Cryptic Clue Fest I

The Cryptic Clue Fest was a special clue-seeker event held around the weekend of the 2009 Thanksgiving event on both the RuneScape Forums and in-game.

This event ran from 26 November 2009 for 4 days, but is likely to continue until 4 December. Every day, two new clues were released:


 * An NPC clue pointed to the NPC players need to talk to.
 * These clues were revealed by the NPCs that take part in the event.
 * An item clue pointed to the items players needed to bring to the NPC to make them talk.
 * These clues were released on the official RuneScape Forums by Jagex Moderators.
 * Noted items could not be used.
 * The exact number of items had to be in the inventory. Any more or less would not work.
 * Players may also have had other items in their inventory alongside with the required ones.

If a player solved the two clues, they could proceed to the next NPC with the right items (provided that they did not have to wait one day for new clues). Players could proceed one stage of the event once a day, as soon as the new clues were released, but they could do it at their own pace. They could choose to do all the clues on the final day if they wished. Players wishing to complete this task, however, must have visited each of the NPCs in this mini-quest in the order that the clues were given. Attempting to skip ahead would simply get no response from the NPCs.

Quickguide
For those players interested in a compiled list of items and locations to complete this event without having to solve the riddles, this list is provided below:

Clue 1: 26 November
To solve Clue 1, players will need to solve a simple puzzle to identify what items they will need to bring to continue this clue quest.

The items you will need to bring is based upon this following matrix:

There are three riddles that must be solved using this matrix that will help to identify what items are needed to obtain the next clue:


 * Word for Item 1: "Hardly nutritious, but it can be frosted even during summer!"
 * Word for Item 2: "Oh my, sounds like a naked grizzly!"
 * Word for Item 3: "A judgement of quality you pass on things and people. Sometimes you do it highly, sometimes rather poorly."

Using the information for each one of the clues above, you can identify by the image what items you need to bring with you. The number of items required is based on the following riddle:

Finally, the NPC that you need to deliver these items to is based upon the following riddle:

For those who may be challenged by this riddle, open this box below to find what items you must obtain:

All of these items may also be bought from the Grand Exchange, or obtained through any other means. Once players talk to the NPC with these items in their inventory, he will reveal the following information for the next clue:

Clue 2: 27 November
Next, players will need to visit the NPC revealed in the previous day's clue. The items required for Clue 2 can be found by looking between each of the lines of the clue. Using Ctrl+A on the keyboard (or by highlight the article using the mouse), look at the highlighted words that will become visible.

The highlighted text reads:
 * Item 1: When baking a cake, there’s a bucket of one ingredient you’ll need. Carry two of these.
 * Item 2: You’d never catch Herring with empty line, so carry seven of this item to catch your contact.
 * Item 3: Ever heard of Roman numerals? You’ll need to carry CCXXVII gold coins!
 * Item 4: The final item is a tool used in creating your dwellings and protecting your body from attack. Hit the nail on the head with four of these.

For those needing help, the items needed can be revealed by clicking "show":

All of these items may also be purchased from the Grand Exchange, or obtained through any other means. Once players talk to the correct NPC with these items in their inventory, that NPC will reveal a riddle to identify the next NPC for clue #3:

Clue 3: 28 November
The fest now brings players to the next NPC, where some additional items need to be found based on the following "brain teasers" or mathematical word problems:

Puzzle #1
''A tailor is making a new coat. He needs half the amount of threads that are in the hem for the collar. The sleeves need four times as many threads as the collar. The trim, which is the same as the hem, requires ten threads. The sides need five times less than the sleeves. If the tailor buys 55 threads, how many does he have left over once he’s made his coat?''

The number of threads he has left is the same number of Red Spiders’ Eggs you’ll need.

Puzzle #2
''Fred the Farmer and his brother, Geoff the Gardener, have acquired a ten-acre plot of land between them. They split the rights to the land evenly and go to work at planting seeds and crops on their half of the farmland.''

''Farmer Fred starts from the west, while Geoff the Gardener starts from the east. Fred plants seeds at twice the rate Geoff does, but Geoff ploughs an acre every ten minutes while Fred takes twenty-five minutes.''

Selling all of their produce results in 400 gold coins between them.

'''How much of that wage is Fred entitled to? You will need to be carrying that same amount of gold coins.'''

Puzzle #3

 * My first is in jungle but not in rectangular,
 * My second is in blunder but not blender,
 * My third is in gallant but not in talent.


 * To this you will need to add the following:
 * My first is in dwarf but not in farced,
 * My second is in battle but not in mettle,
 * My third is in monster but not in ransomed,
 * My fourth is in mention but not in notion,
 * My fifth is in thread but not in death.

