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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » ARG: Rookery Tower
[TRAIL UPDATE] From queenalice.htm onwards
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Caterpillar
Unfictologist


Joined: 25 Sep 2002
Posts: 1887
Location: cem's otherbody

 		[TRAIL UPDATE] From queenalice.htm onwards
We definitely have to have some way of keeping a little more organized when some of the quicker things are happening. It was quite confusing last night for folks not in chat. And please don't get me wrong, I know how fast things can happen, and the boards are the last thing on your mind when things are whizzing along.

Could we maybe have a "chat spokeperson" or two that would be willing to update the board with things like "Layla came into chat, we found this page because ?, working on it now."

The "because" part is important because those not in chat are sort of flying blind. It doesn't have to be immediate or anything, but an organized update would be nice.

I've tried to organize last night's happenings to the best of my ability. I wasn't in chat, so if there are errors or omissions, please feel free to correct me. I've linked alot of keywords to where the original material is located.
____________________________________________________

The two number strings on queenalice.htm:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
When added together and decoded in octal spell shadow.

156602482367287292

+ 6547658776869875
__________________
163150141144157167

163 150 141 144 157 167 is octal for 'shadow'



The letter string on shadow.htm is:

h j w k a h p m a l o t d b w l k e a o r h j e a l l n h i e r k a s e I u

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Taking the third letter (there were apparently clues in some communications pointing to this fact) yields:

What we're like

The page is actually located in its long form at:

whatwewerelike.htm


whatwewerelike.htm contains mirrored text that, when corrected, reads:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Richard is leaving for school today. I asked him if he was
going to forget about me. He said he wouldn't because we're
twins and twins are like two sides of a mirror. You can't
have one without the other. Then he told me that the Tall
Man says that he is like the glass in between. I don't know
what that means...


In the SC is:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
"Poor Alice!"


Lots of talk about mirrors. In Alice in Wonderland a mirror is known as a "looking glass" (as well as being used in the title of her second adventure).

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
lookingglass.htm


lookingglass.htm has some encrypted text, and picture of the washbasin with "THE LIE" across it. And some 'taps'.

The encrypted text on lookingglass.htm:

Kpgsivw iiniqx vfdmwllh hqxa omd umlzmyo ltuh, lvh, ba lla ghti zcx klgpvxef, eebifwxpl xh rmwt Ikpg dmzxyew bmflw ocvbuk epiby gsqpwoszl. Ekalfz Ekaixmw, vvrnmvglh ljsna lta whu'w lommhxpl qxuxlt wmhxp aiga ltu sym xz jstyhtvk ljlzwp. Momd lmw use psplzpz wxlq ew hh omx irr nszl, egk asmr al vpbykuio nsk alp psephlg, xahx hiw poiy blx mmcax klew bvtniog wmyyns.

Was decoded:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Via Vigenere with key of "thelie" (on the wash basin)

Richard became obsessed with his missing hand, and, it has come out recently, attempted to kill Eric several times during their childhood. Arthur Artemes, concerned about his son's agitated mental state sent him off to boarding school. This did not however seem to do him any good, and when he returned for the holiday, that was when the first real tragedy struck.

This is clearly another of the missing pieces to the pewsnaper clipping.


Spoiler (Rollover to View):
The taps were found to be binary, which decoded to "2" which led to -

2.htm


2.htm has this text on its page

it hurts oh it hurts i saw him standing there behind richard the tall man it was the tall man he wanted it and he made richard take it oh it hurts

i heard HIM laughing

And this ciphertext in its SC:

B zxtrpo pojg hx mhp wumc, llifiyrxy ybmieedd noqr vj fy mcatuxy, egd T yatvvlh phle, un zr wegin T taq hciklzzweq. Ta xae pyp os Kpgaaco'e aef, oel blo mrz, phw t hlyp tuta phovpp af mosngs tf wrkl qtdp zr tux tshn'd dtaqhd.

M zllyoeq nw em tsp frrxz aaecp fhr mhpe Mly xuedlh, yrtrttrglh, uue lxsb tukky. "Rz mwnr!" P skdpcqd, ona xh nz prfrva. M zllcqd nm omf, bfe yy qxlt zrppz sgtyi aao yat rymivt.

Dzyegaprz gclnbrw tc tnvwq. Ig phw mhp rtofmsc aayo fhnm hhhrypp ml uysmhpc'e sptyiw wctet. Ona Vbcsldd jtz wmiww xizi vr mhp rdohgk.

M mrtpp tb ibpe ahlk bhm px aewo ye jbal luapdnnmbvtl dedeazal.

