Treasure Clue, can you help?

[tsa]

Gaines, it's not realy important to know what ASCII, HEX, BIN, OCT, BCD, and all the others are, just the concept. All except for ASCII, they are all different number systems. For example, BIN (binary) is a 2-base number system; this means that a number in binary is made of 1's and 0's. Example: 0=0, 1=1, 10=1, 11=3, 100=4, etc. ASCII is for converting numbers of any number system to the letters and symbols availible on your keyboard. If you can find things in a different number system, (such as the a's and e's), I can convert them to standard decimals or to letters and symbols. What's that pattern that you were talking about?

Everyone, if you haven't read my first post (page 24, now that some posts have been deleted), you might want to; it has EXTREMELY important information concerning the number 25.http://www.freewebs.com/techsoftadvanced/data/TSA.swf

 

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[jewels1301]

tsa,

I have read your posts where you see a significance to 25. What do you see that you want someone to send you 25 numbers or what direction are you considering if you have them?

Jewels

 

[LitDoc]

We appreciate everyone's postings, but could you please provide an accurate page number to make your point? For example, there are fairies on many pages, so I haven't a clue what THE fairy page is. Also, a number of times I have opened my book to a given page number only to find all text, no illustration, in which I am to look for something in the picture. I would be grateful if we could all follow this. Thank you.

 

[flyingdoctor]

Maybe this has been asked before, but I've searchjed and can't find it. Could anyone be kind enough to tell me what the green brocalli stick things are with noses and mouths. On page 41 there are 2 lying beside the cracker and the cup and at the top of the page there is a big one with a mouth betwen the salt and flower. I initially thought these were trees as in Picture on page 46 but the single one on page 24 looks like a stick of brocalli. Maybe I'm just going mad :-)

Thanks

Pete

 

[noxoc]

Hi again,
I have read through every post...but I don't remember if this ever came up (so please excuse my asking if it has). Do you think there might be anything to the captions under each of the pictures? I mean, why did MS pick these captions in particular to go with each picture...and there are 12 pictures that have captions. Any thoughts?

 

[Gemini]

Gaines:

You have a keen eye. I cannot see the dolphin, but I am not saying it is not there--I am terribly uncoordinated in such visual 3-D matters, My question back at ya' would be...what does A DOLPHIN mean? Or perhaps, what is its porpoise (sorry, couldn't resist).

I don't think the map of the Western Hemisphere means much either...excpet perhaps to say that the destruction of the forests is a Western Hemisphere problem (Amazon rain forests as well as forests here in the good ol' USA).

I think Stadther drew in lots of stuff in this book, some of which represents meaningful clues to find the jewels and other ancillary stuff just to entertain us. I'm with Pancho--the poem is the structure for finding the jewels. The other stuff might also help us find the jewels but is not required to find the jewels.

To summarize:

Important Question One: What is the sancutary in which the jewels are hidden (an even code with one piece nary tells us that).

Important Question Two: What is the name of the place where these sanctuaries are found (a code of number five to a side will tell us that).

Important Question Three: With that name in hand, where precisely are the jewels in those locations (the fairies are showing us the way to those precise locations)

All else is for our entertainment.

Gemini

 

[tsa]

Jewels, I'm not that sure what to look for myself, that's why I've broght it to the web. In 4 days after I got the book I noticed this website; everything on it, however, I had already discovered. Now my search has halted, and I don't seem to be going anywhere, so I thought that you might want to know some little things that I noticed. I doubt that even if I discover the location of one of the jewels that I will be able to reach it, so see if you can find something that has to do with 25 and then, if I realy realize that it's important, I'll take up a few pages to explain why. At the time I don't have the time, but I'll explain it all as soon as I can.

 

[LitDoc]

What is 25? Page 25? The 5 x 5 boxes = 25? The 25 little squares in the four dropcap boxes?

 

[CMSCHUT]

GONEMAD, WOW! i think that is a great find , i'm gonna look into and let you know. my pages are all ripped out from tracing anyway.

BONNIE, i did see your dolphin and some other things was gonna trace them and send them to you but wiil have to wait a few days. i know how it is when you see something and wish everyone else did too. keep it up i believe he put everything in here for a reason. maybe your dolphin is a hint for florida. i know i saw mention of floorida for a possible place for a token.

