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[Kagus]

Well if you can figure out what the first row is pointing to, and how the second row is affecting the numbers in the third row, then you're gold.  The only thing that could stop you after that would be if there was a letter switch, and that would be simple enough to solve seeing as it would have to be a fixed switch and not a changing one (otherwise, those patterns wouldn't show up).

I've been banging my head against the code for a little bit.  Sooner or later one of them's gonna crack.

[Heavy Flak]

The events of the 4th of Granite, 1060

Rice and Archin knocked hesitantly on Aryn's door, popping their heads in through the crack.  Aryn sat at his desk, scribbling furiously a set of designs on a rolled-out parchment with his right hand, petting his tamed black bear with the left.  Without looking up from his designs, he said quietly, "What?  What do you want?"

"Well, sir," said Rice as the pair stepped inside.  He respectfully removed his prospectors cap, clutching it in front of him, "I'm just coming to verify your recent orders."
"What about them?" asked Aryn.
"Uhhh, well, they can't be right, can they?  I mean, you want the courtyard-"
"The WHOLE courtyard"
"-the whole courtyard smoothed and floored over with basalt and rhyolite?"
"That's correct.  What's not to understand?"

Both Rice and Archin groaned in unison.  Archin spoke next, "Sir, that's a huge undertaking.  The Dwarves wasting time outside laying down slabs of stone could be better spent in this absurd quarry you're having us dig up!  Right now, my miners are already wasting time hauling basalt up to the court yard for Rice's crew to use instead of just leaving the chunks where they fall!  Nine years in, why did you just decide now to do this?"
"Because I'm sick of all that sand.  That green color has given me a headache for years."

"Uhhh..." Rice and Archin exchanged a quick, puzzled look.
"Sir," Rice said, "The sand ... isn't green.  It's red."
"...Fine.  You've found out my terrible secret.  I'm colorblind.  I don't really care what color it is, because in a few months it's all going to be nice flat grey stone.  Get back to work."

[Heavy Flak]

From the journal of Johnny Fountainspring
16th of Granite, 1060

The Elves are back.  We have roads reaching south and west, and where do they arrive?  As far north as possible.  I've overreached my authority, and asked Sulari if she would mind escorting them up here.  She was accepting of the idea, and as long as Aryn doesn't hear about this, what will he care?  Damn squeekies, they better make it up here alive, I've trinkets to sell...

Stravitch has been deemed a bit of a terror around the fortress.  He's of the Old School of thought, where only the strong and talented walked off the battlefield alive.  Perhaps that's why I liked him much more than my father, that old fool.  He coddled the recruits, pampered them, and every battle his squad saw the most causalities.  They always took their objective, generally the most dangerous of the battle, but of what good is that when you hold the hill and are the last man alive?  The only men that died in Stravitch's squad were those who's heads he crushed for cowardice, and in this fortress as he hefts Sefolkubuk in his great calussed hands, those soldiers without The Drive find their necks and spines crippled.  

I couldn't be more proud of him!

[Kagus]

Okay, I think I've got the first five letters, which includes one word.  I'm going to run with my assumption for a bit and see if it turns up any goodies.

EDIT: That didn't work as well as I'd hoped it would.  I suppose it would've been too simple, but it was worth a shot anyways.  I'm still sticking with that first word though, gonna see how I can make it work.

[ May 01, 2008: Message edited by: Kagus ]

[Stravitch]

I've been unable to come up with the rest of the letters.  I've found 10 letters as well as the encryption and decryption method so I'm going to put what I have and you can contact me for more information if you want.  If someone know how to make text black so that I could hide the spoiler information, I would really like to know how, thanks!

** SPOILER AHEAD **** SPOILER AHEAD **** SPOILER AHEAD **
DON'T READ PAST HERE IF YOU STILL WANT TO WORK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF

The encryption method was partially a Nihilist Cipher with the first keyword being ZEFON and the second being OLSMOLIVES.  The first line of each section is just junk numbers while the second corresponds with the letters in OLSMOLIVES.  If you make the 5x5 square and use the numbers from under each letter following the second line until it repeats you get where O, L, S, M, I, V, and E go.  The first keywork, ZEFON, occupies the 5 letters on row 1 (11, 12, 13, 14, and 15).  These are all the letters that are given. Now, to decrypt the third line of numbers, you take the number on the third line and subtract the number aligned with it on the second line.  This gives you the position in the square.  This is what I have thus far.

code:

