Merit's Second Encoded Message
Obtained by Li Merit in an old assaying office in Iron Mountain.
Contents |
How to Play
Successes with Int and Cryptography + Intelligence Analysis can be used to
- guess one word, which will be filled in everywhere it appears.
- guess a particular set of words, which will be filled in or not where you specified, but the GMs may not be able to track that very easily.
- ask for a hint about a particular word
Words
SIX-LETTER-TRUNCATED-PHILOSOPHICAL-SORT-OF-CONJUNCTION-FROM-OLD-ENGLISH-AND-GOTHIC every thing may be possible, every possible thing is bound by its own rules. In the World Below, if there is a place, then there is a path to that place. If something or somewhere has been moved from the Material World to the World Below, then there is a path that can be followed from the place where it once was, to the place where it now is.
To PHYSICAL-VERB-FROM-MIDDLE-ENGLISH-FRENCH-LATIN the path from the PLACE-TYPE-NOUN-FROM-OLD-ENGLISH which was to the PLACE-TYPE-NOUN-FROM-OLD-ENGLISH which is, from the place between to the place below, you must follow the path of the PRETENTIOUS-FIVE-LETTER-MYSTICAL-NOUN-FROM-LATIN-OF-COURSE-WHERE-ELSE-DO-PRETENTIOUS-MYSTICAL-NOUNS-COME-FROM of the demon through the realm of the Forest.
Begin your PLURAL-VERBY-NOUN-FROM-OLD-ENGLISH at the northern water beyond the forest, walking south and south only until you reach the first of the SIZEY-ADJECTIVE-FROM-OLD-ENGLISH white ash trees, trunk PHYSICAL-COMPARISON-ADJECTIVE than can be PAST-TENSE-PHYSICAL-VERB by five men FORM-OF-PHYSICAL-VERB-FROM-MIDDLE-ENGLISH-OLD-FRENCH PLURAL-CONCRETE-NOUN PHYSICAL-RELATIONY-ADVERB. Climb the tree until you can climb no higher, and listen until you hear the NOUN-BASED-FROM-A-VERB of a bird you have never heard before. Take careful note from whence it VERB-THAT-NOUN-IS-BASED-FROM, and when you climb back down, walk in that same direction until the sun sets.
Make camp at the base of the oak you find, but guard your camp well, for a GENERAL-DESCRIPTIVE-ADJECTIVE forest is not a OPPOSITE-OF-THAT-LAST-ADJECTIVE PLACE-NOUN-FROM-ANGLO-NORMAN-FRENCH. When dawn finds you, if it finds you, watch carefully to see which tree to the south BASIC-PHYSICAL-VERB-FROM-MIDDLE-ENGLISH the HEY-THE-OED-SAYS-THE-ETYMOLOGY-IS-SHAKESPEARE-OR-MAYBE-NORSE-ANYWAY-IT'S-THE-POSSESSIVE PERCEPTIBLE-NOUN first with its PLURAL-NOUN-FROM-GERMAN-DUTCH-NORWEGIAN. Walk to that tree, and around it from north to west to south to east. With your eyes closed, walk around it again, and again a third time. When your SPATIALISH-NOUN-FROM-FRENCH-FROM-LATIN is ADJECTIVE, take VERB-BASED-NOUN of what PAST-TENSE-VERB you and follow it until it ends.
Then, follow in that direction until the sun is directly overhead, and while the trees have fallen behind, the Forest still surrounds you. Dig a hole until you have found worms and PLURAL-LIVING-NOUN, then place them out in an NOUNISH-ADJECTIVE dish and wait quietly until something comes to snatch them up. Follow it until it alights, and mark the tree it lands in with blood from your left thumb. Mark the next nearest tree with blood from your right thumb, and walk between them before the blood dries.
Guesses
After The Castle of Doctor Wu
Takanata
- demesne embraces quietly
Merit
- 23 clues on the least-clued words.
After Bandit Ambush
Merit
- tread trek northern walking taller call beast bird heard called dangerous dawn contains roots worms nearest complete branches spoor whilst wanderings listen
After Terra Cotta
Merit
- clue for first word (six letters??? Hmmph.)
- clue for pretentious noun from latin
- grubs dish iron next cross visit wander point journeys big trunk wider encompassed men standing arms hands linked cry sang healthy grows
After Night of Gates IV
Master Zhou
- whilst, ants, grubs
- Four other clues, one each on the least-figured-out words.
