A poem to figure out...

[Qintopon]

You are at the entrance to the Temple to Fharlanghn (or however you spell it)
In front of you there are two doors, one with a shield, and one with a quarterstaff. Between the doors there is a poem--

A wise man knows the secret
a path toward its own end
Hidden deep within the horizon
is a path that will never end.

The end is a beginning
A beginning is an end
Reach for the horizon
and begin to find your end

The wise one's journey is never complete
and the foolish look for ways to end
find the path that fools follow
and you will see your end

Stay foolish, stay hungry the saying begins
indeed the hungry fool finds his end
Stay wise, stay in touch the saying begins
That, friends, is where all secrets end.

In the center of the poem is the Crescent of Fharlanghn.
What do you do?

I want to see if the poem works... :D

[Sith_Happens]

I would open the doors and continue with whatever business brought me there.:smalltongue:

EDIT: When you say "two doors," do you mean a set of double doors, or two different doorways and you have to pick one?

[GnomeGninjas]

I take the quarter staff route.

[rweird]

What shape is the shield? If it is circular, I'd take the shield route, if it isn't, then I'd take the quarterstaff route. Do you want my reasoning?

[Namfuak]

What shape is the shield? If it is circular, I'd take the shield route, if it isn't, then I'd take the quarterstaff route. Do you want my reasoning?

I choose the shield either way, probably for a similar reason.

[Gnome Alone]

I leave the temple, having already visited it, and bask in Fharlanghn's sure approval.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I'd mess around with the crescent of Fharlanghan.

[javijuji]

I turn around and walk towards the horizon.

[nedz]

I try a Knowledge(Religion) check.
I cast Commune.

If these tell me no more I walk through the staff entrance.

[Norin]

I would check both doors for traps.

If i found one, id disarm it and gpo in that door.

...No really, the poem suggests a circle of sorts. If the shield is round, id try to remove the crescent and put it on the shield, take the staff and put that on the shield too so it makes this symbol:

http://images.wikia.com/dungeons/images/1/1c/Fharlanghn.gif

Then id stand there looking like a retard while nothing happens. :smalleek:

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Cast Find the Path, pick the correct door.

[Amnestic]

Disintegrate both doors.

[Zetapup]

I'd try pressing/pulling on the crescent. It seems like a Chekhov's Gun in this scenario.

[Hecuba]

It's a poem at the temple of the God of Travel, about the virtue of continued discovery and travel over withdrawing to keep a grasp on what you have.

Take the quarterstaff (or, put another way, the walking stick).

If you are aiming for the circle vs line thing, I would aim for something other than a shield, which

is not necessarily circular
has significant, vastly different connotations seperate from its shape

[Namfuak]

It's a poem at the temple of the God of Travel, about the virtue of continued discovery and travel over withdrawing to keep a grasp on what you have.

Take the quarterstaff (or, put another way, the walking stick).

If you are aiming for the circle vs line thing, I would aim for something other than a shield, which

is not necessarily circular
has significant, vastly different connotations seperate from its shape



The wise one's journey is never complete
and the foolish look for ways to end

As you said, quarterstaves are a line - thus they have a beginning and end. By definition, the perimeter of a shield does not, even if it isn't round.



Stay foolish, stay hungry the saying begins
indeed the hungry fool finds his end

A shield can be used to serve food. Quarterstaves have no use for eating.


find the path that fools follow
and you will see your end

The quarterstaff is obvious, or the path that fools follow. I suppose you could argue that fools take up a sword and shield, but since there is no sword it's also possible that a wise man knows to defend himself. This could also indicate that neither path is correct, but it isn't to walk off into the horizon, because:


The end is a beginning
A beginning is an end
Reach for the horizon
and begin to find your end

The horizon gets you your end.

[Dr.Epic]

You are at the entrance to the Temple to Fharlanghn (or however you spell it)
In front of you there are two doors, one with a shield, and one with a quarterstaff. Between the doors there is a poem--

A wise man knows the secret
a path toward its own end
Hidden deep within the horizon
is a path that will never end.

The end is a beginning
A beginning is an end
Reach for the horizon
and begin to find your end

The wise one's journey is never complete
and the foolish look for ways to end
find the path that fools follow
and you will see your end

Stay foolish, stay hungry the saying begins
indeed the hungry fool finds his end
Stay wise, stay in touch the saying begins
That, friends, is where all secrets end.

In the center of the poem is the Crescent of Fharlanghn.
What do you do?

Empowered Fireball:smallwink:

[Hecuba]

I do like Norin's solution best if the shield is circular and the items can be moved.


I suppose you could argue that fools take up a sword and shield

That is, more or less, how I would take it.

A shield is a warrior's implement: something used to hold and defend that which you have.

A walking stick is a traveler's implement: something used to help you reach the next place. You use it to walk toward the horizon.


A shield can be used to serve food

Eew. That's too disgusting for me to consider further.


As you said, quarterstaves are a line - thus they have a beginning and end. By definition, the perimeter of a shield does not, even if it isn't round.

Yes, but that presumes the meaning is primarily geometric. I could buy that for an item that has a specific shape (particularly a circle, where there is a high connotation with continuity), but something like a shield makes me more skeptical.

You could just as easily argue that when you look to the horizon, you see it as a line in the distance you will never meet.

[Hyde]

I am a barbarian and cannot read.

[Gigas Breaker]

I am a barbarian and cannot read.

Post of the year.

[HunterOfJello]

I take up the shield and equip it. Then, I pick up the staff and swing it around a bit. I take the crescent and put it on my face like a mustache. Finally, I enter the temple.

Wandering beggers shouldn't waste their time leaving useful shields and quarterstaves laying around.

[Amphetryon]

I ask which Character skill check is appropriate to roll in this situation, since I presume that it's a test of Character knowledge, not Player knowledge.

[EmperorNortonII]

Having read through The Tomb of Five Corners, I search for a secret door. People only leave riddles to convince someone they chose the right option to lower their guard for the awaiting Inevitable Death that results from opening a door.


+1 for Amnestic, if the above fails.

[DoughGuy]

I would in theory pick the quaterstaff. There's a lot of imagery pointing to wisdom which would generally be associated with the staff of a wise man. However being D&D, clerics are wiser than wizards. Clerics also use shields unlike wizards who arent proficient with them. So in practice I'd take the shield door.

[Qintopon]

Success somebody got it... Now I can't tell you who because one of my players might read this and cheat but I appreciate the creative answers. :smalltongue:

[Andreaz]

As you said, quarterstaves are a line - thus they have a beginning and end. By definition, the perimeter of a shield does not, even if it isn't round.HehehehehehehehHAHAHAHAhahaeheheheehheeheheh heheheehe....heh.
No (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_%28geometry%29).

You're thinking of segments.


A shield can be used to serve food. Quarterstaves have no use for eating.<picks a high-hanging fruit from that tree>
<spanks still-living food to death>
<shoos away the carrion eaters trying to steal the food>

[nedz]

Success somebody got it... Now I can't tell you who because one of my players might read this and cheat but I appreciate the creative answers. :smalltongue:

Please update us when you have run this, and tell us how it went.
I suspect that they might get stuck, but problems like this are a lot easier if you can actually interact with them.

[Norin]

Success somebody got it... Now I can't tell you who because one of my players might read this and cheat but I appreciate the creative answers. :smalltongue:

PM the winner(s)? ;)

[dantiesilva]

I would say neither because though the staff is the obvious answer it has both a begining and a end. While the shield, unless it is a buckler is not always round. Look at the horizon and if you do not see something then play with the crescent moon.