A long way to the gate

[Anastasia]

With your business finished, Moore returns to the riddle. Wood naps in his room while Grias floats around and dusts, a little feather duster hovering along with him.

"Oh, are you still fussing over that riddle?" Grias asks, "Or have you solved it?"

[Nephrite]

"Nope, still working on it." Moore admits. "I always thought I was good with riddles, but apparently I'm not!"

[Anastasia]

Grias bobs up and down, "Well, the riddle of a woman's heart is different from a riddle of the mind," he says, "Can I see it?"

[Nephrite]

"Help me out with one that I'm stuck on." Moore says as he reads the riddle out. "So, I have to take certain letters from each riddle and use them." He explains.

"The first two letters are the end of celestials. I'm sure a wise man can understand what end I refer to and puzzle it out." Moore says.

He takes a breath of air in through his nose.

"That second line is a hint, isn't it? I was overlooking it before, but... I originally thought 'Chronias' as the end of celestials, but Xandra pointed out that eladrin wouldn't necessarily agree with that. The problem is... 'end' is so nebulous... Is it when they pass on to something beyond Creation? Hmm..."

He sighs. "See, I'm overthinking it again. I keep doing this."

[Anastasia]

For both of our references, could you repaste the riddle here?

[Nephrite]

I copied it exactly as it is written.



Here's the whole thing if you need it.

There will be another letter with this. To read the works there, you will need to utter a password.

The first two letters are the end of celestials. I'm sure a wise man can understand what end I refer to and puzzle it out.

The third and fourth letters are two letters in reverse order. The first of that letter is the first letter of the newly risen mountain, one that mimics your own Mountain. The second of that letter is a letter that none of the Hebdomad share.

The last four are what is common for the powerful and rare for the least. It is the path and the road that winks and vanishes on a whim, yet always there for the mighty.

Those letters form the word that is the password. Good luck.

[Anastasia]

"Oh, I get it," Grias bobs in the air, "But do any words start with tt?" he asks aloud, "Or ss? Maybe ar?"

[Nephrite]

"Haha, I guess I really am overthinking it, if it comes to you that easily." A small sigh as he jots some letters down. "I want to ask how you came up with those but feel like it might ruin the surprise."

[Anastasia]

"The end of celestials. Like the...butt?" Grias offers hesitantly. "The rear? The...you know."

[Nephrite]

Moore blinks. "I don't... ..." He glances back at the riddle.

The 'end?'

He furrows his brow as he jots the letters down anyway. But even with that... which two letters are you supposed to use?

So it's an eight letter word, that much is clear. The first two letters are 'the end of celestials,' so...

r e _ _ _ _ _ _ ? Hmm... Is someone's bottom really ... ...bottom? No, there's no way, right?

He takes a breath.

"I think that's the trouble I'm having. I don't know which letters to actually use for any of these. That just makes it more confusing." He sighs again. "If I knew which letters to use... well, I guess that'd just make it too easy. Either way, I think you've given me an idea."


So here's what I'm thinking:

'Wealth' is actual last word, because not everyone uses 'gold' as a currency or thinks of it like that.

_ _ _ _ weal
_ _ _ _ alth

Problem is, of course, there are no words that end like that. So it feels like it has to be something else. Unless it's eala or something??

Honestly, I just really don't get this -- I'm sorry. I'm usually pretty decent at these but I'm just kind of out of my depth here since I feel like I'm missing key pieces to wrap my head around this. I don't really think I can make any reasonable progress on this unless certain things are a little more clear or I just roll well enough to get closer and am able to put pieces together.

[Anastasia]

"Well, riddles are usually figurative, right?" Grias says, "So it's something like that, a little riddle of its own. Like the rear of a celestial, or the last two letters, -el, since many have names like that. Like Cresiel or Barachiel. It's all about figuring out how the author wants you to think, right?"

No problem, Grias is happy to brainstorm and see if he can come up with anything to help.

[Nephrite]

Moore turns to look at Grias, then back at the riddle. "...The end of celestials."

He nods. "That's it -- you're right. It's 'El.' The riddle itself hints at it being related to Celestia rather than Arborea by using the word 'wise.' That's got to be it."

He jots it down for now, amidst all the other writing he has, that probably looks terribly unorganized at this point.


"So, let me run this one by you, then." Moore clears his throat to read. "The last four are what is common for the powerful and rare for the least. It is the path and the road that winks and vanishes on a whim, yet always there for the mighty."

"I was originally thinking 'gold,' but I realized, someone like the denizens of Mineral don't consider gold to be anything more than useless. So, with that in mind, maybe 'wealth?' But then... I don't know, I have to wonder if it's supposed to only be four letters."

[Anastasia]

"I'm right? Oh joyous day!" Grias bobs happily in the air, "Well, then it's a road or a path that vanishes a lot, right? What sort of thing does that? Something always there for the mighty."

[Nephrite]

"...A path to victory." Moore says, simply.

[Anastasia]

"Well, what leads powerful heroes to victories?" Grias bobs even more in the air, "Hum, roads, paths...something like that or more metaphorical?"