DICE OF LEAD AND GOLD
At one location is this page; at three other locations, dice of lead with gold pips; at a third, a lead door with (unremovable) gold nails. The first time two or three dice are rolled each day, speaking that password will open the door. If only two dice are rolled, the trap behind the door remains active; it takes a three-dice password to disarm the trap as well.
(Can someone who can read old German decipher the rhyme at top?)
This page is the key to a tapestry found elsewhere, having groups of birds and beasts arranged on either side of a pictured magical gauntlet, which is hidden at a third location. The left side animals spell out "FORTINBRAS" - a command word that gives the gauntlet ogre strength once per day - and the right side ones spell out "LEGHERDEMAIN" - a command word that allows the gauntlet to float and animate as a third hand once per day - both effects lasting three minutes.
THE ZODIAC BUST
This page illustrates a brass head found at another location. If a character touches the spot on the head corresponding to his or her zodiac sign, it speaks a horoscope that portends, at equal chances, either weal (+2 on all d20 rolls), woe (-2), or average luck for the next 24 hours. Only one horoscope per day per character.
THE BRONZE DOOR OF SAINT EULENA
A knowledge of the order of events in the legend of Saint Eulena, the Pullets, and the Snakes is required to touch the bronze panels of this puzzle door in the correct order so that the pull ring will open the door, rather than uttering a malediction.
It looks like it's in Middle German, so it'll be a bit rough. I might have time later if work slows down.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'll try, but I don't know what it means, either, even if I can translate it... <_<°
ReplyDelete"King Zorobabel
The King of Persia, admonished by God/
sent us again to (or against) Judea/
Dines us with silver/
goods and gold/
from wich the temple shall be renewed.
Who did heigthen that in the world/
that his ancestor did destroy/
(maybe...)destroy for his enemies/
while this one let it been built again. (I think it just means as much as "The king rebuilt what his ancestor did destroy")
Under whom everyone was born/
ask at prophet Malachey/
and a man take three dice in his hand
which let you know the brook/
But if it would be a wench's luck(probably the throw of the dice)/
she has enough with two (dice)/
Women should look at uneven/
even is for the beautiful maidens."
First part sounds like the OT Book of Ezra.
ReplyDeleteSo that first page was intended as some sort of fortune-telling method -- like a sort of renaissance European I Ching?
ReplyDeleteThe words by the dice are strange too, as far as I can tell a mix of city names, river names, personal names and random stuff like "Virgo" ... you wonder if the rest of the alphabet had charts, too.
ReplyDeleteAwesome stuff. I especially like the last one because it's simple but makes campaign history immediately relevant.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the first page isn't some type of German/Jewish mysticism text? This blog may be of interest-
ReplyDeletehttp://ejmmm2007.blogspot.com/2012/06/jews-and-zodiac-pt-1-good-sign.html