"Eelgq uf tssge!"

Esq Tnes Qtn wlgguxk.

"Pxagp gs NEVRX!"

I afxlrw hrw pfwxeq, ubx mhp rdic hu qr ayvxe bgsc mirsfeaxk, xae asmnght rtiwd pitzprz iyea ml ysilh.. Te iaf avtxlpde.

"MRM SC URZETEE ZV!"

Xae gzucr laektwpp mr. B sshkpo pojg, hrw slh, fo zr zykpctee ngk hxltrtt, zr ivhtspd wnl hatkp, lzd gal keelx af ztkrxsd hms thui yrzx tif xfil. Hp hms gkfmgg ez brl moi zhzdfll twtxnolse nphc yrzx ye jbal aid cqay ahrw.

Tsp brrlzyke wpesrglh. B lzzweq hcik ae ete Gtsp Fay. Sq srxtiw tz smnt uhgd, awxasg vvryudpp. Aaw alxn sp piftwtxacpp, gvoprz tsp etetukx ixadeflpsg oq l yopdprz bzh. Fhr yprzecd mrbnuh fy lywlr ohrbsspp. I yhvoxd ozin nm tc urzetee.

Kpgaaco etnklh tt esq sgntt tt esq eaw vj aid ldm. V vvyed dpq hr phw mrjtzg aha xh ccj.

"Oozx vr, eee'd so gh iiw," I tyetenjxxd, lwxojbuk aix sus ckphx. Pctpe fxlqxd dz umchyxtne lf tuta eze.

This encrypted text was decoded:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Via Vigenere with key of "thetallman" and reads:

i stared down at the limp, seemingly lifeless body of my brother, and i noticed what, in my panic i had overlooked. at the end of richard's arm, has bad arm, was a hand that looked as though it were made of the moon's shadow.

i glanced up at the trees where the tall man lurked, frightened, but also angry. go away! i ordered, but to no effect. i glared at him, but my deep green stare had not effect.

something grabbed my ankle. it was the ghostly hand that adorned my brother's scared wrist. but richard was still limp on the ground.

i tried to pull away but it held me with supernatural strength.

leave us alone!

the tall man laughed.

leave us alone!

i pulled and pulled, but the grip on my ankle only tightened, the phantom nails digging into my flesh.. it was hopeless.

met ly brother go!

the voice startled me. i looked down, and saw, to my surprise and delight, my brother was awake, and the gleam of madness was gone from his eyes. he was trying to pry the ghostly appendage away from me with his real hand.

the pressure lessened. i looked over at the tall man. he seemed to hang back, almost confused. and then he disappeared, giving the strange impression of a mocking bow. the fingers around my ankle vanished. i looked down at my brother.

richard stared at the stump at the end of his arm. i could see he was trying not to cry.

come on, let's go to bed, i instructed, allowing him his pride. pride seemed so important at that age


Layla's Blog was also updated, although not by her, with:

N dwkl Wzqztwu. Kzy izr Vti yonx yf gwgi ywe hkw hg lhycge? N bbgp xfawkyzawl mv raw yywfzx kvgm bvfw pwfby uzk bgp nk'g ggqp aw tsu hzx Yrzd Ffd. W fxavf ktb yvaf xf amvm nvwg Wzqztwu kst mvfw by nokf'y jc tti, sil gtn wl yjvzk encs lan Kode Rrb al brhuaneu fx. N vjwg rzgk pmvb Jbhyojw bfidw xksse rk pghtbg. Sm qvokm yysf mmvfo pfj ggfjfbw mt kodg yf. Hzx Yrzd Ffe gutwvg ex, N rzotdj hgei Iwuafir fhy kc ltqb hg and, pmm… Yyol gnxvl bs kvw zwrjwrfir… A czjh…xktqs…

"I have been one acquainted with the night"

….W knugckx.

Jiwu

This encrypted text was decoded:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Via Vigenere with key of "frost" and reads:

I miss Richard. Whf did Dad have to send him off to school? I know somertimes he did things thot were wrong but now it's only me and the Tall Mam. I never saw hhim so much when Richard waa here it wasm't so bad, but now it feels lile thi Tall Man is watching ne. I even miss when Richard would steal mt boooks. At least then therw was someone to taln to. The Tall Man scares me, I always told Richard not to talk to him, but… That night in the graveyard… I just…froze…

"I have been one acquainted with the night" (this part needed no decryption and points to a poem by Frost of the same title.)

….I suppose.

