Part 1: The Beginning of a Journey

[FM Ferengi]

Part 1: The Beginning of a Journey - Setup Phase


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CDbK2plvqw

The Cylons were created to make life easier on the Twelve Colonies. And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters. After a long and bloody struggle, an armistice was declared and the Cylons left for another world to call their own.

Forty years later, they returned, and brought humanity to the brink of extinction. The remaining humans, led by the crew of the Battlestar Galactica, fled in hopes of finding a new home, one known by legend as Earth.

Humanity’s only hope lies in finding Earth’s location while fighting off the unrelenting Cylons. But as resources run low, it is discovered that the enemy can now appear human and has infiltrated the fleet from the inside.

-------------------------------------------------

Resources -
Morale - 20
Food - 20
Water - 20
Population - 21

Fleet Marker -
(...................||.........)

President - FM Combo
Admiral - unelected

-------------------------------------------------

Links:
Setup: http://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/showthread.php/19732-Battlestar-Galactica-The-FM-18-Reserve-Dead-Chat-Puzzle-Game
FAQ: http://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/showthread.php/19735-FAQ

Setup Phase: http://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/showthread.php/19755-Part-1-The-Beginning-of-a-Journey?p=316541&viewfull=1#post316541
Crisis Phase: http://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/showthread.php/19755-Part-1-The-Beginning-of-a-Journey?p=317295&viewfull=1#post317295
Triggered Hint #1: http://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/showthread.php/19755-Part-1-The-Beginning-of-a-Journey?p=317576&viewfull=1#post317576
Triggered Hint #2: http://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/showthread.php/19755-Part-1-The-Beginning-of-a-Journey?p=318343&viewfull=1#post318343
End: http://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/showthread.php/19755-Part-1-The-Beginning-of-a-Journey?p=318363&viewfull=1#post318363

List of Players:
FM Walter
FM Skyler
FM Jesse
FM Hank
FM Marie
FM Flynn
FM Saul
FM Gustavo
FM Mike
FM Gale
FM Holly
FM Badger
FM Ted
FM Andrea
FM Krazy 8
FM Combo
FM Hector
FM Tuco
FM Pete
FM Jane
FM Gage

[FM Ferengi]

Part 1: The Beginning of a Journey - Setup Phase


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjgOtrwGnto

Two Cylon base stars spotted on our tail. Prep the FTL drives for another jump.

That's another 33 minutes, sir. They keep finding us 33 minutes after each jump. It's like clockwork.

So what's the plan? Are we just going to keep running away? We'll soon run out of food, water, and fuel.

I don't know what the plan is. We need to elect a President. And an Admiral.

-------------------------------------------------

Setup Phase:
During this Setup Phase, cast your votes for the President and the Admiral by typing

-vote playername for President
-vote playername for Admiral

Vote count will be manual, and the player with the most votes wins. In the event of a tie, the role will be randomly given to one of the players with the top votes.

Questions may be asked in green or PM'ed to Switzerland.

The Setup Phase ends at this time: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=may+9%2C+2013+12%3A00am+PST

[FM Pete]

Hello, other people on the ship who may or may not be cylons.

[FM Hector]

I'm hector of the vector, welcome my awesome.

If anyone finds this strange, I'll change.

I'd like to help, even if I yelp.

[FM Combo]

All I want to do is solve the puzzles :( not all this strategy crap

[FM Combo]

-vote FM Combo

[FM Combo]

-vote FM Combo for President

Fixed it.

[FM Combo]

-vote FM Combo for President


Forgive my triple post/epic failure.

[FM Ferengi]

Part 1: The Beginning of a Journey - Crisis Phase

It was a tight race.

FM Laura Roslin, FM Tom Zarek, and FM Combo all gave speeches on why they should be elected president. Meanwhile chaos reigned among the fleet.

Sir, we have discovered a small civilian ship with one person aboard. He goes by the name of FM Gage. We have been communicating with him via radio and the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet. Raptors have been sent to escort him back to the main fleet.

Sir, the Cylon base stars are lining up to attack. We have to prep the jump, and fast.

Sir, FM Combo has been elected president of the fleet. Let's hope that he doesn't interfere with matters of the military.

Sir, we don't have an admiral...

FM Gage boarded the Battlestar Galactica with a specific mission. "I rescued this document from one of the museums back on Kobol. It's rumored to have information about the location of the route to Earth. Is Earth myth or reality? It seems like we don't have a choice at this point. We need to find a planetary system with water, food, and livable conditions. I can't read this document, but perhaps some people aboard the Battlestar Galactica can help me figure out what it says."

