New Bitcoin Puzzle

[rock_collector]

Good work on the puzzle, Dalek and others. The 26 unique characters seem to indicate that there's an alphabetic character correlation for each yellow block. But no luck at all decoding a message with frequency analysis, reading the map in many directions (including spirals).  I have a slightly different distribution for your 1b, 7a, 6b, etc; just labeled it differently (and I spent hours painstakingly reading the map): 12 11 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4. That difference isn't really significant for frequency analysis though.  

After so many tries, I’m wondering if this just doesn’t require frequency analysis after all. Yet after trying other strategies for assigning alphabetic characters to the yellow blocks, I’m just stuck.

In the past, Coin_artist's art puzzles presented a relatively easy-(but not simple)-to-find bitcoin address, and the ensuing stages of the puzzle eventually led to finding the private key. I’ve got to assume that the current step should be relatively easy. It’s a rabbit hole and is supposed to entice us. And it shouldn't require advanced programming or crypto skills. I don’t have those, yet I have been able to keep up with most stages of her prior puzzles.

I do believe, though, that the keypad entry for the text adventure will be discovered by interpreting the map somehow.

Those are my completely unhelpful thoughts.

[1715308847]

1715308847

[franky1]

anyone think that maybe the 3x3 blocks with triangles are maybe linked to hexidecimal in some way.

OR the numbers are right.. but where the triangles dont relate to a b c d

anyone else tried to play around with what the triangles might represent to get a different result instead of 6b 7a... etc

[4pollo]

anyone think that maybe the 3x3 blocks with triangles are maybe linked to hexidecimal in some way.

OR the numbers are right.. but where the triangles dont relate to a b c d

anyone else tried to play around with what the triangles might represent to get a different result instead of 6b 7a... etc

Us assigning letters to the triangles is arbitrary, as is the ordering of the triangles (i.e. we can assign 1,2,3 to a,b,d in 6 different ways). Assuming a, b, and d are interchangeable, that leaves 6 ways to assign A-Z to the pairs like:

Code:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
a	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I
b	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R
d	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	#
*	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#

For frequency analysis, none of this matters though, since each of the pairs is replaced by a single letter. In that case, only the mapping between pairs and letters matters, as well as the order in which the result is read from the grid (left-right, up-down, spiral, etc). So, if each pair stands for a single unique letter, we should be able to break it by reading out the pairs from the grid in some logical way, and then attack the result as a substitution cipher with frequency analysis.  Using the above substitution:

Code:

LEFTRIGHT = OGQGKKSFRHSSUGASBLAXEGOAYWNDPTRTZLEUQTFPIZPPZVVOUKPKKPBRNVZJMJHBMBJQXUOIDQUYHAIDXYAECFKYDYOULGVUURMLMJIEIECFMGRLARKHZOHBFHJJHGAGLIGOVYRNKOXJJJ#LJOLCLYJFCQNIGBZTO#XWWAJGNXPWPTUZURYQF

UPDOWN    = OHVXCPGJAHYTQSROHFB#JOTGTFIKLFRF#SPUBDIAXIKMUXYUERHCWUOPJNLQGGAZKOYDUIJKJNWUKAZKIEHOIKLPDYCGOLAZYEBQFACJUSSWUPRUAORMGXGGRNQPNLBNBDVBYEUMGKIJLJHLHGJXAPZZQLMJLZFXTTJGZOYPYEVMJOQRVRVWF

Haven't had any luck attacking this as a substitution cipher. Frequency analysis will fail though if we are using the wrong way to read out the pairs from the grid, or if we only need a subset of them (e.g. only the pairs that are attached to the dark green pipes).

Another direction would be that the aztec code is the result of a superposition of multiple aztec codes, and it can be demultiplexed by the markings. However, then the whole core of the aztec code should have the same marking.

A final thought on "the journey inward": the map seems to consist of a number of layers on top of each other: QR on top of AZTEC on top of DARK GREEN PIPES on top of LIGHT GREEN PIPES on top of a RED GRID. So maybe Level 1 of Days Destroyed would only need the QR, level 2 only the AZTEC, and so on.

[Superbitzz]

i think it require such long time with sharp minded. looking very difficult. i havnt so much time to solve it. i thin  those people who are free will easily solve the puzzel.

