The Grey Labyrinth is a collection of puzzles, riddles, mind games, paradoxes and other intellectually challenging diversions. Related topics: puzzle games, logic puzzles, lateral thinking puzzles, philosophy, mind benders, brain teasers, word problems, conundrums, 3d puzzles, spatial reasoning, intelligence tests, mathematical diversions, paradoxes, physics problems, reasoning, math, science.

Dragon Phoenix · Judge Doom

Go ahead...

CrystyB · Misunderstood Guy

no reason to get to the font attrib's by hand. here they are:

Bry stomri ymp. Rasbes tlae gus ugopla ori. Yx ube copp iln. Avizklut ep tri kott gna ivqu. A cri tyvo raf bweih. Flar uq gbi klo teprad prit vyl. Qlast uq klo prwq. Pso alt oqj xvirn graorc zme. Kap qve xny gal kadu kelo, oud ablar klo kuft gibb. Spy tri wel alik, ska ficq hut. Oif tikap sluk-wir talm uq oraw sjat. Tri flahv nold ta pyq oprag. Slokit vid ozk klo ybuk raf cno artu y qvij. Zkoj hurn uq tri apokt klo xvirn, buq zwam yx kilb. Op krun tegt ejlq drup fir. Aup qup ag ze uq limt byw ror. Af penv kof drog. Awig tasen qer tri erv plum. Zis paff abry, saet klo annet rodi. Ferm qat unct fal yx pat. Acup azaz aru ipre megu. Yl tsasl qmu bakt. Klo ged uq fagr.

Lucky Wizard · Daedalian Member

Might as well do a quick search-and-replace...

i_h8_evil_stuff · Daedalian Member

gibberish. plain and simple. gibberish.

------------------
The name explains it all.

CrystyB · Misunderstood Guy

lw, what you did wasn't needed.

You should've concentrated on solving it...

But thanks for it anyway. Maybe i can find a use for it:

((subconsciously determinded to do so by Captain Grant's Children))

Plain text:
:r* sto*_i y_p. Ras*e* t_a* gu_ _g:__a _r_. Y: *b_ :op_ _l:. A:i:kl_t e: tr_ k*tt g*: i_:u. A *r* t_v* *af bwe:*. Fla: u_ _*i k*o t::r*: p_it v_:. *las: uq klo p:w_. P*o _lt o:: _*irn g*ao_: *_e. Ka: *v* **y *al kadu kel*, __d a_lar k_o ku*t g_:_. Sp: tri *el al_k, ska *i_: *__. *** t:ka_ sluk-_ir ta*_ u_ :*a: s:at. Tr_ fla*_ :old ta p_: o:ra:. Slok*t vi: o*k klo :_u: ra_ **o *rtu y **i:. Z*o* _ur* uq t_i a Embarrassed

k* klo :virn, :u* z:am yx ki:_. O: kr*n :_gt e*:: :rup f::. Au* *up a: _e u_ limt _y* _:r. A: :e:: *** *r:g. A__* t_se* :_r tri *r_ :lu_. *_: paf_ a:r_, s::t klo a_*et *:d_. Ferm qat u:_t fal _: pat. A:u_ a:a_ :r_ *:_e _egu. Y* **a:* :_u **k*. Klo _e: uq fagr.

The rest:
B+y +++mr+ +m+. +++b+s +l+e ++s u+opl+ o+i. +x u+e c++p i+n. +v+z++u+ +p ++i +o++ +na +vq+. + c+i +y+o r++ +++ih. +++r +q gb+ +l+ +ep+ad +r++ +yl. Q+++t ++ +++ +r+q. +s+ a++ +qj xv+++ +r++rc zm+. ++p q+e xn+ g++ ++++ +++o, ou+ +b+++ +l+ ++f+ +ibb. ++y +++ w++ ++i+, +++ f+cq hut. Oif +i++p ++++-w++ ++lm +q or+w +j++. ++i +++hv n+++ ++ +yq +p++g. ++++i+ ++d +z+ +++ yb+k ++f cn+ a+++ + qv+j. +k+j h++n ++ +r+ +p++t +++ x++++, b+q +w++ ++ ++lb. +p ++u+ te++ +jlq d+++ +ir. ++p q++ +g z+ +q ++++ b+w ro+. +f p+nv kof d+o+. +wig +a++n qe+ +++ e+v p++m. Zis +++f +b+y, +ae+ +++ +nn++ ro+i. ++++ +++ +nc+ +++ yx +++. +c+p +z+z a+u ipr+ m+++. +l ts+sl qm+ ba+t. +++ g+d ++ ++++.

