theo
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Posts: 152
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Post by theo on Apr 28, 2022 11:05:10 GMT -5
In my opinion "ww" is the key to the hunt. Why do I think that? Look at the Donleg Orchards front gate. You can see "key" in the exact spot where the boards cross. To the immediate left of "key" is a perfect little arrow pointing at two w's. I didn't really make the connection the other day when goldhunter posted this comment, but a lightbulb definitely went on when I started researching Cassiopeia.
The most basic thing that every reference site says about the constellation is that the five brightest stars form a "W" shape. Quoting directly from the Wikipedia article: "Cassiopeia was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. It is easily recognizable due to its distinctive 'W' shape, formed by five bright stars."
So "W" is important. That's why it shows up so often as a repeated motif. And we have 12 illustrations with a lot of straight lines. If I had to guess at this point, I'd say that we are expected to construct a model of the constellation Cassiopeia using the lines in the illustrations. Time for some origami!
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Post by morpheus221 on Apr 29, 2022 20:56:58 GMT -5
There was a similar theory that five state capitals on the map would form a “W” but never any logical connection to which ones.
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Post by goldhunter on Apr 30, 2022 9:12:52 GMT -5
The chicken or the egg. Is "w" important because it's shaped like Cassiopeia? Or, is Cassiopeia important because it's "w" shaped? Is the letter "w" important and not because of its shape?
I have one theory that ends up in Elwood, Indiana which has a Wendell Wilkie Park!
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theo
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Posts: 152
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Post by theo on May 2, 2022 12:00:06 GMT -5
There was a similar theory that five state capitals on the map would form a “W” but never any logical connection to which ones. I'd be surprised if the state capitals are part of the solution, simply because the artist didn't have any control over their positions. But the artist had total control over the numbers on the map, and they appear to be positioned in a deliberate way. It seems very likely that the numbers are meant to tell us something about how to use the straight lines in the images.
One sticking point that keeps nagging at me is that the 12 images are printed back-to-back on 6 sheets of paper. There's no way to bend along a straight line in one image without modifying another one as well. So are the map numbers giving us a sequenced set of instructions for an elaborate origami? Or are we meant to cut along the straight lines and arrange the pieces? I feel reasonably certain that we're not meant to photocopy the images and use them independently. Whatever we're doing to one image is meant to affect the image on the other side of the page.
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Post by morpheus221 on May 2, 2022 22:10:41 GMT -5
Agree with you on state capitals due to the fact that the artist (not puzzle creator) drew the map. On that note, I don’t think the drawings contain any further clues other than the constellation map which I believe the puzzle creator drew after receiving the sketches from the artist.
I never considered the numbers on the map other than the “Casseiopia” clue. That’s an interesting idea.
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theo
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Posts: 152
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Post by theo on May 3, 2022 5:59:14 GMT -5
I don’t think the drawings contain any further clues other than the constellation map which I believe the puzzle creator drew after receiving the sketches from the artist.
I can see why you think that, but I have to disagree. The drawings are grotesque and ugly, but it's all a deliberate thing to hide the lines and shapes inside them. Once you start folding, it begins to make a little more sense.
Speaking of lines, have people already talked about that long, straight ladder on page 24? Ever seen a ladder with rungs like that? It's almost as if the artist needed a straight line right there near the top...
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