SECTION 1
      E     E     L     E     E  I  S        S
34 25 12 33 12 51 41 25 12 42 12 32 55 51 24 55 43 42 45
SECTION 2
      E        E  E     M              V  E        I  S     E     L           O     L        I     E
34 25 12 35 43 12 12 15 52 51 54 25 51 23 12 34 15 32 55 33 12 51 41 34 25 13 14 42 41 22 42 32 31 12
SECTION 3
      E              E     L  S           N        O        O           E              E        I     L  E
34 25 12 24 43 45 55 12 51 41 55 34 25 51 15 21 54 14 43 13 14 42 34 25 12 45 43 31 25 12 54 34 32 34 41 12
SECTION 4
      E        O              I  V  E  S  E  E     M  E  O           E  M                 L  
33 25 12 15 54 14 43 51 42 42 32 23 12 55 12 12 21 52 12 14 43 34 33 12 52 33 55 34 34 51 41 21
SECTION 5
I     I  L  L     E           S           S              I     E     E  N        N  
32 33 32 41 41 33 12 51 42 51 55 34 51 42 55 51 22 22 25 32 42 12 22 12 15 45 51 15 34

Z 11    31    51
E 12  I 32  M 52
F 13    33    53
O 14    34    54
N 15    35  S 55
  21  L 41
  22    42
V 23    43
  24    44
  25    45

[ May 01, 2008: Message edited by: Stravitch ]

[Heavy Flak]

Hint #4 (final hint):  

It's probably for the best I'm posting this today, what with Stravitch releasing half of the information.  Considering the difficulty of this cryptogram, I'm going to give out two prizes (assuming it gets solved before tomorrow at an arbitrary after-work time): One for Stravitch for getting the half-way point, and one for whoever takes it the rest of the way.  The hint below is the puzzle with word spaces put in.  And a correction, because damn it, while I was doing this all in pencil I left 2 letters out of a word.  I'll point out where that needs to go.  Oops!

code:

  
[Section 1]
48 66 67 | (85 26 92 73) |48 24 97 26/73 110 | 103 38 96 75 65 57
[Section 2]
89 39 53 | 90 95 26 53 47/75 63 109 | 39 92 78 64/48 66 64 78 | (45 67 65 82 89 77) | 27 55 74 | 64 | 34 97 46 72 67
[Section 3]
86 39 53 | 56 66 57 110 26 92 96 107 | 48 66 83 38 33 | 109 28 84 | 68 66 56 | 75 57 35 | 57 98 45 66 67 106 | 48 73 66 64 24
[Section 4]
88 39 53 70 | 106 28 84 | 83 65 54 87 37 53 | 110 64 26 62 | 84 35 | 26 98 48 | 74 67 | 104 57 96 66 | 57 63 96 35
[Section 5]
73 | 88 84 55 82 | 65 35 63 97 | 65 | 96 89 103 56 | 96 83 45 34 80 46 83 67 | 74 26 56 77 74 27 89

The two in brackets should be the same size because they're the same word.  If I was to correct it, it would in fact change the final numbers, Soo... we're just going to leave them, and chalk this up to yet another rookie mistake on my end.  Good luck!

[Kagus]

You left two letters out of a word, and you had a major typo.  How someone manages to misspell "A", I'm not entirely sure.  Must take great skill.

Also, you added one letter in a place it shouldn't have been.

Anyways, thanks to simply plugging Stravitch's find into a spreadsheet program, the code has been deciphered.  I feel kinda bad about posting it though, since Stravitch was really the one who got the thing.  I was trailing off into some completely different corners and not getting anywhere by doing it.  I just happen to be the progeny of a person who could write a program to do the gruntwork, once a few simple words were spotted.  Here we go:

""
Darkness fell over the wasteland-citadel of Migrursut as night took its claim over the world.  Dwarves, their beards unbraided for the night, lay in their beds snoring in a way only a dwarf could manage.

Although their rest seemed peaceful, their dreams were not.

Slight pain coursed through the minds of the sleeping denizens as their minds attempted to understand a new presence within their minds.  Inside the realm of dreams, a creature of unseeable form and unknowable plans sifted through their nighttime thoughts.  It had found something.

Why this being decided to intervene, none would ever know.  All that is known -and that only by a few hooded persons hidden away in dark cloisters and mystic towers- is that it did.

