The Scales of Hekate
Prologue
At the gates of the underworld, on the shores of the River Acheron, the three infernal judges Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthus await the souls destined for eternal damnation to submit them to the riddle of the scales. Those who act with wisdom and cunning will be allowed to enter the Elysian Fields; for all other souls, the verdict will be dire and inescapable.
Description
The Scales of Hekate, the great chthonic goddess invoked by necromancers, can weigh anything with absolute precision. Souls are given twelve marbles representing the gods of Olympus: Zeus, Hera, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hermes, Demeter, and Poseidon. These marbles seem identical, but one of them has a different weight, being either lighter or heavier. The souls have only three weighings to determine which marble is different and whether it’s heavier or lighter.
The Question
How can the souls use the three available weighings to determine with certainty which marble has a different weight and whether it is lighter or heavier than the others?
FAQ
- The marbles all look identical, and there are no ways to distinguish the different marble except by using the scales.
- The adventurers cannot tamper with or damage the marbles or the scales in any way.
- The weighings must be performed one at a time.
- Yes, there are only 3 weighings.