Return to Unfiction unforum
 a.r.g.b.b 
FAQ FAQ   Search Search 
 
Welcome!
New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.
Website Restoration Project
This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.
Announcements
This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.
This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.
  

The time now is Fri Nov 15, 2024 5:21 pm
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)		 View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum
Calendar
 Forum index » Diversions » TimeWasters
Puzzle Experiment #3
Moderators: Giskard, ndemeter, ScarpeGrosse
View previous topicView next topic
Page 2 of 4 [47 Posts]   Goto page: Previous 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
Author Message
Omega
Unfettered


Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 430
Location: Utah

 		Beginnings of a Vampire
Part Two
My voice played tremors with the dust. "Never reveal your true nature to those not of the Blood." The words carried an authority the likes of God, yet I could not say why. I focused on them, affirming my being. Is this what she wanted me to find? It's strange; I don't remember ever wanting to become a vampire.

The corridor prolonged, winding and widening the more I deserted the engravings. As the hall enlarged, so did an unnatural hunger. It was piercing, burning at my waistline—I could think of no ordinary morsel of food to satisfy me. The desire was entrenched within my gut, born there, as if always there. I was a poor opponent to wrestle it, but I withheld the sensation through much effort. I was certain the appetite would return, less certain if I could endure a second encounter. In the brief clarity of thought, an energy charged at my ears. I raced to the source as if there were no greater cause.

A dozen fountains embellished the walls, water surging from their mouths and flowing along conduits to a central well. In this room, I noticed an emptiness concerning the liquid as I entered and glared. At the lip of the well, a parchment struck at my attention. Clasping the scroll, I unwound its binding crimson lace, and read: "The symbols are the emblems of our rival clans. Memorize them well, childe. You will learn their names in time." I discarded the parcel, retaining the counsel. Rival clans? Glazed in my own consciousness, a force began pulsing from the well as if designed to be followed. Wielding no garments, I drew upon a thunderous breath and dove in.

For minutes, it seemed, I plunged. My initial reactions were dulled by the lack of darkness. I understood, as an organism, that water absorbed all images in its depths. But here, through my eyes, that was not so. My proceeding reaction detailed the sparse remains of oxygen in my lungs. And yet, I felt no alarm for struggle. By impulse, I expelled all that was within me. I discovered rather rapidly that my survival did not entail something as feeble as air. I was undead.

The extent of the well was reached. At its floor rested my second trial:
trial2.gif
 Description   Twenty-three free-floating stone plates. I collected them in no order, examining the markings they bore. More symbols.
 Filesize   53.77KB
 Viewed   164 Time(s)

trial2.gif
_________________
Puzzle Experiments: #3, #4, #6

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2008 11:08 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Rogi Ocnorb
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 4266
Location: Where the cheese is free.

 		I'm sure the next step is to reorder the tiles and it'll be a while.

In the hopes that eyes will help with that, I offer the following:

"7" and "3" could be reversed, but I doubt it.

EDIT: Fixed an error in the pic and offering that...
If you use the letters, the way they were defined in the first puzzle, starting in the upper left corner of an image and going as far as 3 cells downward, they are (In the order of the posted image):
WNIOEI
RMTAMR
PSEAOH
REAVP

This assumes, of course, that 7s (Black dots) serve no purpose in this puzzle. And we all know about assumptions...
vamp2.gif
 Description   
 Filesize   57.4KB
 Viewed   150 Time(s)

vamp2.gif
_________________
I'm telling you now, so you can't say, "Oh, I didn't know...Nobody told me!"


PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2008 12:07 am
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
faeryqueen21
Unfictologist


Joined: 25 Sep 2007
Posts: 1348
Location: Pasadena, CA

 		I just want to say that I am one of those people who come here more for the story than the puzzles. As such a person, I love this story! The puzzles make me want to gouge my own eyes out, but I would definitely stick around for the story. It is very well written and I could read it in book format if it was presented that way. Omega you have a flair for writing and I have a feeling your puzzle-making will be great after these experiments are over. Can't wait to find out what this latest puzzle says once someone better at them solves it!
_________________
Make your wallpaper work for you with http://www.photostacker.com/

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2008 1:51 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
Rogi Ocnorb
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 4266
Location: Where the cheese is free.

 		There do seem to be a lot of ways to play it and hinted interaction with the first puzzzle makes it a good sideways challenge.

