Post by Todd on Jul 27, 2016 8:33:05 GMT -5
My stalwart envoy has braved the frigid wastelands and returned with a full report of the contents of the dead drop!
Included in the nook was a small blue tinged mirror with a Number 1 written on the back: db.tt/eFpcYsvG. Also included was a document which you can view db.tt/exTunz4Q
Expect a more thorough explanation of her exploits soon. But in the meantime, I have work to do!
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
I apologize for the truncated link above. Please refer instead to this one: db.tt/exTunz4Q
You'd think someone with such an extensive background in secret codes and adventuring could manage to write down a string of characters correctly. I blame my excited state and the bone-chilling cold outside my door.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Is there anything written on the back? The image suggests there is vivid possibly seeping through from the other side. Maybe a 3 and a 6? Thank you for posting this, looking forward to the full report.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
I see a 2 and a 3, which make sense if we remember that the mirror had a 1 on the back. This makes me think we need to decode the first paragraph and then hold it up to a mirror to read it.
This is all I have had time to ponder so far.
Pippa Brighton
Posted over 1 year ago
Perhaps we need to take a mirror image of the message, run it through the first code type then a second. Having trouble thinking of the right keyword though.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
As I've said before, I have a poor mind for codes and ciphers. I shall have to leave this in more capable hands. Just for my confirmation, though, to ensure that I figured out the dancing men correctly the number revealed was for Environment Canada, the Chemical Sectors Directorate? And the package was found near there? Or have I botched things and am way off the mark?
Dillon Sparks
Posted over 1 year ago
My two cents. Clearly the code is a Vignere and/or Caesar cypher. The bottom of the page is a recipe for Caesar dressing, and the mention of Vigenere hints at a solution. Perhaps the printed numbers (6 and 3) represent a number of shifts. I'm guessing here, but perhaps we do a Caesar shift of 6, then use a Vignere phrase, then a final Caesar shift of 3.
I'm no codebreaker, however...
Dan Luxenberg
Posted over 1 year ago
Okay, I don't know what I did wrong, but my use of redaction didn't work in that last post (and maybe in this one as well). Let's see if it works this time.
Dan Luxenberg
Posted over 1 year ago
I am working on the impression that the 1 suggests we need a mirror image of the first part which would put it in the right format for a letter, that the 2 wants us to solve a vigenere cipher which requires a keyword, and that the output of the vigenere cipher will still be encrypted and require the use of a caesar cipher to reveal the message. However, I have tried many different key words and I cant seem to find a suitable one that will provide the right output, I am currently examining the paper and previous clues to see if there is a suitable word or phrase which could work.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
After discussing the matter with my Canadian associate and looking around the area using Google Earth and also help from Pippa, I suspect that the Petrogylph may be this one: goo.gl/CFU4Vq which is located at the base of the bridge. The only other symbol at the site, was created in the video and is depicted here: goo.gl/CFU4Vq
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Unfortunately, I have mistakenly given the wrong link at the end of my previous message. The proper location of the symbol marking the dead-drop is here: db.tt/EjNAni5B
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
That glyph refers to the ID cards that we have in our possession. I suspect that the Vigenere key phrase is related to the ID card. Perhaps the name of the organization?
