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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » Old News & Rumors
The Hollow Men
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MageSteff
Pretty talky there aintcha, Talky?


Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 2716
Location: State of Denial

 		Contact: Email from LD
A name and a small clue
Quote:

From:LD
To: Magesteff

I thought it would be too easy for me if the person that's gotten it into their mind to bother me would be polite enough to email me. It was worth a try though.

Most people just call me D. It's short for Darrington, which is, as I'm sure you can gather from my initials, my surname. I prefer it to my first name. I sometimes wonder if my parents were perhaps drunk when they thought of it...

Er, sorry, I was drifting mentally for a moment. I'm a standard poetry reader, meaning I'll read just about anything. Yeats, Emerson, Eliot, even Shakespeare's sonnets. At the moment, I'm re-reading Poe's The Raven. Quite honestly, I'll read almost anything. There are some people who may think music lyrics and poetry are one and the same, but I really don't have much to do with music except listening to it. Well, that and perhaps singing in the shower, but I don't think you care about that. And I know you really would never want to listen, unless you're considering life without the ability to hear.

Honestly, I'm not too worried about the things being left for me. I suspect it's probably just my friends being idiots, though this doesn't seem like something they'd do. Their kind of jokes would be to raid my kitchen or put things on me as I sleep. Someone's been writing phrases and odd symbols on paper and leaving them places--on my desk, on my table, things of that nature. The things that have been moved are things that are small but heavy enough to keep paper in place, such as a book, a stone that I use as a paperweight, a candle... things of that sort.

I've been tossing the rubbish, but if you think it's worthwhile, I suppose I can share. I don't see why you'd bother, truthfully. It's been going on for some time now, and quite a few are long gone. This morning's was "La ch_te de l'o__re app__te la f_n abs__ue du monde."

I think it's getting a bit late. I'll finish looking my email and take a look at the snow outside before going to sleep


I think that the french is missing some letters which would be the next clue - either for an email or somethng to put in the subject line.
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Magesteff
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead


PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 3:35 am
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distilled
Unfettered


Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 732
Location: Midlands, UK

 		I can't shake the feeling that TSG and LD are connected somehow. I rarely recieve trailheads and it seems strange that as soon as I get involved in the hollow men I get a trailhead that a lot of other people involved in the hollow men get.

Plus both seem to be connected to sound, music, lyrics and the like - AND TSG is in the UK: http://www.blogger.com/profile/14936207393488142215, its just a small thing, but it adds to the argument.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:36 am
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mycroft7
Decorated


Joined: 23 May 2005
Posts: 202
Location: England

 		the french line is going to be something like:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
la chute de l'ombre app- -te la fin absolue de monde


which translates as (with my own guess at the missing word, to add context)

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
the fall of shadows follows/is connected to the absolute end of the world


which feels fairly menacing for some rubbish that LD has been throwing away. maybe we should get some more of these pieces of paper?

no obvious google trace for the complete phrase, but the last 5 words do lead to a very interesting movie reference Smile

will do a little more research. sorry my french is so rusty,

mycroft

ETA the missing word is
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
apporte - i.e. brings


and we have the obvious link to The Hollow Men again, as well as a possible connection to the whole ptsmusic thing:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Shadow Falls is a band mentioned in one of the reviews - apparently a real US metal group? could be coinkydink; i've learned that in matters ARG, it's easy to make connections where they don't really exist. but i can't help but think the two threads are connected at this stage

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:45 am
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MageSteff
Pretty talky there aintcha, Talky?


Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 2716
Location: State of Denial
distilled wrote:
I can't shake the feeling that TSG and LD are connected somehow. I rarely recieve trailheads and it seems strange that as soon as I get involved in the hollow men I get a trailhead that a lot of other people involved in the hollow men get.

Plus both seem to be connected to sound, music, lyrics and the like - AND TSG is in the UK: http://www.blogger.com/profile/14936207393488142215, its just a small thing, but it adds to the argument.


The reason I have for thinking they are not connected:
We did not follow a direct line from LD (Darrington) to The Sound Guy, other than people received emails from the different parties. So far we have no definitive connection - D has not mentioned TSG and TSG has not mentioned D, nor have clues from D's emails/comments lead to TSG, nor has TSG mentioned D and his rubbish messages.

Now... If someone cracks TSG's audio issue (isolates the static in the background) and solves any message hidden there that points to D, then we have a connection and I will agree that they are linked.

