Test of the Venery

Main Shard	Bastet	T5 Beta

The Test of the Venery challenges you to create a puzzle that can potentially cover a large portion of land. Veneries consist of a series of lockboxes scattered across the land, each containing a key that leads to another lockbox and a clue that will lead to this next lockbox. A simple venery will play as a single chain between lockboxes. More complex veneries can exist, that have multiple chains going on at once. Upon completing a venery, you get a Venery Certificate.

Principles

• Make an Eyelet cut Amethyst (Optional)
• Make an Eyelet cut Lapis (Optional)
• Make an Eyelet cut Turquoise (Optional)
• Make an Eyelet cut Garnet (Optional)
• Make a Simple Lockbox
• Make Papyrus Paper
• Build a Venery Gathering Point
• Install at least 7 Lockboxes
• Open your Venery
• Tear down your Venery Gathering point OR
  • Have 7 judges run and rate your Venery
  • Design rated Good by most judges
• All of the above OR complete three recent winning veneries

Demonstrate the Principle

• 49 Gold Wire
• 49 Small Gears
• 98 Fine Glass Rods
• 98 Copper
• 49 Eyelet cut Amethyst
• 49 Eyelet cut Garnet
• 49 Eyelet cut Lapis
• 49 Eyelet cut Turquoise

Construction

A Venery consists of a Venery Gathering Point and at least 7 lockboxes placed around the land.

Cost

Built in a Small Construction Site (1 Canvas, 4 Rope).

• 100 Boards
• 250 Papyrus Paper

Simple Lockbox

Made in a Forge (2 minutes to cool)

• 1 Gold Wire
• 2 Small Gears
• 1 Fine Glass Rod
• 1 Copper
• 1 Cut Amethyst:Eyelet
• 1 Cut Lapis:Eyelet
• 1 Cut Turquoise:Eyelet
• 1 Cut Garnet:Eyelet

Designing a Venery

• Hints are on the "exterior" of the lockbox, and will appear if, and only if, the lock box requires a key and the player does not yet have that key.
• Clues are on the "inside" of the lockbox, and will appear if no key is required, or once the player has all of the required keys.
• You must put a lockbox in the Venery Gathering point. This should be the last box that people go to.
• The Venery gathering point will have 2 Venery menus (important for when you want to generate keys)

Is there anyway to set the final text at the Venery Gathering Point when someone gets back to it at the end?

Dreasimy: the way I do my veneries is make the lockbox on the gathering point require ALL the keys in your venery so it can only be opened at the end. Then I use the Welcome Text as my intro and when they search for keys on the base at the beginning, it tells them they dont have the keys they need and instead gives them a Hint which directs them onto the next lockbox, this way you use your CLUE as your final text at the end :) Here is a step-by step guide I wrote: Dreasimy's Guide to Creating a Venery

Puzzles like the Venery are subjective: what one person finds challenging and fun, another might find infuriating. You can't please all of the players all of the time, but there are a few tips you can follow to make your puzzle as entertaining as possible.

Every Venery Tells A Story A venery should be more than just a random series of locations and objects. It should tell a story, with each location revealing a little more of the tale. It adds depth to your puzzle, and gives the player additional motivation to keep playing.

You don't need to write a novel: just decide on a simple storyline, and let that guide the development of a puzzle. Is the player trying to find a lost camel? Is he on the trail of the man who stole his gem collection? Is she following a map to some elusive treasure? Are they touring exciting landmarks across the face of Egypt?

You decide!

Location, Location, Location! When selecting objects for your lockbox locations, try to choose distinctive sites. Unique landmarks such as a particular sculpture, or the only deep well for 200 coords would be excellent choices. One single apiary in a field of 4 dozen would be an awful choice.

Once your player finds your lockbox location, there should be no doubt in their mind that this is the place!

This doesn't mean that you can't use common, everyday objects in your puzzles. It just means that you'll have to be careful to guide the player to the target you've chosen, rather than having them run willy-nilly across Egypt.

Clues Blues No matter what form your venery takes, the clues you write will make or break your puzzle. The trick to writing good clues is to give the player just enough information to figure out the target, without telling them the answer. Designing good clues is a puzzle of its own!

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Hint, but don't tell. Rather than telling the player to simply "go east", find a way to subtly guide them in that direction. The sun rises in the east, so you could tell the player to "journey in the direction of the rising sun". Nowhere do you say the word "east", but the clever player will figure it out. (The less clever players will ask for help.)

Be colorful. Let's say that, in your venery's story, you tell the tale of the Lost Queen Pleocatra, and have the players follow her wanderings through the desert. Why not wrap your hints into the story? "Pleocatra grew thirsty. After a moment's wandering to the north, she found a lone Royal Cactus, and judging that it must be fit for one of her royal upbringing, she drank the sap straight from the trunk."

In this paragraph, you've given the player clear directions to "go north a short distance until you find a single Royal Cactus", and you've furthered the tale of your venery, all in one shot.

Feel free to add colorful details to your clues: the venery is as much story as it is puzzle.

