7
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<<---First clue
<---Previous clue

A note from @Mithrandir: I have given explicit permission for @Khale_Kitha to post this, and gave him the answer to encode. If you want to post one, ping @Mithrandir in chat and we'll talk.

The lights dim and you see, behind them, an etching on the wall that you had not noticed previously.

Etched words on a wall

You ponder what the words could mean...

Next clue--->

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  • $\begingroup$ Disclaimer: I haven't hijacked Mithrandir's "Clue" series; he gave me the desired final solution in private and I constructed a puzzle around it. $\endgroup$ – Khale_Kitha Jan 16 '17 at 16:19
  • $\begingroup$ Are the symbols at the bottom important? $\endgroup$ – Beastly Gerbil Jan 16 '17 at 16:38
  • $\begingroup$ They are, but it can be solved without knowing what they are. They serve as verification of a clue. $\endgroup$ – Khale_Kitha Jan 16 '17 at 16:39
  • $\begingroup$ Are they hebrew? $\endgroup$ – Beastly Gerbil Jan 16 '17 at 16:39
7
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I think you are

Calcium Carbonate

A medicine, abbreviated calendar and a cop's criminal with verbal pause;
shortened sugar over retrograte Greek η

η is eta
retrograde makes it "ate", a likely word ending; assume this is charades
over -> on
shortened sugar -> gluc? fruct?
verbal pause is "um" or maybe "uh" or "eh"
cop's criminal -> ?
abbreviated calendar -> cal

Taking the at face value, it looks like

A medicine [def.]; abbreviated calendar [CAL] + a cop's criminal [???] + verbal pause [UM?] + shortened sugar [GLUC?] + over [ON] + retrograde Greek η [ATE<]
which gives CAL???UM GLUC?ONATE

That's suggestive....

trading out GLUC for CARB - this is definition by example, but ok -
and seeing the obvious missing CI in calcium, give us:

CALCIUM CARBONATE   (A medicine [def.]; abbreviated calendar [CAL] + a cop's criminal [CI]
                    + verbal pause [UM] + shortened sugar [CARB] + over [ON]
                    + retrograde Greek η [ATE<])

Wikipedia tells me a confidential or criminal informant (CI) is a thing, so that answers that too. Yay, learning!

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  • $\begingroup$ Calcium Carbonate works as an antacid in low doses. Though, it is hardly used by people.. $\endgroup$ – Sid Jan 16 '17 at 18:39
  • $\begingroup$ on most Nutritional facts lists on food products, Sugars are under the Carbohydrate section. $\endgroup$ – Ryan Jan 16 '17 at 20:09
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    $\begingroup$ @Ryan Yes, but that's not how cryptic clues work. You can say "dog" to clue "poodle", but you cannot say "poodle" to clue "dog" (at least, not without another hint that you're doing so). Since all sugars are carbs, but not all carbs are sugars, you can't just say "sugar" to clue "carb"; this is called definition by example, and it's not deemed fair play in a cryptic. $\endgroup$ – Rubio♦ Jan 16 '17 at 20:16
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the information. I misread the part where you said definition by example in the answer, or I would have better implied it was a logical leap. Would that mean however that it was a minor error on the Khale's part in asking that? $\endgroup$ – Ryan Jan 16 '17 at 21:59
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The answer is:

CALCIUM GLUCONATE (CAL abbreviated calendar + CI confidential informant + UM, GLUC shortened glucose + ON over + ATE eta backwards, definition 'A Medicine')

The symbols are:

Chinese characters for 7 and 9, which is the enumeration. The sides of the polygons confirms this.

EDIT: It's since been brought to my attention that this is not the intended answer, but I fully believe it is AN answer which fully satisfies the puzzle :)

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  • $\begingroup$ This was not the target answer, but, unfortunately, fits perfectly because I hadn't heard of a medicine by that name. $\endgroup$ – Khale_Kitha Jan 16 '17 at 16:56

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