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Post by leftbrained on Jul 21, 2022 13:58:32 GMT -5
That forwards/backwards trick still floors me! That may have been my favorite 'aha' moment of the hunt (though it's hard to pick just one). I figured that one might get solved a bit earlier, just because I figured folks would ask "why the heck did they bother to use all of these codes in this seemingly random way?" I'd also love to hear how many folks did get the backwards message but then were stuck about how to use that message to get the final decode message for that token's location. I'd also also love to hear more stories from solvers about ahas, frustrations, rants and raves, etc. I got the message after I solved the creature messages. In searching for the meaning of the shorter one I had the idea to try that. I thought it was cool. Unfortunately I was convinced the map helper was the clue to the creature token  I spent a week trying to put black squares into a grid to draw a picture I briefly considered the usage of that message, but never actually tried it. I probably would have eventually, but then the token got found and it lowered my priority. |
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Post by wgardner on Jul 21, 2022 14:02:35 GMT -5
I got the message after I solved the creature messages. Can you explain what you mean by the "creature messages"? Unfortunately I was convinced the map helper was the clue to the creature token I spent a week trying to put black squares into a grid to draw a picture Did you decode the black squares around the map helper? They did have a simple message encoded in them. Or are you talking about other black squares from somewhere else? |
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Post by susb8383 on Jul 21, 2022 15:11:00 GMT -5
Butterfly threw us a little bit because it was the only picture that had a keyhole other than the feys and the spiral. Was there any significance to that?
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Post by mike6888 on Jul 21, 2022 15:12:46 GMT -5
Did I miss the Bentley snowflake connection? I was sure you used the well known snowflakes on purpose to hint towards Snowflake Bentley but never found a connection. I spent tons of time trying to track down those particular snowflakes in the catalog.
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Post by leftbrained on Jul 21, 2022 15:23:52 GMT -5
I got the message after I solved the creature messages. Can you explain what you mean by the "creature messages"? Unfortunately I was convinced the map helper was the clue to the creature token I spent a week trying to put black squares into a grid to draw a picture Did you decode the black squares around the map helper? They did have a simple message encoded in them. Or are you talking about other black squares from somewhere else? Creature messages meant the two messages in border of Snail . Yes, those squares are the one I am talking about. I did eventually decode them after I found out they were encoding a message. |
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jrrag
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Post by jrrag on Jul 21, 2022 15:47:07 GMT -5
Butterfly threw us a little bit because it was the only picture that had a keyhole other than the feys and the spiral. Was there any significance to that? My feeling on that was that it was telling us "light is the key" since there seemed to be a light source in the box. |
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jrrag
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Post by jrrag on Jul 21, 2022 15:49:37 GMT -5
I got the message after I solved the creature messages. Can you explain what you mean by the "creature messages"? Unfortunately I was convinced the map helper was the clue to the creature token I spent a week trying to put black squares into a grid to draw a picture Did you decode the black squares around the map helper? They did have a simple message encoded in them. Or are you talking about other black squares from somewhere else? I spent some time overlaying the helper all over the map, especially on the "tears" to see if map features landed in the grids around the helper to encode further messages in that same code or maybe another. |
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ddp
New Member
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Post by ddp on Jul 21, 2022 16:12:02 GMT -5
Can you explain what you mean by the "creature messages"? Did you decode the black squares around the map helper? They did have a simple message encoded in them. Or are you talking about other black squares from somewhere else? I spent some time overlaying the helper all over the map, especially on the "tears" to see if map features landed in the grids around the helper to encode further messages in that same code or maybe another.
If you put the map helper on the right place on the map by the Sundra Desert, then extend the diagonal lines across the rest of the map, the names Oldfluur, Unzorc, and Evorniq all fall exactly on the diagonal lines. We were sure we had to do something with those 3 names. We fell down another map rabbit hole when we were able to line up an area of the coast near The North Strait with one of the rocks near the bright spot in the Golden Beetle wall, and we were sure that meant something. We also spent a lot of time cataloging all the Beetles lyrics, until we realized they all appeared in the story right after a hare came up out of the tunnels, and we figured that was cluing a literal Rabbit Hole to avoid.
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Post by wgardner on Jul 21, 2022 18:09:08 GMT -5
It's fascinating to read about the unintended red herrings/rabbit holes that folks went down.
Snowflake Bentley? Never heard of it. ?? Sorry for your time wasted. I just looked for images of snowflakes that I could use and those turned up in a google search.
Map Helper with diagonal lines leading through other towns? Completely unintended. Sorry for your time wasted.
The Butterfly box with key and light was both Beth's way of showing that light was critical to the solve and the box was a reference/confirmer to the final location. (I think, check with Beth to be sure)
The whole experience did make us realize how it is virtually impossible to write something like this without folks (understandably) looking for meaning in things that had no intended meaning. It does make one understand how so many ATT and TTOTC participants went down so many false trails too.
I do think we did a pretty darn good job of making sure that folks who went to the right location found the specific spot where the corresponding token was, largely due to Beth's ability to very accurately represent a location with her artwork.
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ddp
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Post by ddp on Jul 21, 2022 18:14:02 GMT -5
Sorry for your time wasted.
Oh, but are you really sorry?  |
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Post by crawfocl on Jul 21, 2022 18:19:04 GMT -5
Sorry for your time wasted.
Oh, but are you really sorry? And it was definitely not time wasted, we had such a fun time coming up with all these theories! I really enjoyed the feeling that anything was possible and we could try to find meaning anywhere. We've been having a great time these past few days going over all the wrong turns we took. |
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Post by crawfocl on Jul 21, 2022 18:22:05 GMT -5
We also enjoyed trying to parse whether it was a helper for map tears, or whether we were supposed to use the map, then tear the helper.
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ddp
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Post by ddp on Jul 21, 2022 18:32:04 GMT -5
We also enjoyed trying to parse whether it was a helper for map tears, or whether we were supposed to use the map, then tear the helper. Yes, there was a lot of shedding of tears, wondering what the heck that map helper was supposed to be used for!
And by the way, the map city placement and naming was simply genius, hands down my favorite aha moment of the whole thing. It took our 14-year-old son (the strongest member of the team by far) to say, "Hey wait a minute, why does this quadrant of the map have 23 cities in it when that one only has 5? You don't think they..."
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Post by wgardner on Jul 21, 2022 18:58:59 GMT -5
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Post by GeneticBlend on Jul 22, 2022 8:44:59 GMT -5
Butterfly threw us a little bit because it was the only picture that had a keyhole other than the feys and the spiral. Was there any significance to that? Butterfly was holding a box as a clue to a BOX CANYON. The art is a subtle reference to another treasure hunt, "The Secret" where on the cover of that book, the woman is opening a box and light emerges. The light was a clue that the puzzle was about the properties of the colors of light. The keyhole really had no significance other than they were searching for keys. I gave nods to other treasure hunts in the book that were barely recognizable, such as using the word "beacon" for "Beacon Star". Of course there are undeniable resremblances to ATT with the forest creatures, feys and creature gems as prizes. And you always need a hare or rabbit in a good hunt! |
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I spent a week trying to put black squares into a grid to draw a picture 
