en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/537085 Comments by RBeal http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment26567167 OK - Is it just me, or does a bit of Dan Brown's cover for "The Lost Symbol" look a bit like something from Dar? Tue, 7 Jul 2009 20:24:51 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment26567167 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment25110268 Hi Gamepro, Axl and I were e-mailing back and forth, and it sounds like we're in agreement. We don't really see an incentive to continue on. 1. We don't know what the prize is. All that was said at the very beginning was "small prizes". We've put in an awful lot of time and effort to not really know what we're working for. 2. The clues have gotten more and more vague as we've progressed. Looking back, and trying to see it as someone who hasn't solved the clues yet, clues 1 - 7 had all the information needed to complete a solve. However, once Drado enters the picture, the coded text is in there but the information needed to decipher the clue is missing. Unless you know how the clue is supposed to work, I don't think you would have any idea on how to start. 3. It used to be fun. There used to be a sense of accomplishment. That isn't there any more. Now, it feels like we're trying to read your mind. 4. There is no end in sight. We're on clue 11. How far is this supposed to go? And with them becoming increasingly vague... again, please refer to points 2 and 3. Like Axl, I think I'm going to have to withdraw from your hunt. It just isn't fun any longer. I do hope someone saves poor Drado from the king and himself someday though. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:42:10 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment25110268 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24713033 Hi Axl, I'm back. Still really tired, but feeling much better than yesterday. I'm at lunch right now, so I don't have much time to write. I know you know of the letters, dots, dashes, and box of numbers within the main text. However, the clue says: "look high and low and all around". Did you find these too? Above the main clue (within the instructions and above), there is hidden: - Treasure Hunt For Everyone - Everyone Can Discover Something New - 3 - 9 And at the very bottom is hidden: - Create a at I don't know how that would be helpful...but there has to be a reason for it, right? At least the 3 and 9 which were very deliberate. I read your e-mail, and you understand perfectly what I was saying about the Quinary. (I'm also unsure about the math, but as of now, that doesn't seem to be a big deal with Dar - on a side note, "dar" is in the answer key...) The quinary doesn't come up with anything USEFUL, but it's something. I am in no way ahead of you on this. I just have a bit of familiarity with "The Secrets of the Alchemist Dar". But that hasn't been solved yet (not that I know of anyway), and that is supposed to end this September I believe (after two or three years, I can't remember). Winner or no winner, again this is assuming that the game is still even on (there was some legal issues between the Publishers and the Author...not a lot of information has been shared about what is happening with that). OK - I see where you are coming from. With the last puzzle getting Drado out of the Dungeon, all the information was there, but there were no hints telling us how to use what where. It was pretty much guessing "I think this stone needs to be used with this number/roman number string, and I think this is how the numbers should be broken" type of thing. There was nothing hinting at WHAT to do. I feel a little different about this clue. We're stuck, but at least we've got this: ***There is a puzzle that has sun and moon symbols on it. there are 26 letters involved, with a box that only holds 25?? - That is a pretty nice allusion to the playfair cipher with 26 letters (meaning a combined i/j). Now, the question is how to find the keyword. And what is the coded text? ***And another that needs a certain kind of light to see, but i am "blind" as a bat you see. - The other puzzle must be the Hieroglyphs (unless it's the hidden letters, numbers, morse, etc.). So, what would be a certain kind of light that could work with the computer? In the Alchemist Dar, you have to hold two pages up (one on top of the other) and hold it up to the light. Separate, the pictures don't make sense, but overlapped, you can read words. But, for an online hunt, I don't see how we could do that. Or what we would hold up in front of it? ***Answer Key: Use the key to find your answer's answer. - Although this seems pretty straight forward, I wouldn't be surprised if there is more to this once we solve the others. So the first step is to complete the other puzzles, before we move on to this one. So- 1. Figure out the key word and coded text to use in the playfair cipher. 2. Figure out what the certain kind of light is that we have to use with the Hieroglyphs (which I'm still a little shaky on) 3. Figure out what to do with the hidden words (possibly could have just forgotten to change their color) and numbers (the 3 and 9 were deliberate) from the instructions. Yep, I summed up, but I'm still a little foggy today. That's about the best I can do right now... Plus, it helps if I can separate things into individual tasks. It doesn't seem so daunting then :) Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:25:09 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24713033 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24599700 I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to check in before you tried those...I tried the morse words and blind, as well as the straight letters. If you're right about the playfair cipher (and I'm pretty sure you are), we probably have to use the version where I and J are in the same box. That way, we still keep all 26 letters in play (as opposed to dropping the Q). Out of curiosity, what pairs are you using to find the letter? I was trying the suns and moons since, with quinary, there would be 5 different types (even though only 4 were used). The suns and moons were in pairs, except for that little one all on it's own at the end... I haven't even started with the hieroglyphs. I'm wondering if there are any other letters or numbers that we are missing somewhere? I tried to go to a couple of the old clues to see if there was a "3" at the end of any of them, but the sites are down. It looks like it's all of Freeweb.... Has it seriously been 11 weeks? He really can suck us in, can't he? And just when I'm ready to give up and throw in the towel, he does it again! He's a genius - granted, an evil genius - but a genius none the less. "Complete" was in quotation marks? That really makes me think I was right about him creating a new puzzle as soon as we solve one, so that there is no real end. It's like on the movie "National Treasure" - Scene 1: 1: And the treasure? 