Riddle Challenge

[hazlogs]

It is currently 14:11 Pacific Time on Wed Apr 13 2016.

Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the south at 15 mph, with gusts up to 22 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.01 and falling, and the relative humidity is 59 percent. The dewpoint is 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius.) For more detail, see: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=98501

Currently the moon is in the waxing Half (Philodox) Moon phase (43% full).

Bawn: The Sept Compound(#2075RAM)

Sweeping branches of evergreen pines form a sort of natural roof overshadowing most of this clearing. In the center is a fire pit with several old logs polished from use for seats. A separate stack of firewood is discreetly piled up at the base of an old spruce, protected from the damp by a tarp. At the edge of the clearing and extending back a bit into the woods resides a rough wooden structure with a slate tile roof. A stone slab rests off to one side of the clearing in a place of some prominence. Nestled in among the pines are a few hardy perennials--red alder, quaking aspen, and a big leaf maple or two--that, come spring, will create a profusion of color in the clearing.

(+view works here)

A faint trail leads off to the east, and a bit north.

Settled out at the compound is Briari, who is currently sitting on a log and wringing her hands together. Being without technology is practically gnawing away at her. She lets out a heavy breath, followed by a hand running back through her hair as she stares at the crackling fire that leaps out from the pit filled with twigs.

Salem, meanwhile, seems perfectly at ease, sprawled out on a branch of a bordering tree like he'd been taking lessons from the local mage-cougar.

Samantha remembers the first weeks out here without her favorite cell phone or access to the social media. It was hell! Now, she couldn't care less for it and cannot help but to grin as she comes to the compound near the fire to see the fancy car driver having withdrawals. Her steps slowly taking her near the fire.

This young woman stands at around five feet and four inches in height. Straight black hair is in a stylish cut as the strands of hair reach down to just below her shoulders. Soft brown eyes contrast gently with her tanned complexion, and high cheekbones and her facial structure speak of clear Native American ancestry. Her shoulders are of average width, but she has a woman's figure. A small waist, wider hips, and long legs. her arms show the scars of long healed scratches while her torso on the left side shows the scar of what must have been a savage puncture wound. Her clothing is a simple leather shirt and pants that thanksfully fit just right to cover and still provide full range of motion. Upon one hip at her waist is a small beaver pelt pouch, cinched shut with a small leather thong.

Glancing upwards to her, Briari gives an amused grin. "Hey. So, are you ready? Spent a lot of time thinking about this moment and how you're about to either step into a new world of maturity or crash and burn and be ridiculed by the spirits and your peers?"

Salem utters a short little 'heh' as he sits up on the branch, legs dangling carelessly.

Samantha laughs at the words from Briari. "Too late for that, I already am." she replies as she comes to stand at attention, hands going back her back. "But, yes, I think I'm ready. At least I'm pretty sure it's not going to be detailing your fancy car."

Felix is wandering around the bawn having a smoke again, but quietly, this time. People in the Compound today, too. He catches some of what's being discussed and sidles in a bit further to watch.

Smirking, Briari rocks back and forth upon her feet. "Three riddles then." She says with a nod of her head. "You have to answer all three. I chose them randomly. They have no rhyme, reason or pattern. But, they will at least make you think. After talking to the Elders here and everyone else, they all agree you should be ready to stand as a Fostern. So, instead of making this incredibly difficult, I am going to test your smarts and critical thinking skills in unwinding words. As a Ragabash, you must be tricky of the tongue and know how to stupify and stump others as you question the ways. What better way to do than a riddle. Agree?"

Samantha keeps her stance but her eyes narrow at Briari and those words. IS it a trick? Did they summon a sphinx to really stump her? Her eyes glance around, bringing a frown as she doesn't see a sphinx but she does see the others in attendance. Either way, she quickly looks back to Briari and then nods. "Alright. That makes sense. Let's do it."

"Oh, /excellent/," Salem mutters, looking pleased.

"Cool beans. Let's do this." Briari says as she clears her throat. "I am a screen in your house. I am probably bigger than your TV. My resolution is infinite, and you can't see pixels on me no matter how closely you look. I am also equipped with glasses-free 3D. I display what's in front of me, but just try and find a front-facing camera on me. What am I?"

