|
Let's have fun with this. Excuses: Winter: the ground is frozen Spring: a lot of people after a cold winter will be all over the spot I want to dig and I'll be noticed. Summer??? Fall?? Where does the cops placing a speed trap and parking exactly in the vicinity of where I want to dig go? Or there may be underground cables where I want to dig? I think those are all seasons. Right?
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 03:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 7, 2024 19:39 |
|
|
Tony Homo posted:Let's have fun with this. Summer: It's too hot Fall: Security ramped up for the 14th anniversary of 9/11
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 03:42
|
|
|
Howard Beale posted:Summer: It's too hot "If I dig it up, then someone else might figure out where the cask was buried, and that's my special knowledge!"
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 04:00
|
|
|
AARP LARPer fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Jan 23, 2016 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 05:48
|
|
|
(Sees it's been like an hour since a dude mentioned a thing) HAHA, FAAAAAAG That'll show 'em (wootles away)
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 06:02
|
|
|
Do Not Resuscitate posted:* There are a dozen people scattered around the country who have to be present for the dig--they've been PMing and everything, so this is Serious. This means means putting off digging until a date agreeable to all miraculously arises as well as the "availability of cheap airline tickets" -- i.e. never
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 07:47
|
|
|
* As long as I don't dig I can delude myself into thinking I have the correct solution, which makes me a winner in my own head. My life is otherwise boring and uninteresting. Believing that I have solved this crummy riddle with a bunch of contrived and ill-conceived "matches" is the only thing that makes my life worth living. Please do not take that away from me.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 11:41
|
|
|
yeah those pussies afraid of 4 figure fines and criminal penalties haha what fags, everyone knows the ground doesn't "freeze" in massachusetts, lmbo. I've reached out to people in the parks department about doing it above board (without mentioning the spot) in hopes they'll be for it as long as it's supervised. If they say no and it'll never happen, we'll start planning a dig without permission. I have a friend who will help me dig, and hopefully I can get someone to just keep an eye out. I'm more than happy to be wrong, I just want to know. It's the exact opposite of wanting to pretend it's solved... if you can't convince anyone what's the point? I want to know, and that means digging. I've never wanted to dig before in the years I've been doing this. (The speed trap is not at all related to digging, it was just something I mentioned because it kept me from lingering too much at the spot. It's a loving cop on his cell phone in an SUV for a few hours in daylight, not a SWAT team.) In general they've gotten very tight in Boston after the Marathon Bombing and after some Rangers were stabbed in a park recently. Tighter police presence, more cameras, and less tolerance for people loitering after dark. Again, these are things to overcome, not excuses. xie fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Nov 18, 2014 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 15:11
|
|
|
I can't believe how excited I am about the Jeb campaign!
H5N1 fucked around with this message at 23:55 on Oct 18, 2016 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 15:42
|
|
|
Do Not Resuscitate posted:"Guys, I was all set to dig, but then I realized I didn't know where to get a shovel." He better be able to find a shovel, there's a GBS thread dedicated to the most badass shovel ever made. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOaEjJz-6jg
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 15:42
|
|
|
The enjoyment in this is learning trivia about different cities, and playing around with constructing ridiculous, needlessly complex theories. The more meaning you can impart to a theory, the more the stakes are playfully raised, and the more fun it feels. Not one single dude posting theories actually thinks they are doing important work or something of dire consequence. It's basically D&D geocaching. It's fun to read, and doesn't require anything from anyone. Don't click the thread if you're the type to get all fuckin' twisty-knickered about people discussing their hobby I guess
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 16:16
|
|
|
xie posted:Just because it gets posted doesn't mean I think it's important or "a match." Just some stuff I don't think anyone has looked at. So pics of your dick come next, I assume? I kid, I kid. Let's hear it for xie, he's alright! Drunk Nerds fucked around with this message at 16:23 on Nov 18, 2014 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 16:18
|
|
|
Drunk Nerds posted:So pics of your dick come next, I assume? my dick is a perfect match for the John Hancock building in boston. HoboZero posted:The enjoyment in this is learning trivia about different cities, and playing around with constructing ridiculous, needlessly complex theories. The more meaning you can impart to a theory, the more the stakes are playfully raised, and the more fun it feels. Not one single dude posting theories actually thinks they are doing important work or something of dire consequence. It's basically D&D geocaching. It's fun to read, and doesn't require anything from anyone. Don't click the thread if you're the type to get all fuckin' twisty-knickered about people discussing their hobby I guess this. gbs 2.0 really killed this thread, far more than NBB's posting. I dont' even mind the jokes about it, this is a pretty ridiculous hobby, it's the endless similar jokes and the people who think this is anything other than a hobby. And the people who aren't joking and seem personally insulted that we're not quitting our jobs to go dig a hole.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 16:27
|
|
|
xie posted:
I would find it a little amusing, though, if your actual job were "digging holes."
