The Cauldron

[Hitchhiker]

Very simplified rules (I hope.)

You may throw words or phrases of not more than 30 letters* into the Cauldron.

1) If your offering follows the secret rule, you will get a prize. (The prize also follows the secret rule.)

2) If your offering follows the secret rule AND the special even-more-secret bonus rule, you will get one additional prize. (Yes, this prize does count toward your total.)

3) If the rule does not apply to your offering, you get nothing.

4) If your offering breaks the rule, you get a FIREBALL!

5) Five FIREBALLs will wipe out all your prizes, forcing you to start again.

6) You may only make one offering at a time. Your next offering must be after the Cauldron's response (which could be "The Cauldron does nothing.").

WINNING CONDITIONS: You must guess the Cauldron's secret rule. You earn your first guess when you have ten eight prizes in your bag. After that, you may guess once for each new prize you earn. You do not need to guess the even-more-secret bonus rule.

A starter hint: the Cauldron does not follow its own rule. Or break it.


* by letters, I mean any alphanumeric characters or symbols found on a keyboard.

Capitalization is irrelevant. Other things might be relevant.

Scores:
Quailman - prizes 2, fireballs 3
Scurra - prizes 1, fireballs 2
Lepton - prizes 2, fireballs 1
lexprod - prizes 4, fireballs 2
ralphmerridew - prizes 3, fireballs 5 prizes 0, fireballs 0
PuzzleScot - prizes 1, fireballs 3
MatthewV - prizes 4, fireballs 4
xalolo - prizes 7, fireballs 2
Undercover Monk - prizes 1, fireballs 2
jesternl - prizes 2, fireballs 0
Leonidas - prizes 3, fireballs 3
milkshake - prizes 2, fireballs 0

Rule-followers and prizes (which also follow the rule):
the quick brown fox
jelly roll
helping hand
beer
the grey labyrinth
enigma
the Mona Lisa
gelato
treat
peeps
dyed egg
deer
venison
New York City
heart
bee
pleasant buzz
Jefferson, Adams and all patriots
the fifth of july
Betsy Ross's first flag
Necronomicon
weird horror
bear
eggs and bacon
every previous try
exciting random stuff
chess set with a panda
deck of Uno with a toucan
Verklärte Nacht
German music
reed
cello
English horn
Reba
her songs
The Visa Conundra
mystery
break
well-deserved rest
mysterious tidings
eerily cryptic solution

Rule-breakers (fireballs):
fireball
eye of newt
Hitchhiker
the quick brown fox jumping over lazy dogs
the Statue of Liberty
a putrid gory blend
procrastinating judges
Doberman pinscher
cranberries
Umineko no naku koro ni
eggo waffle
electric eel
concrete poetry
pill bottle
amber genie
ruins of rome
gamine
aisle
mage
camera
image
The Philosopher's Stone
Twilight Series
pretty poetry
The Apology of Socrates
rare asset
bare

[Quailman]

I will offer up a Fireball of my own.

[Scurra]

Eye of Newt seems good to me.
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[Hitchhiker]

Quailman's fireball (unsurprisingly?) gets a FIREBALL.

Scurra's Eye of Newt also gets a FIREBALL.

(By the way, the FIREBALL meter also resets itself at 5. So you're not doomed forever if you have five FIREBALLS -- you just start again with zero.)

[lexprod]

I throw Hitchhiker into the couldron
_________________
I'll have a P please...

[Hitchhiker]

Hitchhiker also gets a FIREBALL.. Boo, hiss.

Quailman: prizes (0) fireballs (1)
Scurra: prizes (0) fireballs (1)
lexprod: prizes (0) fireballs (1)

[Lepton*]

I throw the quick brown fox jumping over lazy dogs into the cauldron.

[Hitchhiker]

The Cauldron is feeling generous, so it gives Lepton a prize -- a jelly roll -- for the quick brown fox. But then it digests the rest of the offering and belches out a FIREBALL for the quick brown fox jumping over lazy dogs.

Lepton: prizes (1 - jelly roll) fireballs (1)

[lexprod]

I try an old brown round hat
_________________
I'll have a P please...

[Quailman]

The Statue of Liberty

[ralphmerridew]

I will throw Quailman into the cauldron.

[PuzzleScot]

I'll try a putrid gory blend in that cauldron...

[MatthewV]

I will offer a helping hand

[xalolo]

I am throwing in the vaunted Tomato Potato[/b]

[Undercover Monk]

I will offer procrastinating judges to the cauldron lol
_________________
The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[jesternl]

I will through the grey labyrinth into the cauldron

[Leonidas]

I will throw the Mona Lisa into the cauldron.

[Hitchhiker]

old brown round hat does nothing

The Statue of Liberty gets FIREBALL'd

Quailman gets nothing

a putrid gory blend is FIREBALL'd.

The Cauldron appreciates the helping hand, and gives MatthewV a beer.

The Cauldron has no reaction to the Tomato Potato.

The Cauldron is not amused and FIREBALLs the procrastinating judges.

The Cauldron approves of the grey labyrinth and grants jesternl an enigma.

The Cauldron is very pleased with the Mona Lisa and feels Leonidas deserves something appropriately Italian -- how about some gelato? And Leonidas gets another treat for following the secret bonus rule.

[xalolo]

I believe the Cauldron needs some peeps.

[MatthewV]

I will butcher a deer to go with my beer (thanks!)

[ralphmerridew]

For my next try, a Doberman pinscher.

[lexprod]

I through cranberries into the couldron.
_________________
I'll have a P please...

[Quailman]

I will throw all of New York City into the cauldron.

[Hitchhiker]

The Cauldron gobbles the peeps and gives xalolo a dyed egg.

MatthewV's butchered deer, naturally, becomes venison.

The Cauldron growls at the Doberman pinscher and gives ralphmerridew a FIREBALL.

lexprod's cranberries rate a razzberry -- and a FIREBALL.

The Cauldron loves New York City -- Quailman gets a heart.

[MatthewV]

will I get stung when I add a bee?

[ralphmerridew]

I will throw Umineko no naku koro ni into the cauldron.

[xalolo]

Mmm...I'll throw in an eggo waffle[/b]

[PuzzleScot]

will my old guitar please the cauldron?

[Hitchhiker]

MatthewV does not get stung when he adds a bee -- he just gets a pleasant buzz.

The Cauldron rejects Umineko no naku koro ni with a FIREBALL for ralphmerridew.

xalolo puts in an eggo waffle, but up pops a FIREBALL.

Sorry, PuzzleScot -- the Cauldron has no interest in my old guitar.

[xalolo]

Well huh. I guess I'm going to have to throw in an electric eel.
[/b]

[Scurra]

I'll put in some concrete poetry
_________________
_{still Quiz Olympiad champion. Must get a life.
New definitions: COFFEE - someone who is coughed upon}

[ralphmerridew]

How about a pill bottle?

[MatthewV]

an amber genie?

[Hitchhiker]

No one knows the rule yet: the Cauldron gives four FIREBALLS for the recent submissions.

But in honor of Jefferson, Adams and all patriots this weekend, the Cauldron will give every active player a gratuitous prize point. Happy 4th!

[lexprod]

I give the cauldron a blowjob
_________________
I'll have a P please...

[PuzzleScot]

Would the cauldron be interested in the ruins of Rome?

[MatthewV]

I will try gamine

[Leonidas]

I'll throw in Nostradamus.

[ralphmerridew]

I'll throw in an aisle.

[milkshake]

I'll throw the fifth of july in please.