[mephala]

Thought I would jump in and tell you my two cents since i have spent way too much time on this enigma and the name "days destroyed" might as very well be what happened to my last week.

So:

1. as some others users have done i tried finding a meaningful substitution with letters for the squares with triangles and tried reading the result in different ways but had no luck.
2. there is a twitter account associated with the text adventure, https://twitter.com/whit3r4bbi7. I tried steganalysis on the avatar but it seems clean. The description of the account contains an hashtag #GTIN, which may suggest at some point in the game we will find a number and that number will be a global trade item number, or that we'll find something which resolves to a barcode, database of GTIN entries: http://www.ean-search.org/ or http://gepir.gs1.org/v32/xx/gtin.aspx?Lang=en-US
3. I tried manipulating the black and white bitmask version of the map. At first i thought it was an aztec code but to make it work it needed some manipulation. I tried using the avatar of the twitter account as a bitmask in which every black bit would toggle the bits on the mask but no luck there.
4. I tried using the QR code maxims as indications to manipulate the bitmask version of the map. Things such as
"If you make the earth fly upside down, with its wings you may convert torrential waters to stone." --> if the image was the earth and you wanted to turn it upside down you would flip it horizontally
"When in your house black crows give birth to white doves, then you will be called wise" --> use a superimposition of the bitmask in which black bits on the foreground would make the underlying bit go white
"The diameter of the sphere, the tau in the circle, and the cross of the globe bring no joy to the blind." --> as someone already said, interpret the result as braille
and so on and so forth but i still had no luck there, even if I found good looking results such as https://i.imgur.com/njEuvyF.png and https://i.imgur.com/tamrU3h.png so meh.

5. Since all other effort was fruitless I went and investigated more on the porta alchemica. From what i found there is a sigil inscription missing in the qr codes, and that is

Antimony: "Our dead son lives, returns from the fire a king, and enjoys occult conjugation."

or, from another site

Sun / Apollo / Gold: "our dead son lives, he returns from fire as a king, and rejoices over the conceiled mating"

I thought since the only QRcode not containing a description at all is the same one linking the text adventure, this missing inscription would belong to that spot (and if we assume the starting spot of the text adventure is the same spot as the qrcode, this inscription might belong to the cell). Tried different keys, no luck.
6. I also found that the wikipedia article contains these inscriptions:

a. Mercury: “When azoth and fire whiten Latona, Diana comes unclothed.”
b. Vitriol: “It is an occult work of true wisdom to open the earth, so that it may generate salvation for the people.”

while this article http://roma.andreapollett.com/S1/roma-c20.htm contains for the same inscriptions a different version:

c. Mercury: "as Latona will be whitened by mercury and by fire, Diana will come undressed"
d. Monad: "it is the secret deed of the true sage to open the earth, so to make salvation germinate for the people"

but the QR codes use the wikipedia version for the mercury inscription, and the roma article version for the vitriol inscription, so she used inscription a and inscription d. The only page i found which reports both versions of the inscriptions is http://www.esotericonline.net/profiles/blogs/7-clues-of-wisdom-from-the-porta-alchemia so she either used this page as her source, or she mixed up wikipedia and the other article. This might be too meta but it could be useful to know where she got her sources.
7. Finally, the note in the text adventure says "the map holds the key". There is a qr code in the map which says "The dragon guards the key.". If you go on the porta alchemica wiki article it says that there's an inscription saying "A dragon guards the entrance of the magic garden of the Hesperides, and, without Hercules, Jason would not have tasted the delights of Colchis." I thought there would be a link between this dragon and the one in the map, but i tried nearly everything remotely related to the magic garden of the hesperides as the cell door key with no luck.

The first step of the enigma might still be pretty simple, we're just being fed so much information and we don't know what to focus on. Still, i think the square with triangle letter association might come into play later into the enigma, when we will be able to make more sense out of it.

Wish you guys more luck than i had

[mi1994]

The first step of the enigma might still be pretty simple, we're just being fed so much information and we don't know what to focus on.

I agree, it also doesn't help that we have no idea what format the code takes, for every guess you need to try capital letters, numbers in place of letters etc.

