THE HINTS- VITAL TO SUCCESS

[fundamental design]

The hints in the poem are a confirmation of the start point and tell you the state and other geographic - landscape features - in the area. They create the boundaries of the map.

The subtle hints/clue sprinkled through the book are in reference to the 9 clues in the poem and how to understand them.

The word that is key is the one that unlocks the starting point - the word is "hint" - as it helps confirm the correct WWWH. It unlocks the playable general area where the chest is. If you don't have WWWH you have nothing... so anything that helps you understand WWWH IS the word that is key.

You are making a lot of sense.