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Cover art for Este’s Quest 4: The Crystal Codex of Luminara

Este’s Quest 4
The Crystal Codex of Luminara

STATUS: SOLVED

Este's fourth treasure hunt required interacting via direct messages with an AI chat bot named Newt on his Discord server.

Step 1 (map on left) was sent at the start of the hunt. After guessing the correct real-world location of the X, you were sent step 2 (photo on right).

According to creator Este, Newt's programming is run off Open AI. User interactions were limited to 25 free questions to Newt so that Este didn't incur a large bill. Wording also had to be very specific when answering a question; the direct message needed to start with “answer:” followed by your guess.

Before release of this hunt, two other sample hunts were run for free also using Newt to gauge how people would interact with and enjoy the main hunt. Those were called The Clockwork Crown of Emberkeep and The Sunken Sapphire of Siren's Cove.

The original prize pot was to be $100, but Uncharted Collectibles matched that amount making the final prize amount $200, which was announced before the hunt started.

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Envelope flap
Click to reveal solution

Solution

Solver(s):
Este's Quest Discord user "Delph"

For step 1 (The Crystal Map), Newt asks “What body of water is the X showing?” To move to the next step, users need to become geoguessers and determine that the lake was found just off the Congo River in Africa. Saying "answer: Lake Tumba" in the direct messages to Newt moved you on to the next step.

For step 2 (The Great Tomb Entrance), Newt asks “What's the magic word that opens the door when shouted?” Players were required to analyze a AI-generated photo featuring various animals and objects. Using the first letters of the animals and objects, you had to come up with a non-English word common to Congo area. Monkey, orange, newt, ant, orange, dagger, and tree. Newt would help you if you made too many wrong guesses. Not only did you need to figure out the word, but if you didn't “shout” the word, Newt would tell you that you were close but needed to somehow shout the word to open the entrance. Saying "answer: MATONDO!" including that exclamation point, in the direct messages to Newt moved you on to the next step. Matondo means “thank you” in Lingala, the language of the Congo.

Finally, in step 3 (The Stone Monkey), users needed to give back their knowledge. Saying “answer: place treasure journal in monkey's hands” to Newt gets you back a message of congratulations. If you didn't say the right answer though, the monkey statue would come to life and throw you outside, requiring you to repeat your step 2 answer to re-open the tomb.

Solution Video
Este walks through the hunt and its solution, posted March 7, the same day the hunt was solved.