[rock_collector]

The picture has many cells and the colors and triangles could all hold information.

im guessing u mean something like

This looks like a pigpen cipher which was also used in the previous unsolved puzzle.

Also note that the placement of the white triangle on each 3x3 grid can have 4 different orientations, but only 3 orientations are ever used. There is no grid that has a triangle in this orientation: ◣

Using the grid numbering as above, and the position of the triangle, where ◤=a, ◥=b, ◢=d, the map becomes:

Code:

6b 7a 8b             7a 2b 2b    1d             6a    9b
8a    1d    1d    3d 7a 1a       1d    2a 3b 1a 6d 5a
         7a       6b 1a       7b 5d 5b 4a    7b 2d
      9b 2d             8a 3b 5a 3d 8b          2d
         6a 7b 9a    8d          7b 7b       8d    4d
4d    6b    3d 2b 7b 2b 2b 7b 2a 9b 5b 4d    8d 1b 4b
   1b 8a    2a 4b                      2a 1b 8b
6d             3d    6b 9a 4a 8b 3d    7d 8a
   1a    9a 4a 6d    7d          1a    5a
3a    6a 2b    7d    4a    7d    6b    3d    3b 7a    4b
               3d    3d          9b    4b 3b 4b    1b
            9a 5a    9a 5a 3a 6a 4b    8a             9b
         3b 1a 9b                      2b 8a    8d 6b
   8a 2a 6a    8a 1b 1b 8a 7a 1a 7a 3b 9a 7a    6b    4d
   7d    9b       5b 2b    6b    6d    1b 1b 1b
      *b          3b 1b 6b 3b 3a             3b 7d
      1b 6a    3a 8b 5b 9a       7a 2a       8d
   2d 6b *a 6d 5d    5d    1a 1b 7a 5b    6d    7b    5d
7b    2d             3d    8d 3d 9b             7d 8b 6a

And the character count is:

Code:

1b 7a 6b 3d 8a 7b 3b 9b 2b 1a 9a 7d 6a 8d 8b 4b 2a 6d 5b 5a 2d 5d 4d 4a 3a 1d *b *a
12 10 10 10  9  9  9  8  8  8  7  7  7  6  6  6  6  6  5  5  5  4  4  4  4  4  1  1

So there's 26 unique characters, so we probably just have to assign the right letters to these.

Here is a corrected version of the earlier posted grid (4 corrections marked with underscores):

Code:

6b 7a 8b             7a 2b 2b    1d             6a    9b
8a    1d    1d    3d 7a 1a       1d    2a 3b 1a 6d 5a   
         7a       6b 1a      _7d_5d 5b 4a    7b 2d      
      9b 2d            _8d_3b 5a 3d 8b          2d      
         6a 7b 9a    8d          7b 7b       8d    4d   
4d    6b    3d 2b 7b 2b 2b 7b 2a 9b 5b 4d    8d 1b 4b   
   1b 8a    2a 4b                      2a 1b 8b         
6d             3d    6b 9a 4a 8b 3d    7d 8a            
   1a    9a 4a 6d    7d          1a    5a               
3a    6a 2b    7d    4a    7d    6b    3d    3b 7a   _4d_
               3d    3d          9b    4b 3b 4b    1b   
            9a 5a    9a 5a 3a 6a 4b   _7a_            9b
         3b 1a 9b                      2b 8a    8d 6b   
   8a 2a 6a    8a 1b 1b 8a 7a 1a 7a 3b 9a 7a    6b    4d
   7d    9b       5b 2b    6b    6d    1b 1b 1b         
      *b          3b 1b 6b 3b 3a             3b 7d      
      1b 6a    3a 8b 5b 9a       7a 2a       8d         
   2d 6b *a 6d 5d    5d    1a 1b 7a 5b    6d    7b    5d
7b    2d             3d    8d 3d 9b             7d 8b 6a

Some thoughts for directions to decode the aztec code that might not be an aztec code:

• interpret the empty spaces instead: “When in your house black crows give birth to white doves, then you will be called wise”?
• interpret blocks of it as bitstrings and then convert?
• interpret blocks of it as braille?
• interpret blocks of it as some other script, like http://www.omniglot.com/conscripts/ancients.htm ?

None of those really account for the 2 pixels that don't match the symmetry though, nor does it use the markings...

