Who is the guide?
Manson has confirmed that the Guide is the Minotaur. There are many clues to his identity littered through out the book, including a trail of clues (perhaps involving trefoils or references to Cerberus), and the “Easter Egg” described below.
Title Page:
The Key-Stone: The key points us to the the key-shaped trap (see the map of The Trap rooms). The fact that the key is carved into a stone is perhaps a visual word riddle for “keystone” indicating that what we find in the trap is important.
The Mason Objects: The spike, compass, hammer and square are often placed together in the symbolism of the Masons, usually these items are placed flanking the Bible. Here the scroll is in the location usually occupied by the Bible, suggesting that what is on the scroll is important.
In many masonic images the Bible is flanked or overlaid by the compass and square. The hammer and spike are also common elements (in the left and center images).
Hidden Letters: The letters in the maze in the map spell out “IN SLY” this uses all the obvious letters in the map except for a “C” (it could also be an “n” or a “u”) which is off to the right separate from the others. The objects surrounding the parchment perhaps signify letters and spell out “devil” or “evil.” So the phrase is “Devil In Sly” or “Evil In Sly.” Alternately the objects leaning against the keystone could spell out “I AM” so the whole phrase reads “I am in sly.” Or the “C” could be taken as “see” so it reads “See In Sly.”
Possible phrasings:
IN SLY
devIL IN SLY
evIL IN SLY
I AM IN SLY
(see) IN SLY
Room 43:
- Images copyright 1985 by Christopher Manson
Okay, new thread, start of a trail of trefoils…
Room 1, on the drawing board is a trinity-reminiscent symbol (three marks combined into one) with something that looks like an arrow pointing to it that is also pointing up to the door to room 20. Also the door to 20 is the only one with three objects on it, a drum and two drum sticks.
Room 20, the turtle has three visible legs and is in front of door 27. It’s pretty weak.
Room 27, the door to 13 has three objects over the top of it with the spade in the middle. Weak.
Room 13, the lamp in front of 25 is on a tripod with one bulb. Weak.
Room 25, the end?
Um, no.
Okay heres another one I have thats no good.
The thing with three legs in 35 points to 33.
In 33 the triangle is clues door 3 and the trinity.
In 3 there are three pots in a trinity shape next to the door to 9.
But in room 9 there are three people in a picture next to the door to room 3. So it’s a loop between 3 and 9.
No.
It makes sense to start with room 10 but rooms 41 14 34 don’t seem to have squat.
I agree with your “no” determination, but I would add:
three fingers in 14
three fingers in 34
(holding up fingers being a common way of communicating small numbers)
three rafters in 9 (just same lame counting, maybe, but it seems as valid a Roman numeral for 3 as the XIII in 27) (well, maybe not)
the word “three” appears in the text for 25
The two sets of three fingers are interesting to me, but I don’t think they’re part of a vague three-related path–but, well, hmm.
It looks to me like the hand on the door has four fingers, two are just next to each other, but yeah the rest doesnt look really great anyway. What I am looking for is three circles or stuff that says three in one. I wonder if the final room is 31?
Wait. In room 14 the bullseye has three circles! Yes?
And the bullseye in 41 and the pillow in 34 if you want those.
Okay so if the clover is out of the running then the symbol is eirher the shield or the capstone? But only if dgs capstone sightings are wrong or wr would have confirmed. So the symbol is the shield? But i dont see any shields in the rooms next to 41.
WAITandSEE,
I changed the time of your post from 4 am to 10 am so it would appear at the top of the list since this is your first post.
Welcome to the Abyss!
White Raven
Why is the clover out of the running? Clovers can symbolize both 3 and 4, which would make sense concerning the door you pick that room.
Hey sp, perfect timing on your comment! This is what I came here to say. I assume WAITandSEE thinks clovers are out of the running because vewatkin noticed the clover in room, um, the room with a bed, and WR said the symbol had not been identified yet.
But the symbol isn’t a clover, as has already been mentioned by someone, it’s a trefoil. A clover symbol and a club symbol always have a stem. I once had a list of trefoils I had found in maze after finding one that was really striking and looked important. Unfortunately that was over 15 years ago and I don’t remember the striking trefoil but I swear there is one, it will come to me.
I believe the observation WR is waiting for that is obvious in one room is that the symbol is a trefoil. If I understand the rules we need a list of found trefoils that is correct enough so WR can confirm it.
Just stopping by, good luck everyone! I’ll post the striking trefoil if I remember it.
No- what we need is a trail of the things. A trifoil leading to a trifoil, leading to a trifoil.
Here’s one: the three pots in room 3 could look kind of like a trefoil; text mentions pantry = pan + tri
You wouldn’t know a guy named Godot, would you?
Just thinking….
This path certainly has a lot in common with things WR has said about his path – taking the thing with you in 35 for example just falls right out of it. But… I did 4 separate Raven paths (which still fit into the big picture) and now 2 Manson paths – so there could be more – and it is possible that while Manson is the guide, WR had yet a different path to him. One of the best arguments for this is the landing point. There are only 3 strong intentional “Manson” candidates in Maze that I know of. The ones in 3 and in 4 my paths hit in the end. The last of the trio is in 19 and I think that is the one WR has said he accepts….therefore…there may be one more out there…unfortunately.
Here is what I think WR’s path was:
The symbol is the trowel shape. I was looking for other Masonic Manson clues and saw it over the door to 6 in room 32 first. But start with the actual trowel in room 39. It points to room 4. In 4 the seat of the chair points us to 16. In 16 the shape is under the trap door, so we go to 32. In 32 the shape is over the door to 6. In 6 it could be the stone in the door to 40 but also the #40 itself. Then in room 40 the symbol is in the 38. And room 38 is where we arrive after part 1 of this guide path. Here we start interacting with the prologue page.
I am reading from the prologue now but using it to find clues in 38. “I met them at the gate” (The gate to 40 ahead). A clue that we should be here is also that the prologue says that construction never stops and here we have new construction. “They did not see the fire, pain, crown” – that applies to the figure over the gate. (This all will work best from this point out if you have 2 copies of Maze. We all have like half a dozen right? Clues in one set of rooms will be applying to the other set of rooms from this point on) “They think I will lead them through the symbols and spaces of this underworld” – now we are walking through room 40. “The monstrous walls rise up – which half is maze?” – this is still room 40. “Even I get lost”. “Even I/eye” is only in the text anywhere else in room 6, and I think it means the oppressed capstone. “It changes, sometimes suddenly” guides us to the ladder. “they think I will guide them to the center” – now we are up the ladder and in room 17. Note here that the capstone in 17 looks like the half completed one in 38. “The sun was very hot” – we follow the suns to 33.