This is just my opinio, but I don't want to see us mixing solves for two different games here as that would cause us a lot of player caused red herrings.
[edit]

I just sent an email to D to try and clear this up.
Quote:
Hi D!

Was just wondering if you were a music fan? I recieved this email from a RC ptsmusicblogSPLATgmail.com , who mentioned his blog at http://ptsmusic.blogspot.com/

Do you know this person? I was just wondering if there was a connection here that I was missing.

Thanks!

Steffeny



If D agrees he knows TSG or the blog with the sound recording on it, then I will agree there is a connection. If not, I really suggest that we separate the two emails into separate games until we have clearer confirmation ok?
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Magesteff
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead


PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:13 am
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cyng
Unfettered


Joined: 10 Nov 2007
Posts: 366

 		as per the audio files

this reminds me of some puzzles we had during cfg

I didn't crack it, and don't quite understand it, but the people who did explained it to me several times; i'm sure i'm about to mangle this badly for those who do understand and are way ahead of me, but for those who aren't:

basically we have the first set of audio's that the bruce mixed together

now we have the blind set

the blind set are the "key" to the first set

it has to do something with canceling each other out through phase conversion....like in algebra when x cancels x out

Audio A has positive soundwaves
Audio B has the very same negative soundwaves
When played simultaneously, only the difference can be heard

now, the player who was really good at this (using audacity) got really really busy and couldn't play any more

i'm pretty busy today, but I could try to fool around with it later if I can make time...but don't really know what I'm doing other than the "theory" behind it

PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:20 am
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distilled
Unfettered


Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 732
Location: Midlands, UK
MageSteff wrote:
distilled wrote:
I can't shake the feeling that TSG and LD are connected somehow. I rarely recieve trailheads and it seems strange that as soon as I get involved in the hollow men I get a trailhead that a lot of other people involved in the hollow men get.

Plus both seem to be connected to sound, music, lyrics and the like - AND TSG is in the UK: http://www.blogger.com/profile/14936207393488142215, its just a small thing, but it adds to the argument.


The reason I have for thinking they are not connected:
We did not follow a direct line from LD (Darrington) to The Sound Guy, other than people received emails from the different parties. So far we have no definitive connection - D has not mentioned TSG and TSG has not mentioned D, nor have clues from D's emails/comments lead to TSG, nor has TSG mentioned D and his rubbish messages.

Now... If someone cracks TSG's audio issue (isolates the static in the background) and solves any message hidden there that points to D, then we have a connection and I will agree that they are linked.

This is just my opinio, but I don't want to see us mixing solves for two different games here as that would cause us a lot of player caused red herrings.
[edit]

I just sent an email to D to try and clear this up.
Quote:
Hi D!

Was just wondering if you were a music fan? I recieved this email from a RC ptsmusicblogSPLATgmail.com , who mentioned his blog at http://ptsmusic.blogspot.com/

Do you know this person? I was just wondering if there was a connection here that I was missing.

Thanks!

Steffeny



If D agrees he knows TSG or the blog with the sound recording on it, then I will agree there is a connection. If not, I really suggest that we separate the two emails into separate games until we have clearer confirmation ok?


Tbh I think you are right, we should assume they aren't connected until we know they are - to avoid confusion and drawing spurious conclusions from amalgamated data.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:25 am
Last edited by distilled on Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:54 am; edited 1 time in total
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ChemicalFire
Veteran


Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 93
Location: London, England
cyng wrote:
as per the audio files

this reminds me of some puzzles we had during cfg

I didn't crack it, and don't quite understand it, but the people who did explained it to me several times; i'm sure i'm about to mangle this badly for those who do understand and are way ahead of me, but for those who aren't:

basically we have the first set of audio's that the bruce mixed together

now we have the blind set

the blind set are the "key" to the first set

it has to do something with canceling each other out through phase conversion....like in algebra when x cancels x out

Audio A has positive soundwaves
Audio B has the very same negative soundwaves
When played simultaneously, only the difference can be heard


Is a good idea, but from the sounds of it the second lot of files just sound like the same as the first, but slightly better quality and then there is the other file. Maybe the whole blind thing is like an insult to our intelligence and then this "amessage" guy decided to patronise us by making it easier for us in some weird way

PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:44 am
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mycroft7
Decorated


Joined: 23 May 2005
Posts: 202
Location: England

 		agree we need to treat 'the sound guy' as separate from 'the hollow men' unless a certain link can be established. for that purpose - should someone open a separate thread for tsg?

