Clues:

  • A photograph of a dagger/knife.
  • The title “Kings” in plural, suggesting the challenge will involve multiple kings.
  • The statement:
    • “cosmic weapons”
    • “example of such weapons on the net”
    • “This ruler’s court artist”
    • “drew the most accurate painting of a now extinct bird”

Approach:

  1. Reverse Image Search:

    • A reverse image search reveals that this dagger, made of cosmic materials, belonged to Tutankhamun, an Egyptian king.

  2. Research on the Extinct Bird:

    • Referring to the clues, we search for which bird has gone extinct from Earth. We quickly discover it is the dodo.

  3. Research on the Court Artist:

    • Next, we need to find a dodo that was painted by an artist from a king or emperor’s court. We find a painting of a dodo by Ustad Mansur, an artist from Emperor Jahangir’s court.
    • Further research shows that this emperor also possessed a dagger made of cosmic materials, which perfectly matches the challenge’s statement.

  4. Location of the Painting:

    • We then search for where this painting is kept. It is displayed at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
    • A quick search on Google Maps helps to find the museum’s coordinates.

  5. Challenge Validation:

    • Even after finding the coordinates, the flag did not work. A quick discussion with an administrator helped me find the correct flag and validate the challenge.

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