OK get yourself some coffee. Part 3 of this trail is REALLY long. We now start following the text in room 1 and then around the path, but they are giving us clues where to go in a different set of rooms. In room 1 we have “ the silences are eloquent” so in room 33 we take the only path without sound on it and go to room 7. In room 26 of the path we have “not very tidy … children” – these apply to room 7 and the toy. “Was this what you heard outside?” in 26 – takes them to the music in room 7 and they go to 36. Now in room 30 we have “what a beautiful door the others are so plain” and “perhaps this has been done so we will not choose this door”. In room 36 this applies to the ivy covered door with no visible sign. And we will be going to room 45 next. In room 4 of the path “hall of many doors” can mean room 45. “What a foolish face” in 4 refers both to the sun here in 4 and the one outside in 19 where we go from 45. Room 29 of the path is “a much smaller room” and so we go to room 11 from 19. “hear blindness is no disadvantage” takes us to room 24. Now we are in room 17 on the path – “your choices are more limited than you know” situates us in room 24. “Never accept the obvious – If you think of a machine…confusion…machine” takes us out of 24 and to the “confusion machine” in room 16. Room 45 of the path says “carless person to leave stuff lying about” so in room 16 we cross the doorway junk to room 7. “They looked and looked” situates us in room 7. On the path in room 23 “watch your step” takes us to room 33 from 7. “I suggested we take the door on my right” sends us to room 35. In room 8 we have “Make sure you take that with you…isn’t it obvious?” Yes – it is very obvious NOW – we take the thing from 35 with us! Also note both rooms are “lit by a single bulb”. Now in room 12 of the path we have “a room with a hole in the floor” and we are back in 33. “Who knows what’s at the bottom”. This is still room 33. But then “They looked at me again” in room 12 means we are back in room 7. “It would have been a relief to get outside” tells us not to go to room 36. “They have been here before, déjà vu” – and we are back in room 16. Then the bolder one leads them down the hole both in room 12 and in 16. So we go to room 32. And now we are in room 39 on the path. Room 39 says “someone had been working here as well” – meaning the wall to 11 in 32. “A faint jingling behind the wall” takes us to the doorbell in 11. Now in room 4 of the path we have ‘hall of many doors” meaning room 11. “Shall we toss a coin” in 4 brings us to room 40 from 11 and “choosing at random”. So we go to room 15 on the path. They hear a “thump and the sounds of footsteps running away” this brings us to room 38 from 40 where the guest arrive at the bottom of the slide with a “trump” and leave a boot behind as their footsteps hurry away. “At least 3 of us can sit down hear” makes us think of the couch in 22. So does “numbers relate to each other” (2=2) and the guide introspectiveness is both in 15 and 22. So we go to 22. And on the path we go to room 37. “What is going on here” “Half wanted to go one way and half the other”. So in room 22 we are torn. “Then a door rattles” – this clues us that in 22 we have to take an unmarked door. The one that works out is the door to room 2. Now on the path we are in the final room 20. “Too many animals” in 20 means the bear in 2. And back in room 1 on the path we get a line about “silences” which matches the “silences” in room 35. And clues us that room 2 is where we are supposed to use our room 35 thing. Actually we also had a clue this was coming back in room 37 with “important messages are sometimes ‘couch’ed in ambiguous terms. When we use the thing in room 2 some nice things happen. The “right, right” in the text of 35 “matches” the puzzle here where we need to go to the bear’s right. The “signal” also points are a correct exit now. And the 3 couch cushions “match” with the “spot,spot,spot” chain the bear the “pinta” and the spotting of land make. (As does the chain of 3 hops made by the light cord). And they fit with the two sets of “…” over the door to 29. What do we do with these 3 blanks? They clue us so skip 3 rooms on the path. We jump from room 1 to room 4 on the path- and we see the foolish face once again. The doorway in 2 gives us “Christopher” Columbus. And he the foolish face of course is “Manson”. And we have our guide via a 2nd path.
This is going to take some explanation. What I think I have here is a guide path – to I assume the same guide WR has, but via a different path and riddle.
The other day I detailed a capstone path leading from the front gate where there is a capstone on the title page with “C M” hidden in the key. It ends at room 27 and the Hermit. OK – so Manson labels himself a hermit. But now look at room 44. There are a bunch of those capstone shapes. So let’s connect the Hermit room and the croc room. Some nice things happen.
First of all we have the 9 in the rope on the right, and the nine spikes on the croc on the left and now we have the Hermit with his 9 under him in the middle. The 3 9s add up to 27 – the Hermit’s old room.
We’ve also completed a Masonic tracing board. The columns to the side are Strength and Beauty. The middle column on those boards is “Wisdom”. This middle column is labelled W on these boards. It has been noted that there are 9 Ws in the text and they can give the exit – 18. But the Hermit is of course a figure associated with Wisdom so he fits nicely there in the middle.
The Hermit’s text of “the fates will decide?” makes those 3 statues behind him into Maiden, Matron, and Crone.
The text in 27 works for the croc – if we hurry we can catch them.
The Hermit shows a palm – so he fits better in a courtyard of palms than the statues already here.
The bit about “who left the door open” and them being convinced they didn’t come in that way can now apply to the hole under the Hermit, since it is also a one way door. And the “vanished” I have suggested before could work if they fell through a trap door – and could work now if they went down the hole to room 9.
A door solution I’ve noted in room 44 is “The croc ate one”. That is there were 2 birds and 1 croc = door 21, but ate(8) 1 gives us door 18.
Now let’s put this together with something we get when we visit room 9 via the hole from 27. We find the running mice. But they can give us a new song in room 44 – rather than the “3 blind mice song” in 9”.
As I’ve mentioned recently room 44 can represent a watch or clock. Without doing a detailed argument there are “hands” and “wind” (think with a long I) and going in circles. With mice here we can say “Hickory Dickory Dock – the mouse ran up the clock – the CROC! struck one. Lol. Cute.
Now for this last bit you need to have worked out Maze time, which I’m not going to detail here, but from last year’s work I know it is 1am in room 3. So we take our capstone/key “C.M” guy the Hermit to room 3. There we find on the wall “Man sun”. (And the heart of Christopher Chri“stop”her) And we have our guide.
So I figure that we know the symbol is obvious in one room and it is a fairly recognizable symbol and it hasn’t been talked about yet…soooooo…all we need to do it list all the obvious symbols and then narrow them down to the ones we havent talked about. I should say you people because this is my first post. So here is the list of obvious and clear symbols that are not objects I came up with.
