ONE CLUE SOLVED! - CONTEST TWO: Solve this puzzle to win a free Fanatic book by Chris Williams
- Thread starter Kagavi
- Start date
I've been following thread only sporadically. Has there been a post with all of the clues listed? (Not sure if I'd be able to decipher regardless, but maybe it'd help). (If that's how it works)
Huh that's an interesting thought. Gonna have to file that one away.
No to all guesses.
BONUS CLUE 7:
The smell = synesthesia
Mister Gunk was kind enough to share his rationale in a PM, which I found immensely interesting. One thread proposed was the works of Douglas Preston, which I had to dissuade him of that notion.
To keep it fair for all, I'm also sharing that here. BONUS CLUE 6 book has nothing to do with Douglas Preston's oeuvre.
All other new answers are incorrect.
I will add this extra info the original post.
Ok sleuthy Cyclones! I have 100% confidence that the first couplet of the riddle refers to the book A Dictionary of Color. It’s a 1930 reference book cataloging thousands of color names with 56 color plates and an extensive index, which is why later lines (lavender, the plates, the dagger symbol) all have specific referents inside it. The October-crash bonus clue independently confirms 1929 → 1930.
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to link to the next node from the lavender line, but eventually, the places I end up don’t make logical sense. I initially thought the dagger mark was still referring to something inside the dictionary, but as our riddler has mentioned:
“Too many people are skipping steps and taking a "solution" to some of the first lines and leaping all the way to the end symbol. The beginning of the puzzle has nothing to do with the end result, it's just how the path begins. I cannot stress this enough.”
So, I’m pretty confident A Dictionary of Color is only the launching point, and the question asked at the end of the riddle is outside of its pages.
I’m mostly invested in solving the thing at this point. If anyone wants to compare notes or discuss strategy, send me a DM.
The book is available online for viewing (free) in several places.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015014923059&seq=1
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to link to the next node from the lavender line, but eventually, the places I end up don’t make logical sense. I initially thought the dagger mark was still referring to something inside the dictionary, but as our riddler has mentioned:
“Too many people are skipping steps and taking a "solution" to some of the first lines and leaping all the way to the end symbol. The beginning of the puzzle has nothing to do with the end result, it's just how the path begins. I cannot stress this enough.”
So, I’m pretty confident A Dictionary of Color is only the launching point, and the question asked at the end of the riddle is outside of its pages.
I’m mostly invested in solving the thing at this point. If anyone wants to compare notes or discuss strategy, send me a DM.
The book is available online for viewing (free) in several places.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015014923059&seq=1
Sadly, that's only the first part of the riddle. @Kagavi is in his element with these types of things.
Sadly, that's only the first part of the riddle. @Kagavi is in his element with these types of things.
I just assumed he made this up in his mind and this was a wild goose chase. Could still be I guess....
Congrats to them for figuring out the correct book to start this puzzle with. I will move add this to the original post. In addition to the Hathi link shared, I prefer the Internet Archive link, because it is in color:
Let me explain a bit. You will see how I'm constructing this puzzle (When the overall puzzle is solved, I will explain it all.)
PART ONE
The year after the crash, Paul came to explain.
Aloysius tried too, but ignore the law of Latium.
In ancient Latin, law is often rendered as ius, or jus but "j" is a later addition to the alphabet. Thus Aloysius - ius = Aloys. Put it together: 1930, Paul & Aloys = the correct book.
BONUS CLUE 3 (REFERS TO PART ONE) - FIXED TYPO (UNDERLINED):
The false eighth moon went dark thrice.
Reinforcing the 1929 stock market crash. October was originally the eighth month in the Roman calendar (continuing the Latin theme), so by being the tenth month, it is "false". The stock market popularly had three "Black" days.
BONUS CLUE 5:
The crash didn't involve physical items.
Reinforcing the stock market crash.
If any of you need additional motivation to try to solve this puzzle, here is the customized autograph by Chris Williams in the book for the contest winner.
