Opening the gifts

[jakubhi]

The current problem which we face : 

So, how to break the spell? 

After the new year began, an entity known as "Elf of Confused Santa" has appeared. (the whole interaction with him is mentioned by Chew in this post https://forum.magicduel.com/topic/23872-the-hunt-for-red-presents-2023/#comment-199124 ) 

Now, the elf is dead (killed). 

It is not clear if the elf, even when they were alive,  really had the power to open the presents. Maybe the elf could not do it, or they could but needed some time / our assistance. So, reviving the elf may or may not help. 

Other than the  reviving, we may contact the (not) Confused Santa. 

There are probably many more ways, as this is roleplay event (I think?). So please, post your ideas in this thread. 

 

PS: Also, please discuss things regarding the elf killer and his punishment in some other thread

 

[Invie]

Looking at the transcript posted by Chewett, it would seem the elf was unable to open the presents and did not know why there was a spell on the presents. 
Therefore, I don't think we should be looking at the elf to solve this issue, but to the facts we know of.

We know the presents went missing and the elf was looking for them. The elf found them in 'Willow's Shop Locked Storage' and discovered they were protected by a spell. Ledah then killed the elf.
Which leaves us with several questions. What were the presents doing in 'Willow's Shop Locked Storage'? Who put the spell on the presents? Why did Ledah kill the elf?

Considering 'Willow's Shop Locked Storage' is locked and the shop is owned by Willow, it implicates Willow. Willow could have taken the presents and put a spell on them or had Ledah do it. This also explains the murder of the elf by Ledah, it was to prevent the elf from taking the presents back.

We should bring Willow in for questioning and, if necessary, torture him until we have our answers. (And Ledah as well)

[Aia del Mana]

Some passing thoughts:

The elf had been titled "Elf of Confused Santa who is not confused" - the intricacies and ambiguities of the common-tongue do not specify whether this did mean that the Elf was not confused, or if Confused Santa was not confused.

If it were Confused Santa that were not confused, then it is possible the elf was indeed confused, in which case the title in question may have been an inaccuracy, especially since the Elf did show some sign of confusion in regard to the presents. In this case, if the Elf returns to life, the confusion may also require resolution.

If Confused Santa is not confused, then perhaps the title had arisen from a time where he had been confused, although it is not yet clear what could have caused this confusion. It may be that it is Santa (and not Confused Santa) that is behind the gifts, again especially since one may consider to disregard the Elf's title if he had indeed been confused.

In any case, I believe the ideal course of action would be to unconfuse all who were confused, otherwise, any remaining characters may be sufficiently unreliable to cause thoughts such as the aforementioned.

[Aia del Mana]

A brief summary of discourse that I have had with @jakubhi - posted with permission:

Jakubhi's ideas:

- Lifting the magic that sticks down the presents may also lift the magic within the present, rendering it without value.

- The magic within the scene may be fueled by the heat-veins; perhaps temporarily pausing the flow may weaken the magic sufficiently to move the presents

- Could it be possible that Memory Stones would absorb this magic holding the presents in place?

 

Aia's ideas:

- Agreeance that lifting all magic without limit would cause loss of the value of presents

- Rather than attempting to lift the magic, one could attempt to merely cause the opposite effect - for example, a hypothetical potion of extreme unstickiness (which comes with its own issues such as how to get this potion to stick to the presents to cause the desired effect)

- Worry about other temporary magic-weakening as mentioned above to also weaken the effect of said presents

- Thoughts about Memory Stones not working in the above manner. If they did, however, what would prevent them from absorbing the magic inside the presents as well?

[Aia del Mana]

1 hour ago, chriselnenepr said:

We know that there is an Elf in the archives who loves handing out random cards. What if all it takes for the Elf to help us get our presents, we only need to draw the correct cards? 

Wilt thou attempt this, and share of thy results? Or shall we arrange an event there such that many beings may make the burden of each rather lighter?

[chriselnenepr]

17 hours ago, Aia del Mana said:

Wilt thou attempt this, and share of thy results? Or shall we arrange an event there such that many beings may make the burden of each rather lighter?

I've emptied the deck. Watch it get refilled and had the elf shoe me many random cards. Haven't gotten anything useful so far. I did discover one thing. 

If you tell the elf the following 

Quote

Show me some random cards

He will sho you some cards. However, he does the same with the following text

Quote

Show me some random clothes

Quite interesting

[Aia del Mana]

So one would then assume from such results that either:
1. Thou didst not draw the correct sequence of cards (noting that one who is attempting to do so would first see the heat-death of the universe before completing all such combinations, if only one sequence is correct)
2. The "correct" cards are not in the deck that the elf will draw from
3. The hypothesis is false

I wonder of thy thoughts upon this matter, but I would think an elf with enough time to perform the actions required for (1.) to succeed will also have sufficient time to contact Confused Santa, bring him to the realm, revive the other elf, unstick the presents, write the Adventure Log update, respond to all of Chewett's PMs, and still have the vast majority of eternity to test the hypothesis.

[chriselnenepr]

I guess the fastes way to find out might be to revive the elf and ask him directly