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MNOWAX
0.999... of a Troll
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 Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 2:41 am Post subject: 1 |
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The following puzzle is from the team of Zag, LordKinbote and Lexprod. If you liked this puzzle, please vote for it in the Poll tournaments section!
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX
Last edited by MNOWAX on Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:45 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:53 pm Post subject: 2 |
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| Quote: |
Here is our puzzle. It is a tiered puzzle -- you will need the solutions to the first six in order to solve the final puzzle, though it might help to partially solve it and work forwards and back. Except for the final puzzle, the text which is here in the note is only for flavor, and does not contain any hints or important instructions. That is, the images (including the embedded text within them) is all you should need to solve the first six.
Also, don't read anything into the watermark on one of the suspect images -- it was the best picture we could find.
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Your Trip to Puzzlania.
As you arrive in Puzzlania, you are confidant. You have mastered logic problems of all sorts, weighing coins with a balance, deducing the color of your hat, outsmarting game show hosts, and so on. You feel buoyant as you step off the plane, only to hear the terrible news: King Thales, master logician and unmerciful judge, has passed away. His daughter, Queen Calliope, has taken over. While no more merciful nor any less judgmental, her specialty lies in the spoken and written word. And you without your thesaurus.
Nervously eying the fresh bloodstains on the floor, you accept a single sheet of paper from the inquisitor.
Relieved to have squeaked through the first test (with only minutes to spare!) you head out to your hotel. Rather than a key, you are handed a sudoku with three of the squares marked in red, six marked in blue. It looks as if the hotel hasn't yet caught up with the new style of puzzle in the region.
"Solve this," states the hotel manager wearily. "Red is the room number, blue is the combination," He looks as if he were expecting an argument, but you take the sheet without a word. Just a few minutes of focusing your concentration has the puzzle cracked, and you head off to your room. But in your tired, anxious state, instead of room 265, you accidentally step up to room 256 and punch in the combination. Alarms sound, you realize your mistake immediately, but it is too late. You step away, but the knock-out gas filling the halls has already made its way to your lungs, and it is only a matter of time. You wake up in a cell -- somewhat refreshed, it turns out -- and soon find yourself before a judge. You can only hope that they also are using the old, logic-based tests.
Happy with your success with your second trial, you head out to see the sights. Of course, the hedge mazes are amazing, with their tunnels and assorted one-way passages. The Rubic Museum is all you expected. Finally, you spend some time in the park watching Coyote who was challenging people to games of chess puzzles. As you head back to the hotel, several uniformed gentlemen grab you and put you into the van.
Although you managed this last puzzle, you are careful to keep your mouth shut on the ride home, to avoid any new offenses, and you make your way safely to your bed. The following morning, you awaken to a knock on your door. It is the police again, and you wonder if every visitor is treated to such an impressive array of trials. However, you quickly learn that they are not looking to test you, but for your assistance. It seems that your reputation as a master logician had preceded you, and no one really expected you to survive the entrance puzzle. It turns out that all of the other master logicians have all been killed, in what is now being called "The Word Purge" and you are the only one they can turn to.
With this latest puzzle solved, you manage to get nearly two entire days to yourself, entirely police-free. You are sitting at your new favorite restaurant, solving the menu, when you feel a tap on your shoulder. "Captain Shortz would like to speak with you, if you don't mind, sir," says the now-familiar voice. He has two different conundrums that he hopes you can help with.
The following morning at breakfast, you figure out this morning's color code for melon, french toast, mango juice and weak tea. It's close enough to what you wanted so you quit solving and turn to the paper. To your horror and surprise, the headlines read, "Queen Calliope Assassinated!" Below the headline the article describes that seven men were in the area, their grainy images captured by security camera. It makes a desperate plea that anyone who can give information or provide alibis for any of these men should immediately report to the police. If the information is conclusive, since the land is now without a successor to the throne, the person providing evidence to identify the killer will be immediately crowned the new King or Queen of Puzzlania. After a brief study of the pictures, you immediately know who the criminal is.
It is ...?
  
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groza528
No Place Like Home
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:00 pm Post subject: 3 |
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| After a brief study of the pictures, you immediately know who the criminal is. |
Racist jerks.
P.S. Going for the shotgun technique, I see?
Last edited by groza528 on Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:19 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject: 4 |
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| groza528 wrote: |
| Quote: |
| After a brief study of the pictures, you immediately know who the criminal is. |
Racist jerks.
