[LPF] From Whence None Return

[jkason]

[sblock=ooc]Aw, crap, you mean it's not just a puzzle, it's math, too?

I ... yeah, I hope no one thinks I'm going to be help with this. I've already smashed my head against the wall trying to figure out how what we have gives us any idea as to what the correlative symbol values are, and my eyes are bleeding.

Even the symbol that has some context (the cat), can be multiple values, as Menik already pointed out (and, if cat actually = 0, then we can't even assume a reverse operation works.).

I'm checking in so no one thinks I'm gone, but it's going to take me a while before I don't want to cry looking at this thing, I think. Seriously, I ****ing suck at math. I can barely manage to calculate my roll modifiers correctly. When the numbers aren't even in order...

Sorry. Bad RL day. I'll leave clearer heads to consider it, then. My inclination is to go with Menik's suggestion and smash down the Scorpion on the bottom equation and see what happens. Feel free to auto-force Weel into doing it; he's built to make bad decisions. [/sblock]

 

[jkason]

[sblock=ooc]I'm an idiot. I couldn't make it work in order, but I must have had something off. Menik's right, it's 1-10. horizontal hand is +, vertical is -, spread thingee is multiply, split rope is divide. Someone chekck me, but I think it works out that way:

2 + 4 = 6
8 - 1 = 7
5 x 2 = 10
9 / 3 = 3

IF I'm right, then

8 + 2 = 10 (water or sunset or the thing with the squigle over it)

7 - 1 = 6 (scarab)

3 * 3 = 9 (scorpion)

8 / 2 = 4 (dog)

If that's wrong, then it's someone else's turn. [/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

Ok, to make communication of what I am trying to bring across, I will label the left A - left B; Then right A - Right B followed by the tiles diagrams as
1
2
3
4 going down just like that.

So here are what ai am noting:
Facts, even if obvious:
I: A - D are 5 signs
II: 1 - 4 are 4 signs
III: 10 tiles per line
IV: O with rays pointing down might mean the ceiling lights [toggle on/off maybe]
V: squiggle with O below might reset the trap where Lem is.
VI: Scale [balance?] is in same position in A - D as well as 1 - 4, the 4th position
VII: none of the second symbols of lines A - D or 1 - 4 arrrr in the tiles
VIII:
IX:
X:

1
2
3
4

A
B
C
D

---

Work in progress!

ugh, drawing a blank

 

[kinem]

[sblock=ooc]jkason, you have the right of it now. It's obvious now; I don't know why I didn't see it when I tried it before, but I was posting from work so there were distractions. I knew Cat had to be 2 or 3, since 2x2=4 and 3x3=9 are the only integers that would give results of 10 or less. The Cat is indeed in the third place from the left. The fact that using them in order gives sensible results (nothing like 5 x 3 or 7/2, which would give results the symbols can't cover) seals the deal.[/sblock]

Menik paces back and forth, inspecting the symbols several times, while Weel goes off on an insane rant about cats having scorpions when they mate and about and a man and a dog together weighing as much as a tiny insect crawling on the dog.

Taking some inspiration from Weel's crazy ramblings, Menik explains the solution to the others.

"It's an arithmetic puzzle. The scales represent equality, and the ten symbols in a row represent numbers from one to ten. The hands are not among the ten symbols; they represent addition and subtraction. These symbols on the other wall, also not among the ten symbols, represent multiplication and division.

If we assume the numbers go left to right from one to ten, it all makes sense. Man plus dog means two plus four. Is the result six? Scarab is six, it checks out. The cat is the third symbol, representing three. Scorpion divided by cat is cat, meaning nine divided by three is three. As you can see, the scorpion is indeed the ninth symbol along the row.

Using this code, the answers for the door from top to bottom are: water, scarab, scorpion, and dog.

That solves the puzzle, but it may not help us. Personally, if I were an evil necromancer, I would give a false clue to intruders, while keeping the real combination to myself."

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Lem shouts "Hey gents! I can't see the rope without a light!"

OOC: In Germany with very limited internet access. At airport and hope to return today. Should have been back last night, but plane delayed.

 

[Satin Knights]

[sblock=OOC]Okay. You think you have an answer. Who is going to step up, on top of the known trap... and push buttons?
And where is every one else going to be?[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

Maui cocks his head listening to Menik. His eyes are glazed indicating he is unlikely to be actually understanding anything being said. His head snaps back with the last statement where the solution to the puzzle is spoken. "Let us test te understanding of te magician. Maui trusts you, Menik." Without hesitation he moves to the puzzle door and strikes the stones in the order suggested by Menik. "Water. Scarab. Scorpion. Kuri." The last he says while pushing the final row of symbols to push in the dog.

[sblock=OOC]That's definitely the solution. Well done

I will take the leap and risk entering the answer. I am confident that we have it correct and that there is no false trap laid by the necormancer.

Maui pushes in the order Menik indicated. [/sblock]

 

[jkason]

[sblock=ooc]Weel will stick by the door, so to the right of the trap door he thinks he disabled.[/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

ooc: I am still by the spiked pit trying to get Lem out

"What do you mean Lem? It's hangin straight down the edge of the pit wall Right here!" He shakes the rope to emphasize his point, the looks over the edge to say something to Lem . . . . .

OOC: What is seen from above the edgeof the pit?

 

[Satin Knights]

Maui takes up the brave position of standing directly on the trap door and pressing the buttons Menik has suggested.

*click*
​

The heavy stone door in front of him unlocks and opens away from Maui by about an inch.

The door below him stays put, having been instructed by Weel's fiddling to stay put instead of making introductions of its own.

Meanwhile, Vincenzo is shaking the rope, trying to get Lem to grab it. The pit in front of him is dark. He steps to the rim and looks down, more dark. Finally, he brings the sunrod forth that he had tied to his belt, holding it over the pit, the light is now able to find its way down instead of just across. At the bottom of a 30' pit, Lem is standing between several rusty looking spikes. His feet are perched on a grate and cross members. The water has drained through the grate and gone lower into the dungeon. Vincenzo can see the walls of the pit to the east and west going all the way down, but to the north and south, the walls disappear for the last ten feet.

But, now with the sunrod over the pit, Lem can see to rope to grab it.

[sblock=OOC]Yeah, it was kind of a cute puzzle. At first it looks difficult, but once you see the solution, it feels embarrassingly simple.[/sblock]