It might be possible that he is the creator of the red dead universe
The random encounters we get during the game that lets us help or not help ppl? Strange man does it to test arthur and john
The jimmy brooks mission was 100% the strange man testing arthur
The strange man keeps a eye on our main characters the entire game and leads them to heaven or hell

Back when the mystery was relatively fresh I remember seeing a guy's video he was messing around with the telegraph poles and the webs and feathers and discovered/claimed (he showed the in-game time and such and it seemed credible) that walking from one pole in the right direction would cause the in-game time to stop. As if it was related to the Easter egg like a step or something. My question is has anyone investigated this? Found similar results? Maybe it's pointing us in a direction

I’ve been thinking about the Strange Man theory for a while, and honestly, I think there might be WAY more to it than we usually talk about.

Most of us already know the theory about the 3 bullets Strange Man shoots at John representing the deaths of John, Abigail, and Uncle — basically 3 lives.

And then there’s the 4th bullet that jams, which could represent Jack being the one who survives.

There’s also the whole Cain / sevenfold vengeance connection. John shoots Strange Man 3 times, and at the end of RDR1 he gets hit by exactly 21 bullets (3×7).

And the place where John dies? It looks suspiciously like a family graveyard.

But here’s where things get REALLY interesting.

What if Strange Man wasn’t just testing John?

What if he was basically testing the whole gang — especially the three main leaders?

1. Dutch — Heidi McCourt

Heidi McCourt, the girl Dutch shot during the Blackwater Massacre, might have been more important than we thought.

Arthur writes about how she was just standing there while everyone was running away, almost like she was put there on purpose.

And Trelawny keeps bringing up Blackwater too.

So what if Heidi was actually Dutch’s test?

Dutch had a choice.

And he chose his ego, his power, and violence.

He failed.

2. Arthur — Jimmy Brooks

Then there’s Jimmy Brooks.

Arthur literally had this guy’s life in his hands.

He could’ve killed him…

but he didn’t.

And the weird connections between Jimmy, Strange Man’s cabin, and the paintings make this even more interesting.

Maybe Jimmy was Arthur’s first real chance to choose mercy instead of violence.

And this time, Arthur made the right choice.

He passed.

3. John — Arthur’s Final Words

This one is probably my favorite.

When Strange Man talks to John, he says:

“You’ve forgotten quite a bit.”

Everyone usually takes that as John forgetting his old sins.

But what if he means something else?

What if John forgot what Arthur told him?

Arthur basically told John to stop looking back, forget revenge, and focus on his family.

And what does John do?

He goes after Micah anyway.

He chooses revenge.

And eventually, that decision leads the Pinkertons right back to him.

John failed his test.

And then look at the people who actually walked away from the whole life.

Tilly.

Mary-Beth.

Charles.

They left the guns, the gang, and the revenge behind and actually built new lives.

Meanwhile, John and Sadie never completely escaped that cycle of violence.

So maybe Strange Man isn’t simply judging people based on whether they’re “good” or “bad.”

Maybe he’s testing one thing:

Can you actually break the cycle?

3 leaders.

3 tests.

3 completely different outcomes.

I honestly think this makes the Strange Man stuff even more interesting.

What do you guys think? Am I cooking or am I just putting WAY too many pins on the RDR conspiracy board? (Btw, I’m 13 years old, and this is my own theory. I only used AI to translate it into English. The ideas and theory itself are mine.)

I decided to go check out Fort Riggs because I think that the English Spelling Practice note is a hint to a larger puzzle theme. It's a known cipher and I have a theory that there are other cipher keys in game.

In case you didn't know, you can find the note inside of the Fort Riggs school. If you write down the first letter of every word it spells out "Waziya comes with winter breath. His trees stand guard whispering all night that we sleep in our grave. Father fought and died so quickly. Mother dies slow." It is an acrostic type of cipher.

I waited in the school overnight and noticed that it is covered in spider webs. You can't really see them during the day. They don't fully disappear, but it's very difficult to tell that they're there. I attached a photo of the same bench during the day and at night.

Just an interesting note, there are 5 bullets on the teacher's desk and a human skull on a shelf. The spider webs are most dense along the A-frame support beams of the building. That really piqued my interest. If you go outside and look at the peak of the roof you can see it's braced with 7 boards.

There are 7 human figures on the mural at window rock, 7 birds, and various other figures in groups of 7. The bird with 7 feathers faces up and is aligned at the top. In the cave of Strange Statues, there are 7 statues and a winged creature that sits upon a 7 sided shape. The winged creature faces the "7th" statue. It is the only statue missing an arm. The arm can be found amongst the rocks in the cave.

