Thursday 1 October 2015

cryptic crosswords - Creatures of Darkness


The shadows are scary! I feel like there are beasts watching me everywhere I go...


What kind of person would be able to handle the dark well? (Your answer will be an 8-letter phrase. The crossword will give you the first word, which must be paired with a thematic second word.)


enter image description here



A grotesque vane - it is packed with blood (4)
A lady is the ruler of Dalmasca (4)
Against getting tea in shell-like structure (6)

Aged cloak is one that requires exposure to air (6)
Also abundant nightmarish dullahan heads (3)
Archaically send back royal ambassador (6)
Cried loudly, was ultimately mugged, beheaded. (6)
Distortion from blunder in removal of tissue, removing heart from belly (10)
Expert locking in unknown incendiary (4)
Fiend is concealed by rejected water god (4)
Finances filled with red (9)
Grandpa lost his way and became tainted heathen (5)
Half of border is an administrative division, in summary (3)

Half-twisted evocator in sheltered bay (4)
Hard poop location (5)
In computer science, first elements of assembled records (6)
Increase engine speed both ways, with nothing left inside spinner (6)
Inflexible metal bond (4)
Inflicts pain, after a point leading to cries of anguish (5)
Invisible, unnoticeable at first alongside five directions (6)
Is an aboriginal person (3)
Legacy from one's invasion of revolutionary territory (4)
Lycanthrope door secretly unlocked in the old days (4)

Most unsavory, horrible livestream: chopping feet (6)
One who wanders around as a pilot with no leader (6)
Outdated practice followed by eastern, old city (3)
Parade in southern harbor (7)
Playful, curvacious, opulent, Circean, stripped, like Morrigan Aensland (10)
Plenty, endless cost in recession (3)
Politician inside is making small devils (4)
Related to sound of melting coins (8)
Reportedly look at ocean (3)
Roll the dice to use enchantments (4)

Roll with exclamation of excitement next to level's end (7)
Runner hidden in senior man with no special abilities (6)
Shadows around a dreadful brume (6)
Short fish to be measure of capacity (3)
Sin and after hesitation start to repent (3)
Sorceress woman precedes uncomfortable sensation (5)
Space inside vacuous gristle is what determines heredity (4)
Sphere or ball beginning (3)
Start to bring preliminary survey to Welsh community (6)
Sum is wrong, leading to moments of hesitation (3)

Tear spiral salad (7)
Terrible ire in the one who voiced witches Sayaka Miki and Nene Odagiri (3)
Their first mistake leads to dread (6)
Venomous snake can be all over the place: PSA (3)
Young dog and cat, for example, going after remarkably hollow crook getting a tool (7)



Clarification note / Apology:



I just noticed there is an ambiguity in the placement of the words in the grid. You can use any possibility to get the same final answer, but I wouldn't have left it there if I had seen it earlier.




Hint:



Looks like some clues were not clearly visible in the dark... These seem to be their original forms:


Finances filled with red (5)
In computer science, first elements of assembled records (4)
Increase engine speed both ways, with nothing left inside spinner (8)
Legacy from one's invasion of revolutionary territory (5)
Parade in southern harbor (5)
Related to sound of melting coins (5)
Roll with exclamation of excitement next to level's end (5)

Runner hidden in senior man with no special abilities (8)
Tear spiral salad (6)
Young dog and cat, for example, going after remarkably hollow crook getting a tool (10)


Answer



Many people in the puzzling chat (The Sphinx's Lair) have collaborated to put together a solution.


Warning: the big spoiler block here is a picture of the finished puzzle; if you're looking for a solution to just one clue, scroll down.



enter image description here




First we have the "normal" clues:



These appear in the white spaces in the board.



