Dark Descent is now closed All answers are posted under their respective stories
In front of the shrine, you stand in a daze
With no memory of where you had been.
A song in the air that was drawing you near
Flowed in the wind which brushed up against your skin.
"Stop," said a voice, sounding hushed and afraid,
"You mustn't give in to its call.
If you enter the gate and let it take you away,
You will meet your end, like those before you have all."
A crack of a twig and a shift in the air
Helped the feeling of dread descend.
Broke free from your stupor, you turn 'round to face
What you surely knew was your end.
A haunted, gaunt figure stood deep in the woods,
Using the tall looming shadows as disguise.
It creeps through the brush, staring straight through your soul
With nothing but evil and death in its eyes.
"You are too late," said the wisp, "to escape from it now,
But there is one thing left you can do.
A few brave souls stayed along on the path;
Their stories can help guide you."
"Figure out who they are and the start of their name
If you want to make it out of this game.
Put the letters together and spell it all out,
Then all that's left is to
ₛₐy ₕᵢₛ ₙₐₘₑ"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"Follow me quickly." Said your small little guide
As you weave your way through the tall trees.
The leaves hit your fast as you hurry on past
But they clear as you feel a soft breeze.
At the end of the path is the gate to the shrine
That rests atop of the mountain pathway.
A light shines on its steps, the first lost soul
Whose story the wisp starts to say:
"In a world so different from the one that we live,
With no buildings or houses or cars,
This boy will build wonders ahead of their time
To bring his friends back to a time that was ours.
In a race against odds, with no books and no tools,
He and his friends will work to the bone.
Reinventing and giving ten billion percent
In this ancient yet new world of stone."
After the story was done, the soul faded away,
Not a trace of it left on the stairs.
"Continue this way," the wisp already ahead on the trail,
"There's no time to waste," it declares.
So you continue to follow the rooted wood path,
Listening for sounds of the creature behind.
The sky grows darker as you continue your quest
But you're breathless at what you soon find.
Another bright soul, alone in a clearing
Lighting up an otherwise starless sky.
As the wisp began to recant its past tale,
You could swear you heard a small cry.
"In a bustling city filled with violence and noise
Is the playground for where this boy dwells
An awfully big pond for such a young fish,
And his homelife resembling hell.
Don't let him deceive you, his brains match his brawn
And his heart is a true heart of gold.
But he hides it away to keep himself safe,
Afraid of the weakness it holds."
The next soul you find on your escape from the beast
Is thankfully much closer than before.
The wisp stands aside as you pass to get near
To the light resting on the pine floor.
"In the shambles of a city ruined by war
With beings that are out of this world,
I talk not of the boy, but his quiet companion
Who was there when this mess first unfurled.
If you were hoping to be friends or even just chat,
Good luck, your chances are small.
Her mind is set straight on completing her job
As first child of them all."
You start to leave at the end of the tale
But a dead silence sends chills down your spine.
Turning around, you see your dread was correct
As the creature rests beneath the pines
You sprint from the path, not looking back,
Praying that that you've gained some time.
The wisp reappears on the rockface above
And you hastily begin the climb.
At the top of the rocks is a small little ledge
And the trunk of small lonely tree.
Under that tree sat another glimmering soul guide
Whose clue is the next to help you flee.
"This tale, though quite dreary, of a poor little boy
Who only yearned for motherly love,
Resulted in lose unimaginable to some
And that this boy can rarely speak of.
He tries his best to save lives and keep evil at bay
To make up for the way that he sinned.
But no matter how many lives that he saves,
He is trapped by that cold October wind."
Around a bend in the path, you come across a long bridge,
A soul resting at the end to be found.
"Be careful of the edge," warned the wisp at your side,
"It's a long way down to the ground."
Slowing your pace and bracing for wind,
You make the challenging walk with no faults.
The wisp begins the tale of the newfound lost soul
And you step off the bridge to a halt.
"From first glance, he is deceptive;
A normal schoolboy is what he was
But that perception will change
When you learn what his class really does.
Short for his age, but well-liked by his friends
In their tightknit class on the hill.
As hard as he tries with his studies and tests
He has no trouble going in for the kill."
You ponder and think about who this might be
When a creak of wood breaks the dead air.
You whirl around dreading what might be the cause
And your heart drops from what is there.
You rush away from the bridge into the dark,
Shrubs and branches whipping your face.
When you're certain the creature is no longer a threat,
The forest ends as you slow down your pace.
The trees fade away to reveal some towering falls.
The moon casting light on the mist.
At the center of the pond lay a lost little soul
About whom the wisp says all she wist.
"She is not one to mess with,
Anyone will know.
This girl can defeat any enemy
With as little as a single blow.
Yet despite her ruthless killings,
She has some kindness in her heart.
After all, it was sisterly love
That brought her assassin's career to a start."
"You're close to the end," shared the wisp as you walked,
"But I can't help but fear for the worst."
"I hope you have guessed almost all of its name
Because if not, our trip can't be reversed."
As you approach the great falls, at the edge of the drop,
You see something shine under a stone.
The wisp floats away as you reveal the next soul
And the clue in the tale of its own:
"This girl stays young despite the years,
And controls a power known to few.
She does not trust the signs of love
From the horrors she's been through.
Her supernatural powers
Will help reclaim a stolen land,
But you'll never fail to catch her lounging,
Favourite meal in hand."
The soul fades away and you are left in the dark
"Come with me," calls the wisp from ahead.
