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A themed Multi-Cache
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic music dramas by the
German composer Richard Wagner.
This multi cache is based loosely on the series. There is one part
for each of the constituent operas, and a final challenge once you
have worked your way through.
The cache involves a walk of just over a mile in total. Park at the
suggested parking and follow the bridleway to the coordinates given
and follow each opera from there.
There are two other possible parking places. One is the Rugby club,
although the route to the cache is difficult and very circuitous. I
would avoid it. The other is past the golf club, but this involves
a mile further walk overall.
Please carefully rehide each part as you found it. All parts are
within a few feet of marked pathways. Please do not go bashing
around in the woods as these paths cross private land.
All parts are under tree cover, so coordinates are recorded at 45
feet accuracy. The hints are therefore more direct that my usual
ones, so please do not go bashing through undergrowth
unnecessarily.
You will need special equipment throughout (boots, probably
wellies) and different special equipment for Act 1 of
Götterdämmerung you may carry it with you anyway, but if you do
some research you won't need to visit twice! Please don't cheat by
using some other method - this will only damage it for everyone
else.
Das Rheingold
At the bottom of the River Rhine, the three Rhinemaidens Woglinde,
Wellgunde and Flosshilde are playing together near the Rheingold.
Alberich, a Nibelung Dwarf, appears from a deep chasm and tries to
woo them. Struck by Alberich's ugliness, the Rhinemaidens mock his
advances and he grows angry. The Rhinemaidens tell him about the
Rhinegold, which their father has ordered them to guard: it can be
made into a magic Ring which will let its bearer rule the world,
but only by someone who first renounces love. They think they have
nothing to fear from the lustful dwarf, but Alberich, embittered by
their mockery, curses love, seizes the gold and returns to the
depths, as the Rhinemaidens flee in despair.
See if you can do what the Rhinemaidens could not and retrieve the
Rhinegold from Alberich.
Die Walküre
During a raging storm, Siegmund seeks shelter a the house of the
warrior Hunding. Hunding is not present and Sigmund is greeted by
Sieglinde, Hunding's unhappy wife. Siegmund tells her that he is
fleeing from his enemies. After taking a drink of mead he moves to
leave, but Sieglinde begs him to stay.
Returning, Hunding reluctantly offers Siegmund the hospitality
demanded by custom. At Sieglinde's urging, Siegmund tells his tale
of returning home one day to find his mother killed and his twin
sister abducted. He wandered the earth until he found a girl being
forced to marry and so he fought with her relatives. The bride was
killed and he was forced to flee. When Siegmund is finished,
Hunding reveals himself as one of Siegmund's pursuers and they
agree to do battle in the morning.
Siegmund laments his misfortune, recalling his father's promise
that he would find a sword when he most needed it. Sieglinde
reveals that she was forced into a marriage with Hunding. During
their wedding feast, an old man had appeared and plunged a sword
into the trunk of the ash tree in the center of the room, which
Hunding and his companions had all failed to remove. She expresses
her longing for the hero who could draw the sword and save her.
Siegmund expresses his love for her, which she reciprocates, and as
she strives to understand her recognition of him, she realises it
is in the echo of her own voice, and reflection of her image, that
she already knows him. When he speaks the name of his father,
Wälse, she declares that he is Siegmund, and that the Wanderer left
the sword for him. Siegmund now easily draws the sword forth, and
she tells him she is Sieglinde, his twin sister. He names the blade
"Nothung".
Withdraw the Nothung like Siegfried to continue the
adventure.
Siegfried
Mime, Alberich's brother, is forging a blade in his cave within the
forest. The Nibelung dwarf is plotting to obtain the Ring for
himself, having raised Siegfried to kill his enemies for him. He
needs a sword for Siegfried to use, but the youth has broken every
blade he has made. Siegfried returns from his wanderings in the
forest, demanding to know his parentage, and Mime is forced to
explain how he took in Siegfried's mother, Sieglinde, who died
giving birth. He shows Siegfried the shards of Nothung, which was
destroyed by the God Wotan at the end of Die Walküre.
After a meeting with Wotan, Mime learns that the Nothung can only
be reforged by "one who does not know fear". Mime is unable to
reforge the sword, but he has not taught this emotion to Siegfried,
who decides to reforge the sword himself.
Do you not know fear? Can you piece the Nothung back together to
conquer the enemies you will meet on your quest?
Götterdämmerung
As day breaks, Siegfried and Brünnhilde, daughter of Wotan, emerge
from their cave. Brünnhilde sends Siegfried off to new adventures,
urging him to keep their love in mind. As a pledge of fidelity,
Siegfried gives her the ring which he took from Fafner's hoard.
Bearing Brünnhilde's shield and mounting her horse Grane, Siegfried
rides away.
Gunther, lord of the Gibichungs, sits enthroned in the hall of the
Gibichungs. His half-brother Hagen advises him to find a wife for
himself and a husband for their sister Gutrune. He suggests
Brünnhilde for Gunther's wife, and Siegfried for Gutrune's husband.
He has given Gutrune a potion to make Siegfried forget Brünnhilde
and fall in love with Gutrune; under its influence, Siegfried will
win Brünnhilde for Gunther.
Siegfried appears at Gibichung Hall, seeking to meet Gunther.
Gunther extends his hospitality to the hero, and Gutrune offers him
the love potion. Unaware of the deception, Siegfried toasts
Brünnhilde and their love. Drinking the potion, he loses his memory
of Brünnhilde and falls in love with Gutrune instead.
Can you feed Siegfried enough potion to make him lead to you to
Brünnhilde and your final goal - the Ring?
Götterdämmerung - The Ring
In the woods by the bank of the Rhine, the Rhinemaidens mourn the
lost Rheingold. Siegfried happens by, separated from the hunting
party. They urge him to return the Ring and avoid its curse, but he
ignores their tidings of doom. They swim away, predicting that
Siegfried will die and that his heir, a lady, will treat them more
fairly.
Siegfried rejoins the hunters, who include Gunther and Hagen. While
resting, he tells them about the adventures of his youth. Hagen
gives him a drink that restores his memory, and he tells of
discovering the sleeping Brünnhilde and awakening her with a kiss.
Suddenly, two ravens fly out of a bush, and as Siegfried watches
them, Hagen stabs him in the back with his spear. The others look
on in horror, and Hagen calmly walks away into the wood. Siegfried
dies, lingering on his memories of Brünnhilde. His body is carried
away in a solemn funeral procession.
Brünnhilde makes her entrance and takes charge of the scene. She
issues orders for a huge funeral pyre to be assembled by the river.
She takes the Ring and tells the Rhinemaidens to claim it from her
ashes, once fire has cleansed it of its curse. The pyre lit,
Brünnhilde mounts her horse Grane and rides into the flames.
Can you return the Rheingold to the Rheinmaidens by finding the
ring?
Please make sure that all parts are replaced as you found them - it
is possible that once you have found the key for the last task that
you are unable to find the ring. It will be obvious why, and if so
please let me know. If you are unable to find the last part, you
may find it worthwhile calling Wotan on 07775 834005 who will be
able to help you locate the ring from his wealth of
knowledge.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Qnf Eurvatbyq - Ybbx va gb gur qrcguf
Qvr Jnyxher - Abg na Nfu, ohg na Bnx. Jnegl
Fvrtsevrq - Frnepu oruvaq na Bnx
Tbggreqnzzrehat - zber guna n fcbbashy, qbja uvf cvcr
Gur Evat - nzvqfg gur ebbgf va gur irel pbeare gura yvfgra pnershyyl.