1 square with dot & drum & cup & bottle & apple
2 moon & moon with star
3 arrow & question mark & moon & sun
4 pegs in holes & sun & maze
5 castle
6 face over door & eye
7 star
8 arrow & smiley face
9 angel & sun
10 clover/club & volcano & dancers
11 _the wire mess
14 bullseye
15 heart & star & lightning bolt & cloud & bird symbol
17 jar symbol over door 45
18 notes & base & treble symbols & dragon
20 arrow & turban
21 snakes
22 scales
23 foot & storm & sun & moon
25 crown & faces
27 heart & spade & diamond & cat
28 hourglass & key & leaf & bottle
33 drum & vase & dagger & crown
34 obelisk & ship & square in a square
36 happy and sad theater faces
37 eye
38 triangle with face & key
39 jingle bell hat & tree
40 a bunch of symbols
41 bullseye & an X & shield symbol over doors
42 dice
43 face over door
45 nun & awl & question mark & eye & hat & sun
Right off the cuff as they say I think I can narrow down the list to these by taking out symbols that have been mentioned to this point leaving these:
1 square with dot _on the paper
8 smiley face _near the ceiling
10 clover/club _on the bed
15 lightning bolt & bird symbol
21 snakes _maybe we arent calling it the right thing
22 scales
28 hourglass
33 vase _here the vase is a symbol
34 square in a square _on the pillow
38 triangle with face
39 jingle bell hat
40 a bunch of symbols _maybe one is more simple
41 shield symbols over doors
So I figure the question is, have all of these been mentioned? It is kind of like cheating but somehow we have overlooked mentioning an obvious symbol and this seems like the simplest way of discovering what obvious thing we missed.
Okay so my idea that we are calling the snakes the wrong thing was stupid, he wouldnt have said that we hadnt noticed it. Also we have talked about square with dot, hourglass, jingle bell hat and scales leaving these
8 smiley face _near the ceiling
10 clover/club _on the bed
15 lightning bolt & bird symbol
33 vase _here the vase is a symbol
34 square in a square _on the pillow
38 triangle with face
40 a bunch of symbols _maybe one is more simple
41 shield symbols over doors
Eliminations anyone?
MIT10,
So… your initials? An MIT grad? Or are you just a fan of winter wear?
Cheating or not, it is a solid plan!
Welcome to The Abyss!
White Raven
The clover/club in 10 is a symbol that is actually explained in some detail elsewhere on this site, suggesting it’s important in some regard. I’m not well situated right now to look up where WR talks about, but it should be easy to find. However, I can’t think of any other examples of that anywhere in the book.
Barrels in 39 are a clover thingy too. Its called a Trefoil. Means “the Trinity” mostly.
Go to ephemera then puzzle influences I think then gothic stuff
There are a lot of clubs of other kinds, though. And quite a few three-toed feet on chairs etc. that look like clubs. (Club feet?) Maybe this is the “suit” we’re supposed to “match” from 35…
Aria – “match the suit” huh? I like that one. It would work well if room 27 is where we are supposed to bring the 35 stuff. Lots of card stuff there (and next door in 9) – mostly tarot stuff, but regular suits too.
Does the thing on the rug in 20 look enough like any kind of card suit, or anything anywhere else in the MAZE?
GOD–! IT DOESN’T MATTER! THAT’S SOMETHING WE’VE MENTIONED BEFORE!
Argh — it is very hard to keep everything in your head at once. What’s been mentioned — what hasn’t — all of WR’s statements about the Guide Path/Riddle/Whatever –
WR – Wow that was quick I thought my name riddle was more clever than that, I should have made it MIT105. Any whoo…
Everybody – So it looks like you all are liking the clover/club/trefoil. I went through the comments on Room 10 and it has not been mentioned.
Going through the comments I eliminated the smiley face, lightning bolt and bird symbol, the vase is called a pitcher in the comments, square in a square, which leaves these…
10 clover/club/trifoil
38 triangle with face_has been mentioned but could have some specific name
40 a bunch of symbols _I doubt it is in here because it wouldnt be obvious
41 shield symbols over doors
Cuz WR sort of gave this whole thing a thumbs up I am guessing that the trail is either the trifold, triangle face thing, or the sheild.
It just occurred to me the the face in a triangle has 2 circles in there too making it a much like a trifol. Also the trifol/clover or whatever in 14 is super fricken obvious but really so is the shield.
Well, I thought I’d have little to say for awhile – but no one else is spitting out paths – and I have one – so here we go:
I don’t see it obviously leading to a guide, but I see something that could fit one candidate guide. Also, if that candidate is the guide, I see how the answer to wall 40 could relate to that guide. The answer to wall 40 would require one to know about all that Raven stuff, but it is not something obviously connected to Raven or ravens in anyway. So the candidate guide has nothing obviously to do with Raven. On to the path:
Let’s look for things in the shape of that keystone in the title page (OK that sort of gives away the candidate guide), but in room 1 the sun hits door 41 and it’s mid-section looks about that shape. They do get clearer than that. In 41 the bottom of the doll’s dress. In 10 the volcano. 34 the sail on the ship. 25 the bow tie. But there are a lack of clues as to which room. 13 seems blank and we’d like to pass through 35 anyway so 35. The top of the middle couch cushion has the shape. So 33 – and this is what makes this look promising. There are lots of the shapes here – but only one with a key on it. So we go to 17. From 17 we follow the shape to 6. In 6 we know we don’t end in an obviously guide related room, so we follow the capstone. 8 looks like a bad but possible choice, however, I think we want 32 which belongs on a guide path anyway. There is a lump inside the frame of 11 at the bottom that could be a thing, but I vote no. Rather I think we are to notice the main door that would take us back to 6. The brightly lit part, only inside the shield could have the shape. But the thing above sees it upside down. So it is a 9. In room 9 the shovel has the shape and probably would indicate the hole. It points at the tarot card on the wall and there is a tarot card back in 27 plus the blade is near the hole to 27. So I think 27 may be the final room on the path, assuming this is one…Then in room 27 the hidden door to 9 is that shape – and there had to be some reason to hide it.
It took me a minute to realize you meant the shape of the STONE and not the key engraved on it (my fault, not yours), and I just kept going, “What? What? What is he talking about?” But I can kind of see where you’re coming from, though I don’t see the keystone in Room 1.
We’ve been kind of ignoring the Trap rooms thus far, though there is a lot of room to hide symbols in the wires of 11 or the stuff in 40…maybe even the half-finished carvings of 38…well, there’s room everywhere. But that means either the Guide Path ends in the Trap or requires moving backward through one-way doors–either of which is possible, but is something to make explicit in our thinking.
I don’t think it’s necessary to connect a guess at the Guide with any suggested paths at this point–the Path simply leads to the Room and then some more impossible puzzles.
In room 1 – Cover up the brass ring on door 41 with your thumb from the lower right side. Your thumb points at the shape. If that is an intentional path and NOT a guide thing then Manson just labeled himself a Hermit I suppose. Based on room 1 – it looks like nothing – but the rooms covered and the actual key in 33 and the caps in the next 2 rooms make me think he probably did this.
