Personal Quest Riddle Me This
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#15

She's imperfect, but she tries
She is good, but she lies
She is hard on herself
She is broken and won't ask for help


Well. Amalia cannot help but laugh as Caiside guesses her riddle, burying her red face in her hands at how poorly she has made her point. At least nobody else gets their right, either, though Sam comes the closest to guessing the smith's. It does not surprise her that Jigano knows them all, his easy answering of every challenge consistent with her expectations of the man. Grinning ruefully, she nods her head when Jigano says her answer.

The next challenge is... strange. Amalia follows Jigano warily as he walks to the table full of statues, listening with a weary frown and lifting up the bear. She is tempted to complain to the bard's retreating back, and if they were alone she might, asking what on earth any of this had to do with being an adequate loreseeker. Instead she simply sighs, reaching up to scratch Jyoti who has come to rest upon her shoulder, and turns to face her companions bemusedly.

"This one might be west, because it could be talking about the sunset, if you think abstractly, but..." she shrugs, reaching for the next statue, the golden dragon. "And this one is east, maybe? Vi, but I don't know."

a m a l i a
She is messy, but she's kind
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie
She is gone, but she used to be mine


Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#16

Irritated with himself for getting Caiside's riddle just wrong, Sam hoped that after the written puzzles it would be time for a break, maybe some tea and biscuits or just a chance to chat about books. But no, it seemed Jigano had more planned. He stared helplessly at the tables, immediately feeling overwhelmed and confused.

It took him a moment to even really comprehend the task, then he stood and began to walk around, looking at each object. Truthfully, he didn't really want to work with the others. Caiside didn't like him and Amalia seemed wary of his Ascended power; he had never been good in groups, often feeling used and pushed aside. But that was the task, so...

"Mhm..." He agreed to Amalia's reasoning, which was as good as anything he could come up with. "Perhaps...um..the bone sword is east...because...easterly winds and..deserts are...windy? No. That's silly, sorry." He shook his head. "I'm really rather lost."

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#17
He knew the totems were tricky, and required thinking outside the box – that was part of the point, after all, as was working together to bounce ideas off each other and inspire leaps of intuition and logic both that each loreseeker might not make on their own, without the input of their fellows. What he hadn’t expected was Amalia’s wariness, or Sam’s reluctance for the game. He had designed the puzzles and riddles in a way that he had hoped would be fun, a chance to stretch their minds and abilities without some threat or danger hanging over their heads. Instead his friends seemed… unenthusiastic with the work he had put into the night, and he reached for Isuma’s comfort, scratching lightly between her wings as he looked at his three colleagues.

Amalia may not have been excited about the game, but she was trying – and succeeding. Deciding that they deserved a little helping hand, Jigano grinned and nodded at her reasoning, a pleased smile on his face as Isuma chortled and rolled beneath his hand in a shameless demand for belly rubs.

Samuel was farther from the mark, though he was so close in his conjectures that Jigano winced and bit his lip, not wanting to give the answers away so easily. Instead of risking letting his expression say too much, he instead turned towards Caiside with a raised brow and a grin. ”And what do you think?” he asked the last loreseeker, who had yet to offer an opinion.
Caiside Annatar
Blacksmith

Age: 43 | Height: 5'5" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 10 - Dext: 13 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 19 - Int:
Played by: Johnnie Offline
Change author:
Posts: 236 | Total: 4,183
MP: 0
#18

Even if he was disappointed in himself for getting Amalia's riddle wrong, especially when the answer was so obvious, Caiside could at least take solace in the fact that he hadn't been the only one to fail at their made up riddles. And it wasn't worth focusing on, not when Jigano revealed another game he had planned for them. Again, Caiside was struck by the work the guildmaster had put into this night.

Immediately, Caiside was looking at the totems, reading each inscription over carefully before moving onto the next.  He listened as Amalia and Sam gave their guesses, watching Jigano's responses in turn.When he was asked for his own opinion, Caiside stayed quiet a moment, looking over the set up again.