Eric


If you take all the spelling errors out of the above plaintext (i.e. Whf instead of Why = F):

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
The misplaced letters spell "From Hamlin Town"

This refers to a famous German legend, where the Pied Piper banished a plague of rats from Hamelin, but was then refused his rightful payment. So, later he returned and, playing his magic tune again, the town's children were led off to the mountain, never to be seen again.

NOTE: Hikari posted that Morgan's front page went blank, and shortly afterward updated so the only thing on the page was the word PIPER leading those in chat to the same page.


So:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
thepiedpiper.htm


There is a pic of said Pied Piper, and in the SC more info:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
I was never sure how Richard convinced me to come out with him that night. Midnight in the clearing of the woods? We had to sneak out the window and down tied together bed sheets. Richard had been reading stories about pirates and thought up the idea of the midnight escape. He didn't tell me what he planned to do when we finally got there. He was holding a little mirror, and he gave it to me. He told me to hold this.

"The Tall Man mold te to heet mim here,"

My heart almost stopped. "You didn't tell me we were meeting him!" I protested.

"Dou yidn't ask," Richard smirked. Even then Richard's knowing smirk was enough to drive a raven mad.

"I did so! I asked you what we were doing."

He just shrugged. "Se hays he comes here at midnight?"

"I'm going home."

"Scared?"

"No." I lied. "EVERY MIDNIGHT?"

Richard nodded and checked his little watch. "Mee thrinutes."

I didn't want to show I was scared in front of Richard. I guess I'm technically older, but Richard has always been my big brother. Even after everything that happened…

We stood there for three minutes, maybe longer. The hair was standing up on the back of my neck. I was hoping maybe this was just one of Richard's stupid jokes, but he never lied about the Tall Man before. He elbowed me in the stomach, and pointed.

"Thover ere!"

He was pointing at the dark space between a clump of trees. I wanted to believe it was nothing but shadows. Ten year olds aren't supposed to see things like that. But I saw it. It was standing there. And it was beckoning. For Richard it was more than beckoning. For Richard it was singing a siren cry.

He started to move forward. I grabbed his sleeve, the one with nothing in it. But he just kept walking. He pulled away. It hurt. Richard never ignored me before that. Maybe he yelled, and maybe he teased. But not…

I called to him.

The Tall Man called to him.

The Tall Man was winning.

He was halfway there. I didn't want to know what would happen if my brother stepped into the arms of that dark shape. I tackled him.

He wrestled me. The Tall Man was calling. I didn't matter. He wrapped his hands around my throat, he tried to choke me.

I hit him. I hit my own brother. I thought I killed him, but that night he was only unconscious.


Throughout the trail Morgan's page showed a cycling of Latin time phrases:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
tempus fugit
tempus orbis
tempus finis


PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 9:44 am
Last edited by Caterpillar on Wed May 18, 2005 8:43 pm; edited 5 times in total
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setters393
Decorated


Joined: 30 Dec 2004
Posts: 205
Location: in the sun

 		good job
Wow!


Good job Caterpillar Worshippy

That makes everything much clearer.
_________________
now playing - the sky remains

PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 11:14 am
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Russell
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Joined: 11 Feb 2005
Posts: 1571
Location: London

 		You are my hero! I finally can breathe easily and dont have to cower in the corner again from losing the plot. Laughing

PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 11:45 am
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Brittł
Decorated

Joined: 27 Mar 2005
Posts: 195
Location: Ontario, Canada

 		Yay cat! Last night I missed what all happened, but stayed for the midnight occurances. I think the chat posters are a good idea, I'd volenteer but when it comes to decoded and suchforth I have no idea what I'm doing. I seem to have taken up with posting chat transcripts... Anywho thanks again!
_________________
________

Playing: Veil Nanoscience, The Myth of Objects
Watching: Doctor Who puzzle trail

Anyone remember Rookery Tower?

PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 4:31 pm
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Arbitrary_Moss
Decorated


Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 175
Location: At the moment? Here

 		Shocked CATERPILLAR! I yove lou!! Err... I mean... I love you!! Thank you so, so much... I was wondering where the Pied Piper came from. Hehe, all is explained now... yay! Very Happy
~Moss, that Insane Freak
_________________
'Life is distracting and uncertain,'
She said, and went to draw the curtain.
~Edward Gorey, The Eleventh Episode

... what can I say? I'm a Gorey girl at heart.

Life's just a bowl of... syntax errors.

PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 7:43 pm
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MrCrowley
Greenhorn

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 3

 		I just wanted to thank you, I just discovered tall this yesterday and was so horribly confused but really wanted to get into it, at least now I know where in the world all this was coming from!

PostPosted: Fri May 27, 2005 5:18 pm
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