I like the idea of following a shape of some kind. Despite WR’s warning I’ve been trying to do something with this text in the prologue to inspire a Guide Path: The monstrous walls RISE up and RUN away as far as the human eye can see, CIRCLING and DIVIDING. I’ve been all over the place — Fibonacci, Pythagoras (haven’t read through the prologue carefully though to see what’s already there, must do that)… I haven’t had enough time this week to solidify anything and really go through the rooms but I have lots more time next week and plan to really get into it. Just sticking it here in case it sparks anything for anyone.
Vewatkin wrote, “We need new eyes…” “Come on, be part of the TEAM, all you silent readers out there.”
Preach it Vewatkin!
For the record, this site at last count averaged over 350 monthly return readers many of whom have emailed me and most of whom spend hours every week clicking through the site.
It’s clear that we are mostly introverts but still, right now everyone is in the dark here, it is a perfect time to toss in your two cents!
I think WR’s admission that his name here is not related to MAZE is a clear statement that the Guide is not the Raven …but…now that WR has made such a statement, I think he needs to tell us “yes” or “no” when we present a Guide accompanied by a legitimate serious explaination of that deduction. That having been said, we are also told that as we solve the rooms the guide will present itself.
There’s really no telling what might happen if anyone ever comes up with a reasonable solution.
Marianne,
Guessing the identity of the Guide is easy, it has already been done. Coming up with lots of reasons for an candidate easy as well, it just takes a bit of imagination. The Riddle of the Guide however is very difficult in comparison to the general fare of the book.
At this point I will confirm only the discovery of the guide-path since without it a person isn’t really solving anything they are just guessing. So I agree with your statement, however, only the discovery of the guide-path is, as you say, “legitimate” at this point…everything else is just guesswork.
Once the path is found, even without The Room being identified, I will then confirm any reasonably close solution to the Guide puzzle.
There is a connection between Room 33 & 35:
Rm 33: I posted here Poe’s Pit & Pendulum solution that leads us to Foucault’s Pendulum.
Both are suspended from the ceiling.
Rm 35: I posted here Doppelganger solution that leads us to Doppler effect of sound (silence). The light bulb is suspended from the ceiling.
Aside to Rm 35: The matches/box of paper, certainly clues us to a fire – the siren of the fire truck would be a perfect example of the Doppler effect.
WR. For better or worse I think most people here would like you to at least give a straight up yes or no answer on the question of the guide being Raven.
Haha, I think most people think he already did.
Don’t sweat it, we have lots of clues to work with already. Telling us it’s not Raven pretty much solves the puzzle for us, since Michael Jackson is the only comparably plausible suggestion.
The Guide is not a raven (famous or non) nor a bird of any kind, real or conceptual. As far as I know there are no raven references in the book. Maybe the raven stuff is part of something else hitherto unknown but it is entirely unrelated to the Guide.
I am in this case making an exception to my rule of not answering a guess as to the Guide’s identity because I feel as if this has been pretty thoroughly ruled out already.
“White Raven” really is just a childhood nickname by two now dead friends…honest.
WR, why don’t you just give us a straight answer already?
First of all WR I was not doubting your honesty regarding your nickname – I assumed it was a coincidence after you said you had it before Maze – and I still do assume it is a coincidence, because since the guide is not Raven, and because I think at least you can see there is a lot of very intentional Raven stuff going on here – there is still something Raven-related here coincidental to your name. Your name is not how I came upon the Raven stuff in the first place.
As you say – it may be part of some separate puzzle – but what? So now comes theory deconstruction time. Today I contacted you off line for the first time in months and mentioned that I had the answer to the question on wall 40 – and I wrote Manson about it – who has not responded at this time. And after that I did ask myself what if “Raven” only relates to that puzzle and not to the guide. The evidence that “Raven” is intended is very very strong – and from the sounds of it the paths I did have much in common with your guide path. But what says “Raven = guide” specifically? There is the fact that the “notes for which they are noted” puzzle makes the most sense if the guide sings. But if this is some Manson trick it could be explained as the real guide just singing poorly. He sings as poorly as a Raven, does not prove he is Raven. And if the Topiary is a giant Raven – there may be another way to explain the guide’s reaction other than him being Raven.
Then there is the thought that “Raven” may be only a fake guide and nothing else. But the puzzles just seem too elaborate for that. But if it is both – well that’s the best theory I have at the moment that
A) Raven relates to what I will now call the “Raven Ridddle” instead of the “guide riddle” on wall 40.
B) While Raven is intended for the above purposes – he is also set up as a fake guide in the process – that is “Raven” is very very solid, but “Raven = guide” is only suggestive and in fact a fake.
There could be something entirely different going on – but that’s my best theory at the moment. Well – another possibility, which only you would know – is that the Raven thing relates to the real guide in some way – I jokingly was saying that the guide may have a pet Raven before you posed – or it’s Poe, for example – although I doubt that. So for now I’ll go with the first theory – and let you know if Manson has anything at all to say about wall 40. And I’ll have to take time to think thorough each individual Raven puzzle and clue and try to figure out what Manson was up to with them in each case if not pointing to the guide – that will take a bit of time I imagine….
phew, so we can put this behind us!
OK -
There is a path to the guide.
The marker looks like a button/top-hat/short Masonic hat. Room 11 and 29 gives us clues to find this.
The main path goes 1,20,37,15,3,18,13,25,42,4,44,21.
It ends with a bird on a path. Everything in the garden is paired black and white, but not the white bird. If there is a giant Topiary of the Guide in the form of a big black bird – it makes sense of the text. They say they know what the name is because they think he is talking about the trees. He gets mad and says he was not talking about them. And the legs of the white bird look like the trees.
Room 23 gives us another hint – when the guests look over his shoulder they are looking at the trees.
The top hat in 10 points us to another big bird hint in 14. The Masonic hat in 12 points us to 21 for reinforcement.
At the gate there is another button-shape in the sun-light. It is at the gate. The guide says he met them at the gate but usually waits inside. On the prologue page there is no button. Given this hint at the gate we search for “how we know the name” of the bird – looking for a black bird name. We can find it on the title page. There is a key with “CM” on it and some false guides like “Sun and ATLAS” but when we find the hidden r an e we can spell RAVEN.
Any better / more concise?
Care to restate in your own words?
:-)
Another hint about the giant Topiary is in 44 – the trees waved to each other in the breeze. Each tree has one bird wing.
Since WR said that his nickname has nothing to do with Maze, it seems that any solutions that involve concluding that the Guide is a raven or Raven or The Raven can be dismissed. While you might think that WR was being tricky and saying his nickname had nothing to do with Maze simply because he received it for other reasons, and coincidentally the Guide IS a raven of some kind, WR also assured us he was not trying to be tricky with any of his clues; telling us that his nickname is unrelated to Maze was obviously done for the purpose of dissuading us from considering a raven as the Guide’s identity, so it clearly would have been tricky if it had been done solely to mislead us.