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Oh Jesus, that made me laugh. |
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lexprod
NOT not a title
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:16 pm Post subject: 5 |
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Don't forget to vote for our puzzle in the Poll Tournaments Forum  |
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:26 pm Post subject: 6 |
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| lexprod wrote: |
| Don't forget to vote for our puzzle in the Poll Tournaments Forum |
Yes. Of course. While you're at it, vote for our puzzle in the Poll Tournaments Forum. |
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ralphmerridew
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject: 7 |
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Re the airplane:Lisa__ Thomas=Ursula
******* ****** ******
Ron=== ====== =Nadia
Travis ****** ******
Owen== ====== Georgia
****** ****** Edward
TabithaSamuel=Olivia
Irena_ ****** ******
Ulrich ====== =Trina
****** Olga== ==Norm
Reading initial letters across gives LTURNTOGETSOIUTON. This looks like "L turn to get solution", so I probably made an error somewhere. |
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:09 pm Post subject: 8 |
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| ralphmerridew wrote: |
Re the airplane:Lisa__ Thomas=Ursula
******* ****** ******
Ron=== ====== =Nadia
Travis ****** ******
Owen== ====== Georgia
****** ****** Edward
TabithaSamuel=Olivia
Irena_ ****** ******
Ulrich ====== =Trina
****** Olga== ==Norm
Reading initial letters across gives LTURNTOGETSOIUTON. This looks like "L turn to get solution", so I probably made an error somewhere. |
Check clue 4 again. I think you misread it. |
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:01 pm Post subject: 9 |
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Would anyone who has NOT solved the airplane logic one care to try this version instead and tell me if it's solvable? You can judge us on the other version, but I'm pretty sure this version is better and I'd like to keep the better version for my own records. I've removed quite a bit of redundancy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/LordKinbote/SkywayRobbery.jpg |
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot
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yuethomas
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:55 am Post subject: 11 |
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| LordKinbote wrote: |
Would anyone who has NOT solved the airplane logic one care to try this version instead and tell me if it's solvable? You can judge us on the other version, but I'm pretty sure this version is better and I'd like to keep the better version for my own records. I've removed quite a bit of redundancy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/LordKinbote/SkywayRobbery.jpg |
Yes, this version is solvable:
row, A, B, C
1, -, Thomas, Ursula
2, -, -, -
3, Ron, -, Nadia
4, Travis, -, -
5, Owen, -, Georgia
6, -, -, Edward
7, Tabitha, Sam, Olivia
8, -, -, Lisa
9, Ulrich, -, Trina
10, Irena, Olga, Norm
(Irena, Lisa, Tabitha, Edward and Travis are single; Norm is married to Olga, Owen is married to Georgia, Ron is married to Nadia, Samuel is married to Olivia, Thomas is married to Ursula, and Ulrich is married to Trina.)
The names spell TURN TO GET SOLUTION; do that, and then the seats which are occupied are Braille for BUMPY.
_________________
Tom Yue
Last edited by yuethomas on Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:37 am; edited 1 time in total |
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ralphmerridew
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:00 am Post subject: 12 |
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| Part of the map of the islands puzzle: Green = 1, Blue = 0. Take each row as a binary number. Convert to decimal. If you have 0, use 32 instead. Convert to ascii. That spells "NH RI AK DE KY HI ID" (New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Alaska, Delaware, Kentucky, Hawaii, Idaho, IIRC). Not sure what to do from there. |
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yuethomas
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:39 am Post subject: 13 |
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The dots puzzle:
Five sequences of numbers are contained in the picture: the PERFECT numbers, the PRIME numbers, the POWERFUL numbers, the ABUNDANT numbers and the ACHILLES numbers. Connect the dots, and they form the letters LUCKY.
_________________
Tom Yue |
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yuethomas
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:41 am Post subject: 14 |
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The islands puzzle:
Continuing from RM's post, get the nicknames (as given in Wikipedia) of the states:
NH - Granite
RI - Ocean
AK - Last Frontier
DE - First
KY - Bluegrass
HI - Aloha
ID - Gem
GOLFBAG is the answer.
_________________
Tom Yue |
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groza528
No Place Like Home
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:44 am Post subject: 15 |
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Well, I guess I'd better get my "almost solve" of the cryptics up before someone beats me to it.
The first puzzle is an iterative process of cryptic clues. Solve the first round of them and you get
Playmate in past flustered nun (5)
[8] abound! Shivering? No need for test or effort. They are diseases. (7)
(4)
The [8] is the one clue I haven't solved in the first set. Anyway, that gives you two new clues. The first one is BUNNY. I don't know the second one. But after that it looks like Bunny [7] will clue a 4-letter final answer.
