231 replies to this topic

[SeaCalMaster]

Hmm...

Spoiler for

There's only one place in the prologue that references either Dudeney or the study:
http://brainden.com/...post__p__313189
There are two things that stand out to me here. First, Dudeney was still in the study. Perhaps he's unable to leave?
Second, the following two quotations are related: "Alas! Nobody has fed me for years. Still, it is to be, as you say, expected," and "I shan't complain if I'm given few opportunities to serve." Why? Does Dudeney need to eat in order to serve?
Dudeney is an immobile robot. He runs on quarters (this is how he "eats"). The earthquake knocked him over, and he broke when he fell.
The only thing this wouldn't explain is who took the ribbon, and how.

Edit: This is wrong. I've figured it out. I'll wait a bit before posting, though.

Edited by SeaCalMaster, 16 January 2012 - 12:52 AM.

[Thalia]

I reread the section about the words in the decalogue and it says that it may come in handy later. I'm having trouble figuring out which words in the decalogue the answer came from though. It might be irrelevant but I'd like to know anyway. So if someone can explain that to me. . .

Edited by Thalia, 16 January 2012 - 12:57 AM.

[WitchOfDoubt]

Spoiler for Thalia's questions

(

Are you actually asking or is that just part of the story?

Yes!

I was just thinking about the stuff in the post you linked me to.

Hmm.

The boy ignored the last question and addressed the other guests. "If any of you know what the Witch is talking about, somebody ought to share it. It must have something to do with either the study or Dudeney."

Can someone explain to me what exactly it was that Molly found in the decalogue earlier?

Two words forming an incomplete sentence. Given that information, and the fact that one letter is hidden in each line in a fairly straightforward way (not as straightforward as 'first letter in each line', but close), you should be able to have the pleasure of discovering the answer yourself.)

The Human Side was getting perilously close. SeaCalMaster made another slash, but didn't follow through, as if he realized midway into the movement that he would miss:

Spoiler for A halted attack.

Dudeney is an immobile robot. He runs on quarters (this is how he "eats"). The earthquake knocked him over, and he broke when he fell.

As a consequence, the Witch parried and knocked his rose off with little effort:

"How absurd! Dudeney does not eat quarters!"

To recover the roses of the other players, and in other to stay in the game, the boy made a quick sally using one of rvc113's ideas:

Spoiler for Never stop guessing

"Dudeney was a statue."

The Witch countered this as easily as swatting a fly:

"Dudeney was not a statue, nor a figurine, nor any other sculpture!"

[Aziraphael]

How about this? (Wild stab in the dark, perhaps)

Spoiler for

Dudeney is a typewriter? He gets fed by stories? The ribbon is his ink-ribbon, perhaps. Is this why only red and blue must be present? The possibility of black text has been removed from the story? The Earthquake could have knocked him from the desk...[/blue]

Edited by Aziraphael, 16 January 2012 - 10:45 AM.

[Aziraphael]

Spoiler for Questions and clarification

I'm a bit confused about the "Witch" the boy keeps talking about. Your posts and image have the Sapphire Witch and the boy sitting together at the table yet the boy and some of the posts keep talking about the "Witch" like she's not there. "The Witch is going to take us away" ". . . at the prospect of the Witch's ressurection" or something like that. Are the "Witch" and the Sapphire Witch different people?

Spoiler for Here's my take... for what it's worth, Thalia

Insofar as i see it, the boy at 18 is clearly the boy from 'our' timeline, but 10 years later. I am guessing that the events being described to us currently are the ones he questions his involvement in with the Witch during the mentioned discourse between the two of them.
Clearly whatever the outcome of our riddle-solving and progression through the story, he doesn't understand it, and this story is the Witch's way of trying to illuminate him.

[SeaCalMaster]

How about this? (Wild stab in the dark, perhaps)

Spoiler for

Dudeney is a typewriter? He gets fed by stories? The ribbon is his ink-ribbon, perhaps. Is this why only red and blue must be present? The possibility of black text has been removed from the story? The Earthquake could have knocked him from the desk...[/blue]

Yep, that's what I had.

Spoiler for A few things that confirm it:

1. Why would a butler be taking dictation? That's not something butlers normally do. A Butler typewriter, on the other hand...
2. Unless the Witch is keeping something from us, the aforementioned scene is the first instance in which Lana, Ocean, and LV have seen Dudeney. There's no way that Ocean would have known that Dudeney usually wore a ribbon, unless Dudeney were some entity that usually has one.

And, of course, Dudeney eats paper.

Of course, we still don't know who took the ribbon or why.

[WitchOfDoubt]

If that was a "wild stab in the dark," Aziraphael was a true blind fencer.

(Music)

Spoiler for Aziraphael's attack

Dudeney is a typewriter?

"Ah!" cried the Witch, as the swipe took off most of the rose's remaining petals. "When you make a move like that, use an exclamation point!"

Spoiler for From Dudeney's introduction, linked in the second post of this thread as a 'final challenge':

Dudeney was one of the Witch's first Animates, imbued with human personality and character by the power of magic. Old-fashioned, perhaps, but he would always have a place in Annabel's heart. "As well as could be expected!" said the Witch. "And yourself?"

"Alas! Nobody has fed me for years. Still, it is to be, as you say, expected," replied Dudeney. Though the portly, squat little fellow still bore himself with dignity, his outer vestments showed signs of neglect. The black ribbon he wore was faded and worn, and half of the buttons at his breast had their sigils worn off. "In the year 2021, it is a miracle that I even exist at all. I shan't complain if I'm given few opportunities to serve. My joints are creaky with age."

