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Foah's Riddles <3

Foah

Troubadour
I quit a game today, and gave away the valuables to someone who'd answer my own written riddle correctly first, and a big group of people had a vigorous go at it, and a blast. I found it fun to compose the riddle, and will probably do some more, and so I thought I could make a fun thread here posting the riddles for you to solve :)

The first riddle is written much like a limerick.

Envied by man, left wanting for more.
His divine portrayal, perfected by lore.
His desire unquenched, his fire soon drenched, the shackled are those we cry for.

I'll post hints down the line if people are interested in trying to solve it, but need a nudge in the right direction :)
 

Reaver

Staff
Moderator
I give up. Your riddle reminds me of the last "riddle" Bilbo Baggins presented to Gollum during their riddle game.

(Geez... I think I've used up my yearly quota for writing the word riddle. Damn! Now I've gone over.)
 

Foah

Troubadour
I give up. Your riddle reminds me of the last "riddle" Bilbo Baggins presented to Gollum during their riddle game.

(Geez... I think I've used up my yearly quota for writing the word riddle. Damn! Now I've gone over.)

It'll come to you eventually I hope ^^ I found writing riddles to be a very good exercise in veiling clarity and intentions, somehting I've found myself in need of improving in writing my ordinary fiction. Can't really write something mysterious and suspenseful, yet logical, unless you can hint it without giving it away.
 

Foah

Troubadour
While the first riddle is quite tough to figure out, I can post the one that I was surprised my friend would figure out within 10 minutes. Not to say it's decidedly easier :)

A chiseled face, a gallant robe, a halting pace, a humble tobe.
Skins unveiled, laid bare as kin, he'll judge and praise for what's within.
Outrun, outwit, outlast, outstand. Sinner or Saint he'll guide your hand.
Heed his call and find your peace, turn from him and all shall cease.
 

Reaver

Staff
Moderator
While the first riddle is quite tough to figure out, I can post the one that I was surprised my friend would figure out within 10 minutes. Not to say it's decidedly easier :)

A chiseled face, a gallant robe, a halting pace, a humble tobe.
Skins unveiled, laid bare as kin, he'll judge and praise for what's within.
Outrun, outwit, outlast, outstand. Sinner or Saint he'll guide your hand.
Heed his call and find your peace, turn from him and all shall cease.

I'm guessing this is Jesus? Or some other messianic figure or monotheistic deity?
 

Ban

Troglodytic Trouvère
Article Team
I quit a game today, and gave away the valuables to someone who'd answer my own written riddle correctly first, and a big group of people had a vigorous go at it, and a blast. I found it fun to compose the riddle, and will probably do some more, and so I thought I could make a fun thread here posting the riddles for you to solve :)

The first riddle is written much like a limerick.

Envied by man, left wanting for more.
His divine portrayal, perfected by lore.
His desire unquenched, his fire soon drenched, the shackled are those we cry for.

I'll post hints down the line if people are interested in trying to solve it, but need a nudge in the right direction :)

Wealth?

While the first riddle is quite tough to figure out, I can post the one that I was surprised my friend would figure out within 10 minutes. Not to say it's decidedly easier :)

A chiseled face, a gallant robe, a halting pace, a humble tobe.
Skins unveiled, laid bare as kin, he'll judge and praise for what's within.
Outrun, outwit, outlast, outstand. Sinner or Saint he'll guide your hand.
Heed his call and find your peace, turn from him and all shall cease.

Ambition?
 

Ban

Troglodytic Trouvère
Article Team
1. The Sun

2. Love

I'll figure it out, don't you worry Foah!
 

Foah

Troubadour
Envied by man, left wanting for more.
His divine portrayal, perfected by lore.
His desire unquenched, his fire soon drenched, the shackled are those we cry for.

Hint #1
It's no person or living (or imagined living) entity. It's a actual physical thing you're looking for, of which there are millions in our world.


A chiseled face, a gallant robe, a halting pace, a humble tobe.
Skins unveiled, laid bare as kin, he'll judge and praise for what's within.
Outrun, outwit, outlast, outstand. Sinner or Saint he'll guide your hand.
Heed his call and find your peace, turn from him and all shall cease.

Hint #1
This is something completely abstract, of which there's no physical copy of. Each person has his or her own copy of it.
 

