unforum

[catherwood]

Mysterious Stranger by David Blaine

[catherwood]

update

[celina63]

OK, I give... I did alot of searching on the 'net for more info on this... other message boards, etc, and found nothing.

So... clue me in, will ya?

C

[Varin]

I've been devoting my energy to this lately. There's the Quest4Treasure forum. One of the moderators is Cliff Johnson, the creator of the puzzle. He seems to give us clues. Note the word seems. I think sometimes we pay too much attention to every word he says and get ourselves off track. We're also working on it at CD. There's a good little archive of the 41 puzzle solves there. Then there's Cliff's site that catherwood mentioned above. Again, sometimes it helps us, sometimes it throws us off track, wasting precious puzzle-solving time. An example is this page. Cliff put up this solution as satire. Of course, we all thought at first that the puzzle was solved and the hunt was over. Any other boards catherwood? I know that there is a secret one from some of the former Blaine board members, but I was denied membership.

I've already made one road trip to a place where I thought the orb might be. I was wrong but I got a vacation out of it. Doc (if anyone was on the original Blaine board for the hunt you'll recognize the name) is currently on a road trip investigating his guess.

It seems that after finding what is a partial solution we're all at a stand still and could use some fresh ideas if anyone is interested.

[krystyn]

http://www.treasurehunt.org seems to be gone gone gone. What's up with that?

[catherwood]

[Sassy]

Is anyone still working on this? I think Varin maybe???

I came across it this past Sunday evening for the first time. I solved the Tattoo Clue yesterday. I have a location. But sheeeeesh, I mean, are people really traveling to places for this??? It's not like I have the money or means to do so, despite the prize amount.

I tried posting in a few other places.....just wonder what any of your thoughts are on this.

I kinda don't know what to do about the solve. It is pretty precise.

Thanks for your comments and help...
Sassy

[bill]

I have the book. The spec was so all over the map, I gave up.

[addlepated]

You solved the tattoo clue? Can you give us any details?

[Varin]

Yeah I'm still working on it, which explains my almost complete absence from Acheron. But I, for one, gave up on the tattoo clue and am working on the 41 phrases. The tattoo clue has given many people a very precise location that they travelled to and found nada (including myself, although I now see how silly I was being to think it would be that easy )

As you said above catherwood, I agree that without a storyline this puzzle has a harder time of attracting people, especially in the ARG world. I wish it would though, I'd like to see this thing solved already. I mean, come on, it could be solved in one night by grumpyboy Or at least it would be nice to get a fresh look from someone who hasn't been tainted by the same old line of spec.

Anyone here up for the challenge? Maybe if I posted a bit of the puzzle I could entice you? The ciphers in the book have been solved and yielded these 41 phrases...

A FAIR BIRD ITS WINGS ARISE AND EASTWARD IT FLEW.
A SCENT SO SEVERE ITS SHEER PRESENCE GLARES.
A WONDERFUL LITTLE MAN WIGGED OUT HIS PEERS.
AHH SIGHED THE MONARCH HOPING TO SOOTH HIS FLU.
ANY SINGLES RESOUNDING HERE WILL BE OUSTED.
BANISH THOSE WHO SEEM THE SAME AND ALL IN BETWEEN.
BLITHE BLACKSMITHS REJECT SWIRLED SAD TIN.
BRAGGART BARTENDERS AVOID TANGLED TIN ICE.
CLEVER CARPENTERS NEVER INCLUDE SABOTAGED SLIM PEGS.
DEEP SEA DIVERS IGNORE THE DIZZY DEPTH OVER HOPING.
EFFECTIVE EDITORS ESCHEW PAGES THAT ECHO REMORSE.
EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE ADORES THE IMP THE LEAST.
FIVE NOMADS FLED AND TUMBLED OAF SO OAF.
FOLKS FLEE ALONG ROUTES GROWN DENSE WITH NEGLECT.
FREAK LIGHTNING STRUCK ALL THE EXCEPT THE FOURTH.
HER MAJESTY EXILED ALL PORTRAITS RESEMBLING YOU.
HER ORGAN PLAYS TO SAINTLY ONES THEIR LAST RITE.
HIS POTION OF SERPENTS AND VENOMS BREWS PORTENT.
HIS SEALED HORSE COSTUME PREYS ON THE MIND.
ITS URN THAT IT ADORNED WITH LEAF ENGRAVING SHATTERED.
JESTERS AXE JOKES WITH ANY RESEMBLANCE TO CLICHES.
MOST DEER ENVY THE FROTH THAT BLEW FROM THE NORTH.
MY FOURTH PHRASE CASTS SHY GLIMPSES NEAR SHADOW.
NAYSAYERS SHUN AND AGITATE A DROWNED LOATHING.
ONLY THE STORMY NIGHT KNOWS THE FORCE OF THE ROSE.
OUR COAL CHUTE PROVED THE BETTER SOURCE OF FOOD.
PROPER PRECEPTS IMPOSE ON PROSE AND DECLINE TWO.
RUBIES INCITE THE FOULEST FEAR IN BLUE BLOODSTONE.
SANE SCHOLARS DETEST ANY LANGUAGE SOUNDING TRITE.
SHREWD SCOUNDRELS DO ASPIRE TO CLEAR A MURDER PAST.
THAT KING OF SPADES MIGHT BE A MAN OF BRIGHT SENSE.
THE HORRIBLE SWORD THE KNIGHT WIELDED WITH SPITE.
THE PAUSE GREW TENSE DARE YE TO STEP FORWARD.
THE RADIO DRAMA COUNTS DOWN EVERY SIX AND TWO PIERS.
THE VERY COARSE SCORN WASTE ONCE PAYMENT IS DUE.
THERETO THE LAST TWO WERE SEATED TWENTY FIFTH.
TWENTY SEVEN COUNTRIES INTERMINGLE LEGITIMATELY.
TWENTY WHO ARE MUDDLED MUST MOCK THEIR MATE.
WEATHER STATIONS REFUSE TO CONFUSE THIS NEW FOG.
WHEN THE RAYS OF SUNLIGHT BLAZE THE SUBHUMAN DIES.
WHILE THE BLACK CAT WAITS THE MICE SWAP TO THE RIGHT.

[Varin]

and also there is the clue that david blaine's gave on Larry King Live...

If my tattoo is fearless, then climb ten weeks to find the route.

[Sassy]

Unfortunately, I think I have too many possible solves for the tattoo clue. I now have 12 complete sentence anagrams, and they are all over the country. Ack.

But if anyone here wants to pick up the pace in this folder, I am ready and willing. I have been working on the banishing sequence on the 41 clues. I can post that to play with if you want.

Sassy

[Sassy]

PS:

Is there a way to ask if this game could have it's own folder so we don't have toplow throught the news folder?

[catherwood]

to be honest, i'm not sure enough people here are working on this one to justify its own forum. It's not an ARG, it has no storyline, and it has no feedback mechanism for confirming intermediate steps. I've gotten used to using the Quest4Treasure board, as annoying as it is, and there are other boards out there with a dedicated area for Blaine discussion. (Yahoo Groups and Collective Detective come to mind.)

But prove me wrong, fellow Unfictioners. Are you out there working on this contest in the shadows? More importantly, do you want to discuss the clues here?

[Varin]

try it, you'll like it....