Dan Luxenberg
Posted over 1 year ago
I checked with my envoy who did not recall any other glyphs in the area. I am a little perplexed by the length of the words based on the punctuation. It seems the resultant text might end up being a mouthful.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Nicole is barking down the right track. The mirror is the first stage of decryption, and so the encryption needs to first be reversed. Look at the positioning of the periods at the beginning of the paragraphs, and you will see the tell. The second stage is running it through a Vigenere cipher. The clue is in the petroglyph. Note that the symbol drawn in chalk is not a petroglyph.... it's a petroGRAPH. Petroglyphs are carved into stone, not drawn onto them. Digby found us a Petroglyph, though... and while I would hesitate to say that a random object found on Google maps was the clue, if you go to the mysterious package company's Facebook pictures you will see a closeup of that very Glyph. Snake, Serpent, and other variations of the word should be attempted for the Vigenere. As Nicole said, 'the output of the Vigenere cipher will still be encrypted and require the use of a Caesar cipher to reveal the message.' The Caesar clue is evading me, but I am looking hard at the recipe. These people rarely use numbers flippantly. The OSS petrograph might still play in... or it might have simply been a convenient marker.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
I didn't mean to suggest that the snake\serpent\reptile was a shot in the dark from the internet. My envoy actually included the snake in two photos from her adventure log. db.tt/TF6H9OAb (far left side) and db.tt/REieTOQQ (center). I used the internet to scout the area in case there were other relevant petroglyphs since my Vigenere Cipher results were... less than enlightening (even after some monkeying around with my namesake). I appreciate your input, and am hopeful that we can work together to unearth the solution.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Also, I found the exact recipe for Classic Caesar Salad online (down to the asterisk after "yolks"). The only difference in the makes 3 servings which the online recipe does not include. So it may be safe to assume that the 'Caesar Shift is 3`
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
There is a non-numerical Caesar shift. 1=26, 2=25, 3=24, etc. It would be keeping in theme with the mirror. I also have a hunch that step one is not a simple left to right flip as the mirror would suggest, but a complete reversal. The H.M. at the lead is not an introduction, but a signature. I have reversed the original message, typed it up, and replaced the letters with their base numerical value. I begin decryption in earnest tonight. I can link, email, or post that 'starting point' so you can check my work. On a related note, I was not trying to disparage the petroglyph, merely toss out the red herring of the petrograph. Also, that SNAKE.... I don't know much about the waterways of the frozen north... but why exactly is it emblazoned on the foot stones of the bridge in the first place? Could it be a named glyph.... like the kokopelli, or have relevance to the name of the water way that is bridged, or the name of the bridge itself. Was it insisted upon by some cultist local politician? Proper Nouns are the first line of attack on the Vignere... and I lack that particular specialized knowledge. That information would definitely help.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
The Humber River is part of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System (complete with plaque: db.tt/lZEmUxF7 ) That language at the top of the plaque is apparently of the Ojibwe dialect and using a book called Nishnaabemwin Reference Grammar I've determined that their word for SNAKE is gnebgoon. I'll keep looking for a proper name.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
The Mishi-Ginebig (Misiginebig) is a commonly referenced underwater serpent common to Algonquian (and Ojibway) tribes. Unfortunately, there are SEVERAL alternate spellings: www.native-languages.org/misiginebig.htm
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
If I have to translate this from Ojibwa when I'm done, I swear to dog I will pitch a fit. We are doing well. Every wrong answer is one less option until we are left with the right one, so while it may not be the progress we want... it is nonetheless progress.
My thoughts after a couple of days attacking this with calculator, graph paper, and pen: 1. Overthinking is the enemy. Consider the possibility that we have already seen the key, but discarded it, or used it in incorrect sequence. 2. This is why computers were invented. 3. My friend needs to code me a Decrypticron Applet faster. 4. These C's are giving me conniptions. There's over 700 of them. The largest cluster is eleven characters long. Crazy... Double Encryption or not, that's just ridiculous, and killing my frequency analysis. I seriously have no idea how long this thing is. 5. Consider the possibility that the key is written backwards. Just consider it. Now sigh with me. 6. Alright, the Caesar shift. I'm currently applying three different kinds of caesar shifts after each attempt to crack the Viginere. I'm trying both a three step positive and negative shift, as well as the alphabet flip. I am currently confident that it is one of those three options. I am often wrong. 7. What if the clues are actually saying that Viginere key has had a caesar shift applied to it? Oh dog. I'm just going to ignore that I thought of that. 8. Which brings me back to point one.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
Whether it was the key or the message that was shifted is irrelevant, unless it's the flip shift.
The following is double spoiler. You've been warned. List of possible keys. I've tried, or will try, at least one variation of all of these. If you can think of something not mentioned, please feel free to bring it up. Snake, Serpent, Viper, Reptile, Gnebgoon, Humber, Kabechenong (it's from the plaque), and Misiginebig. More to Come.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
Greetings to you all from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I am the one who retrieved the contents currently under discussion. (By the way, if anyone else would like a physical copy, there were multiple packages available at the location, with instructions to please take only one.) Jeffrey Ingram noted above that "if you go to the mysterious package company's Facebook pictures you will see a closeup of [the snake] Glyph" -- I would like to add that the pictures in the same album that have POWER and MONUMENT on them are from metal plates also found under the bridge -- plates that I didn't give more than a passing glance at the time. I am willing to go back and take another look around, but I do think that J.I.'s observation and the prominence of that particular glyph at the site (it is on all four bases of the bridge) seem to indicate that it is the one we should pursue.
