DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fun & Games ETD: Escape the Dream Episode I: The Dreamthief's Tavern

The last thing you remember is the taste of honeyed ale and the kind smile of the innkeeper as he handed you the tankard. "For the dreams, " he'd said.

You do not wake gently. You jerk upright, a cold stiffness in your neck, still seated at the heavy oak table in the common room of The Hearth's Rest. But the world is wrong.

The great stone fireplace across the room is a dark, cold maw filled with grey ash. The cheerful roar of the storm has been replaced by a silence so deep it presses on your ears. The front door is no longer wood and iron. It is a seamless arch of ancient, grey stone set into the wall, carved with four symbols: a flame, a wave, a gust of wind, and a mountain. To your left, the long, polished bar stretches into the shadows.

You rush to a window. No rain streaks the glass. Only a formless, swirling grey mist stares back, featureless and endless.

On the table before you, clean and stark, lies a parchment. Its elegant script reads:
The fire gives no warmth.
The water has no taste.
The earth bears no weight.
The air carries no song.
Balance them, and wake.

A sudden, rhythmic sound breaks the silence: drip... drip... drip... It comes from behind that long, polished bar.

You are utterly, completely alone.

I'd go check behind the bar. See where the water is dripping.

Behind the bar, the drip originates from a small wooden keg mounted on a stand. A single, fat drop of amber liquid swells at its spout before falling with a soft plink into a tin pail.

Crude, deep scratches mark measures from 0 to 10 along its side; the liquid sits just below the 8. A slate leans against it, the chalk writing smudged but clear: 'Old Tom's Order: 4 measures of the Stormbrew. No more, no less. He's picky. -K'

Glancing at the shelves, you spot a delicate, clear-glass flask and a stout, green-glass bottle among the others. They are labeled clearly to hold exactly 3 and 5 measures respectively.

Tucked under the counter on its own shelf is an empty tankard inscribed with the name "Old Tom."

Hope I got this right. Pour the pail into the 3 bottle and then into the Tankard, leaving 5 in the pail and 3 in the tankard.

Repeat this suquence which leaves 2 in the pail and 6 in the tankard.

Pour the takard in the 5 bottle which leaves 2 in the pail, 5 in the 5 bottle and 1 in the tankard.

Pour the 5 bottle into the 3 and then add it to the tankard to give a 4 measure!

<fingers crossesd>

You attempt this solution, but realize that the tankard can't hold 6 measures. It looks to hold a bit over the 4 (precisely) that Old Tom wants. Attempting to pour 6 into it would overflow it.

Frustrated, you pour everything back into the pail and contemplate the measures again.

1. Fill the 5 bottle from the pail.
2. Fill the 3 bottle from the 5 bottle.
3. Put the remaining 2 that are in the 5 bottle in the tankard.
4. Pour the 3 bottle back into the pail.
5-7 Repeat Steps 1 - 3

You pour the precise four measures into the tankard. A deep, mechanical CLUNK resonates within the bar's frame. The entire shelf unit shudders and swings inward, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside lie two ceramic jugs, elegantly marked 'III' and 'VII'.

Other than the numbers, are the jugs identical? (basically are they the same size, or does the number appear to have some relation to the size of the jugs)

You inspect the jugs. The jug with VII on it looks like it holds a little more than twice the volume of the jug with III on it.

Also, the jug with VII on it seems to contain a rolled up piece of paper inside it. Pulling it out and unrolling it, you read:

They say Young Tom's half the man;
Give him half of what Old Tom can.
Pour his due into the basin round,
Let the waves wash it to the ground.

This might be a reference to the first riddle/challenge since Alduin just filled Old Tom's tankard. In that regard should be 2oz in a round basin. Wherever that might be because I haven't seen one mentioned yet.

Realizing there's something more you need to do, you look around the room, recalling the parchment you originally found that seemed to indicate four clues, possibly related to the archway at the door.