Ban

Troglodytic Trouvère
Article Team
Thanks this should be better. I'll also describe my thinking process to make my answers more understandable.

1. For the first one I think of Cigarettes. "Envied by man, left wanting for more" and "His desire unquenched" indicate an addicting quality to the object,
"His divine portrayal, perfected by lore." this sentence would describe how high in esteem cigarettes are in Western society.
"His Fire soon drenched" because cigarettes are slowly going the way of the Dodo.
"The shackled are those we cry for" is obvious to explain considering the health risk of smoking.

2. Wisdom? " A chiseled face, a gallant robe, a halting pace, a humble tobe." This indicates a well-dressed old person, who acts with determination. A wise person.
"Skins unveiled, laid bare as kin, he'll judge and praise for what's within." Wisdom is blind to beauty, only caring about what goes on in the heart and the brain.
"Outrun, outwit, outlast, outstand. Sinner or Saint he'll guide your hand." I interpret this as "Do what you will, in the end only the wise succeed."
"Heed his call and find your peace, turn from him and all shall cease." Strive to become wiser and live in peace with yourself or do not and fail.
 

Foah

Troubadour
1. For the first one I think of Cigarettes. "Envied by man, left wanting for more" and "His desire unquenched" indicate an addicting quality to the object,

It is indeed a desire to possess this thing, however it is a thing that no man has ever possessed. Make that hint #2 ;). The "left wanting for more" is a more general statement to describe man's greed to possess things he can't have.

"His divine portrayal, perfected by lore." this sentence would describe how high in esteem cigarettes are in Western society.

"The shackled are those we cry for" is obvious to explain considering the health risk of smoking.

This final part of the final stanza is really the key to solving the riddle, in conjuction with the rest of it. Can't really say much about it without giving away too big a hint :) But the answer is not cigarettes or tobacco of any kind.



2. Wisdom? " A chiseled face, a gallant robe, a halting pace, a humble tobe." This indicates a well-dressed old person, who acts with determination. A wise person.

This actually describes two or more people. The "strong and beautiful", the "rich", the "broken bodied" and the "poor".

"Outrun, outwit, outlast, outstand. Sinner or Saint he'll guide your hand." I interpret this as "Do what you will, in the end only the wise succeed."

"Heed his call and find your peace, turn from him and all shall cease." Strive to become wiser and live in peace with yourself or do not and fail.

They are interpretations alright, but they will not lead you to the answer :) They make sense to some degree, but they don't really click and give you the "Ahaaa!" moment of clarity. You're doing great poetic interpretations, but the answers are more hidden in the wording and combination of the stanzas.

Good tries, but try again!
 

Ban

Troglodytic Trouvère
Article Team
1. The Stars.
"Envied by man, left wanting for more" combined with tour hint that no man has ever possessed it, made me think of either a natural phenomenon on earth or something completely outside our grasp.
"His divine portrayal, perfected by lore." Ever since mankind has existed, we have looked to the stars in awe and we have shaped our mythologies around them.
"His desire unquenched, his fire soon drenched." Because stars are of course giant bulbs of light and even they, in the grand scheme of things, are not immortal.
"The shackled are those we cry for" This could be a play on words on the saying "reach for the stars". No one can ever reach them, so those seeking to do so are doomed to fail.



2. Knowledge.
"A chiseled face, a gallant robe, a halting pace, a humble tobe." In combination with what you said leads me to think that this is a general statement describing everyone, no matter class or appearance.
"Skins unveiled, laid bare as kin, he'll judge and praise for what's within." To me this indicates that whatever concept you're alluding to, it does not consider outward appearance important.
"Outrun, outwit, outlast, outstand." These are ways to overcome something.
" Sinner or Saint he'll guide your hand." Whatever is described lies outside of morality, not being affected by it.
" Heed his call and find your peace, turn from him and all shall cease" This part seems to describe that this abstract something is key to human survival. This could be metaphorical as I thought before when I answered Wisdom, or literal.


For the second one I could not figure out how to approach this, so I reverted back to my original interpretations. I guess my mind is hardwired to think poetically haha.
By the way I really like these riddles Foah.
 

Foah

Troubadour
They're good guesses, but they're not quite there yet. To put it in court room terms, your reasoning is at a glance very sound, but circumstantial :) The correct answers will have you thinking "Bah, of course that was it!". But keep at it!
 
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