2: No, no. But we found another clue that led us here. 1: Yeah, and that'll lead you to another clue. And that's all you'll ever find, is another clue. Don't you get it, ***Rachael and Axl?*** Scene 2: 2: I can explain, but I don't have time. It was necessary. And you saw the cipher. 1: And that will lead to another clue, that will lead to another clue! There is no treasure. I wasted years of my life. And now you've destroyed yours. And you pulled me into all this. I'm scared too, Axl. Gamepro doesn't put things in "quotations" without a reason... I wish I had an answer to that question for you... Axl - I'm not feeling very well today (and last night), so I'm not going to be working on this until I feel better. I just wanted to give you a heads up so you know I didn't disappear on you. I'll check back in as soon as I feel up to it. Good luck! Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:59:14 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24599700 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24534722 You're very welcome, Drado. Now, could you please do Axl and me a favor and stop getting yourself into trouble? Axl, Playfair sounds good...so...what would be the keyword...hmmm, I've got another few minutes of my lunch break to look and see. Hopefully I'll have something (anything!) for you when you wake up, so that I can feel like I contributed something to this one :) Good night, sleep well! Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:08:25 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24534722 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24519563 I really should keep working, but I'm taking a quick break to get absorbed in this...again... First - You pretty much did solve it. But I'm willing to admit that we make a pretty good team :) Especially with Gamepro's guiding hand. 1. I really can't wait to try and decode the dots and dashes, as well as the hidden letters. 2. I'm happy I was able to help with the suns and moons. They are Quinary in the Alchemist Dar...but Gamepro might have another use for them...guess we'll see. I really wish I could win that blue fairy ring...but I'd have to win the red one too, just to be able to afford the taxes so I could keep the blue one...*sigh* that is assuming the game is still on anyway. 3. Maybe :) It also said something about 26 letters, but 25 in the box? Did that make ANY sense to you at all? I'll have to do some Egyptian research, I guess. Did the Morse give any hint as to what to do? Especially with the strange decoded letters at the bottom? Or with the 10, 1 and 0's that were hidden? Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:47:06 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24519563 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24476323 And a hidden 3 after the title at the top (I don't know if that's on purpose, but unlike other previous clues, there are no brackets showing where the clue begins and ends...). OK, now it's REALLY time to get to work. I'll check back in during lunch. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:20:52 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24476323 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24475375 There are also hidden letters. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:14:39 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24475375 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24475091 Good morning Axl. Thanks for reminding me of the way you thought the numbers should be broken. That was my missing link :) Okay, the next one. (Is there even a last one, or does Gamepro create a new one as soon as we solve one, so that we never really get one step closer to the end? That would be evil, Gamepro...) Here are my initial impressions (I only have time to write the thoughts down, no time to actually work on this yet): - There are dots and dashes within the words - Morse? - The suns and moons are a direct pull from "The Secrets of the Alchemist Dar". In there, it seems they are Quinary (base 5 numbers): * 0 = A white sun - ○ * 1 = A black sun - ● * 2 = A left facing black moon - Left Crescent * 3 = A right facing black moon - Right Crescent * 4 = A left facing white moon - Moon - Did you notice that there are invisible numbers and that in these instructions, it says "Use Exact Case" instead of "lower case"? - "Blind" was in quotation marks. I don't know if that's a reference to the hidden numbers that we are "blind" to, or if that's a cipher or something we'd have to use. Okay, that's all for my initial impressions. I better get to work. I'll do what I can on this during my lunch break. PS: WAY TO GO AXL - you solved that last one all on your own! I'm going to have trouble keeping up with you! Talk to you later. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:13:05 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24475091 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24391976 Okay - like Axl, I should really be asleep. And I'm on my way right after this. I think Axl will have earned the award, should we ever get to it. I've been able to solve the first two clues (THANK YOU GAMEPRO!) But that's it. I think Gamepro fried my brain with all the other ciphers... But Axl already has the solve. I think I know all the letters it should be, but I don't know how to make the third clue match up with the letters I think they are. (For those curious, I think those three letters should be: V, E, and S) Okay, bed time. Maybe I'll do better once I'm all refreshed in the morning. Good night everyone! Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:52:15 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24391976 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24367526 OK....I just got home from work, and it looks like you've completed everything Axl. So, does that mean we have another clue after this one? Gamepro- Thank you so much for checking back in with us. I really thought you had left us. And it's really nice to know that the puzzle is solvable. Axl said that I solved part of it (must have been on accident :) Now I have to go and see what the two of you are talking about. You sure know how to suck us back in :) Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:57:05 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24367526 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24338027 Axl - That's right, you did promise, and I'll hold you to it :) Gamepro - The thing is, we feel like we're out there - on our own - with no direction. We can't find anything in the clue to help us even know where to start. Looking at your past clues, there was always something to help us know what we were supposed to do to complete the solve...even if it sometimes felt like a bit of a stretch. But in this one - well, it feels like that bit of information was left out. We have so much given to us, but I sincerely believe the important "this is a hint of what you have to do to solve this" part is not there. And if this riddle has been out there for 3 years with no solve...that is worrisome. I do understand that it is a puzzle - I don't expect you to hold our hands and walk us to the solve. But it would be nice to have a little bit of reassurance that you're still out there and that we do in fact have all the information we need to complete the solve. Could you review your puzzle, looking at it from an outside perspective, and verify for me that this puzzle can be solved with the information given? Please? Pretty please? It's not very nice to make a girl beg... Axl (again) - I'm at the point now that I am confused and disheartened. If I don't come up with some sort of an epiphany after working on it a little bit today when I get home from work, I think I'll have to put it on the shelf for a little bit. I really think we're missing information, like a puzzle missing a couple of pieces can never be the whole picture. And I don't like that feeling. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:00:29 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24338027 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24040097 Okay - that was kind of weird...4 "different?" people posting the same website to view the movie? Hmmm.... Axl, just before I drifted off last night, my mind turned back to the riddle...and I thought "Binary Code". 1's and 0's? I don't know where we'd break it down though (the spaces between the dots and lines aren't overly defined in a number of places), but it's a thought. It also said he solved a piece of the "Wall of Knowledge" puzzle telling him where the trap door is, but not which piece. We could be on the wrong track...again. Or, we could have been on the right track, and I derailed us... - With your idea about the Loads of Junk and Joline picture, I like it. I was thinking something like... "Look behind Joline", but yours makes more sense :) With that clue...the grammar is way off. It isn't a language thing, it's just weird. But we'll figure it out. Eventually :) Sorry I didn't have the whole (any part of this) thing solved before you got up :) But I'll keep trying. More randomness: Taking the string of (correct) numbers from the LOST picture, and using the backwards alphabet, I got: uzsyxxtwyvzvwvvtxtw, which phonetically could somehow be construed as: use six twelves ..... ww txt w (web site?) Using the forward alphabet, there's nothing. Okay, back to the drawing board. Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:08:40 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment24040097 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23937097 If we do it in the above order, that means that the clue we've been working on (if it turns out to be one we really have to solve) would be numerical. We'd need a minimum of 9 numbers. But it also means the LOST numbers clue would really be alphabetic, and we'd need at least 10 letters. - I know in our other e-mails, I was pretty sure we had to do it in the order Drado did...but that could have just been me trying to be overly logical... What are your thoughts? Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:24:59 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23937097 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23936674 Wow...I checked your e-mail, and that was definitely not something I was expecting. And thank you for your kind words. I think that was the motivation I needed. It's pretty disheartening, but knowing you're in my corner is a big help. And I'll cheer you along when you need it too! Okay, with your new Rules: How would we get our 16 letters again? And like you said, what would we do with the last number and the Roman Numerals. Is there any chance that we shouldn't be interpreting the Roman Numerals as numbers, but perhaps as actual letters? I don't get the III, but maybe in the long run it would make sense? For this clue, it just says "he knew what he had to do, and at last Drado received his answer". It doesn't say what that answer told him to do. And he didn't take any action after finding that answer until he saw the message above his head. Could it be possible we're just spinning our wheels on something that really isn't a clue? Did we somehow miscount? Is this one of those misleading puzzles that he had an answer to, but didn't use to find his way out of the dungeon? That would make the words above his head (leading us to the painting?) as the first clue? OK: Brainstorming here: "find the trap door, find the painting, guess at the stones, the picture and the door" 1. Trap Door: Dots and Lines lead to the Trap Door? 2. Find the Painting: That's from the "Lost Junk" clue 3. Guess at the Stones: LOST-push the numbers in the order of their letters from the Wall of Knowledge clue 4. The Picture: Another part of the Wall of Knowledge clue - I mean there are at least three, possibly more parts to that one clue? Or is this the picture of the Stone with the Numbers/Roman Numerals on it? 5. The Door: The golden door to walk through at the end. Perhaps, rather than doing the stone picture first, like Drado does, we have to solve it in the order the King gives us at the end. Meaning the Dots and Lines on the Wall of Knowledge would be the first step? Questions for Gamepro: 1. Are you sure no one has solved this yet? 2. Is it really solvable? 