06. August 2017 - The Rainforest

Introduction
"by light of lanternfly, by feather-bellowed cry, by thunderslap of palmfeet, by tongue of nail & drinksweet rain, rain, rain, lifeblood and pounding, saturate the heaving chest of the earth, at its first breath"

The Tamarin's Playlist

 * A Hawk and a Hacksaw & The Hun Hangar Ensemble - Ihabibi
 * Jolie Holland - Alley Flowers
 * Diane Cluck - Heat from Every Corner
 * Sharon Van Etten - Everytime the Sun Comes Up
 * Josephine Foster - I'm a Dreamer
 * The Handsome Family - The Bottomless Hole

The Puzzles
Overall: If the yellow of the puzzles is difficult to read, a blacklight can be helpful.

(i) & (ii)
As Anna wakes on her second night in the rainforest, a great sheet of thundering cloud washes clean from the bark: "that which needs no sun or air, that which cannot fly, and that which cannot fill its lungs to sing a stormy line"

"What does the rain wash clean?" "What functions do they bring you to?" "If you are stuck on this, the puzzle can ultimately be solved starting with (iii)"
 * Hint
 * Hint
 * Hint

(iii)
From her shelter beneath the Giant Taro leaf, Anna watches a spider spin its delicate architecture as though drawing a map of the jungle ahead.

"Do you see a pattern in the spider's works? Which of the 3 below follows that pattern?" "The pattern would need to be related to the functions in (ii). Can you find it?" "The pattern of all of the webs woven, top and bottom, follow the same psattern - double, add, double, add, double, add... What makes the ones on top only similar to one on the bottom?" "The webs on top follow an even more specific pattern - the numbers added follow a sequence. The one on the left is double, +1, double, +2, double, +3. The middle is double, +5, double, +6, double, +7. The right is double, +8, double, +9, double, +10. The only one of the bottom to follow the step-wise pattern is the bottom right: double, +11, double, +12, double, +13."
 * Hint
 * Hint
 * Hint
 * Solution

(iv)
The storm recedes and Anna comes upon three banner-bearing tamarin statues; her grimoire informs her she has crossed onto the threshold of the Oya coven.

(Note: a blacklight is REALLY handy here)

"Follow the symbol from (iii) - which tamarin does it lead to?" "The tamarin on the far left, whose message reads:""In time, I sound like I am free. I rise with the sun; soon before and after, too."
 * Hint
 * Solution

(v)
A little further ahead, Anna hears the entranced chanting of the twelve sisters and follows it into a candle-lit clearing. She only catches fragments of their words before her presence is detected and everything turns black.

"It is not a compass. What kind of ring has 12 stages around it?" "Consider the cryptic words of the tamarin" "You're looking at a cryptic crossword-style puzzle clue, for two times." The cryptic clue points to 3 & 6 The snake's words are: "O Mighty Serpent! Who stalks the river from moonlight to daybreak..."
 * Hint
 * Hint
 * Hint
 * Solution
 * 3: I 'sound like' 'I am free'. Soon before 'before four' and after too/two
 * 6: I rise with the sun. The sunrise traditionally is at 6.

(vi)
The Oya Coven are nowhere in sight and the day is almost dawning when Anna comes to. The golden glow of the lanternflies illuminates things hidden in the corners of the forest.

"Consider the snake's words. What intersection(s) of symbols does it lead to?" The serpent stalks the river - WATER - from moonlight - MOON - to daybreak - SUNRISE.
 * Hint
 * Solution

(vii)
The lanternflies' slow parade leads Anna to a Fathom Stone. While pondering its meaning, the girl places her hand in her pocket to find a scrap of paper. Upon it is a hasty and unfinished note left by one of the Oya. It reads: Head North to the cavern, home...

As Cryptogram Puzzle Post is still running a competition with prizes for the first season, the guide will stop here for now. Once the Season 1 prizes are completely handed out, this will describe the solution for (vii).

References and Rabbit Holes
The Oya:
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oya