I went back over the map, and found a couple of corrections to make (and suggestions for those 2 hard-to-read blocks bottom left):

https://imgur.com/oQfXcga

https://imgur.com/uYHs7Ja

[rock_collector]

4Pollo, would you mind making those corrections on your grid and reposting. I'm not adept with the style and formatting on bitcointalk.

Also, just to clarify, here is the distribution I've found, slightly bit different from other postings. Again, not sure it matters, because frequency analysis doesn't seem to work:

12 1b
11 6b
10 7a
     3b
     3d
8   1a
     8a
     9b
     7b
     7d
7   2a
     6a
     9a
     8d
     2b
6   8b
     6d
5   4b
     5b
     5a
     2d
     4d
4   3a
     4a
     1d
     5d
0   9d

TOTAL: 26 distinct blocks [edited]

[4pollo]

4Pollo, would you mind making those corrections on your grid and reposting. I'm not adept with the style and formatting on bitcointalk.

Thanks for corrections! Here is the updated grid (with the 6 corrections so far indicated by underscores):

Code:

6b 7a 8b             7a 2b 2b    1d             6a    9b
8a    1d    1d    3d 7a 1a       1d    2a 3b 1a 6d 5a   
        _8a_      6b 1a      _7d_5d 5b 4a    7b 2d      
      9b 2d            _8d_3b 5a 3d 8b          2d      
         6a 7b 9a    8d          7b 7b       8d    4d   
4d    6b    3d 2b 7b 2b 2b 7b 2a 9b 5b 4d    8d 1b 4b   
   1b 8a    2a 4b                      2a 1b 8b         
6d             3d    6b 9a 4a 8b 3d    7d 8a            
   1a    9a 4a 6d    7d          1a    5a               
3a    6a_3b_   7d    4a    7d    6b    3d    3b 7a   _4d_
               3d    3d          9b    4b 3b 4b    1b   
            9a 5a    9a 5a 3a 6a 4b   _7a_            9b
         3b 1a 9b                      2b 8a    8d 6b   
   8a 2a 6a    8a 1b 1b 8a 7a 1a 7a 3b 9a 7a    6b    4d
   7d    9b       5b 2b    6b    6d    1b 1b 1b         
      #b          3b 1b 6b 3b 3a             3b 7d      
      1b 6a    3a 8b 5b 9a       7a 2a       8d         
   2d 6b *a 6d 5d    5d    1a 1b 7a 5b    6d    7b    5d
7b    2d             3d    8d 3d 9b             7d 8b 6a

Code:

# = 6 (or 2 or 3)
* = 2 (or 1 or 4)

[Samsondenali]

4Pollo, would you mind making those corrections on your grid and reposting. I'm not adept with the style and formatting on bitcointalk.

Thanks for corrections! Here is the updated grid (with the 6 corrections so far indicated by underscores):

Code:

6b 7a 8b             7a 2b 2b    1d             6a    9b
8a    1d    1d    3d 7a 1a       1d    2a 3b 1a 6d 5a   
        _8a_      6b 1a      _7d_5d 5b 4a    7b 2d      
      9b 2d            _8d_3b 5a 3d 8b          2d      
         6a 7b 9a    8d          7b 7b       8d    4d   
4d    6b    3d 2b 7b 2b 2b 7b 2a 9b 5b 4d    8d 1b 4b   
   1b 8a    2a 4b                      2a 1b 8b         
6d             3d    6b 9a 4a 8b 3d    7d 8a            
   1a    9a 4a 6d    7d          1a    5a               
3a    6a_3b_   7d    4a    7d    6b    3d    3b 7a   _4d_
               3d    3d          9b    4b 3b 4b    1b   
            9a 5a    9a 5a 3a 6a 4b   _7a_            9b
         3b 1a 9b                      2b 8a    8d 6b   
   8a 2a 6a    8a 1b 1b 8a 7a 1a 7a 3b 9a 7a    6b    4d
   7d    9b       5b 2b    6b    6d    1b 1b 1b         
      #b          3b 1b 6b 3b 3a             3b 7d      
      1b 6a    3a 8b 5b 9a       7a 2a       8d         
   2d 6b *a 6d 5d    5d    1a 1b 7a 5b    6d    7b    5d
7b    2d             3d    8d 3d 9b             7d 8b 6a