Felix grins, settling on one of the logs and leaning back comfortably to observe.

Well, she didn't waste any time, that's for sure. Samantha listens to the words before glancing to the ground. Her arms are still behind her back. "That could be two things." she murmurs before looking back up. "But if it displays what is in front of you, it might not be bigger than a tv. I might say window, but it displays what's behind it, so I'd say Mirror cause it shows you what is in front of it!"

Glancing over to Felix and Salem, Briari shouts out, "SURVEY SAYS! SHOW ME A MIRROR!" She points to the sky for a moment, pauses dramatically, then glances over to Samantha with a grin. "Correct. One down."

Samantha blinks at the woman as she calls for the survey results. She even glances up at the sky, maybe that's where the sphinx is hiding. Finally, a grin comes back to her lips as she seems to relax a little. Her hands even come to be at her sides rather than behind her back.

Felix snorts softly at the Family Feudishness, looking faintly amused, and Samantha gets an approving nod at being deemed correct.

Salem gives a crooked little smirk as Briari goes all game show host and indulges in a brief golf-clap as Sam answers correctly.

"This next riddle will test your knowledge of the Bawn. Surely it will be easy for you, seeing how you practically live out here." Briari says as she gives a look about her surroundings, then back to Samantha. "Rings without any fingers. Leaves but stays nearby. Hiding down below our feet, but seen by looking high. I am where Moondancers come to sing, where tales of honor and glory spring. Where am I?"

"I live at the lake." Samantha mutters as she frowns once more at the woman. Once more, she looks down at her feet which begin fidgeting a little as she shifts her weight back and forth a bit. So much of it points towards a tree. She grumbles to herself. She knew she should have patrolled the bawn more before coming here today, but noooo, she had to check if that fancy car was at Edgewood so she could mark it in a special way if it was.

"Do you need to phone a friend?" Briari asks as she references another game show.

Samantha tilts her head as she looks sharply back at Briari. "I can do that?" she asks with a look of uncertainty. "I thought you all were really strict about stuff like that."

"Well, you can ask Felix or Salem for the answer. Just means I have to give you another if they get it right." Briari says cooly as she inspects her fingernails. "Of course, if they get it wrong, you fail as well. Guess it depends on which of the two is the brighter bulb. One of the follows Chimera, the other follows Coyote."

"A test of wits either way," says the barely-adolescent philodox up in the tree. His crooked little grin looks like trouble.

"Tricky," Felix agrees, and leans to ash his cigarette into the firepit before settling insouciantly back again.

Samantha turns away from Briari, her hands brushing the hilts of her hunting knives as she looks towards the two who might help or hinder her. Did she do anything to either of them lately that might cause her to fail by them answering wrong? Still, relying on the others might not be the best thing, even if she hasn't done anything to the two of them. Finally, she looks back to Briari and blurts out. "The Story Tree." trying to sound more confident than she appears.

Briari chews on her bottom lip for a moment, then glances over to Salem and Felix. Then, the blonde haired Ragabash gives a shrug of her shoulders.

Salem raises an eyebrow at Briari, his face giving nothing away apart from a general amusement.

Felix looks Very Serious, and tilts his head at Briari with a slight lift of brows.

Samantha grimaces as she doesn't get an answer from Briari on whether or not she's correct. What pops into her mind is that this is why the Wendigo and Uktena settle so far away from the others. Grrrr. "Well, is it?" she asks before looking to the others as if to see if they might answer.

A smirk tugs upon Briari's lips. "Two down, one to go." She says with a thumbs up to the Wendigo, then says. "My final riddle will make your brain hurt. It's one that will cause you to think very deeply about the mysteries of life and death and so on." Then, with a loud clear of her throat, she says with a serious tone in her voice. "What is at the end of everything?"

"Ahh," murmurs Salem up in his tree. "Very deep."

Felix breaks into a grin once the answer's been confirmed as correct, looking as though it's been trying to escape. This new question gets what appears to be some thoughtful consideration while he watches Samantha.

