199 replies to this topic

[Aaryan]

Wait, can someone explain what we're doing now?
I'm not following what's going on here.

Edited by Aaryan, 19 May 2012 - 07:55 PM.

[Time Out]

Spoiler for ?6th around.

Maybe runes? Something like bad family relations, treacherous, icy. CONNECTIONS?

[Morningstar]

Wait, can someone explain what we're doing now?
I'm not following what's going on here.

We are trying to match the symbols on the first page to the witches. Molly Mae seems to think it's important.

[Aaryan]

We are trying to match the symbols on the first page to the witches. Molly Mae seems to think it's important.

Too many posts; what have we so far?

Edited by Aaryan, 20 May 2012 - 05:33 PM.

[Molly Mae]

Posts 41-43 are pretty much what we've got so far. If Potok can name and place the Witch of Connections, we might have another.

Is this important? Who knows. I certainly don't. But it's a puzzle, even if WoS didn't intend it to be. And I always enjoy puzzles. Perhaps we'll need (or would like) this information in the future. *Shrug* Maybe it will give us a little more light in a story that feeds on darkness...

=P

[Potok]

What Molly Mae said We're generally waiting for the WoS to continue, "show us the epigraph" (in "" cause i have no idea what to expect )... and we're finding stuff to do along the way

[WitchOfSecrets]

(Thanks for your patience!

I'm seeing definite progress on figuring out the honorifics, aspects, and names of the Witches! Nicely speculated. This will take you very far in the next puzzle! In terms of the Xin/Shin distinction - I've actually thought of that! But there's more than one way to romanize that character besides the Pinyin...)

Opal Sorcerer.

 THALASSA, your tricks are as clever as you,

  Your quick misdirections to mystify scholars -

 But I've learned how to beat them; I'll solve this one, too.

  (I think that you owe me ten dollars.)

 The answer is...

Spoiler for Riddle of the Witch of Secrets

The planets.

Witch of Secrets.

 I grudgingly admit that EPSILON

 Has disenchanted my fine letter-cage; 

 Perhaps he'll grace us with a spell tonight 

 That I may strike a counterblow in turn.

THALASSA, the Crimson Witch, Witch of Secrets

Sapphire Witch.

 In time, THALASSA. Now, I must announce 

 A Truth that may dismay you all to hear.

 I do not wish to dampen your high spirits,

 But I am slipping, passing far away

 To El Dorado, fading day by day.

 The choice of my successor will be made

 Through one last game. My husband has agreed,

 As have my son and dearest confidants.

 The Keeper of the Books will oversee;

 The Keeper of the Writ will bear my tools;

 The Ruby Sorcerer shall bear my words.

Crimson Apprentice.

 You can't die. You aren't going to die.

Sapphire Witch.

 I will be back, young friend - not as I am,

 Not as the Witch you know and love so well.

 But on some distant night, when you are sad,

 You'll hear me through the dark. I'll whisper, "SHIN,

 Believe that I am here, and I will come

 To bring you hope and help you seek the truth."

  This is the vow of ANNABEL the Witch.

*********

The Crimson Apprentice was no ordinary Witch-in-training. She was skeptical, quick-witted, thirteen years old, and, technically, guilty of breaking and entering. She had followed her mother to the Great Tower of Hapax, where she knew a great final ritual was to occur. Her mother had insisted she not come, because a fight was likely as the Witches squabbled over the Epigraph. But that was hardly fair! Just because they were going to behave badly hardly meant that she should be denied the chance to solve the Epigraph herself.

Getting into the Tower would have proven a challenge had the fortuitous clamor of alarum bells not distracted the ones guarding the gates. She slipped in as one of them dashed out, and planned her mode of infiltration. First, she would go upstairs and spy on them from the landing as they solved the first riddles, staying clear of the daemons who patrolled the halls and the enchantments that guarded the tomes and devices of the Tower. How many Witches would be coming? Eight? She reflected on those who had attended the Banquet of a few months before, when she and the other Apprentice had presented their first riddles...

A Round Table of Witches

* There were nine Witches and two Apprentices at the Banquet related above. A Sorcerer is an alternative term for a male Witch, but not all male Witches use it. Some simply call themselves Witches.

* The symbols of these Witches are given in the title card for this chapter, arranged as they were seated. As it happened, nobody sat directly next to anyone they were married to or related to by blood. (The Ruby Sorcerer and Sapphire Witch were indeed married at this time.)

* Each witch has a TRUE NAME (given in all capitals), an Honorific containing a color or gemstone, and an Aspect, such as Secrets or Vision. At the time of the Banquet, ANNABEL's Honorific was Witch of Vision.

* No Witch may have more than one Honorific, one TRUE NAME, and one Aspect at the same time. However, these may be changed or inherited.

* HOMUNCULUS was the oldest one in attendance. The Witch of Transmutation was older than ANNABEL, who was older than HERMETICUS, who was older than the Monochrome Witch, who was older than the Witch of Joy, who was older than the Amber Witch, who was older than EPSILON, SHIN, THALASSA, and ESPER.

* ALICE, the Witch of Connections, sat between the Witch of Masks and the Gray Sorcerer (also known as the Witch of Sighs).

* The Agate Witch sat next to the Witch of Ciphers, whose symbol and Aspect are closely linked. The symbol and Aspect of the Witch of Masks were also obviously connected.

* FAUSTUS, who was older than the Witch of Joy and younger than the Witch of Curiosity, sat next to the Witch of Secrets.

* The Witch of Ciphers is not the Amber Witch.

Edited by WitchOfSecrets, 21 May 2012 - 08:53 AM.

[Potok]

Ok, here is a long shot, done at work with a lot of browser tabs open, topic searches and two sheets of paper. Haven't gone over it all again once it was filled out, i probably should tho

Spoiler for rolling my dice

Starting on the top position and going clockwise, since the text here will be all batched up again:
ANNABEL/Sapphire/vision(doubt), ESPER/crimson (app)/hope, FAUSTUS/ruby/transmutaion, THALASSA/crimson/secrets, EDOGAWA/monochrome/ciphers, MIMULUS/agate/joy, HERMETICUS/gray/sighs, ALICE/amber/connections, EPSILON/opal/masks, SHIN/opal app/promises, HOMUNCULUS/ochre/curiosity

Edited by Potok, 21 May 2012 - 02:12 PM.

[Time Out]

I get the same results as Potok. Took me a lot longer to get there tho

Well done again man.

[Molly Mae]

Good work, Potok.
On to the next bit!

Spoiler for The boy knew! (This is a spoiler of Speculation)

When sun is set
And darkness falls
No Witch may ever
Haunt these halls
With life behind
Not dead, forsooth--
They all become
__ ______ ____!*

I didn't include the last line as a legitimate spoiler alert. All along I was blinded by WoD/WoS's misdirection.

I'm just surprised it took us that long to find it (pun intended).

Edited by Molly Mae, 21 May 2012 - 04:32 PM.