Scavenger hunt! The bestest game ever!

[Yvain Wintersong]

I played something like this in another forum once. A scavenger hunt (or treasure hunt, or whatever) is a game where you run around looking for clues and solving puzzles. An online scavenger hunt is a game where you run around the Internet looking for clues and solving puzzles. Scott of Hyperborea and I have been laying clues in various places around micronationalism for the past weekend. We've got some pretty good ones.

The rules are as follows. I post the first clue below. You study it for a while. The clue will then direct you somewhere - usually to a different website. You go to that new website and find the next clue, which will reveal more of the backstory and direct you to yet another website. Sometimes it's very subtle, and you have to read between the lines to figure out which webpage to go to. After you've done a bit of this, you've discovered the whole backstory and you reach the final clue, which is very hard. The final clue directs you to a website with a password. By posting the password here, you win.

Scott and I have tried to set this up in a "Da Vinci Code" style, where each clue reveals a little more about a Vast Micronational Conspiracy. Scott knows a lot of micronational history, which he tried to work into it - so if you know micronational history, you'll have an easier time of it. But you also need some basic math skills, some trivia skills, and a bit of luck.

It might be VERY hard to solve the entire puzzle on your own, so I suggest you work together for the first few clues and post the answers here. However, the first person to post the password of the last clue wins the game, along with the prizes. It's his or her choice whether he or she wants to share them with other people who helped.

If a clue's too hard, ask Scott or I (AIM = GSquid314, YvainTheLost) and we MIGHT give you a hint).

Without further ado, the game begins below.

[Yvain Wintersong]

While cleaning out the Baronial Library in Avakair, I discovered a very odd-looking old map. I think it's a navigational chart of some sort. Although the top part's ripped off, the remainder seems to have text scrawled on it, apparently in some kind of cipher.



(if you can't read the handwriting, I've transcribed it below):

...gur nern va juvpu jr jrer vagreprcgrq. Gur Xnvfre vf jbeevrq gung arjf nobhg gur vapvqrag jvyy trg bhg; ur fghpx fbzr vzcbegnag qbphzragf vagb n obbx ba gur uvfgbel bs Gncsre. N fhobeqvangr bs uvf yngre qbangrq gur obbx gb gur Fuverebgu angvbany yvoenel jvgu gur qbphzragf fgvyy vafvqr; nggrzcgf gb erpbire gurz unir fb sne cebira sehvgyrff. Vs gur arj Neq-Oneba qvfpbiref bhe pbzcyvpvgl va gur bcrengvba, ur jvyy oryvrir jr unir gur Fcrne, naq vg znl cebibxr fbzr fbeg bs uvtu-yriry pbasyvpg.

V fhttrfg n pbagvahvat chefhvg bs gur rarzl fuvcf ba gur ebhgrf znexrq va erq naq oyhr, nybat jvgu gur shyy hfr bs FUVAR erfbheprf gb tngure vasbezngvba nobhg gur fvghngvba. Gnfx tebhcf vapyhqvat gur pneevre EFF Rkpnyvohe, gur onggyrfuvc Rexvacbvxn'f Eriratr, gur frira pehvfref EFF Jbysenira, EFF...

[andelarion]

Ooo, this is fun.

I decoded it, yay. Now what to do is more difficult...

[benkern]

It says post the answer... but surely it would be more fun to let everyone have a go?

[Yvain Wintersong]

Andelarion: Good job! Now try and think about what part of that might be hinting at a clue on another website
Benkern: Did you solve the WHOLE THING? All the way up to the clue that says YOU WIN on the top? If so, I've got to make this WAY harder. In that case, PM me the password it gave you so I can recognize you as the official winner.

[Ari Rahikkala]

* twitches *

This is... interesting...

Here's the URLs I've gotten so far, rot13'd:

uggc://fuverebgu.bet/jvxv/vaqrk.cuc?gvgyr=Gncsre#Yrggre
uggc://fuverebgu.xhebfuveb.arg/sbehz/ivrjgbcvp.cuc?s=54&g=5415
uggc://jjj.trbpvgvrf.pbz/ncbyybfxlyvar/yngrfg.ugzy
uggc://jjj.envxbgu.arg/fbyhgvba.ugzy
uggc://c092.rmobneq.pbz/Gtnbguf-Ivyyn/snvanqrk.fubjZrffntr?gbcvpVQ=13.gbcvp

V'z fghpx ba gur boryvfx vafpevcgvba... onfrq ba n dhvpx yvggyr grfg, vg qbrf frrz angheny onfrq ba jbeq naq yrggre serdhrapvrf, ohg gung'f nyy V'ir svtherq bhg fb sne.

