(Inspired by the challenge to enter Papa Midnite's Club!)

This code was originally thought to be a simple password, but later became considered a test of wisdom and understanding as much as a test of membership.

It has the property that a spy who overhears the code works cannot repeat the challenge himself, and according to legend, tests your ability to see how a situation will play out in the future, making it beloved be occult and psychic societies, and your ability to clearly describe an event, making it popular in politics.

Our secret password we agree on beforehand is a selection of one each from these pairs of opposites, plus one number between one and five.

Hot/cold
dead/alive
calm/angry
rising/falling
wet/dry

This password together is called the secret place, and the number is always described as a “day”, for herein we describe the conditions in a location. For example, a secret might be “The secret place is hot, dry, dead, angry and falling on the third day”.

Our challenge which a guard speaks to an guest is one each from two lists of words, described as a quantity.

The first list is thought to represent the main character in the start of the story, and from it combined with the secret place, our guest must determine the main character of the next part of the story.

If dead, the response word will involve flies
If alive, the response will involve water

If hot, the response word will involve a lizard
If cold, the response word will involve snow

If calm, the response word will involve a ring
If angry, the response word will involve a sword

If wet, the response will involve a fruit
If dry, the response will involve fire

If rising, the response involve a song
If falling, the response involve a scream

Our second word determines the place where the story is set. It is the place for which the Secret Place describes the conditions, but described only in generic terms.

If wet, the response description will be dancing
If dry, the response description will be crawling

If calm, the response will be watching
If angry, the response will be grieving

If rising, the response will be strong
If falling, the response will be weak

if hot, the result will be one
If cold, many

If alive, the sailors are working
If dead, resting.

Finally, we come to the number, which is very simple. The response is the continuation of a story that will always take place one day after the number in the challenge, UNLESS the challenge is the same as the day of the secret place. In that case, the story takes place “On the last day”.

Secret Place: “Hot, wet, dead, calm, and rising on the fourth day”

Guard: “One frog on an island”

Guest: “Flies are dancing on the second day”

We obtain this because frog+dead=flies, island+wet=dancing, and the number one becomes the second day.
In modern times, both the Secret Place and challenge are given publicly, as the intent is to test the guest’s wisdom more than to test knowledge of a code, and even a stranger may be welcomed if he speaks well.

In some cases, the answer won't really make sense, as rings and snow do not scream, etc. In these cases the guest has full freedom to speak any sentence he wishes, so long as it involves all three elements. In some cases the words may not even be literally used, but only alluded to, or described with synonyms.

Local tradition will often dictate certain things, however, and you may raise suspicion if you do not understand this.

For example, in some circles, responses to “two people” are special. If the response involves a ring, the response may be spoken as “A wedding”, and if a sword, “a duel”. If the story takes place in the city, responses to “One man” may be met with something like “The weak man steals the ring on the last day”.

There are also various traditions in seaside towns regarding the ocean. A response to “one man in the ocean” in a dead and angry place may be met with “The captain sleeps with a sword on the fourth day”.

Large numbers of men in the ocean may be referred to as “a mutiny”, but this is never used except in angry places, with the exception of the Thieve's Guild of one city, who have great regard for secrecy, and only use the mutiny in calm times, as a nod to the idea of “Striking when they least expect it”.

These and many other traditions contribute to the use of this code even in the modern age.

In some cases, the secret place may even be given in public together with the challenge, and all who understand the system(Or the local variant) even strangers, are welcome.