3. Concerning "not to make them to hard" - What exactly is your definition of: "Too hard"? Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:18:49 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23936674 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23841824 You're better at the evil laugh than I expected! Have you been practicing? I know we'll come out victorious. The question is, will we be the first ones to solve it? I tried the idea you gave. Questions: would it be a positive or negative for the last number? And how do we get at least 16 characters? For this, I did 8I10 as 8+1+10 (19) (S), 6V as 6+5 (11) (K), etc. The letters mad e a LITTLE bit more sense that way: gooskpviwl You know, I feel bad. You are at least coming up with some smart ideas to try...while I'm just the naysayer. I think my mind is just stuck in a logical box, which is making it hard for me to come up with creative solutions... I'm not going to give up, but I'm starting to wonder if you'd do better on your own... Oh well...time to do more research. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:19:51 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23841824 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23821932 I tried to reply to your comment about "sigh* Where have I seen this roman/arabian number mix before?" but it won't let me: That was one of my first thoughts, and the first thing I thought about was Gamepro's clue number 4. It wasn't a mix of Roman and Regular numbers, but it was the only one that involved Roman Numerals...I just don't know how to use it. Then there is his clue number 6 which used the math, but nothing in this clue tells us how to do it. I don't know... Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:04:03 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23821932 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23821621 I agree that the "Train room King Hef" could go with the number/letter string. It did take the time to mention that it was the same stone with that information added just to the left of the words. (Left...like my dream again...hmmm?) I had already tried making the Roman Numerals their own number, but that still kept us from reaching 16 characters. Unless, we interpret it as: 34 66 14136 8 1 10 6 5 1811 2 1 1 1 1 10 17 5 1 615 But that would give us 4 of the same letters in a row...which, as you said, is highly improbable. Unless we combine the III together as a 3, but then it wouldn't make sense to do the IX as 1 and 10 or VI as 5 and 1. Maybe we are somehow supposed to use this in conjunction with the "They who solves my riddle of life, shall have the golden box and save thy life" line? But what would we do with the + and - signs? We have gamepro's 6th puzzle (I think he listed it as puzzle 5, but again, I'm counting Mr. Sandman as the first puzzle) with addition and subtraction, but I don't see any hint in this new clue telling us what to do with it. I don't get how we're supposed to start. I can't see ANY clue telling us what we're supposed to do. Drado just seems to somehow know everything. Reading Gamepro's "Also I will say, every puzzle is solvable and I have tried not to make them to hard... Please don't give up.. just read the clue carefully." - I would have to say that he has highly over estimated us (me, at least). I think I'm going to rot in that dungeon. I can't find anything on the internet that looks applicable to this string of Roman/Arabic numerals...but as always, I'll keep trying. I'm sure you're feeling pretty frustrated right now - but I hope you'll keep trying. Most of the solves I've gotten were because you said something that got my brain moving in the right direction. I doubt I'd be able to get this one solved on my own. Try to dream up an answer - or have an epiphany :) - and I'll do the same! Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:58:46 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23821621 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23766892 I tried what your idea, but I couldn't get any words out of it. That doesn't mean anything though since the clue said "it didn't make sense at first sight". The problem is, when I did it that way I was only able to get 15 letters. I agree. We have so much info...but I don't see any USEFUL information in any of it... We could always try a cheat: Figure out the total number of answer combinations -26*26*26*26*26*9*9*9*4 (assuming none of the numbers are double digits) for a total number of possibilities of 34,646,092,416. It might just be faster to try those billions of possibilities than to actually figure this riddle out :) I'll do some research into a possible cipher for what we're hoping is the first clue. Good night! Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:54:07 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23766892 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23739394 For the explanation, I was talking about how to decode his last message. I know you figured it out, but I'm just wondering if my explanation had anything to do with it, or if it just confused you more :0 Tue, 9 Jun 2009 19:53:29 +0000 http://angryweb.net/2009/02/10/angels-demons-path-of-illumination-contest-has-begun/#IDComment23739394