Code:

# = 6 (or 2 or 3)
* = 2 (or 1 or 4)

I disagree. I think the newly changed 3b is 2b. Imo

[4pollo]

working on a new direction now: anagrams of letters from the QR messages  (e.g. first or last letters of message or quote within message), using:

http://anagram-solver.net/ (note the option for anagrams using only part of the letters)
https://www.arrak.fi/en/ag/

a few nice hits, so far:

Code:

deemed sedentary (last letters of the 15 messages)
ended easy (last letters of everything in quotes)
say needed (last letters of everything in quotes)
days end   (last letters of everything in quotes, partial)

[mephala]

I've made a spreadsheet where you can just assign letters to each symbol and see how the map changes

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h5uRLE51IYupTY4p94jaS77EQvwRwEu0xTKHR_DC5Bg/edit?usp=sharing

just duplicate the original sheet into a new one if you want to make changes, so we can preserve the original. The numbers 1,2,3... associated with each letter are just the order in which that letter figures in the map, reading from left to right top to bottom

working on a new direction now: anagrams of letters from the QR messages  (e.g. first or last letters of message or quote within message), using:

http://anagram-solver.net/ (note the option for anagrams using only part of the letters)
https://www.arrak.fi/en/ag/

a few nice hits, so far:

Code:

deemed sedentary (last letters of the 15 messages)
ended easy (last letters of everything in quotes)
say needed (last letters of everything in quotes)
days end   (last letters of everything in quotes, partial)

This is how we go down the rabbit hole 

[DenseCrab]

I've made a spreadsheet where you can just assign letters to each symbol and see how the map changes

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h5uRLE51IYupTY4p94jaS77EQvwRwEu0xTKHR_DC5Bg/edit?usp=sharing

just duplicate the original sheet into a new one if you want to make changes, so we can preserve the original. The numbers 1,2,3... associated with each letter are just the order in which that letter figures in the map, reading from left to right top to bottom

working on a new direction now: anagrams of letters from the QR messages  (e.g. first or last letters of message or quote within message), using:

http://anagram-solver.net/ (note the option for anagrams using only part of the letters)
https://www.arrak.fi/en/ag/

a few nice hits, so far:

Code:

deemed sedentary (last letters of the 15 messages)
ended easy (last letters of everything in quotes)
say needed (last letters of everything in quotes)
days end   (last letters of everything in quotes, partial)

This is how we go down the rabbit hole  

Very nice work on the spreadsheet!

I'm almost 100% sure the code for the first door has to do something with the 'Porta Alchemica'.
On that door are the words: 'SI SEDES NON IS' like mentioned by someone else before.
Si SEDES NON IS means: "If you sit, do not go".

So I decided to go to the Days Destroyed game and tried to

SIT: "No time for lounging about now."

So the command is recognized.

EDIT: well i just see that all the quotes refer to the Porta Alchemica

[DenseCrab]

After deepening in the Alchemic Port:

We are in a room referring to the 9th QR code: "You are in a rusted iron chamber. Water is trickling from large iron pipes above you. On the wall someone has scrawled “When in your house black crows give birth to white doves, then you will be called wise".

"When in your house black crows give birth to white doves, then you will be called wise." refers to Saturn/lead.

Saturn is the 6th planet, which in it's case refers to the 6th QR-code, also refering to the same room with old gears, a skeleton and a jacket.

I think the QR codes that contain a quote represent planets, who refer to another QR code by their order...

Maybe it's something with the standings of the planets on a certain date? http://www.solarsystemscope.com/

Or is it all just coincidence... :/

[4pollo]

I've made a spreadsheet where you can just assign letters to each symbol and see how the map changes

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h5uRLE51IYupTY4p94jaS77EQvwRwEu0xTKHR_DC5Bg/edit?usp=sharing

just duplicate the original sheet into a new one if you want to make changes, so we can preserve the original. The numbers 1,2,3... associated with each letter are just the order in which that letter figures in the map, reading from left to right top to bottom

I like sheets! Added a tab to your sheet where you can easily switch between multiple substitutions.