Bu, naq V qba'g jnag gb or n cneg bs gur byhgvba .

[Yvain Wintersong]

Nu, lrf, Nev, gunax lbh sbe cbvagvat zr gb gur EBG13 pbairegre; gung jbhyq'ir orra grqvbhf gb qb ol unaq.

Nnnetu! Gung bar fghcvq pebffjbeq chmmyr vf pnhfvat zr fb zhpu gebhoyr! Lbh'q guvax vg jbhyq or rnfl gb qenj n ahzore bs yvggyr obkrf rdhny gb gur yrggref va n jbeq, ohg abbbb...

Gryy zr vs lbh jnag n uvag ba gur boryvfx.

[benkern]

Benkern: Did you solve the WHOLE THING? All the way up to the clue that says YOU WIN on the top? If so, I've got to make this WAY harder. In that case, PM me the password it gave you so I can recognize you as the official winner.

No... I wish.

[Andreas the Wise]

Ooh, fun fun fun, I'm in ...

Pity I'm no good at cyphers ...

[Scott of Hyperborea]

Right. I'm worried a lot of people aren't playing this because they're intimidated by the code, so below is the full text of the code. Hopefully it'll get you started. If you want to solve the code yourself, don't read further:

...the area in which we were intercepted. The Kaiser is worried that news about the incident will get out; he stuck some important documents into a book on the history of Tapfer. A subordinate of his later donated the book to the Shireroth national library with the documents still inside; attempts to recover them have so far proven fruitless. If the new Ard-Baron discovers our complicity in the operation, he will believe we have the Spear, and it may provoke some sort of high-level conflict.

I suggest a continuing pursuit of the enemy ships on the routes marked in red and blue, along with the full use of SHINE resources to gather information about the situation. A task group containing the aircraft carrier RSS Excalibur, the battleship Erkinpoika's Revenge, the seven cruisers RSS Wolfraven, RSS...

[Kaiser Mors V]

I think I'm just kinda confused how to proceed... not that I'm planning to play.. but still...

[Andreas the Wise]

Thanks Scott. I may sit down and try to decipher it another time, but this gives me something to work with ... yay ...

Bayen, Lyam, Prodigy, combined Gralan effort?

[Liam conToketi]

I could give it a shot. I've been a micronationalist longer than any Gralan here...

[Andreas the Wise]

See my question in the Gralan forums, Lyam. With your age, my international experience, Bayen's brilliant mind, and Prodigy's ... well, prodigy, I think we have a chance ...

[Liam conToketi]

My age is almost irrelevant, though. I was solely Lovlian until Toketi was formed (February-May 2006), and then I didn't get out much until Novatainia was formed and I started helping you guys out...

Plus, this is probably about 2 years or more before my time... (It mentioned SHINE, which was formed by Kaiseress Aure I, according to the wiki, and she ruled July/August 2003, so well before my time)

[Andreas the Wise]

Anyone got too far yet? I don't think I've found the next clue, but I have worked out who the Ard-Baron is, and where the conflict is, which at least gives me a historical period (though I'm sure you old guys knew that bit already).
If the link I followed wasn't the clue though, it was an incredible coincidence ...

EDIT: It was a coincidence. Made a bit of a jump, now I'm up to where Ari was ...

[andelarion]

delete :P

[Yvain Wintersong]

So, the standings as of now are:

Osmose: Clue 5
Ari: Clue 6
Andreas: Clue 6
Benkern: ?
Andelarion: ?

I'll just give one hint. Don't be intimidated by the code in Clue 6. There's a trick to it that makes it very, very, VERY easy. You do not have to know anything about ciphers or cryptology to decipher it. (ROT13d for hintiness) Lbh whfg unir gb punatr lbhe crefcrpgvir.

[benkern]

Clue 2!

[Yvain Wintersong]

Ben: Tb svaq gung thl'f ivyyn!

[benkern]

*salutes* Alrightey.

[Andreas the Wise]

Yay for hintingness, I'm gonna try that ...