That being said, here is an interesting piece of info from Wikipedia: "The bridge connects the former municipalities of "Old Toronto" and Etobicoke (both now part of the amalgamated City of Toronto) along an ancient aboriginal trading route along the shore of Lake Ontario, and thus features design elements and decorations such as carved turtles and canoes that evoke this native heritage." (source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_Bay_Arch_Bridge). I do remember seeing a canoe on a metal plate under the other end of the bridge, but don't remember seeing any turtles. If the key isn't discovered by later in the week, I'd be willing to go back to the site Saturday and poke around some more.
dreamerblue
Posted over 1 year ago
I'm just rattling off thoughts here, which may have no relevance whatsoever. If we assume the text is reversed then the .E.H may be the initials of the person in the video, who I believe is Andrew McCabe. Although the Curator assures me that Andrew McCabe is long dead and any suggestion that he is alive is "a hoax of the blackest sort" So .E.H. becomes H.E. and if we shift that three spaces, we get E.B. or K.H. which isn't a great deal of help, although I'll keep an eye out for those as I continue to solve the Vigenere.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Yes I had reached a similar assumption, but due to the Vigenere we are unlikely to see those change to the correct lettersunless we have the correct code to begin with, as they are at the end of the message we are trying to translate.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
Flipping through the newspaper, I happened upon the... image of carved characters on one of the pages. Looks like "L A ? ? ?" I wonder if that has any bearing on our puzzle...
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Correct or not, any clue is a good clue. I apologize for not working more diligently on breaking this Vigenere, but my new infant demands that her room be painted with speed and alacrity. I'll check back in with more results within the next few days.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
Has anyone had any luck with the deciphering? I have spent a LOT of time chasing my tail on this one and very likely over-thinking it. I would share my notes, but they would probably lead you down the same incorrect, twisting path to a dead end.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
No, I have tried a great many keywords to no avail. I also don't want to lead people down the wrong path by showing ones I have tried, though I hazard a guess the number is now in the triple digits. At this point I must hold out hope that one of our compatriots stumbles across the correct word or phrase, or that we are given a nudge in the right direction by someone like Mr. Bernard Wright.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
It seems I have deleted the images linked in my initial message. I apologize for this inconvenience. The link provider and I parted ways a while ago and I forgot that I still had active assets in their possession. The previously referenced photos are now located here: goo.gl/x63hfl
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Have we considered that the first encoding might be via an autokey cipher? I've read that Vigenere actually came up with that (while he is wrongly credited with the simpler "Vigenere cipher). It requires not only a key, but also a passphrase. I almost hate to open up the possibility, but since all the obvious solutions seem to have failed thus far...
Chelsea, M.C.
Posted about 1 year ago
Please, feel free to open any possibilities that come to mind, as all of my ideas have ended in defeat, or perhaps they were successful and I don't understand the result.
Digby Caesar
Posted about 1 year ago
Long shot, of course, but has anyone tried a black light on the coded paper? I'd be delighted to find invisible ink used on something, and got nothing from my papers or extra documents. I'm very keen to find a clue that could lead to a breakthrough on this quest...
Chelsea, M.C.
Posted about 1 year ago
Some thoughts: based on the assumption that the first line is A.M. reversed, it would be possible to check each key word based on a mirror of the text and a complete reversal of it (since A.M. makes more sense as a signature, to find ones that produce two letters, 12 spaces apart (A-M) and apply the appropriate Caesar shift or even look only for answers that produce D.P. or G.S. and then work backwards once the options have been narrowed down. You could even get two letters of the keyword by finding the ones that produce the proper result. Of course, that still leaves the odd block of C's. which may have to be removed before or after decoding or may represent something else entirely. My issue with working on the Bridge Letter thus far has been the overwhelming number of possible ways to approach each section. Even with the proper keyword and shift there are four ways to approach the primary text and three for the Vigenere key.
Ringmaster
Posted 9 months ago
Ringmaster you have summed up everything I have been trying, and thinking over the past few months, I could not have said it better myself. The amount of possibilities without a proper clue to guide us is rather large. Since I have no idea what the keyword may be I have been trying logic and brute force and still no results!
The Beard
Posted 9 months ago
I've had the same issues. I had a fleeting suspicion that the secret name of the quarterly could be the keyword, but really, the keyword could be anything. There's such a vast number of ways to approach the bridge letter, that I get overwhelmed just thinking about it.
