Iris the Amazon: Level 2
- Joseph Wilson
- Jun 10
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 25
Welcome to 1890's Hawaii, time traveler. Liliuokilani's lost her musical notes for a new song she's recording- a song critical to the Hawaiian people and their history during an era of foreign annexation and their enduring legacy of resistance. We need to to help the queen find her missing notes to complete her song before her legacy in world history is lost forever. Let's see if this surfer can help us find the queen and help her finish the song.
Iris the Amazon
What should I ask the surfer first?
Make sure to ask the surfer about who the queen's enemies are and why they might be trying to stop her from performing her song.
Surfer
Who is Queen Liliuokilani?
Queen Liliʻuokalani is our aliʻi wahine, our sovereign queen. She is the sister of our beloved King Kalākaua and now rules the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi with wisdom and aloha for her people. The queen is a woman of great learning and heart—she composes songs, speaks many tongues, and upholds our traditions while standing strong against foreign greed. She is Kānaka Maoli, born of royal blood, and she carries the mana of our ancestors. We look to her to protect the land, the people, and our way of life.
Why is music so important to Queen Liliuokilani and the Hawaiian people?
Music is the voice of our ancestors. For us Hawaiians, mele holds our stories, our genealogy, our love for the land. It is how we remember and how we speak from the heart. Queen Liliʻuokalani understands this—she is not only our aliʻi wahine, but a composer with a heart full of aloha. Through her songs, she speaks of sorrow, of hope, and of our struggle to keep our kingdom alive. When she writes, we hear not just words, but the spirit of Hawai‘i. Music binds us together, and through it, we remember who we are.
Who is troubling Queen Liliuokilani?
It is the haole businessmen and sugar planters, those tied to foreign interests, who trouble our queen. They come with their greed, seeking control over our ‘āina, our land, and our government. Some call themselves citizens of Hawai‘i, but their hearts lie elsewhere—in Washington and with the American flag. They do not respect our aliʻi, nor the will of the Hawaiian people. They push for treaties and laws that weaken our kingdom. Queen Liliʻuokalani stands firm for us, but she faces many who wish to see our nation fall.
Can you tell me more about this?
Because they want our land, our water, and our laws to serve their sugar and their money. The American businessmen—they see Hawai‘i not as a home, but as a stepping stone for power in the Pacific. They come here, grow rich from our ‘āina, and now they seek to control our government so they can protect their profits. They say they bring 'civilization,' but they bring laws that favor themselves and take power away from our queen and our people. They fear that if Hawaiians govern Hawai‘i, they won’t get everything they want.
Where can we find the queen?
.You will find Her Majesty at ʻIolani Palace, in Honolulu. It is the seat of our government and the home of our aliʻi. But know this—she is not only found behind palace walls. The queen walks among her people. She listens at the churches, at the schools, and even at the gatherings in the lo‘i and by the sea. If your heart is true, you will see her where the people are, for her mana flows through this land as surely as the wind moves through the palms.
Aloha mai e nā malihini. You are most welcome to ʻIolani Palace, the heart of our kingdom and the home of our people. I greet you not only as queen, but as a daughter of this land, entrusted with its care and the well-being of those who dwell upon it.
Iris the Amazon
That's Hawaiian Queen Liliuokilani. Ask her some questions to try and figure out how and why someone is trying to erase her from history.
Why is this Hawaiian queen so important to history?
Throughout the 19th Century, European and American settlers slowly bought up most of the land in the Kingdom of Hawaii- turning it into series of plantations to get rich. In 1892, Liliuokilani was overthrown in a coup that ended the monarchy and made Hawaii part of the United States. Liliuokilani's courage and rhetoric following her removal from power continues to give Native Hawaiians hope to this day that one day their kingdom will be free again.
Queen Liliuokilani
What happened to your songbook?
My songbook… it is missing. Within its pages were not only melodies, but the breathings of my heart—words born from sorrow, joy, and love for my people. It is as if a piece of my spirit has been misplaced. Still, I trust that what is truly meant to live will find its way back to me. The songs, they come not from ink alone, but from the wellspring of our ‘āina and the voice of heaven. If it is gone, then perhaps the Lord wills new songs to rise.
Have you seen anyone suspicious recently?
Suspicion is a shadow that walks quietly, and even in these sacred halls, one must be ever watchful. I have seen unfamiliar faces—too many drawn not by loyalty, but by curiosity or ambition. Yet I will not name guilt where proof has not yet spoken. Still, the loss of something so dear as my songbook wounds me deeply, and I pray it is mislaid, not taken. The palace is my home, but even a queen must guard her heart and her words with care.
Can you think of anyone specific?
There is one gentleman whose presence lingers oddly in my memory—not for any word spoken, but for his quiet movements and ever-watchful eyes. He is often found near the veranda, swirling a glass filled with spirits and fresh mint, as though he is more at home in leisure than in loyalty. I have never heard him speak of music, yet he has lingered near my pianoforte more than once, as though listening not with his ears, but with intent. I do not know his name—perhaps he is a guest of a guest—but there is a stillness about him that unsettles me. One cannot accuse on instinct alone, but I would not leave my heart’s work in the same room as his drink.
How can we help?
Your offer touches me deeply, for this songbook holds not just melodies, but the whispers of my soul. I often find inspiration where the ocean kisses the shore—at Waikīkī, where the waves speak softly in the early light and the wind carries the memory of old chants. It is there that many of my thoughts have taken form. If my book has wandered, perhaps it was drawn back to that sacred edge of sea and sky. Search there—with care, with aloha. Listen not only with your eyes, but with your heart. If the pages are meant to return, they will call out to those who approach with reverence.
Aloha, friends! I'm glad I found you! I've found the queen's songbook, but there's some water damage to the pages. I tried playing along to the sheet music, but one note sounds wrong and I can't figure out which one it is. Maybe you can help. Listen to our surfer friend play the song, then use the ukulele below to play different notes from the song to figure out which chord is wrong. To play the ukulele, use the keys on the keyboard for the instrument's chords, then pluck the strings by dragging the mouse along the strings.
On the keyboard, play C by holding down "R" while strumming the ukulele strings. Play F by holding down "3" and "Q". To play the G7 note, hold down "3" "W" and "R". And finally, to play the C7 note, hold down "4." When you know what the notes should sound like, figure out which note the surfer is playing wrong.
Now that you've had time to toy with the ukulele, which note is out surfer friend playing wrong?
C7
Unfortunately not. Try again.
C
Unfortunately not. Try again.
F
That's right! The note should be an F, but our surfer friend is playing Am instead.
G7
Unfortunately not. Try again.
While you were completing the queen's music notes, I spotted a suspicious figure further down the beach. Grab the queen's musical notebook and follow me!
Great job! With our help the queen will be able to finish her song as planned, but we still need to catch our saboteur. Take a look around and tell me where you think our suspect is hiding.
Behind the boat
Hmmm. not there. Try another spot.
Inside the hut
Great call, fellow time traveler. Just as I suspected- Pluto, Roman god of wealth and death. Seems there's more than mortal merchants trying to take over Hawaii.
In the jungle
That's not a bad hiding spot, but I think our suspect is somewhere closer to the beachTry again.
It seems our bandit was not working alone. While Pluto is indeed a powerful god, it seems he's not the one behind all these changes to history. That means we need to go deeper into the past and find out who is really responsible for all of the changes happening to the historical timeline.
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