Finding the wheel

[Nephrite]

"It isn't urgent enough to interrupt your prayers." Moore says. "Will you come find me when you're done? I've been... enlightened about our mystery and would love your assistance."

[Anastasia]

"No." Xandra rises, "My duty is to serve you, Moore. Our duties are important, I am not derelict in my prayer if I an accomplishing my duty from above."

[Nephrite]

"You're my friend and companion." Moore says. "I don't think of it as serving. ...I realize my perspective is a bit different, though."

A chuckle, before he clears his throat. "Anyway... Let me tell you what I learned. Cresiel gave me a good suggestion, that the 'soul' referred to the Wheel itself, which is broken into four parts. When I did a divination on where to find the four parts, I received the following:

'One of four, where is the door?'
'One of four, fear the war.'
'One of four, all is the lakeshore.'
'One of four, early is the carnivore.'"

A breath as he lets that settle. "It... doesn't help us a lot more than before, but now we have more of a lead than we did, at the very least. Also, whatever governs divination seems to really enjoy rhyming when it comes to this thing." A huff after that.

[Anastasia]

"Hmm. Allow me a moment," Xandra says, eyes closed.

> roll 1d20+10
<Kobot> Sunshine_Ko rolled 1d20+10 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{26}

"...there is a clue to the four there," she declares, "I am sure of it. We must find the two hidden opposites within those divinations."

[Nephrite]

Moore tilts his head. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow. Could you elaborate?"

[Anastasia]

"There are two opposites in those divinations, hidden carefully. We must find them to gain further illumination," Xandra says.

[Nephrite]

"Now I'm thinking it's you who I was getting them from." Moore says with a small smile. "All right, so two opposites... um... Mm." A breath. "You know, it took me a long time to figure out that riddle, right?"

A smile afterwards as he looks at his paper with his notes. "Do you mean in the words themselves?"

[Anastasia]

"I think so," Xandra says. "Hmmm. I think we can drop the first part, as it's identical each time."

'Where is the door?'
'Fear the war.'
'All is the lakeshore.'
'Early is the carnivore.'

Writing that down on a stray bit of parchment she sits at her desk, next to her neat and undisturbed bed. She taps a simple quill against it, "Two hidden opposites. Something illuminating as well. Something we knew or something new, I wonder?"

[Nephrite]

Moore opens his mouth, then looks at his notes. "Um... I would be the worst Authority of Riddles." He admits.

"Okay. So... opposites... Where, door... Fear, war, All, lakeshore, Early, Carnivore. Um... " He takes in a breath. "Are there any opposites in those words? Not really... 'Where, door' ... 'fear, war, 'all, lakeshore,' 'early, carnivore'... mmmmmm."

Another breath. "I think you're going to have to explain this to me like I'm a brand new lantern archon."

[Anastasia]

"I do wonder why you have received another one, as you struggled so with the first. Then again, our trials are not the ones we choose, but the ones we need." Xandra taps the tip of her quill into the inkpot, studying carefully. "I am not certain, but the answer has not been revealed to me and we know it is hidden. We are meant to find it. Therefore, I doubt it is as simple as the words themselves."

'Where is the door?'
'Fear the war.'
'All is the lakeshore.'
'Early is the carnivore.'

She takes the quill and writes them again. "There must be something. 5-2-3-4. 4-3-3. 3-2-3-9. 5-2-3-9. No, that doesn't seem promising. Something else. Some code, some pattern, something telling in the right mindset."

[Nephrite]

Moore puts a hand to his chest. "That hurt, just a little, I'll have you know." Moore admits. "But you're right, maybe I'm meant to get these to toughen my mind up."

"Um... W F A E don't make any words that I know. You could make 'Few' and 'Awe' with them, though..." Moore says. He studies the words again. Uh... Both lakeshore and carnivore end with 'ore,'..."

He takes a deep breath. "If it's numerical, then... hmm... 5-2-3-4... Maybe not the length of the words? Um... the first words have 5-4-3... mmm." Another breath.

"Hold on, let me... try something." He says.

Is it okay for him try a Wis or Int check to literally get a clue on this?

[Anastasia]

Hold that thought one second, you found what was needed to turn a lightbulb on with Xandra.

"Wait a moment." Xandra says as you speak, "I think I see something."

W
F

A
E

Xandra writes that and murmurs, "Four parts. Four locations, two sets of opposites. Do you see now, Moore?"

[Nephrite]

"...Oh! It is the four elemental planes!" Moore says all of a sudden.

[Anastasia]

"Water-fire and air-earth," Xandra agrees. "It seems a fitting hidden meaning, and a suggestion that helps frame each seemingly non nonsensical response."

'Water - where is the door?'
'Fire - fear the war.'
'Air - at the lakeshore.'
'Earth - at the carnivore.'

A pause at that. "Fear the war. That is...topical."

[Nephrite]

"It is." Moore says. "But I imagine it doesn't have anything to do with the actual emotion of fear... I imagine it's something, well, the opposite. So either somewhere where there isn't war, or... mm, well, it could be a lot of things, of course."

A smile and nod. "Thank you for walking me through that one, though, either way. ...Wait a minute, what kind of lakes are there in Air? Well, maybe that will tell us..." He taps his chin. "Let me think..."

Recasting Greater Improvisation.

Take 10 on K:P (I can K:L if needed for each plane) for 105 (89 on K:L) on... hmm, let's do it this way:

Are there any lost doors in Water or anything like that?
Is there any location in Fire where people fear war?
Any notable lakes in Air?
And carnivores in Earth?