[The noise of an empty mind]

I have a bit of ADD and, like many people who don't even realize it, a very mild case of OCD...my mind is in constant motion.

[Small Puzzle]

I think I've got the second pattern:

The column number by itself times the row number minus the column number subtracted by the row number so:

((2x2)x(6x6))-(6-2)=

(4x36)-4= 140

I'm lost on the third. So far the only thing I've managed to come up with is:

That each answer is subtracted by an incrementing odd number.

(36x9)-9

(49x9)-11

(64x9)-13

I don't understand how to get the odd number sequence though. It's 6+3 but then 7+4, 8+5, 9+6, 10+7

[Small Puzzle]

You are correct, the formula on columns one and six were screwed slightly. This has been addressed, grats on figuring out A pattern for row one, once you figure out the pattern to row two, it will likely all make sense and you can get all twenty rows.

In that case, I've obviously got the pattern for the first row:

The first row would be the column number multiplied by itself and plus 1.

For example,

6x6 is 36+1=37

7x7 is 49+1=50

I'm working on the second row, and I've got some theories. If anything I'm thinking is correct, your math is off again

[Help phrog]

It would appear that Phrog's body has been destroyed but all hope is not lost.. Khalazdad has captured Phrog's spirit.. what he has planed though still remains a mystery, but there are still those who are trying to free him and see about getting him a new vessel. If you have any information on this matter which can help please post it here or PM me, all help is welcomed.

Could you use the principle of syntropy to restore his original body?

[Where this world is going?]

We're a long way off from a global meltdown. I'm more concerned with the economy. We work ourselves to death just to break even. Companies send business overseas to save money, but they never pass the savings on to anyone. They just keep getting richer, then when we are about to get our retirement we saved up 40 years for, the company goes out of business and takes our money with it.

Those savings are passed directly to consumers. It's one of the reasons that computers cost $400 instead of $2000 like they did in the 90's.

If you look at the profit margins of companies with outsourced manufacturing, take Walmart for example, you'll find that they're dismally low. Companies have to push low cost low profit items in order to remain competitive and establish customer loyalty. It's volume keeping these places afloat and not high profitability, and they simply couldn't push that much volume by shafting you and I, the consumer.

I think you underestimate the benefits of outsourcing and have a misplaced hatred for the all-powerful "Corporation".

People come into other countries and work and never spend any money in that country, they just mail their earnings back to their families in other countries and so we wonder why economies keep getting worse.

That's an issue but if you're talking about US immigration, you'd have to weigh the possible affects of NAFTA into the equation. In the long run, the US economy/GDP is leaps and bounds ahead of Canada and infinitely greater than Mexico's.

Companies keep making products out of cheaper materials that break easily, but they keep charging more and more for it. I hardly ever see real wood furniture anymore. It's always made out of pressed wood or plastic dust, and still costs $200-300. What happened to hand carved wood furniture made from real trees?

I don't know where you're buying your furniture, but my wife and I purchased an entire bedroom set from Target for under $800. That was back in 2004, and we still use all of the pieces today. Now, how many years would we have had to use them in order to make our money back? Say we had bought each piece for $800 instead of spending that total. With two dressers and two nightstands we'd be looking at close to $3000. For that price, we could have afforded to buy new "cheap" furniture every year for three years and still come out ahead. I'd say we are getting our money's worth out of the products we purchased.

Same with the last DVD player we bought. It cost us $35, in contrast to the $100 Sony. At $35, we could have bought 3 for the price of the single Sony unit, and the one we purchased is still working.

Also, we did buy a wooden head and end board set for our bed...you can get real wood furniture, you've just got to shop around for it. It helps if you have an Amish community near by. Now, we live in the suburbs of Cleveland Ohio so when I say nearby I mean within 100 miles

[Small Puzzle]

I have created a new just for fun puzzle! (This one can be found on my self comments papers also).

The Odd Chest

In my many travels I have come across many strange and wonderful places, and devices. The most recent of which I am having great difficulty with, it is some form of chest, one I hope houses Shikaku, only I can not open by any normal means. There is some sort of hole in the top and I assume I must place the key in there... only I have no idea what they key is, or where to find it.

