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Topic: In a tunnel of darkness (Read 2338 times) |
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maryl
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In a tunnel of darkness lies a beast of iron.
It can only attack when pulled back.
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Lupin
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #2 on: Jul 16th, 2003, 6:49am » |
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a cannonball?
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James Fingas
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #3 on: Jul 16th, 2003, 8:56am » |
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The thumb-cocked hammer on an old six-shooter.
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Chewdog
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #4 on: Jul 16th, 2003, 9:17am » |
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on Jul 16th, 2003, 1:09am, towr wrote:
Darts/Arros from a crossbow are not shot from barrels.... most of the time.... also I am not entirely sure that the head of an arrow or the dart would be made of iron....
on Jul 16th, 2003, 6:49am, Lupin wrote:
on Jul 16th, 2003, 8:56am, James Fingas wrote:| The thumb-cocked hammer on an old six-shooter. |
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I'm thinking more allong the lines of the last two quotes i have here, but can someone do some research to find out if a cannon ball is made of iron?
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James Fingas
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #5 on: Jul 16th, 2003, 9:32am » |
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I would assume so. If they're not made of iron, there made of something else cheap and rusty that was available hundreds of years ago  I seem to recall that they oiled them to keep them from rusting too much during storage.
You know, the answer could be anything remotely piston-like.
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wowbagger
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #6 on: Jul 16th, 2003, 10:04am » |
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Is a cannon ball really pulled back before the attack?
Upon first reading, I thought about a crossbow projectile, too, but wasn't sure whether this fits the "tunnel".
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| « Last Edit: Jul 16th, 2003, 10:05am by wowbagger » |
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Lupin
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #7 on: Jul 16th, 2003, 11:25am » |
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You got me, wowbagger, the cannonball is actually pushed back before the attack. I think James Fingas's answer is better (although it does not fit the "inside the tunnel" issue)
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| « Last Edit: Jul 16th, 2003, 11:27am by Lupin » |
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James Fingas
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #8 on: Jul 16th, 2003, 1:04pm » |
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I don't know much about the construction of guns, but there must be part of the hammer inside the barrel of the gun. Not the part you can see, of course.
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Chewdog
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #9 on: Jul 17th, 2003, 8:43pm » |
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Yes the tip of the hammer that comes in contact with the bottom of the bullet does lie inside the barrel. Of course, however, it does come out when the hammer is pulled back, but it still does fit the riddle.
Also the riddle only states that the "beast of iron" (the bullet)is inside the barrel. Even if the hammer was always outside of the barrel, i don't think that the hammer would qualify as part of the beast of iron.
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James Fingas
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #10 on: Jul 18th, 2003, 12:03pm » |
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But you don't pull the bullet back AFAIK. From the riddle, I presume the beast is the thing that's pulled back.
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turtler7
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #11 on: Aug 20th, 2003, 2:31pm » |
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well if u are using a cannon. The IRON or STEEL ball is RAMMED back into the powder charges in the barrel of the cannon. A crossbowbolt would be tiped with either flint or iron. Depends the time period.
My guess would accually be a balista. Beast indicates it is probably large or very powerful. Some balistas were built with a tunnel over the bolt so the rain could not bother the weapon. The balista is much like a crossbow and it must be pulled back in order to fire. I think it apropriatly fits the riddle. Might not be the prefured answer but it is my guess.
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wowbagger
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #12 on: Aug 21st, 2003, 1:57am » |
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on Aug 20th, 2003, 2:31pm, turtler7 wrote:| well if u are using a cannon. The IRON or STEEL ball is RAMMED back into the powder charges in the barrel of the cannon. |
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See my first post to this thread and Lupin's answer.
Quote:| Some balistas were built with a tunnel over the bolt so the rain could not bother the weapon. The balista is much like a crossbow and it must be pulled back in order to fire. |
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The question remains: What is being pulled back? It should be the "beast of iron", which "lies in a tunnel of darkness". So the beast isn't the whole balista, but the projectile - which isn't pulled back, right?
Maybe maryl should tell us the intended answer. On the other hand, after all this discussion, she probably doesn't feel like it. 
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Speaker
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #13 on: Aug 21st, 2003, 2:03am » |
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I agree with everyone about the piston paradigm, and the problems with pulling something back. But, I have no problem with the iron issue, except iron is not lead.
How about "Draw your sword, and prepare to honor thy father you worthless brigand." This works I think because pull back is to draw, and steel is, after all, iron with less than a two percent carbon constituent.
Nonetheless, I am not totally satisfied.
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maryl
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #14 on: Aug 21st, 2003, 6:04pm » |
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I really love the way you guys come up with so many solutions to a single problem. 
My solution:
"You feeling lucky punk?.....Well, are ya?"
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turtler7
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #15 on: Aug 21st, 2003, 6:32pm » |
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I wasnt going to post this idea. But the more i thought about it the more i thought i might be at least partially correct.
Any chance the tunnel of darkness is a cylindar tower of a castle casting a shadow and the beast can be any number of things then. Crossbow, bow, bailista, tribucate(that really fits the beat of iron, 1000+ pound iron counterweight, that has to be pulled back in order to fire), cannon, and gun with a hammer, any spring loaded weapons, harpoon guns. Just another track to follow...
I would say the tower and its shadow as the tunnel of darkness and a tribucate as the best beast of iron that must be "pulled"(note a cannon or gun generaly involves pushing and this beast must be pulled back...) back to attack. Anyone else have thoughts or this might inspire and insight.
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| « Last Edit: Aug 21st, 2003, 6:36pm by turtler7 » |
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Speaker
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #16 on: Aug 21st, 2003, 7:04pm » |
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The tower you mention reminds me of nothing less than the missile silos located across the midwest in which truly gruesome iron beasts lay sleeping, waiting. But, nothing is pulled back.
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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. <Ben Franklin>
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Speaker
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #17 on: Aug 21st, 2003, 7:17pm » |
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Back again, having a conversation with myself, never a dull moment.
Had another idea, closer to my heart.
How about "Iron Horse BEER" or "Iron City BEER" or just plain old "Iron BEER" (from cuba).
Then, just put your mug up to the tap and pull back on the handle, (draw a beer) then sit back and take a pull on the beer and wait for the attack.
Make love not war.
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| « Last Edit: Aug 21st, 2003, 7:18pm by Speaker » |
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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. <Ben Franklin>
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James Fingas
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #18 on: Aug 22nd, 2003, 6:57am » |
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Speaker,
That is a truly imaginative and excellent answer!
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AL Brandes
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Re: In a tunnel of darkness
« Reply #19 on: Aug 28th, 2003, 1:36pm » |
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This is a classic-ish riddle. The riddle is describing the entire object and not the parts (which have been guessed).
Unfortunately, I can only point to one reference, and then with some ambiguity where I have seen this riddle before. In one of the Dark Tower novels by Stephen King (I believe book 3: The Wastelands) there is some emphasis placed on riddles and this is one of them (unless this one was from the fore-shadowing in book 2).
a gun
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