(Player Run Event) The Mysterious List

[katherinepgoh]

Lavintus had a boring day, again. He woke up, went to the shop, opened it up, made all his potions, and sold the usual amount, and saw the usual people. He took his breaks at the usual times, and he closed up as normal. However, the next day was anything but boring.

When he opened the shop, he found that it had been broken into, but nothing was missing. Instead, something was left. He examined the two items upon the desk, and his eyes boggled at what he found. A check for quite a sum of money was left tacked onto a note, with a small journal beneath it. The note read as follows:

Alchemist,
It's come to my attention you're quite talented. The check left here is for buying the provisions that are required for the list you will find in the journal. Unfortunately, the list is in code, so I hope you are able to solve it, as I was not. You'll get double the money upon completion of the recipe that is given after the coded list, provided it is done properly. I expect to visit you again in a weeks time.

Please also decipher the locations listed within, and coordinates of their locations.

There was no signature upon the note, which struck him as odd, but the amount of money, with double promised upon completion drove all thoughts of worry from his mind. He set upon the list for several hours, but made absolutely no headway, and had the messenger send out a missive to the various towns.

Hear Ye, Hear ye. Lavintus the Alchemist paying a hefty sum for assistance in a most troubling matter. Please inquire at the Britain Mage's Shop for details.

Those who were curious of the message were no better able to decode it than Lavintus; The Mysterious List of Ingredients and Locations was as follows.

Ingredients

Exotic Vans Com
Scar At Pint Pail
Eight Hands
Sold Option Paid One Y
Cup Ore Ration Greet
Honest Guilt
Revolver Spent Mines
Tearing Afore Odes
Cute Mule N
Lax Not Crys
Larry Bribe T
Falls Koi
Evolve Typin Mam
Slung Aged Dice Coal
An Leapt Gore
CA Girl

----------------------------------------
Locations

Skip Invent Har
Left Winer L
Pinks Salt Tent
Jen Login Lorry
Travel Heaven Nag
Trents Ink Sign H
Nice Bed Blast


[OOC: Those who are able to solve the list need to complete it, and contact me via PM or ICQ with all the items in a bag, and either Sextant Coordinates or Screenshots of the Locations listed; The first three to finish will get large cash prizes. Good Luck!]

 

[katherinepgoh]

OOC: To give a bit more incentive, the first place prize for the solution is two million gold, with half a million to second and third each. Good Luck!

 

[Aedon Durreah]

Oh dear Godz, I would go batty trying to solve those things. Good luck on this event, it looks like a lot of fun.

 

[katherinepgoh]

Lavintus had seen little in the way of responses from anyone. Just what was this? He had nearly given up hope when another note from the strange benefactor arrived.

Have determined that the locations are all places to buy food and drink, other than one which is an area, and another which is unique. Expect solutions within the week.

Lavintus quickly went about spreading the word on his advertisements.

[Final Hints, and hopefully these point you in the right direction; the ingredients list should help you figure out the 'unique' in the locations. The 'unique' in the locations should help you figure out the ingredients to an extent. All but one location is Catskills Specific. Items are easily acquired, and common. Remember to submit via icq or PM!]

 

[Aedon Durreah]

My brain hurts!!!

 

[Flutter]

UO is too hard.

 

[Aedon Durreah]

UO is too hard.

Yeah I quit!!

 

[hawkeye_pike]

Tested various decryption methods known to a pirate like me, without success. I may need a few more ales and another night's sleep before continuing...

 

[Farsight]

I'm pretty sure you know where Travel Heaven Nag is Cap'n, and I'm positive you know where the Jen Login Lorry travels.

I think this crazy alchemist must like things that move.

 

[Piper [PGoH]]

C'mon guys, you can do it! I did it yesterday, and I know some others have made headway as well. It takes a bit of time, yeah, but it's doable! I'm not turning it in for the reward for obvious reasons. So give it a go. It's fun even if you're just bored and want something to do. Gets your brain working anyway, haha. I BELIEVE IN YOU

 

[Scarst]

C'mon guys, you can do it! I did it yesterday, and I know some others have made headway as well. It takes a bit of time, yeah, but it's doable! I'm not turning it in for the reward for obvious reasons. So give it a go. It's fun even if you're just bored and want something to do. Gets your brain working anyway, haha. I BELIEVE IN YOU*

*Piper does not actually believe in you and this inspirational speech was part of her community service.

I have to much on my plate to sit down and do a jumble having to do with Catskills exclusive locations.

Which says to me look at old events that have happened in Catskills history.

Also I got the last location because Katherine is predictable!

 

[Aedon Durreah]

Nope, we are deh failz!!


