Lets see if I can avoid being confusing. I created a story that ends with a puzzle that I found so fitting to my writing style and the story and life in general that I wanted to post it here.
Some people will find the bio interesting, and it may help with the puzzle when I say I find it very fitting. If so, read the bio part. Others may want to know about the story, especially as it may contain clues about the puzzle. If so, read that part.
Others may want to jump to the puzzle. Its not hard, or is it?
Probably not, but I want to see if others have come up with the same soluion as me. If you want to try, do so.
If you totally want to waste time, read all three parts. That's what I would do.
The Bio Part I want to be a writer. I say want because I keep making excuses for not taking the time to write. OSC points out that a writer is someone who writes, and I realize that is where I fail.
I have noticed that when I dream up a story I get a fever to not only write it all down, but to plot it all out. I used to not start writing until I had the entire plot carefully crafted in my head.
The problem was that once I had the plot finished and the characters created I got bored with the story. I'd write a chapter or two during the heat of the creative process, but after the plot worked itself out in my head, I'd drop the story for something new. The new story thrilled me. I was never short of ideas for them.
A few years ago I decided to break this habit and began a story with the firm commitment not to plot it out. I wanted to see where it would go, and to keep my interest high.
That lasted about 4 chapters. Then life intervened and I put it again on the back burner.
About a month ago I returned to the story and broke my pledge. I finished plotting it in my head. However, the final battle/challenge I created several years after creating the opening scene ties so well together that I was giddy with it. I shocked myself as each peice fit so nicely into place, and into places I hadn't expected to be there. Better yet, one of my interpretations of the final puzzle slaps me for failing the test every day I do not write.
The Story The story begins with the main character (you in the puzzle below) barging into a creepy old used book story and berating the owner that his suggested fantasy book was lousy.
"There are no more truly magical books anymore" you complain. Your complaint is so elegant that he offers you a truly magical fantasy book. One where, as you requested, elves are more than skinny bowmen with pointy ears. Where Ogres are more than big dumb brutes with three word vocabularies. Where magic was not a science to be implemented. Where evil was EVIL and good wasn't laughed at or treated sophmorically.
You follow this strange man down into the basement where he shows you a special book. It calls to you. The feel and smell of its leather binding, gold trim, and ancient thick paper excites you. "What would you pay for this book of magic?"
"Everything I have."
"Right answer." You wake up on a distant magical planet and begin your adventures.
You are joined be 7 other magi, each of different magical skills, who are supposed to train you in all aspects of magic. When they finish (in about 10 years) you will be ready to take the test of the Arch-Mage. A world needs an Arch Mage and you are their only hope.
Alas, Mendax, a devil of lies who collects souls for fun and profit, has discovered the small village where a doorway exists to this test. SInce the reward for succeeding in this test is the ultimate book of magic power, he has decided to raise an army and force his way to the prize.
Now, as the book winds down and many fun and dangerous adventures are over, now that you've found wisdom and love and learned a bit of magic, you must complete the test before Mendax destroys the village, slaughtering all of your friends.
The Puzzle
Note: This is an interactive puzzle. Questiona are allowed, if asked of the elf. I am working while doing this. If I don't answer in a timely fashion, shoot me, but come back later and I will.
You are in a large dark library. The walls on the left and the right, and even behind you are book shelves stretching to the ceiling. Your fingers crave the feel of those tomes, as your mind craves the stories held within.
However, you are here for only one.
The room is long, about 200 feet. About two thirds of the way down are two pedastals. On each pedastal rests a book. The books are highlighted by some unseen light source, or perhaps they shine from withing.
On the left is a beautiful blue leathered book. Its shiny silver binding and gem crusted cover seems to say it is new. The one on the right is thick and heavy, with aged black leather and tarnished bindings. It is locked closed like only those ancient books of power ever are.
At the back of the room, the floor rises three steps. There is a railing protecting part of the raised portion and a desk sits to the left. Behind the desk, also apparently shining from within, is an elf. You have met him before, so the awe most humans have of meeting one of the greater fey has dimmed a bit. He smiles an alien smile as he stands.
"The test is simple" he sings. Really, he just says it, but his voice is so musical your mind inteprets it as a song. "One of these two books is the book of an Arch-Mage. One of these books is power itself. Take it and use it if you can."
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
Since I'm only allowed to take one book, how about just sitting down, reading them both, and taking whichever I think I'd need to reference back more? The magic of books is reading, not owning.
Do they have any inscriptions along the spine? Like "Arch-magic for Dummies" or "That Other Book Sucks"
The book I'd actually need from this room would be one with all blank pages. Because I AM the archmage and I haven't written my book yet. (The magic is in my own finger.)
--Enigmatic
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I'll have to remember to never pull your finger, Enigmatic.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Interesting thoughts Enigmatic. But while you are standing there thinking about reading them Mendax is advancing.
1)Do you ask about reading them? 2)If you just start reading them, which one do you read first?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
You point to the elf and say, "Which one?"