Samantha quite visibly relaxes when she finally gets confirmation that she is correct. And she didn't even use the lifeline! She'd jump for joy if it wasn't so nervewracking with Briari doing her impersonations of those annoying game show hosts and their damned hesitations. She tenses once more as Briari speaks the third riddle. the end of everything? How the hell is one supposed to know the end of everything? Apocalypse. Gaia, Wyrm, Weaver. Any of the three might come out ahead. Perfect world, utter destruction. Peace, chaos, order. She can already feel the biggest headache of her life coming to her.

Briari takes a seat back down on the log and lobs another stick into the fire. A smirk tugs upon her face in triumph.

Samantha cannot stay still any longer and starts milling about around the fire. One hand even reaching up to rub at the side of her head and the back of her neck. We all came from gaia, so wouldn't we all go back afterwards? But the Wyrm devours and destroys what Gaia creates, it's it job afterall, so wouldn't we all get eaten? But Ancestor spirits exists in the umbra, right? So wouldn't we all go there in the end? Will there even be an end at all? Gaia continues to create, the weaver to order, and the wyrm to destroy in the never ending cycle, right?

Salem shifts his position on the branch and rests his back against the treetrunk. One leg still dangles down as he watches Sam fret over the third riddle.

"You need to use your life line?" Briari asks Samantha, looking to snap her out of her thoughts.

Felix smokes absently, glancing from the Wendigo to her interlocutor and back, apparently fairly focused on this.

"Huh?" Samantha asks. Hey! She was deep in thought! Some would say that's rare and shouldn't have been interrupted. "Oh.. uhh..." she sure sounds confident. "You really don't think I can do it on my own, do you?" she asks back after a moment, sending a grin at Briari before going quickly back to her thoughts.

Briari shrugs her shoulders upwards. "It's not really what I think, it's what you think."

Samantha glances once more towards the men who she was told earlier might be able to help her should she desire it. It's a tempting, very tempting. the last words by Briari go get her gaze shifting sharply back to the woman. "It is, isn't it?" she asks back before taking in a deep breath and forcing herself to stand still, though that appears to be quite a monumental effort. "We don't know the end of everything. The Apocalypse will come first and then it is up to us on how the end is. Can the glasswalkers handle the weaver? Can the Uktena and Wendigo handle the Wyld? Can the Wyrmbringers handle the Wyrm? We don't know! There is no answer until it happens. I just know, if it comes when I'm alive, I'm going to make those who oppose us and try to end it wish they hadn't!"

Raising a brow upwards at the Wendigo, Briari says, "Is that your final answer? You don't know?"

Salem laces his fingers together on his chest and idly swings his dangling leg.

Felix looks a little dubious at the answer, and sits up on the log he's watching from, leaning to rest an arm on his knee.

Samantha lets a out a low growl in her throat before shaking her head. "I'm thinking out loud!" she huffs before looking away again. "I do think, you know." she mutters in addition before going back to her thoughts. Her eyes look to the other men yet again. "Either of you willing to help me?" she asks, voice timid and fairly quiet now.

"That's a very mature answer I would expect from a prospective Fostern." Briari says flatly as she leans back against the log. "You have to ask one of them. Pick. Coyote or Chimera."

Samantha feels like she is being tortured as she glances back at Briari. If she doesn't pass this, those fancies cars might never want to park at the bawn again. Even if she does pass this, she's not sure she can take this stress. "Then I pick Coyote." she states. "He has often been closer to the Ragabash." she states, trying to sound confident once more.

"Dang, sick burn, Salem. She chose coyote over chimera. The lady of mirrors. The lady of riddles and wisdom." Briari says cooly as she glances over to Felix. "Okay there. What is at the End of Everything?" She calls over to the Gnawer. "You get it wrong, she fails."

"Well, I /am/ a filthy urrah," Salem says in a careless, lazy tone of voice.

Samantha cannot help but to feel like she was just punched in the gut. It figures her choice would spurn one of them, she just failed to realize it would be in that way.