"I think... the iron spire in the centre. The cage." Caiside said this guess with come confidence, but hesitated again before the next. "And perhaps... the bear to the north? In order of the seasons.' He was hoping explaining his reasoning would help his guildmates find the other connections.

Caiside
I have never been allowed to be Holy,
I have never been forgiven for Wanting;



Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#19
"Hmmm," the lorekeeper nodded at Caiside's first guess, eyes sparkling with approval. At the second, however, he chuckled and shook his head. "Perhaps listen to Amalia on that one," he suggested with a gentle grin. "The writing on those might be a bit hard to see, too. Find some better light and take a closer look, perhaps..."

Upon closer inspection, and raised to better light, the Loreseekers will find that some words on the bottoms of the totems appear to be a bit thicker than others.

Isuma helpfully bounded from Jigano's arms to take the Iron Spire totem from Caiside and drop it into the center bowl, looking pleased with herself as she Reep!ed her own encouragement to the hard-working friends who had come to play with them today.
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#20

She's imperfect, but she tries
She is good, but she lies
She is hard on herself
She is broken and won't ask for help


At least she has gotten something right. Amalia sets the dragon down on the east side of the table, not yet willing to place it in the bowl. She does the same with the bear, placing it on the western edge of the table and glancing up at the men. Both Caiside and Sam seem unsure about her placements , making her doubt herself as well, though she shakes her head when Sam suggests the sword go east instead. "Maybe south?" she says instead, her brow furrowed in thought. "I've... I've heard of hot southern deserts, and that the north can be cold. So maybe the griffin to the north?"

Caiside seems to be making headway, though she does not agree about the bear. That the spire goes in the middle makes sense, and the baker nods encouragingly even before Jigano pipes in, Isuma confirming their suspicions by placing it in the bowl. She glances at the bard, looking for any indication that her guesses have been right before shrugging and turning back to her fellow Loreseekers, a wry smile on her face. "Should we try it? What's the worst that happens if this goes wrong?" So saying she scoops up the dragon and griffin, moving off to place then east and north if the others don't object.

a m a l i a
She is messy, but she's kind
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie
She is gone, but she used to be mine


Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#21

Sam hung back for a while, completely baffled by the puzzle laid out before them and sure everyone else was both far more intelligent and able to work together. But he didn't like to be so passive, especially not when he felt he was embarrassing himself in front of Jigano, whom he always wanted to impress.

Think...think! He insisted to himself, staring at the objects until he had something to say.

As Jigano told them about the light making words looking stronger under the light, he set to staring at each inscription until he had an idea. "Perhaps the Copper Bear should go to the south, as the word down is bold on the inscription." He informed his guildmates, lifting it up for them to see.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Caiside Annatar
Blacksmith

Age: 43 | Height: 5'5" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 10 - Dext: 13 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 19 - Int:
Played by: Johnnie Offline
Change author:
Posts: 236 | Total: 4,183
MP: 0
#22

”I think sourh makes the most sense for the sword, especially if we put the griffin to the north.” Caiside agreed with Amalia,watching her place the totems she had in hand in their places. There was a part of him that also thought the unicorn might go, the true north, but he couldn’t make the other pieces make sense if they went that way, so he kept quiet about.

Sam held the bear up and Caiside leaned in, squinting at the word before leaning back and looking over their guesses again. ”It doesn’t quite make sense like that though.” He pointed out, gesturing as he spoke. ”If the bear is to the west, then we have sunrise and sunset, and with the griffin in the north, the sword should go south.” So saying, Caiside moved to pick up the sword and place it where he had said, gesturing for Sam to place the bear in the last remaining spot.

Caiside
I have never been allowed to be Holy,
I have never been forgiven for Wanting;



Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#23
When the totems were finally placed, Jigano rose and bowed to his friends, proud of their achievement, and especially at the way they had worked together - two among them especially. "It was no easy challenge, but you did well to decipher the clues!" he praised, smiling at each of them in turn. "And you reasoned them out well, sharing the information with each other as you went along. The dragon rises like the sun, in the east." He grinned at Amalia, acknowledging her as the first to make the connections. "The sword is to the south because that direction is the hottest throughout the day, and deserts are associated with heat as well. The bear went to the west, laying itself down to rest like the sun at the end of the day, and the gryphon belongs to the north, the coldest direction, and the darkest. And of course, the Spire went in the center, heart and cage both," he nodded to Caiside with approval.