There are 7 arrows on the sundial at Mt. Shann. There are 7 points/lines on the spider webs that appear on the poles. A 7 sided shape is a heptagon. A Pentagram can be drawn inside of it.

The Strange Statues solution is 2, 3, 5, 7. The official guide book hint is "prime numbers". You can push 2, 3, and 5 in any order, but 7 must always compete the sequence. If you write down the numbers from the bird feathers at the window rock mural in clockwise order you get the sequence 7, 6, 3, 4, 5, 8, 2. If you repeat that process in the statue room, you get a different sequence of 7, 6, 2, 4, 5, 8, 3.

If you try to copy the alignment of the statues and compare them to the mural, 2 and 3 are never in the correct placement. I couldn't understand how they were the only numbers out of placement. They are the 3rd and 7th numbers of the sequence and they are swapped. This is a tactic used in transposition ciphers.

The first 10 prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, and 29. Gertrude Braithwaite recites all of the first 10 prime numbers except for 19 and 23. Prime numbers are used in modern encryption. There are 7 prime numbers on a 24 hour clock and 5 primes on a 12 hour clock. The sun dial on Mt. Shann leads me to believe that part of a puzzle has to do with time. Especially because of a small detail on the Panoramic painting. The half circle at the bottom. It looks like they're hinting at finding the angle. The angle of the lines could represent a certain time on the clock.

There are "WW" hints everywhere. In math, WW is a line segment, vector, or distance that connects two points, W1 and W2, which notates a reflection or transformation of a figure. The word "panoramic" is another hint at angles.

I don't know how all of this connects, but I think there are multiple layers or rings to the puzzle. You can see an example of a cipher wheel in the image. All of the keys are meant to be stacked on top of each and rotated separately to reveal the hidden message. Or it might be a number code that spells something out.

My super tinfoil hat conspiracy theory is that it's a hidden cheat code. One that would allow you to go into Blackwater as Arthur or turn off aggro in Fort Wallace. Another theory is unlocking an alternate ending.

I noticed a lot of themes centered around spiritualism, mysticism, corruption, pollution, death, genocide, occultism, war, paganism, necromancy, esoteric science, theoretical physics, astrophysics etc.

Edit: I forgot to mention the pic of the Old Tomb. 5 pointed star shape that fits inside of a heptagon. Mysterious location with a unique item that has no known purpose, the ancient Viking comb. Fits into the above themes. Still need to look further into that one.

Hello again guys! I need your help to find another clue regarding the Spiderweb mystery.

Here are my previous posts for more context:

Part 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadmysteries/comments/1w1rhp6/possible_spiderweb_mystery_clues/

Part 2:

https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadmysteries/comments/1w213y5/spiderweb_mystery_guitar_pool_part_2/

I've drawn the best possible line i could starting from the dark-grey arrow-building. (TOP-RIGHT)

I need your help to find a place of interest for this blue line, and you can also try to draw a better line yourself on this website: https://compromit.github.io/gta5-map/

I'd like to specify that in Part 2 i talked about "water pipes", but they aren't. I have no idea what they are, there still might be something though, so keep looking even in places that dont look special.

I'd also like to thank you all for the support i've received, im very grateful for everybodys help on this mystery.

Hello everybody, this is part 2 of my other post, so check it out for more context: https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadmysteries/comments/1w1rhp6/possible_spiderweb_mystery_clues/

I'll only be focusing on the guitar-shaped pool on this post.

Special Thanks to u/Elee31417

The guitar-shaped pool brings us at a place South-West to Bolingbroke Penitentiary. (IMAGE 3)

Some of the buildings are similiar to other shapes and drawings in the game, but the big thing here is the dark-grey building. (IMAGE 3-4)

It definetly looks like an arrow pointing to something, i still haven't figured out what, though i have noticed something strange:

the line that starts from the arrow passes through/next 2 groups of white lines (probably water pipes or sewage tunnels?).

(IMAGE 5-6) Each one of these groups of pipes form 8 closed shapes, with a darker shade of grass inside (the number 8 is very important to Mount Chiliad mystery). From what i saw, these are the only 2 groups of white pipes on the map, but i might be wrong so feel free to correct me in the comments!

These pipes might connect to one of the theories of this youtuber, which i might talk about in another post. https://www.youtube.com/@ElVicioInvestigations/videos

I apologize if i repeat too much and some parts are unclear, english isnt my first language.

Feel free to share your discoveries regarding this post under the comments!