The fireplace is mentioned, and you've been pouring liquids into containers and have a hint where that's going, but what about the other two? You decide to pause and look around the room again for more hints for directions to go.

The common room is cluttered with the comforts of a well-loved inn, yet everything feels frozen, staged. Against one wall stands a tarnished suit of armor, its shield facing outward. Four symbols are etched into the shield's face in a circle: a mountain at the top, then a gust of wind on the right side, a flame at the bottom, and a wave on the left, seeming to match the symbols on the arch. Dust clings to the visor, undisturbed.

On a nearby wall, a framed piece of parchment hangs slightly askew—sheet music titled "The Lay of the Four Winds" ... yet another hint at the number four perhaps?

Beneath your feet, the floor is a patchwork of broad flagstones, worn smooth by generations of boots. As you look toward the fireplace you notice one stone near the corner of the hearth sits unevenly, its edge lifted just enough to catch the toe of a careless step.

Four elements, four winds...

Walk over to the fireplace, look closely at the stone in the fireplace.

The stone moves a little if you step on it, and it looks like you might be able to pry it open, but try as you might, you don't seem to be able to do so with just your fingers.

Look around for a tool or some sort of switch that might trigger it.

You make a more careful investigation around the fireplace in the vicinity of the crooked flagstone. You don't see any switches, but there is a red brick in the frame that can be removed.

Doing so requires a bit of wiggling and scraping, but reveals nothing behind the brick but the stone wall.

There don't appear to be any other places in the room where things might be stored, so you return to behind the bar, looking underneath it. Besides the usual barware, tableware, and jars of various spices, you see a wooden crate.

Opening the crate reveals a small hammer, a crowbar, and a wide, round silver basin.

List of tools...

Crowbar
Hammer
Wide Round Basin

Note: the Water Riddles... The basin is most likely for Young Tom's portion (2nd Riddle: line 3) which should be 2oz (2nd Riddle: Line 2)

Earth:

I attempt to use the crowbar to pry up the loose stone.

Prying up the heavy flagstone reveals a shallow space. Inside are a simple brass balance scale and a linen bag. The bag holds five smooth stones. Each is faintly stamped with a symbol: a Hearth, a Mug, a Bed, a Crescent Moon, and a Key.

I gather these items and take them to the counter top. Laying them out:

Items laid out on Countertop:

Crowbar
Hammer
Wide Round Silver Basin
Simple Brass balance scale
Linen Bag
Smooth Stone: Hearth
Smooth Stone: Mug
Smooth Stone: Bed
Smooth Stone: Crescent Moon
Smooth Stone: Key

Counter top: I weigh each stone against each other to order them on the counter heaviest to lightest. (Or Do I need to explain how? Wait we're dealing with Aqua)


This is done by placing one stone in one pan of the balance scale and another stone in the other pan. Then Observing which stone is heavier or if they balance evenly. Then systematically comparing all stones against each other. So it'd go

Compare Hearth Stone with Key Stone
Note which is heavier.
Then compare the heavier stone with Bed Stone.
Continue this process until all stones have been compared.

You weigh the stones against each other and determine the order, from lightest to heaviest, is
Hearth < Mug < Key < Bed < Crescent Moon

Look around for something to use the balance weights on. If not, try them on the scales - hearth & bed, mug & key, use the moon to the lightest side.

You put hearth and bed stones on one side, and mug and key stones on the other side. It tips slightly toward hearth & bed. But the moon stone, being the heaviest, is way too much and tips that side down.

You experiment a bit more, and discover the hearth and mug stone exactly balance with the bed stone.

And the mug and bed stone exactly balance with the moon.

Then try Moon and Mug to balance with Bed, Key & Hearth.

You place Moon and Mug on one side, and Bed, Key, & Hearth on the other side, and the scales balance!

You feel accomplished.

Wonderful!

While briefly disappointed that nothing happens, you decide you've at least solved part of a problem but don't yet know the other part.

