Forest Kingdom (AKA Patience)

Owner:

Noel Janney

Solution:

FRUITCAKE

Partial Solution:

READ THE TALL AND THEN THE SMALL

Response: Go ahead and do that.

GC Notes:

SEE DATA SECTION to read actual flavor text & Artifact list.

GC to update day-of-game.

Presentation:

The team will receive a small scroll containing flavor text and denoting a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ theme. The puzzle is comprised of 26 different Disney themed objects presented as collected artifacts, each under a glass cloche, permanently positioned on a table. Each cloche also contains a hidden semaphore ‘mickey’.

Walkthrough:

The teams are told in flavor text that there are 26 artifacts, this is intended to quickly clue them in on creating an alphabet. We also clue that the origin of the artifact in NOT important. The hidden semaphore mickey code uses repeated letters to make it more recognizable. Some cloches will have a more pronounced mickey as an additional hint.

1. Translate the hidden semaphore mickey in each cloche.

2. Order the semaphore by indexing on the alphabetical order of the artifacts ( this is done with the object's common name).

3. Follow the semaphore message instructions.

The cloches are in various sizes. There is one size that is clearly the tallest, and one that is clearly the smallest.

The items are lined along a path, which gives a canonical ordering, from beginning of path to end.

Reading the 1^st letter of item in each of the tallest cloches in path order yields "FRUIT". Doing the same for the smallest yields "CAKE". All medium sized cloches need to be ignored.

4. Front-facing pearl detail on each cloche signifies cloche orientation for semaphore translation.

Hinting:

Mainly use the data section to answer questions.

Read semaphore in alphabetical order of artifacts=partial answer=ok, do that=Answer.

Commonly teams get really hung up on what the objects are and fiddle with 3 or 4 of them. If they attempt to continue and solve what they have so far it quickly points them in the correct direction. It's likely they'll call GC to find out if they have the correct artifact 'description'.

They may also ask about resistor colors on the mickeys... it's not a thing here.... that's why they aren't getting an answer. Perhaps the ears mean something.

Data:

Letter:

Deep inside Forest Kingdom the Mistress of Evil studies a small scrap of parchment; a spell of some kind, stolen from one of Fairy Fauna’s many books. On the parchment is a list of artifacts from across the magic kingdom, all of which have been meticulously gathered and preserved here by the many inhabitants of Forbidden Mountain. However, the remaining instructions have faded beyond recognition…

Maleficent believes decrypting the artifacts will reveal an irreversible spell more powerful than true love’s kiss, fabled to stop the most powerful army in their tracks and last for millennia. The only thing we know for certain is that the origin of these 26 artifacts does not affect the outcome of the spell.

It is now up to you to uncover the hidden secrets of Fairy Fauna’s mysterious parchment before Maleficent returns. You must hurry! Be extremely cautious and do not touch any of the artifacts. Good Luck!

You may now enter the forest.

Objects:

Answer: FRUIT CAKE