The button-esque object trail seems problematic because there are just too many objects that look like buttons. I guess. I’m not really sure why a top hat looks especially like a button. I mean, a button could look like the top of a top hat (see 11), but you’d hardly describe a top hat as button-shaped. Any sort of rounded or cylindrical protrusion fits that same bill, and you can find those everywhere.
Regarding WR’s motivations for mentioning his nickname – he can speak to that matter – I can’t.
As far as finding them everywhere – I think I made a fair catalog of them. Could have missed some of course. The tall Masonic hats as I said appear to be too non-button shaped to count.
I don’t see a button on the cover. Could it be a mayonnaise stain, Dave? And VW, I don’t see why you can rant all day long but nobody else can :p I’m just trying to be like my hero SP, and wait till i got some earth shattering insight before interceding:)
Haha, yeah…Well, if my hypocrisy provoked you into responding then I consider it hypocrisy well spent. When are you going to be on the show, Kon?
Kon-tiki:
Where the bottom sun ray hits the inner door frame.
Even “location” causes problems. Does WR mean a location in a room, or does he say “location” because it’s not in a room? It could be anything. I realize saying the answer to this might jeopardize the puzzle, but there must be some other way of conveying a clue without giving away everything.
We have to start somewhere, so I guess I’ll do just that. We have two rooms with only one choice to make. Logically, this means the things within these rooms are not path related. These things are:
Room 6
- the ripped sign explaining who the guide is
- a carving of a face above an unmarked door
- a picture of an eye over an unmarked door-like frame
- a bunch of beams.
Room 35:
- the totem, or fetish, or signal.
- more beams.
- a couch
- bass clef symbols in couch
- concealed matches
- concealed wand/stick under couch
I would assume most of this stuff relates to the Guide since you don’t need them to go to 40 or 33.
Beams, silence, light, how things look.
Gah, I dunno. Someone help me out. My penchant for logic and process of illumination might not help here. There might be wordplay or other elements that I’m not genetically inclined to notice. I’m trying my best here from the standpoint of a detective on a cold homicide case. We need fresh eyes, or at least a clue.
“Regarding WR’s motivations for mentioning his nickname – he can speak to that matter – I can’t.”
He did speak on the matter. If raven was the guide, he would have told you by now. I can’t see anything in Maze that prompts you to a specific kind of bird. In fact, the lack of real bird species speaks to the opposite, or the lack of any reference to real birds, ravens or otherwise.
He also could have said “Raven is not the guide” at anytime – he has not.
“process of illumination “? pray-tell what might that be? are you some kind of Illuminati? or just lit up like you were when you hosted that famous mazecast…
–
OK let’s get back on track: SP and company, Room 27 should also be considered a One-exit room since that’s the way the guide intended it, or so he says… and another thing, do you guys see any path or common element between 35 and 33? i don’t see any, except a weak F clef and Viol or cello.
“Room 27 should also be considered a One-exit room since that’s the way the guide intended it,”
There are clues in 27 that hint you to go to 13. Also, while the Guide seemingly doesn’t want the visitors to see the underground passage, you are worse off going back to 9 than being in 27.
Yes, but Room 35 is completely unsolved at the moment. so there must be clues indicating the correct door. since “Riddles regarding the identity of the Guide are not factored into the solution meter.”
Kon-Tiki raises a good point that I was afraid of mentioning for fear of begging for hints: if 35 is only about the Guide, shouldn’t it get an automatic 5-star like Room 24 did? On the other hand, doing that kind of tips WR’s hand so that there’s no longer any mystery what Room 35 is about, and figuring out the rooms involved in the Guide path are supposed to be part of the riddle.
WR did state somewhere on here that 35 is a little different.
35 mentions going around the center which might be a hint for when we are in 33, similar to how mirror image (concentric?) objects in 33 point the wrong way. Other than that, there are 3 hooks and 3 cushions in this room, 3+3 = 33?
Regarding the “location” thing, I felt like WR’s note about that directed at me was confirming my arguments that the supporting puzzle required to solve the guide puzzle is located on the title page, but that I shouldn’t waste time solving it until we’d found the path and destination room.
Title page, but also maybe the prologue…probably not the Directions. There is definitely puzzley stuff in the prologue to explain though, and it raises the issue of the Guide’s identity.
Regarding circling the centre and concentric rings, there really are a LOT of them throughout Maze. I’ve been trying to come up with a path based on rings (real and metaphorical, like a ringing bell or ring of fire (volcano)) but there are almost too many for it to make any sense. Still working on it.
There are at two different ways to improve your signal-to-noise ratio: increase the signal, or decrease the noise. Complaining about the noise is just more noise! (A more amusing kind of noise that I have made more than my share of but nevertheless.) Let’s make with the signals! Circle the wagons! Let’s get after this Guide Path!
There has never been a better time to clear the benches. We are simply scouring this book for a recurring “symbol,” or “observation,” somewhere in the unused items in the room, something that we haven’t seen before. We’re not googling Medieval woodcuts or arguing about eyes looking like zeroes: This is something everyone can help to do, and anyone could be the one to see it. Think of the glory! I’m sure 515 would even concede the Cluemaster crown in light of such a discovery.
Those of us who live and breathe this book are already stuck in some mental ruts. We need new eyes and–well, etc., you know what I mean. Come on, be part of the TEAM, all you silent readers out there.
OK – first a “guide teaser” today. I believe the garden path is itself a “minor path” I’ll call it. We start in room 1 and follow the sunbeam marked path (and maybe the slip of paper), then we follow the garden path (while noting out surroundings), then in 31 we follow the broom, which I know from room 2 is part of a key word marker for “path”. We get to 19, where I think we are supposed to figure out that the ball is crossing the sun (like the staff in 29) and follow its path to 23. There we have the key word “important” (but “less important”). I’ve learned Manson uses key words like thin, and when he does they have similar meaning everywhere they are found. Here it is a small hint. There trees outside that they see are the giant topiary of the guide. And when they look over the guide’s shoulders they are looking over the trees – helps with WR’s idea that this is a top level of the House.