Felix glances toward Salem, then back to the girls -- and then Samantha makes her choice, and he blinks. Briari turns the question on him, and he pauses, taking a thoughtful drag on the cigarette. Salem's remark gets a startled laugh, interrupting his consideration. "What, I ain't?" he asks, "She was kinda screwed on that one." He goes quiet again for a breath. "A'right. I reckon, we're talkin' riddles, this ain't gonna be... real. Unwindin' words an' tricky of the tongue, right? So... end of everythin'..." A look at Samantha, and he looks determined and a little bit frustrated for a few moments before he says, "Last letter? Uh." A bit more of a pause than there really ought to be. "G?" Maybe never saying them makes it hard to come up with one when you want it.

"Really? The letter G? That is your answer to the End of Everything?" Briari says with a raise of her brow, then looks back to Samantha as she gives a wild motion of her hand to the Gnawer. "Ha. Can you believe that? Real stupid answer, huh? Seeing how your Fostern challenge hangs in the balance of it. What do you think? Is that right? Yes or no. I need to know. Yes. Or. No."

Samantha's face falls as the man starts his answer. Then, after he speaks, she starts to consider it. "Well..." she starts, then stops. "The end of the word everything, is the letter G." she agrees, "and you have my answer from before. So really, your riddle has two answers." she states as she stands straighter and holds her chin up. "What I said and what he said. So, unless you wish to clarify the riddle, either and both, are correct."

"No, your answer was: I don't know." Briari says with a smirk on her face. "So, proud Wendigo. Tell me. Is this white Wyrm bringer, dirty, filthy street rat Gnawer who packs under the ever pranking coyote is right? Yes, or no. You give me any other answer besides the one I want to hear and you're going to fail."

"Hey," Felix says, gesturing at Briari with what remains of his cigarette, "I'm hygienic as fuck." No protest to the rest, though.

"Hey, his way is correct, but I still think what I said earlier was right too!" Samantha protests. "And I don't mean, just that I don't know. We don't know, but it's up to us to try and make the best of the end! I don't know about you, but I plan to last until the very end and see for myself. But since we cannot know what is at the end of everything in order to answer your riddle, then like the first one, I will go with the other answer. So, yes. I'll rely on my sept mate. G is at the end of Everything."

Briari lets out a loud snort as Samantha prattles off again. "You don't follow rules real well, do you? I told you, yes or no. I didn't say go on a long wind tangent of trying to justify your very much /wrong/ answer. I said yes or no in regards to Felix's answer, who you put all of your trust into." She gives a look to the Gnawer, then back to the Wendigo. "Yes, the answer is G."

Samantha rolls her eyes at the woman. "You're the one who said i have to be able to stupify and stump others with my words. It's not /my/ fault you thought my answer was long winded or wrong. You just couldn't follow my logic." she states a little smartly. Her smile fades though as she thinks through Briari's last words. "So, I was right then? ANd that's three, right? So.. I pass?" so much for her moment of confidence.

Felix spreads his hands out to either side when Briari mentions trust and looks over to him, then breaks into a grin at the confirmation he was right, with a triumphant fistpump and a "Yessss!" He settles back a bit more casually on the log again, then. "Hey, Briari! Do I get to be Adren now?"

"Let's insult the person you challenged. Great strategy of showing how you're mature enough to lead and teach others." Briari says as she folds her arms over her chest. "Yes, that is three. But I told you, if you phone a friend, then you have to answer another. /You/ have to answer three riddles. Luckily, Felix bailed you out. But, because you're being a bitch, this next one is going to a next level type of riddle. The type that you can't just Google for an answer."

Samantha should really learn to bite her tongue. Oh so hard, she should learn to bite it. She growls in frustration as she takes a step back away from the riddle giver. "Fine. I'm sorry." she mutters before crossing her arms.

Rocking herself back and forth on her feet, Briari says, "Yeah, you're gonna be. No more lifelines little pup." She says as she rubs her wrist with one hand, mulling the words about in her head. "Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?"

Samantha stares at the Glass walker. Three consecutive days without any of the days of the week? Holy shit! that's like that guy on the old commerical, or was it cartoon, who would gladly pay tuesday for a hamburger today, no matter what day of the week it was. "I'm not a pup." she states after a good pause. "And I'll prove it." once more she holds her chin high. "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Three consecutive days in a row without using those you listed."