It seems to be written in some sort of code...

Let's hope we can figure this out.
So say we all.


Ivrz, iouem zfrvz cg Srphvj air uye mstk,
(Fjf Ciuoit zs vb ifnjisrbgs nrn;
Nc bie ovfp agz; bcl ccofumocce hso)

Giq Uiimzg ptpg aj kxl raunhfhlg;
Tsr Yklhnx wp te vhscrkrpej axg….

Dsq Uiimzg ptpg aj kxl raunhfhlg;
Tsr, pnis, aj wp te vhscrkrpej axg.

Pr kitp ouwuouw uavl fipbvyms pbpm tw Erue,
Eurae znqaouf gqd buh oevruil kbinezf iqlt:

W wxlgmzhvt! burc azg itel gr jrcglah jrdata,
Nql mma kivm yrat buhqr zrdaov…. Ohir evwp mm;

Oltmrwl, Aixirl, vxoybvrfnh, wmrw fn szcv xtam;
T ksfx ci mcvr Vjydiv, ghc nz xvtbby sqq;

Cw wsd qe po ethr Klscic ... Hrm ycltp Pbceic
Plhr bzzn gzi Mipgkz hoc ixpsbtcea:

Kvo Pbceic qd ox pzbyccoltp akv.
Jce iwz nqo gom evkb zb dpp Zexpfmiw

Epq egqx tsif mpv po wqhed irtpz fhpu,
Fhp oaoo qe oqb unemdrpl iiep fhpqd bzvqs,

T btrtkq pcmeeybqd sqy a vqzgwg orzez,
Wsqoh sm pio btrtkq rpngsp: ems epus lunieqan?

Robe X td seepk xn Ratspr'h fjntrpl ...
We lah mn fgitns, fpiihuua acd yuht io be:

Yz mu aghy wp, mv muw b ktyyzpyu vuymx,
Cdx ksmgliytpa xuxi Gcumes epiqisif yn ...

Y mtfem dix us fymtssxu qlbx Dhoxvw ufiof,
Fwj bisi K qg xp wruuo xlcj C hp opeq.

Vqh kyik qr Trekiv jvee iqsztawyj?
Nhwv xyrt lpi gfoj pemv cjqiu, Tawaei yalp avgt:

Hg jxoio qu bb kcm ehtwdv vasiz ekmv Tvmutf,
Ril K fijo xcngv oqne wk xwox prxs vh av”

Xdbgqzol pyosiu bc jrdc lw srbinco jtscw:
Ycq Srsqls qxps fb naq xdbgqzosp;

Vfu yic dga cotb yik lecc, kft ufkhmrk cyrje:
Uert axlsc tztfeflbp pos qyel qf mmrin dli hgj?


-----------------------

+1 to the fleet population (FM Gage)

FM Combo has been elected President of the Twelve Colonies

Note: My apologies for posting the puzzle late - this subforum was accidentally locked yesterday. Additionally, expect RP hints every 24-48 hours. I encourage you to post your lines of reasoning in this thread - even if you try something that doesn't work you should post about it, as something you say may trigger a free RP hint at no expense of fleet resources.

[FM Gage]

I've been working on the puzzle a little bit, but I haven't gotten very far with it. First of all, I don't think it can be a simple letter-for-letter substitution cipher, since (1) the statistical frequency of different letters doesn't come close to matching English, (2) there are too many words that don't repeat a single letter, (3) there are words that have patterns that no English word I can find has (like ccofumocce: standard lists of words beginning with a double letter don't list anything with this pattern of letters).

Note that the 3rd stanza is a near repetition of the 2nd, which sounds to me like it might be from some ritualistic text (like a prayer), but I haven't found anything that matches the structure of this puzzle.

Another place we might have luck is looking at pairs of almost identical words, like "Xdbgqzol" versus "xdbgqzosp" in the second to last stanza.

[FM Combo]

Well it's definitely not simple letter offsets, there's four seperate letters used on their own (whereas english has only two)

[FM Combo]

Observations:
1. Not simple letter offsets ( T, Y, W, C, K, X all used as single letter words )
2. Code seems to remain constant ( "Uiimzg" used multiple times )

[FM Gage]

wait, my thing didn't post. Is this subforum moderated?

[FM Ferengi]

wait, my thing didn't post. Is this subforum moderated?

Sorry, I think there was a permissions error. I'm working on getting this fixed. I'll have to manually approve your posts until FM Game Master has a chance to fix your permissions.