On to other “important” things – Room 11 has “important”. Also, every detail of what the man in 26 says or wears is important. (Note to self – why does he “turn around” – oh – the room 29 puzzle itself – duh). What do the man and room 11 have in common? I’ll post separately – give you a moment – it should only take that long…
That’s right – the button! (Have we talked about the button itself, separate from the doorbell?). So we have a trail marker – “buttons”/”Masonic short hats/”top hat” – not “guide to path” but “path to guide”. We start in room 1 – the drum is the button. Room 20. The turban guy has it on top. Room 37. The medicine bottle. Room 15 – the shadow under the bunny chair, where “3” of us could sit down. (3 hats/guides). It’s not a flat hat “button” pointing at 37. We go to room 3. Follow stick man to 18. Follow the hat to 13. Follow the back of the lamp to 25. Follow the button on top of the crown to 42. Button on top of pepper grinder takes us to 4. Push that button it to its hole in 44. Athena’s head topped with a button tells us to follow her guide to 21 – to a bird on a path. And “We know the name”. We do? What kind of bird is here? No, not the white one, the giant black one. Let’s go back to the beginning. “He met them at the gate but usually waits outside”. Look at the cover. See the button in the sunlight that is not there in the prologue? The answer is on the title page. I noted yesterday that there is an “L” in the maze so we don’t need the square as an “L”. But look at it and compare it and the curl of the scroll to the thing in 35 – if you walked around it. It is a lower-case “r”. And the scroll end itself is a lower case “e” (compare to scroll ends giving 26 in room 1). The compass is a “V” and we have an “A” using the compass shadow. And there is that clear “N”. RAVEN. The Y and the I make a claw mark. That is the name of the big black bird in 21.
Minor note – “important decision” in 11. Mason uses “decision” in the “tree of life” puzzle. It is a metaphor for “branches” or “paths”. Thus 11 is code for “This is an important path”. Oops – “choice/decision” – same thing.
I betook myself to linking, fancy onto fancy thinking…
We could also start the trail a little farther back than 1 perhaps. If we start in 10 top hat says 14, but then in 14 the button could be on the flower on the table – going back to 10 where top-hat “signals his approval” via the paint stirrer that is like the baton he carries. So we go to 41, and then a belly-button to 1. Not sure that gains us anything except a visit to room 14 – which fits with the giant bird theme. Or more simply – and leaving out the belly-button – the hat in 10 just points us to 14, and that is it – just a separate short path and another giant bird clue.
There are no more top-hats and the other Masonic hats are mostly too tall to be buttons – the only others that look enough button like are the hats in the right poster in 12/28 – and if anything I thing we follow his finger count there to 21.
So much for the Signal to Noise ratio, SP…
DG: Your posts are difficult to read. Why not try posting just your main point and leave out the details? This way at least we have a sense of what you are thinking.
This is the event that leads me to the Roman Pantheon and the Dome’s Oculus that I posted in Solution to MAZE on April 9th. This explanation also describes the affect.
Something is indeed going on at the gate: One of the solstice’ that occur at the Rome Pantheon is on April 21st every year…the sun on this date passes over the entrance to the Pantheon via the giant Oculus and shines through the door and the arched opening over the door-look on the internet and you will see what you are looking at on the Prologue page and in Room 1. It is a beautiful site. As the Guide says, “I met them at the gate though I usually wait inside”. He certainly would go to the gate to witness this site on this particular day. People who are at the Pantheon to witness this site also step outside onto the Portico that is called the Umbrella, to witness the event from the outside also. The large sun spot pouring into the Dome will continue on its way to rotating counter clockwise around the inside of the Dome.
This would actually give us the day we are entering the MAZE!
Next candidate observation – there is a literal PATH in 21. Can’t remember it being mentioned….
Something may be going on at the gate area for this guide thing and there is a nice sunbeam that moves from title to cover and hits the door to 21 which has the path. It goes to 31 – that’s clear. The broom is a nice path there and it goes to 19. There we could go with sunbeams…but which, so I’m going with the arc of the ball into 23. I’m guessing we would look for things that look like a path and/or 8s.
Let’s go with the quick page flipper:
sunbeam in 1
door 29 in 2
room 3 – the paper?
room 4 – straight down the hall?
5…the live limbs?
6 stepping stones to ladder
7 bear skin
8…could be straight ahead or nothing or the sign
9
10 – if ladders are paths then the closed door
11?
12 ladder of room 8
13 – 8 in hour glass could mean 18.
14 – to 24
15?
16?
17 – ahead?
18?
10 – to 27?
22 to 38?
23 unsure
24 – no path
25?
29 – hourglass
34 – cane
40 – stairs to stairs
45 – spear
skipped a bunch – less obvious paths than one might guess but that may not be a bad thing – with a few hidden ones mixed in the could mark a trail.
Without looking, I think we did mention that path before, with regard to your Taoist interpretation (because “tao” is frequently translated as “way, path”).
yeah – probably did at that last year – hmmm…
It still could be A path, however. Just a lot less likely to be WR’s path if we mentioned it.
Well, the real path is what I’m after, though. We can jank up some paths all day long, but fat lot of good it does.
Abyssians,
I have been asked privately by a couple of people, “Are we close?” Just so you all know I will only respond to such inquires publicly.
The path ideas offered up by the group so far have been fascinating and are food for further thought but are not the guide-path.
The most useful thing said the last few days is Vewatkins suggestion that path must be a somewhat universal symbol, this is correct of course, nothing else could make use of the remaining parts of the rooms and create a mostly hidden trail and yet be reasonably solvable.
Aria is correct in my choice of words “location” over “room” however, if I may make a suggestion, focus on the path first or you may just be wasting your time since the solution doesn’t make a sense (and therefore you wouldn’t know it if you saw it) without first identifying the room.
So, let’s look for a 5th method to reach the same conclusion. We have the eyes on the map and the poem, we have the “look” trail. We have the “…” trail, and now the “claw” trail. How about a trail involving some or all of these. blank spaces / bear spots or squares / bear crowns / (or maybe something bearing a crown or hat / bears / bear feet. You can find something in just about every room with that set of pointer, so it may be a little broad – but it is a start. The fallen sign in 25 might be the sort of thing no one said anything about – unless we counted tacks or something.
Here is a quick list of first noticed things.
1 – easel
2 – bear
3 – hat
4 – big bald head
5 – a couple choices
6 – capstone?
7 – multiple
8 – masonic hat (it might be important of guy in 29)
9 a bear bearded man
10 hat
11 top
12 multiple
13 ?
14 bare “foot”
15 rabbit/hat
16 chamber pot has hat so does Ursa
17 – suns
18 – hat
19 – blank back of easel
20 crown
21 bird
22 – ?
23 feet (not the word important here and the feet on the thing and the bare foot over the door
24 -?
25 – fallen sign and bare crown
26 – saturn looks like a hat
27 – feet
28 – multiple
29 masonic hat
30 tree baring fruit?
31 ?
32 atlas
33 crown
34 ?
35 blanks over doors and on wall
36 hats
37 no roof
38 ape/shoe
39 bird
40 ?
41 ?
