Tier 1A was the first tier of Level 2 of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. It started on October 6, 2022 and ended on October 11, 2022.
History
On October 6, 2022, Embark Studios CX Lead Dusty posted the images "THE_FINALS_Concept_Fire_1920x1080" and "THE_FINALS_Concept_Firee_1920x1080" in the official THE FINALS Discord server with the caption "Oriri ex cinere", a Latin phrase meaning "to rise from the ashes." While the two images appear identical to each other, overlaying them and observing the differences would reveal the Pisa Griffin, which sits atop the Pisa Cathedral.
On October 7, Dusty posted a new image named "TakeCover" that depicted the Monaco cathedral being hit by a series of meteors. The image contained several clues:
- "Αἵ θου σα", or "Aethusa", was hidden in separate parts on the rubble and cathedral.
- The Greek name "Αἵθουσα" was also engraved on a plaque on the statue.
- The white blooming plants around the scene are Aethusa Cynapium, a herb native to Europe, although this was not found by hunters at the time.
- A broken trident could be found in the rubble, and a trident symbol can be seen on the floating ring on top of the scene.
- The focus on meteors was itself a clue.
On October 11, Embark CCO Rob Runesson posted a new image named "friend_you_need_02" depicting Nama Tama dressed as the astronomer Galileo, observing a comet with a telescope. This led hunters to astronomy and asteroids, specifically the asteroid 1064 Aethusa.
Solving
On October 11, 2022, hunter Serpenger found the password: "1064" and solved Tier 1A. In total this tier took 7 days to complete.
Solution Breakdown
The Pisa Griffin pointed to the Pisa Cathedral in the city of Pisa, which started construction in 1064 according to the Pisa calendar. The city was also the birthplace of Galileo, who pointed to astronomy and asteroids. Combining Aethusa and asteroids led to the asteroid 1064 Aethusa, which was named after the Aethusa cynapium plant. Both of these leads pointed to the password: "1064."
The day after the password was solved, Rob provided more insight into some of the clues:
“Hi.!There are actually some clues you missed in the images released for Level 2 - T1A... some of the clues have multiple levels so they can actually help you in the future, both in the EE-hunt now and for future EE's in the actual game when it is live, so I will not spoil these ones... However, there are some clues that are only used to solve T1A that I could tell you now since that tier is completed.
For example - The ray of light on the egg in the Pisa Cathedral is a clue to help you figure out that we are looking for a DATE. On 25th March, midday, ray light hits the egg on the north side of the cathedral. This marks the Feast of the Annunciation, which is the same date that marks the first day of the year in the Pisan calendar... Construction of the Pisa Cathedral started 1063, BUT according to the Pisan calendar of the time, the construction started 1064.
On the second image, there was two prominent flowers that are not visible in the trailer present. The flower is called Aethusa cynapium (Fools parsley). This is a dangerous flower and the latin name is derived from the Arab word 'ai' what means burning, since the plant gives you burning pains.
Pretty obvious, right, hehe”Rob[1]
Gallery
THE_FINALS_Concept_Fire_1920x1080
THE_FINALS_Concept_Firee_1920x1080
TakeCover
friend_you_need_02
Credits
- Solver - Serpenger
- Documentation - Flex4d, Ralliden, RockhoundBlack
- Various Contributions in Alphabetical Order - Buunuu, Darnoux, DashGames, Duh, Fishxw, Giriko, OrpheusHEI, SPEAR, Swa, Tragic
Further Reading
- RockhoundBlack's Video: THE FINALS: A Fistful Of Easter Eggs + New Concept Art!
- Flex4d's Document