[FM Ferengi]

Triggered Hint #1:


I've been working on the puzzle a little bit, but I haven't gotten very far with it. First of all, I don't think it can be a simple letter-for-letter substitution cipher, since (1) the statistical frequency of different letters doesn't come close to matching English, (2) there are too many words that don't repeat a single letter, (3) there are words that have patterns that no English word I can find has (like ccofumocce: standard lists of words beginning with a double letter don't list anything with this pattern of letters).

Note that the 3rd stanza is a near repetition of the 2nd, which sounds to me like it might be from some ritualistic text (like a prayer), but I haven't found anything that matches the structure of this puzzle.

Another place we might have luck is looking at pairs of almost identical words, like "Xdbgqzol" versus "xdbgqzosp" in the second to last stanza.

FM Gaius Baltar looked up from his workstation.

Why yes, FM Gage, I do believe you have raised a number of important points. FM Combo as well. Bravo, boys. In any case, I can agree with you that it's not a simple cipher. In fact, it seems almost, how should I put it... indéchiffrable.

Very well, I shall keep at it.

[FM Combo]

Well that explains why no combination of transposing ciphers and caeser shifts worked. Very well, french it is.

[FM Pete]

Sorry, I think there was a permissions error. I'm working on getting this fixed. I'll have to manually approve your posts until FM Game Master has a chance to fix your permissions.

Really? This seems like a noob mistake.

[FM Combo]

Really? This seems like a noob mistake.

Do not underestimate the ACP's ability to confuse people.

[Forum Mafia GM]

No, I fixed him :/ I'll see if there's anything else wrong...

[Forum Mafia GM]

Yeah, the settings are correct, I have no idea what's wrong. Moderate posts is off and you all have specific permissions set.

[FM Pete]

>.> Me thinks, there is a conspiracy here. Staff get your act together. ^.^

[FM Hector]

I've had my share attempt of the code.

Playing around with the uppercase letters and the result of what I'm getting is : "Is gun, duty we".

I believe that if we play around with the uppercase letters then we may get some sort of password for the code.

Then again, it could be as simple as another language that can only be solved by comparing words and that we're only over-thinking it all out.

The sentences with the question-marks should be a valid question like "Are you sure?".

[FM Combo]

It's probably a Vigenere cipher (the letter frequency being as even as it is would be evidence of this, it's a trademark sign of Vigenere ciphers) the problem is I haven't been able to figure out the keyword. Based on repeating phrases, namely the two stanzas that almost identically repeat themselves, I'd say it's probably a 53 letter phrase. Someone check the RP for clues, I have to go to work.

[FM Combo]

It's probably a Vigenere cipher (the letter frequency being as even as it is would be evidence of this, it's a trademark sign of Vigenere ciphers) the problem is I haven't been able to figure out the keyword. Based on repeating phrases, namely the two stanzas that almost identically repeat themselves, I'd say it's probably a 53 letter phrase. Someone check the RP for clues, I have to go to work.

The "keyword" i mean is a 53 letter phrase

[FM Hector]

I have shaped all letters of the code into A's and everything have received a color.
Lowercase a's become red, uppercase A's become green and everything else becomes white.

What's the point of this, you may ask?

This will comfort our eyes to be able to see were the upper and lower case letters are without straining from all the different letters.

Aaaa, aaaaa aaaaa aa Aaaaaa aaa aaa aaaa,
(Aaa Aaaaaa aa aa aaaaaaaaaa aaa;
Aa aaa aaaa aaa; aaa aaaaaaaaaa aaa)

Aaa Aaaaaa aaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaa;
Aaa Aaaaaa aa aa aaaaaaaaaa aaa….

Aaa Aaaaaa aaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaa;
Aaa, aaaa, aa aa aa aaaaaaaaaa aaa.

Aa aaaa aaaaaaa aaaa aaaaaaaa aaaa aa Aaaa,
Aaaaa aaaaaaa aaa aaa aaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaa:

A aaaaaaaaa! aaaa aaa aaaa aa aaaaaaa aaaaaa,
Aaa aaa aaaa aaaa aaaaa aaaaaa…. Aaaa aaaa aa;

Aaaaaaa, Aaaaaa, aaaaaaaaaa, aaaa aa aaaa aaaa;
A aaaa aa aaaa Aaaaaa, aaa aa aaaaaa aaa;

Aa aaa aa aa aaaa Aaaaaa ... Aaa aaaaa Aaaaaa
Aaaa aaaa aaa Aaaaaa aaa aaaaaaaaa:

Aaa Aaaaaa aa aa aaaaaaaaaa aaa.
Aaa aaa aaa aaa aaaa aa aaa Aaaaaaaa

Aaa aaaa aaaa aaa aa aaaaa aaaaa aaaa,
Aaa aaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaa aaaa aaaaa aaaaa,

A aaaaaa aaaaaaaaa aaa a aaaaaa aaaaa,
Aaaaa aa aaa aaaaaa aaaaaa: aaa aaaa aaaaaaaa?