"Very good. Heh." Briari says as she gives a look back to Salem and Felix with a firm nod of her head. "Well then, Samantha Greenwood. Congratulations. You've earned yourself an upgrade." Her fingers stroke along her chin in thought. "And a new name. The old one is vintage. You need something more ... current and in style." She taps her cheek a few times. "Trips Over Her Tongue? No.. No. Relies on Coyote? Nah..."

Samantha places her fists on her hips and stands there, triumphant! She knew it! HA! After a moment though, she cannot help but to look worried once again. A new name? And from Briari? Shit, this might be... uhhh, interesting?

Felix gives a sharp, approving whistle as the Wendigo's success is declared, and a few light claps to go along with it.

Briari continues to think for a few more moments as she studies the Wendigo for a moment, then says, "From hence forth, to the Garou nation you will be called Wind-In-Her-Words."

Samantha is exhausted from this whole ordeal. Tense, release, tense, release. there's a joke in there somewhere, she's sure! "Wind-In-Her-Words." she tries out the name the other wishes to give her as a Fostern. "I like it." she finally admits.

Briari nods her head and grins. "Then let the spirits and the Sept recognize you as a Fostern. Congratulations. Go forth and party."

"And Windy has stormy eyes that flash at the sound of lies," Felix sings softly to himself as he stands up and stretches, and he flashes the new Fostern a grin once on his feet. "Congrats."

Samantha is happy. Happy happy happy. BUt, can't let all those wyrmbringers see that. Nope! Must keep them all thinking all Wendigo are angry pain in the asses! Yep! Still, there seems to be a spring in her step as she cannot seem to decide where to go first now.

Felix crushes the butt of his cigarette between his fingers and drops it into the pocket of his jacket, which is probably an accident waiting to happen eventually. "So, you gonna go do somethin' to celebrate?" he asks the newest Fostern.

Samantha shrugs her shoulders as she looks to Felix. "I dunno. My pack's pretty busy and outside of them, don't really know who would want to celebrate with a Wendigo." She grins at that. "I might have to go borrow a certain car for a joy ride though."

Salem, up in the tree still, gets to his feet and stretches. "Hands up everyone who /doesn't/ know how to hotwire a car."

"All depends how you like celebratin'," Felix says, "Wendigo or not." He gives her a grin, which widens at her remark. "Is it white an' fuckin' ridiculous?" Salem's question gets a laugh, and he looks up at the Walker, hands staying right where they are. "Bet we got all kinds of useful skills here."

Samantha glances up. "Doesn't matter if I know how or not. Couldn't hurt too much to try?" she offers before grinning at Felix. "Just think how much fun we could have behind the wheel of that thing."

Salem starts clambering down the tree, going from branch to branch like he was born up there and jumping down the last bit with no sign of hesitation at all. "Congratulations on the challenge, by the way."

"Lots," Felix agrees. "Definitely could hurt to try, though, if you tried wrong. An' with that thing, even gettin' it right, who knows. Get it started without the right DNA an' the Terminator melts out of the backseat or somethin'." A pause. "Which would, admittedly, be kinda awesome aside from the tryin' to kill you part."

"Thanks!" Samantha chirps towards Salem before looking between them. "I should really find Mohe. He'd celebrate with me for sure! Or with us. HE's new so it'd be good to get him to join us."

Salem raises an eyebrow at Felix, "I admit, I've never had a car try to kill me..."

Felix sees Salem's eyebrow and raises him a second one as well, "Well, me neither, 'least not unless you count while someone else was drivin' it, but you seen the one she's thinkin' of, right? An' the other... toys? If you can get a car to try an' take revenge into its own hands, it'd prolly be that one. ...still be fun, though. We should at least see if it's around."

"I'm up for it!" Samantha replies, this time bouncing in her spot a little bit. SHe looks from one to the other before glancing the way towards Edgewood. "I'm betting Mohe is probably over there too, somewhere. Come on, let's try it!"

Salem grins a little, either at Felix's words or Sam's excitement -- or both. "Sounds like a plan," he says, pushing his hands into his pockets. "Lead away, Ms. Fostern."

Felix grins again, a bit wider, and makes a mock-bow, gesturing Samantha ahead of them with a flamboyant sweep of the arm.

"Let's see fi you can keep up with the Wind!" Samantha taunts before taking off at a run towards the direction of Edgewood, her laughter following after her.