A new thought was given to the dwarves by the dreamcurrents that connect all minds in the unwaking realm.  This string of words was meaningless to most, but a few understood the significance.  These few individuals awoke instantly, sitting up in their chambers and waiting for their mind to fully exit the dreamland and return to their bodies.  One such individual hastily grabbed the nearest writing implements and scribbled down what had just been revealed.

code:

THE WEALTH HERE IS ABSURD
THE QUEEN MAY HAVE THIS WEALTH FOR A PRICE
THE BUDSEALS THANK YOU FOR THE DUCHY TITLE
WHEN YOU ARRIVE SEEK ME OUT WE MUST TALK
I WILL WEAR A STAR SAPPHIRE PENDANT

[ May 01, 2008: Message edited by: Kagus ]

[Vactor]

i solved it, but have to go to work, not sure if i'm allowed to solve it not being a character in the story. let me know

pmed it to heavy flack, i'd take a character in the story if you'd like to add me too

bleh just noticed kagus beat me to it

[ May 01, 2008: Message edited by: Vactor ]

[ May 01, 2008: Message edited by: Vactor ]

[Heavy Flak]

Kagus: I'm actually holding my head in shame over here.  here's my excuse - I have a notepad full of numbers and scribblings, and while I was doing addition during a meeting, I did wrong addition, and the resulting number came out to be an L instead of an A.  Inexcusable, and in the future, these will be both the correct spelling and correct length.  Yeesh!  You're free to make a request if you'd like, since you did get it the rest of the way.

Vactor: Kagus beat you by not much.  Sorry guy :\  To answer your question though, even if you don't have a character in the story you're more than welcome to make suggestions, and there will be more of these in the future as they fit in.

You're more than welcome to join in the fun!  Any request on the profession/name/sex of the Dwarf?

Stravitch: He sent me a PM with his request, and since it's not a construction request felt it might be best to have it injected into the story slowly as fits his character.  So it will be going in with in-character updates.

[ May 01, 2008: Message edited by: Heavy Flak ]

[Heavy Flak]

The Events of the 6th of Slate, 1060

A trumpet sounded from the east.  Dwarves everywhere stopped, their jobs forgotten, their hauled items dropped.  Slowly they turned towards the sound; it wasn't long before they were heading up the gatehouse stairs - a trickle at first, their heavy boots thudding as a tide of bodies began to storm up to see what was coming.

Aryn pushed his way through the crowds cursing the whole way.  He placed his hands on the fortifications and leaned forward, his eyes shielded from the sun with the flat of his hand.  Slowly a look of horror spread over his face.  He paled, and with a cry dropped down to his knees, his head bowed against the hot stone.  

The trumpet sounded again, and the sound of metal crushing bones followed quickly after.  Laughing and marching towards the fortress was a series of four axe-wielding retainers, smashing the Dread Camels in their way to dust.  Behind them trailed peasants and simple workers.  And at the rear, their pace leisurely, trailed Queen Braidsabres and her King Consort.  

***

The Union Leaders, Stravitch, and Aryn gathered in the hall.  Aryn still looked weak and despondent, the rest more in awe at the nobility gracing their presence.  Queen Braidsabre was flanked by her guards, a look of utter distaste spread over her regal face.  

"Fellow Dwarves.  Due to the quality of goods sent, the amount of good purchased, the unbelievable ingenuity both architecturally and mechanically, we have named this fortress Mountainhome!  Our arrival was kept secret for fear of assassins, and for that I will magnanimously overlook your disgraceful living arrangements and the lack of arrival ceremony.
"As with proper Dwarven tradition, the 1st of Limestone I will expect a proper coronation.  I'd like it in that wonderful temple, I think that would be very nice.  Now, who must we talk to about getting a decent drink and proper room?"

[Vactor]

I guess the most apt character to my mind would be a 'johnny-come-lately' type so:

Name: Dodik-come-lately
Profession: anything obsolete
gender: either

[Heavy Flak]

The Events of the 11th of Slate, 1060

Stravitch stalked out of the barracks.  His upper lip was curled into a snarl.  Life had become hell since the addition of the Queen.  Any orders given by her that weren't immediately enforceable were superseded by Aryn, a never-ending shouting match ringing down the halls.  Aryn's guard was constantly clashing with the Royal Retainers, training sessions ending with someone's nose busted or a mild concussion.  And slowly the Dwarves were converting to the church of Zefon.  With their hard work taken by the Queen, more Dwarves were finding solace in religion.  

Over the past few days new recruits were filtering in.  During the first training session, the new recruit Zuglar had his head crushed by Sefolkubuk.  As the brains leaked onto the floor from the shattered skull, Stravitch pointed with the blood soaked mace, barking out, "Do you see this you worthless sacks of meat!  What just happened is what every goblin, every human, every camel, every dwarf who wants your land will do to you faster than you can blink!  I am your new trainer.  I am your new leader.  I.  I am your new god.  NOW GET THIS BODY OUT OF HERE."

He mulled over the past few days as he walked, shouldering past well-dressed Dwarves on their way to morning services.  He was stopped though by a meek voice beside him, eyes widening at the audacity of someone addressing him.  Slowly he turned to the lone carpenter.  

"What was that?" He asked slowly.

