White Masquerade
QuirkyAngel's Red Oni
Chunin Exam Stage 1 - Riddle Answer
Okay, so the answer to Tainan's riddle in Exam's Stage 1 probably won't have a chance to be explained well IC, so I am going to do it here. To begin with, here's a refresher. This is the riddle in its entirety.
"Long, long, ago, there was a small land in this continent that introduced itself to our world. Coming out of vast void as a baby from its mother, it was fearful of the bright lights that covered it on every side. This place was new, how was it ever going to survive? In the coming years, this small land felt pain. Experienced trouble. Went through ordeals that made it hurt and cry, but because of them, grew stronger for it. Bigger and bigger this once small land would rise; high enough soon into the sky to become one of the great lights that eclipsed all others. However, after doing everything in the world, going on many grand adventures, and playing a part in some of the greatest stories ever told...a time came where it grew tired. To this Land, there was only so far you could go. Over the course of its hard life, that was something it came to realize. And so it began to dull. Its shades became dark and colorless. No longer enjoying the scenery around it, it fell into despair. That was until...it had an idea.
If it had lived all that life had to offer as itself, then it would become something entirely new! Surely with another perspective, with a new set of fresh, hungry eyes, it'd be able to go on more grand journeys and live with the zest that once escaped it till the end of time. Yet, how exactly would it be done?
Pondering this, the land took six steps forward. Then resting a hand on its chin, took six steps back. Then six more forward. Then six more back. It was a nerve-wracking question. And taking six more steps forward, it suddenly raised its hands toward the sky in lowly mirth. That was it. That was the answer to how it could have a beautiful existence forever. By discarding its beginning and ignoring its end, it could forever remain rooted in the present. The Land of Uxn, friends. This is who it came to be known toward the end of its rebirth. But, what I want to ask of you participants in this year's exam is...who was it before?"
If it had lived all that life had to offer as itself, then it would become something entirely new! Surely with another perspective, with a new set of fresh, hungry eyes, it'd be able to go on more grand journeys and live with the zest that once escaped it till the end of time. Yet, how exactly would it be done?
Pondering this, the land took six steps forward. Then resting a hand on its chin, took six steps back. Then six more forward. Then six more back. It was a nerve-wracking question. And taking six more steps forward, it suddenly raised its hands toward the sky in lowly mirth. That was it. That was the answer to how it could have a beautiful existence forever. By discarding its beginning and ignoring its end, it could forever remain rooted in the present. The Land of Uxn, friends. This is who it came to be known toward the end of its rebirth. But, what I want to ask of you participants in this year's exam is...who was it before?"
The 1st paragraph was a clue to the answer in and of itself. In it, characteristics of the land are sprinkled throughout the descriptions and its forming process. If you were able to pick up on that, piecing together what it could've possibly been would have given a good chance of getting the answer correct. It's it's not apparent, it will be clearer by the time I'm done.
The 2nd paragraph meant nothing at all. It was just a mumbo-jumbo flavor piece to throw everyone off.
The 3rd paragraph is where most people might have knew held the key, but got stuck. Which is understandable. What to do here was out in the open, hard to find if you didn't know how to look. The key is in this statement here:
Pondering this, the land took six steps forward. Then resting a hand on its chin, took six steps back. Then six more forward. Then six more back. It was a nerve-wracking question. And taking six more steps forward, it suddenly raised its hands toward the sky in lowly mirth. That was it. That was the answer to how it could have a beautiful existence forever. By discarding its beginning and ignoring its end, it could forever remain rooted in the present. The Land of Uxn,
Direction 1. The land took 6 steps forward.
Direction 2. Hand on chin, took 6 steps back.
Direction 3. Then 6 more forward.
Direction 4. Then 6 more back.
Direction 5. 6 steps forward.
Raising its hands to the sky in mirth is another flavor to throw you off of what's going on. The second and probably most important piece to this, is what follows.
By discarding its beginning and end it could forever remain rooted in the present. The Land of Uxn.
The land of Uxn. That's what it is right now. Right now at this very moment. So let us work backwards shall we?
- The Land of: U X N. It discarded it's beginning and ignored its end. So what do we do? Add a blank spot before U and after N.
- The Land of: _ U X N _ . Let's go back to the steps this land took. Do directions 2 through 4 in reverse, to find out what UXN was before. You will need a chart very familiar to you for this. One for the alphabet.
- Six steps forward from U is A.
- Six steps backwards from X is R.
- Six steps forward from N is T.
What's the only land on the list with 5 letters, having the middle spelling ART? The Land of E-A-R-T-H.
