C-ACOF04 (Dec 27, 1995)
Puzzle
“C5H4N4O2+BE2”
See: ACOF03, 2 Words
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: How are the members of the Golden Caramel Works named?
Clue 2: What is C5H4N4O2? What word is that derived from, and what's that's adjective form?
Clue 3: The second word is an animal. What could 'BE2' mean, then? And no, it's not the same method as in the first word.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Xanthic Bee
Explanation: C5H4N4O2 is a reference to Xanthine, which is a name derived from the word ‘xanthous’, meaning yellow - xanthous’ adjective form is xanthic. Meanwhile, BE2 just means ‘bee’.
Summary of Receipt
53 has become 'Xanthic Bee', the Arch-Firestone of the New Mexico branch of the cult. Of course, it's all an act, but he's figured out where the Blight Runes - the items Mr. White wants - are kept. Unfortunately, he doesn't have direct access to that, so he'll have to somehow steal a key from the Santa Clarita's Arch-Firestone. He's got an idea of posing as a Livingstone, a living vessel for the Wicked to later inhabit. They're Augurs, so 53 will have to mimic 35 for long enough until he can obtain the Blight Runes successfully.
Transcript
RECEIPT #004
FILED UNDER: CAFE-ACOF
DATE: 12/27/95
EMPLOYEE #53
Well, I have certainly been a busy bee. A busy Xanthic Bee. I decided to go for the classic “out-of-towner” routine. After getting a good feel for the Eternal Flame’s operations and hierarchies, I borrowed an Arch-Firestone vestment and claimed to be from the New Mexico branch. Thank you dearly, Secret, for the dossier; otherwise, I probably would have been absolutely screwed. However, I’ve put a bit of a time limit on our operations here as it can’t be that long before someone actually checks to see if there is an Arch-Firestone Xanthic Bee from New Mexico sent to ensure proper storage of all magical items and sacred testaments of the Wicked Eternal One.
The good news? I know exactly where these Blight Runes are being stored. The bad news? They didn’t just give me a key to the storeroom. That’d be too easy. The worse news? I’ve had to leave #44 and #1313 behind as they also weren’t really expecting to house a random Arch-Firestone. So… now I need to get back into the compound, get the storeroom key from Arch-Firestone Sunflower Shrew, steal the Blight Runes, and get all three of us out safely. A big task, perhaps, but I think I can handle it. Though I think I need to go a slightly different route now. I’m thinking… “Lost Prophet.”
The Eternal Flame Cult’s hierarchy caps out at the Grand Blightstone. However, there is a tier technically higher than the Grand Blightstone and entirely more accessible to an outsider such as myself. The Livingstone. Basically, a living vessel for the Wicked to inhabit. Livingstones are both the highest and lowest tiers and, to my knowledge, the Santa Clarita branch does not currently have a Livingstone. So, I need to fake being an Augur. Luckily, I have not yet hit the cut-off for Livingstones being under eighteen by a mere two months. And I’ve seen #35 do her Augur thing enough times that I think I can put on a pretty good show. Of course, you might think this is a very unnecessarily risky and potentially deadly plan. You’d be (mostly) wrong. Livingstones are the only members who don’t get set on fire when the Wicked takes a human body. Additionally, it won’t work. I’m not actually an Augur. Still, if you don’t hear from us tomorrow, maybe try and rescue us before the self-immolation deadline of February 28th.