Isuma went to rub her soft head against Samuel 's arm in reassurance as Jigano turned to him with a wry smile. "Not all puzzles are based on words however. Or at least, not entirely. When we went into the basement of the Spire we passed designs on the doors that looked as though they had been visual puzzles. Perhaps, as we explore the Undergound and uncover more of the ancient knowledge that is still hidden there, we might come across more such puzzles. So, in order to prepare us for such an undertaking, I have one final challenge for you, my friends."

He stepped around the table to lift the bowl from the center of the table - only, the entire bowl didn't come up. He lifted a bowl, but another remained on the table: not one thicker dish, but two that fit cunningly together so that they looked like one piece. He set the inner bowl to the side, revealing a piece of paper that had been hidden within, sandwiched between the two metal containers. Smoothing out the creases, it became obvious that there was writing on it, and a large blank area beneath. Reaching into his box of puzzles, he pulled out five slender strips of metal with hands engraved on them, and placed them carefully beneath the words. He placed a slender mallet beside the puzzle and then offered it to his Loreseekers by stepping back so they could gather around it.

"You are not without clues," he advised them with a smile, folding his hands into his capacious sleeves. "But this puzzle is a test of your quick thinking. Strike the keys with the mallet in the correct order - the first to do so correctly will win this challenge. I do ask that you take turns, though. Once you have tried a combination, set the mallet down for the next person to make their attempt. No matter what order you go in, I'll let you each take a turn before I let you know if anyone got it right. And yes, if you think you've solved it after someone else has, you may repeat their pattern."

The message on the paper was simple:
“The spaces between notes are just as important as the notes themselves.”

{Image: Chimes_puzzle.png}
                      A                                            B                                                C                                               D                                                E



Last round! Who will strike the right tone and gain those last, precious points?

No posting order!
Caiside Annatar
Blacksmith

Age: 43 | Height: 5'5" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 10 - Dext: 13 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 19 - Int:
Played by: Johnnie Offline
Change author:
Posts: 236 | Total: 4,183
MP: 0
#24

Caiside smiled, glad that they had completed the puzzle correctly. Normally, he would have been reluctant to offer any credit to either of his guild mates, but he had to admit that he would not have been able to do it with them. Either of them.

As Jigano announced the final puzzle, Caiside perked up. Mentions of the underground and the spite alike had his imagination running, wondering what other secrets might be buried beneath their feet. The bowl within a bowl mechanism had him cocking his head, watching with interest as Jigano reveleaed what he had worked on. Stepping forward, the smith looked over the metal, one brow raising as he appraised the embossed designs. Counting in his head once, twice, Caiside out, taking the mallet first and striking his guess.

D - B - C - A - E

As the last note rang silent, he set the mallet back down, glad to have been the first to guess. It was a challenge of quick thinking after all, and Caiside was confident in the guess he’d made.

Caiside
I have never been allowed to be Holy,
I have never been forgiven for Wanting;



Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#25

Sam chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling rather embarrassed at his poor performance in the second puzzle. Given that Jigano knew his difficulties with being social, especially in groups, he was surprised he'd been invited to such an event without any prior warning. He was sure Caiside and Amalia now viewed him as the stupid one of the guild, and tried to not meet their eyes as Jigano prepared the next puzzle.

When he did approach the bars of metal, he was pleased to find he actually could work it out rather quickly. The hint and the diagrams worked together and with a few quick sums, he'd gotten an order, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Caiside had already entered his chime...he hoped Jigano would not think he was cheating. Sam picked up the mallet after Caiside and hit: D - B - C - A - E.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#26

She's imperfect, but she tries
She is good, but she lies
She is hard on herself
She is broken and won't ask for help


Amalia has nothing. Staring blankly at the puzzle, she does not move to strike the keys, utterly lost as to how it is meant to be solved. The high of success from the bowls quickly dies as her brain scrambles and fails and flails, trying her best to make sense of what appears to be an entirely illogical collection of metal.