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 16:34
|
|
|
xie posted:my dick is a perfect match for the John Hancock building in boston. Polaroid
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 16:40
|
|
|
xie posted:my dick is a perfect match for the John Hancock building in boston. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 16:50
|
|
|
xie posted:my dick is a perfect match for the John Hancock building in boston. glass falls off when it's windy?
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 17:16
|
|
|
I like this thread. And the idea of digging holes to find secret hidden treasure. What sucks is that the Roanoke one is really easy to line up most things. (Dauntless == Write brothers memorial, White in color == John white, July august == aforementioned British dudes landing and leaving dates) but nothing seems to come together to one place.... Is everybody Just positive it MUST be within the grounds of the Fort's historical site? I suppose the elezibethan gardens make sense. Also has anyone ever tried calling the park services their and involving them so as not to make your digging so illegal? If i was a park ranger their and you explained this story to me i would get a chubby and the. Use it as a media opprotunity.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 17:30
|
|
|
I was trying to just lurk but i can't get my mind off this. I live right next to St Augustine and want to talk about the clues. Are we for sure the thing is buried at the Fountain of Youth? The description of boats makes me wonder if there are other possible locations, as the Matanzas Inlet cuts right through the center of town and is filled with sailboats. Ponce DeLeon is regarded to be the founder of St Augustine and there are a few statues of him around town. There may be other things too that haven't been discovered yet in that painting? I'm wondering what the large rock (which we do not have in our local geography) jutting out of the water might represent. Is it the Fort? The base of a statue? Anyone want to talk about this?
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 17:35
|
|
|
Lt. Tanaka posted:Anyone want to talk about this? You don't have to ask, just talk about it. Where do you think it might be based on the clues already thought pointing to the fountain?
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 17:46
|
|
|
AcidRonin posted:I like this thread. And the idea of digging holes to find secret hidden Yes, I've been to Roanoke. I only had around 90 minutes so I mostly spent them walking the beach and the gardens, since I was convinced it was there. On reflection, and with some further conversations with Xie via PM (didn't want to clutter the thread with boring speculation) I'm not so sure my time was well-spent. My biggest encouragement to anyone who thinks it's at Roanoke is to get on site and get picture and walk around, because you really don't "get" the spatial links just looking at pictures. And I'm not convinced it's anywhere specific (other than on "Roanoke Island"), but the fact that phrase "dark forest" is out in front of the Elizabethan Gardens and the Virginia Dare monument has the "July - August" phrase on it is pretty drat solid. I personally think that the cask is at Fort Raleigh along one of the trails (NOT at the beach, read the verse again and realize that it's only IMPLIED that you take the path to the end) under an object that has a sight-line to the Wright Bros. Memorial (so, almost by definition, near the beach because the forest blocks your view of the memorial) and that the image is SUPER IMPORTANT but hasn't been cracked. I will say that the Roanoke image itself has keys on it (which is ultimately the "treasure"), something only one other image has, and that "under that which is last touched/first seen standing" is way too general unless a) the object is very small (so there's a very small area to dig) or b) the image helps you narrow it down. Anyway those are my thoughts, I'm actually working on a guide that I'll post here. Roanoke is fun because it's a dead lock for the first half of the verse; unlike the others you know for certain you're at least in the right general area and can go from there.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 17:54
|
|
|
AARP LARPer fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Jan 23, 2016 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 18:08
|
|
|
I try! I don't know if anyone has seen these, these are the best pictures from the 2004 solve. This is a good info dump for someone who wants to "see" the site as best they can and understand it. Plus what the casques/key look like. https://www.flickr.com/photos/102050593@N07/sets/72157636370249904/ Hopefully it's OK to repost, Egbert posted it on Q4T which is basically public now.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 19:15
|
|
|
Ha, in one of those pics Thucydides is inscribed directly under Xenophon (which has prob been noted before but I've never seen these). I bet the first line of the Boston verse was partially to steer away from a false positive. Cool.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 19:31
|
|
|
xie posted:I try!