I might have found the actual solution to the Spider Web Mystery. There is a massive, hidden connection between the telegraph poles, the carvings , and story of the game. If you link the 8 feathers at the poles, the Window Rock web carving, and the Strange Statues, it opens up a flawless circle The spiders, feathers, and eagles across the map directly links the Wapiti tribe to the real world Lakota nation. In Lakota mythology, Iktómi is the Spider-God, a master trickster who weaves the net of time, language, and human fate. Crucially, Iktómi rarely appears as a spider; he takes on a human form to drop moral traps, act like a deceptive friend, and watch humans ruin themselves through greed and sin. In Red Dead, The Strange Man is the physical manifestation of this human-faced trickster deity. He never pulls a trigger; he stands at the edge of the web in human clothes, poses moral dilemmas, and watches Arthur and John get caught in their choices.

This exact connection explains the cave painting. On that mural, the layout reveals how this psychological trap closes around the characters. In the exact center of the carving, there is a massive black circle dominated by a big red eagle, which represents the blood-soaked, inescapable chokehold of fate. Radiating from this center are seven human figures arranged in a circle, with a smaller, eagle drawn directly next to every single one of them. They represent the people, completely blind to the fact that they are just rotating around their own doom, while the background is filled with painted hands that look like the desperate souls of those already caught in the net. Every painted eagle has a different number of carved lines or feathers, which are literally Iktómi’s life threads.

While the stone statues inside the cave are colorless, the external carvings and murals leading to them use a strict color code: black and red. there are exactly 5 black feathers and 3 red feathers hanging from the telegraph poles.

The 5 black feathers represent the 5-fingered statue, which reflects Arthur Morgan’s life thread and his transition into the spirit world. In Native tradition, black and white signify the boundary of life, passing time, and ultimate spiritual wisdom matching Arthur’s long, painful journey of internal redemption. Arthur is locked to the number 5 there are exactly 5 dark feathers in the mystery and exactly 5 chapters where Arthur is physically healthy, active, and has the absolute agency to change his moral fate (Chapters 1 to 5). The exact second Chapter 6 begins, the TB takes over, his healthy human agency is stripped, and his thread of life is cut short.

Conversely, the 3 red feathers represent the 3-fingered statue, symbolizing John Marston’s blood-soaked heritage. In indigenous culture, red represents the earth, blood, wounds, and violent conflict. John's entire story is defined by exactly 3 monumental phases in the timeline: Phase 1 is his rescue by Arthur, giving him a second chance. Phase 2 is his desperate attempt to build a house at Beecher's Hope and find a temporary hope for a normal, peaceful life. Phase 3 is where his past catches up to him and he suffers his bloody death . This trickster entity (Strange Man) appears to John exactly 3 times during his storyline in RDR1 before his final execution, proving his tragic fate was pre-determined through those 3 structural steps.

Rockstar left a physical trail to confirm this geometric and mental loop across the map, and it reveals something absolutely mind blowing. You start at the telegraph poles in the Heartlands, shooting feathers off wires disrupting communication, which is Iktómi’s exact domain. The final pole shows a guitar icon and points directly Northwest. Following this path leads straight to Fort Wallace. From a bird's eye perspective, the entire fort is shaped like a massive guitar. On top of the fort's watchtower, two carved birds face due West. Following their direct line of sight leads straight into the opening of Window Rock, hitting the famous red, black, and white painting showing the human figures and their eagles trapped around the dark center.

those two carved birds on Fort Wallace are not just a random signpost. If you look in the direction of the two birds at Fort Wallace, you notice they are pointing at Arthur Morgan’s grave. To make it even more insane, if you finish the story with High Honor, a eagle spawns right on top of Arthur's grave. The black, trapped eagles from the Window Rock spider web mural finally break the loop here Arthur's soul escapes the Strange Man’s net and achieves true, unmapped freedom in the end.

When you align everything the 5 black feathers for Arthur's healthy chapters, the 3 red feathers for John’s life phases, the physical alignment of Fort Wallace leading straight to Arthur’s final resting place, and the high-honor eagle spawning on his grave it becomes undeniable.

To top it all off, the phrase found in the Strange Man's cabin, 'The water is black with venom', is absolutely no coincidence. Rockstar deliberately chose the word venom rather than 'poison'. Spiders inject venom to paralyze and trap their prey which is exactly what this trickster deity is doing to Arthur and John as they get caught up in the sticky threads of their own choices and inevitable doom.

What do you guys think?

I've been looking for map art on the GTA 5 map on this site:

https://forge.plebmasters.de/map?x=1008.3258325832584&y=909.3159315931599&z=1&b=Realmap&o=

i've found 2 interesting things so far regarding the Spiderweb Mystery in RDR2 which i think is connected to Mount Chiliad mystery.