I 'acquired' this chest from some rather strange people who had an unhealthy obsession with the number four. This is the inscription on the lid...

0020 0011 0001 0110 0011 0010

0010 0102 0001 0003 0020 0033 0102 0032

0002 0030 0033 0033 0010

Perhaps this will lead me to the key, any help you can offer would be appreciated.

The number groups are all in base 4 or quaternary. I've decoded them to represent...

8,5,1,20,5,4

4,18,1,3,8,15,18,14

2,12,15,15,4

...in decimal, but I have no idea what to do with the numbers from there.

For the first puzzle, are you sure that first number at 6:1 isn't 37 instead of 41?

I'm struggling to find a pattern there and that column seems to be really out of place.

[M B: You Happen Across A Small Parchment.]

Left to ponder the new mysteries before him, Wynken thinks deeply of the questions elicited by his last encounter. So many entities, each with a claim to a unique and independent consciousness, and such beauty and perfection all working within a closed complex system. Can such a world be the result of a single mind? "Such a vast collection would certainly suggest a reality beyond myself", he muses. Settling on a question in rebuttal to that posed by Calyx of Isis, Wynken asks rhetorically to himself, "Do you not believe that this world had an origin? Does Isis or another within your pantheon (Mur?) supposedly posses the power to create worlds?"

Unsure of too many things, and unwilling to suggest to himself let alone a priestess, that he may yield the power of a deity, Wynken allows the moment to pass and watches the woman fade in and out of the crowd, and get lost in the ebb and flow of mock battles. He returns again to his manuscript, this time reading earlier portions that were transcribed in the days previous:

Try as I may, I recall naught of my life before the wooden box. Though I'm plagued with visions of a past existence, mere flashes of light or rather flashes of dark, if such a notion could be grasped, I have no solid evidence of any previous deeds. Malicious shadows and mysterious blindfolds are perhaps pieces of a greater puzzle. I seem left with one of two solutions, and neither are desirable. Either my mind holds such a power over me so as to obscure my own past from recollection, or my mind holds such a power over existence so as to conjure it at will.

Trying to place recent discoveries within this context, Wynken relaxes once more and thinks again on the day's encounters.

[M B: You Happen Across A Small Parchment.]

Many hours passed and morning turned to dusk. Realizing that the sun no longer afforded enough light by which to read and, more importantly by which to write, Wynken stretched his legs and began walking the path that would take him to the dojo of Marble Dale Park.

The constant bustle of the busy dojo is less than desirable when trying to concentrate, but it is still far more relaxing than the city streets of the Marind's Bell capital. Awed by the sights and sounds of eager adventurers pitting their abilities amongst one another, Wynken finds a seat out of the way and watches the spectacle that plays out before him. So many entities in near constant motion, can all of this really be a dream?

As you take a break from your rituals you notice the out of place stranger sitting quietly in one corner of the large room. Always ready to make someone feel welcome, you make your way over to him for a proper introduction.

Again, anyone can please feel free to make a post and join me.

[M B: You Happen Across A Small Parchment.]

"What if I am still in the box", Wynken quizzically remarks aloud to himself. "Look for the moon? Riddles?" As his eyes fix once more on his surroundings, Wynken realizes that he is alone again. His thoughts race in a thousand directions as he attempts to place into context what just transpired and to recall what exactly he was doing before his meeting with Penelope. He rubs the parchment between his fingers and the action floods his mind as it recalls the recent events. "Oh yes. That silly wind tore a page right out of my memoirs." He shifts his works from one hand to the other and hurriedly flips to the section where the missing page should reside. Satisfied that it is fitted securely, he speaks again the words uttered by Penelope. "Am I still in the box? Perhaps the box is in my mind, or perhaps the box is my mind."

Deep in thought and more confused now than when he began, Wynken sits silently on a bench in a small clearing near the path. His quill taps the page as it eagerly awaits direction. "Look for the moon?"

[M B: You Happen Across A Small Parchment.]