[osmose1000]

Actually I got to 6 the next day before losing interest. Maybe if I have some time and it doesn't seem to be too broken I'll try again. :P

EDIT: Yay, I are a winner! I won't spoil it, though. Besides, I'm not a micronationalist anymore, I have no use for gold or treasures. :P

I will PM Scott just to prove it. :P

[Scott of Hyperborea]

*Checks private messages*
Osmose is indeed the winner...but has chosen to leave all the gold and treasure in its original location for the next person to find it

[Ari Rahikkala]

Scott, I hate you.

(it was a decent expedition, though)

[Maksym Hadjimehmetov]

*clapclap*

Thoroughly enjoyable. We should do things like this more often
Which leaves me to ask- how did you do the letter at the top, Yvain?

[Liam conToketi]

I think Gralus as a whole is on the home stretch (thanks to our own Cathbhadh, as weird as that might sound to some Gralans). I'm trying to figure out the last clue (if it is indeed the last)...

[Andreas the Wise]

Tbg vg ... V gbbx n juvyr pbzcnevat znc nepuvirf gb svaq Nvebfnzragr, gura ernyvfrq gung gur pvgl lbh jnagrq jnf bar ba gur [v]pheerag [/v]znc ...
Password: (rot13d) Zntryyna.
Sbe gung, Linva, lbh pna or fher gur Unjxf Rlr zbhagnva jvyy nccrne va yngre erpbeqf bs Abingnvavn, jub bja gur vfynaq. Ubj svggvat, nf Cnevovn vf fgvyy vasrfgrq jvgu cvengrf, naq bhe xvat jnagrq n zbhagnva (jryy, ernyyl ibypnab) onfr ba Zntryyna ...

Andreas entered the treasure chamber, utterly amazed that it was in a place so familiar to him. He'd have to have a few words with certain evil geniuses about their defences after this.
But, to his horror, just as he was about to enter the chamber he saw footprints - moose shaped footprints.
He reflected that, in listing the dangers of a treasure hunt, few people remember to include, at the top of the list, "The blighter who got there first." However, his tempers calmed when, soon after, he saw a note.
"Yay, I are a winner! I won't spoil it, though. Besides, I'm not a micronationalist anymore, I have no use for gold or treasures. :P" It appeared his fears of a lost treasure were unnecessary.

Then he saw it. It was amazing. It was perfect. And it was more treasure than any one man could ever need. His damn concscience was at work again ...
He hadn't done it entirely by himself. He'd had help in one or two key places, sometimes by accident, though he would have worked it out eventually. He knew what he had to do.
He took 1/7th of the treasure for himself, and several key historical artefacts. Two of them were clearly too dangerous to leave in non-magical hands, though he would try to find the rightful owner of Osoroth. Another was too useful to pass up (I'll be getting that image sometime soon, Yvain - you any good with flags?), and the Malarbor award ... well, who could pass up that.
He also took another 1/7th of the treasure, to divide among those who had helped him - a sizeable portion to the Gralans, and also, an annoymous donation to a certain Straylightian duke ...
However, he had seen how fun this hunt was, and left the rest of the treasure (including the strange head and test) for whoever else would make their way here. If no one did in a month, he'd just tell his King what was above his secret lair ...

Wonderful fun Yvain, absolutely wonderful, though the first clue really threw me for a while, until I worked out that there was a disclaimer telling you you'd found it. By utter coincidence, I found a great deal of information on Treesia, the Ard-Baron and anti-shirithian lies by going to the "Let's make a library" thread I found, and following a post by Scott ... oh the coincidences ...

[Nathan of Natopia]

password: Gung jnf nf sha nf nyzbfg fnvyvat nebhaq gur jbeyq naq trggvat xvyyrq ol angvirf unysjnl.

I'm not taking anything since I don't feel like I really worked at it and just used everyone else's hard earned clues that they posted. I feel like the evil Nazi who just waits for Indy to get to the treasure and then ambushes him when he leaves the temple. Although I really did laugh at the test. Clever.

But somehow I ended up with a girlfriend. I'll leave her there for whoever wants her. *scoffs*

[osmose1000]

FOR THE LAST FUCKING TIME, A GUY CAN BE NICKNAMED MOOSE WITHOUT BEING A GOD DAMNED MOOSE

< THIS IS MY ANGRY FACE. IT TELLS YOU THAT I AM ANGRY

Not really, but still, come on guys.