'Mouse' -DeathofaLemon
Posted 9 months ago
Hello! I've only just started delving into the mysteries of Curios and Conundrums as of last week, but I have a couple of questions on this letter.
One: where exactly did the "Actual Bridge Letter Text" on the wiki come from? I know the program used to encrypt the original message changed, so is that where we got this text? Or was the original text solved, then encoded in a way that those late in the game may solve it?
And two: has anyone decoded the message? As it's still listed as an unsolved mystery on the wiki, does that mean it has yet to be decoded, or has it been decoded but the message is a mystery unto itself?
Just curious and looking for answers!
Sorry of I'm asking any questions that may have already been answered elsewhere!
Indiana Popovich
Posted 7 months ago
No, it's a confusing conundrum, to be sure. The "actual text" was provided at the tail end of the first "Meeting of the Minds, in the unofficial chatroom, by none other than AM himself. However, that seems to be only the last several lines of the original letter, so the rest remains unsolved. Even using that bit of more easily decrypted text, it seems borderline impossible to create a keyword that would work to decode the rest of the original letter. It may be that the original is no longer relevant, for the most part, since it took us so long to "crack" it (or rather, for AM to realize that the original program had been corrupted).
Hope this helps! I'll try to clarify it on the Wiki, as well...
Chelsea, M.C.
Posted 7 months ago
Many thanks for the clarification, it makes just a bit more sense now. Well, at least from where that text came from. As for the rest, I'll continue looking into decoding that, as difficult as it seems.
Indiana Popovich
Posted 7 months ago
I'm working my way through the catch-up package. With help from the lovely and supportive people here, I've worked my way through to the hidden video on the Sand and Smoke website. Given the delays of time and distance, there wasn't much I could do except make a few notes from what the video taught me. from digging around, I found this thread. Can someone tell me what info I need from the drop package or point in the right direction to uncover this info myself?
Eva
Posted 5 months ago
Have you seen the wiki? Specifically this page: curios-and-conundrums.wikia.com/wiki/The_Bridge_Letter.
Todd
Posted 5 months ago
Included in the nook was a small blue tinged mirror with a Number 1 written on the back: db.tt/eFpcYsvG. Also included was a document which you can view db.tt/exTunz4Q
Expect a more thorough explanation of her exploits soon. But in the meantime, I have work to do!
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
I apologize for the truncated link above. Please refer instead to this one: db.tt/exTunz4Q
You'd think someone with such an extensive background in secret codes and adventuring could manage to write down a string of characters correctly. I blame my excited state and the bone-chilling cold outside my door.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Is there anything written on the back? The image suggests there is vivid possibly seeping through from the other side. Maybe a 3 and a 6? Thank you for posting this, looking forward to the full report.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
I see a 2 and a 3, which make sense if we remember that the mirror had a 1 on the back. This makes me think we need to decode the first paragraph and then hold it up to a mirror to read it.
This is all I have had time to ponder so far.
Pippa Brighton
Posted over 1 year ago
Perhaps we need to take a mirror image of the message, run it through the first code type then a second. Having trouble thinking of the right keyword though.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
As I've said before, I have a poor mind for codes and ciphers. I shall have to leave this in more capable hands. Just for my confirmation, though, to ensure that I figured out the dancing men correctly the number revealed was for Environment Canada, the Chemical Sectors Directorate? And the package was found near there? Or have I botched things and am way off the mark?
Dillon Sparks
Posted over 1 year ago
My two cents. Clearly the code is a Vignere and/or Caesar cypher. The bottom of the page is a recipe for Caesar dressing, and the mention of Vigenere hints at a solution. Perhaps the printed numbers (6 and 3) represent a number of shifts. I'm guessing here, but perhaps we do a Caesar shift of 6, then use a Vignere phrase, then a final Caesar shift of 3.
I'm no codebreaker, however...
Dan Luxenberg
Posted over 1 year ago
Okay, I don't know what I did wrong, but my use of redaction didn't work in that last post (and maybe in this one as well). Let's see if it works this time.