will have a play with the audio through audacity when i get home from work. i liked the idea of merging the files but amessage did suggest we had failed with our first effort? maybe some other combination, or we are missing a piece of the audio puzzle?

any thoughts on the mystery french line found by LD? if he is being left messages, and he has provided one of them for us, i assume it is important. again, i'll mail him (for the first time) once I am home and tell him what i worked out - see if it rings any bells, or at least gets him to send us some more messages/symbols to look at.

with regards the missing letters -
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
U O M O R I O L
couldn't make anything of them particularly. not sure if they are important in their own right or just the gaps for the puzzle which lead to the full sentence, and possible plot line.

mycroft
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:53 am
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thebruce
Dances With Wikis


Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 6899
Location: Kitchener, Ontario

 		I believe cyng is on the right track. The two files do indeed cancel out leaving traces - most of which can be chalked up to MP3 artifacting.

The resulting audio difference is here
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5071557/youarethefirst_blind.mp3

The remaining audio sounds like it repeats three times, perhaps morse or braille, but I haven't spent more time on it yet (at work again =P)

This is the audio difference as spectrogram
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5071557/youarethefirst_blind_spectrogram.png
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:04 pm
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cyng
Unfettered


Joined: 10 Nov 2007
Posts: 366

 		Recede illuc, qui non habet. Sunt et quae tibi prorsus cum quo exivit in. Quibus rebus tantum Donec.

google translates it as:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Get thee back thither, who does not have. There are also on you in at all with whom he went out to. Until these circumstances, so much.


The middle sentence could be a riddle or just nonsense translating

ETA: Good job bruce!

PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:31 pm
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MageSteff
Pretty talky there aintcha, Talky?


Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 2716
Location: State of Denial

 		The Sound Guy is Not part of Hollow Men
Email from LD confirms this
Email confirmation that The Sound Guy is NOT part of Hollow Men:

Quote:
Hello. Sorry, had quite the time coming into work today.

I do like music, but unfortunately I have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Incidently, was it you that wanted the photos of the rubbish this person leaves for me? So many people have been emailing me lately that I've been hard-pressed to remember who would like it. Perhaps I should start a blog or twitter of my own, though my employers do frown upon such things...

Although I do doubt most of them have been in my current situation. Well, I'll think about it, I suppose.


There we have it folks. LD has confirmed the audio from The Sound Guy is not part of this game. Please start a new thread for The Sound Guy. Thank you.
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Magesteff
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead


PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 2:28 pm
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faeryqueen21
Unfictologist


Joined: 25 Sep 2007
Posts: 1348
Location: Pasadena, CA

 		Hey dudes, just another "old player haven't played in a while" stopping by to say I got the email. Replied. I'll try to keep up. Very Happy
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 4:07 pm
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MageSteff
Pretty talky there aintcha, Talky?


Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 2716
Location: State of Denial

 		Contact: Email with photo From LD
Got a new email from LD with a photo attached.
Quote:
I don't have a blog at the moment. I suppose I could make one, though I've never been a fan of the online "social scene," as some may call it. I do believe someone I've been communicating with has had no end of amusement due to my being a "lolnoob."

A shame that proper language seems to be dying despite the fact there are excellent intellectual resources so readily available...

I do own a computer. It's how, I suspect, our little... associate... is able to get on it and look at the documents I have saved upon it. It is extremely annoying, to say the least.

Ah, speaking of our associate, here is the latest scrawling. It seems as if it's something a child would do, doesn't it? And that's what this person is. A deluded child. I left it untouched, even my camera, using my phone to take the picture instead. I'm sorry if it's not too clear.

I do hope you're able to travel safely. The weather can be fickle and powerful, so be careful.


Hollow men.zip
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Filename  Hollow men.zip 
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Magesteff
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead


PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:06 pm
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Nighthawk
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee


Joined: 14 Jul 2007
Posts: 4751
Location: Miami, Florida, USA, Earth

 		The PMs here seem to have picked quite a few "old school" players. Methinks we may share a history.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:07 pm
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RAD24
Entrenched


Joined: 26 May 2009
Posts: 795
Location: Behind the wall
Nighthawk wrote:
The PMs here seem to have picked quite a few "old school" players. Methinks we may share a history.


I've gotta agree. While I'm not very "old school," I recognize almost everyone ITT as being here for quite a while.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 5:21 pm
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