each day. As the hunt progresses the discovery will become more intensive and urgent.

The treasure hunt is open to the public but the cost to gain an edge and receive clues in "The Quest for the Death’s-Head Relic" is the price of a Searchers Permit ($30), which you can purchase on our website. Half of the fee goes toward the final cash bounty, while the other half offsets the costs to orchestrate and maintain these hunts

Yes, you can purchase a Searcher's Permit up until November 9th, the day before the last day of the hunt. You will receive all previous clues that all Searcher's have received and be up to date on all of the clues and intel. You will not be able to purchase a Permit on the final day of the hunt.

We have decided not to penalize Searcher's who might have only discovered this late into the game. Searcher's may join in progress up until November 9th and receive all of the previous clues up to that point. All clues are released at 9am EST on the Searcher's Portal.

When you purchase a permit, you’ll gain access to:

• Daily map clues that narrow down the treasure's location by eliminating counties where the treasure is not hidden.
• Exclusive photos of the treasure from different angles.
• Photos and graphic clues which will help you figure out the area, location and route.
• Access to a Discord server where participants can collaborate, share ideas, and discuss clues.
• Access to the Searcher's Portal where participants will receive their daily clues.
• Ongoing Membership grants private community access and communication in MOTH.club.

After we have hidden the relic, we do not have total control over who finds it and takes it. It is ultimately open to the public. It is almost impossible to find the relic before someone else if you do not have access to the clues. However, the relic is up for grabs for anyone in the general public. Public clues will only show the shrinking counties map and nothing further. To claim the cash bounty and prizes you must contact us and provide proof you found it, posses it, and did so in a peaceful way that did not go against any of the rules, policies or codes of conduct. We expect the person that finds the relic and claims the bounty will be one in the same and someone that has purchased a Searchers Permit for added clues.

A map showing the possible counties where the relic is hidden gets delivered daily. Each day, a few of those counties disappear from the map, gradually eliminating possible hiding spots. Photos, videos, puzzles, graphics and mini-games may be included to help you get closer to the treasure’s location.

After registering and purchasing your Searchers Permit, you’ll receive a unique four word access code which grants you access to the Searchers Portal where the daily clues will be delivered. You will be granted private access to our Discord server where you can participate in discussions with other treasure hunters. Enter your access code there to access private channels.

Everyone that purchases a Searcher's Permit will receive clues daily at 9am EST starting November 1st and until the Relic is found, culminating no later than November 10th. The daily clues will be delivered on the Searcher's Portal.

Anyone found to be leaking clues publicly or to non-paying participants will be eliminated, access immediately terminated and banned from any future events. It will take multiple clues to narrow it down enough to find it so there shouldn't be too much worry about spoilsports ruining the adventure. You may share clues within the members only and private channels as everyone will have the same access to these anyway. Stay vigilant and report anything suspicious to us ASAP.

In your backyard under the old oak tree. J/k, j/k....The treasure is hidden somewhere on public land in West Virginia. The treasure is not under water and may require you to uncover it. Each day, a map is revealed with a few more counties eliminated from the possible hiding spots, gradually narrowing down the search area. Puzzles, photos, videos, graphics or mini-games may be used to help narrow down the location. On the final day, there will be enough information to lead you to the exact location of the treasure. Find it first and claim the treasure.

The person who finds the Death’s-Head Relic first wins the relic itself (a life-size realistic skull hand carved from a rare Fluorescent Sodalite stone with estimated value up to $1k), along with the cash bounty and other prizes. The cash bounty grows with each participant who joins the hunt and is expected to be several thousands of dollars, and the prizes may include additional sponsored items. More up to date details of the treasure, bounty and prizes can be found here.

To claim the relic, you must be the first person to find it in a peaceful manner and without cheating, hate or violence. You should take photos and/or videos of yourself at the exact location when you find it as proof. There will also be some great photo worthy spots to take selfies with the Skull on your way back. Take advantage of these opportunities. We'd love to see some creative media from the Winner. Email hello@moth.club ASAP to let us know you have found the Relic so we can alert the community that the Quest is over. Please send and share any photos/videos as proof when time permits. Once verified that you obtained the relic fairly and within the rules and code of conduct, we will release the cash bounty and prizes to you within 14 days and do a post hunt meetup and interview.

Yes, depending on the players skills and resources, it's very possible that someone figures out the location and searches hard enough to find it before the final day.

As many parts of WV are remote and without communication. There may or may not be a slight delay as to when the Relic is found and when it is announced to the public. The Searcher that finds the Relic is required to alert us ASAP by email at hello@moth.club with proof and evidence of the find.

This is highly unlikely. The treasure is hidden off trail and not right out in the open. In the off chance that someone finds and takes the Relic and isn't aware or involved in the search, they will still be the rightful owner of the Relic. They are not entitled to the cash bounty and prizes however, and the bounty will carry over to a new treasure hunt with the Members gaining free entry or be awarded to the person that finds the location and alerts us that the Relic is missing and provides photographic proof.

Ultimately impossible. We will ensure the clues on the final day will reveal the exact location. We will keep giving easier hints and clues until someone finds it.