This time, however, she seems to be alone in her confusion. Caiside steps confidently up to bad, tapping the keys so quickly that the girl barely has time to watch. Sam follows next, and this time the baker pays attention, watching the order he taps on the metal, her brow furrowed in thought. He seems to be following in Caiside's notes; she can tell by the sound that he struck the same, though she still has no idea why. No clarity comes to her, no secret is revealed. Amalia is utterly lost.

With a rueful shrug and a wry smile the baker steps forward to take her turn. Picking up the mallet, she only pauses a moment before striking her beat, the tune identical to what came before: D - B- C- A - E. Maybe it's cheating, maybe it's relying on other's intellect. Collaborating. Amalia does not much know or care, but glances sidelong at Jigano, a half-apologetic grin on her face.

a m a l i a
She is messy, but she's kind
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie
She is gone, but she used to be mine


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#27
Caiside approached first, which didn’t surprise Jigano at all. The ex-demigod was confident and bold in his approach to life and Guild work. He made an exemplary field agent – and a good friend. He had correctly deduced one of the totems and showed himself able to both take Amalia’s direction, and to offer gentle guidance to Sam. The Provost’s smile didn’t flicker as the first note chimed out, followed by the rest, but Isuma peeped an echo of the little tune, swaying happily to the music.

Samuel came next, finding his courage and stepping up with a greater surety than he’d shown all night. He might have been nervous and anxious outside of the Settlement, but he was a diligent scholar, patient and hard-working within the Atheneum itself. He had crafted a good riddle when put on the spot, though he had struggled with the totems. His reasoning had been close, though; he had simply focused too much on individual items and not enough on the bigger picture of how they all fit together. He was good with details, though, and so Jigano wasn’t the least bit surprised when he confidently tapped out the same notes.

Amalia was last, and that surprise the bard a little. She had been quick with the totems and proved herself equal to her colleagues in the riddles. Different minds had an easier time with different types of puzzles though, which was what made the Guild’s diversity so important. His smile softened a little as she came forward and repeated the tune a final time, much to Isuma’s delight. ”Count not the fingers,” he said approvingly, ”but the spaces between them. Well done, my friends!” He glanced at his notes, scratching down the final points, then raised his head again with a wry grin. He had already known what had happened, keeping track of things in his head, but now he had to find a solution to the conundrum facing him.

”You were all tied going into the task with the totems, but Amalia took a commanding lead there, finding the connections to four of the rhymes and sharing her knowledge with you both. A lead that Caiside overcame by solving the riddle of the chimes first. And Sam nearly caught up by solving it second,” he added, with a nod for the gentle bookmaker. ”But perhaps it is fitting that our wander-footed colleague wins this prize,” he added with a smile for Caiside, reaching into the box a final time to withdraw two small, oval mirrors.

”These were a gift to our Guild, and they will prove useful for our field agents who go out into the world to seek new lore – and find new trouble,” he chuckled, with a wink for Amalia. ”I’ve been playing with them a bit, and they reflect what the other mirror sees, no matter how far apart they are. No sound, but if we write what we want to communicate and hold the letter up to the mirror, we’d have an invaluable means of keeping in touch across long distance,” he explained, handing them to Caiside. ”Use them wisely, and in pursuit of lore.”

With a smile he clapped his hands lightly, looking at the three friends gathered with a grin. ”Now, who wants some tea? This seems like an excellent chance for everyone to catch up and get to know each other a bit better…”



Caiside receives: Two-way mirror: Two small oval-sizes pieces of mirror. Each item is magically bonded to the other, and reveals the reflection of its partner when looked into, regardless of distance.

Thank you all for participating in this Guild PQ! I hope you had as much fun playing as I did!


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)


RPG-D