/-/S'pht-Translator-Active/-/


Re: MARATHON RIDDLE - My final guess (for now)
Posted By: Steve LevinsonDate: 2/25/02 10:40 p.m.

In Response To: MARATHON RIDDLE (Alfred Mordeir)

: Despair Rage Envy
: My life's work in vein
: History repeated three times
: Genius once alive, then deceased, now artificial
: Am I the only one who cares to know why?
: Who am I?

I have to admit that this one's driving me nuts! And I still think that my answer to the last riddle (the knife) was every bit as valid at the "correct" answer.

Anyway, I've been reading through all the terminal text looking for clues. There are a lot of bit players in Marathon, but none that would seem to fit this riddle. We've already tossed around virtually all of the major personalities, including all 4 AI's, Yrro, S'bhuth, Bernard Strauss etc. I don't think we've mentioned Pthia, which is a very remote possibility. However there's one construct that we haven't mentioned - the combined Durandal-Thoth entity. Although this entity doesn't appear until the end of the game, looking back at all of the terminal text, it's clear to me at least that it's this entity that has been in contact with us all along in the dream levels. The symbols and the style of writing is consistent throughout (excluding, of course, Thoth's weird story about the knife and hanger 96). One of the most interesting passages, however, is in Strange Aeons:


The graven image stirs
  we are whole again
  and even more
  our voice our horn approaches
  the ancient ones return
The watery cheek, sullen star
K'lia and the wrathful son
S'bhuth

"We are whole again." To me, this implies that Durandal and Thoth have always been part of the same entity. Thoth, an ancient S'pht AI who most likely has Jjaro origins, and Durandal, conceived by humans, but likely also having Jjaro origins. Durandal-Thoth failed at their life's work, and needed the marine to save the universe from the W'rkncacnter. They were responsible for guiding the marine as history was repeated 3 times. And it is only the combined entity that questions why.

Well, if that's not the answer, I give up!

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Replies:

MARATHON RIDDLEAlfred Mordeir 2/23/02 7:42 p.m.
     OOO! OOO! I've got it!archon 2/23/02 8:42 p.m.
           Re: OOO! OOO! I've got it!Rincewind MoG 2/24/02 12:11 p.m.
     Re: MARATHON RIDDLEDan Aris 2/23/02 9:04 p.m.
           Re: MARATHON RIDDLE - another guessSteve Levinson 2/23/02 9:25 p.m.
     Re: MARATHON RIDDLESteve Levinson 2/24/02 2:00 p.m.
           Re: MARATHON RIDDLE = OOPSSteve Levinson 2/25/02 8:53 a.m.
                 Re: MARATHON RIDDLE = OOPSDorfie 2/25/02 3:31 p.m.
                       Re: MARATHON RIDDLE = OOPSSteve Levinson 2/25/02 3:40 p.m.
     Re: MARATHON RIDDLESteve Levinson 2/25/02 1:10 p.m.
     Re: MARATHON RIDDLESteve Levinson 2/25/02 10:15 p.m.
     Re: MARATHON RIDDLE - My final guess (for now)Steve Levinson 2/25/02 10:40 p.m.
     Ok, you guys need a hint, badAlfred Mordeir 2/26/02 3:11 p.m.
           Off-the-wall guessCallie21V 2/26/02 3:53 p.m.
                 Off the wall gues, that paid offAlfred Mordeir 2/26/02 4:37 p.m.
                       Re: Off the wall gues, that paid offarchon 2/27/02 12:35 a.m.
                       Woo Hoo!Callie21V 2/27/02 3:38 p.m.
                       Re: Off the wall gues, that paid offSteve Levinson 2/27/02 8:47 p.m.



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