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This is the first in a series I am calling The Grand Grid. Each involves a logic grid puzzle that is solved by gathering clues presented in variously obscured forms. The description of the grid puzzle itself is part of the puzzle. The text forms may be Scytale, Caesar, Keyed Caesar, or Vigenère.


OFCTYR ESP ESTCO LRP QZFC XZFYELTYD ZQ 
DNZEWLYO HPCP ESZFDLYOD ZQ XPEPCD ELWWPC
ESLY ESPJ LCP EZOLJ ESPJ HPCP LWDZ TY L 
DZXPHSLE OTQQPCPYE WZNLETZY ESPTC YLXPD 
LCP MPY YPGTD MPY WZXZYO MPY WLHPCD LYO 
NLTCY RZCX ESPTC SPTRSED LCP DPGPY 
ESZFDLYO EHZ SFYOCPO EPY LYO DPGPY 
ESZFDLYO ESCPP SFYOCPO QZCEJ LYO DPGPY 
ESZFDLYO QZFC SFYOCPO DPGPYEJ LYO DPGPY 
ESZFDLYO DTI SFYOCPO ESPTC WZNLETZYD LCP 
RZYOZC CZSLY XZCOZC LYO PCTLOZC ESP 
XZFYELTY TY RZYOZC TD ZYP SFYOCPO LYO 
ESTCEJ XPEPCD ELWWPC ESLY MPY YPGTD

BLOEENNRDNTUEHEVAIINUSBHIEPSNJTLZAOBLMO

HKT RGCKXY OY KOZNKX ZNK SUATZGOT OT 
XUNGT UX ZNK SUATZGOT ZNGZ OY YKBKT 
ZNUAYGTJ GTJ ZCU NATJXKJ GTJ ZKT SKZKXY 
ZGRR

Listen to Morse Code here

enter image description here

The script as a substitution cipher for those who want to tackle it with frequency analysis rather than looking for it online:


DZAUECBDVMBDZVDMSSAKABDZECSVBGVBGSMTZCBGLAGUADALSDVWWMSMBLEZVB

Hint: "BLO..." is based on the Scytale.

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  • $\begingroup$ Could you provide us with a transcript of the second-to-last puzzle with the odd symbols? $\endgroup$
    – Voldemort's Wrath
    Commented Jul 26, 2019 at 22:39
  • $\begingroup$ Do you mean show it as a substitution cipher with normal English letters? Sure I'll do that, but it might be tricky - it is a bit short to do frequency analysis on. It is a Script Hunt so you will likely need to identify the script to read it. $\endgroup$
    – Joshua Bizley
    Commented Jul 26, 2019 at 22:46
  • $\begingroup$ All I'm missing is morse code and the BLOEEN... one! (And whatever you meant by the description of the grid puzzle is part of the puzzle.) $\endgroup$
    – Voldemort's Wrath
    Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 2:29
  • $\begingroup$ Hint: It's not Keyed Caesar $\endgroup$
    – Joshua Bizley
    Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 9:06
  • $\begingroup$ You're almost done! The logic grid puzzle is defined in the first code in your answer: it lists four mountains, four heights, and four locations. To solve the puzzle, determine the height and location of each mountain. You'll need all the clues :) $\endgroup$
    – Joshua Bizley
    Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 15:54

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
6
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FINAL Answer

Here's the completed logic grid:

finished grid

OFCTYR ESP...
becomes:

DURING THE THIRD AGE FOUR MOUNTAINS OF SCOTLAND WERE THOUSANDS OF METERS TALLER THAN THEY ARE TODAY THEY WERE ALSO IN A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT LOCATION THEIR NAMES ARE BEN NEVIS BEN LOMOND BEN LAWERS AND CAIRN GORM THEIR HEIGHTS ARE SEVEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED TEN AND SEVEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FORTY AND SEVEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY AND SEVEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED THEIR LOCATIONS ARE GONDOR ROHAN MORDOR AND ERIADOR THE MOUNTAIN IN GONDOR IS ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY METERS TALLER THAN BEN NEVIS (Caesar Cipher with key of 11)

This seems to be something to do with Lord of the Rings (and the mountain in Scotland...).

The script thing is:

THE MOUNTAIN THAT IS SEVEN THOUSAND AND SIX HUNDRED METERS TALL IS IN ROHAN

where

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz is replaced with vyrxaptzmjowubenhlsdckqfgi

BLOEE...
becomes:

BEN NEVIS IS TALLER THAN BEN LOMOND UEIUHPJZBO

HKT RGC...
becomes:

BEN LAWERS IS EITHER THE MOUNTAIN IN ROHAN OR THE MOUNTAIN THAT IS SEVEN THOUSAND AND TWO HUNDRED AND TEN METERS TALL (Caesar with key of 6)

More to be coming soon! (When I can listen to the Morse code...)

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  • $\begingroup$ The morse code says "Ben Lomond is shorter than the mountain in Mordor", preceded (yes, preceded) by the end-of-message prosign. $\endgroup$
    – Bass
    Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 8:46
  • $\begingroup$ Ah my mistake.. $\endgroup$
    – Joshua Bizley
    Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 9:09
  • $\begingroup$ A Vigenere with a single letter key isn't really a Vigenere, it is a rot cipher. In this case rot-6. $\endgroup$
    – Barker
    Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 15:32
  • $\begingroup$ Great job! I have created a Grand Grid chat room to discuss these in the future so we don't use the comment section $\endgroup$
    – Joshua Bizley
    Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 16:09
  • $\begingroup$ @JoshuaBizley - A link to the chat would be nice :) Thanks a bunch for a great puzzle! $\endgroup$
    – Voldemort's Wrath
    Commented Jul 27, 2019 at 16:15

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