That said, I'm not getting very far with it.

Best guess, so far....
"VAMPIRE HEAPS IN WATER ROOM" Wink
But that ignores all the "letters" in the grids; Which I'm sure isn't the intent.
_________________
I'm telling you now, so you can't say, "Oh, I didn't know...Nobody told me!"


PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2008 3:41 pm
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
natas
PHP Ninja


Joined: 06 Oct 2007
Posts: 3177
Location: Northwest Indiana

 		Just saw this one. I'll be back in about 30 minutes to make it more confusing . Hold on.

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:01 pm
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
 Back to top 
danteIL
Unfictologist


Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 1990

 		Yea, I think this is the kind of puzzle where everyone waits around for someone else to have a sudden flash of insight, or for the PMs to have pity on us. Unless there's something obvious that I'm missing, it seems like this puzzle/code took a drastic leap upwards in terms of complexity/ambiguity.

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2008 1:59 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
natas
PHP Ninja


Joined: 06 Oct 2007
Posts: 3177
Location: Northwest Indiana

 		Crap. forgot about this one.. Thanks Dante... I substituted letters in for the column on the left side and got the following diagram. I used Xsub1 and Xsub2 for the values I didn't know. I still couldn't make heads or tails of it though.
workinprogress.gif
 Description   
 Filesize   51.89KB
 Viewed   117 Time(s)

workinprogress.gif

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2008 2:28 pm
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
 Back to top 
Omega
Unfettered


Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 430
Location: Utah

 		Give a Dog a Bone
First puzzle was too easy, second one is too complex... Confused I'll have to work on that.

Because the end of the week is fast approaching, and because there's one final piece of the story after this, I'll throw out a hint to move things along.

Hint: Rogi has the correct letters for the initial solution, but wrong arrangement--this part requires story information. Once the arrangement of letters is correct, the tiles will be in the proper order for the final solution.
_________________
Puzzle Experiments: #3, #4, #6

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2008 3:53 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
SuperSlug
Veteran


Joined: 29 May 2007
Posts: 74
Omega wrote:
First puzzle was too easy, second one is too complex... Confused


Just found this today.


Spoiler (Rollover to View):

Key: A vampire is more than power. (The numbers in the lower left of each grid confirm the ordering; 1st A, 2nd A, 3rd A etc.)

Message: Your domain is your own concern. None may challenge your word while in your domain. (The symbols along the bottom select the letters from the columns.)



trial2 key.GIF
 Description   
 Filesize   63.5KB
 Viewed   127 Time(s)

trial2 key.GIF
_________________
Some people are lost in the shuffle. I'm shuffling along with the lost.

Come solve the blocks

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2008 2:35 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
pancito
I Have No Life


Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 2095
Location: In my happy place.

 		I was totally lost on this one. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that this is complex. I do think that when players reach a stuck state, as we seem to have been, there needs to be a progressively more suggestive set of hints. I don't know how you would acomplish that within this framework. I'm not sure how the player interaction is handled here. Looking over the shoulder of a vampyre hunter or something? at any rate... I think it works and is interesting with the above caution.
_________________
Played: VITD, PO, LGLab, "Go 'Pods!" BoL/SiD
$.02: watevahs

TWINKIE!

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2008 3:51 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
Rogi Ocnorb
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 4266
Location: Where the cheese is free.

 		Re: Give a Dog a Bone
Good job, SuperSlug!
Omega wrote:
Hint: Rogi has the correct letters for the initial solution, but wrong arrangement--this part requires story information. Once the arrangement of letters is correct, the tiles will be in the proper order for the final solution.


Would that be story information from the unreleased 3rd part of the work?

If there's anything beyond the mere appearance of the word, "second" in what we've been presented, so far, I've missed it.

While I did try using them for ordering purposes, it never occurred to me to use the overall occurrences, by-letter, of the lower-left numbers.

And I'm really ashamed I didn't even think of using the other bottom numbers as row reference in their column. Embarassed
_________________
I'm telling you now, so you can't say, "Oh, I didn't know...Nobody told me!"


PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2008 4:35 pm
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
danteIL
Unfictologist


Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 1990

 		Re: Give a Dog a Bone
Rogi Ocnorb wrote:
Good job, SuperSlug!
Omega wrote:
Hint: Rogi has the correct letters for the initial solution, but wrong arrangement--this part requires story information. Once the arrangement of letters is correct, the tiles will be in the proper order for the final solution.