Bold:
:+y +++m_+ +_+. +++b+s +_+e ++_ _+:__+ _+_. +: u+_ :++_ _+:. +:+:++_+ +: ++_ +o++ +n: +_:+. + c+i +_+o r++ +++:h. +++: +_ _b+ +l+ +::+a: +_++ +_:. Q+++: ++ +++ +:+_. +s+ _++ +:: _v+++ +r++_: z_+. ++: q+e xn+ g++ ++++ +++o, __+ +_+++ +_+ ++f+ +_:_. ++: +++ w++ ++_+, +++ f+_: h__. Oif +:++_ ++++-_++ ++l_ +_ :r+: +:++. ++_ +++h_ :+++ ++ +_: +:++:. ++++i+ ++: +z+ +++ :_+: ++_ cn+ a+++ + qv+:. +k+j _++n ++ +_+ +:++t +++ :++++, :+q +:++ ++ ++:_. +: ++u+ :_++ +j:: :+++ +::. ++p q++ +: _+ +_ ++++ _+w _:+. +: :+:: kof d+:+. +__g +_++n :_+ +++ e+_ :++_. Z_: +++_ +:+_, +::+ +++ +_n++ r:+_. ++++ +++ +:_+ +++ _: +++. +:+_ +:+_ :+_ i:_+ _+++. +l ts+:l :_+ ba+t. +++ _+: ++ ++++.

Italic:
B+* +++*_+ +_+. +++*+* +_+* ++_ _+o__+ _+_. +x *+_ c++_ _+n. +v+z++_+ +p ++_ +*++ +*a +_q+. + *+* +_+* *++ +++i*. +++r +_ _*+ +*+ +ep+*d +_++ +_l. *+++t ++ +++ +r+_. +*+ _++ +qj _*+++ +*++_c *_+. ++p *+* **+ *++ ++++ +++*, __+ +_+++ +_+ ++*+ +_b_. ++y +++ *++ ++_+, +++ *+_q *__. *** +i++_ ++++-_++ ++*_ +_ o*+w +j++. ++_ +++*_ n+++ ++ +_q +p++g. ++++*+ ++d +*+ +++ y_+k ++_ **+ *+++ + **+j. +*+* _++* ++ +_+ +p++* +++ x++++, b+* +w++ ++ ++l_. +p ++*+ t_++ +*lq d+++ +ir. ++* *++ +g _+ +_ ++++ _+* _o+. +f p+nv *** *+o+. +__* +_++* q_+ +++ *+_ p++_. *_s +++_ +b+_, +ae+ +++ +_*++ *o+_. ++++ +++ +n_+ +++ _x +++. +c+_ +z+_ a+_ *p_+ _+++. +* **+s* q_+ **+*. +++ _+d ++ ++++.

Underlined in the next post - i can't get noubb to work around those silly smilies...

Hmmph. I misunderstood that "quick search-and-replace"

After editing by hand part of the first paragraph above i changed to software too!

PS DP, could you include links back and forth (puzzle-thread)? Here's one way: Make one preemptive thread, lock it and tell mithy its number. When he does post the next puzzle, unlock and change the title.

[This message has been edited by CrystyB (edited 09-21-2002 11:03 AM).]

CrystyB · Misunderstood Guy

Underlined:
:+* +++*:r:+ +:m:+. +++*+* +:l:+* ++:s: :u:+::p::l:+ Embarrassed

:+:i:. +: *+:e: :++:p: :i:+:. +:+:++:u:+ +: ++:i: +*++ +*: +:v::+. + *+* +:y:+* *++ +++:*. +++: +:q: :g:*+ +*+ +::+*: +:r:++ +:y::. *+++: ++ +++ +:+:q:. +*+ :a:++ +:: Mad

:*+++ +*++:r:: *:m:+. ++: *+* **+ *++ ++++ +++*, Embarrassed

::u:+ +:b:+++ +:l:+ ++*+ +:i:::b:. ++: +++ *++ ++:i:+, +++ *+:c:: *:u::t:. *** +:++:p: ++++-:w:++ ++*:m: +:q: :*+: +:++. ++:i: +++*:v: :+++ ++ +:y:: +:++:. ++++*+ ++: +*+ +++ ::b:+: ++:f: **+ *+++ + **+:. +*+* :h:++* ++ +:r:+ +:++* +++ :++++, :+* +:++ ++ ++::b:. +: ++*+ ::e:++ +*:: :+++ +::. ++* *++ +: :z:+ +:q: ++++ :b:+* :r::+. +: :+:: *** *+:+. +:w::i:* +:a:++* ::e:+ +++ *+:v: :++:m:. *:i:: +++:f: +:+:y:, +::+ +++ +:n:*++ *:+:i:. ++++ +++ +::c:+ +++ :y:: +++. +:+:p: +:+:z: :+:u: *::r:+ :m:+++. +* **+:* ::m:+ **+*. +++ :g:+: ++ ++++.