Play with the puzzle. You can have fun with your clues by rhyming, telling riddles, even inserting puzzles of your own in the venery clues. The more unusual your venery, the more people will be drawn to it, and the higher a rating you are likely to receive. Don't be afraid to bend the rules and try new things!

How about a venery done entirely in song lyrics?

   Sweet desert rose
   This memory of Eden haunts us all
   This desert flower
   This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of her love
   (with the next lockbox on a nearby sea lily)

...Or a venery that uses word games?

   You'll find your next clue in the public works compound. All you have to do is take out the trash:
   BTORAXKISLHN
   (remove the letters T-R-A-S-H from the above, and you're left with "box kiln")

...Or a venery where all the lockboxes are attached to players? Let the manhunt begin!

Now that you've got some ideas to play with, let's see some top notch veneries!

   Taken from T3, and modified a bit

Guides

Dreasimy's Guide to Creating a Venery

Venery Locations

• Green for recognized (passed) puzzles (use "Gr" prefix on pin)
• Red for unrecognized (unpassed) puzzles (use "Rd" prefix on pin)
  
  

Region	Coordinates	Designer	Passed	Title	Remarks	About
Stillwater	2302,3234	Spooner	Yes
Shabbat Ab	1367, 1984 GONE	Asnath	Yes
Shabbat Ab	1470,1763	Falbala	Yes
Sinai	3411,4497	Pandemonis	Yes
Falcon's Bay	4299, -1174	Jacen	Yes	How I get maried	in French	North of UThought
Saqqarah	783, -756	Fryoj	No	Saqqarah Uni-Run Venery/FAQ	East of CS(by Essence of Harmony)
Saqqarah	769, -757	JaylenaeYbarre	YES	What happend when I arrived from beginner's island	a few steps away when leaving cs, on the left side of the road
Shabbat Ab	1376, 1725 GONE	Ping	Yes	Felix and the Fatestone II: Electric Boogaloo	Just south of the CS (along the road)
Shabbat Ab	1471, 1996	McArine	Yes	A course in math.	Close to UArch
Shabbat Ab	1469, 2008 GONE	Sefet	Yes	The Sum of the Parts	Close to UArch
Shabbat Ab	2317, 2335	Ephemere	No	First steps in Egypt	Deutch, English, Français	15-30 mins
Shabbat Ab	1482, 1759	lilinou	Yes	Une promenade en amoureux/A romantic walk	English, Français	East of the CS
Shabbat Ab	1420, 1980	Trillian	Yes	People of Egypt United	Tour around some local guilds 15-25mins	West of UHarm
Shabbat Ab	1380, 1710	Numaris	Yes	The Professor's Errand	Story: Visits the schools of SA	Hall of Diversions - Bijou, Pathmaker, Empty Hand also available
Stillwater	1481, 3892	Halana	Yes	Sheep, Camels, and Bunnies, OH NO!!!! OH YES!!!!	English	10 - 15 mins
Stillwater	1431, 3878	Yendorhut	Yes	Serenity Venery	on bridge just East of U of B	30 mins - help a group of strangers find their ship and see something wonderful at the end (gone as of 12/20)
Nomads Paradise	-1533, 2519	Voyna	No	A tale begins (Une histoire commence)	Across road from S Thouhgt
Nomads Paradise	-1424, 2750	akc2	No	meeting with Anubis (french + english)	Close to the cs
Meroe	809, -3651 GONE	Katezinha	Yes	The Scatterbrained Oracle	Just West of CS
Meroe	834, -3630	Elfus	No	Marr the Vampire	Just between 2 beetle sculptures, near the breezeaway	Basic, short story, easy venery (Outdated, thanks to ppl removing meroe's conflict shrine)
Meroe	835, -3636	Astrina	No	A bag of Cartouches	A path of wisdom and discovery.	10-15 minutes to complete, entire run is close to Meroe CS (starts just north) (appears to be unsolvable now -- a mosaic for the 5th step no longer exists).
Meroe	832, -3633	SunnyOne	No	Miuty's Children	Choose your own adventure.	Near the intersection, just north of Meroe CS. Should only take 5 - 10 minutes. All close to Meroe cs.
Queen's Retreat	594, -6151	Dreasimy	Yes	The PATH-OPENER, Keeper of the Names	Just north of the CS, across the road, in front of the Mentor Shrine in front of the Breezeway	15 - 30 minutes, 230 coord max travel from start
Queen's Retreat	593, -6144	Traak	No	Shroomers Delight	Quick, fun, shrooms	Just north of CS, near the EoH
Queen's Retreat	593, -6149	Wampak	Yes	A Guild's Tale	One guild's epic journey... - in rhymes! (10-20 mins)	Just north of CS, across the road etc... (next to Dreasimy's venery!)
Queen's Retreat	593, -6149 GONE	Ptahiah	No	How the Waste was Won...	Danger! Excitement! Despicable villains, attractive heroic people with hats and Marmalade! (booo! hisss!)	Just north of CS, across the road etc... (next to the other QR veneries, with a big flower behind it)
Adn	1045, 6955	Hily	Yes	Hilly's little thought	Little funny and easy to do	Near the CS

Recent winning Veneries

Semi-automatic Recognized Puzzles list