Solution - Crushed Petals

by Craig Kasper

Answer: Click here to reveal

The petal puzzle crushword variant has the following solution:

Clockwise Counterclockwise
FR/A/N/C/IUM FR/A/G/RA/NCE
P/O/I/N/T P/A/R/ASA/IL
K/AT/EMO/S/S K/O/N/TI/KI
V/AND/O/R/EN V/AT/I/C/AN
P/H/ONE/M/E P/AND/EMO/N/IUM
G/O/TWO/R/SE G/H/O/S/T
SCH/N/A/U/ZER SCH/O/ONE/R/S
STU/MP/F/O/R STU/N/TWO/M/EN
CO/R/O/NE/R CO/MP/A/R/E
PE/N/N/IE/S PE/R/F/U/SE
S/A/L/IN/E S/N/O/O/ZER
T/AL/E/S/E T/A/N/NE/R
P/I/S/S/ON P/AL/L/IE/R
L/A/TEN/I/TE L/I/E/IN/S
IMP/OR/T/A/NCE IMP/A/S/S/E
H/A/ND/RA/IL H/OR/TEN/SE
N/A/G/ASA/KI N/A/T/I/ON
M/A/R/TI/AN M/A/ND/A/TE

The letter string below the puzzle can be broken into segments between one and three letters in length which correspond uniquely to the outer numbered petals. Note that the middle ring of petals contains ONE and TWO next to each other, and TEN some distance away. Using these three numbers as reference points, it is possible to number the middle ring in clockwise order so that ONE has the number 1, TWO has the number 2, and 10 has the number 10. Converting the letter string to the numbers on the outer petals (3-7-11-3-14-9-11-18-15-8), then decoding these numbers using the numbered middle ring, yields the answer ALTAR STONE.