Cryptic Clue Fest I

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

This event runs from 26 November 2009 for 4 days. Every day, two new clues will be released:


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

If a player solves the two clues, they may proceed to the next NPC with the right items (provided that they do not have to wait one day for new clues). Players may proceed one stage of the event once a day, as soon as the new clues are released, but they can do it in their own pace. They may choose to do all the clues on the final day if they wish.

The event will be removed a little before next weeks' update (i.e. 3 December 2009), so players will have more than the initial 4 days to complete it.

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 Goff the Garden starts from the east. Free plants seeds at twice the rate Goff does, but Goff ploughs an acre every ten minutes while Fred takes twenty-five minutes.''

Selling all of thir 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.''' The answer is very simple; 200.

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:

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, he will reveal the following NPC clue for day #4:

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.

Solution: 

43 – 35 – 27 – 19 – 11… In this sequence 8 is taken each time. The next number would be three. If players take every 3rd letter from the message, they will get the items they need.

Its no Mirasol all Gentle cats = Small Net can tilt red Romulans rear = Air Rune crease bulbs salt gate = Cabbage


 * 3 Small Nets. - Can be obtained from a Fishing shop just north of Lumbridge Castle.
 * 10 Air Runes. - Can be bought at the Magic/Rune Shop in Port Sarim.
 * 7 Cabbages. - Easily picked from the cabbage patch just north of Port Sarim, North-west of Draynor Village.

'''All of these items can otherwise be bought on the Grand Exchange. This may be a worse method of obtaining the items as a lot of players will probably be buying them there.'''

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

Plus (clue for items, UNSOLVED )

Active game player rescues our cliff imp

Leader and Items

All clues point out to Roddeck, the Advisor in Lumbridge.

Solving The Final Clue:

Please discuss all possible items/solutions to the clue on the Discussion page for this article.

=Gallery=

Rewards
The item and emote are currently unknown as the final clue has not yet been solved.

Although the item has yet to be released, speculation has it that it is going to be the Magnifying glass as it can be found in the Toy box in the Costume room of a player-owned house. It can also be found in the Quick Chat feature. The emote is believed to be related to detectives. The evidence is based on the Thanksgiving news post. :

If you type in items on quick chat 'Roddeck's Pipe' you will find it. This may also be the item reward.

Trivia
As of Nov 29, 2009 on 11:31 AM EST, Cryptic Clue Fest Day 4 was the top searched phrase on Google.