Salem bares his teeth in a rather feral grin and takes off after her, burning through the forms into lupus while on the move; he's soon snapping at the Wendigo's heels.

Felix starts after them; he doesn't think to shift until after Salem does, but he's not at all above stealing a good idea. After a moment there's another wolf in the line, working on catching up with the other two.

Samantha yelps as she finds one wolf nipping at her heels and then a second joining in! "Cheaters!" she howls in amusement before shifting through to her own lupus form so that she can properly lead the train!

Edgewood House: Meadow(#1390RJh)

A long, hard-packed dirt road winds almost a mile through the forest off Sunrise Road, eventually opening out into a small front yard, and coming to a stop in front of a large house, which may be the very definition of ramshackle. The house is not visible from the road, nor can one hear anything but perhaps a gunshot. Its foundation and general structure are solid, but its once crisp grey-and-white paint needs updating, and some of the trim is having trouble staying attached. A fixer upper, one might say. Off to the left, there's a former garage, long since converted into something of an in-law apartment. A connecting flyover attaches it to the second floor of the house.

There are no fences surrounding either the front or back yards. In the rear of the property, the yard (larger than in the front) eventually comes up against a well built garden, with the very beginnings of sprouts. Shaded and obscured by surrounding trees, there is a small (but deep) natural pond, with a chuckling brook leading out of it, into the woods. There's a rope swing hanging from one of the trees. The yard to the southeast of the property stretches on for a time, and then is eaten by woods, into which there may or may not be a path; it apparently fades away quickly. There's a certain looming feel to these woods.

Wind-In-Her-Words winds her way through the trees as they head to Edgewood. She's used to running long distances, but jumping from the other two wolves makes it a good excersize! Her steps slow as they emerge from the trees and she looks eagerly towards the drive.

Salem shifts back to homid form as they reach the open area around Edgewood; the little bastard isn't even winded. "Question, Samantha. Do you actually know how to drive?"

Felix shifts back as well; he's more breathless than Salem (don't smoke, kids!) but not too badly, and laughs as he retakes human form. "If not, it'd be a hell of a thing to learn on."

Wind-In-Her-Words shifts to homid as the others do and grins at Salem. "Hey, it'd can't be that hard! I was supposed to get my license before they brought me out here." she offers. "I've watched them do it in the movies, hundreds of times!"

Salem raises a skeptical eyebrow at Samanatha, just /looks/ at her for a beat, then says, deadpan, "Back roads it is."

"Well, it =ain't= that hard, but there's a lotta shit people've seen done in movies hundreds of times an' they still ain't any good at it first time out," Felix says, though it doesn't really sound like he's got a problem with her theoretically giving it a go anyway. "So the big question is," he says as they head around toward the drive, "are we in luck?"

"Yes! Drifting!" Samantha declares with a fist pump. She starts quickly towards the driveway. "Let's find out! I hope it purrs like in the movies. Cause I'm gonna make it roar!

Salem smirks and, hands in pockets, ambles casually after the excitable Wendigo.

Felix strolls after as well at his usual saunter, looking amused. "It does," he assures Samantha. Alas, there is no sign of the car in question in the parking area. Woe! Just a dark gray Ford Fusion, an old but fairly-recently-repainted blue Cadillac Eldorado convertible, and maybe a another less notable vehicle or two.

"Darnit! She must be in the city still." Samantha huffs as she comes to see the vehicles that are parked there. "I suppose we could still try it with one of these. Does the Sept Alpha drive?"

"Alternatively, there's the area around the marina uptown," Salem says, eyeballing the collection of vehicles. If he recognizes the Fusion as belonging to his tribemate, he doesn't show it. "A lot of rich assholes parking their penis enhancers."

"Well, his tribal house kinda thing's a garage, so I reckon so, yeah," Felix answers, "but I don't think he's keepin' it out here while he's stuck on the bawn an' all." He eyes the Fusion a moment, then grins at Salem's suggestion. "He ain't wrong," he tells Samantha, "We could go see what we can see."

Salem touches two fingers to his forehead in a kind of salute. "I'll let you two have fun with that. Cheers. And, again," he adds to Sam, "congratulations."