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Emporia Odyssey Multi-cache

This cache has been archived.

sregitum: At least one landmark is still missing, so I'm going to archive this one. I hope everyone enjoyed it!

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Hidden : 7/6/2006
Difficulty:
5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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How Geocaching Works

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Geocache Description:

On this journey you will visit various Emporia landmarks to help you decipher the clues that will lead you to the final cache location.

** CLUES BELOW HAVE BEEN CHANGED AS OF 8/16/08. HOWEVER ALL NEEDED WAYPOINTS REMAIN UNCHANGED.

Before you begin you will need to be familiar with how to decipher a few types of codes. In particular, you will need to know about a Polybius Checkerboard, Caesar Cipher, Gronsfeld Cipher, Charles Dumas/Ben Franklin Cipher, and Vigenere's Table. (Note:the type of key given should tell you which cipher was used.)

You will also need to use your GPS in a couple of ways. You should be OK if it gives you distances to waypoints accurate to tenths of a mile or better, and bearing/heading values. As a backup, it might be helpful to have a ruler, a map of Emporia, and know how to find the circumcenter of a triangle. However, these aren't necessary and the only math required to complete the cache is arithmetic.

To find the cache, you need to find 5 waypoints in Emporia and 6 four-digit numbers. To avoid GPS error compounding, make sure your final digits for each of the locations matches the following.

A: See coordinates above.
B: N 38 xx.x16' W 96 xx.x94'
C: N 38 xx.x86' W 96 xx.x09'
D: N 38 xx.x03' W 96 xx.x80'
E: N 38 xx.x96' W 96 xx.x46'

Final Location: N 38 X' W 96 Y'
Y = (#1 + #2 + #3 + #4 + #5 + #6)/1000
X = 2Y + 1.698

All locations are stroller accessible. Cache is a jar. It contains a few (partially cleaned) coins from the time of Polybius and Caesar as well as some more recent ones. Feel free to just take one or trade coins if you wish. Let us know if you have any questions or comments and good luck!

Here is the enciphered message:

Begin at the coordinates listed above. This is point 'A'. The number of 12,31,11,13,25 31,24,22,23,44 35,34,31,15,43 you see is right shift for next message.

Go south on Tvemvmi, west on Jmjxc, until you see wxsri tmppevw on your right. #1 is year of AEA uysxi and is also the key to the next message. Point 'B' is at EPELI. [If the year you need is gone, then just add 25 to the year that the Anderson family donated the land.]

Go east until you see guksu qkqmb on your left and djoljjt on your right. Point 'C' is at FNB tccyvn. #2 is year for VW bavndug. It will help you decipher the next message (qjwg.bpaf.qfcvjs)

Proceed to the point that is an equal distance from points A, B, and C. (If Emporia was flat, it would be the circumcenter of the triangle with vertices A, B, and C.) This is point 'D'. Find the nearest 4.9.4/5.3.1/4.1.5/2.7.1/6.1.4//6.3.4/7.3.2/1.3.8/6.1.2 (within 150 feet). The only 2.22.1/4.8.2/8.6.1/1.2.8/ - /4.9.3/6.1.2/4.13.3/8.1.1/9.3.6/1.3.1//7.7.1/2.3.2/5.1.3/9.4.6 is your next key.

Go W and N past more tapvq and fqrtfie until you reach the krphqr. Year established is #3. Word after dcqavzyp is new key.

Return to sogyb O via an alternate route until you reach the drri. On the way, find the yixc of the oaip. This is your new key. The corresponding year is #4.

Now take the didgmalnn amxy of the lsen out of the phcw. Turn left and go past a former Lrrp and pkuynt until you come to a pzhvnuy. The jzdrvxwgrnl provides #5. Lzhika'f last name is new key.

Return to pt. D. Point 'E' is 1.45 miles away, bearing in the direction of rt. T. There you will find #6 (asz i cgai).

You can now proceed to the final cache location.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Guvf vf lBhe uvag sbe gUr svANY ybpNGvbA. lbh wHfg uNIR gb Xabj uBJ gb qrPVCuRe vg. seNApvf ONPbA fuBhYQ or nOYr GB urYc.

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)