Episode Number: (TG317)
Original Airdate: 11/2001
The party puts on their new equipment and heads over to the air challenge, which consists of ascending ramps and platforms with riddles on them and nasty electric air elementals. Wackiness ensues.
We here at the Lurker's Guide repeat: The party really doesn't do riddles.
First riddle: a rusty iron pedastal with all colors of gems, and the riddle:
Blood of peasants
Blood of kings
Blood of grasses
Touched by springs
Mix together
Find the hue
Touch that which is colored true
The answer was to touch none of the gems, but to touch the pedastal itself. Aldea eventually figured this one out, but not after a lot of people got zapped. Apparently there was confusion over what color the blood of grass was. There was a literal interpretation going around about milky sap and stuff, when the riddle guy was clearly just thinking, "Green".
Second riddle: a verbal response riddle:
Stark legends pass of murders crass to every land and nation
And Sisters Fair weep in despair at this means of extermination
Your fate is sealed, your blood congealed, once it has laid its claim
Nor is it wise to seek the prize by speaking of its name
Only a priest can bring release once tangled in its grasp
The time is near, the prize is clear, the answer, speak!
The obvious answer, LovesGasp, is great, except for where the riddle has been telling you not to say the name of the thing for multiple lines. Tierney got dinged on that one. If you look at the first letter of each line, you see what the actual answer to the riddle is.
We're almost done, we're almost done, we're almost done, we're almost done. I am so goddam sick of this fricking dungeon.
Although I hope it's been an okay dungeon. You know, mixture of nasty combats and traps and treasure and stuff. But man, I am ready for an adventure more like our normal style...
And Leny has the hammer...
Later note: One of many reasons I married the damsel...
Me: So Tierney touches the ruby, and WHAM, he goes flying. And Aldea touches an amethyst, and WHAM! She thought that it was reb, blue, and milky white.
Damsel: Why milky white? Grass doesn't bleed white. It bleeds green. That's how you get grass stains. So it'd be red and blue and green... wait, what that pedastal is brownish, right?
Me: Um, yeah...
(moments later, Patrick says the riddle to Karin, explains what LovesGasp is, and says)
Me: So Tierney says, "Love's Gasp", and then --
Damsel: But didn't the riddle spend all that time telling you NOT to say the name?
Me: Well, yes, actually.
Damsel: So you were just fuckin' with 'em, huh?
It's a) A good thing I married her, and b) A good thing she's not in the party, 'cause she sees through my bullshit a lot faster than anyone else...
Well, Aldamar will certainly be happy to get the hell out of this undeath trap. His player, on the other hand, is coming to lament a few lost opportunities. Honestly, I think the overall story arc here was great. And we did have some really, ah... interesting character developments. Perhaps just fewer traps and random, horribly deadly encounters next time? Uh, if there is a next time... Anyway, it's time to learn something from this, in and out of character.
Dave: What's the DC on disabling the iron golem trap? 90!
Geordan: Almost got it...
Patrick: Thank G*d I got Skill Focus!
Patrick: Kai-o...pectate? I haven't used Kaopectate yet, have I?
Mike: So the smarter one is going up.
Patrick: Is she roped?
Tony & Mike: (simultaneously) Yup!
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