Hello Fyreballers.
You have no doubt noticed, in the past months, that an organization covertly named the 'Top Men' has been watching this site. The time has come for our plan to be revealed...but the necessity of secrecy dictates that we reveal our plan to you...our chosen...carefully and judiciously.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks and you will find yourself in a world where up is down, left is right, time is frozen, and a mirror turns your reflection into a piercing nightmare.
Before we allow this [competition] to begin, we must know who the few and chosen are. Answer me a question, in earnest, and I will tell you know lies. The truth is [startling]; remove nine, and it will remain a word, down to the [t].
Regards, Top Man #1138
San Ting
IncredibleBulk
we who are about to fyreball salute you.
Flip C
Deacon
Qbix
San Ting
I always thought there was only a few top men, but it seems there are thousands. Or were thousands, all chosen and gone over time, and still their number line kept going...
Deacon
how do you know that they follow sequentially?
Qbix
He don't know, he assumes.
San Ting
Ah, good answer. That is the limitations of humans. We automatically take assumptions as these.
Deacon
now...if you would direct your attention to the final paragraph...
San Ting
May we Fyreballers, as a community, work together to solve this puzzle for our common goal of top men enlightenment?
Deacon
yes, you certainly may. it is intended.
San Ting
Okay guys, I think there is some deliberate misspellings somewhere that we need to piece together.
I'm gonna leave you with that, I need to sleep soon.
The Big Ease
this is going to be interesting. do we have a set time to come up with an answer?
Deacon
sooner rather than later works for the Top Men.
San Ting
If we look up fyreball user 1138 we go here:
The Big Ease
Any references to the play "the importance of being earnest" :P
San Ting
I just looked at a friend of mine who JUST signed up, and his number is 6000 ish, and if you type random numbers in, you can go to like 17000, so number isn't proportional with signup date.
...Just like top men numbers....... :O
The Big Ease
where are you searching numbers might i ask?
Qbix
The profile #ID is in the url of the profile.
Deacon
We have given you all you need here. Search not elsewhere, at least not yet.
defnop
urk
startling
starting
staring
string
sting
sing
sin
in
i
The Big Ease
if you remove 9 letters from the word competition you get the word "it" but i dont think thats that answer :P too easy
The Big Ease
is urk onto something here?
DoubleShotMIKE
I believe the word you are looking for is: "Competitions"
Is that right?
defnop
The truth is [startling]; remove nine, and it will remain a word, down to the [t]
well, remove nine and you get
The truth is startling and it will remain a word, down to the T
Deacon
BrazilianRider
I see what you did thar Mike! At first I thought you were crazy but then we had the same idea!
San Ting
urk, can you do the same with competition?
The Big Ease
damn, i wish i had started with startling rather than competitions. urk's a champ btw :P
i are surprised at urk's quickness lol
BrazilianRider
Great. What do we do now that Urk has told us the answer!? Wait, I know!
startling
starting
staring
string
sting
sing
sin
in
i
Deacon
San Ting
This is bugging me: "and I will tell you -know- lies"
DoubleShotMIKE
The Big Ease
that has also been driving me up a wall, no idea what to do with it though
BrazilianRider
A test that Urk has passed!
My mistake was your stupid number. 1138. That seems like such a random number I started working with it, removing the first letter, then the first letter (second letter originally) then the third, then the eigth... it was a very complicated process!
BrazilianRider
And how the hell do we answer a question 'in earnest' by telling the truth? Does that mean that the answer to this riddle will give us a question to answer?
Deacon
Gronfors!
hmm... didn't know Deacon actually WAS a top man... I thought he was just their messenger or somethin....
Spaz
Neuromancer
Deacon
The Big Ease
Gronfors!
I have a feeling it may be something to do with saying nine, not 9
reporned44