Dan Luxenberg
Posted over 1 year ago
I am working on the impression that the 1 suggests we need a mirror image of the first part which would put it in the right format for a letter, that the 2 wants us to solve a vigenere cipher which requires a keyword, and that the output of the vigenere cipher will still be encrypted and require the use of a caesar cipher to reveal the message. However, I have tried many different key words and I cant seem to find a suitable one that will provide the right output, I am currently examining the paper and previous clues to see if there is a suitable word or phrase which could work.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
After discussing the matter with my Canadian associate and looking around the area using Google Earth and also help from Pippa, I suspect that the Petrogylph may be this one: goo.gl/CFU4Vq which is located at the base of the bridge. The only other symbol at the site, was created in the video and is depicted here: goo.gl/CFU4Vq
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Unfortunately, I have mistakenly given the wrong link at the end of my previous message. The proper location of the symbol marking the dead-drop is here: db.tt/EjNAni5B
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
That glyph refers to the ID cards that we have in our possession. I suspect that the Vigenere key phrase is related to the ID card. Perhaps the name of the organization?
Dan Luxenberg
Posted over 1 year ago
I checked with my envoy who did not recall any other glyphs in the area. I am a little perplexed by the length of the words based on the punctuation. It seems the resultant text might end up being a mouthful.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Nicole is barking down the right track. The mirror is the first stage of decryption, and so the encryption needs to first be reversed. Look at the positioning of the periods at the beginning of the paragraphs, and you will see the tell. The second stage is running it through a Vigenere cipher. The clue is in the petroglyph. Note that the symbol drawn in chalk is not a petroglyph.... it's a petroGRAPH. Petroglyphs are carved into stone, not drawn onto them. Digby found us a Petroglyph, though... and while I would hesitate to say that a random object found on Google maps was the clue, if you go to the mysterious package company's Facebook pictures you will see a closeup of that very Glyph. Snake, Serpent, and other variations of the word should be attempted for the Vigenere. As Nicole said, 'the output of the Vigenere cipher will still be encrypted and require the use of a Caesar cipher to reveal the message.' The Caesar clue is evading me, but I am looking hard at the recipe. These people rarely use numbers flippantly. The OSS petrograph might still play in... or it might have simply been a convenient marker.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
I didn't mean to suggest that the snake\serpent\reptile was a shot in the dark from the internet. My envoy actually included the snake in two photos from her adventure log. db.tt/TF6H9OAb (far left side) and db.tt/REieTOQQ (center). I used the internet to scout the area in case there were other relevant petroglyphs since my Vigenere Cipher results were... less than enlightening (even after some monkeying around with my namesake). I appreciate your input, and am hopeful that we can work together to unearth the solution.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Also, I found the exact recipe for Classic Caesar Salad online (down to the asterisk after "yolks"). The only difference in the makes 3 servings which the online recipe does not include. So it may be safe to assume that the 'Caesar Shift is 3`
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
There is a non-numerical Caesar shift. 1=26, 2=25, 3=24, etc. It would be keeping in theme with the mirror. I also have a hunch that step one is not a simple left to right flip as the mirror would suggest, but a complete reversal. The H.M. at the lead is not an introduction, but a signature. I have reversed the original message, typed it up, and replaced the letters with their base numerical value. I begin decryption in earnest tonight. I can link, email, or post that 'starting point' so you can check my work. On a related note, I was not trying to disparage the petroglyph, merely toss out the red herring of the petrograph. Also, that SNAKE.... I don't know much about the waterways of the frozen north... but why exactly is it emblazoned on the foot stones of the bridge in the first place? Could it be a named glyph.... like the kokopelli, or have relevance to the name of the water way that is bridged, or the name of the bridge itself. Was it insisted upon by some cultist local politician? Proper Nouns are the first line of attack on the Vignere... and I lack that particular specialized knowledge. That information would definitely help.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
The Humber River is part of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System (complete with plaque: db.tt/lZEmUxF7 ) That language at the top of the plaque is apparently of the Ojibwe dialect and using a book called Nishnaabemwin Reference Grammar I've determined that their word for SNAKE is gnebgoon. I'll keep looking for a proper name.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
The Mishi-Ginebig (Misiginebig) is a commonly referenced underwater serpent common to Algonquian (and Ojibway) tribes. Unfortunately, there are SEVERAL alternate spellings: www.native-languages.org/misiginebig.htm
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
If I have to translate this from Ojibwa when I'm done, I swear to dog I will pitch a fit. We are doing well. Every wrong answer is one less option until we are left with the right one, so while it may not be the progress we want... it is nonetheless progress.
