The Frome Kryptos Mystery Cache
tsiolkovsky: Sad to say this container has gone again - in very short order so sadly after so many years of galant service it is time to put this one to bed. Many thanks to everyone who solved it.
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(regular)
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A cryptographic cache that starts in the centre of Frome and ends up just outside it. The cache is located nowhere near the above coordinates.
In front of the CIA Cafeteria at Langley stands a sculpture entited 'Kryptos' by artist James Sanborn. The sculpture, in the form of an S, consists of two convex surfaces: once covered with a 869 character long chunk of ciphertext and the other showing a 869 Vignere-like table based on the keyword Kryptos.
Edward M. Scheidt, former chairman of the CIA's Cryptographic Center, chose the types of ciphers used for the encryption. The sculptor then encrypted the plaintext using Scheidt's methods – but subtly changing them. Since it's dedication in October 1990, the full plaintext has been known only to the Sculptor, the Cryptographer and a closed-mouthed handful of others. At the time of writing (October 2009), all but the last 97 characters have been decrypted. It is true to say that the Kryptos is considered to the Everest of cryptographic challenges.
This cache is a homage to James Sanborn's sculpture, but it is designed to be cracked.
This is the orginal version of the cipher text:
ORAQW KUEQF ZFNMM NGJYB VBVRM TAPGG KJJHY VWTTI OGRQT
TFECH QGGGR QJBRG NSAJL ZEPBQ YRWOI MKLHR ICLEL AXPJS
IAMWK JRTTW GXTZB QYVWE AJVJY SJFVF BTUPD LHRTH FINSQ
PKWTU FMTBW SGQWG CPVZK FWOIJ SDLFO SRECO FLQDO IFGKE
JYKIF GTPMC JRKYF LWOHV USWBA TTIZG REP?F LIURO ORIMI
UIBBF VISMN ILBGI FGOIM FVNKI RLMNR OOFSN MBFLN KOXNQ
LBMCX ZFBIF BNKII SMNIL BLFQN IMNFG QBEIL ZFBIM FDNEI
SEOXR BLISO AMMKF VAILH XRBNK XIXIM KFGIE RIMGL RZIES
CFUIS OOUFO QAILR MIMFV SNILN FMVIS NFQNN KIMFQ OFDAS
BNLSU IONFV SLEMF BVSNI LRHIE FBNKR BIAFF B?EKG YEXAD
DCFDE ANMOR LEFBF CIBGF PNCSL USOIE EPFOY RNMSA PKFNK
FQESI GPGPS ARVNB FAULL YFLVG MFNGC DSCOF TCKFS AGMSF
NDFSP DROYO BZSPS CVKQA SYDLV FMILG TYCGL OISYS IHGRT
SUBAR ZWSRS YVHVP YRSSU QBWBW RBOEP ORSQT RZAOD EYAPS
RSSER ESKCV WZSRB CPTVU BSIC
This is the new version of the cipher text:
TOJFR RFLEE TZRPC SYJBX YSSGT SRGWN WPYVQ WAGFB JYANT
QWKGS AFUSI OGWRE QREWD PISJG UAEFR YNKTR TZRPC CNSSU
PSRRE HYRAR FMWET DAFUG ABCEQ TZRPC SYJBX PSRRE QREWD
OPKVQ UOCTS RFLEE KCBRV BBXSU FDIAH LVEMS PBFVQ KLNDY
RFLEE YSIHK CNSSU FDAPL OJGWR FMWET ?LOSL OSYEO FQIPO
FSWEL KBNEO FYGKN FSYDF IBNHD VSYEL OSYTD VSYEL OSYRN
MPMEO DAERO FEOEL OSYEO FYGRO FLYFS YLOSN MSYEO FSWEO
AACSA UWSTE OKGDK OIERF CSPQE OZOBP OWSTV RSPNS RWSRA
UEVBS RWSRA UEVSO NILYC SZSZE OWCSA UWSTE OZOCE OKRTE
VACSO NWSTE OIETP S?SQR IPFMG IECMW IEQJB LTISR ILFMG
IEQKS PRHSP IERAI BPFMG IEMDR ILISR ILFMG IEQKS PRHSP
IEFUK NYFMG IECMW IEQKS PRQJB LTHSP IERAI BPNBL IEJSQ
RQHSP IEQJS HGHSP IEISR ILHSP IECMW IEAIS VIHSP IEFUK
NYHSP IEHSP IEQJB LTRAI BPNBL IECJS HGBLS LIBLS LI
Here are a few clues to get you started:
Three encryption methods are used which will render a piece of poetry in which the location of the cache is hidden. The '?' (question mark) donates a change in cipher scheme as per the real Kryptos.
All of the cipher schemes use a keyword or keywords. These words are included somewhere on this page.
To recover the location from within the poem embedded within version #1 of the cipher text you will need to divine the link between: the number nine, a military rank, a famous English Detective (not that one!), the building at the above co-ordinates and a manufacturer of bespoke clothing.
To recover the location from version #2, you will need to work out who it wasn't who wrote all of the famous Bard's plays.
The Cache when first placed included:
Log book & pencil
Yo-yo
Toy car
A badge or two
and the first to find prize.
***Congratulations to The Evil Poles on their FTF***
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Irefvba 1: Gurer vf zrgubq va gur Jvzfrl gung yvaxf Arvy Pnegre gb gur Arhs Pbheghevre. Nygubhtu va guvf pnfr vg vf gura ahzore bs gur 'qbt' naq 'zvqqyr' jngpurf.
Irefvba 2: Fbzrguvat gung irtrgnevnaf svaq uneq gb pbcr jvgu
Nyy gur pvcuref ner ersreraprq jvguva gur obbx 'Gur NPN naq Lbh', gur ubhfr obbx bs gur Nzrevpna Pelcgbtenz Nffbpvngvba.
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
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