A grotesque vane - it is packed with blood (4)



VENA: (VANE)*



A lady is the ruler of Dalmasca (4)




ASHE: A+SHE



Against getting tea in shell-like structure (6)



CONCHA: CON+CHA



Aged cloak is one that requires exposure to air (6)



AEROBE: AE+ROBE




Also abundant nightmarish dullahan heads (3)



AND: A_+N_+D_



Archaically send back royal ambassador (6)



RENVOY: R+ENVOY



Cried loudly, was ultimately mugged, beheaded. (6)




SOBBED: S+[-r]OBBED



Distortion from blunder in removal of tissue, removing heart from belly (10)



ABERRATION: AB(ERR)[-l]ATION



Expert locking in unknown incendiary (4)



PYRO: P(Y)RO




Fiend is concealed by rejected water god (4)



OGRE: d(OG RE)taw<



Grandpa lost his way and became tainted heathen (5)



PAGAN: (GRANDPA-RD)*



Half of border is an administrative division, in summary (3)




BOR: BOR[der]



Half-twisted evocator in sheltered bay (4)



COVE: (EVOC)*



Hard poop location (5)



STERN: double definition




Inflexible metal bond (4)



IRON: double definition



Inflicts pain, after a point leading to cries of anguish (5)



WAILS: W (compass pt.) + AILS



Invisible, unnoticeable at first alongside five directions (6)




UNSEEN: U+NSEEN (5 directions)



Is an aboriginal person (3)



SAN: S+AN



Lycanthrope door secretly unlocked in the old days (4)



OPED: OPE D




Most unsavory, horrible livestream: chopping feet (6)



VILEST: (VILEST[ream])*



One who wanders around as a pilot with no leader (6)



VIATOR: [-a]VIATOR



Outdated practice followed by eastern, old city (3):




URE: UR+E



Playful, curvacious, opulent, Circean, stripped, like Morrigan Aensland (10)



VOLUPTUOUS



Plenty, endless cost in recession (3)



LOT: TOL(l)<




Politician inside is making small devils (4)



IMPS: I(MP)S



Reportedly look at ocean (3)



SEA: homophone



Roll the dice to use enchantments (4)




CAST: double definition



Shadows around a dreadful brume (6)



UMBRAE: (A+BRUME)*



Short fish to be measure of capacity (3)



TUN: TUN[-a]




Sin and after hesitation start to repent (3)



ERR: ER+R



Sorceress woman precedes uncomfortable sensation (5)



WITCH: W+ITCH



Space inside vacuous gristle is what determines heredity (4)




GENE: EN inside G_E



Sphere or ball beginning (3)



ORB: OR+B(all)



Start to bring preliminary survey to Welsh community (6)



BRECON: B+RECON




Sum is wrong, leading to moments of hesitation (3)



UMS: (SUM)*



Terrible ire in the one who voiced witches Sayaka Miki and Nene Odagiri (3)



ERI: (IRE)*



Their first mistake leads to dread (6)




TERROR: T+ERROR



Venomous snake can be all over the place: PSA (3)



ASP: (PSA)*





These clues together fill up the board, leaving us with a few more clues:


In computer science, first elements of assembled records (4),(6)




C(A_ R_)S leads to JAGUAR (car brand)



Increase engine speed both ways, with nothing left inside spinner (8),(6)



REV(O+L)VER leads to OCELOT (a character from Metal Gear Solid)



Legacy from one's invasion of revolutionary territory (5),(4)



FRU(I)T< leads to KIWI




Parade in southern harbor (5),(7)



S+PORT leads to CRICKET



Related to sound of melting coins (5),(8)



(SONIC)* leads to HEDGEHOG (video game character)



Roll with exclamation of excitement next to level's end (5),(7)




WHEE+L leads to HAMSTER



Runner hidden in senior man with no special abilities (8),(6)



S(MUGGLE)R leads to COYOTE. We, the solvers, inferred COYOTE from the state of the board; "S(MUGGLE)R" was provided by ffao after the fact to complete this solution.



Tear spiral salad (6),(7)



ROCKET (triple def.) leads to RACCOON (video game character)




Young dog and cat, for example, going after remarkably hollow crook getting a tool (10),(7)



SO+C[roo]K+PUP+PET leads to CATFISH



Finances filled with red (5),(9)



C(R)ASH leads to BANDICOOT (video game character)



From the final board,




we can see that the extra clues fit neatly into the gaps in the existing board, sometimes overlapping existing clues. Where they intersect (highlighted in yellow), they spell out NIGHT.





What kind of person would be able to handle the dark well?



Given the hint that there are two themed words in the final solution, we infer that this person is a NIGHT OWL.



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