Part One

Irella meets your companions in the center of the maze. She is smiling at their triumph.

"I see you prove worthy partners. Shall we return now? Yes, I think so."

There is a whirl of multi-colored skirts, the sound of bells on the hem tinkling merrily, and your companions find themselves back inside the Singari wagon with you. (It really IS bigger on the inside. So strange!)

Despite the spacious room, it's an uncomfortable gathering. Lysandra refuses to sit near Clytie, sneering about hating faeries, but still wants to keep a proximity to Junu, Madi makes faces at Larianne whenever she thinks she can get away with it, and you are fascinated by the crystal ball and ticking clock without a face-glass sitting on the table in front of Irella.

The Singari woman speaks. "Now that you and your companions have an understanding of the wisdom of the Voices, I believe the gears of time will show us the key to our difficulties and where we should go next."

She waves a hand over the clock, and it speaks: "The Gears shall help you, but only if you prove yourself wise. We shall pose to you five riddles, at least three of which you must answer correctly. You will have only one chance on each. Only then shall the crystal reveal its truth."

The ball remains dark, swirling with murky vapors, and the clock begins in a voice that sounds like its own:

"Riddle One: As you can see, I have no glass. Right now, my hands say it is 6 o'clock and ticking. But how nice it would be for my hands to show midnight. One touch on the hands will advance me one hour. What is the minimum number of times you'd have to touch me so I could have what I desire?"

Another voice, female and teasing, chimes in next. "Riddle Two: My clothing's soft as velvet dear, though under earth my dwellings lie, and when above it I appear. my enemies do me decry. The gardener's hate for me is fine. I spoil his works as he does mine. What am I?"

The third voice cuts in, sharp as a blade: "Riddle Three: In the land of the dead, there is a tomb of family of a long gone king. In it lie two husbands with their two wives, two fathers with their two daughters, two grandmothers with their two granddaughters, two mothers with their two sons, two sisters with their two brothers, and two girls with their two mothers. Yet just six names are carved on the tombstone, one for each inhabitant within, but how is this possible?"

As the fourth speaks, you sense an elegance and a sense of familiarity with material trappings. An image of a sign appears on the dark wooden side wall of the wagon. It shows "ARMA" in white block letters with a blank speace at the front.

"Obviously, the sign should appropriately read 'Karma,' says the rich voice, but the 'K' has gone missing, and the damage disturbs me. Riddle Four: So, if I give you the pieces below with a working space, can you construct a proper 'K' for me? You may twist and turn the pieces as you desire.

The last voice is warm and pulls you in. It could be male of female, but regardless, it resonates inside you in its own unique way. It is simply the voice you have always wanted to hear.

"Ah. these lovers of Riddle Five: So happy they are, with such a sense of forever. Their ages both use the same numbers, but reversed, and the difference between them is but an eleventh of their combined total. Age does not matter or the passing of time to them, but only the true feeling they have for each other. But tell me, nonetheless, what are the two ages of this couple?"

"Remember," the clock ticks out, "you only need three to clear the fog. Perhaps a small reward could be given for all five, but three suffice."

(OOC: Your team must solve three of the above riddles. You do NOT need to roleplay, just send me your answers by smail on or before July 29th at 11:59 p.m. Subeta time. Questions and comments on the OOC thread for this chapter.)