The Silver Stars of the Eclipsing Moon

[Ozzy_G]

Karl sighs. We have to think about this properly, not just put them as we like.

[Lycar]

Varek pipes up "Or rather, we have to do it like the person who set up that riddle liked it. So... what do we know about that Ami person ? Come on, let's see what we can think of."

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Karl shrugs. I don't know anything at all about Ami really.

[The Great Skenardo]

Vakri
Vakri shrugs "Bronsk knows only what the spirits have told him."

[Maryring]

"Well, that is something I might be able to help with." Mia answers. "Before I left Sapphire Port, I spent some time looking for information on Michelle Ami and her group, and though it was lacking, I think I can recall some important information." She glances towards the Vakri/Bronsk hybrid. "Ami was a very just person. She believed in justice and in doing the right thing. She might have been a warrior first and foremost, but I seem to recall that she was also described as a person skilled at weeding out corruption... whatever that means. The passage was rather unclear and poorly written. Let me see... oh yeah. She was also a follower of both the goddess of justice Aimee, and Lady Iris. I think there was more but... I can't recall it at this time."

[The Great Skenardo]

Vakri
"The coin may be corruption, then. She was not a pacifist...so the sword may have two sides in her mind."

[Lycar]

Varek ponders "Uhm maybe that's like about how you can use a sword to hurt people or to not hurt people ? You know, you can hit them with it or just threaten to do so, so that they don't start anything and nobody gets hurt at all ?"

Lycar

[Maryring]

"That is probable. It would fit with what I remember about her at least. I think it's worth a try."

[Ozzy_G]

Two faces, two places. I am heaven and hell. The purest of sins, the deepest of virtues.
Karl frowns. That doesn't seem to fit though. Why is a sword two places?

[Lycar]

Varek scratches his head "Maybe it's both heaven and hell because it's just a sword and it depends on how it gets used ? I mean, you can use this to hurt people and make their lives hell or you protect yourself. And others. And then... well... dunno."

Lycar

[Maryring]

"Yeah, but you have to remember that the sword doesn't necessarily have to be there. All five have to fit, so if the sword doesn't fit there... you'll simply have it trade location with something that does fit better in there."

[Ozzy_G]

I think we're trying to fit things where we want them again, says Karl, sitting down.

[Lycar]

Varek shrugs and gives a frustrated sigh "I dunno.. i'm out of ideas. Just can't make head or tails of those riddles."

Lycar

[Amiria]

Lisaa

"Yes, we don't know enough enough about Amy. I wish that the old man from the museum was here." Lisaa also sits on the ground while pondering about the riddle.

[The Great Skenardo]

Vakri
Still sitting, Vakri turns his head to one side. Finally, it speaks.
"Bronsk tells me that there's an old tradition where coins are placed on the eyes of the dead to pay for passage to the next world. A 'guide for the soul.' If that is so, then the water and snow on the coin has certainly seen every place on earth with the rain and the blizzards. Perhaps the Coin is this last riddle."

[Ozzy_G]

Karl jumps to his feet, evidently encouraged again. Yes, that's true!
Let me think. He starts pacing around again, speaking out the words once more.
"Two faces, two places. I am heaven and hell. The purest of sins, the deepest of virtues."
"To do good, to do evil. I die alone as I make the virtue of sacrifice."
"I hold secrets to be dispelled, and an eternity of neverending charity."
"I bring ruin, I cause corruption and war is my creation. I caused the past, and I weep for the future."
"I have seen it all. The forests and mountains and the sea. I am the guide who shows the soul the way home."
So, if the coin is the guide, the last bit, and then let's keep the sword as the bit about ruin and war, as that makes most sense. So then we have the staff, the cup and the mirror. The mirror could be the one about two faces and two places, the staff perhaps has secrets to be dispelled, as staffs are associated with magic. He stops. But that's no good, because of this one about sacrifice. I don't see how that fits with anything, except maybe the sword. But if that's the sword, then what else is the one about ruin and war?

