Guild Charter
The Wardstones that protect the Arcane Menagerie are failing. Your guild — the Lodge of the Silver Paw — must complete five Trials of mastery to recover your Wardstone fragment.
"Patient strength endures all storms."
Guild Roster
Quest Route
| Trial | Location | Fantasy Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| I. Observation | Bears, Fox, Capybara | The Hibernation Vault | 0:00–0:20 |
| II. Logic & Math | Reptile House | The Basilisk Crypts | 0:20–0:40 |
| III. Lore & Language | Birds / Aviary | The Feathered Spire | 0:40–1:00 |
| IV. Cipher | Primates | The Canopy Archives | 1:00–1:20 |
| V. Collaboration | Grand Pavilion | The Grand Pavilion | 1:20–1:40 |
Trial I: The Warden of the Den
The ancient Bear Warden guards this realm. Read the signs, observe the creatures, and prove your keen eyes.
ⓘ If a sign is missing or changed, write "Warden assist" — no points deducted.
Examine the signs. Write T (True) or F (False).
| # | Statement | T / F |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Silver Fox named Tobi belongs to genus Canis, making it more closely related to wolves than to Red Foxes. | |
| 2 | North American Black Bears can run at speeds up to 35 mph. | |
| 3 | The scientific name Hydrochoerus (Capybara) means "water pig" in Greek. | |
| 4 | South American Coati "Stitch" has double-jointed ankles that rotate beyond 180°. | |
| 5 | North American Black Bears are the largest bear species found in the Americas. | |
| 6 | The Genet named Odysseus has retractable claws, similar to cats. | |
| 7 | "Canis latrans" (the Coyote's scientific name) is Latin for "swift hunter," reflecting its speed. | |
| 8 | Capybaras can hold their breath underwater for up to 5 minutes. |
Binary conversion: T=1, F=0.
This decimal is part of your Wardstone password!
How did each creature arrive at Austin Zoo? Use the information signs.
- Tilly & Ruby (Black Bears):
- Tobi (Silver Fox):
- Stitch (Coati):
- Odysseus (Genet):
- Olivia & Enrique (Capybara):
- The Coyote (verify name on sign):
Find these numbers on the signs, then solve the equation.
| A = Maximum weight (lbs) of a Black Bear | |
| B = Percentage of bear's diet that is plants | |
| C = Maximum degrees a Coati's snout can rotate | |
| D = Maximum size of a wild Capybara herd |
Show your work! (This number is for scoring only — Wardstone comes from Puzzle 1 decimal and later trials.)
Trial II: The Basilisk's Equations
The cold-blooded Basilisk hoards numbers like treasure. Prove your mathematical mastery.
- Gertie, Muffet, and Wheezy (Galapagos Tortoises) were born April 1989. How many years old are they as of April 25, 2026?
- A Galapagos Tortoise can weigh up to 660 lbs. A male Argentine Tegu weighs up to 20 lbs. How many Tegus equal one maximum-size tortoise?
- A Green Iguana reaches 6 feet. The largest recorded Burmese Python exceeded 18 feet. Express iguana length to python length as a simplified fraction:
- Galapagos Tortoises live 150+ years. Texas Tortoise lives to 60 years. What fraction of the Galapagos Tortoise's maximum lifespan is the Texas Tortoise's? Simplify.
Move 5 reptiles to sunning enclosures (8 min each, 4-min breaks, start 8:00 AM). Rules: Tortoises before Python. Python before Tegu. Tegu before Iguana. Pancake (Texas Tortoise) must go last.
- What is the only valid order?
- What time does Pancake finish being moved?
Find each number on the signs. Then find the pattern.
- Maximum weight of a Green Iguana in lbs:
- Maximum length of a male Argentine Tegu in feet: ā decimal:
- Maximum weight of a Galapagos Tortoise in lbs:
- Arrange the three numbers smallest to largest. What is the median?
- Bonus: Lucifer the Tegu was born 2022. Gertie the Tortoise was born April 1989. Difference in ages in months (as of April 25, 2026)?
Trial III: The Feathered Lorekeeper
The ancient Parrot Lorekeeper has spoken with scholars for four thousand years. She demands proof of your wisdom.
- The African Grey Parrot belongs to genus Psittacus. This word comes from Greek meaning:
- The Great Horned Owl's "horns" are feather-tufts. From pluma (feather) + cornu (horn), write the scientific term for these tufts:
Add "-s" to make it plural. This word is your Wardstone fragment!
- The Great Horned Owl's species name virginianus refers to the Virginia colony. Why did early European naturalists name so many American species after Virginia?
- The Rainbow Lorikeet's name includes haematodus. The root haema- means "blood." What color feature of this bird does the name likely refer to?
- The African Grey Parrot has been kept as a pet for over how many years?
- The African Grey Parrot is considered the most ___ bird species:
- The Yellow-collared Macaw and Blue-winged Macaw share a remarkable rescue story. Where were they found living?
- Priscilla's grip force is 28 lbs. Average adult human grip is ~72 lbs. Priscilla's grip as a percentage of human grip (round to nearest percent):
Divide owl grip by human grip, multiply by 100.
Choose any one bird. Write its medieval bestiary entry: 3 real facts, everything else magnificently exaggerated. 50–100 words.
Trial IV: The Cryptographer's Canopy
The Ghost Lemur hides her secrets in layers of code. Use your Arcane Codex to uncover the hidden messages.
- How many distinct primate species are named on signs in the primate area? (Count species, not individual animals.)
This is your Caesar Shift key! (Expected: 5)
- Shift each letter backward by that amount to decode:
YMJ LZFWI TK XNQAJW UFBX BNJQIX LJSYQJ XYWJSLYM
Shift key = 5. Wrap ZāA if needed.
Use Cipher III (Prime Number Code): A=2, B=3, C=5, D=7, E=11...
Use Cipher I (Menagerie Alphabet). Each animal name = a letter.
- Decimal number from binary conversion in Puzzle 1 (Trial I):
- Special feather-tuft word from Puzzle 7, Q2 (Trial III):
- Latin meaning of "lemur" from Puzzle 11 (this trial):
Trial V: The Grand Collaboration
The final trial cannot be solved alone. Your guild must work as one mind.
4-line rhyming oath for the Lodge of the Silver Paw. Must use at least 4 real Austin Zoo animal names. Bonus for iambic pentameter!
Including Tobi, Stitch, and others once kept as pets: Why does a rescue zoo like Austin Zoo matter?