If someone else wants to put that to bed, by all means |
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:14 am Post subject: 16 |
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Wow. I stepped away to watch some football, and they are going down like duck pins. yuethomas, did you get my lame indicator about why you could trust Sarah's comments as a clue (other than the fact that they are right there). Hint: On what road is she standing?
groza, great job on the cryptics. I thought they would last longer than that! |
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groza528
No Place Like Home
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:27 am Post subject: 17 |
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| I've actually been sitting on them trying to get the last one so someone else doesn't steal my thunder Incidentally though, shouldn't "a blight" be "blights?" Though that doesn't read quite as well. |
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yuethomas
Daedalian Member
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groza528
No Place Like Home
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:46 am Post subject: 19 |
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| Oh duh, I didn't realize the cards and the drugs were part of the same puzzle. I'd identified the same four drugs. |
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yuethomas
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:51 am Post subject: 20 |
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The paragraph puzzle:
The paragraph contains references to the Stephanie Plum mystery novels by Janet Evanovich:
"I know you stole the money (1), Mac," he tells me as he walks through the door. "Stealing
dough (2) from me, it's a breach of trust if I've ever seen one." The old man makes a deadly (3)
grin as he scribbles a note and proceeds to attach it to his fridge with a magnet. I glare at
him as if he had spat hard (8) and high (5) into my face. I know that this chump I stole the dough (2) from
doesn't have a shred of evidence or sense. But he grabs my shirt with deadly (3) intent,
his arms as strong as iron, delicately lifts me up (7), and tosses me to the ground. "I cut off the
last fist I let touch me -- high (5) on the arm," I growl, indicating my shoulder. This buffoon,
a geriatric has-been, thinks he can get the best of me but he'll soon learn the score (4). Maybe
fifty years ago, he could hurl bathtub gin down his throat like it was icewater, but those
days and a lot of dough (2) are behind him. I get up (7) to leave, but take a moment to look back
at an aged relic who must be high (5) if he thinks I'll forget this insult.
I don't know what to do at this point.
_________________
Tom Yue |
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LordKinbote
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 3:06 am Post subject: 21 |
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| yuethomas wrote: |
The paragraph puzzle:
The paragraph contains references to the Stephanie Plum mystery novels by Janet Evanovich:
"I know you stole the money (1), Mac," he tells me as he walks through the door. "Stealing
dough (2) from me, it's a breach of trust if I've ever seen one." The old man makes a deadly (3)
grin as he scribbles a note and proceeds to attach it to his fridge with a magnet. I glare at
him as if he had spat hard (8) and high (5) into my face. I know that this chump I stole the dough (2) from
doesn't have a shred of evidence or sense. But he grabs my shirt with deadly (3) intent,
his arms as strong as iron, delicately lifts me up (7), and tosses me to the ground. "I cut off the
last fist I let touch me -- high (5) on the arm," I growl, indicating my shoulder. This buffoon,
a geriatric has-been, thinks he can get the best of me but he'll soon learn the score (4). Maybe
fifty years ago, he could hurl bathtub gin down his throat like it was icewater, but those
days and a lot of dough (2) are behind him. I get up (7) to leave, but take a moment to look back
at an aged relic who must be high (5) if he thinks I'll forget this insult.
I don't know what to do at this point. |
Crap. Ignore the "up"s and the "hard", they're complete accidents. |
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Scurra
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:58 am Post subject: 22 |
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Meta:
I was going to hazard a guess that the cryptics answer was going to turn out to be BUGS, but none of the images seem to quite match any I can find.(edit: now I know it's the second one, there are some that are pretty close, but not the exact image.)
However, trying to find a matching picture, I stumbled across:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dillinger/gallery/gal_dillinger_10.html which is clearly #3
Backsolving: the answer to the paragraph puzzle is presumably:
MACHINE GUN
since suspect #4 is Jack McGurn: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=2649
That gives us:
1. Charles "Lucky" Luciano
2. ???? George "Bugs" Moran ????
3. Lester Joseph Gillis (George "Baby Face" Nelson)
4. Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn
5. Samuel "Golfbag" Hunt
6. Benjamin "Dopey" Fein
7. Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson
Can't seem to extract anything from first or last names though.
_________________
still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:47 pm Post subject: 23 |
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Almost there -- don't overthink the final part, it's more of a wrap-up than a puzzle.
A couple of hints:
race = rev (as an engine) Oops. I gave a hint for one that was already figured out.
Replacement hint: Formerly = Ex
weapons are hidden. Look carefully.