I'd like to say first that this is my first post ever on reddit and i might get a few things wrong, so feel free to correct me in the comments.

IMAGE 1-2

I found this empty pool in Sandy Shores, next to the Thriatlon. The shape of it really looks like a guitar to me, so it could be pointing to something, just like Fort Wallace, in RDR2. I'd start walking in the direction the guitar points to, to see if there's something of interest (I'd like to point out this place is also near one of the alen spaceship parts from the Omega mission).

IMAGE 3-4

Near the O'Neil farm, i found these 2 (upside down) bird drawings , just like the 2 bird carvings on Fort Wallace in RDR2. I'd start to look at the sky (during any weather possible) for birds flying in a specific way. Keep in mind the birds are upside down, so they could be coming from South AND North.

That's it for today, let me know if i could make things more clear in my future posts.

Has anyone else seen this?

YouTuber HOW_I_PLAY showed something interesting in their video: Maybe It’s Not Two Birds After All | 451 | Spider Web Mystery.

Apparently, burning the sage plants near the NW guitar symbol reveals shapes that look like a heart and Fort Wallace.

I can’t test this myself right now, but I thought it was interesting and wanted to see if anyone else has noticed or tested this before.

Has anyone seen this or can confirm it?

I'm just putting two posts together. This might be another "coinicidence", but the numbers from Madamme match some trains 12 (376) (451) 12. Pictures are not mine. Belongs to these posts:

https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadmysteries/comments/1w06kiz/the_madame_nazar_numbers_and_the_first/

and

https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadmysteries/comments/1qb6ntr/a_comprehensive_guide_to_trains_a_spiderdream/

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fa-comprehensive-guide-to-trains-a-spiderdream-by-product-v0-tyu4oaiq7zcg1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D2650%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D58f5ed8fa1cc42e8cc46766932891bcd9eda5d0f

It appears that the commercial shown in the extended trailer for GTA 6 was filmed during the production of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Hello,

It's been two times i got to butcher creek and i get a red window where the guy plays guitar.

Is this a glitched texture ?

Thank you

Link to a spanish tarot book

https://archive.org/details/fundamentosdelta00octa/page/228/mode/2up?q=%22Figura+2%22

Link to image 2 source
which is someones strange ufo research

So i was driving away from the fort El presidio and there were a lot of people running the opposite direction of the fort, and eventually one guy was blown to pieces by a cannon? It wont be cannon because its far from fort, maybe it was a landmine or a bug?

I've just started dabbling in the world of data-mining the rdr2 game files. I'll be honest, it's amazing when you look at them all, but that's another story.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with it and have worked out how to find the textures for different places in the game?

I have found two birds in the Man made mutant house....Any clues ? They are looking in a certain direction btw.

I juat thought I'd say that while I was looking for more spider web clues, I kept seeing shapes in the wood of different places and getting excited thinking Id found something. But then on further inspection and looking it up online, some of the items are marked by developers so they can differentiate different textures. Ive attached a couple to show you want I mean.

I guess its fustrating and Im just suggesting that it might be an idea to look around before you get excited like I did 😂

You can see them better if you throw dynamite at the cauldron. It clears all the debris. Could the beadwork be a code of some sort?

Ran into two strange foxes in the houses at Bear Claw, both over the corpses. Neither of them was scared by me, and both were just chilling. One was silver, the other red. I tried everything to get the silver guy out, eventually (and regrettable) shot and skinned him. Then I noticed that the other corpse on the map had moved from where it was. I go over there to find another fox, and he’s got like, blood or something on his snout. So as I’m just kinda checking him out, he… he chittered like a bird. I wasn’t mistaking the sound, his mouth moved right along to it, repeatedly. As I write this I have the game paused, unsure of how to proceed with a fox that’s a bird that’s a friend that’s a demon.

P.S. went down the well at Bear Claw, and I turned old and creepy!

Howdy, folks. This might be a visual glitch but it reminds me a lot of the disappearing code on the tree near the Mysterious Hill Home.

Has anybody seen this disappearing " II " on a tower near Rhodes?:

Some of the pine trees surrounding Cornwall Kerosene & Tar will aggressively emit leaves in pulses with every "bang" from the factory. Pretty neat detail. However, the model of leaf chosen for this animation does not match the graphic debris that typically fall from pine trees in other areas. These flip around and float like feathers, and about half of them actually look like they are modeled feathers. Some are green, some are grey.

Could have been a dev's shortcut for a last-minute animation detail idea. Or maybe we should be investigating "green" birds instead of "two" birds. The Carolina Parakeet is the only green bird in the game, which also has a secret extinction quest.

...Or should I touch grass?