Entering a new chamber, you find a dusty and slightly damaged old notebook and map half buried under some rubble. These materials seem to describe and chart a set of streams.
With some work, you’re able to chart the course of each stream on the map. What feeds this complex of streams?
Meandering Streams
1. The Notebook
The notebook contains a description of each stream, though a few words are not legible due to the damage. A second author has scribbled a note beneath each description, but those seem alternately irrelevant and garbled.
This is the first of N streams, and they cross N-1 times (I used [illegible] to figure this out).
...sorry, some of this is a garble...
_ _ _ [_] _ _ _
I noticed the banks of this stream were extremely dry. I was surprised by their [illegible].
...fresh and tidy air...
_ _ _ [_] _ _ _
Here we were startled by a wild pig with large tusks. I put up a sign saying “[illegible] [illegible]” as a warning to future explorers.
...seems to be an “orb” web area...
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [_] _ _
The noise of our electronic equipment may be disturbing the wildlife. I asked the crew to [illegible] it all.
...messy notes; edit at cave...
_ _ _ [_] _ _ _ _ _ _
This stream is positively bursting with Ranidae. It’s the [illegible] stream I’ve ever seen.
...next time I’ll get a forest gig...
_ _ _ _ [_] _ _ _ _
Alongside this stream is the ruins of a [illegible], once used to store wheat or oats.
...one small jaguar and Gary ran...
_ _ _ _ [_] _ _
Here two of my crew almost got stuck in quicksand; I had to [illegible] [illegible] escape.
...don’t forget to measure the PH, Mel...
_ _ [_] _ _ _ _ _
This stream is beautiful; I think it was [illegible] [illegible] of all of them.
...is this really the remains of a moat? Verify...
_ _ [_] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
A steep climb to reach the start of this stream. My crew was carrying a lot of equipment and I had to remind them not to [illegible] themselves.
...righto, mind the vortex ‘ere...
_ _ _ _ [_] _ _ _ _
I was surprised by the [illegible] of vegetation around this stream; I only saw an occasional bush.
...join the party, sis...
_ _ _ _ [_] _ _ _
This area was more of a bog than a stream, though it was full of freshwater fish; I call it the
“[illegible] [illegible]”
...blindly trust map? Ow!...
_ _ _ [_] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2. The Map
The map also seems to include some helpful information - though most of the blue down arrows seem to have faded away.
Field observations regarding streams:
- Each stream bubbles up from the ground from a particular location (marked with a blue up arrow) and sinks back into the ground at a separate location (marked with a blue down arrow).
- No stream ends to the West of where it begins.
- Streams only flow in the eight compass directions (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, and NW)
- Almost every stream changes direction, once, at a particular point in that particular stream. (Note: for almost every stream, you should be able to determine the course without reference to the map)
- Every stream crosses at least one other stream; most streams cross two other streams.
Answer: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