Somewhat like that basin you don't know what to do with yet.

Still, there are other clues to pursue. You glance again toward the front door, trying to inventory where you are...

You look around at the objects you've collected and not yet used.

There's the brick you removed from near the fireplace, or the hole it left, or maybe something related?

There's also the hammer you found in the crate.

And what was that song you saw?

With careful measrements using Alduin's method I pour 2oz of liquid into the round basin.

Sorry like everyone guess we've all been busy with holiday stuff! Still busy myself but some thoughts that might help others..

The fire gives no warmth. - so maybe we should light a fire?
The water has no taste. - do we need to flavour it?
The earth bears no weight. - maybe the brick needs to go in the hole again?
The air carries no song. - maybe need to create a melody or sound?
Balance them, and wake. - And then this results.

You consider the parchment's four elements. Fire. Water. Earth. Air.

They match the suit of armor's. Indeed, it seems you probably need to solve one puzzle in each category.

You've got the earth, possibly, with the balanced stones. And the water quantity and basin.

But fire and air... maybe that song about the wind is applicable for the air, and lighting the fireplace seems to make sense, too. But how?

As you look more closely at the armor, you think there might be something hidden behind that dusty visor.

Carefully lift the visor.

You get a bit of dust on your fingers, but you find a dusty leather-bound volume, with a cloth bookmark. You open to the bookmarked page and read:

Dragon's Breath Ignition (For Smithwork)

For a flame that reveals:
1. Salt of Silver (cleanses).
2. Niter from the Red Rock (quickens).
3. A Spark from the Heart Itself (ignites).

You think to yourself, "Hey, looks like I need these three things to start a fire."

Still only half a brain.. but could the brick be Red Rock?

You look at the brick and it does indeed look like a Red Rock. Even more, the act of wiggling it out of its spot on the hearth produced a small pile of red rock dust.

Looking at the list you also see "Heart" and glance around, finding that every table has a small glowing lantern on it... not flame, but something else. They are each marked with different symbols. One, on a table next to where you found the parchment, is marked with a heart.

Now... the salt?

So salt of silver? The bowl is silver. Could we find something that reacts with it?

The other thing that comes to mind are the various spice jars behind the bar. Go and examine thses.

Behind the bar there are indeed many spices, most in jars. Near them is a jar of rock salt, and a small, pure silver, salt cellar.

Is the salt cellar empty?

The salt cellar is currently empty, but you could easily put rock salt from the jar into it. And maybe even some of that brick dust.

Check first there is wood in the fireplace.

OK try both and take the salt cellar to the heart lantern. See if it ignites. If so Head to the fireplace.

The mixture of rock salt and brick crumbs ignites with glowing blue flame.... not burning, but some sort of magical light.

But the light goes away when you move away from the lantern... however, the lantern is portable, and when placed together with the salt cellar inside the fireplace, it lights up!

Thinking about the sound.. we have a hammer which could tap out a tune on something. We have sheet music. I was inclined to think that as this is air, we might have to blow an instrument? OK two things to try, whistle the tune on the sheet music, if not look around for any wind instrument or anything to play with the hammer.

Whistling the tune doesn't seem to have any effect and there is no wind instrument to play.

But as you study The Lay of the Four Winds you notice that beneath the East Wind verse, six musical notes, each at different points on the scale, are printed larger than the others.

Beneath each of those six notes, you notice a small raised enamel dot, numbered faintly 1 through 6, left to right.

With the number six in your head, you notice that the frame itself is secured by six small silver fasteners along the bottom edge. One of them shifts slightly when touched.

Undo the others.

You try to loosen the other fasteners, but they seem firmly attached to the frame.

You feel like maybe hitting them with the hammer would do ... something, but it's not clear exactly what.

Perhaps the lyrics of the East Wind verse might carry a hint?

The breeze is won by listening still,
It moves for those who follow through.
It waits three beats before it turns,
Then drifts away; too far, too soon.