The sun’s arm-like rays have just begun to lazily stretch above the light trees that line Marble Dale Park. As you walk the paths, a cool morning breeze carries the scents and sounds of that tranquil place as it gently ruffles your hair. The sound of the wind through the bows of trees captures your attention briefly, but a glint of dancing light in the distance pulls you from that trance. Always one to satisfy your curiosity and feeling the overwhelming sense of peace within the Park, you begin walking in the direction of the object. As it comes into clear view, you see a plain parchment wafting in the wind as it reflects the light of the rising sun. It looks only slightly weathered though it has one rough edge as if it were torn from a larger volume. Though a small portion was lost to the tear, you can clearly read the remaining inscription:

aluated and reconsidered many observations during my brief time in this “existence”, and

ith mixed feelings that I have finally concluded that there is no such thing as death, life is

ly a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Or more accurately that reality is the

gination of my consciousness. In my recent search for absolutes, I have found only one and that

I exist. This and this alone can I say with all certainty, and all else is speculation which

rely assumes the truth or falsity of subsequent presuppositions. What if I were in another dream

lity before I awoke in the wooden box? What if I am

The writing ends seemingly in mid thought, and it isn’t until you’ve read the final statement several times that you get the feeling that you’re no longer alone.

The man before you walks with an air of confidence but not arrogantly so. His clothes are woven of fine fabrics and flow easily in the morning breeze. His garments have been fashioned in such a way so as to make it difficult to discern where one begins and another ends, each moving in tandem and creating a beautiful scene as the patterns run one into another. A large but not overwhelming book is nestled under one arm, and even as he regards you, the man’s face wears an expression that can only be defined as captivated. He looks through you and not at you as if his mind is attending to matters elsewhere. You stand motionless for a brief moment and can plainly see the man’s attention come back to the immediate situation as his eyes shift from yours to the parchment at your fingertips. As he focuses on the paper his face lights up with acknowledgment, and as if he had just noticed you the man says with an amazed exclamation, “Oh! I do believe that belongs to me. Hrmph, how rude of me, I apologize, my name is Wynken. Wynken Vanaril. Pleased to meet you. However, I would appreciate it if I could have that back.”

A smile cracks his thin lips as he finishes and regards you fully once more. He obviously awaits your response…

Anyone wishing to join my introductory story can feel free to post.

[NEW PRINCIPLE]

The Principle of Causality:

This would relate loosely to cyclicity and maybe balance to a lesser degree, but would deal directly with specific cause and affect relationships rather than the many causalities necessary to form a pattern or cycle. There are many direction you could take this, but one idea is that, by altering what could be considered as the natural cause and affect, one could alter or avoid a consequence. For example, the fact that fire burns or that water drowns are casual relationships which could be avoided. Also, by evaluating causalities one could discern how an item or situation came to be. Basically, it could be a form of divination or forensics. By examining the body of a recently killed person or animal, you could determine the cause of death...

The thread starter suggested space. Perhaps the principles of energy and matter should also be considered. The principle of time already exists and the addition of space, energy, and matter would round out the rest of the components that make up our physical universe.

Other ideas I had were possibly the principles of harmony and/or discord. They could both relate to the principle of causality except with a focus on why or how an action relates to a reaction. It could obviously also be used to alter the relationship between two items, people, or events.

[Where can i create a ritual?]

They really need to add a Ritual link in the Creature menu. Would make things a lot easier and more enjoyable IMO.

[Navigation idea.]

This is just something that I've noticed while playing. It may be that my spacial awareness just isn't that great, but I think it would be great if there were some type of compass or something that could tell you what direction you're going on the navigation screen. Some of the navigation arrows don't have a description or tool tip so I've gotten turned around multiple times and end up wasting AP by constantly entering and exiting rooms that I've just left.

[implemented/dismissed ideas]

This is just something that I've noticed while playing. It may be that my spacial awareness just isn't that great, but I think it would be great if there were some type of compass or something that could tell you what direction you're going on the navigation screen. Some of the navigation arrows don't have a description or tool tip so I've gotten turned around multiple times and end up wasting AP by constantly entering and exiting rooms that I've just left.

Well...that's the tricky part in MD:to learn how to move efficiently. And in time directions will be added.