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[uneasyjd]

100% agree with Cassandra on the alphabet identification...

[sotonrich]

just some ideas.

the letters of the gothic alphabet also have a numerical value. could vons clue imply that one of each pairing should be numerical? or prehaps the entire code should actually be numerical?

[beglee]

[ramsfan]

Starting with the left arm I think it's
bz bz bq qq ba bg bq ba bz qz bb ba bz bz bq qq ba bg bq bz bz
The right hand arm is
qz bd qz bd bz bd bz bb ha qg ba qg ba bg ba bq ba ha dz qz bb ba
The bottom is
az aq ae aq bz bz ab aa az aa bb bb ad ag ab ag ha

Numerically that's
27 27 26 66 21 23 26 21 27 67 22 21 27 27 26 66 21 23 26 27 27
then
67 24 67 24 27 24 27 22 81 63 21 63 21 23 21 26 21 81 47 67 22 21
and
az aq ae aq bz bz ab aa az aa bb bb ad ag ab ag ha

I think that's 18 different combinations which might equate to standard alphabet in a 60 item message. Sorry if I've made any errors. The message could of course start at any point.
I did google "goth in chains" and twins. Got excited when I found the Cocteau Twins were on a "whitby" goth compilation. However when I found the list of items offered by the "house of transgressions" I thought I'd gone far enough.

[ramsfan]

Whoops
I meant
17 16 15 16 27 27 12 11 17 11 22 22 14 13 12

[ramsfan]

Can't believe this. It's rushing over lunch
Please add 13 81 to the third string

[doublecross]

Yes, it's definitely gothic - see this page particularly:

In that case I have re-translated the characters to the correct numbers, as follows:

17 16 15 16 27 27 12 11 17 11 22 22 14 13 12 13 84 / 67 24 67 24 27 24 27 22 84 63 21 63 21 23 21 26 21 84 47 67 22 21 / 27 27 26 66 21 23 26 21 27 67 22 21 27 27 26 66 21 23 26 27 27

Von's message strongly suggests that the first and second digits are two independent ciphers (as has been noted before). These are all the first digits:

11112211112211118/6262222286262222284622/222622222622222622222

These are all the second digits:

76567721712243234/7474747243131316147721/776613617721776613677

[ramsfan]

For want of anything better I entered Maria Callas and La Gioconda. The latter because someone thought Mona Lisa and it was her Italian debut. Both were wrong. Also Stage Door because there's a quote about blooming callas by Katherine Hepburn. Does this suggest I've given up on solving the code?

[ReeKorl]

That code, has anyone tried taking it as music?

11112211112211118 / 6262222286262222284622 / 222622222622222622222
76567721712243234 / 7474747243131316147721 / 776613617721776613677

left hand/right hand portions on a piano or perhaps octave/note combinations?

[ammonite]

I wonder if the numbers 1-8 could pertain to musical notes (I think Cassandra mentioned this earlier).

The two rows could be melodies to play together in counterpoint. I've just tried to play them out on the basis that 1-C 2-D, ... 7-B (admittedly, in my head, at my desk, while being told off by my colleague for singing weirdly to myself) and they *almost* make sense as a melody but nothing recognisable or that makes harmonic sense at first glance.

[ammonite]

spooky double post reekorl... there's a keyboard in my building, off to try it out now!

[c1023]

I've been having a go at turning it into music as well. But I have no musical talent, and I'm tone deaf!

Anyway, I found this website which creates midi files from the notes you type in:
http://irresponsiblecybernetics.com/midimaker.cgi

I had the idea that the first number of the pair could be the length of the note, and the second is the pitch.

Being musically illiterate, I made 1 = A, 2 = B etc.

Try entering the following strings for the musical score in the site above:
< gfefg-g-bagab-b-dcbcd-------
< g-----d-g-----d-g-d-g-b-d-------c-----a-c-----a-c-a-f-a-d-------g---g-----b-a-
< g-g-f-f-----a-c-f-a-g-g-----b-a-g-g-f-f-----a-c-f-g-g-

Perhaps someone with a musical ear wants to see what they can do with it.

[ammonite]

Cracked it! Thanks C023, you were spot on.

[ReeKorl]

Nice one guys

Confirmed, points in the in-tray.

Someone slap a solved on this one!

[doublecross]

Great job! First time I've been in the first ten solvers, I think. Hope I helped a bit.