*Slips Piper some money. pssst, send me the answers.*

 

[Centuri T]

"Excuse me.... Miss, I have decoded this message and gathered the ingredients.... I will wait for your response"

 

[katherinepgoh]

Lavintus' eyes sparked with a bit of fire. Finally, some good news! He sent a reply message quickly, telling them that he would await their presence for a time this eve, at the Moonglow Alchemy Shop.

 

[Piper [PGoH]]

Nope, we are deh failz!!


*Slips Piper some money. pssst, send me the answers.*

How much are we talking here? Is it enough to buy ice cream with? Coldstone is expensive, you know.

 

[katherinepgoh]

Lavintus was overjoyed at the thought of finally being able to put this matter to rest. Every step outside he heard brought his head up in a jolt, until finally a lady walked in, resplendent in her white dress. He eagerly introduced himself and asked if she was the one who came in response to the advertisement, to which she said that she was indeed.

It came out after a short conversation that she was concerned about the items, and upon inspection Lavintus’ curiousity was raised as well. It was quite the eclectic mix, and a highly peculiar set of ingredients. The recipe was clearly the work of a grandmaster, at the very least. He was excited on the one hand to work on it, but on the other…highly unsure. Lady Centuri’s seeming doubts had raised some of Lavintus’ own. Why hadn’t the person contacted him through normal means? Why the roundabout path? Was this some sort of secret research, done in such a manner that others in the Lycaeum wouldn’t steal it prematurely? He’d heard of such things amongst the mages and alchemists and scholars there, the whole pretentious lot of them, always trying to outdo one another and be the source of a new discovery.

Lady Centuri had asked to be told whom the person was upon Lavintus’ delivery of the ingredients, and he assured her it would be no problem. After all, the woman may have helped save his very reputation. With a doubtful look in her eyes and a final glance back, Lady Centuri had left Moonglow’s Finest Alchemy, while Lavintus waved to her from inside.

[OOC: Two more sets of ingredients can still be gathered and turned in for prizes, though first place has been won. A continued wish of luck to you puzzle solvers!]

 

[Aedon Durreah]

How much are we talking here? Is it enough to buy ice cream with? Coldstone is expensive, you know.

*chuckles* Tell me about it. How bout a little Dairy Queen?

 

[hawkeye_pike]

I'm pretty sure you know where Travel Heaven Nag is Cap'n, and I'm positive you know where the Jen Login Lorry travels.

I think this crazy alchemist must like things that move.

Darn, and I was look'n fer a pattern of some kind. Now I understand dat there isn't really one...

 

[katherinepgoh]

There are going to be several follow up puzzles of other types, most involving patterns or other types of codes, so don't worry, you'll get more chances for those of you interested. This puzzle will still be solvable until friday evening at 7 PM EST, when solutions and the situation develops a bit further!

 

[katherinepgoh]

Lavintus had gone over the recipe, and he was sure he’d read something wrong. To be sure, he’d copied over the solution to the list and had left it stowed away inside his ledger. The caliber of the final product was impossible. Its’ potency was far too high to be practical for any use he could think of, but the rest of the recipe was so exacting that he was sure he must have made a mistake in his own calculations, so he had gone over it again and again. But it always came up the same way. He’d slept restlessly the night before, and he awoke harshly with his bleary eyes to an oppressively bright morning. He made himself ready, and set out from his small home to Moonglow’s Finest Alchemy, taking his usual path.

He thought he’d heard someone following him as he made his way there, and a few times he’d turn quickly to see, but not even a single other soul traveled the same path he did. He carried the list that the woman, Centuri had given him along with the pouch containing the items on his person, and the recipe he’d decoded. He couldn’t trust any of his assistants with that recipe, and he wasn’t honestly sure he could trust himself with it. When he’d told Centuri that the recipe was clearly the work of an artisan, he’d seriously understated the case. Regardless, he was sure that there would be some boring, mundane explanation from an equally boring, mundane research alchemist come later in the day. Such was the state of life, and there was never much of anything interesting happening within the alchemical world these days.

With one last glance around, he turned the corner to the archway that served as the door to his alchemy shop. He’d lamented to the guards about not having proper doors, and they’d relented and installed some sort of sliding mechanism, where they weren’t visible during business. He put his small key into the odd doors, and slid the one without the keyhole open, and he started to push the other as he took the key out, but never finished the action. He was struck hard from the front, and the motion caused him to slam the door to the side, his key snapping off in the lock and falling onto the ground. He looked up in time to see a blur of motion, silheoutted by the suns glow as it held a hand out towards him, and his world went black.
[OOC: The Story Continues in The Missing Mage. The solutions are there too!]