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Re: (TFT) riddles, Helvetica's story
The following is somewhat related to riddles though more like mood. This
might be the start of an adventure.
Your group is traveling to the fairre. You are many weeks away. You are in
need of supplies and the hunters in the group say there is always venison to
be had in vales, so you take a detour to go provisioning. The narrow rutted
road passes a village of Holly where you hole up for the night. It seems
like a lively place for being off the beaten track. All sorts of
personalities are here and wondrous entertainment. You decide that this
must be an out of the way stop for the fairre entertainers as they wait for
the Cahone Pass to clear.
The next day, your party, stripped for hunting, goes out into the woods.
Many odd things happen which you can't begin to explain, though nothing
directly happening with you.
Then you come across a body. It is of an old bearded man who seems to have
been traveling through the woods to the inn. He is wearing pants and blouse
of good material, a greatcloak and good hiking boots. He has a daypack and
small backpack. A walking staff lays beside him. The body is sitting
against an oak. It has not yet begun to rot. It is obvious that the man
had suffered many wounds to his upper body for there was blood all over his
shirt. Upon investigation it is found that there are no cuts in his shirt.
Its as if he had pulled open his blouse and slashed himself with a knife.
But this could not be the case, because his shirt was tucked under his belt.
As you look through his bags (oh come on, I know characters will always
investigate), you find a diary. This is one Helvetica Font, philosopher to
king Klintono, who is currently out of power. Helvetica is on walk-about
until he gets a new employer.
The last written page in the diary was yesterday.
4th day after Feast of Profundity - I recall having seen this written in
human on an old Learicks parchment. It is said to be a translation by the
philosopher Graem of an elven poem.
"Breath deep the gathering gloom.
Watchlights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people lay back and lament
Another days useless energy spent.
Empassioned lovers wrestle as one.
Lonely men cry for love and have none.
New mother picks up and suckles here son.
Elderly citizens wish they were young.
Cold hearted orb that rules the night
removes the colors from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow - white.
But we decide which is right.
And which is an illusion...."
Yesterday I heard this in the inn, a bawdlerized folksong
"I see the fireplace a-rising,
I hear the tortoise talk to me,
I smell the ocean in the mountains,
I taste the sweetness in bitter tea.
Don't trust your senses,
Be apprehensive,
Listen to the words of Berkeley.
I feel the coldness of the fire,
I know these things cannot be.
I believe I've warped my perceptions,
I perceive things secondarily."
Make Note:
The philosopher Berkeley concluded that what is reality might not be. The
qualities that are perceived of an object are not its primary qualities.
Primary qualities are its mass, internal structure and the like. What is
perceived are secondary qualities; color, sound and the like. These
qualities can be misinterpreted.
I find this folksong from this area to be intriguing. Folksongs usually
don't address philosophical points, let alone name philosophers themselves.
This is perhaps a college song sung by drunken scholars. But then why is it
sung here in this vale? I believe this clue along with the odd goings on in
my travel the last couple of days, plus the fear of the locals suggests that
I am in the vicinity of one of the gates to the legendary lost mage college
of ILM. I will have to ask the innkeeper at the Woods of Holly what rumors
abound."
That is the last entry. Will you pursue the riddle or are you already to
deep in it?
= = = =
There are references here that some of you may know. It is interesting for
the players to get familiar quotes or names that they can't quite place.
The danger is that they can place it and then break the hold of the story.
Then again, in a silly adventure, this is exactly what you want to do.
Hail Melee,
John Paul
From: "Cas Liber" <casliber@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: (TFT) riddles
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 20:54:41 +1000
Dear all,
Anyone else come up with other creative ones for dungeons etc? Apart from
the Hobbits ones and 'Whats big, red & eats
rocks..........................'
Cas
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