I feel like an idiot.

Studying the carving you deduce that the inscription around it reveals how to open the door. If you can work out the number hidden in the puzzle, turn to the paragraph with that number.

Remember what the tribesman told you: “Back two, forward two. Back two, forward two.”

I see the three arrows (top right of the skull, snake’s tail & the golden piece at the bottom) but I can’t for the life of me solve this. ::: spoiler I found the solution online but I still don’t understand how it works. it’s 275 ::: The most logical reading I can come up with is “RARA” which doesn’t feel very Roman numeral-y (but Roman numerals might not even be needed.)

So… would someone be kind enough to explain this puzzle to me?

  • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukMEnglish
    2·
    10 months ago

    OK, Googled it.

    So it is just up to:

    1. V - 2 = T
    2. M + 2 = O
    3. G - 2 = E
    4. L + 2 = N

    etc

    Giving you:

    spoiler

    To enter the crystal chamber knock twenty five times eleven times.

    25 x 11 = 275

    • DuckGuy@lemmy.zip
      OP
      2·
      10 months ago

      Oh whoa. So it wasn’t about trying to move the dial at all, we had to “translate” everything. Now I get it, thanks a bunch!

      • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukMEnglish
        2·
        10 months ago

        Well you do move the dial, just clockwise from the top pointer (the direction it’s indicating) and then do a simple replacement cypher. Not something to trouble the codebreakers at Bletchley Park but I don’t think I’d qualify on this showing.

        • DuckGuy@lemmy.zip
          OP
          2·
          10 months ago

          Yep, I did write the whole string down based on the clockwise reading order indicated by the top arrow at one point. I was looking for some kind of pattern but found none. I did find two weirdly shaped Vs, however, which raised more questions than it answered.

          Now that you gave me the solution is seems so obvious. Thanks again!

  • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukMEnglish
    11·
    10 months ago

    Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about feeling like an idiot on this one, I am still struggling, even with the answer.

    I see the three arrows (top right of the skull, snake’s tail & the golden piece at the bottom)

    edit: ignore this, it’s not only wrong but I didn’t even follow the very simple instructions properly.

    I only see two that are on the dial.

    Top one looks to be on M

    Bottom one on A

    Two forward at the top gets you L

    Two back at the bottom also gets you L

    Two forward at the top gets you C

    Two back at the bottom gets you P

    The if you keep.going: R and Z.

    Some are Roman numerals, others aren’t… 🤷