42 shoes/hat/bear
43 devil
44 bird / statue
45 hat
Here is a path fragment that at least includes some important rooms. My trepidation is that “bare/bear” might be overly broad. But -
23 – there is a big foot over the door, and feet on the thing, and warning about broken glass that would be bad for bare feet. We go to 19. The little guy points at the big guys foot. He indicates 11 as we know. Also the easel foot in the sunlight indicates 11. In 11 there is a lot of bare door and space over doors. We should take an unmarked door. Going to 4 would send us back here via the big bare head. We came from 19. 39 would send us back here via the little tag on the bottles. SO lets try 32. The Atlas bears weight – so 6. 6 has a weight baring thing in the foreground, but maybe also the capstone. We follow that to 17 with another grumpy capstone. We go to 29 (2 leads here too via bear). There our Masonic guy may have bare head – we follow directions up to 35. Along the way we saw three blanks on the floor in 6 and now we have a big black on the wall here. And let’s suppose 35 is where we are supposed to end and get our guide revelation.
OK here is the latest version of the claw path – this may be about my best shot at it, however, so hopefully I passed the test this time. I think 35 (yes 35!) rooms participate in the path and all its spurs. 10 leftovers I have are 30 42 4 17 8 39 15 37 / 41 / 24. Almost all path rooms, which makes sense since this path mostly uses doors and it might confuse things if it was on the path. We mostly flow where the claw points, with the addition of following left, right, and center clues.
Let’s start with a spur. In room 12 we follow the fork to room 2. There we learn that “right” is a relative thing and can mean a critter’s right. We also solve a puzzle here and march out the door full of confidence carrying the 2 banners that together make this room’s claw. We go to 29.
In room 29, the man in back shows 3 fingers but those shoes are 3 big claws. The man tells us about lots of important things. Blindness may help with the look path, I note, but here he has directions. Why exactly are they separated “up” and”on”? Because on this path we follow the important staff “up” to 35.
OK “main line” now. We start in 32. The bird has a claw – it points to 28. (could be door clue as well). In 28 we follow the fork to 23. In 23 “right” is a big deal. The coat rack is a 3-thing. The right handed glove reaches for the 45. (Also if the coat rack represents the guide with shoes facing us, his right is room 8, an exit indicator). In room 45 we follow the “center” clue to 36. The claw is probably that second piece of wood which also points at 36. In 36 the music stand forms a claw. “right” is in the text. We go to 16. Room 16 has left – “bear”-guy’s left, just like in 2. So we go to room 7. The big picture on the lower left with the crown is also a 3-claw, so we go to 33. And 33 tells us “center”. Is the claw on the tine bird? On the key? The hitch? Anyway – we get to room 35. The 2 ceiling hooks and the suit hook – 3 claws.
From 35 we follow the “left, center, right, right” to room 25. There is a lack of a claw here – but the bald crown is very guide related. “felt” is anagram of left – so 34. There is the cane claw with a quick. There is also another “felt” and we go to 10. The umbrella can have a claw but the ballerina makes a 3 thing and points to 14. There we follow the huge claw to 43. In 43 the peek hands have 3 fingers and we follow them down. Next door in 22 the trident points opposite 38. A clue to go to 43? Maybe. Or 38, little difference. In 38 the broken key is the claw and directs us to the broken key part of the Trap. So we go to room 40. The claw pattern marks door 6, and we go and find the IMPORTANT thing.
Other spurs: 44 has a bird claw and a left, so we go to 21, where, after noting the bird claw, we find our own way to 31. The hair on the door to 19 looks more “3 like” than any of the others, and the rake has a claw and the broom points at 19. In 19 the easel is the 3-thing, and the light path points us right to 11. In 11 the claw may be the hand, and we have a felt/left taking us to 40.
Room 26 points right to 38. Room 1 has “sinister” for left and the claw on the easel taking us to 20. In 20 the bottom of the arrow is a 3-thing. All I can think is it points opposite 1 so we go to 5. There the easel marks the door to 43.
In room 29 the statues left hand is claw like and points to 9. In 9 the “3” is sharp like a claw and it is a 3. Clever that. In room 3 stick man sends us to 18, where we are lost says the text. In 13 the foot of the light sends us to 25.
That is the whole path as I see it today.
An argument for looking carefully at the title page. It is not on the Solve Meter but it is clearly (in my mind) a puzzle to be solved and not just a bunch of objects. If it doesn’t relate to the room clues it must be a guide identity clue.
WR said: “The trail leads to a room which appears to have nothing to do with the Guide and is unsolvable without solving another related riddle in a different location…”
Notice he says “location,” not “room.” Could the title page be the “other related riddle?”
(Analyzing WR’s comments sort of feels like cheating… but I’ll do it anyway!)
Also, as I pointed out elsewhere, Manson’s Directions say that “anything in this book might be a clue.” (“Book,” not “room.”)
Er… now, just to figure out the puzzle…
(Unless everyone is pretty happy that the title page clues “Atlas.” In that case… never mind. :-)
The Directions certainly suggest there are clues outside the Rooms. WR lists one under the Directions section.
However, WR’s clues about the Guide path have referred only to rooms, so while there may be clues about the Guide here, they won’t be part of the main Guide Riddle…well, I take that back. It looks like he uses the word “location” instead of “room” when discussing the secondary riddle that has to be combined with the last room of the Guide path.
Right, exactly!
If Atlas were the correct solution to the title page puzzle (if it is a puzzle), wouldn’t WR have confirmed it?
I’m happy with Atlas. But I now think I know why there is an “N” there. “S” “U” “N” = A fake guide clue.
Maybe not until we’ve solved the big riddle, but also it probably doesn’t say Atlas.
Not sure WR thought the title page point-worthy.
Why don’t you think it says “Atlas” V W? S in Maze, T is mallet, L is triangle. One upside down A is clear in compass. The other – you just have to take the crossbar and part fat and part thin-line.
I also will need to make a note that the “L” is backwards. Relates to room 1 and the “F” in “FABLE” and the “L-bar” on the ground by the foot of the Easel.
Part of the reason I was thinking about the title page as a source of hidden objects to look for is room 35: if you turn it upside down you get the “L” and the “V” of the compass from the legs.
Using some of the letters there to spell Atlas is amply discussed on the Title Page page. It looks like I have a lot to say over there, but I think all I’m really saying is that there are a lot of letters to pull out of that image as desired, and it isn’t surprising that you can use some of them to spell something that resonates with another part of MAZE.
“L” “V” huh? Yep – could be those. Roman numerals = 55. Ah – the answer mush be in room 55… :-)
If you walk around the thing as they do – the L could be a lower case r.
Again, just throwing this out there as a possibility.
In Room 35, if this is the room somehow giving instructions for finding the Guide Puzzle:
Matches + suit –> sideways heart shape etched in light area between “legs” and shadow of the idol/whatever? “Light and silence” — light refers to the light between the shadow (and the light on the suit) — silence refers to the negative space that is the message. Both cue us to seeing the sideways heart — the “suit” we are supposed to be looking for.
Is it literally hearts or is it “centres” (metaphorical hearts of things) or is it both?
