Riddles in the city - RPLOG
Participants
Date
15/3/477
Log
Mid-morning in Firmament, when the marketplace crowds are returning either to their homes, or for a small siesta in order to rest one's feet for more shopping afterwards. Today's crowd, though, has gathered about the side of the Firmament branch of the Freeswords', where bright golden letters have been painted on the wall.
It's hard to tell just what language they're in - it's certainly nothing that anyone in the crowd has seen before, not even in the First Tongue of the Creators, and yet a strange sensation of creeps up upon all those in the crowd staring at it - that of danger, of adventure, of riches to be had. Several clerks labour at the wall with washcloth and rag, the crowd watching their antics, but the golden letters are possibly the most stubborn stains ever to exist on Promise.
Selena doesn't seem too comfortable with the gathering in front of the freeswords, the wolfess muttering to herself; "And to think I just came here for something to drink. There had to be something happening, didn't there?" she sighs, rubbing her forehead for a few moments before moving up to one of the workers. "Excuse me, you don't happen to know why that's there, do you? Any reason? Or, of course, what it says."
Alef blinks as she comes out of the inn, looking at the odd sight. "Uh..." Turning and noticing the odd symbols. "What on promise?" backing up and looking at the symbols, and the crews trying trying to remove them.
A soft rumble, a flick of Flora's tail as she wanders in, still mostly oblivious to what's going on, before she too notices the large letters. Her ears fold back a moment, silently, while she simply stares at them for a good, long while.
"I don't know!" One of the clerks, a clever-clanned crane, wails to Selena. "I was just settling in for another day of paperwork when someone came in from the street and told me these things had just appeared on the wall just outside the inn! No one remembers how they could have been there - everyone just says they looked away, and there they were..." She resumes trying to scrub away the rather ostentaious act of vandalism, then steps back in surprise. The action is echoed by the other curious beings in the crowd as the strange letters flow like ink dropped in water, like smoke in air, swirling and curling until they are now but everyday language:
Welcome, friends. I bid you all
a good day, for you have heard my call
Most of you have met me at least one, have we not?
My charming challenges, my rich rewards?
Today, instead of you going to me
I've brought my riddles for you to see
Win riches, treasures, wonders, gold
Your deepest desires, secrets untold.
Selena nods, sighing quietly as the crane explains the situation - and then turning to face the wall as the letters shift and change. "Well, that explains that." She comments to herself. "I suppose every group of beings has SOMEone at least a little less mature than the rest." The wolfess grumbles with some degree of severity. "Alef, Flora. I don't suppose you two were also hoping to just get some drinks and be on your way before... This?"
Alef shakes her head, "Honistly? I was just stepping out of the inn to go do some training on the field... so, the Puzzler has come to town huh?" smiling weakly, "I dont think iv heard of him doing something like this before..."
Flora raises a brow for a moment, before looking up at the changing letters and looking back to Selena and Alef silently, a tad confused, simply blinking for the time being while she tries to understand the situation. "Flora was... Buying thing. Wanted to do so, yes."
To both Selena's and Alef's remarks, perhaps the spirit in question has not heard their comments, perhaps he's decided to ignore them, or perhaps he's saving his response for later. It's hard to tell with this kind of fellow, but what does happen is that the letters swirl once more, rearranging them into new lines:
Answer this riddle, with all haste And then you will be shown to the next.
You can keep this thing
But only after you have given it to another
"The obvious answer is a secret." Selena murmurs, settling into a nearby chair and glancing back to the others. "Frankly, I'd rather just have a cider than deal with riddles at this time of day; that's what I'm here." She mutters - in part, perhaps, debating why she's even staying outside to stand audience to the affair instead of aquiring that drink.
Flora ponders for a moment, her ears flicking lightly as she looks up at the riddle, curiously flicking her tail and murring softly. "Love. Flora thinks it could also be love, yes," she mumbles curiously, an eyebrow raised silently.
Alef blinks at the riddle on the wall. "Your Word? I mean... you have to give your word to keep your word..." Nodding lightly. "Thats my guess..." giggling at Selena's gripe, quickly asking a being to go get a glass of cider for her friend and giving them a few crowns to pay for it.
It's a few minutes before anything else happens, perhaps because every being present needs to be accounted for. It's certainly long enough for Selena's cider to arrive, tall and cold, pressed deeply into Alef's hands. And then from nowhere, a small shower of newly-minted crowns into the hands of a few beings - amongst the three in the group, Alef is the one to receive an amount - and the letters swirl again.
Some of you were right, others were not Don't be disheartened, give it another shot
Secrets can be kept, but giving them away makes them no more Giving away love but receiving none makes the heart sore.
The scrubbing clerks sag in relief as the golden letters dissolve and vanish into the brickwork, leaving no trace that they were ever there. A faint tugging at the minds of everyone in the crowd...directing them to Saint's Square this time.
Selena shrugs. "But, to have a secret someone does have to know that there is one. Otherwise it's simply another thing you know." She muses, moving back along to the others. "I guess that would be personal semantics rather than a real answer though. Alef, it's good to see you're back out and about since the last time I saw you. It has been a while."
Alef smiles softly, bowing her head to Selena. "Its good to see you too Selena. I havent seen you in some days... i am doing better yes. still not great, but better." nodding as she debates following the impulse toward the square.
Flora blinks a tad, her tail twitching lightly, before she looks towards Alef a moment as the crown appear out of nowhere, before looking in the direction of Saint's Square, silently. Her ears flick a little, and she mumbles softly, apparently decided it's best for her to head in that direction first. This was intriguing!
Reviin steps out the front door to The diseased pig, and takes a look around. Upon spotting the group that had formed in the Mange Square. The large Equine trots over to join them. He is obviously curious about just what is going on. "Well what have we go going on here?"
Some of the beings watching - especially those who've lost - groan in dismay and head into the Freeswords' Inn for a drink. Well, at least it shows that it's merely an impulse, and not an outright compulsion. Still, the crowd heading towards the square certainly picks up a few folk while going through the marketplace, and they aren't disappointed.
The sight in the square is quite one to behold. Framed between the six statues of the Creator Saints are golden, pulsating letters much like the ones that were on the Freeswords', and even as the crowd pours into the square they're spelling out the next riddle:
This marvelous thing Though it sounds absurd Contains all our letters But is only a word