 

[Megan]

a code of numbers 5 to a side is the area code like "85048" is the five to the side of -7854 ? Which is the rest of the area code

 

[Gaines]

tsa,
Obviously, I am hesitant to post all of my information concerning the letters I have. They represent a lot of hard work. Also, I have 4 sets of 25 numbers that I do not know what to do with. I am studying on it at this time, so forgive me for being unwilling to post it out in the open. Your skills should certainly give you an edge once you get further into the book.

 

[Gaines]

Gemini,
The question is larger than a map and a dolphin - What does any of this mean? I am somewhat frustrated at this juncture. So many leads, so many hours spent and not much concrete. And, yet, I could have the answer on one of my hundreds of pieces of paper and not even know it! ANYTHING could mean EVERYTHING or NOTHING AT ALL! Therein, lies the dilemma! Where to spend our time and energies?

 

[pancho_semplice]

Gaines,

Forgive me for adding more questions without any answers!? I was looking at the poem, and I am uncertain about a few of the lines in it.? For one, I believe the "there are thirteen" line is NOT part of the poem at all, rather it is related to something else.? No, it isn't part of a sub-poem, rather I think it might have something to do with the ant which is hidden in that particular page.

Also, the poem itself didn't take any extra work to see.? Now the two pages that contain 'with name in hand the faeries know' and 'seize your token and reach your goal' weren't the easiest to see, they were still right there in front of us without us having to fold or spindle the pages to get them.

I am also having issues with the following couplets:

Tweleve treasures for you to keep,
tweleve places for you to seek.

Each is outside for you to find,
N(o) digging or prying just reach inside.

Both of these do not rhyme, yet they are structured much the same, a long vowel (e and i) being the heart of the final syllables.? Other than these two couplets, and the thirteen line, the rest of the poem behaves like you expect a poem to; it rhymes, has a rhythm, etc.?

I haven't yet tried to figure out if it also follows iambic pantameter.? For those of you that are like, "Pancho, that was back in high school, please don't make me relive those days!" Iambic Pantameter is the structure in which Shakespeare wrote his works.? It is considered to be the most perfect literary structure.? That said, I'd be shocked if this poem did not also adhere to the same principles.

Of course, that is why I have been, and admittedly have slacked off as of late, trying to really nail down this poem.? If it is not correct, and it contains more than what we currently have from it, then all this digging we've been doing is for naught.? I believe the entire set of key(s) to this deal may be contained in this poem.

I believe we have all the lines we are supposed to have, but I am wondering if there isn't something we are missing in the actual words and layout.? 'An even code with one piece nary' is awkward, but 'Nary an even code with one piece' flows better.? Of course, poetry does not have to meet grammatical rules, but it certainly may be something we should be looking into.

All this to look into, and I'm going to be separated from my book this weekend! ? I may have to go buy yet another copy to keep my search in high gear over the holiday weekend.

 

[tsa]

Gaines, I understand if you don't want to post this information.? Since I appear to be trying to avoid posting my information to the public, you don't want to risk putting your hard work online and have me use your work to claim the treasure for yourself.? The actual reason is that I don't often have access to to a computer in my free time for long periods of time, so I have a hard time making long posts.? Today is one of the few exceptions.? Just to let you know, if I'm not going to be able to get to a treasure since the drive to it would take more than 6 hours, I will probably e-mail the person who has willingly contributed the most information to this website and is just trying to find the jewels for the fun of it telling them where the jewel is hidden.? I don't really know what I would do with the jewel if I had it, anyways, since a jewel doesn't usually come in handy to a programmer or mathematician.

Before I reveal the information about the number 25, I'd like to mention a couple of things.? Everyone is mainly focusing about clues in the pictures.? Why?? I've found more major clues in the text than I have in the pictures.? Why would MS take the time to write such a meaningful story if everyone was going to only look at the pictures?? Who do you think MS would rather reward: someone who took the time to read the story and have fun with the book, or someone who ignored the story and was trying to find the jewels just for the money?? Think about the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.? If MS was like Willy Wonka, do you think he would rather give the factory to Charlie or one of the little brats?? Just like Willy Wonka, MS is clever and has probably hidden something to allow only certain people to find the jewels.? Those of you that don't have a book, you might want to get one--as much as I like computers and the internet, computers can't solve everything, and this is one of those things; you aren't going to find a jewel just by deciphering the messages and pictures posted here.? The Save Our Trees Art message proves some of this, along with the fact that MS doesn't want some business person who's polluting the air to get this prize.? Even if you try to think like you think you would if you're in this for the fun of it, you'll never find a jewel unless you really are just in this for the fun of it.