Would that be story information from the unreleased 3rd part of the work?


No I think that would be the quote from the 1st story part:
Quote:
"A vampire is more than power," she began. "We are a pathway, a road to truth.


This gives the key phrase.

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2008 4:45 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Rogi Ocnorb
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 4266
Location: Where the cheese is free.

 		Pretend this is a jet going over my head:
Jetpack
Again with the assumptions Embarassed
_________________
I'm telling you now, so you can't say, "Oh, I didn't know...Nobody told me!"


PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2008 4:55 pm
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
Omega
Unfettered


Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 430
Location: Utah

 		Beginnings of a Vampire
Part Three
I did not heave myself from the well so much as I was lifted; a firm, agile hand sprung me from the shallows as if I were on rockets, my withered soles plodding to the ground like fish. I don't recall her being this forceful in bed.

Even before I had landed, we were in a sprint. "Only with the permission of your sire may you sire another," she spluttered between steps and bounds. "Those you create are your own to command. Honor one another's domain." I noticed she was dressed now, in a stuttered onyx gown, paneled softly in blue lace with a tracing of violet cuffs—I felt it would be my duty to remove the garment later, one way or another. Where she and shadow overlapped, I quite nearly mistook her. Save for the ghostly smooth arm that maneuvered my own, she was darkness in the flesh. "Destroying another of your kind is forbidden," she added with a map of tension on her tongue. We had backtracked nearly half the cloister. "This law you will obey above all others." For being darkness, she certainly seemed troubled.

A howl emanated from every corner of thought as if imbedded in my skull. At that, my mentor managed to increase her speed, and so did I. "The hell's going on?" I asked. There was a flurry of shouts and hisses above, out-dated by the lumbering cannons of snarls and roars that followed. The mere presence of the commotion ignited me. By no stretch of the mind, in that instance, every drop of water upon my body burst into steam at the heat that overran me. This was a moment, an affair of unbound magnitude. Through my veins there traveled an awareness that had existed for eternity. An icon of a man conquered my eyes, who I knew to be Caine, a being I had no recollection of, but simply knew. He barreled upon my state of definition, inserting an array of history into the threads of my essence. For all I could discern, Caine was God of the vampires.

We hurtled free from the entry gate to the trials and stopped. A pungent disease was wafting from the stairs. As I peered in that direction, the grin upon the werewolf grew tenfold. Saliva seeped through its rows of dagger-length incisors. Its coat faded between black and brown, fur rising in unison with its shoulders. All sound became singular as the beast developed its sneer into a bellowing clamor. A boom of unmatched intensity exited its throat—I thought the entire room was going to collapse. Hunching, the beast waddled slowly towards us, claws unfurling at its sides.

"The question, childe," said my master. She did not once blink or falter, did not turn from the threat. "Is what are you?"

A blur of anger berated me in sight of the demon before us. It was a feeling surpassing that of hate. Given the circumstances, a question of origin seemed impossibly misplaced. I hesitated.

"Beneath the bed," my mentor was saying, motioning to our right, "there's a sewer access. Take it to the next junction. If when you look back there is nothing but a sea of red, then run." Within infinity her impression lasted, her glorious dark flow advancing; my master's charge at the werewolf was unlike anything I had ever witnessed. The grace of her shifts, the power within her bones.... I saw an edge of amusement upon her cheeks just then. The woman could perish in any second of life, and yet here she lived, breathed. She spewed an exhilarating charm, dominating both my respect and my esteem. I wanted to be her, for she was vampire. If that were so, then what was I?
_________________
Puzzle Experiments: #3, #4, #6

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2008 11:18 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Omega
Unfettered


Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 430
Location: Utah

 		The Final Trial
What are you?
If you were the protagonist, would you fight or would you run?

As a writing exercise, explain in one paragraph your final actions. Do you flee to the sewers? Do you join the fight against the werewolf? Which action best defines the character you would want to be?

If you don't feel like writing a paragraph, state Fight or Flight.
_________________
Puzzle Experiments: #3, #4, #6

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2008 11:19 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Display posts from previous:   Sort by:   
Page 2 of 4 [47 Posts]   Goto page: Previous 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
View previous topicView next topic
 Forum index » Diversions » TimeWasters
Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group