Shen-Ji
- surrounds anima bugs
Merit
- clue on first word
- clue for shakeespeare etymology word
- power hunts larger gigantic encircled touching together fingers chirp holds light twigs sprang dark circuit stock confronted insects earthen complete
Words Already Guessed
a about across after again against albeit alights all alone along also altho' although an and anima another ants any are arm arms around around as as ash at at back base be bearing beast because been before begin behind being below beneath between beware beyond big bird black blocks blood blue bound bowl branches break bugs but by call called came camp can cannot care careful carefully careless carried castle central circle climb closed come comes complete contains convenient could cover covers created cross cry dangerous dawn day dead deeper demesne demon demons described destroyed dig direction directly discover dish do done down dragon dream dries earth east eat either else emblematic embraced empire empty encompassed end ends even every except eyes fallen falling fate finable find finds fire first five flame flew follow followed follows foot for forest forge forgotten fork fortress found four fourth from garden get give go goes gold golden good green grows grubs grubs guard had hand hand hands has have he healthy hear heard hears heart her here hidden hide hides higher hill him his hoard hole hound how however if in inside into iron is it its journey journeys just key kingdom know lands large largest last leads lean leans left leg lest like linked listen location lock look loop lose lost lost make mark material may me men metal middle might mine monkey moon more most mountain moved much must my name near nearest need neither never new next night no nor north northern northernmost not note nothing notice now oak of old on once one only onto onward open opposite or other our out over overhead own pagoda palm past path patiently people pick pit place point pools possible proper pursuers quest questings quietly reach realm red remain reveal right risen river roots rules safe safe safe said same sang say search second see seek seen sees sets seven shall she shifted shortest should side since single six small smallest snatch so some someone someplace something somewhere somewhere south spirit spoor standing stands step still stolen stops sun surrounds swallow swim take taken taller tallest tangible tears temple than that the their theirs them then there these they thing think third this those though three through thumb time times to toward towards tower travel traveled travels tread tree trees trek trunk turns two uncover under underneath unique unless until up upon us use valley visit voyage wait wake walk walking wander wanderings want was watch water waterfall way we well were west what when whence whenever where whereas wherefore whether which while whilst whilst white who why wider will with within without wood word words world worms would wrist year yet you your
In Message
a again alights an and around around ash at at back base be been before begin behind below between beyond bird blood bound but by camp can careful carefully climb closed comes dawn demon dig direction directly dish down dries east ends every eyes fallen find finds first five follow followed for forest found from guard has have hear heard higher hole if in is it its lands left listen make mark material may men moved must nearest never next no north northern not note now oak of once only or out overhead own path place possible quietly reach realm right rules same see sets snatch something somewhere south still sun surrounds take than that the them then there thing third through thumb time to tree trees trunk until up wait walk walking was watch water well west what when whence where which while white with worms you your
Not In Message
I about across after against albeit all alone along also altho' although anima another ants any are arm arms as as bearing beast because being beneath beware big black blocks blue bowl branches break bugs call called came cannot care careless carried castle central circle come complete contains convenient could cover covers created cross cry dangerous day dead deeper demesne demons describe described destroyed discover do done dragon dream earth eat either else emblematic embraced empire empty encompassed end even except falling fate finable fire flame flew follows foot forge forgotten fork fortress four fourth garden get give go goes gold golden good green grows grubs grubs had hand hand hands he healthy hears heart her here hidden hide hides hill him his hoard hound how however inside into iron journey journeys just key kingdom know large largest last leads lean leans leg lest like linked location lock look loop lose lost me metal middle might mine monkey moon more most mountain much my name near need neither new night nor northernmost nothing notice old on one onto onward open opposite other our over pagoda palm past patiently people pick pit point pools proper pursuers quest questings red remain reveal risen river roots safe safe safe said sang say search second seek seen sees seven shall she shifted shortest should side since single six small smallest so some someone someplace spirit spoor standing stands step stolen stops swallow swim taken taller tallest tangible tears temple their theirs these they think this those though three times toward towards tower travel traveled travels tread trek turns two uncover under underneath unique unless upon us use valley visit voyage wake wander wanderings want waterfall way we were whenever whereas wherefore whether whilst whilst who why wider will within without wood word words world would wrist year yet
