Logan Marquis Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 As Bootes stands at the front of Sage's Keep, he looks at the map which was given to him. He studies it for a moment and believes the map indicates something new on the far side of the building. Shrugging his shoulders, Bootes winds his way to the rear of Sage's Keep only to be surprised by what he sees. To his astonishment, he finds a pair of lion statues he has never encountered before. After a moment's hesitation, he approaches the statues to study them. He examines the smooth features and lifelike visage of the nearest one and mutters to himself, "When did These get Here?" Bootes starts to cross from one statue to the other, and as he does, the statues begin to move; a deep rumbling emanates from the stone lions as they move and is nearly deafening. Bootes, while shocked, stumbles back a bit but does not run. The lions quickly fix him with their gaze - eyes, bejeweled with diamonds, flash with a fire that seems to go deeper than their facets would indicate - and roar in unison, "Give us the Answer we seek, and you will find Entrance to this keep." He takes a step forward, clears his throat, and meets their gaze with one of his own and says, as bravely as a man can who has just been surprised by two lion statues that, until recently and to his knowledge, had not existed prior to this moment, "I seek Entrance, Guardians. What is the Question you will Ask of Me?" The statues speak in unison again, with voices low and as smooth as marble. "Our riddle is a simple one, with an answer as plain as the Sun in the Sky and as obvious as the Rhythm of the Sea." [b]"This substance can help a man to see, yet it can also be used to blind him. With it, one can build castles, yet it can also be used to destroy them. What is the answer to our Riddle?"[/b] Bootes tilts his head and thinks deeply while rubbing the scruff on his chin for a moment before speaking. ======================================================= This is your chance to contribute to help Bootes find his way into Sage's Keep! If you have an answer or perhaps a word of advice/guidance, post a reply(once the thread is opened) and perhaps your answer can help Bootes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 old and easy, it's [spoiler]sand! you can make glasses of it or it blinds you in a storm, you can build castles with it or use sand to extiguish them forever.[/spoiler] i thought i'd rather set it under spoilers because people might like to think by themselves =D ps: yippie, the first riddle in the forum i solved first :yahoo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kragel Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 this is the correct answer that burns has this will get bootes either pass them or to the next question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gale Donovan Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 The answer first posited makes a tempting choice, but the analogy breaks down on the last point. The destruction aspect seems strained, if not broken. I would put forward a guess of iron: it can hold the lenses of the glasses that help one see, and iron nails might be used to blind. Iron is invaluable in constructing castles, from the tools used to bars, doors, and reinforcement. Iron swords might then be used by the invading army that ransacks that very castle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Marquis Posted October 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Both are very intriguing thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 now, i guess i don't know the proper english words, but i'm very very sure that my answer is correct... i've just googled the word for the last point, i think it should be "raze", and it can occur in desert lands, it means that a whole civilization can be destroyed in a single sand storm because of the polishing effect of sands at high speeds, the castle can be destructed completely and without trace within hours. and i quite like the iron idea, but it seems a bit far to say the iron holds the lenses of the glasses... and the idea about the swords seems not too bad, but you won't destroy a castle with swords, i'd rather say tools could be the iron things to help you... still, i stick with sand, just because i've already heard that riddle hundreds of times and everyone says that the slution is sand =P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Repo Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 I too agree with sand; Sand is used make glass Sand in your eyes will blind you Children make sandcastles on the beach The final point has several answers - It is true that a sandstorm can raze castles You sand materials to make them smooth Sandblasting can be used to remove motar between stones All in all a very good answer. Another is possible: Water Water is used to lubricate the eye making it possible to see. Water jetted into the eye or in the form of ice will blind One may also contruct castles of ice as in the annual show in Finland Water will wear away stone destroying the strongest castle A third answer is: Time We need time to see what is around us Old age is a major cause of blindness Rome was not built in a day - It takes time to make castles Time too will destroy all of mans works I came upon some rubble lying in the dust and upon the base of the broken statue was an inscription "I am Ozemandeus - King of Kings. Look upon my work yea mighty and dispair!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Udgard Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 I really like the sand one, and I do think that it is better than my answer, but I guess I'll post the other thing that crosses my mind: Fire. The light from a fire helps one see. The light from fire can also blind if it is too bright, and direct contact of eye with fire inevitably leads to blindness. Fire is used to smelt iron, create bricks, and shape objects required to make castles, and fire also destroys castles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRnegative6 Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 How can sand be the answer? It doesnt help you see at all...unless you want to count glasses? Cant we just answer an eye? Or doesnt that count as a substance? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Udgard Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 If I'm not mistaken, glass is made from sand. Eyeglasses help you see.