[The Great Skenardo]

Vakri
Vakri watches the flow of water in the strange otherworldly well.
"The cup may fit. Even after all these years, a bead of nectar remained at the bottom. And a cup does nothing but give of its contents...perhaps. It may be worth trying."

[Lycar]

"Hrm.. from what i remember, the staff is said to have healing powers or something. Maybe that fits with the sacrifice thing ? But then again.... "

Varek scratches his head, confused.

"Just never was any good figuring peeps out. I can guess that might be it. Let's give it a try ? Otherwise.... uh... how many possibilities are there ? Uhm..."

Varek starts to mumble and count on his fingers.

"Uhm... oh.. a lot.... okay, even if we can eliminate some... uhm. Look, it's not that far to the town. Maybe we could, like, pay a a visit to that museum and find out a bit more about that Ami woman ?"

Lycar

[The Great Skenardo]

Vakri
"Worth a try, yes."
Vakri stands and collects the artifacts placing them in each wall.

Spoiler

Show

Two Faces = Mirror
Secrets to be Dispelled = Staff
I Bring Ruin = Sword
Seen it All = Coin
To do good, to do evil = Cup

[Maryring]

For the third time, blue light cascades from the walls. They pour together at the center of the room. The relics fall out and hover in place as the light slowly takes the shape of a crown. The crown seems to be made of real gold, and is inlaid with several different gems. There seems to be nothing extraordinary about it, other than that it floats in midair in between all the relics. Mia who was ready to dispel the effect in case it was a trap, seems to lower her guard. "A crown?" She asks no one in particular. "All this for a crown?"

[Ozzy_G]

Karl crows with exaltation, and shouts something a foreign tongue.
(If any of you understand Nephrinian:)

Spoiler

Show

By the Eternal Queen! We did it! We beat the hell-damned riddle!

Then he stalks forward, hunching down and peering at the crown. He slowly reaches out with a single finger, and pokes it.

[The Great Skenardo]

Vakri
Vakri's eyes darken to a blue color, and then the familiar voice of Bronsk rings in the well
"Woo-hoo!"
The sight of a werewolf doing a little victory dance seems incongruous in this place of magic. But there you are.

[Amiria]

Lisaa

Lisaa jumps up from the ground and moves to the nearest wall. "We did it, yes. A crown. Be careful with it, Karl."

[Lycar]

Varek grins relieved "Yeah, wouldn't do to break it after all the trouble we went through to get it. Wonder what it does though."

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Karl stands up, and shrugs. Well, it seems real. I haven't been frozen or anything, I guess this is the answer. But what do we do with it?

[Maryring]

"Wear it?" Mia says with a shrug. "I'm not sure though... something is wrong. Why go through all this trouble to hide a crown? And why does it contain jewels in colours other than blue? I might be wrong but... I don't know. Perhaps I was just expecting something... something a bit more flashy."

[Ozzy_G]

Well, says Karl gesturing at the crown, obviously it's magic, and they didn't want it's power to fall into the wrong hands.
He steps back, and starts to mutter and gesture with his hands. Once he's finished he concentrates on the crown and the relics on the other side of it.

Spoiler

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Casting Detect Magic

[Lycar]

Varek watches Karl do his thing. He looks thoughtful, but then he seems to just shrug it off, mumbling "... maybe she was a good king..."

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

Karl utters a curse in his own tongue. The crown gives off both illusion and transmutation magic. Now, it could be that it's a magic item that gives access to some magical effect that uses those forms of magic, but it could also be a trick of some sort, a shapechanged illusion to make people think they'd found some great treasure.

[Lycar]

Varek looks at Karl surprised "Really ? You mean, this isn't the real thing ? He.. you know.. maybe that Ami woman thought that people would arrange the relics in a certain order if they had a certain outlook on life. And those whos attitude she didn't like were supposed to get theirs via false treasure ? I mean, if she was big about weeding out corruption, maybe it's a trap for those she would deem bad people ? But then we had them relics placed wrong..."

Lycar