As the ground beneath your feet gets marshier and murkier, you suddenly discover with dismay that you are completely lost. The road is nowhere to be found, and the Swamp is starting to pull at your feet. Quickly, you step onto one of the large lily pads dotting the morass. It seems to hold you…
View The Swamp of Cardinals »“Aha!” exclaims the Mathematician. “I have the answer now! Islandia—and in fact, the entire planet—will be swallowed up by the sun in 52 billion years!” You thank the absent-minded number-cruncher and decide to leave the City again.
View The Mathematician’s Answer »“Quite right,” beams the Librarian upon hearing your answer. “Congratulations on being our newest member. Please accept this token of membership.” He offers you a bronze medallion. “I’m afraid I don’t have any information on the impending crisis, but please come back here anytime with other questions. We have just about every reference book imaginable…
View More Literary Problems »The attendant’s jaw drops as he listens to your solution. “You’re right! Tremendous! Come this way!” He leads you to the Queen and explains your answer. “You have our thanks, stranger,” Her Highness intones. “Bursar, reward our faithful vassal.” A nervous man presses one of the medallions into your hand. “Come,” continues the Queen, “Sit…
View The Tax Cheat »You feel a tug at your sleeve. It is another merchant. “You have a formidable talent, my friend,” he remarks. “Can I interest you in a small problem? Your answer to it is worth three obols to me.” “What is it?” you ask. Three of my traders had purchased a load of bananas—between 50 and…
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A stately manor rises above the gardens of the cultivated landscape around you. You are about to bypass the estate when a troupe of angry people march out and start screaming at you. “That’s the one! Thief! Officer, do your duty.” A local sheriff comes forward and cuffs you as you stare in amazement. “What’s…
View The Mansion »A lonely clock tower pierces the noonday sky. Twelve dolorous knells drown out the greeting you call out to the wizened old man leaning out the window. When the bells have stopped, you shout up again to get his attention. “Are you the Timekeeper?” “Of course I am!” the old man yells back, startled. “How…
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Edward Teach (AKA Blackbeard, Edward Thatch, Edward Drummond) Edward Teach was born in Bristol, England. He served the crown raiding the French and Spanish during the War of Spanish Succession (1702–1713), then enlisted with Benjamin Hornigold in 1716 to plunder ships in the Caribbean. Toward the end of the year, they seized a large, well-built…
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Once a small crowd of tourists has gathered, the guide begins the talk: We’re very proud to have the Legend here. It was discovered off the coast of North Carolina three years ago, dismantled underwater, and rebuilt in dry-dock. The North Carolina Nautical Museum has graciously lent the ship to us for this exhibit. As…
View About The Legend »Someone’s obviously put a great deal of time and money into restoring the ship. But all that renovation clearly leaves little chance of your finding anything hidden. Just to be safe, you poke, prod, and pry every drawer, bookshelf, and widget onboard—to no avail. You decide to quit wasting time before they ask you to…
View Wandering the Legend »