Strange Device

This is a **Beach** exploration event. It can occur once per playthrough and offers the chance to acquire  Orichalcum Bead,  Mead,  Rope,  Sage Powder and the positive trait  Riddle Solver for 2 days.

## Inspect

You've never sen this kind of device before. The bottom area consists of a tightly shut, large sturdy box with no apparent lock, connected to a massive wooden wheel.

You wonder who is the sick mind behind this extravagant design. The weird device is covered in runes.

## Check the rune

Requires: Wisdom

Each rune is a letter of the alphabet but each rune also has a full name with a hidden meaning. But what's the name of the "R" rune?

## Try to remember its name

Requires: Wisdom

**Success** : This is the fifth rune, \*RAIDO, the rune of the riders. Remembering this, you gain a new understanding of the device. \*RAIDO embodies movement, the journey. But implies the travelers' path will be full of surprises and requires some efforts for them to keep going. It reminds you of your situation... If someone read your runes a few weeks ago, you're pretty sure \*RADIO rune would have appeared...

+Wisdom

**Failure** : Ra... Ra... Rasp...? Putting a name on it turns out to be difficult but you're pretty sure its name starts with RA. It's written all over this sort of torture device. Maybe it's what the rune means. This thought makes you shiver.

+ Depression

## Examine the mechanism

Requires: Intelligence

You check to pivot pole to see if something is jammed. You squat and check the bottom of the pole, where it connects with the gears of the machine. Surprisingly you don't see anything blocking the machine at the bottom of the pole. As you stand up, you notice markings on the pole itself.

### Check the markings

Requires: Intelligence

Success: Markings? No, looks like grooves. You follow one to the top and notice little wooden bars filling the space. They are attached to the wheel.

**Failure** : They are not very deep, and form an intriguing pattern, a bit similar to the interlacing pattern you often see on the northern sculptures and jewels. You wonder how people keep from getting lost as they carve such intricate designs. Force of habit you guess.

#### Find their use

Requires: Try to remember its name - **Success**

It seems pretty clear for you, especially knowing what the rune means: you have to make the wheel "journey" through the grooves of the pole.
you "just" need to remember the right way to follow. Easier said then done: the pattern is a mass of inter... wait.
Now that you think about it, the "map" is not that difficult to read: you realize there are six grooves, one per wooden bar, all symmetrical. You just need to follow one to find the right way: clockwise, anti-clockwise, clockwise again and... down?
It's as if you were retracing the rune, starting from the bottom right corner.

## Turn the wheel

Requires: Strength, Agility

You place your hands on one of the handles and push but the wheel doesn't budge. Is it jammed? You try again, but still, the wooden device doesn't move an inch.

### Take a break

You won't achieve anything this way. It's better for you to leave the device be and find another way to activate it.

#### Think about the rune (requires: Try to remember its name - **Success**)

The rune embodies movement through efforts. Does it mean you have to put all your strength in it? That's worth a shot.

* 1. Push anti-clockwise

Requires: Strength

???

* 1. Push clockwise

Requires: Strength

#### 1. Push clockwise - **Success**

You stand behind the device and push the wheel clockwise with all your might.
AT LAST you feel the wheel tremble. This emboldens you and you push even stronger.
You push so hard you're close to popping a vein on your forehead. You hear a soft click and the wheel starts moving laboriously up the pole.

+ Fatigue

It comes to a stop pretty fast though. The wheel still trembles a bit but you feel you've hit a peg of some sorts.

* 2. Push clockwise

Requires: Strength

##### 2. Push clockwise - **Failure**

???

* 2. Push anti-clockwise

Requires: Strength

##### 2. Push anti-clockwise - **Success**

You pull the wheel anti-clockwise with all your might. once again, the wheel trembles. You're so close to making it move...
It's hard but, one step at a time you feel the wheel moving your way, slowly sliding up the pole.
A few steps later, another peg hinders your progress. You're sweating like a pig.

+ Fatigue

* 3. Pull anti-clockwise

Requires: Strength

###### 3. Pull anti-clockwise - **Failure**

???

* 3. Take a break

Requires: Agility

###### 3. Take a break - **Success**

You need to rest a bit. YOu remove one hand from the handle you were pushing and realise the wheel is about to sping backwards!
You instinctively duck the wheel handle as it spins to get back to its initial position. It only takes a seconf for your progress to be lost.
On the bright side, you managed to avoid getting hit by the handle. With its speed it would ahve been quite a blow.

###### 3. Take a break - **Failure**

???

* 3. Push Clockwise

Requires: Strength

###### 3. Push Clockwise - **Success**

The wheel trembles as you muster more strength to push its handles. You plant your feet on the sand to make it easier.
You almost lose your balance as the wheel finally jumps over the peg and slowly moves up the pole.
A few steps later you stop, encountering another peg. Your breath is fast and shallow.

+ Fatigue

* 4. Push down. Requires: Check the markings - **Success**

Now, if guess is right, you "just" need to push the wheel down. Being exhausted you decide to use your weight to help.
You jump on the handle you were pushing moments ago and hear a crack. Oh no... you broke it didn't you?
You prepare yourself to fall but it doesn't happen. Instead, you feel the whole wheel sliding down the pole. Did you do it then?
A small click answers your question. You risk yourself stepping away from the wheel. A small trap has opened where the rune was carved.
Inside are mead and a golden bead made in an unknown alloy. As you retrieve both mead and bead, you hear another soft click, from inside the trap.

+ Orichalcum Bead, + Mead, + Sage Powder, + Riddle Solver

Then, the whole machine trembles, in an ominous way. You swiftly remove your hand as the strange device crumbles on itself.
You salvage what you can and leave with resources, something to drink your fatigue away and the proof you've solved the runic puzzle. This was quite a full day!

- Depression, + Rope

* 4. Pull anti-clockwise

Requires: Strength???

* 4. Push clockwise

Requires: Strength

???

* 4. Take a break

Requires: Agility

???

##### 2. Push anti-clockwise - **Failure**

???

* 2. Take a break

Requires: Agility