My thoughts after a couple of days attacking this with calculator, graph paper, and pen: 1. Overthinking is the enemy. Consider the possibility that we have already seen the key, but discarded it, or used it in incorrect sequence. 2. This is why computers were invented. 3. My friend needs to code me a Decrypticron Applet faster. 4. These C's are giving me conniptions. There's over 700 of them. The largest cluster is eleven characters long. Crazy... Double Encryption or not, that's just ridiculous, and killing my frequency analysis. I seriously have no idea how long this thing is. 5. Consider the possibility that the key is written backwards. Just consider it. Now sigh with me. 6. Alright, the Caesar shift. I'm currently applying three different kinds of caesar shifts after each attempt to crack the Viginere. I'm trying both a three step positive and negative shift, as well as the alphabet flip. I am currently confident that it is one of those three options. I am often wrong. 7. What if the clues are actually saying that Viginere key has had a caesar shift applied to it? Oh dog. I'm just going to ignore that I thought of that. 8. Which brings me back to point one.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
Whether it was the key or the message that was shifted is irrelevant, unless it's the flip shift.
The following is double spoiler. You've been warned. List of possible keys. I've tried, or will try, at least one variation of all of these. If you can think of something not mentioned, please feel free to bring it up. Snake, Serpent, Viper, Reptile, Gnebgoon, Humber, Kabechenong (it's from the plaque), and Misiginebig. More to Come.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
Greetings to you all from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I am the one who retrieved the contents currently under discussion. (By the way, if anyone else would like a physical copy, there were multiple packages available at the location, with instructions to please take only one.) Jeffrey Ingram noted above that "if you go to the mysterious package company's Facebook pictures you will see a closeup of [the snake] Glyph" -- I would like to add that the pictures in the same album that have POWER and MONUMENT on them are from metal plates also found under the bridge -- plates that I didn't give more than a passing glance at the time. I am willing to go back and take another look around, but I do think that J.I.'s observation and the prominence of that particular glyph at the site (it is on all four bases of the bridge) seem to indicate that it is the one we should pursue.
That being said, here is an interesting piece of info from Wikipedia: "The bridge connects the former municipalities of "Old Toronto" and Etobicoke (both now part of the amalgamated City of Toronto) along an ancient aboriginal trading route along the shore of Lake Ontario, and thus features design elements and decorations such as carved turtles and canoes that evoke this native heritage." (source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_Bay_Arch_Bridge). I do remember seeing a canoe on a metal plate under the other end of the bridge, but don't remember seeing any turtles. If the key isn't discovered by later in the week, I'd be willing to go back to the site Saturday and poke around some more.
dreamerblue
Posted over 1 year ago
I'm just rattling off thoughts here, which may have no relevance whatsoever. If we assume the text is reversed then the .E.H may be the initials of the person in the video, who I believe is Andrew McCabe. Although the Curator assures me that Andrew McCabe is long dead and any suggestion that he is alive is "a hoax of the blackest sort" So .E.H. becomes H.E. and if we shift that three spaces, we get E.B. or K.H. which isn't a great deal of help, although I'll keep an eye out for those as I continue to solve the Vigenere.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Yes I had reached a similar assumption, but due to the Vigenere we are unlikely to see those change to the correct lettersunless we have the correct code to begin with, as they are at the end of the message we are trying to translate.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
Flipping through the newspaper, I happened upon the... image of carved characters on one of the pages. Looks like "L A ? ? ?" I wonder if that has any bearing on our puzzle...
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Correct or not, any clue is a good clue. I apologize for not working more diligently on breaking this Vigenere, but my new infant demands that her room be painted with speed and alacrity. I'll check back in with more results within the next few days.
Mark "The Gottler" Gottlesby
Posted over 1 year ago
Has anyone had any luck with the deciphering? I have spent a LOT of time chasing my tail on this one and very likely over-thinking it. I would share my notes, but they would probably lead you down the same incorrect, twisting path to a dead end.
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
No, I have tried a great many keywords to no avail. I also don't want to lead people down the wrong path by showing ones I have tried, though I hazard a guess the number is now in the triple digits. At this point I must hold out hope that one of our compatriots stumbles across the correct word or phrase, or that we are given a nudge in the right direction by someone like Mr. Bernard Wright.