CrystyB · Misunderstood Guy

Does anybody see anything i don't in this list?

vr gbhs
ws hcit
xt idju
yu jekv
zv kflw
aw lgmx
bx mhny
cy nioz
dz ojpa
ea pkqb
fb qlrc
gc rmsd
hd snte (*)
ie touf
jf upvg
kg vqwh
lh wrxi
mi xsyj
nj ytzk
ok zual
pl avbm
qm bwcn
rn cxdo
so dyep
tp ezfq

(it's the uq fagr rotated, the * is rot13)

Reverse:
fj uzti
gk vauj
hl wbvk
im xcwl
jn ydxm
ko zeyn
lp afzo
mq bgap
nr chbq
os dicr
pt ejds
qu fket
rv glfu
sw hmgv
tx inhw
uy joix
vz kpjy
wa lqkz
xb mrla
yc nsmb
zd otnc
ae puod
bf qvpe
cg rwqf
dh sxrg
ei tysh

infornography · Guest

Lucky Wizard: It's been thought of. All the versions of it that I've seen use two-digit numbers, and the number of numbers given to each digit correspond to the frequency of that letter. This system has one inherent flaw, though. The letter q. The letter q is both very uncommon, usually only recieving one or two numbers, and is always followed by a u. All you need to do is find a number or two that is consistently followed by one of three or so different numbers, which represent u. Of course, if the encipherer wanted to be extra sneaky, he would assign five or six numbers to q, and maybe one less to r, one less to m, etc. Checking a letter's "personality" will be hard to do on a poly-alphabetic substitution cipher as short as this one, but I'll give it a shot and see if I can find anything. Hopefully this is just what you think it is and doesn't involve any translocation or anything too hard.

Lucky Wizard · Daedalian Member

Inforno: I've seen the version that uses 2-digit numbers. What I mentioned was a little variation on that idea that I thought of independently of anyone else who may have thought of the same thing. (It was unlikely, but plausible, so I posted the idea.)

Termital · Daedalian Member

Actually, it is not only very likely but has actually been used quite a lot of times. For example, the ADFGVX system, used by the Germans in WWI. Simplified somewhat,it went like this:One created an alphabet containing A-Z and 0-9 based on the key (mixed according to a key phrase), placed them on a 6x6 matrix with rows and collumns named A, D, F, G, V and X (for telegraph reasons, and hence the name). You would then replace each letter with its coordinates on the board, add some junk at the end (quantity determined by the key),mix the result up according to the key again.Finally you sent it in . One could easily do the replace ment again so that the final message contained all letters and numbers. Finding frequencies after that became a hard job indeed.

Also,polyalphabetic substitutions (replacing one symbol with several different symbols) have been used for centuries!
And as for the bolding and underlining , Francis Bacon suggested sending coded messages in a sort of binary code, using two slightly different typefaces to type something completely irrelevant. So, both earth and water could actually mean 'B'. With strikethroughs and underlines, one could work on a base-3 or base-4 system to get the replacement codes. This does seem to be how this message was encoded, but I don't have the time to check this.

In that case however, if no additional precautions were taken, frequency analysis would do the trick easily. (If somebody didn't go too clever using switch characters and the like).

Skellum · Daedalian Member

There are some strange things in the letter frequency:

There are 72 bold, 72 italic & 72 underlined characters.

Overall there are 4 'h's, 5 'j's, 6 'x's, 7 'c's & 8 'w's.

Every letter appears at least once in bold.

The plain letters look the most promising, but I can make no sense of the single 'a' or 'y'. 'klo' appears 7 times, once as 'klo' & once as 'klo'. 'tri' appears 5 times once as 'tri' & twice as 'tri'. 3 'uq's, 3 'uq's. xvirn & xvirn.

Maybe this helps someone else.

CrystyB · Misunderstood Guy

what happened?

was it considered too hard? Were my post a little too big (and too misleading) to leave the puzzle alive??

[This message has been edited by CrystyB (edited 10-01-2002 01:53 PM).]