Mission: Mansion - Task 2

Sophia hands you a key, her dark eyes deathly serious. "Good luck," she whispers to you. "I think you'll need it." Then, she raises her voice to speak to the other six who were chosen. "I don't know what traps and curses guard the DeathCoin mansion. I've never been inside. However, my friends are already in the house somewhere waiting for you. They will help you, but you may need to prove yourselves. Nicholas SandThorn should be waiting on the doorstep. Good luck, all of you." You take a deep breath and unlock the spiral door, gazing at the starry view through it. Then, taking a deep breath, you jump.

On the other side of the door, you are met with a scene of somber and cold gloom. The sky around you is a dismal gray and hung with smoky clouds. You hurry down the steep plank from the spiral door, and nearly slip. Thankfully, another wizard catches you before you fall. "Thanks," you murmur. 

The house itself is no less intimidating. It is painted in a wraith-black color, and the porch is made of rotting wood. As you approach, you jump back, startled. The porch opens up like a mouth, and the round windows on the upper floor on either side seem to be glaring at you. However, you get over your fright and near the door. 

"Hello there," says a voice. You jump once again as a boy clad in bright orange appears out of nowhere. It's Nicholas. He looks pale and washed out in this place's strange lighting. "Sorry about that...I had to be sure nobody hostile would find me. So, are you the ones Sophia sent?" 

You confirm it. "All right," he says. "This door's enchanted. It won't open unless you speak a certain word. And I happen to know what it is; I was spying on Fiona as she entered." 

"Great!" says one of your companions. "What is it?"

Nicholas grins slyly. "You don't think I'll just give it to you, do you? Oh, no! You'll need to find that out for yourselves. How, you ask? It's simple, really..."

Congratulations to the lucky (or not) winners:
Alura HexCaster!
Malorn WillowSmith!
Tasha SparkleHeart!
Emma DawnRider!
Destiny SoulTamer!
aaaand...
Isabella StarSong!
We only had six entrants, so it wasn't really a raffle, but that means nobody needs to be eliminated on one of the rounds! Woohoo!

Here's how to find out the door's password:
Answer the riddles below. When you've answered them all, string the first letter of each answer together, and then unscramble them. You'll be left with the (one-word) password. When you've got your final result, email it in, along with the answers to all the riddles, to sophiaeb at live dot com with the subject line: "Mission: Mansion Task 2." Be sure to use the same email you used in the rafflecopter. The deadline is January 25th at 11:59 PM, but take your time! Some of these are hard.

Entries are judged based on a percentage system. For example, you'd need to correctly answer all the riddles AND get the password right for a 100% score. The person with the lowest score is eliminated. In the case of a tie, the low scorers will be drawn and one will be eliminated randomly.

Now for the moment you've been waiting for: The Riddles! (Yes, I made up all of these myself.)
1. It's the wizard's special skill, and the pages of fantasy books it fills.
Though never found on our own earth, in children's minds it finds its birth.
2. The time in which the bright light sleeps, and in it, silence's vigil keeps.
3. On the wings of the wind it soars, the fear of all rodents outdoors.
With piercing eye and sharpest claw, this bird is master of them all.
4. It comes after a drenching rain, with many colors in a shape that's plain.
5. It's a place unexplored, a place that's new, but may never again see the morning's dew.
A place of animals thought as dead, a place that many wizards dread. (hint: a proper noun in Wizard101)
6. The thing that bees gather is made into honey
Which on toast people slather, but in this form, it's runny.
7. The color of my garments and of sun-kissed fruit,
Of fire, sunsets, and pumpkins, too.
8. This bird is the bringer of death and despair,
But also the old one who first flew the air. (hint: one word)
9. This meaning of "power" can be like two
It's of some wizards, but also appliances, too. (hint: 5 syllables)
10. A square of deep brown's never been so delicious
But it has its drawbacks: it's far from nutritious!
11. Toss it, flip it, and try your luck
But try not to lose it, because then you'll be stuck.
Note: The password has 11 letters, so it may not be apparent right away if you've gotten wrong answers.

Warning: The next task is a speed challenge. It will be posted on Saturday, January 26th at 10:00 AM EST, so be sure to be on here then. If you have a problem with this time, comment and we can sort it out. 

Good luck! As Sophia said: You'll need it.

- Nicholas S