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Glitternose, The Goblin of Plumas Lake Mystery Cache

Hidden : 6/3/2023
Difficulty:
4 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


 The cache isn't at the posted coordinates, solve the puzzle to get the actual location. Setting at a difficultly of 4 because there is a alot of places it could be hiding. The puzzle might be a lot simpler than the hide.                               

 

Once upon a time in a world just a touch to the left of ours, there was a quirky little goblin named Glitternose. Glitternose was a peculiar fellow, even for goblin standards. His oddities manifested in his peculiar hobbies, which included collecting rare stones, studying elemental alchemy, and playing hide-and-seek with unsuspecting human geocachers.

Glitternose's absolute favorite pastime, however, was pretending to be a geocache. This activity was much loved by the humans who found him, that is, until they realized that their supposed cache was a mischievous goblin. Glitternose knew he was on borrowed time, as word of his antics had begun to circulate among the local geocaching community. Determined to keep his game going, Glitternose decided to craft a potion that would enable him to truly masquerade as a geocache.

Glitternose began with Lithium, an element known for its fiery demeanor when combined with water. Cautiously, he dipped the edge of a Lithium crystal into a large cauldron of water. It reacted with a sizzle, shooting off sparks that lit up the cave walls with a pink glow.

"Great googly moogly!" Glitternose shouted as he quickly pulled his hand away. He chuckled to himself, his shiny nose twinkling in the light of the fire. "That's the spirit!"

Next came Thorium, a hefty element that Glitternose knew could give his potion the weighty feel of a true geocache. He delicately ground a piece of Thorium with a stone, then carefully sprinkled the dust into the cauldron. It sank, causing the water to ripple like a pebble had been dropped in a pond. Glitternose clapped his hands in delight, his green face illuminated by the cauldron's glow.

Iodine was the third ingredient. Glitternose knew it as a purifier. He hoped it would cleanse any remaining goblin-ness from his potion. He added it to the cauldron, and the water turned a rich, deep violet. Glitternose couldn’t resist sneezing at the vapors, causing his nose to glitter even brighter.

Next came Nitrogen, a gas that would add the much-needed element of air to his potion. But how do you add a gas to a potion? By a balloon, of course! Glitternose had a grand time inflating a balloon with Nitrogen, before popping it over the cauldron. The liquid within fizzed and frothed delightfully.

Magnesium, Aluminum, and Zinc were next on his list. These metals would give his potion a metallic sheen and a cold touch, just like a real geocache. The goblin masterfully melted each metal in turn, using his trusty old blowtorch, before combining them into the mixture. Each addition sent sparks of their respective colors flying through the air, painting a picture of a rainbow in the cave.

"Almost there," he squealed with giddy anticipation, his eyes gleaming with reflected sparks.

Lastly, and with much caution, he added a pinch of Californium. An incredibly rare and radioactive element, Glitternose knew this was just the touch his potion needed to complete the transformation. As he carefully stirred the potion, the cauldron started to glow an eerie green.

"Oh, this is it! This is it!" Glitternose chortled as he watched his potion change before his very eyes.

Glitternose quickly poured some potion onto a small stone and watched in amazement as it transformed into a perfect little geocache, complete with a false bottom.

Glitternose was overjoyed. He leaped and hopped around the cave, his gleeful shrieks echoing off the walls. He couldn't wait to try the potion on himself. But first, safety. He carefully locked up his potion-making supplies, making sure especially to put the Californium back into its lead-lined box.

Then, with a deep breath, Glitternose poured some potion onto his hand. It was cool and tingly. He paused, looking at his hand, then shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen?" he said aloud to no one in particular and promptly smeared the potion all over himself.

There was a flash of green light and a soft popping sound. Glitternose felt a strange sensation, as though he were shrinking. He looked down at himself and gasped. He wasn't green anymore. His body was grey, small and hard with a small hole on the bottom - just like a real geocache!

Overjoyed, he spent the next hour admiring himself in the reflection of his cauldron.

It was time to test his new disguise in the real world. He scurried out of his cave and down the sidewalk, heading towards the popular geocaching spot by the near the waterpark. Upon arrival, he tucked himself among the surroundings and waited.

Soon, a group of geocachers arrived, their GPS guiding them right to Glitternose. Excitement filled the air as they spotted the 'geocache'. They opened the hatch, and found Glitternose had filled it with shiny trinkets. The humans celebrated their find, completely unaware that their geocache was a goblin in disguise.

Back in his cave, Glitternose couldn’t contain his glee. His potion had worked! His little game could continue. So, with a spring in his step and a twinkle in his eye, the goblin began preparing for his next adventure, looking forward to the joy of fooling humans as a perfectly disguised geocache.

 

 

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