Aaaa A aa aaaaa aa Aaaaaa'a aaaaaaa ...
Aa aaa aa aaaaaa, aaaaaaaa aaa aaaa aa aa:

Aa aa aaaa aa, aa aaa a aaaaaaaa aaaaa,
Aaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaa Aaaaaa aaaaaaaa aa ...

A aaaaa aaa aa aaaaaaaa aaaa Aaaaaa aaaaa,
Aaa aaaa A aa aa aaaaa aaaa A aa aaaa.

Aaa aaaa aa Aaaaaa aaaa aaaaaaaaa?
Aaaa aaaa aaa aaaa aaaa aaaaa, Aaaaaa aaaa aaaa:

Aa aaaaa aa aa aaa aaaaaa aaaaa aaaa Aaaaaa,
Aaa A aaaa aaaaa aaaa aa aaaa aaaa aa aa”

Aaaaaaaa aaaaaa aa aaaa aa aaaaaaa aaaaa:
Aaa Aaaaaa aaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaa;

Aaa aaa aaa aaaa aaa aaaa, aaa aaaaaaa aaaaa:
Aaaa aaaaa aaaaaaaaa aaa aaaa aa aaaaa aaa aaa?

[FM Combo]

If you'd keep an eye out for decent clues while you're working on that I'd appreciate it. I'll keep trying to find a keyword.

[FM Combo]

I believe I've broken it, just need to nail down a few details.

[FM Combo]

Ok I was refraining from posting this because idk what happens if Cylons solve it first but:

HERE, UNDER LEAVE OF BRUTUS AND THE REST,
(FOR BRUTUS IS AN HONOURABLE MAN;
SO ARE THEY ALL ALL HONOURABLE MEN)
Keyword: Bravo

BUT BRUTUS SAYS HE WAS AMBITIOUS ;
AND BRUTUS IS AN HONOURABL E MAN …
Keyword: Foxtrot

YET BRUTUS SAYS HE WAS AMBITIOUS;
AND, SURE, HE IS AN HONOURABLE MAN.
Keyword: Foxtrot

HE HATH BROUGHT MANY CAPTIVES HOME TO ROME,
WHOSE RANSOMS DID THE GENERAL COFFERS FILL:
Keyword: India

O JUDGEMENT! THOU ART FLED TO BRUTISH BEASTS,
AND MEN HAVE LOST THEIR REASON… BEAR WITH ME;
Keyword: India


It's a vigenere cipher, each stanza has a seperate keyword. There's the first 5 (of 17!!) and I'm tired of bruteforcing. The keywords are all from the International RadioTelephony Spelling Alphabet.

Here's the alphabet:
http://i.imgur.com/U1gr72w.jpg

I'm tired and kinda frustrated from the seeming nonsensicalness of the keyword order. It's possible there's some kind of system for determining which keyword is for a given stanza but I've yet to figure it out. I'll bruteforce more in the morning if Switzerland is not satisfied with the amount I've broken so far. It's just tiring examining anywhere between 2 and 26 seperate keys on every stanza.

[FM Combo]

Steps to bruteforce:
1. Strip all Punctuation
2. Use a tool to try every keyword in the IRSA alphabet until one makes sense (they're all passages from Shakespeare's Julius Caeser if that helps)
3. Tools usually seperate the new letters arbitrarily, fix spacing and re-add punctuation.

[FM Combo]

To make matters worse, random sections of the passage are skipped so I can't just infer the rest of it. They seem to be in order though.

[FM Combo]

Oltmrwl, Aixirl, vxoybvrfnh, wmrw fn szcv xtam;
T ksfx ci mcvr Vjydiv, ghc nz xvtbby sqq;
Probably is

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.