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 19:35
|
|
|
I wouldn't read too much into any specific solve. There is a ton that wasn't properly solved in Cleveland, and its hiding location differs from the rest. The illustrator lived in Cleveland and suggested the site, so it seems to differ from some of the others. Long story short, to this day there are a lot of mysteries in the verse that we don't understand. I would disagree about all of the images. From the actual dig site there is very little visible (the wall itself?). The rest of it is in the surrounding park. The dig site is plainly illustrated in the image (the wall) and that's your marker. The "counting" steps in Verse #4 don't make a ton of sense, since they seemingly give you the "Y" axis of the casque (Beneath the ninth stone from the top) which you don't need to dig a hole. I dunno, I'm trying to go back and fully figure out Cleveland to help with the others and there's a lot of holes. The counting stuff only works from the front side of the wall, if you go around back it's all reversed, which makes no sense. It's been assumed that you were supposed to come upon the wall, start counting, then maybe dig behind it, but that seems odd too. HoboZero posted:Ha, in one of those pics Thucydides is inscribed directly under Xenophon (which has prob been noted before but I've never seen these). I bet the first line of the Boston verse was partially to steer away from a false positive. Cool. Possibly, but Thucydides isn't North of Xenophon on the BPL (I'd call it east, and this is important). In my solve you actually do walk in the direction of Thucydides name on the BPL. It's very possibly a dual clue pointing to Boston. This is an old Horace Walpole quote: "There will, perhaps, be a Thucydides at Boston, a Xenophon at New York" So it puts you thinking "Is Boston north of New York? Yes, now take 5 steps in the area of Thucydides' direction." The first line of most of them (from what I gather, this is no rule) helps narrow it down to a location/city. It could be a coincidence, it could be something Preiss did intentionally after burying all 12 (we don't know if he buried all 12 then made the verses, or did one complete puzzle per trip) for sure. xie fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Nov 18, 2014 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 19:48
|
|
|
Xie, I've spent some time pondering things regarding Charleston, and I landed in Marion Square. Some interesting things I have noticed: -The Francis Marion Hotel's awning is very unique. Take a look at the supports mounted on the wall. They are lion heads! - -The site itself has the Citadel, which is referenced in verse #5. -Could a "wingless bird" be a cannon ball? A battery used to be located here. What do you think? I'm going to try to talk my wife into taking a road trip down the Charleston, and I'm trying to narrow down the places that are worth checking out.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 20:54
|
|
|
I've become a very literal verse person, and I think that anything that requires a "boy howdy, we'll never know for sure!" solve is iffy at best. Certainly almost anything that requires a library (again, I don't like the "him of Hard word" being Hermann Melville clue in NY, you'd only know it if you did a ton of research before), it should be apparent that you're on the right path. Mostly I think we need to find the correct start location for more of these puzzles. Four21 found it in Boston and that led to my theory much easier, because everyone else in the thread is right: you really can find matches where you want to.  The thing that comes most to mind for me is a Helicopter of some sort. I really, really like the posted SC theory - the one that ends just outside the Battery. One thing that I now think is in a lot (I can't say all) of the puzzles are Image/Verse callbacks. I've posted them a few times: 1- "Seek the columns for the search." 2- "Fence and fixture" 3- "Lit by lamplight" (just give me the benefit of the doubt on this one for now) 4- "Land by the window" So that's 4 of the 12 that have a definite "look at the image" line in the verse. If you have a full solution that doesn't have you looking at the painting at least once, I'm skeptical. We can likely add Painting #12 "Take twice as many east steps as the hour" though it's possibly not referring to the same clock in the painting. So what, in each verse, tells us to look at the painting? I think this is possibly one of the better ways to try and pair verses, and also important, since it likely hints heavily at the treasure ground. So in SC we look for "command" lines - considering most of the others are just descriptions of things you pass rather than walking directions. They don't tell you to turn at the green tower of lights, just that you'll see one. Same with the "Dark forest" line. To me it's possibly "Below the bar that binds" though I admit I'm not sure what that is in the image. Possibly the line to the right of the lion's face that has a loop? "Between two arms extended" actually is a good one too. It's probably one of those 3 lines: Between two arms extended Below the bar that binds Beside the long palms shadow There is a shadow of a long object on the "Sumter" in the painting, if you don't believe that it's a clock. xie fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Nov 18, 2014 |
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2014 21:04
|
|
|
Megaman's Jockstrap posted:Yes, I've been to Roanoke. I only had around 90 minutes so I mostly spent them walking the beach and the gardens, since I was convinced it was there. On reflection, and with some further conversations with Xie via PM (didn't want to clutter the thread with boring speculation) I'm not so sure my time was well-spent. Please do. I got really into solving that one this last year because I had a planned vacation to OBX.... But then my trip got cancelled and I have up. Also, out me in the "fan of xie" group.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 00:06
|
|
|
Just reading through the actual text: http://thesecret.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/69009390/The%20Secret_OCR.pdf you can match up areas with stones and then the pictures as a result. Russia - Topaz - NY - Image 12 Engerland - Garnet - NC - Image 3 Works for the Cleveland one, too. I suspect most of them can be done in the same way.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 01:41
|
|
|
xie posted:this. gbs 2.0 really killed this thread, far more than NBB's posting. They should move it to games.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 01:51
|
|
|
What ever happened to cicada 3301?
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 01:52
|
|
|
Waltzing Along posted:Just reading through the actual text: Where do you get this from? Can you post the breakdown of one of those examples? I see that it says Russia and Topaz together, but how did we put that with NY and Image 12?