You blindly walk past all the mist and the moss.
"We've made it," the whispered voice said.
At the mouth of a cave never seems to end,
The wisp floats there, urging you on.
As you walk past the threshold of the foreboding rocks,
All the light from the forest is gone.
The moist walls were cool, sending drops to the ground
The passage black as coal.
But as you pushed further into the dark,
You spot the faint bright light of a soul.
The soft glow bounces off the cave walls
As you make your way to its side.
The wisp reappears in front of the light;
The story it starts to provide:
"He is someone stuck between two worlds,
Eyes so kind yet red in fight.
Hair as white as snow,
Yet also dark as night.
He fights for what he thinks is just
But doesn't see the cost.
The mind is a powerful thing
As it brings back what once was lost."
As the walls fall away, you see a ceiling of stars
Each one shining more bright than the last.
But the hushed little whispers and chill in the air
Tell you these were all souls of the past.
"You're far from the first," came the voice of the wisp,
"To discover the end of the trail.
But I hope you took heed of the clues to his name
So you don't become another that fails."
"This is where I leave you." Said the small glowing wisp.
"Good luck on this quest that you face.
You try to respond, to give thanks to your guide
But it has vanished already without a trace.
Rocks tumble behind you and you turn in a shock
To see the creature sneak past and crawl in.
As it lurks closer, you hear the past souls cry out:
ₛₐy ₕᵢₛ ₙₐₘₑ ₒᵣ ⱼₒᵢₙ ₜₕₑ fₐₗₗₑₙ
- As you run away from the spirit, there will be riddles along the path to help you figure out his name. Only if you guess his name can you escape.
- There are eight riddles, all from various anime characters on MAL, that will spell out the spirit's name. The first letter of the character's first name should be used to spell out the spirit's name. These characters have all been in an anime before so they are not some obscure manga character from the 70s. All the letters will be in the order of the stories, therefore no need to unscramble.
- The clues hidden in the riddles are all taken from the character's profile and the show's synopsis. If you find the right character, you can tell from their bios and anime pages.
- All the characters are human or humanoid (i.e. no animal sidekicks, pokemon, robots, etc.)
- If you can guess the whole name, you win one . If you don't, you get nothing.
The name itself is not a real name, so don't be afraid to submit something that sounds weird.
- You have 72 hours to figure out the name. Use this form to submit the name when you think you have it and leave a comment in the thread
- You must find all eight anime characters and include them in your form submission. If you submit the name but not the characters that spell it out, you get nothing.
- If you are stuck, you can message me for a hint (if it's outside EST daytime hours, it might take longer for a response). You only get one extra hint, so use it wisely.
- The hint can only be used up if you ask me yourself (i.e. nothing I give you in your results counts as your hint)
Bonus Candy:
If you can solve the riddles without using up your one hint, you get one
AiimeeOct 28, 2020 4:44 PM
いってらっしゃい
This topic has been locked and is no longer available for discussion.
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the first, second, fourth and seventh story.
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like the third story, and the second story had the right letter, wrong character
Have to just give it a try. Will most likely have the 2nd one wrong
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like the second and third story
Submitted. As for this puzzle, 5 seems the hardest one.
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second, third, fifth and sixth story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the third, fourth, sixth and seventh story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second, third, and seventh story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the seventh and eighth story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second, third, and fourth story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second, third, fourth and seventh story. Remember, use the character's first name to spell out the spirit's name
All the answers up to this point have been checked! If you submitted the Google Form already, but haven't made a comment here in the thread, please do so! Some of you are so close to escaping the spirit and finding some candy!
only changed answer for 1 and 2 because no other idea for 4 and 7 yet.
As you try a different name, the spirit remains and continues to creep closer. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the first, second, fourth and seventh story. Don't focus too much on supporting characters
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second, third, and sixth story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second, third, and sixth story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second, third and seventh story.
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second and fourth story
As you try a different name, the spirit remains and continues to creep closer. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second and sixth story.
You try again but the spirit doesn't stop. You know you've almost got it. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the third and fourth story
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across...like in the third and fourth story
You've come so far, don't give up now. You're almost there. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second story. Remember, if you aren't hunting for bonus candy, you have one hint that you can redeem to help you along with your quest
You've come so far, don't give up now. You're almost there. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second story. Remember, if you aren't hunting for bonus candy, you have one hint that you can redeem to help you along with your quest
As you try a different name, the spirit remains and continues to creep closer. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second and sixth story.
Submited. I didn't know if it were suposed to used just the first name or the full name, so I sent the full name. I hope that I can at least confirm some of them
As you shout its name, the spirit seems unphased by what you said. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second, third, sixth and seventh story
You've come so far, don't give up now. You're almost there. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second story. Remember, if you aren't hunting for bonus candy, you have one hint that you can redeem to help you along with your quest
As you try a different name, the spirit remains and continues to creep closer. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the third story.
You've come so far, don't give up now. You're almost there. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second story. Remember, if you aren't hunting for bonus candy, you have one hint that you can redeem to help you along with your quest
Resubmitted :'(
If the second one isn't that one idk
You've come so far, don't give up now. You're almost there. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the second story. Remember, if you aren't hunting for bonus candy, you have one hint that you can redeem to help you along with your quest
Submitted again! Not sure about this but hope it's correct >.<
As you try a different name, the spirit remains and continues to creep closer. Maybe you misremembered the souls you came across... like in the fourth story.