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The Code Book #1 Mystery Cache

Hidden : 09/30/2012
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

The coordinates listed above are not correct




This is the first cache of a series of caches inspired by The Code Book:The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography written by Simon Singh in 1999.  One of the chapters revealed a Cipher Challenge.  The challenge consisted of solving 10 progressively harder codes with a cash prize of £10,000.  The first person who could prove to the author that he had broke all 10 ciphers was awarded the prize.  It took a group of Swedish students over a year to break all 10 ciphers and give the secret words to the author to prove that they had broken the code.

I hope it does not take over a year for someone to break all 10 of these codes.  Collusion is permitted in solving these puzzles.  As inspired by The Code Book, there is a cash prize for the first to solve all 10 puzzles.

Here are the rules of the game:
1.  You must have a "Woo Hoo" from Homer for all 10 puzzles to qualify for the prize.
2.  You must sign all 10 logs to qualify for the prize.  (Sorry no virtual finds).
3.  You may contact me to let me know you are the first to go for the final puzzle, I would like to meet you there if it is at all possible, but I do not have to be there for you to claim FTF.
4.  The first to have 10 finds verified will receive a cash reward of $50.00 to be awarded soon after the FTF occurs.  If collusion is involved in solving the puzzles it is the responsibility of the solvers to determine how to divide the money.  I will award the money to the first to sign the log of all 10 caches.
5.  If you cannot find one of the caches in this series, post a DNF and I will verify that the cache is still there as soon as possible, usually within a week.  I will post a public note on the cache if it is still there or not.
6.  This series is about the puzzles, so these will not be typical of my caches.  There will be little bushwacking involved, but they will be unlikely to be muggled.

7.  All caches are located in Tarrant County.  They will be placed in my "The Code Book" bookmark as they are published.  As the puzzles are checked by an independent 3rd party they will be published and put in my public bookmark.
8.  Posting a code from inside the cache in an online log will get your log deleted and you disqualified from the prize.
9. Make sure to get the key from the log so you can solve the 10th puzzle.


Here's the first puzzle:

Wklv lv wkh iluvw sxccoh ri wkh vhulhv ri whq sxccohv lq Wkh Frgh Errn wkdw zloo hqg zlwk wkh ilqdo. Wkh sulch iru ehlqj wkh iluvw wr vroyh doo whq sxccohv lv iliwb grooduv. Wr txdolib, brx pxvw ghflskhu doo ri wkh frghv dqg jhw d “Zrr Krr” iurp Krphu rq doo whq. Li Krphu lv qrw kdssb whq wlphv zlwk brxu qdph rq lw, brx zloo qrw txdolib iru wkh sulch. Li brx duh uhdglqj wklv wkhq brx kdyh suredeob frph xs zlwk dq lghd ri krz wr vroyh wkh uhvw ri wklv sxccoh, exw L zloo ohdyh wkdw iru brx wr ghflgh. Wkh nhb wr wklv sxccoh lv wkh ixoo qdph ri wklv sxccoh'v wkhph hqfubswhg wkh vdph dv wkh furvvzrug foxhv.


Hyhubwklqj lq wklv sxccoh zloo eh hqfubswhg. Dv brx fdq vhh, wkh foxhv wr wklv sxccoh duh hqfubswhg, exw wkh furvvzrug dqvzhuv zloo eh wkh rqob wklqj lq sodlq whaw.




 

Across

Down

1. Dmfpqbusb't tpo

1. Hpbm

3. Doohjhg pdodgb

2. Lwnkcp ngcr oqpvj

5. Twnlns tk "Ymj inj nx hfxy"

4. Jmvwx gs-gsrwyp

6. Loxyz ul 3 cuxjy

6. Tkdz Iovnkx

8. Pqa Uiabmz wn Pwzam

7. Opz yhuzvt

10. Mbyccon bsfob

9. Ljlqn crcun

15. Uxcpa bpydg Vpaaxr qpiiat

11. Std rclyoypasph

17. OCMZZ tvcvsirkzfe cftrkzfe

12. Eaz ar sap

18. Kwfslw dwsvwj vmjafy uanad osj

13. Grzcyr bs Irahf_____

20. Jottfy'm Nbygy

14. Aifrsfcig qcbgdwfohcfg

22. Jatp xwppha wp peia kb zawpd

16. Iusedt myvu

23. Qeb Zlab Yllh Xrqelo

19. Wxtma wtr

24. Jmayrgml md osycqrmpqfgn

21. Czdm

28. Rktcvgu tcpuqo

25. Onnq Lhcckd Dzrsdqm dmdlx

29. Klv iluvw qdph

26. Death year (BC)

30. Qyvhiviv

27. Mfhjpot bttjhofe jo Hbvm

31. Rniiqj sfrj

 



Congrats Axmantis on FTF!!!


Congrats martinp13 on FTS!




You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.


This cache was adopted by Lotus, me, in June 2019. This series has a very special place in my heart. I had hidden and solved many puzzles prior to The Code Book; however, this series was my first true deep dive into ciphers. It opened many doors for me, in terms of how I thought about designing puzzles and also in steps I now take to solve them. It is an honor for me to adopt this series as I want to ensure its longevity.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[Puzzle] Sbyybj gur vafgehpgvbaf pybfryl (bapr lbh qrpvcure gurz) [Cache] Cbjre yvarf pnhfr ceboyrzf jvgu TCF urer. Pnpur vf ybpngrq whfg vafvqr gerryvar ng onfr bs n zhygv-gehax gerr. Cyrnfr pbire jryy jura uvqvat vg.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)