The rest of this message has been ROT13 encoded because it contains major spoilers for the plot at the end of the game. If you haven't beaten Xichra and you don't want to be spoiled, don't read this!

V svanyyl ena bhg bs jvyycbjre gelvat gb orng Kvpuen jvgu Sver frrqf naq Mvevqvhz frrqf, naq V hfrq Srenmrqvg gb tvir zlfrys 255 fzvgr evatf (gur bayl gvzr V purngrq). Vg jbexrq, riraghnyyl, ohg V unir gb nqzvg V'z n yvggyr qvfnccbvagrq ol gur cybg ng gur raq... V zrna sbe rknzcyr, Kvpuen fnlf "Lbh qvq guvf... gb lbhefrys" ohg jr nera'g tvira nal erny vaqvpngvba jung fur npghnyyl zrnag. Vf fur n Unoanovg? Vf fur eryngrq gb Srenmry fbzrubj? V fhfcrpg Ora znl abg npghnyyl unir qrpvqrq; yrg cybg gnxr n onpx frng, naq pbapragengrq ba cebtenzzvat gur tnzrcynl vafgrnq - ohg va gung pnfr vg frrzf n ovg cbvagyrff gb unir obgurerq znxvat ure fnl vg.

Naq jung unccraf gb gur Unoanovgf abj? Gurer'f fgvyy bayl nobhg guerr yrsg nyvir, nf sne nf jr pna gryy (hayrff gur zvavat cnegl fhqqrayl erfhesnpr). Naq Trebqvghf gbyq zr gb tb onpx sbe uvz... rg prgren.

Nalbar ryfr unir gubhtugf ba guvf?

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Well, my attempt to write a Perl script to decipher this failed, so if you would just post it again in plain English this time...

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Quote

Originally posted by Rilla:
**Well, my attempt to write a Perl script to decipher this failed, so if you would just post it again in plain English this time...
**

I had to have my husband decode it for me! And due to some in-house server problems, it took 2 computers and some emailing to do it! LOL!

Nif

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So what does it say? You know you want to tell me...

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Quote

Originally posted by Rilla:
**So what does it say? You know you want to tell me...:)

**

Oh well - apologies to anyone who glances at this thread and reads this accidentally:

I finally ran out of willpower trying to beat Xichra with Fire seeds and Ziridium seeds, and I used Ferazedit to give myself 255 smite rings (the only time I cheated). It worked, eventually, but I have to admit I'm a little disappointed by the plot at the end... I mean for example, Xichra says "You did this... to yourself" but we aren't given any real indication what she actually meant. Is she a Habnabit? Is she related to Ferazel somehow? I suspect Ben may not actually have decided; let plot take a back seat, and concentrated on programming the gameplay instead - but in that case it seems a bit pointless to have bothered making her say it.

And what happens to the Habnabits now? There's still only about three left alive, as far as we can tell (unless the mining party suddenly resurface). And Geroditus told me to go back for him... et cetera.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

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To me, it sounds like the beginnings of a sequel. Maybe that is where some of these questions get to be answered...

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Quote

Originally posted by ascii:
**Oh well - apologies to anyone who glances at this thread and reads this accidentally:

I finally ran out of willpower trying to beat Xichra with Fire seeds and Ziridium seeds, and I used Ferazedit to give myself 255 smite rings (the only time I cheated). It worked, eventually, but I have to admit I'm a little disappointed by the plot at the end... I mean for example, Xichra says "You did this... to yourself" but we aren't given any real indication what she actually meant. Is she a Habnabit? Is she related to Ferazel somehow? I suspect Ben may not actually have decided; let plot take a back seat, and concentrated on programming the gameplay instead - but in that case it seems a bit pointless to have bothered making her say it.

And what happens to the Habnabits now? There's still only about three left alive, as far as we can tell (unless the mining party suddenly resurface). And Geroditus told me to go back for him... et cetera.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

**

I don't have any deep thoughts on it, it seemed to me that Xichra was telling Ferazel that the Habnabits had been relying overly much on Ziridium and therefore had left themselves vulnerable for an attack.

I got the impression that many habnabits had been killed, but that there must be a few that are still alive. (There were several that you ran into during the game..I found it easy to believe there were more that had survived.)

As for Geroditus, I assumed Ferazel would go back for him at that point. It would have been nice to see it in the game, but apparently that wasn't considered to be that important. I think it would have been nice to have been told a bit more about what would end up happening to the habnabits as a result of all this.

Thanks for the puzzle. I love cryptograms. I spent a good hour on this. But I'm glad you decided to decode it for the board. I was afraid if I answered you that I'd have had to convert my response to a cryptogram.

---Zelda

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The difference between men and women is simple: men are insane and women are idiots.

I believe that Xichra is definately a Habnibat (a rogue Habnibat?), as are all the other Manditraki. The picture of her with half her mask torn off and a Habnibat snout plainly showing is half the proof; the other half is what the Babbling Habnibat tells Ferazel in the Dig:

"I've seen them. I've been there. Hee hee... I've seen behind those masks they wear. They're just like us... don't you know? Just... like us... It's hopeless! Hee hee. You might as well give up!"

I think that's pretty conclusive...

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Quote

Originally posted by Rilla:
**I believe that Xichra is definately a Habnibat (a rogue Habnibat?), as are all the other Manditraki. The picture of her with half her mask torn off and a Habnibat snout plainly showing is half the proof; the other half is what the Babbling Habnibat tells Ferazel in the Dig:

"I've seen them. I've been there. Hee hee... I've seen behind those masks they wear. They're just like us... don't you know? Just... like us... It's hopeless! Hee hee. You might as well give up!"

I think that's pretty conclusive...

**

Yes I agree - and the wraith-things in End Of The Earth also look very habnabit-y. I just wish Ben had told us why... I'm afraid the text at the end of the game just left me with a "so what?" kind of feeling.

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Quote

Originally posted by Rilla:
**I believe that Xichra is definately a Habnibat (a rogue Habnibat?), as are all the other Manditraki. The picture of her with half her mask torn off and a Habnibat snout plainly showing is half the proof; the other half is what the Babbling Habnibat tells Ferazel in the Dig:

"I've seen them. I've been there. Hee hee... I've seen behind those masks they wear. They're just like us... don't you know? Just... like us... It's hopeless! Hee hee. You might as well give up!"

I think that's pretty conclusive...
**

Geesh, I had forgotten that. So they were ALL habnabits? K..now I"m confused too. Why? What was the motivation? What were they trying to DO?

---Zelda

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The difference between men and women is simple: men are insane and women are idiots.

Well, that's a good question, Zelda. The answer lies only in the sequel to Ferazel (no pressure, Ben).

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