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[bill]

[Puzzle] 2. Green Face - reverse 52 & JA53 JA54

[Gibberx]

Okay, so this one looks to be a gargantuan cryptogram. ROT-ing does nothing. However, I haven't decided whether or not the entire text as a whole is a single cryptogram, or if it's a string of cryptograms with different solutions. I wrote the whole thing down into a notebook so I can peck at it while I'm not at my computer.

Also, note that at the top it says "reverse 52" - this is the only intelligible bit. Also, in the bottom left it says JA53, and the bottom-right corner says JB54. The sequence 52,53,54 catches my eye, but I don't know what to make of it. Hmm.

I'll try to stay in touch if I find anything. Looks like we'll all need some help on this one at some point in time... and yet... we're all in competition!

P.S. [SPEC] I think that once we decode this side of the cube, we'll be left with a set of instructions... probably another puzzle. The answer to that question/puzzle would be what goes in the "submit" field. I'd consider it a safe assumption, but you never know...

[mkultrasearch]

Reverse 52, I was thinking it is a guide on how to solve the cryptogram. 26 letters in the alphabet .... 26 + 26 = 52. So a double reverse of the alphabet. Maybe Starting with J as 1. So J=A the going back? Not sure

[Gibberx]

Wouldn't looping through the alphabet twice just put you back where you started?

Besides, I already ran it through ROT-it, to no avail. I don't think a simple ceaser cipher is the answer here.

[lovejoy]

simple cipher

[perrault]

I can't help but think that the key is in the portions that are legible to a degree:

reverse 52
JA53
JB54

By going with the obvious JA-JB combo, you get all the way to JZ78. You can then go backwards, assuming that the first letter decreases by one after going back from A, with IA - IZ being 27 - 52. I'm still trying to figure out how any of this could have any standing.

Another part of it that I've been focusing on is kind of irritating, especially when trying to focus on the above information.

[openfly]

[perrault]

Ah, see, I was being stupid. I knew it.

[Ralen]

Surely this puzzle goes with #1 somehow, right? I just have no idea what to make of the square of letters.

[perrault]

I was considering that, but just as you said.. I don't know where to begin with the Letterbox...

[Alablast]

Not really 'useful', except other than to keep people off the wrong track, but this isn't a letter-to-letter translation (the letters in the puzzle don't represent another letter all throughout the puzzle). Each letter either appears twice, but followed by a different letter each time, OR is placed at the end of a word- meaning there is no q-u combination, but that each letter IS used.

Each letter probably has a numerical value, or changes value throughout the puzzle.

[zaeil]

I had a thought...

The "reverse 52" at the top was bugging me. Something about the number. And it finally hit me...52-Pickup. Playing cards!

So I googled around, and I found that there are some ciphers based on playing cards, the most notable being the "Solitaire" cipher developed for the novel Cryptonomicon. For more info, check out http://www.schneier.com/solitaire.html.

Anyway, if you read through that link, you'll see that Mr. Schneier refers to the two jokers in the deck as Joker A, with a value of 53, and Joker B, with a value of 54. Seem familiar?

I've tried running the strings from the green face through a couple of the web-based solitaire programs, with no luck (I'm just guessing with possible keyphrases and deck ordering). It may not be the Solitaire cipher per se--I can't check out several of the links I googled up thanks to the blocker on my work computer--but I definitely think it's a playing card-based code.

[konamouse]

[Varin]

We were talking about it possibly being a solitaire cipher in chat the other day and more specifically we were hoping it isn't a solitaire cipher. I've tried running the text through an online solitaire cipher program and didn't receive any worthwhile results either.

I think maybe you could be right about it just being a card based cipher and not necessarily a solitaire cipher. Or maybe the solution of the first side will give us a keystream for a solitaire cipher?

[Sin Vraal]

hey