[mephala]

I like sheets! Added a tab to your sheet where you can easily switch between multiple substitutions.

Yeah I was looking at your sheet and that's some damn fine work!

[4pollo]

I disagree. I think the newly changed 3b is 2b. Imo

Checked it again, and you're probably right. It's really hard to see and be sure, so I'll change it back to 2b and will add a note:

Code:

6b 7a 8b             7a 2b 2b    1d             6a    9b
8a    1d    1d    3d 7a 1a       1d    2a 3b 1a 6d 5a   
        _8a_      6b 1a      _7d_5d 5b 4a    7b 2d      
      9b 2d            _8d_3b 5a 3d 8b          2d      
         6a 7b 9a    8d          7b 7b       8d    4d   
4d    6b    3d 2b 7b 2b 2b 7b 2a 9b 5b 4d    8d 1b 4b   
   1b 8a    2a 4b                      2a 1b 8b         
6d             3d    6b 9a 4a 8b 3d    7d 8a            
   1a    9a 4a 6d    7d          1a    5a               
3a    6a[2b]   7d    4a    7d    6b    3d    3b 7a   _4d_
               3d    3d          9b    4b 3b 4b    1b   
            9a 5a    9a 5a 3a 6a 4b   _7a_            9b
         3b 1a 9b                      2b 8a    8d 6b   
   8a 2a 6a    8a 1b 1b 8a 7a 1a 7a 3b 9a 7a    6b    4d
   7d    9b       5b 2b    6b    6d    1b 1b 1b         
      #b          3b 1b 6b 3b 3a             3b 7d      
      1b 6a    3a 8b 5b 9a       7a 2a       8d         
   2d 6b *a 6d 5d    5d    1a 1b 7a 5b    6d    7b    5d
7b    2d             3d    8d 3d 9b             7d 8b 6a

Code:

#    = 6 (or 2 or 3)
*    = 2 (or 1 or 4)
[2b] = might be 3b

[Pompobit]

On that door are the words: 'SI SEDES NON IS' like mentioned by someone else before.
Si SEDES NON IS means: "If you sit, do not go".

So I decided to go to the Days Destroyed game and tried to

SIT: "No time for lounging about now."

So the command is recognized.

Yes, when I tried it some days ago I thought as you that it was something meaningful. Unfortunately, it seems there is a set of commands predefined for this type of text adventures and sit is one of them. If you try to "sleep", the system answers with the same sentence.


Good job with the spreadsheet guys.
Mephala, I'm sorry I ruined your life

[4pollo]

Stuck and unsure which direction to go at this point and what parts of the available information are relevant for this stage (no luck with any of the approaches so far):

- use content of the qr codes?
- anagrams?
- use the markings?
- use the pipes?
- decode the aztec as something else? (since no proper orientation markers, and apparent improbable symmetry suggesting it might not be an aztec code)
- select appropriate pixels from the aztec using markings or pipes, and decode entire code? (the aztec core does not contain proper orientation markers though)
- select appropriate pixels from the aztec using markings or pipes, and decode part of the code? (the aztec core mode message indicates 2 layers and 7 data codewords, so presumably the keypad code is <= 7 characters)

Any opinions or hints to narrow it down?

[D4UN7L355]

Stuck and unsure which direction to go at this point and what parts of the available information are relevant for this stage (no luck with any of the approaches so far):

- use content of the qr codes?
- anagrams?
- use the markings?
- use the pipes?
- decode the aztec as something else? (since no proper orientation markers, and apparent improbable symmetry suggesting it might not be an aztec code)
- select appropriate pixels from the aztec using markings or pipes, and decode entire code? (the aztec core does not contain proper orientation markers though)
- select appropriate pixels from the aztec using markings or pipes, and decode part of the code? (the aztec core mode message indicates 2 layers and 7 data codewords, so presumably the keypad code is <= 7 characters)

Any opinions or hints to narrow it down?

A phone pad?
1=0
2= ABC
3= DEF
4=GHI
5= JKL
6= MNO
7 = PQRS
8 = TUV
9= WXYZ

Triangle orientation could determine if it's A, B, or C. So, 2a would be A, 2b would be B, and 2c would be C?

Was just looking at my phone and thought of this. Not sure how it would apply to the squares that have four letters.