"Ha! Rejoice, old friend!" said the Witch, laughing. "Tonight, you shall have a banquet, for our mystery is being re-opened! Come, let us begin - just like old times. You can take down my dictation while you eat."

And so the butler feasted through the night with a clashing of teeth and clattering of utensils.

The Witch parried as best as could be managed, but multiple humans had already begun to close in.

Spoiler for A team effort

* Morningstar had sealed the window.
* SeaCalMaster had forced the admission that no human culprit was hiding in the room, and was preparing for a final strike himself.
* The boy kept attacking and attacking, handing control back to the rest of the Humans.
* Thalia had drawn first blood by refocusing the attack on Dudeney.
* Wilson had realized that Dudeney was alone at the time... his Blue Truth was only deflected by focusing on the ribbon.
* Plainglazed had eliminated the chance that the button-press had caused the accident.
* And rvc113 had suggested earthquake breakage of a statue or vase.

Even so, there was still a way to parry Aziraphael...

Spoiler for Riposte, counter-riposte

"The narration claimed that Dudeney ate! What does a typewriter eat?"

He gets fed by stories?

Stories, or paper - either way, another petal fell.

Blades clashed and clashed again.

Spoiler for Counter-counter-riposte, counter-counter-counter-riposte!

"The ribbon! The narration mentioned a ribbon! How can you explain that?" shouted the Witch. "And stop using question marks, damn it!"

The ribbon is his ink-ribbon, perhaps.

Another effective Blue Truth, even if the final word was a hedge. "Perhaps?!" sneered the Witch. "Perhaps?! Then tell me this... tell me this... The door was locked! The window was locked! And yet Dudeney's remains were there, on the floor! Explain!"

Spoiler for Is this the last cut?

The Earthquake could have knocked him from the desk...

The Witch had no counter. The red blade vanished. Was this truly how Dudeney would be captured? With a Blue Truth ending in an ellipsis?

"Annabel," said Dudeney, gently, "I waited for a long time, and you came back. That is enough. Let me return to my old self."

But Miss Cox would not hear of such defeatism. "Unacceptable! There is still a move the Witch side can make. Let's go!"

Could it be...? The Sapphire Witch stared. To make this move would put not only Miss Cox at risk of capture, but also Rathvon, her constant companion! And the Humans would be wiser to the tricks now.

"I don't like dealing with things that can't be taken back," said Rathvon, "but I'm with her to the end. As Sis says... let's go."

(What, over the top? That's a Witch's job!)

Slowly, the Witch drew the blade of Red Truth again, and laughed a chilling laugh that rose to the rafters.

The room darkened. Thunder rang out. Wind chimes jingled. In the distance, a wolf howled.

"Ahaha!

Ahahahahaha!

This chapter contained over a dozen puzzles, some with multiple solutions. You never even found the second route for the train!

At the end of such an involved chapter, did you truly think the 'boss fight' would be settled easily?

Let me show you what happened when the librarian locked up that night. Then you can tell me this: how did that ribbon disappear?"

The petals of the Witch's rose began to regrow, one by one! It was no longer as full as it once was, but there was surely something there.

"Dudeney, reconstruct the scene!"

(To be concluded...)

(Well done, everybody! I hope this has been as fun on your end as it's been on mine!

I'll be posting the final stage of the Duel tomorrow evening, most likely. In the meantime, feel free to search for the second solution to the train puzzle. Of course, it uses the same clues. However, in this answer, the order of stations does not depend on the order in which the "pieces" were introduced.)

Edited by WitchOfDoubt, 16 January 2012 - 12:06 PM.

[Aziraphael]

Awesome! Cracking job, guys! ../../../public/style_emoticons/default/thumbsup.gif
Thalia:

Spoiler for help if you want it:

The words in the decalogue can be found using the built-in clue of each having it's own number.
(to my knowledge, the Ten Commandments were never numbered, there were just ten of them - this was my clue)

SeaCalMaster:

Yep, that's what I had.

Spoiler for A few things that confirm it:

1. Why would a butler be taking dictation? That's not something butlers normally do. A Butler typewriter, on the other hand... 2. Unless the Witch is keeping something from us, the aforementioned scene is the first instance in which Lana, Ocean, and LV have seen Dudeney. There's no way that Ocean would have known that Dudeney usually wore a ribbon, unless Dudeney were some entity that usually has one. And, of course, Dudeney eats paper.

Of course, we still don't know who took the ribbon or why.

Spoiler for

[blue]I guess the librarian took the ribbon out to replace it with a new one, and simply locked up and went home.
There's no mention of the librarian being shocked at the ribbon's absence, only Ocean...[/blue]

[Aziraphael]

Incidentally, something I picked up on earlier:

Spoiler for the origin of Rathvon:

Henry Ravthon is a puzzle writer who specializes in crosswords...
curiouser and curiouser...

Spoiler for the origin of Miss Cox:

Emily Cox is Henry Ravthon's puzzle writing partner...

Edited by Aziraphael, 16 January 2012 - 01:36 PM.

[Aziraphael]

WoD; I doff my cap at your dedication to multi-layering this whole experience! *bows*

Spoiler for origins of Dudeney:

Henry Dudeney was a mathematical puzzler, who also went by the name of Sphinx...