Here's the clues that I think have to do with the number 25:

In the story, it says that Zac found a box, as long as it was wide, with smaller boxes in it, five to a side (I didn't mean to rhyme there) and he filled it with things he had never seen in the forrest before.? Five to a side means that there are 25 boxes.? Also one of the clues states: A code of numbers, five to a side.? As mentioned before, the first letters of some pages look different; some have a box, as long as it was wide, with smaller boxes in it, five to a side.? Try and find a group of 25 numbers or things that can translate into numbers (such as the A's and E's) and match them with the boxes.? On one page, the box has some of the smaller boxes in black; the numbers that would normally go there or the numbers in boxes that aren't black probably create an important message, such as coordinates.

Try to find these things and post them online; I will do my best to decipher them and post them online ASAP.

 

[pancho_semplice]

tsa,

I fail to see how concentrating on the pictures versus the text is somehow linked to greed and personal gain.? I'm also not clear as to who you believe is solely in it for the money here.? And, I'm fairly certain that MS isn't going to do a background check on anyone who redeems a token.?

"Congratulations on finding a token. . . Oh, you drive an SUV and work for Microsoft?? I'm sorry, we're not giving you the jewel."? Uh . . .no, not going to happen.

As for your 25, 5 to a side theory.? Last time I checked, those 5 x 5 boxes were pictures, not text.

"Try to find these things and post them online; I will do my best to decipher them and post them online ASAP." -- Aren't you the least bit concerned that the greedy business brats are going to use this information for their own personal gain?? And, if you are in it just for the fun of it, why are you wanting to do all the deciphering?? Not to mention the fact that you want us to supply you with these 25 things.?

 

[Gaines]

tsa,
I appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to help. It is good that you are thinking and thinking and contributing. However, since you are new, you may be surprised to learn that your 25 box theory is not new at all, but most likely one that we all agree with from months of reading forums such as this one. Have you visited the websites 12Gems or Tweleve? These two sites would really bring you up to speed and save you much time. You can glean from others, however, as Pancho always reminds us, it is best to question everything for yourself. Thanks for the offer.

 

[kstreasurehunter]

pancho.. you seem to be concerned with the poem rhyming, but then you suggest "nary an even code with one piece"

doesn't seem like that would "flow" very well with the rest of the poem to me, especialy the very next line.

and tsa... I think we've all figured the 5x5 thing out.. at least as far as you have..

 

[pancho_semplice]

kstreasurehunter,

Yeah, that is a good point. What I was trying to say was that some of the lines would appear to be backwards, like the nary line, but they are certainly in the right order given their paired line in each couplet. I am trying to figure out if the lines that don't fit, so to speak, are in fact in the correct order, or if there is another way of ordering the words; starting from a different spot on the page?

The nary line would work that way, except for the have that you would mess up the entire couplet. I hope this clears up what I was saying!

 

[jewels1301]

To add my two cents, I think there are more lines to the poem. Just because the simple lines have been decoded rapidly does not mean that the pictures in between, do not have missing lines to add. Certianly there are sufficient pictures not yet decoded to fill in the missing rhyming words. I think the real hard lines are yet to be published in this forum or others.

Jewels

 

[LitDoc]

Pancho and others--

You are correct that poetry does not always follow Standard English sytax. The "nary" appears at the end of the line to rhyme with the following line (sanctuary). However, you can move it elsewhere in the line to make more sense in prose.

Poems sometimes have an internal rhyme, such as seek and keep. The vowel sounds are the same even though the final consonant is different.

I think the 18 lines of poetry are all there is to the obvious clues. I believe the next step is to decode the ciphers that appear in just about every full-page illustration. ("Near the overlook" and "There are thirteen) are examples. If we not doing this, we are falling behind.