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 To be more exact it is SiO2 which is a important substance used to make glass, sand is a form of SiO2. I guessed time too but I like sand more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Repo Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Further on the fire theory Light Allows you to see Can blind you Light can build castles in the air (A bit of a stretch but work with me) Lasers can destroy if powerful enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manweor Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 If I had to choose I'd say fire, or maybe sand or stone, but I also thought about something less material: Fear, for one One could be blinded by it or it could help keeping the eye ready to see. It can be used to force people into building a castle or defenders into flying from it. Not really a perfect one, but I think worth of some consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankfans Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 I agree with sand. But what first comes to my mind is LOVE. Because Love is Almighty. LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanguinious Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 a guess, just because i like blowing things up gunpowder it lights the way with a flash of light but that light may be so intense it could blind a man. build cities by clearing mountans or destroy them with a simple match(and alot of barrels of the stuff) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SageWoman Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Eyeglass are polished with sand, however, in a blowing sand storm it can blind him. Sandcastles are made with sand from the beach. Cannonballs when made, use sand as a fuse cylica to melt metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metal Bunny Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Yeah umh, the thing I am seeing here is that should one pick a certain trait or characteristic, it would probably be correct, if one applied it to the correct possible contexts.. Like: Truth, helps man see, etc etc, but only if you apply it correctly and look at it from a fixed point of view. Pride is another such thing, or confidence. However, the riddle states that it searches for a [b]Substance[/b], thus time, light and fire(not really sure, but isn't it just a chemical process?) and other concepts which cannot be touched by hand.. are they not a false answer? I'd say I'd have to go with sand, only because I can't think of a better answer for the moment.. As for water, if you (with the exception of lenses flowing out) go underwater and open your eyes.. one can still see, the fact that a storm is needed to blind you with water, requires it to be a combination of wind.. if sand is poured into your eyes, and thus only sand and no wind, then you are blinded as well.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRnegative6 Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Well...if we talking about well...cant we call it wealth? Wealth can make people see in things, and also blind them in greed. It can build castles and ruin them too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty4life Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 yes we need substance not processes, and only one which is right is SAND Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicJester Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 I don't think light can be ruled out just because of one word. Light can be measured and is a form of measurement, so it must consist of something. Scientifically it is both a wave and a particle, just because it's not on the periodic table doesn't mean it's not a substance. As has been already stated by Repo, light is a obvious answer to the first sentence. You need light to help you build - how can you make something if you can't see what you're doing. In a destructive capacity, light bleaches the colour out of objects, it dries the moisture out of everything and can even burn objects if left in light for long enough. A castle needs night to cool the stone or else the mortar would expand and crack from the constant heat. And if all else fails, everyone knows that 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awiiya Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 I agree with sand. Also, sand is one of the erosive forces in nature. The wind picks it up and then erodes rock formations (including buildings) by scraping the sand it has suspended in the air against the rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metal Bunny Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Light is not an obvious answer to the 'build a castle' sentence, because that way, you are saying that you cannot build a castle blind.. I am certain I can build a lego castle when I am blind.. it would look skewed and ugly, barely functional and ready to collapse, certainly. But what the riddle is aiming at, is the [b]driving reason[/b] to build a castle in the first place. Castle's in the medieval ages were build to establish and maintain political and military power in the region, more like a desire to rule, and castles were build to rule more efficiently. Light may be a prerequisite to build castles, but also to build other things, as is sand.. Which is why I don't like sand too much.. I just can't think of something better Now the riddle says with it, you can build castles. But like i said, without light, one can still build a castle.. for example.. uh, termites and ants, they build stuff blind.. not really a good example I know.. Mmmh.. I guess the lego one still applies.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetman Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 I think that the answer is sand. I think it is sand because you can use sand to help make glass and that will help you see but will also blind you if its thrown in your eyes, and you can make sand castles out of it and then make mud ball with sand to destroy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormrunner Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 sand, sounds right to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kragel Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 yes sand can be used to make glass causing one to be able to see and sand in the eyes can blind sand can be mixed and made into brick and such to build up a castle and the strongest of sand storms can rip them down in modern day you could liken it to sandblasting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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