Creatures Caves

Submitted By Norn Archaeologist on 12/13/2009
I am in the land of KT studying, for I am trying to figure out some ancient potions for the cauldron. Every time I try a combination, the cauldron expels them! Do you have any ideas that would work?

This was submitted to Ask Laura, but my reply ended up being far too lengthly to post on the column, so I'm posting it here instead. I think I got a bit too carried away, and so it turned into a mini-story.

I hope you all enjoy!

A Tale of KT
Ah, curious explorer, with a desire for knowledge, let me relate to you a tale from the days of old. It tells of a Norn, who like you, undertook a pilgrimage to the ancient land of ?KT?, on the very same quest to broaden his horizons.

Tired and hungry, his travels led him to the deep, cool waters of the waterfall, where he quenched his aching thirst, and sated his grumbling tummy by nibbling on the Fiddlehead Ferns. Growing weary of such green offerings he soon came to regard the Archies, with whom he had gambolled, as better game. He put one aside for his family, whom he missed dearly; ?Roast Archie? would be a welcome fare in the Norn Home this upcoming Christmas.

Before long, our traveller had become accustomed to his surroundings. The bones of the Striders, and even the ferocious Rexes, had become familiar playthings, as did the feathers and bones of his former friends, the Archies. With so few resources, he had even learnt to be resourceful, using the discarded fish bones to pick out the stray Archie meat, which niggled inbetween his teeth. This mystified him, for there did not seem to be any fish. When he was bored, he kept himself occupied in a game of skipping leaves-in-amber and ammonites across the pond, and when the sun smouldered too hot underneath the palm trees, he ate some ice-crystals to cool down.

Time passed. One day, whilst investigating the Temple, he came across a holy cauldron, with an ever-burning fire underneath it. At first he thought nothing of it, but then curiosity got the better of him and he decided that this mysterious iron vessel must have a purpose. Using his new-found logic, he collected some of every artefact he'd found in the world, and matched them each with another, placing them inside the cauldron to see if anything would happen.

Mostly, the cauldron would spit them back out again in fiery anger when pushed. Until one day, the cauldron bubbled happily, and smoke and clouds erupted from the volcano itself, and rained down on the land. Something magical had occured, for when it was safe for our Norn to emerge again, he found that there was food, and it was good. The scroll which had lain blank in the temple for so long, had also miraculously scribed the recipe onto itself. Looking at it, he felt there was space on the scroll for three more, and feverishly began throwing items into the cauldron.

I don't know exactly what combinations he used, he fell prey to a Rex not long after - but be a bit systematic about it, like he was, and you should work it all out!