What am I? You’ll need to carry three!

Puzzle revealed
The items based on the puzzles can be revealed below:

Clue 4: 29 November
Finally, players must visit last and final NPC on this journey.

The item clue posted on the forums is as follows; it's a riddle Sir Tiffy Cashien came up with according to the newspost.

The NPC gives the following response when these items are brought to him:

{|class="collapsible collapsed" !Click on show to view an explanation of the clue given by the Day 4 NPC
 * This is a perfect anagram of "Creative gameplay - forum specific rules". Going to that section of the official forum gives you the final puzzles.
 * This is a perfect anagram of "Creative gameplay - forum specific rules". Going to that section of the official forum gives you the final puzzles.

Final forum clues
Well done Adventurer! Here lies the final hurdle in the way of the items you’ll need to claim your reward! Here I have written a selection of my toughest challenges. I’m afraid you’ll need to solve all of them in order to figure out which items you'll need to get me to talk!

Good Luck!

Puzzle 1
Let me introduce Mod Mark H, Mod Kathy and Mod Crow. Each of them is going to tell you *one* of the items you will need. The only problem is – only one of them is telling the truth.

Mod Mark H: “You need a Cabbage” Mod Kathy: “You need an Egg” Mod Crow: “You need a Potato”

But who is lying?

Mod Mark H: “Don’t believe Mod Kathy; she always lies! She stole my princess crown!”

Mod Kathy: “Don’t listen to Mod Crow; he lies! He isn’t even a real bird!”

Mod Crow: “Don’t listen to either of them; they are both lying. They are both lesser beings, after all!”

Figure out who is telling the truth – you’ll need three of their item!

Solution: Kathy is telling the truth.

The reasoning:
 * If Crow is telling the truth, both Mark and Kathy must be lying. Mark says that Kathy is lying, so if Mark is lying, Kathy must be telling the truth. We can stop here because only 1 person can be telling the truth, this can’t work.
 * If Mark is telling the truth, Kathy is lying, meaning Crow is telling the truth. We can stop here because only 1 person can be telling the truth, this also can’t work.
 * By these two reasons, it should be clear that the only way left is for Kathy to tell the truth, but if that’s not enough for you…
 * If Kathy is telling the truth…that means Crow is lying. Crow says that Mark and Kathy are lying, so this statement is incorrect. We established that only Kathy can tell the truth and Mark was lying…so Crow’s statement is still consistent. (Crow is still lying because Crow claims both are lying, but only 1 of them is lying.)

Puzzle 2
Below are five objects. One is the ‘Odd One Out’. The ‘Odd One Out’ is the kind of object you will need for this task. You’ll need eight of this object.

No hints for this one!

Solution: Chisel ''The reasoning: All of the items, except the chisel, are able to be created from another material. (Chisel has to be bought from the general store.)''

Puzzle 3
Ah, here’s one of my favourite little rhymes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

“As I was travelling to Falador, one bright and sunny day, I came across a group of knights, heading towards the other way.

There were thirteen knights in total, each noble in their attire. Each knight then had three attendants – officials known as squires.

Each peasant lad was charged with caring for three mules, or t’would be their hides. Each mule had then two packs apiece, in each pack a coin to pay glad tithes.

The number of coins the party possessed – this you must unravel! For the same amount of golden coins will surely complete your travel!”

Solution: 234 coins The reasoning: 13 knights * 3 = 39 attendants 39 attendants * 3 = 117 mules 117 mules * 2 packs = 234 coins

Right, now you should have all the items you need in the correct quantities. Come and speak to me with those items in your inventory for your reward!
 * }

Rewards

 * Magnifying glass
 * Sleuth emote (wield Magnifying Glass and right-click to use)

Trivia

 * One of the clues refers to a "naked grizzly". However, the word naked is censored both in-game and on the forums.
 * The original reward for the event was to be Roddeck's Pipe, however it was changed to the Magnifying Glass before release. Also, if you type in items on quick chat 'Roddeck's Pipe' you will find it even though it was never released:
 * As of 29 November 2009 at 16:31 UTC, Cryptic Clue Fest Day 4 was the top searched phrase on Google. Active game player rescues our cliff imp as one of most searched phrases.
 * Despite the fact that Jagex repeatedly said in every event-related thread that players were NOT to post spoilers, hundreds of players have attempted to post the answers to these riddles in the official Cryptic Clue Fest thread. This has resulted in an extremely high number of hidden posts in that thread. The rapidity with which these spoilers are hidden suggests an unusually high number of Forum Moderators and Jagex Moderators watching the thread continuously.