And if he won't answer, hell, you either take both or destroy one and take the other. If the elf complains, point out that the alternative is Mendax, who intends to cheat anyway, and then slug him if he insists. It's easier to beat up an elf than a devil with a tome of absolute power, right?
Either way, Mendax doesn't get 'em.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
The elf smiles, which on this particular elf, you do not know if its good or bad. "Which ever one you think is best."
You take both. They are heavy. The elf does not complain. "The question is, can you use them?"
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Interesting. I'd probably take the old one, just because it's old, but, the new one could have new innovative ideas. Or, they both could just be the same book so it wouldn't matter which one I'd take. I'd go for the old one.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Heck, I don't need to use them. I just need to keep Mendax from using them.
But that said, I don't think I'd be able to refrain from slapping the elf with the spine of one of the books and saying, "Probably not. Can you? Because it'd be handy, what with the devil on the way and all. Otherwise, take your smug grin out of here. *smile*"
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
Nice Willow reference Enigmatic.
What prevents the elf from using the book himself? What happened to the last archmage?
I agree with Enigmatic that the new book is the way to go. The main character did say, "There are no more truly magical books anymore."
Perhaps that is why he was chosen to take the test, because he already knew the answer. Is the elf the book store owner our heor encountered in chapter one?
The rules of the puzzle is a bit unclear. Is the elf bound to answer questions honestly? What is his interest in this matter? Is he good, bad, or neutral?
Maybe our hero should go Giant's Drink on the elf's a**.
[ June 06, 2005, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: Beren One Hand ]
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
The elf is NOT the person you met in the begining of the story. That person turned out to be one of his mage-companions. One who dealt in scrolls and magic words.
The only thing you know about the elf is that he is here to facilitate the test. He is the keeper of the books. He took the test many millenia ago and failed. It is the nature of that failure that he cannot bring himself to choose the correct
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Tom. He says, "I do not fear Mendax. He could not find his way here, and if he could, he could not use the books. He would fail the test as suredly as I. On the other hand I do not doubt that he will kill all your friends in the village as he tries to get here. It is the power in the book that can defeat him."
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
"What happens if I open the wrong book? Anything? And do you have a key for the locked book?"
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
He hands you the key. "Like any book, nothing happens when you open it. When you read it, well, that depends on what is written there."
Posted by reader (Member # 3888) on :
You ask the elf, just to be sure, "Are the two books you refer to the ones on the pedastals?"
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
Right, right, mendax. I'd just kind of skimmed this on the way to work, sorry. Pick up whichever book is heavier and beat mendax over the head with it. It seems to work for some folks.
--Enigmatic
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Reader--yes. Enigmatic--they both weigh the same, heavy but not too bad. However since the one has a metal lock, it would make the best weapon. You take it and pound Mendax on the head with it, until he grabs it out of your hands. He should kill you, but instead he throws your body 50 yards into a painful splat. THen he laughs demonically as he turns the pages in the book. "Yes!!!! YES!!! AHAHAHAHAHA. THis is it! Oooh beautiful...." This continues long after you loose conciousness.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
And this is why I always play choose-your-own-adventure books to LOSE. The death endings are always way more interesting than the good endings. Go me!
--Enigmatic
Posted by xtownaga (Member # 7187) on :
I'd ask which book did elf picked? (as the other is presumably the correct one if he failed the test)
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
elf: "I picked up the older book, but of course it was much newer then."
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Take the powerbook and surf the Web. Archmagery ain't all it's cracked up to be.
Posted by xtownaga (Member # 7187) on :
I'd ask for a few clarifications. First, was the older book then the same book that is the older one now? If not is the one that he would have chosen had he passed the test one of the options? Second: he may have picked it up, but is that the book that the elf chose as his one and only choice, or did he just pick it up?
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Elf: I will not be vague since you do not wish me to be so. I chose the older book. It was the older book then. The newer book was different, yet inside contained the same information.
It is not that I chose wrong. I believe that if I can master what is in the older book I will have chosen correctly. Unfortunately that mastery has not been easy these past centuries.
I will add that some who have chosen the newer book have been unable to master it as well.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
In that case, the two books are equivalent. If I'm an archmage, and if the book I'm looking for is the book of an archmage, the simple fact is that whichever book I select will be correct. Because it's not the book that's the determining factor, then: it's I.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
This is why I gave up DM'ing. When I spent three hours outside a room where a magic spell kept asking for the password. The players kept giving me every password they could think of, but nobody tried to ignore the voice and open the door. It was unlocked.
Has anyone tried to ...read the books?
You can touch them, picke them up, bash devils over the head with them. Reading might be a clue.
Enigmatic--You are not dead, just wounded, and you met Tom's earlier requirement for victory, for Mendax takes the book he thinks he can master and spends the next few thousand years trying to master it. He leaves the field of battle with a worthless prize. In my story that is eventually what the hero does. He takes both books and gives Mendax the same choice. Mendax fails the test.
