Congratz to mikegarb on FTF!
This cache was hidden for the Spring Cache Challenge. Do not look for it before 6pm, Friday, May 4, 2012!
PARK at the listed Coordinates and proceed toward stage one
- This cache is a Field Puzzle. Read the story below, part of the tale is enciphered and you will need to obtain the KEYWORD at Stage One to unlock the Cipher and find the missing coordinates.
- A special tool is provided to make this easier, use the CIPHER WHEEL found within 3 meters of stage one, it is also strongly recommended that you PRINT THE PDF and take it with you to make working out the puzzle easier.
Alert: You are about to download a file that contains further details needed to find this geocache. As the cache owner, I represent that this file is safe to download although it has not been checked by Groundspeak or by the reviewer for possible malicious content. Download this file at your own risk. Click Here for PDF
- Some rock scrambling will be needed for this cache, it is not too difficult and will NOT require any gear.
- Dangerous Conditions depending on weather, rocks can be slippery when wet, not recommended in winter, please proceed with CAUTION.
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The story is as follows....
Long ago a sorceress bestowed upon my ancestors a powerful stone, a crystal, imbued in which were the opposite powers of fire and ice.
For a thousand years our line had battled the goblin threat, which crept into our lands from the far north. Goblins are insatiable creatures, always seeking riches at the cost of life and limb, they strip the lands they roam through until there is nothing left but barren earth. Blood thirsty creatures who have and endless appetite for all manner of flesh.
In those long ago times, my forbearers used this crystals mighty power to form a wall of ice that stretched around the top of the world. Two miles high, this impassable wall kept the goblins in their frozen domain and kept the people of these sparsely wooded planes safe and free to live in harmony with the land. Our people learned to take only what we needed from the land, we cared for the world around us, and in turn it cared for us.
For five hundred years the ice had been there, but the spring before last we began to see the thickening darkness on our norther boarder. A putrid black smoke would drift down over the land with the coming of the fall, choking and making our eyes burn, its made life a miserable thing. Scouts have told me that the enemy dragged the air breathing giants from the sea and made their flesh for fire. For two years they have burned them day and night, in every corner of their frozen wasteland, until all the land has begun to warm. Twelve weeks ago the ice gave way enough that the first began to trickle out, and then more came.
We fought them well and in the past forty eight hours we've slowly been gaining ground. Pushing northward and picking the stragglers off as we pursue the last ragged few, no more than sixty now survive.
ΠΞĨЮĿŴ/ ΔДДЂЏ ΣΞЮΩΞΫ Ŀ:Ŵ ЭŴŦΔЖ. ΣΩДΫ Δ:ŮŮДΫ*/ ΣΞЮΩĿ:Ю ΣŦŴΫΞΫЭ, ДΞЭΩЮ *ДЭΞĿΫΔ ŦЖЖДŦŴЏ ĿΫ Ł ΩĿŴΞΨĿΫ, ДŦĨΩ ΣΞЮΩ ΫΞΫД ΦĿ*Ů Ł ΦĿŴĨД ΣД ΫĿΣ ŴДЮŦΞΫЏ. ΦĿŴ ЮΣД*ΠД *ĿΫЭ ΣДДĴΔ ΣД ΩŦŮ ΩД*Ů ЮΩДЂ ?ŦĨĴ, Ќ ДΠДŴ/ ЂŦΫ ΣŦΔ ЮΞŴЏ Ќ ŦЮ Ł ДΫŮ ĿΦ ΩΞΔ ΣΞ**. ЂŦΫ/ ΣДŴД ΞΫĦ:ŴЏ, Ќ ΔЮΞ** ЂŦΫ/ ЂĿŴД ΩŦŮ Ŧ*ŴДŦŮ/ ΦŦ**ДΫ. Ł ĨŦΔЮ*Д ΣŦ**Δ *Ŧ/ ĨŴ:Ђ?*ΞΫЭ ?ДΩΞΫŮ :Δ, Ќ ЮΩДŴД ΣŦΔ ΦΞŴД ДΠДŴΣΩДŴД ЮΩŦЮ ĨĿ:*Ů ?Д ΔДДΫ. ŦΦЮДŴ ΦΞΠД Ω:ΫŮŴЏ /ДŦŴΔ ĿΦ ЖДŦĨД, Ŧ** ΩĿЖД ΣŦΔ ΦŦŮΞΫЭ. Ł ДΫДЂ/ ΣŦΔ Ĩ*ĿΔΞΫЭ ΔΣΞΦЮ*/ ΦŴĿЂ Ŧ** ΦĿ:Ŵ ŮΞŴДĨЮΞĿΫΔ ŦΔ Ξ ΦД*Ю Ђ/ Ж:*ΔД Đ:ΞĨĴДΫ. ΞΫ ЮΩŦЮ ЂĿЂДΫЮ ΞЮ ΦД*Ю ŦΔ ΞΦ ЮΞЂД ΩŦŮ Δ*ĿΣДŮ ЮĿ Ŧ ΔΫŦΞ*Δ ЖŦĨД, ŦΔ Ξ *ĿĿĴЏ ŦŴĿ:ΫŮ ЮĿ ΔДД ΔДΠДΫ ĿΦ Ђ/ ?ŴŦΠДΔЮ ЂДΫ ΦĿŴЂΞΫЭ ΞΫ ĿΫ ЂД ŦΔ ЮΩД/ ?ŴŦĨЏ ЮĿ ЂДДЮ Ł ΩĿŴŮД. ΞΫ ЮΩĿΔД ΦΞΫŦ* ЂĿЂДΫЮΔ Ξ ЂДЮ Д/ДΔ ΣΞЮΩ ДŦĨΩ ĿΦ ЮΩĿΔД ŮДΔЖДŴŦЮД ΦДΣ, Ќ ŦЂĿΫЭ :Δ ŦŴĿΔД Ŧ ΔΞ*ДΫЮ :ΫŮДŴΔЮŦΫŮΞΫЭ ĿΦ ΣΩŦЮ Ђ:ΔЮ ?Д ŮĿΫД.
Ξ ŴŦΞΔЏ Ђ/ ΔΣĿŴŮ ΩΞЭh Ŧ?ĿΠД Ђ/ ΩДŦŮ, Ќ ΣΞЮΩ ĿΫД ЂΞЭΩЮ/ ЮΩŴ:ΔЮ ?ĿŴД ΞЮ ΞΫЮĿ ЮΩД ДŦŴЮΩ ΣΞЮΩ ЮΞЮŦΫΞĨ ΦĿŴĨД. The earth began to heave and roll like the sea, heaving up into the mountainous forms that would remain. Molten rock rushed from the depths of the earth swallowing up the enemy, and ending the life of every one of my men as well as myself in an instant.
But on that day all was not lost, for in the mellenia that would follow, the land would go untouched, safe once again from those that would seek to destroy its gifts for selfish gains. Now all my riches, and the stone of fire and ice lay waiting for those who are willing to take up my cause, to keep this land safe and unspoiled for those that follow.
Please ensure you leave everything exactly as you found it for the next Geocacher to find. Have fun and be safe, happy caching!