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 02:11
|
|
|
DeNofa posted:Where do you get this from? Can you post the breakdown of one of those examples? I see that it says Russia and Topaz together, but how did we put that with NY and Image 12? I think it's that the pics, maybe each one, have a loose nationality theme. Cleveland was greece. New york can be seem as Russian because of the spire architecture.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 02:14
|
|
|
The text says the Topaz is from the Russian fairies who did some poo poo with the Mohicans. The Mohicans were in New York. Garnet came from the English ones who taught archery to Catawba Indians who were from NC. Just read the text. It's not all there but a lot is. Stuuuuuupid as gently caress that all these super spergs have been obsessed with pictures and poems when there was some actual confirmation and at least hints in the text, too. The possible Boston one, though... That one is Italy/Peridot and the text mentions then fighting with Powhatan in NJ but the Powhatan were from Virginia. However, NJ is midway between MA and VA. So a battle between the two could happen in the middle.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 02:16
|
|
|
joshtothemaxx posted:Please do. I got really into solving that one this last year because I had a planned vacation to OBX.... But then my trip got cancelled and I have up. To see if any images match up) I'm with xie though, I think people have over analyzed these things to death; any solve will be by literal interpretation of the images and verses. Enough people have walked around the gardens without seeing something from the images that I think it's either never going to be found due to changes in the land or that the gardens themselves aren't the right spot.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 02:43
|
|
|
So, as I said I've been diving into the Q4T archives to better understand what's been done, and in my travels it turns out not many people have been to Roanoke to look. Not in depth, maybe 2-3, and they are (luckily) people who I think aren't insane. 421 from Q4T says that there are definitely a few more matches than we saw, not smoking gun level but a statue that does have a matching pillar, etc. He also agrees you likely just pass the Dark Forest sign rather than go in, so that has been explored a bit. The Wright Bros memorial in Kill Devils Hill is mentioned almost by name in the verse (twice, as an orient point) and used to have a small clump of trees to the south, so there are those that believe it could be somewhere in that area, or more aptly "not on Roanoke," at least. But drat that's one hell of a clue to just be something you pass  edit: Some people think the Wright Bros Memorial would go with the verse oft associated with Montreal "Beneath the only standing member/Of a forest to the south." But goddamn the other Roanoke verse seems so drat specific it's almost guaranteed to be wrong. xie fucked around with this message at 14:58 on Nov 19, 2014 |
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 14:20
|
|
|
Reading through Q4T the other day, someone said that Priess confirmed in writing one casque in St. Louis. Has anyone gotten anywhere with this?
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 16:45
|
|
|
That isn't entirely accurate. The exact email was as suchquote:(From BPreiss) Very impressive work esp since the book is 20 years old. I think you deserve to know that you are correct about st. Louid,but not correct about the location.thanks for all your excellent work. edit: I'll add that the recipient of this email is "Johann" - the man who found the site of the Cleveland casque. He didn't dig it up and finish the solve, but he posted the original "Do the columns remind anyone of this" with a link to what was the exact correct spot. So he's not an idiot. People have been all over it for years and nobody has made a good St. Louis connection. Considering he said "not correct about the location," nobody is sure if he meant the wrong spot in the city of St. Louis, or if St. Louis is a reference to something else (The St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans has been a favorite, or "Louis Armstrong," etc.) The 'issue' is that almost all of the remaining puzzles have either Polaroid matches in the city (Legeater lamp in Montreal, checker pattern seen in the Golden Square mile, etc.) or the verses very clearly lead there (Roanoke which also has a map). Charleston has a map of Charleston, San Francisco's painting is in the shape of Golden Gate Park, Houston is almost a 100% lock at this point, the Boston one has likely been narrowed down to the park and the verse is dripping with Boston references (the statue arm should seal it for anyone on the fence), NY has Liberty, the Gargoyle from (probably) Ellis Island, etc. That's the real issue. Nobody can find a puzzle that seems to match St. Louis, or that doesn't very obviously seem to match somewhere else. Of course everything is up in the air until a casque is pulled from the ground. The only 3 I would even consider being in play, and this is mostly because I know the least about them, someone could pipe up and explain there's a TON of evidence I'm unaware of: New Orleans (I've spent literally 0 minutes on this puzzle, I believe there's a statue that matches the figure on the clock? Also "Preservation Hall"), St. Augustine (but you'd need a friggin whopper of a theory to win anyone over), and New York (despite all of our trying, nobody has found any EXACT matches here except the Gargoyle, McCarren park is the closest anyone has with the Church). xie fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Nov 19, 2014 |
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 16:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 7, 2024 19:39 |
|
|
Now im excited. I live a few hours north of NC and would be down as gently caress to go stake out Roanokem im just pissed i didnt know about this a few months ago on a OBX trip
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2014 17:24
|
|