The thing about this test is that those who fail believe they have won.
Tom--Close, but I am not doing a Willow rerun. To say that there is no difference in the books is incorrect. Its like saying there is no difference between a Sports Car and a Semi-Truck. Both do different jobs, but if you can't drive a stick you won't get anywhere with either. Or its like a magic sword vs a magic axe. It takes both the weapon and the skilled wielder to determine the winner.
Or not quite like that. You are close, and you have given me an angle I need to clarify, but you are not quite there. See hint above and you may understand.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I think it would depend on what you want to do with the book. Perhaps one is offensive in nature, and one is defensive/curative.
What is the purpose of having an Arch-Magus, and why does the world need one? To fight evil, of to help good survive and prosper?
They aren't necessarily one and the same, although they might not be mutually exclusive, either.
Kwea
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Kwea, in your small amount of training you have learned that the purpose of the Arch Magus is the Arch Magus's to decide. Why the world needs one will only be explained by succeeding in the test. The asking of Why, however, is a good sign that you are ready for the test.
If you ask the elf he sighs. "The world needs the Arch Magus, not to battle evil, yet that is most common, nor to secure the success of Good, though that is common. He is needed, that is all as that is just the begining."
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
quote: Has anyone tried to ...read the books?
Um, yes. First response, first suggestion: Read both.
Anyway, sorry if I haven't been taking this puzzle very seriously, and don't I don't mean offense by this: This sort of puzzle is always either "It doesn't actually matter" or "The one you'd least expect" Since you gave 2 options and each seem to have pros and cons, that rules out the 2nd possibility.
I DO like the idea of letting the demon pick as the solution. It's also one half of the holy grail solution in Indy Jones & Last Crusade: let the bad guy choose first because he won't choose right.
Overall, I think you may have a good story idea, but not a very good puzzle. A lot of the setup reminds me of "Magic Kingdom for Sale: Sold" which was a pretty good book.
I've been in that sort of situation as a DM, and as a player. Your door example reminds me of a funny game of HOL, but maybe I'll post that in a separate thread.
--Enigmatic
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
quote:The thing about this test is that those who fail believe they have won.
Does the elf believe he passed the test?
quote:A world needs an Arch Mage and you are their only hope.
What, exactly, did the Magi tell the hero about the world's need for an arch mage. They must have told him something.
quote:The world needs the Arch Magus, not to battle evil, yet that is most common, nor to secure the success of Good, though that is common. He is needed, that is all as that is just the begining."
What does the elf mean when he said "common"? Does he mean arch mages commonly battle evil, or that it is commonly believed that is what arch mages do?
Does the arch mage wield power over the books, or does he merely become a conduit for the power and balance of magic in that world? The hero did say he is willing to give "everything" at the beginning of the story. Does that include his free will?
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
I wanna play, but I want T.D. on my team, but not as an archmage. He'll just get himself burned.
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
I'd also like to recruit Ketchup Queen, so long as she "maintains"...
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
... GAH!!!
*stumbles headlong into the stacks*
"what's this?"
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Enigmatic: Sorry, at first I was playing this to literal. You said, "how about." but didn't say you were actually doing that. This does bring back a whole bunch of DM memories, and mistakes.
Don't take this puzzle too seriously. this is Hatrack, not the end of the world.
I agree that these puzzles are usually that simple. If there is a pretty one and an ugly one, you pick the ugly one (see Sword of SHannarra, Indiana Jones Last Crusade, the plain girl in any 80's teen flick, etc.). I think I found a deeper solution in this problem. Picking the book is only half the answer. Understanding what it means is what I find interesting.
Here is what you find in the two books:
The new pretty book is completetly empty.
The old book is magically full, containing far more information than can be contained in one book. In many ways it is like unlimited Magical Google. Every subject of every magic spell, rule, law, or system is incorporated in it. From the magic of music to the Quantum Physics, from String theory explained to the magical properties of aromas. The index iteself takes hours to read. It is a portal to the rest of the library itself.
Beren. The elf believed he chose right, but was unable to master the information the old book contains. Too this day he is still trying to master it all. Today he is not so sure, be believes he is too engrossed by the magic rules he has read to be able to master the other book.
That one line is all the other mages told you. Questions for clarification were met with stalls and the phrase "we cannot explain. Either you will understand or the world will be lost." In the book the hero assumes that he is supposed to think its this new world that needs an Archmage, when in reallity it is Earth. He is wrong.
By "Common" he meand that is what most Arch Mages do.
Your last question I can not anwer. There is still some lively debate about it amongst the arch mages themselves. Perhaps we will ask our resident Arch Mage after the puzzle is finished.
Alluvion: You picked up Tobens Guide To Metaphysical Creatures. Next to it is Plato's Republic and "The Power of Myth"
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
Thanks for the answers. Now you have to write the story so I can find out more about the story.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)