2018/05/14

OSR: the Horrible Cave Riddles of Yorminfulgar the Giant

     Veinscrawl Hex 02.05 – NEUTRAL – PROFUNDAL
     Terrain: Marble boulders with tiny passages between.
     Obvious Feature: Cave giant trapped under a rockfall. One horrible boneless arm free. Will 
whisper half-coherent promises, promise treasure. Treacherous and hungry.
Morten Solgaard Pedersen
My players have just encountered Yorminfulgar the Giant. Yorminfulgar wants to be free. The players want treasure. 

While negotiating, Yorminfulgar will speak of many things. He knows secret paths to Lost Illiam. He knows where to find Ultraviolet Butterflies and the Hourglass Cave. He whispers riddles in a low, wet drone and he won't give a straight answer until you've solved one. 

Answers are in white.

#1
I have teeth but no gums.
I chew but never swallow.
I eat flesh and bone.
And nod my head.

(a bonesaw)

#2
My warm clothes are gone; I smile.
My house is small; I smile.
My friends are all little, little; I smile.

(a skeleton)


#3
Beat me, and I protect you.
Scar me, and I help you.
When I speak, everyone knows.
I hold a secret inside.
Yet I sleep in your pocket.

(flint)

#4
The beast will find you in a fortress.
Guards and locks will not protect you.
Wards and signs will not aid you.
The deeper you hide, the faster it hunts.
When it strikes, it strikes low
And wears your face for its own.
Only one thing keeps the beast away.
Name it and know it.

(hunger)

#5
I move like a snake.
The rich man loves me.
The poor man fears me.
The slave hates me.

(chains)

#6
Empty eggs, never leave the nest.
Crack one, hatch pain.
Crack two, hatch darkness.

(eyeballs)

#7
Wise counselor, older than words.
Speak to the king, but remember
If you take the throne, the kingdom falls
Though your only desire is for it to stand.

(fear)

#8
No wind, yet her hair flows.
No hope, but her hands reach.
Her path is straighter than ours.
If she turned she could see the end.

(a climber, falling)

#9
In the dark, I sleep.
In the light, I move with you.
Yet I stand quite still.
Do you fear to look at me?
Why? I cannot harm you.
I can only tell the truth.

(a mirror)

#10
A red gift in a white case.
A white case with no hinge.
Made in the dark. Ah, what a delight.
To find, to hold, to open.
When the other gifts are gone.

(bone marrow)

4 comments:

  1. No more hoping my players haven't read Riddles in the Dark for me!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The 'My house is little, I smile' one is pretty creepy man.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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