Yes, you will begin on access roads, trail(s) and will have to venture a short distance off trail to find and recover the treasure. Trails might not be necessarily named or marked.

No, the location requires hiking with moderate difficulty and requires a roundtrip hike between 1-2 miles. Please make sure your are prepared and in good standing health to search. Always bring water and food and other gear, tech and trail essentials on your adventures. You may be an "armchair" searcher and solve the location online but will need to team up with a trusted partner for boots on the ground (BOTG) retrieval.

Just don't. This ruins it for everyone. If an altercation happens, we will investigate the incidient to our fullest ability to determine a winner. If that can't be done, all parties in the altercation will be eliminated and the treasure, bounty and prizes are all forfeited. Anyone determined to be engaging in hate or violence in order to acquire the treasure will forfeit their prize bounty and turned over to law enforcement. This will be at our discretion. Be peaceful and if you're a minute late, just take the "L" or team up and agree to split the bounty.

Everyone is responsible for their own actions. The treasure is in a location that requires moderate hiking and outdoor skill to obtain. Know that there could be between 1-2 miles of hiking to reach the location and return. Anytime you go into the wilderness there are risks. Stay smart, safe and do not engage in reckless or risky behavior. Do not approach wildlife. Bring gear, tech, rations and water to aid you appropriately. You are participating in this event at your own discretion and agree to not hold us liable for any accidents or misfortunes.

The relic is hidden on public land, accessed via public land. Do not trespass onto property where you do not belong. Please be respectful of the land and always follow the "Leave No Trace" principle anytime you are in the wilderness. Pack it in, pack it out.

The location is generally available to access 24/7. As a general rule of thumb of most any public land area, if there are others nearby, quiet hours usually range somewhere between 9pm to 6am. Use your own judgement and resources to know if you're able to access your search area during which hours and any disturbance policies during your search of different areas.

There is no fee to enter the area or park your vehicle.

You must be at least 18 years old to play. Adults are encouraged to include their children in the quest but an adult is required to make recovery and claim to the treasure. If you are searching with children, please take extra precautions as the wilderness and certain landmarks along the way can be a dangerous.

While anyone 18 or older can join the hunt from anywhere, you or someone you trust will need to be boots on the ground (BOTG) to recover the actual treasure which is hidden somewhere on public land in WV. Many "armchair" online elements exist and it is possible to narrow down the area online and send out a trusted searcher to the location. If you have solved the location from home/online, send us an email at hello@moth.club with your solve/location/evidence and the name of the person you are sending BOTG for retrieval.

As long as you're not committing any crimes, violence, hate, threats or intimidation; every source of information or technology is fair game. We expect the daily clues to be the most valuable piece of intel and information however. Online map/earth software, AI chatbots and having some familiarity with WV flora and fauna will be your best tools.

No problem! Even if you can’t participate every day, you’ll still have access to all the previous clues and updates you missed, so you can catch up and jump back into the hunt at any time. You can always pop in and out and catch up on the latest gossip and findings on the private Discord server as well.

The treasure hunts may coincide with various hunting seasons. It is your responsibility to know what you are walking into and you may opt to wear blaze orange for extra security.

The skull is 8" tall and weighs 12-14 pounds. It's a life-size realistic human skull hand-carved from solid Fluorescent Sodalite, a rare fluorescent stone that glows orange under ultraviolet (UV) light. A death's-head moth is etched in the brow and gilded with 24k Gold. Make SURE you bring a backpack or other means large enough to carry the Relic out. IT. IS. HEAVY.

Yes! You can team up with friends, family, or other participants. Teamwork can increase your chances of solving clues and finding the Relic. However, only one registered Searcher can claim the treasure and bounty, so teams will need to decide how they want to handle the final discovery and distribution of the bounty and prizes. Many "armchair" online elements exist and it is possible to narrow down the area online and send out a trusted searcher to the location. If you have solved the location from home/online, send us an email at hello@moth.club with your solve/location/evidence and the name of the person you are sending BOTG for retrieval. This is the only way to validly split the bounty.

This is our affiliate/referral program which allows anyone to earn 15% commission on all sales from new treasure hunters. You get a special link you can send out to all of your family, friends and followers and if they purchase a permit, you get paid. Find more details and sign up form here.

Yes! MOTH.club welcomes businesses to sponsor our events by providing products, prizes or services for participants. Sponsors receive brand exposure through our social media channels, email campaigns, and website. Visit our Sponsorship Opportunities page for more details.

Yes, you can! MOTH is a community of like-minded adventurers, explorers, and puzzle-solvers. There are many free and public ways to join in on the conversation. Join our mailing list or follow us on social media to stay connected and participate in discussions, even if you aren’t actively treasure hunting. Also, access and chat in the public channels on Discord.

Absolutely! We plan to host treasure hunts in other regions, with new challenges and different landscapes, providing adventurers with exciting and diverse experiences. We have big plans and aspirations for this community so stay tuned for upcoming events and details.

We will require you to submit a W-9 tax form before claiming the bounty and prizes. We will issue you a 1099-MISC form documenting your winnings. It is your responsibility to report and file taxes with the IRS next year.

As these treasure hunts are based on intellect and skill, it is completely legal most anywhere within the US.