Ms. Nicole Landers
Posted over 1 year ago
It seems I have deleted the images linked in my initial message. I apologize for this inconvenience. The link provider and I parted ways a while ago and I forgot that I still had active assets in their possession. The previously referenced photos are now located here: goo.gl/x63hfl
Digby Caesar
Posted over 1 year ago
Have we considered that the first encoding might be via an autokey cipher? I've read that Vigenere actually came up with that (while he is wrongly credited with the simpler "Vigenere cipher). It requires not only a key, but also a passphrase. I almost hate to open up the possibility, but since all the obvious solutions seem to have failed thus far...
Chelsea, M.C.
Posted about 1 year ago
Please, feel free to open any possibilities that come to mind, as all of my ideas have ended in defeat, or perhaps they were successful and I don't understand the result.
Digby Caesar
Posted about 1 year ago
Long shot, of course, but has anyone tried a black light on the coded paper? I'd be delighted to find invisible ink used on something, and got nothing from my papers or extra documents. I'm very keen to find a clue that could lead to a breakthrough on this quest...
Chelsea, M.C.
Posted about 1 year ago
Some thoughts: based on the assumption that the first line is A.M. reversed, it would be possible to check each key word based on a mirror of the text and a complete reversal of it (since A.M. makes more sense as a signature, to find ones that produce two letters, 12 spaces apart (A-M) and apply the appropriate Caesar shift or even look only for answers that produce D.P. or G.S. and then work backwards once the options have been narrowed down. You could even get two letters of the keyword by finding the ones that produce the proper result. Of course, that still leaves the odd block of C's. which may have to be removed before or after decoding or may represent something else entirely. My issue with working on the Bridge Letter thus far has been the overwhelming number of possible ways to approach each section. Even with the proper keyword and shift there are four ways to approach the primary text and three for the Vigenere key.
Ringmaster
Posted 9 months ago
Ringmaster you have summed up everything I have been trying, and thinking over the past few months, I could not have said it better myself. The amount of possibilities without a proper clue to guide us is rather large. Since I have no idea what the keyword may be I have been trying logic and brute force and still no results!
The Beard
Posted 9 months ago
I've had the same issues. I had a fleeting suspicion that the secret name of the quarterly could be the keyword, but really, the keyword could be anything. There's such a vast number of ways to approach the bridge letter, that I get overwhelmed just thinking about it.
'Mouse' -DeathofaLemon
Posted 9 months ago
Hello! I've only just started delving into the mysteries of Curios and Conundrums as of last week, but I have a couple of questions on this letter.
One: where exactly did the "Actual Bridge Letter Text" on the wiki come from? I know the program used to encrypt the original message changed, so is that where we got this text? Or was the original text solved, then encoded in a way that those late in the game may solve it?
And two: has anyone decoded the message? As it's still listed as an unsolved mystery on the wiki, does that mean it has yet to be decoded, or has it been decoded but the message is a mystery unto itself?
Just curious and looking for answers!
Sorry of I'm asking any questions that may have already been answered elsewhere!
Indiana Popovich
Posted 7 months ago
No, it's a confusing conundrum, to be sure. The "actual text" was provided at the tail end of the first "Meeting of the Minds, in the unofficial chatroom, by none other than AM himself. However, that seems to be only the last several lines of the original letter, so the rest remains unsolved. Even using that bit of more easily decrypted text, it seems borderline impossible to create a keyword that would work to decode the rest of the original letter. It may be that the original is no longer relevant, for the most part, since it took us so long to "crack" it (or rather, for AM to realize that the original program had been corrupted).
Hope this helps! I'll try to clarify it on the Wiki, as well...
Chelsea, M.C.
Posted 7 months ago
Many thanks for the clarification, it makes just a bit more sense now. Well, at least from where that text came from. As for the rest, I'll continue looking into decoding that, as difficult as it seems.
Indiana Popovich
Posted 7 months ago
I'm working my way through the catch-up package. With help from the lovely and supportive people here, I've worked my way through to the hidden video on the Sand and Smoke website. Given the delays of time and distance, there wasn't much I could do except make a few notes from what the video taught me. from digging around, I found this thread. Can someone tell me what info I need from the drop package or point in the right direction to uncover this info myself?
Eva
Posted 5 months ago
Have you seen the wiki? Specifically this page: curios-and-conundrums.wikia.com/wiki/The_Bridge_Letter.
Todd
Posted 5 months ago