Use the hammer to tap the first fasteners.

The fasteners give off a lovely "ping" sound when struck, but don't otherwise seem to do anything.

Perhaps the order of hitting them matters?

Hit each one, listening carefully to each. If different sounds, work out the lowest note then the next etc. Hit them in that order

Hitting the first five fasteners seem to give tones that match the notes they are assigned to (with the raised enamel dot) in the sheet music. In fact, hitting them sequentially 1-2-3-4-5 plays that five-note portion of the Song of the East Wind tune.

The sixth fastener, the one that's slightly loose, doesn't sound musical at all, certainly not like the note with the enamel dot numbered six.

Tighten the sixth one and then try again

The sixth fastener doesn't seem to get any tighter. It's not a screw, it's just somewhat like a button that can be depressed at some point.

Perhaps it only functions after you've done something else?

You keep looking for something that might tell you which order you strike the other fasteners. It's not 1-2-3-4-5...

You stare at the song lyrics again...

Try 1,4,3,2,2
"won"
"for"
"three"
"too" "too"

The melody pinged out with the 1-4-3-2-2 notes is different than the song, but still pleasant.

After tapping the second fastener the second time, you hear a subtle click behind the frame.

Pressing the loose fastener allows the frame to fold out from the wall on a hinge, revealing a carved wooden flute with six holes in it.

Excellent Weez! And nice to have another brain helping!

Take the flute and play the same sequence on it.

The notes on the flute sound quite discordant. Perhaps it's the wrong tune to play.

You pause to consider where you are... earlier you identified earth, air, fire, and water puzzles and you seem to have all the needed objects. Perhaps playing the flute is meant to be part of a larger puzzle?

Play the whole 'The Lay of the Four Winds'

As the final note of The Lay of the Four Winds fades, the sound does not vanish.

It lingers... not as music, but as pressure. The air in the tavern tightens, drawing inward toward the ancient stone archway by the door.

Then, with a low, resonant grind, the floor before the arch begins to shift. Stone separates along hairline seams. From beneath the tavern floor, a pedestal of ancient grey stone rises slowly into place.

Its surface is smooth and worn, shaped by hands long gone. At its center is a shallow circular depression — sized perfectly for a single stone.

So did we do anything with all lines in the original poem? Maybe not "the earth bears no weight"? Could it be that we need to put the Hearth stone on the pedestal, since it's the lightest, but I don't know if that relates to earth. I don't think we've figured out Young Tom's water or what to do with the stones. Is that correct?

The fire gives no warmth.
The water has no taste.
The earth bears no weight.
The air carries no song.
Balance them, and wake.

Tom's water - think Miales solved that one. The stones are on the scales and they balance. Somehow I think we need to bring all four elements together but no idea how

OOC: oops. I tweaked the puzzle but not my notes. Replace "sized perfectly for a single stone." with "sized perfectly for the base of the balance scale."

Place the balance scale in the depression of the pedestal.

Place the Moon and Mug stones on one side, and Bed, Key, & Hearth stones on the other side

As the balance scale settles onto the pedestal, there is a deep, grinding resonance that rolls through the tavern floor. The mountain symbol carved into the arch flares with a steady, golden glow.

The remaining symbols do not glow... yet... but something in the room has changed.

The air feels tighter, as though it’s waiting to be shaped.

The carved flute grows subtly warm in your hands. The etched wind-motifs along its length seem to pull your breath toward them.

Play the whole tune.

[OOC Thanks for the correction!]

You play the whole tune.

It’s a very pretty melody, and as the first few verses drift by, nothing else seems to change. The notes echo softly through the tavern, pleasant but not really changing anything.

You begin to wonder if it really matters.

Then you reach the East Wind passage... the section with the six notes with the raised dots you noted earlier.

As the first of those notes sounds, the pedestal gives off a faint hum. By the second and third, the vibration deepens, settling into harmony with the melody.