Also, the shape of the “face” on the idol also looks quite heart-like. (Or spade-like if you take into account the top part of the central stick.)
What about the white blank in 35: 3 has the white sign behind the stop sign, 9 has the painting behind the three bearded men we can’t see (or the blank side of the torn canvas), 18 has the curtain behind the pulled back curtain (curtain might be black, or just in darkness)…
Well, didn’t get too far with that. But it’s an interesting thing: curtain behind the curtain, sign behind the sign, painting behind the painting.
I don’t recall saying anything about the painting behind the painting.
That thing in 18 looks to me more like a piece of paper. (Another blank piece of paper?) But yeah. And there’s all that stuff in 3 about “looking through the obvious” — why “through?” (It’s a strange word to use. Is it just a signal that the open doors in that room are the wrong ones?)
The white sign behind the backwards stop sign looks to me like a playing card (rounded edges). But I think I’m seeing cards/suits everywhere b/c I’m working on that idea.
Seven has the blank note, or the blank horn-mirror thing if it isn’t a horn-mirror thing.
36 has paper on the music stands, but now I’m abstracting away from whatever I was talking about before.
35 has what looks like tons of crumpled up pieces of paper…
I keep doing this all wrong. If it were a repeated object, WR wouldn’t have said “observation.” Right? Maybe it’s a symbol that takes various forms…whatever it is, it isn’t a bunch of papers.
I’m thinking the same thing. It must be a fairly universal symbol, like a heart, which can be “cleverly” hidden yet in one room obvious.
I agree. I’ve been looking for card suits but it hasn’t gotten me far. What about the items shown on the title page? I note that on the Directions page Manson says “Anything in this book might be a clue.” He could have said “… in the rooms” but didn’t. Hmmm…
I was also looking for doorknobs — there seem to be a lot of items floating around that could be doorknobs.
41 – the doll may only have 3 finger – hard to be sure. There is a “right” in the text – that would head us to 38 and a room I covered.
44 – the bird has a claw – and there is a “left” – room 21. Wrench and bird both have claws – he says find our own way – 31.
31 has a rake that could be a claw – and that reaching tree. The tree has more than 3 fingers. Following the tree goes to 44 and we go in circles. But if we follow the broom and rake to 19, we also seem to dead-end in a guide related room. Or the easel could be a claw thing and we get sent back to 31?
Don’t know – but I think the outdoor rooms just lead to each other. But if I’m missing it – and it goes to 11, the 11 has a “felt” that would direct to 40. Not sure if that finger and thumb could somehow be a hidden claw.
Hey – you know – umbrellas have claws…
Room 32 – the bird has claws – the statue has the shape – it indicated 6.
26 has a claw thing for 38. Room 1 – There is the thing on the easel. It could lead to 20, but that seems to lead no where. The arrow indicated “center path” dunno.
42 – 3 things in 3-toed foot – is the shadow of the foot the “beast”? There is a claw. Does it indicate 25? Maybe. It leans that way. It “looks?” that way?
17 has “handle/claws”? and “Oh why you are” over 6.
4 – I don’t see anything.
45 – nope.
2 – bear sends us to 29.
23 has a coat rack and “right” – but which door is the coat rack’s right? Maybe 8.
8 – I don’t see much. Table legs?
12/28 have the fork, and maybe indicate door on the left.
39 – nothing obvious.
5 could have 3 things, but no clear direction.
15 could have 3 toed feet on altar. No clear direction.
37 – kind of a blank.
So, in general the path rooms do not have strong guide clues of this sort – possibly none at all. These clues and what I’m guessing may be WRs path seem mainly in the loop/trap.
There are a lot of places with fingers, and a lot of places where they would fit the bill of not being mentioned on these pages. I’m not clear off the top of my head whether we’re looking for something never mentioned anywhere or something not mentioned in a specific room where it’s highly obvious.
So – here is a first draft path – that does not cover all rooms perhaps. Let’s see how it goes. In 29 there could be a claw hint in the shape of the shoes. I don’t know that they are supposed to point anywhere, but if I look at all of them and the shadows, plus the staff – 35 looks like a good choice. So let’s kick it off there. The left,center, right, right in the text might clue a door on the right. The numbers are not there and we came from 29, so lets do 25.
Side note room 36 seems to have a claw in the music stand, and the word right in the text. That could mean door 16. 16 has a chamber pot? And it has a “left” – that would point to 36 again. These are two guide related rooms, and if they are marked as such without being part of a path that could be fine.
In 25 there is an apparent lack of clues. Maybe once we know the guide’s identity we’d see a lot that connects to him here, but no claw. There is a “felt” here, and anagram for “left” so let’s try 34.
34 has lots of 3-toe feet, so that works. We also have “quick” near the “claw” of the cane – and some handles in maze do look more claw-like (see 42). And claws have a “quick” – so that could be a claw. We have “felt” in the text again. Let’s go “left”. We get to room 10.
Ten has a ballerina and she can be a 3-thing. The text says he signaled his approval. Instead of the fake umbrella guide let’s go with where the “claw” points – 14.
No question of a claw here. And I think it says 43.
In 43 – the hands at left show only 3 fingers. No strong direction, however. But I don’t think it matters. The Trident in 22 would count as a 3-thing and take us to 38.
Could the end of a key be a claw? If so it directs us to that part of the Maze and we go to 40. Then in 40, the nails of the 6 look like that claw pattern – so we get to 6. This is where we are supposed to NOTICE the IMPORTANT thing, I think. And then use our info from room 35 “space space space right” skip the first three words of the note – find “are visitin” – unscramble to – “It is I Raven”.
Close? No cigar?
Other rooms: 33 has a key/claw – and a “center” – that would be 35.
Room 3? Maybe Mr. stick man could tell us 18? In 18 maybe we are lost with no clue? In 13 there could be a claw in the base of the light. “quickly” moving on could be claw related. That would seem to be 25, and then we are back on the path I already covered.
If nothing else the “quickly” in 13 and the “quick” in 34 are worth noting as a connection.
With all the hints dropped recently, it seems like we should really keep pressing forward on the Guide puzzle. I already find myself forgetting some of the guidance we’ve been given and suggesting things I later realize must be wrong. I have to imagine this will only get worse if we leave the problem and come back to it.
WR suggested some time ago that we wait until we’re 75% done with the room puzzles before attacking the guide…but I’m not at all confident that completing that much more is going to be easier than solving the guide puzzle! We haven’t had a big solution in months, and when new insight comes, it usually comes from new people. The best solution strategy we might have is attracting new people, which means that by upgrading his maps and website navigation WR is once again doing our work for us.
Or run maze ads on google.
I agree with vw’s comments. I’m never going to be happy until the Guide puzzle (and solution) is found, now that I know it exists and there is some hope of finding it.