Cw wsd qe po ethr Klscic ... Hrm ycltp Pbceic
Plhr bzzn gzi Mipgkz hoc ixpsbtcea:
Probably is

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:

[FM Ferengi]

Triggered Hint #2:


Ok I was refraining from posting this because idk what happens if Cylons solve it first but:

HERE, UNDER LEAVE OF BRUTUS AND THE REST,
(FOR BRUTUS IS AN HONOURABLE MAN;
SO ARE THEY ALL ALL HONOURABLE MEN)
Keyword: Bravo

BUT BRUTUS SAYS HE WAS AMBITIOUS ;
AND BRUTUS IS AN HONOURABL E MAN …
Keyword: Foxtrot

YET BRUTUS SAYS HE WAS AMBITIOUS;
AND, SURE, HE IS AN HONOURABLE MAN.
Keyword: Foxtrot

HE HATH BROUGHT MANY CAPTIVES HOME TO ROME,
WHOSE RANSOMS DID THE GENERAL COFFERS FILL:
Keyword: India

O JUDGEMENT! THOU ART FLED TO BRUTISH BEASTS,
AND MEN HAVE LOST THEIR REASON… BEAR WITH ME;
Keyword: India


It's a vigenere cipher, each stanza has a seperate keyword. There's the first 5 (of 17!!) and I'm tired of bruteforcing. The keywords are all from the International RadioTelephony Spelling Alphabet.

Here's the alphabet:
http://i.imgur.com/U1gr72w.jpg

I'm tired and kinda frustrated from the seeming nonsensicalness of the keyword order. It's possible there's some kind of system for determining which keyword is for a given stanza but I've yet to figure it out. I'll bruteforce more in the morning if Switzerland is not satisfied with the amount I've broken so far. It's just tiring examining anywhere between 2 and 26 seperate keys on every stanza.

FM Combo brought his preliminary results to FM Gaius Baltar.

Ah yes, FM Combo it appears that the keys to this cipher are words from the International RadioTelephony Spelling Alphabet. I did some further processing on the Battlestar Galactica's computing cluster and came up with these solutions to the code text. It seems that we are at least close to a solution, but we still need to find jump coordinates that will lead us to the next clue on the road to Earth. I've done some cross referencing with our ancient artifacts and codes scholars and they believe that the jump coordinates we need can be determined using their algorithm on latitude and longitude coordinates of a specific city. I digress.

What we need from you is a city. A city and a country. Figure out how this code turns itself into a city and a country, and we will be on our way to the next puzzle.


Vigenere Cipher Key: BRAVO
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all; all honourable men)

Vigenere Cipher Key: FOXTROT
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man….

Vigenere Cipher Key: FOXTROT
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.

Vigenere Cipher Key: INDIA
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:

Vigenere Cipher Key: INDIA
O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason…. Bear with me;

Vigenere Cipher Key: JULIETT
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him;

Vigenere Cipher Key: KILO
So let it be with Caesar ... The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:

Vigenere Cipher Key: KILO
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal

Vigenere Cipher Key: LIMA
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones,

Vigenere Cipher Key: LIMA
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

Vigenere Cipher Key: PAPA
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral ...
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:

Vigenere Cipher Key: QUEBEC
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it ...

Vigenere Cipher Key: QUEBEC
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.

Vigenere Cipher Key: SIERRA
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:

Vigenere Cipher Key: VICTOR
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me”

Vigenere Cipher Key: XRAY
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

Vigenere Cipher Key: XRAY
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?

[FM Combo]

If rearranged into the correct order of the passages:

1 Juliett
2 Lima
3 Kilo
4 Quebec
5 Bravo
6 Papa
7 Foxtrot
8 India
9 Sierra
10 Xray
11 Kilo
12 Lima
13 Foxtrot
14 Quebec
15 Xray
16 India
17 Victor

or JLKQBPFISXKLFQXIV

[FM Combo]

The city is Monte Silvano, Italy

[Forum Mafia GM]

*low whistle*
I don't even know the answer, but that was impressive

[FM Combo]

*low whistle*
I don't even know the answer, but that was impressive

It was a shift cipher. Take all those letters, shift three to the right on the alphabet and they spell out the city.

[FM Ferengi]

Part 1: End


The city is Monte Silvano, Italy

Montesilvano, Italy.
42°30'50"N 14°8'58"E

FM Gaius Baltar scratched his head in flabbergasted awe. Would you look at that!

The code was a passage from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, encoded using a Vignére cipher with keywords from the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet. When you decode each stanza and re-order the passages in the order that they appear, it generates letters (corresponding to words in the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet words). These letters were encoded using Julius Caesar's private correspondence Caesar shift cipher (left shift of 3).

Quite impressive, Mr. President.

With the new jump coordinates, the fleet could finally start on their journey to find Earth.

End of Part 1.
Part 2 will be posted shortly.