Also, those of you who have enjoyed our mystery hunt, GO VOTE FOR US!! http://www.greylabyrinth.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=13018
Last edited by Zag on Mon Sep 08, 2008 3:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ralphmerridew
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 3:11 pm Post subject: 24 |
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| Well "bumpy" makes sense as the answer for #2 (How was their ride?). That gives everyone an alibi except #3, so he's the killer. |
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject: 25 |
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| ralphmerridew wrote: |
| Well "bumpy" makes sense as the answer for #2 (How was their ride?). That gives everyone an alibi except #3, so he's the killer. |
Tom Yue solved that one in post 11. The ones that are not fully solved are the cryptics and the bad writing.
You won't be crowned King unless you can actually show the complete alibis for six of the seven.  |
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Oscar
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:58 am Post subject: 26 |
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The hidden weapons in each sentence, together with the coded numbers and generated letters are:
machete - money 1 - M
sabre - dough 2 - A
tachi - deadly 3 - C
spatha - high 5 - H
pistol - dough 2 - I
rondel - deadly 3 - N
stiletto - high 5 - E
onager - score 4 - G
hurlbat - dough 2 - U
katana - high 5 - N
For the cryptic:
formerly fat student starts on cases = ex-ample-s
giving:
Examples abound! Shivering? No need for test or effort. They are diseases (7)
From this I've been trying to force plagues which would give the appropriate final clue Bunny plagues = bugs but at the moment I can't quite make it.
e.g. Examples + no need for test (exam) leaves the 'PLES',
a-bound binds in the 'A' leaving 'GU' required from 'Shivering' and ' no need for effort' (= try?)
Another shot was using ague as a synonym for shivering, although shivering itself is a fairly plausible anagram indicator... |
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Scurra
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:10 am Post subject: 27 |
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I have to admit that on the paragraph puzzle even knowing (a) the final answer, (b) what I was looking for and (c) the indexing method, I still couldn't find most of them in the passage!
_________________
still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon
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ralphmerridew
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:55 am Post subject: 28 |
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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ague :
1. Pathology. a malarial fever characterized by regularly returning paroxysms, marked by successive cold, hot, and sweating fits.
2. a fit of fever or shivering or shaking chills, accompanied by malaise, pains in the bones and joints, etc.; chill.
Except that gives two "e"s. |
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Oscar
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:11 pm Post subject: 29 |
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I think this works for the cryptic:
Examples - exam = PLES
+ a bound (in) 'Shivering' = AGUE, with no E (for effort) = PL(AGU)ES
Zag at his most fiendish?  |
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:45 pm Post subject: 30 |
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| Oscar wrote: |
I think this works for the cryptic:
Examples - exam = PLES
+ a bound (in) 'Shivering' = AGUE, with no E (for effort) = PL(AGU)ES
Zag at his most fiendish? |
That's it! So I guess I'm a fiend, then?
Oh yeah -- Don't forget to vote!! It's definitely not looking good so far for the tiered-hunt style puzzle.  http://www.greylabyrinth.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=13018 |
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Amb
Amb the Hitched.
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| Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:34 am Post subject: 31 |
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| I havent tried this puzzle. The words are all in graphic form and no text version provided. This makes me sad because id like to do the cryptics but I cant be bothered typing them all out to do them... |
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Zag
Unintentionally offensive old coot
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| Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:57 am Post subject: 32 |
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Sorry, Amb. Here they are:
Sexpot Winehouse returns wearing armor (8)
in
Yesterday Grandpa staggered in. (4)
Sadly, Red felt U.S. was in trouble. (9)
Not a single one listened to sister. (3)
(5)
Formerly fat student starts on cases. (8))
Flourish even Western Dan: Humor Brat. (6)
!
Make music outside. Race back after welcome vibrations. (9)
?
Not any, Edward. It's unnecessary. (2, 4)
for
Trial Note: Stan held. (4)
or
Struggle hide of wolf into car at last. (6)
.
Why follow article of those others? (4)
are
Disgusting seasides are a blight. (8)
(7)
(4) |
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MNOWAX
0.999... of a Troll
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:09 am Post subject: 33 |
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deleted due to wrong thread
_________________
The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX
Last edited by MNOWAX on Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Scurra
Daedalian Member
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| Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:02 pm Post subject: 34 |
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Please note - you will see two of my files with the same name. This is because I accidentally sent the same file with two different names (I was in something of a hurry because I thought there was an early deadline )
scurra-round7-03(2).pdf is the correct version of that file. scurra-round07-03 is merely a duplicate copy of scurra-round07-02. Sorry about that.
_________________
still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon
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