She gave a slow flip of her head, greased down, thick swash of black hair streaked with redroot dye lifting from over her eye just long enough to see him fully.  Ash and dimple dye were streaked under her eyes, tastefully dripping down.

"Oh, sorry.  I didn't think you noticed me here.  Sorry to bother you, Captain Stravitch, but..." She sighed, flipping the swash of hair again.  "I noticed you were heading away from the temple.  It's time for service."

"Time for ... " His eyes narrowed, the look the recruits were beginning to know and fear. "I don't think it's any of your business what, or how I worship, Miss..."
"Miss Dodik-Come-Lately."
"...what?"
"It's ironic."
"Whatever.  I'm leaving now.  I'd highly suggest you not talk to me about that Heathen voodoo again."  

As Stravitch stalked away, Dodik-Come-Lately just shook her head slowly.  "Fascist." she mumbled under her breath.

[Heavy Flak]

From the journal of Johnny Fountainspring
20th of Felsite, 1060

Of everyone in the fort, the happiest by far has been Rice and by proxy his crew.  This is because Rice is almost always happy, and as they're now tested to produce the best-of-the-best stone furniture for our new mandate-making royalty they're never want for work.

Archin, of course, is one of the most stressed here.  The miners (their numbers doubled by all the rabble that arrived) are hastily channeling out the quarry but there is a lot of space to excavate.  And since the arrival of Braidsabres, they're now ordered to carve out PROPER rooms for PROPER citizens.  Absurd.  Absolutely absurd.

The mandates for Large Gems by the tax collector is still unfulfilled.  Istrath has been pulling his hair out, explaining almost daily, "We don't have any raw gems at all!  We can't produce glass fast enough, and you just don't understand!  You can't make SMALL things LARGE just through complaints!"

But he doesn't listen.  He never does.  At least I'm not part of the Jewelers Union.  Poor bastards are all on their own.

Aryn has been meeting with Sulari for the past few weeks.  He claims to have some information about the last (unsolved?) letter and he's been questioning her specifically about what she's seen over the years.  I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that as soon as he finds out who the the traitor is, our issue with nobility is going to quickly be over.

[ May 02, 2008: Message edited by: Heavy Flak ]

[Heavy Flak]

The Events of the 12th of Hematite, 1060

The Dwarves stood in the hallway frozen with horror.  Ast, one of the fisherdwarves, had her hands raised up, gibbering apologies as she tried to back up farther.  At the edge of the crowd stood Queen Braidsabre and her consort, an obviously pleased tax collector, and one of the nameless Queen's Guard.  

A brief scuffle sounded from the back and eventually Johnny burst into the opening, rushing to grab the Guard by her robe.  "What'er ya' doin?  Feckin' stop, what has she done?"

The voice that responded was much more cheerful than the situation allowed. "The mandate for Large Gems wasn't met.  We're punishing the offender."
"Yer' kiddin' me!  She's a feckin' fisherman!  When does she find time ta' play wi'gems?"
"Of course we're not kidding, Mr. Fountainspring.  And I might remind you, that these beatings might not happen if you were to fully pay your taxes."
"...I'm fully paid up.  I dunnae know what yer'-"
"I don't really care, Mr. Fountainspring.  You can bring this up with the proper authorities.  Now.  Where were we?"

Though stout and used to the harsh life in the wastes, of the attacks of goblins upon their kin, it was quite another thing to see one of your own beaten in the main hallway, her screams carrying as far down as the tombs.  Two days later, Ast died from her punctured lung.  She drowned in her own blood.

[ May 02, 2008: Message edited by: Heavy Flak ]

[Heavy Flak]

From the files of Aryn Estetar
22nd of Hematite

-everywhere.  They're everywhere, all of them, the whole lot of them watching and waiting, coming in, swooping, ready to take it all.  How much longer before the rest of the kingdom arrives?  Before the money hungry yokels were yearned to leave - who didn't come with us in the first place - make the trek and set up shop and demand that this land we've carved with our hands and sweat alone is theres for the taking.

I've been haunted by that dream.  If it's correct, and that note was translated thusly, it can only mean one thing.  We've always known that someone is selling us out to the queen, but there is one key in there - the Star Sapphire pendant in the last line.  I've been pouring through the profiles of all the Dwarves in this fort, the sheets of information by MY law they're required to fill out before receiving room and board.  There are many here that claim to have an affinity for the Star Sapphire, but only two have been here from the start of these communications:

Stravitch and Snake.  

I've never much liked either of them, and now to find one, or both, are selling us out?  I don't want to alert the Braidsabres or our little spies to this, but I'm going to have to find SOME way to test them...

Fools.  How could they think they could hide this from me forever?  I promise The Queens coronation will be one that is remembered by all.