Bday Metagame 24

Greetings, mortals!
You have ventured into a place known as the bridge between Olympus and Hades - the HaDiKo. You have been chosen to fulfill a great task and save the time continuum. The mighty Titan Chronos has disrupted time and frozen the gods. Only you can reverse this by using the magical spell sealed in the cryptex located here in this liminal realm.

Thus began the story of the near destruction of all existence… and the 4th Bday Metagame. The brave guests (hereafter referred to as heroes) had barely arrived before they were called upon to help the ancient gods cast a powerful spell to banish Chronos, the Titan of Time, back to his hole of origin. But there was a catch: the spell was sealed in the cryptex, which the heroes received with the aforementioned letter. The letter continued:

The cunning gods have left you six riddles to protect it. Each riddle leads to a letter that you will need to open the cryptex. You must decipher these clues before the clock strikes 1, or Chronos will complete his ritual and irrevocably destroy time.

The gods’ clues:

• Hestia, goddess of the hearth, speaks to you: "Twin warmth."
• Aphrodite, goddess of love, whispers: "Is love just a game?"
• Apollo, god of music and art, proclaims: "My album rocks!"
• Hermes, messenger of the gods, guides you: "6 lost letters."
• Poseidon, god of the sea, challenges you: "The treasure of the nautilus shell."
• Athena, goddess of wisdom, tests you: "Knowledge is power."

Onward, into battle against Chronos! Use your wit, strength, and courage to solve the gods’ riddles and save the world from eternal darkness.

Good luck, mortals. The clock is ticking!
A Friend

The cryptex is an ancient ornate wooden cylinder that requires the entry of six letters to open—the same number as the gods’ clues. The heroes’ task was to follow these clues here, at the place where the connection between Olympus and Hades is thinnest, to uncover the necessary letters. The challenge lay in locating the hinted places and deciphering them.

Trials of the Gods

Hestia

Two strangely placed tealight candles were found at the Bday venue. Only one of the two had a wick. The challenge was to light the wickless candle using the one with a wick. Hidden within was the letter M.

Aphrodite

At the birthday party, there was a gaming corner. A monitor was placed atop a book titled The Origin of Species. Opening the book revealed a hollow space between the pages, containing a wooden heart that required the input of three predefined words to open. A hint for these words was found on an image inside the book cover, showing a large bee flying next to a calendar. The calendar displayed the month of May, with the last day marked by a beer symbol. This clue led to the correct words: Be, My, Beer. Opening the heart revealed the letter O.

Apollo

As per tradition, karaoke was available at the Bday event, allowing guests to sing their favorite songs. However, Apollo had added a trick: the digital song list included an entry titled "Click me" by the artist Apollo. This entry was actually a hidden link that led to a YouTube video, which contained a hint about the sought letter. Which letter it is? That’s left for you to figure out!

Hermes

Six letters were hidden in various locations around the venue. Each letter contained its coordinates and a number from 1 to 6. By plotting these points on a map and connecting them in numerical order, the letter S was revealed.

Poseidon

A wooden puzzle box was placed at the venue, decorated with nautical elements and commonly referred to as the Treasure of the Nautilus Shell. Solving the puzzle required clever thinking. Inside the box was the letter P.

Athene

Books scattered around the venue contained the following riddle:

Three arms stretch to the side,
like tines of a crown, so wide.
A vertical line, steadfast and true,
Connects them all; my mark shines through.

At the front, middle, or rear,
I often shine bright and clear.
What am I? Guess wisely now,
The answer you’ll find, I vow!

What could the letter be? That’s for your wisdom to reveal!

Endgame

Once all six letters were gathered, they had to be arranged in the correct order. The solution was TEMPOS, which opened the cryptex and revealed the following spell:

Tempus revertere et vincula solvuntur. Potestas Chroni dissolvatur, aeternitas restituatur.

This roughly translates to: "Time returns, and the bonds are broken. The power of Chronos is shattered, eternity is restored."

When the spell was spoken aloud in the main hall, a figure (an actor) with a long white beard appeared, introducing himself as Zeus. He revealed himself as the “friend” who had written the letter and thanked the heroes for saving existence. Thanks to the spell, he and his fellow gods were freed, and Chronos was defeated. As a reward, a giant box of "Merci" chocolates was given to the group.

Thus ended the journey of the Metagame. Ten people participated, but the crafty guests discovered a way to open the cryptex without solving the riddles, skipping straight to the end. In hindsight, the instructions at the start could have been clearer. As feedback, I’ve learned to communicate the goal of such puzzles more effectively in the future. However, we did go through the riddles afterward with those who were interested. I believe it was a lot of fun for everyone involved. If you’re interested in more Metagames, feel free to check out my other Metagames.