News item from BrettspielWelt
Jesters, Wizards and fantasy in a card game
1000 Taler Wizard Challenge
Since writing this passage, a little more detail has been added, I hope that someone reads it! I have hidden a puzzle with the text: All the characters have either real or fictional references. The names are "anagrams" and your task is to provide the real names which are hidden. Send your solution with the 14 names found to Nessi. by 16-Dec-2007
Of course we have prizes to be won: the first 10 people to send all 14 names correctly spelt will each win 1000 Talers. If you get 12 names correct you will win 500 talers. If you get 10 names correct you will win 250 talers. Also be aware of the Thread in the forum.
Fun to read, find and work out.
[NB: The translation to English will probably not make this possible! ]
Lilyvret the elf wrapped her cloak spun from mimosa blossoms around her shoulders shivering. It was a starry night and the last heat of the day had gone.
Her thoughts wander back in time: Even as a child she often came to this magical, mysterious place, mostly with her father, who was an emissary for the Elven people. He always held her under his warm elfen cloak considered whenever it was too cold or the sight of the giants frightened her. But last winter robbed him of his last strength which was already weakened and took him from his people. Now it was her, Lilyvret, to represent her people and there was no warm cloak under which she could hide.
She progressed mechanically one foot after the other, glancing around as she did so. Over there, leaning against one of the scared stones was Krikulus eating an entire roasted pig. These giants think only of that, murmured Lilyvet while her eyes continued to roam. Slightly to the left of the large stone door, in front of a superbly decorated tent, was the Knight Gaubiere. He had a noble and proud air about the way he stood, his eyes fixed on the horizon to the east. Even Lilyvret's eyes wandered impatiently eastwards. There one could already sense the imminent break of sunrise. Today was the summer solstice, which had always been a day of importance for her people. When the first rays of sun would touch the powerful stone circle, the competition would begin. The competition between the princes of five countries, participants composed of elfs, humans, giants and dwarves, was since time immemorial a major event of the year. Each nation had sent 15 of its most worthy representatives here in the south of the large island. But neither strength, courage or skill alone would be sufficient to win, for this confrontation of talents the most valuable was the gift of clairvoyance.
A slight murmur rose up from the ranks of assembled people : the first ray of sun hit the stone circle. At that moment the penetrating sound of the carynx was heard, signaling the start of the competition. All eyes turned impatiently towards the little plateau on which - noble and extremely mysterious as always - Lemrin was standing, the horn to his lips, his cape flapping in the wind. He lowered the horn and raised his warm, deep voice which reached to the furthest point. Then followed the annual welcoming address and an explanation of the rules for all those who were participating this year for the first time. Finally Lemrin allocated all the participants to their places in the stone circle.
The five countries' princes took their places on the five carved wood thrones in front of the five standing stones of the interior circle and secretly chose their representatives for the first race among the four assembled nations. Lemrin surveyed the choice with vigilance and then, as all the princes had made their choice, he then took out his magical rune stone from a bag under his cape. With an elegant movement he then threw it into the middle of the stone circle. The central stone would designate which people was the most powerful for this race. All eyes turned with fascination towards the ground. Lemrin scrutinized the pattern of the stones, bent down slowly and lifted up a stone. "Edgar Windsor" - a human warrior. All the princes retired to deliberate. Their difficult task was now to evaluate the strengths of their chosen representative and to predict if their own representative would bring victory over their opponents. When the time for reflection ran out, the princes one after the other declared their predictions. Richard the Trubon and Rub O'Brian both claimed victory ; the other princes thought their chances were not as good and did not dare object to the opponents' claims.
MacTheb, the caledonian sovereign, fears sending Baha, a fisherman dwarf to the stone circle. Thus he decided the choice of the people for this round. Prince Naihroet, the descendant of a son of Julius Caesar and a Celtic enchantress, had also chosen a representative from the dwarf people and sent Donaldkin, the brave commander in chief, into the race. Therefore he went and stood in front of the caledonian prince. But they were still lacking three representatives. Next it was the turn of Hugh Rats, Prince of Cornwall. He had chosen Lilyvret, queen of the elves. Even if she was one of the strongest representatives in the circle, her people did not look like they thought they had chosen the winner. With her head bowed, she joined the two dwarfs, quite aware that she would not be a great help to the prince of Cornwall.
Confident of victory then sent Richard the Trubon, Lord of the mountainous West, the Celtic Dealers Marc O'Fox forward. As yet the only man he was elected exceeded only by a stronger man. Trubon believe his lap victory was safe and all eyes turned to O'Brien Rub the heroic prince of the island in the rugged West. If he were the dealer of the people still be able to overtake? Slowly dissolved a tall figure behind the Prince and stepped forward. The crowd whispered and looked Trubon already a winner, because this was clearly representative of the race of giants and could therefore not be surpassed Marc O'Fox. But when he arrived in the middle and threw back his cape, stopping all breathing. It was Red Draigh, the most powerful wizard of the giants. Richard the Trubon gnashed his teeth: He had tipped to win and lost, despite his human representative of the round. All the princes except he now received the bonus of the true prediction and Rub O'Brian was also the reward of victory. All representatives would return to her people and Lemrin ushered in the second round, could now choose the two representatives of each ruler.
Der Wettkampf lief noch den ganzen Tag und war erst zu Ende, als die letzten Sonnenstrahlen dieses längsten Tages des Jahres sich aus dem Steinkreis zurückzogen. Lemrin stand wieder auf der kleinen Anhöhe und wieder richteten sich alle Blick gespannt auf ihn. Nun würde verkündet werden, wer für das kommende Jahr den erstrebten Titel tragen dürfte - den Titel, weswegen sie sich alle hier versammelt hatten: wer würde wohl der neue Wizard ...?