EMERALD and IOLITE

[dramatispersonae]

Dark stone makes up the walls of this small cool room, and they tremble faintly as if afflicted with some terrible noise or nearby conflict.

Comments

Re: CHOICE

[splittheparty]

We choose the book again!

CHALLENGE

[dramatispersonae]

[ The book suddenly breaks free of the stone; it is now made of paper and cloth binding. Only one page shows any words, however. ]

You'd say I am what's sore made well,
Or again that I oppose the fell.
See me not as some defenseless ward,
For my beauty I will always guard.

DISCUSSION

[dramatispersonae]

 

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

...Does ward really rhyme with guard?

[This is clearly the most important thing.]

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

Oppose the fell? What does that mean?

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

It's hard to tell. It depends on what kind of meaning they're giving to "the fell". The fell can mean a high and barren landscape feature like a mountain range, or something along the lines of "the fallen", or evil...

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

So, something that opposes a mountain range or evil and was once sore but is better now.

What does beauty have to do with it? It is something that can protect itself while beautiful, so . . . A thorn? A rose?

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

A rose makes sense, though I'm still stuck on the meaning of that first sentence... Is there some sort of metaphor about roses and injuries aside from "every rose has thorns"...?

Well, rose-tinted glasses exist as a metaphor for someone who sees the good even in the bad, so that might work...

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

Scars work for the first line, but not the rest. A tattoo?

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

I don't know if a tattoo can guard itself, though... I think we might be onto something with the rose, actually, but it feels like we're missing a key part...

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

It could if it was a spell . . . What about a rose that can heal? There are many herbs and the like you can use in medicine.

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

Well, rose oil can be used as an antiseptic, but doesn't exactly help heal wounds. Still, the forest one used a metaphor, so the clues might not be literal, either... I know that roses are usually used as a metaphor for love, but whether that applies in this case...

[I might be overthinking this a little.]

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

What about a broken heart finding love? Someone could make thorns after being hurt.

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

That might be a bit too elaborate. It might be worth a try! It depends on how much precision they expect, though.

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

What do you mean by precision?

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

How do I put it... When we succeeded with a forest, we described it as... a forest. A single word, without any description. I wonder if "a broken heart finding love is"... a bit too descriptive to be the answer?

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

I was still thinking of it as a thorn with love being the metaphor, but it might be too far extended.

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

It might be, yeah. I think rose is probably our best bet, personally.

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

It works for, at least, three lines. Any last thoughts?

Re: DISCUSSION

[splittheparty]

None that I can think of... I'm just praying the rose metaphors work out.

Re: DISCUSSION

[zen_master]

Let's hope for the best. Come on.

ANSWER THE RIDDLE

[dramatispersonae]

 

Re: ANSWER THE RIDDLE

[splittheparty]

It's a rose!

Re: ANSWER THE RIDDLE

[dramatispersonae]

[ the book flutters its pages in an oddly warm and approving fashion; for a brief moment the room smells of roses. Then the book shuts and turns to stone once more. ]

[ At last, you return to your original bodies...or do you? You may have a few lingering mementoes for a few hours...such as stubby little downy wings and webbed feet. To endgame! ]