When the sixth marked note fades, the hum resolves... and with a quiet click, a narrow opening appears at the base of the pedestal, just beside the balance scale. Inside is a small compartment, and within it rests a short, pale candle.

For completeness, you finish the tune anyway. It really is a lovely song, the sort that lingers, an earworm you might find yourself humming as you press on, never quite ready to give it up, or let anyone down.

But yes.

That candle definitely seems important.

Light it.. maybe at the fireplace

The candle catches immediately from the hearth’s strange green flame, burning with a steady, smokeless light.

At first, nothing else seems to happen but as you turn back toward the pedestal, the reaction is instant.

The low hum within the stone pedestal deepens, resonating in your chest rather than your ears. The seams that revealed the hidden compartment begin to glow faintly, as though remembering the warmth that once lay within them. When the lit candle is brought near the pedestal, the flame leans forward... not flickering, but reaching.

The moment the candle is set into the narrow channel beside the balance scale, the flame does not spread wildly. Instead, it is drawn inward.

A thin line of fire traces the pedestal’s carved seams.

Then another.

And another.

Within seconds, the entire pedestal is webbed in a quiet, contained blaze, glowing emerald and gold. It's burning without smoke, without heat strong enough to harm, yet clearly alive. The flame does not consume the stone. It clings to it, as though the pedestal itself has begun to burn.

The flame symbol on the arch flares brilliantly, joining the steady glow of the mountain and the soft swirl of the wind.

For a brief moment, the pedestal burns brightly.

And then, with a low grinding sound, the fire changes.

The stone at the pedestal’s center softens and sinks inward, reshaping into a shallow basin as the flames withdraw from the outer part of the pedestal to that basin, circling it in a perfect ring.

The fire continues to burn along the stone basin's edges...

I still think we need to take care of Young Tom and maybe this is the "basin round" we need. I can't figure out how to use the jugs (III and VII) to get the 2 measures so I'm going back to the first part of Alduin's solution for Old Tom.

1. Fill the 5 bottle from the pail.
2. Fill the 3 bottle from the 5 bottle.
3. Pour the remaining 2 that are in the 5 bottle into the stone basin

When you try to manipulate the bottles, you accidentally drop one and break it!

Hey! Cheating!

Fill the III jug twice and pour each into the VII. Fill the III again. Pour enough to completely fill VII, should leave 2 measures in III. Pour that into the bowl and place in the space in the circle of fire.

Teamwork is the Dreamwork!

The measured water settles into the bowl, the waterline just below the ring of flame.

As you watch, the surface trembles. The ring of fire surrounding the pedestal leans inward, as though drawn by gravity rather than heat. When the first thin line of flame touches the water, there is no hiss, no steam — only a soft, resonant tone, the same harmony you heard when the marked notes were played.

The flames dim.

One by one, the elemental symbols upon the arch respond.

The mountain glows warm and steady.
The gust of wind swirls with pale light.
The flame flickers once, then softens.
And at last, the wave ignites in deep blue as the final ember dies.

The pedestal’s hum resolves into a single, pure note.

The fire withdraws completely into the stone, leaving the basin cool and dry, as though it had never burned at all. The candle’s wick is dark once more. The air is still. The balance scale rests in perfect equilibrium.

For the first time since you awoke in this place, the tavern feels... right.

You look up at the stone arch and see it begin to shimmer. Fine cracks of golden light spread across its surface like dawn through frost. The carved symbols fade. The grey mist beyond the windows brightens, softening from void to the gentle, pearled light of early morning.

And then, the tavern itself begins to fade.

The bar.
The hearth.
The pedestal.

Each becomes translucent, then insubstantial, like the last fragments of a dream slipping away upon waking.

Where the ancient stone arch once stood, there is now only a simple wooden door, slightly ajar.

From beyond it, you hear birdsong.
You smell damp earth and fresh rain.
You feel the unmistakable cool of real morning air.

Weeee! Escape to the beautiful awake world!

Hand in hand Weez!