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Alegria
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 Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:09 am Post subject: Sojourner's Journey, Chapter 11 |
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Sojourner's Journey
Chapter 11
A Perplexing Puzzle
"A puzzling riddle," said Ouran thoughtfully, "But I think we can solve it, with some help. Zantos, go get Zerane."
As it turned out, Zerane was a funny-looking man. He was very overweight, and it looked as if his wings could no longer support his body's enormous weight. His head was too small, his arms to long, and his legs too short. His appearance almost made Alyssa laugh.
Ouran though seemed to have a great deal of respect for him.
"Zerane, I'm glad you could come."
"Are you kidding me, the world's about to end, what am I supposed to do?" His voice was high-pitched and reedy, which only added to the comedy. Alyssa could barely contain herself.
"Listen," Ouran said, the authority resonating in his voice, "I need you to help us solve this riddle."
***
Alyssa was in a bad mood; Zerane had said the solution was easy. And, of course, as with all riddles, it was once you knew the answer. The “glass as hard as stone” was obviously the priest tower. And the “round square” was the Plaza of the Nations, a circular city square. So easy once you knew, so hard if you didn’t.
So, here they were at the Priest’s Tower, looking for the numbers three. And, so far they had found nothing. That was why Alyssa was in a bad mood. Oh well, when all else fails, try, try again…. And again, and again.
In fact, they had all been at it for a while, so, reluctantly, Ouran had called a break. This pleased everyone who could go out to the city for an hour, especially the priests whose tower had been violated. But Alyssa still couldn’t shake the feeling that she should look once more. And plus, the stained glass was so beautiful.
***
Alyssa walked one of the halls just gawking at the stained glass. It was a masterpiece. Then, she saw a flaw in it. A little black line of something embedded in the glass.
Curious, she looked closer. It was a piece of metal. Even more so, it was the number 56, embedded in the glass.
“Ouran, get in here right now,” Alyssa shrieked. This was what she liked, the thrill of discovery, the thought that she had found something no one else had. But it didn’t matter if they couldn’t find the other two and put them in the right order.
Ouran was right by her side in a flash, staring at the metal, and then quickly gave orders. “Everyone start looking at this glass, I don’t want an inch of it unsearched, do you hear me?”
***
56, 23, 9
9, 23, 56
23, 9, 56
56, 9, 23
23, 56, 9
9, 56, 23
At the Plaza of the Nations now, which order to choose?
Decision point
which order do you think is right?
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Last edited by Alegria on Tue May 16, 2006 12:59 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Alegria
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| Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:10 am Post subject: |
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I think this is my shortest chapter ever 
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Ravenwing
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| Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 8:23 am Post subject: |
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Algy, could you not use this bright orange. It's a bit hard to read.
Is there any reason why would should choose one triplet over the others?
That question does run through my head, but then again I don't really have the time to sit here and think about it... If anything hits me, I will be sure to post again. 
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Alegria
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| Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 8:46 am Post subject: |
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That better?
It says in the riddle to climb third number's feet, so which of the numbers they found is the third one? What is the correct order?
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Ingrothechundyer
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| Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 8:47 am Post subject: |
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Much.
Must come back and read chapter tonight 
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:17 am Post subject: |
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I have a feeling that the third number's feet refers to the number of stairs or maybe footsteps needed to find the treasure.
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Shady Stoat
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Well, working off the premise that the riddle is a double-riddle (ie. not only usable to find where to search for the numbers, but also usable to find out which order the numbers should be in), we have:
Look for the square that is round:
9 is the square of 3, mathematically. It is also a number made up entirely of curves, with a circle as a part of it.
Climb the third number's feet:
A symbolic way of saying go up (which could be either 23 or 56, if you start from 9)
And look down:
So, from our end point at number {2}, we travel down to reach {3}. So, we go from the 9, to the highest, back down to the middle.
One possible answer:
9 56 23
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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Don't we have a smart Stoat in the city.
