Mission 4: Anashel Mission 1 (formerly Anashel Sandbox)

A briefcase was dropped at Toledo, Ohio. Our Agent on the ground was killed before he managed to solve the password. Please Hurry.

 

I missed something, definitely. Joining chat to find out more.

 

Code 1 Solution in steps: [XXXX format]

Step 1:

Spoiler

Google image search reveals that the paper is from the Dictatus papae.

Step 2:

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Excommunication 12 D.P. refers to rule #12 in the wiki. Stating that it may be permitted to him to depose emperors.

Step 3:

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Googling papal deposing power. shows a list of popes that have used this power with dates. However trying these dates does not work. The second part of the text document is needed to solve the rest.

Step 4:

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Wikiing each pope you find that the first pope to use this power has an Italian name of Ildebrando da Soana ( I.D.S.)

Solution:

Spoiler

Password is his death year 1085

 

Code 4 Solution in steps [XXX format] (there may be missing steps but this is how i solved it as i didn't use two of the clues, i added one clue to the steps as i can see where it fits in the linear path of clues.)

Step 1:

Spoiler

Google Port Malabar and find that it is in the city of Malabar, Florida

Step 2:

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An obvious picture of the liberty bell. Researching this in connection with Malabar shows there is a replica of the bell in Brevard County.

Step 3:

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Google the numbers given in the text document shows that these are all Florida area codes.

Solution:

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Brevard area code is 321.

 

Code 2: Solution in steps

Step 1:

Spoiler

Google image search reveals stock image of server room

Step 2:

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Google "UDPATE table1 SET id = 0;" reveals this is a SQL command for Database systems, reinforcing the server room info.

Step 3:

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Researching extensively (if you don't know SQL coding) you will eventually need a bandage on your head from all of the face to keyboard action. However one thing is clear afterwards... the code is not a year.

Step 4:

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If you misspell update entering the code, it will give you an error code.

Solution:

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Error code that is given is 1064

 

Debriefing message seems to be:

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"Through the gates of the silver key". Welp, here we go to Lovecraft.

 

Getting really very irritated at code 3. Can someone please give me a hint? I have image and google searched just about every building I can think of in montreal and I can't find the damned thing.

 

Spoiler: Mission 3 Hint

You should be able to make out what's written on some of the signs on the building. Keep in mind that, due to the quality of the image, some things may appear different than what they actually are.

That, at least, was what allowed me to finally locate the building. Hope it helps a bit, otherwise let me know, and I'll see if I can't think of a bit less esoteric hint.

 

Thanks...I will work on it tomorrow. Daed tried to help me too and I am just not getting it. I'm going to get some sleep and try again tomorrow.

 

Hey guys, first crappy forum post, here! Just another tip to get you helped out on part 3.

Spoiler: Pay Attention

If you really are stuck, and you swear that the area you are looking at is the correct one, keep looking in that area. Look for landmarks that can help you spot the building.

This next spoiler pretty much has the answer, so don't check unless you REALLY can't find it.

Spoiler: If you ABSOLUTELY can't find it

What is the clearest thing you can look for in the picture hint? A truck with the company "Carmichael Engineering". Look for that truck (the truck, not the building) in Street View, and you will find your answer. It is written on the building the truck is near.

I don't want to give out the answer completely, otherwise what is the point of solving the riddles, or "mysteries" as we called them on IRC?

 

Since it looks like hints for all the missions have been answered, I'll pose here the "Bonus Question" that cannot be put into the client. Anashel asked on IRC:

Spoiler

 

Thought I'd add the way I found the location as well - note that it's a huge spoiler:

Spoiler: Mystery #3: Finding the building

Looking at the plaques on the column, you should be able to make out the majority of the lower left-hand one, which I initially translated to "JPEL".
Searching for "Montreal JPEL" or "Montral "JPEL"", however, yields little in terms of a specific location, at which point it occured to me that the letters might be blurred so much that they appear as another letter, so I tried to look closer, and thought the "E" looked a bit off.

Spoiler: Solution

I thought it might look like a "d", and searching for "Montreal JPdL" landed me directly on the building.

 

OK, so what I get here is this (related to the bonus mission)

Spoiler: My notes

OK, so we have the phrase "Guebhtu gur Tngrf bs gur Fvyire Xrl", which after thrown into a Caesar cipher, we get "Through the Gates of the Silver Key", which is the sequel to Lovecraft's "The Silver Key", which was co-written by H.P. Lovecraft and E. Hoffmann Price, first published in June, 1934. I have been checking for dates, locations, etc, but unfortunately I have yet to find anything.

Spoiler: More notes (answers to the other parts are in here. Open with caution.)

I guess we can break down the numbers, maybe. 1085, 1064, 1555, and 321. That consists of 15 numbers. Add the 4 numbers and you get 4025. We might be able to add all the numbers of each individual group, for example:
1+0+8+5 = 14
1+0+6+4 = 11
1+5+5+5 = 16
3+2+1 = 6
So then we can have a few different numbers added to the mix. I have no idea if these ways of fitting these numbers "together" would entail something like this. I might just be getting a little too complex with it, but I figured why not?

 

I was thinking

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that these might be years...I have been looking through wiki to find a common thread between them. Nothing yet. The story says that Carter/Swami/Zakauba can time travel, which is why I was thinking years.

 

Yeah, that makes sense if you tie it to the Wizard in the story that Carter gets transported to. I'll check and see if they will have any relevance. I have no work for the next two days, so I'll be able to work on it more.

EDIT TO AVOID DOUBLE POSTING: Just out of curiosity, I found the source of the video accompanying the cipher:

 

Bonus question tips and spoiler, from least spoiler-y to most:

Spoiler: Tip 1

The numbers do not need to be manipulated to find the answer.

Spoiler: Tip 2

The new Situation Room is relevant to the bonus question, beyond being hints for the in-game missions.

Spoiler: Tip 3

I recommend searching everything you have together.

Spoiler: Tip 4

You will find the first part of the answer by searching for the 4 numbers + silver

Spoiler: Answer Part 1

The four numbers are the melting points for Copper (1085), Gold (1064), Palladium (1555) and Cadmium (321)

Spoiler: Follow-up question

Spoiler: Tip 1

Go back to the Situation Room and try to find the connection between the 5 elements.

Spoiler: Tip 2

What have you seen before in real life that contains these 5 elements?

Spoiler: Answer Part 2

The Periodic Table layout matches the elements with their respective mission picture. The 4 elements are the "Gate" and the Silver, of course, is the "Key"

 

Just for visualisation purposes:

Spoiler

 

Thank you! I couldn't make it out. I had the city/truck, but nothing more and had looked up every hotel in the place.

 

I found it somewhat the same way:

Spoiler: but different

I could clearly make out "Les Cou__ _______" in the photo. Cou__ being about 5 letters long I assumed a legal facility. Upon Googling "Montreal Les Cour" before typing the T it auto completed with "Montreal Les Cours Mont-Royal".

 

Spoiler: adventure

My adventure involved looking up, on google maps, the building for Tourisim Montreal. I glanced around the street there and noticed one side of a building that was quite similar in name. I rounded the block and found the entrance, no deciphering signs necessary.