Sounds logical enough to me. It probably would have taken me awhile to figure that out myself.
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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I like this story, but as you said-the chapters are way too short.
Stoat seems to have solved the puzzle single-handedly.
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Shady Stoat
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldn't say that clever. It's only one hypothesis. It might not be the one that Alegria had in mind, or the right one.
To be honest, I only went back to look at the riddle because I'd forgotten that it had been used to find this building in the first place. Reading a lot of storygames tends to leave you with a memory like swiss cheese on anything you haven't read for over 24 hours 
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Shady Stoat wrote: | Well, working off the premise that the riddle is a double-riddle (ie. not only usable to find where to search for the numbers, but also usable to find out which order the numbers should be in), we have:
Look for the square that is round:
9 is the square of 3, mathematically. It is also a number made up entirely of curves, with a circle as a part of it.
Climb the third number's feet:
A symbolic way of saying go up (which could be either 23 or 56, if you start from 9)
And look down:
So, from our end point at number {2}, we travel down to reach {3}. So, we go from the 9, to the highest, back down to the middle.
One possible answer:
9 56 23 |
Freeking heck Stoat. Remind me not to play er, some sort of puzzle game with you. 
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 6:51 am Post subject: |
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I've been trying to figure it out...using gematria. We were told to look for the name and then to climb the third number's feet so I'm thinking that we'll be pointed to a large statue. There also seems to be reference to a pyramid- what with the threes and such, but my brain isn't grasping everything it needs to apparently to come to the necessary conclusion.
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Alegria
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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Go Stoat!!!!!
You must be very good at Sudoku. I'm very bad at it, but, alas, I am an addict. I can quit any time, really, I can.
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Shady Stoat
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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*grins* I've never tried Sudoku. I like puzzles generally, but people say it's addictive, and I avoid things that are addictive.
I'm sure I'd enjoy it though *feels the pull of the sudoku tempting her to the dark side*
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| Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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*adopts Darth Vader voice.*
Come to the dark side, Shady, we have...... sudoku
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| Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 4:13 am Post subject: |
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I have tried sudoku....Not that great it, but not much of an addict though. The math teachers are addicted to it though. One of them showed me the samurai pattern one they solved...Crazy I tell you.
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| Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 7:07 am Post subject: |
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They are insane, math teachers, I mean. Are there anymore suggestions besides Stoat's?
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| Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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Can't really think of another suggestion that will help us for this DP. Other then perhaps choosing the numbers in increasing order, like a staircase...
Though I think Shady's suggestion is more logical.
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 2:54 am Post subject: |
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Congradulations Ally, you have me reading as well now.
And yes, I think Stoats suggestion seems as good as any other.
Sodoku is the grid game yes? Where the numbers have to all be different per row, colomun and square?
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 4:23 am Post subject: |
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Sudoku, it's a 'u' not an 'o' Lordy. But yes it's that game with all the columns and rows. And you have fill them in with numbers 1-9, making sure you never repeat the same number in the same row or column.
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:11 am Post subject: |
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| And is samurai sudoku the one with five, semi-interlocking grids then?
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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One of my house adults is a math teacher and she showed me one of the samurai sudokus she did. Said it took her hours, but it's a lot of fun for those who want a stimulating activity.
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| Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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Poll is up!
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| Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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Had to throw my vote down for Stoat's option, as winning as well.
Have you done the other type as well Rave? Ku-do something or other?
The grid is the same, but there's also small interlocking boxes that have to add up to a certain number as well, just to comlcate things.
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:14 am Post subject: |
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You mean complicate, Lordy? And I think I may have done a really basic version of that puzzle when I was playing some computer game...Haven't done it in a while though.
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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Umm, yes.
Stupid typos
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Ravenwing
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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LOL.
Voted for Shady's idea.
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Alegria
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| Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 11:55 am Post subject: |
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Well, I guess the winner would be Shady Stoat's very complicated idea and logic.
Go Shady 
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| Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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Hope to see that chapter soon enough then, Algy.
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