A Strange Colorful Improvised Idea

[Lumi]

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[OzyWho]

☺☻♥♦♣♠•◘○◙►◄▄█▌▐▀

[Lumi]

☺☻♥♦♣♠•◘○◙►◄▄█▌▐▀

î‚î

[PQRnHack]

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Finally got it. Didn't realize i had to locate some text outside of what was presented here (this is not a self-contained puzzle, requires using a clues to seek something outside). Who's next to solve this one? It's a fun one with an epic final solution!

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

[Lumi]

Finally got it. Didn't realize i had to locate some text outside of what was presented here (this is not a self-contained puzzle, requires using a clues to seek something outside). Who's next to solve this one? It's a fun one with an epic final solution!

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

The Final Prize at the end really is great if I do say so myself

[PQRnHack]

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[Lumi]

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[OzyWho]

I remember playing a game - RtCW:ET - like 22 years ago and you could colorize your name. Multiple people used some squares to have their countries flag colors next to their names.
This thread reminded me of that.

[Lumi]

The solution to this puzzle will be publicly revealed on November 19th, 2023. ███

If someone solves it before then on their own without hints, they are free to post the solution publicly before then.

If you got hints in order to solve it, I ask that you not reveal the solution to others

[Marshmallow Marshall]

I shall wait patiently. Or manage to solve the full thing before, who knows.

[Gikkle]

lag you devil

[Gikkle]

The solution to this puzzle will be publicly revealed on November 19th, 2023. ███

If someone solves it before then on their own without hints, they are free to post the solution publicly before then.

If you got hints in order to solve it, I ask that you not reveal the solution to others

oh I can reveal it?
Well, I don't want to ruin the fun, so I'll keep the solution to myself

[OzyWho]

♦2É@♠♪₧Ñ♣/pB♠4qErA♫§$☺ƒ°♠▄╖ÉA

Well, I can say with some confidence that alt code symbols is not the answer..

btw this exists @Gikkle

[Lumi]

I can confirm that Gikkle solved it all on his own without any hints!

[OzyWho]

Ottendorf has been...

[OzyWho]

mother fucker

[DJarJar]

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[Lumi]

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haha

aamirus has solved the puzzle without any hints as well

[Marshmallow Marshall]

Ottendorf has been...

mother fucker

Yes. Exactly. I'm stuck there too xD.

[oliverz144]

I still havent solved it

[DJarJar]

I still havent solved it

well you've got like 8 months left

[Marshmallow Marshall]

well you've got like 8 months left

Oh no, I have to try as well :o

[MarkCros]

I'm stuck here for now. I feel like for a long time)

[rumox]

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[DJarJar]

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renegade would be so mad

[Renegade]

renegade would be so mad

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[DJarJar]

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[Lumi]

The solution to this puzzle will be publicly revealed on November 19th, 2023. ███

If someone solves it before then on their own without hints, they are free to post the solution publicly before then.

If you got hints in order to solve it, I ask that you not reveal the solution to others

Reveal time

Each block in the original text is colored differently, when you extract all color codes you get the follow:

4f7474 656e64 6f7266 206861 732062 65656e 207365 617263 68696e 672066 6f7220 746865 206661 626c65 642062 757269 656420 747265 617375 726520 6f6620 566967 656e65
72652e 204865 206861 732066 696775 726564 206f75 742074 686174 207468 65206b 657920 746f20 756e63 6f7665 72696e 672074 686520 747265 617375 726520 697320 617420
4c617a 617275 732043 687572 63682c 203138 383320 4c6962 657274 79204c 616e65 2e2048 65206b 6e6f77 732074 686174 207468 65206b 657920 697320 686964 64656e 20696e
207468 652035 746820 726f77 206f66 207468 652063 687572 63682e 205570 6f6e20 617272 697669 6e6720 617420 746865 204e65 776c79 206275 696c74 2c2043 6f6c6f 737361
6c2063 687572 636820 686520 6d616b 657320 686973 207761 792074 6f2074 686520 357468 20726f 772061 6e6420 696e73 637269 626564 20696e 207468 65206d 696464 6c6520
6f6620 746865 20726f 77206f 6e2074 686520 736561 742069 732061 206d65 737361 676520 776869 636820 726561 64733a 0a0a22 68697a 6a6120 646372 796571 757520 666e7a
782062 207079 616865 662074 626370 7a2069 686c72 206c20 687661 6d7820 6a7466 6d2064 20727a 656b79 20766e 617220 632071 776179 206562 657278 206e69 796c20 702061
71616b 206678 766c6b 207069 666b20 682074 756478 65206b 6e7970 206f20 617769 727a20 706764 6d2044 207368 6a6d65 20696c 616b20 6a206e 637872 78206e 69796c 206a22

The title of the thread gives the next hint:
A
S trange
C olorful
I mproived
I dea

Spells ASCII, converting the color codes to letters using ascii text encoding yields:

Ottendorf has been searching for the fabled buried treasure of Vigenere. He has figured out that the key to uncovering the treasure is at Lazarus Church, 1883 Liberty Lane. He knows that the key is hidden in the 5th row of the church. Upon arriving at the Newly built, Colossal church he makes his way to the 5th row and inscribed in the middle of the row on the seat is a message which reads:

"hizja dcryequu fnzx b pyahef tbcpz ihlr l hvamx jtfm d rzeky vnar c qway eberx niyl p aqak fxvlk pifk h tudxe knyp o awirz pgdm D shjme ilak j ncxrx niyl j"

The two names mentioned gives hints to the ciphers used:
An Ottendorf cipher also known as a book cipher
And a Vigenere cipher

Vigenere ciphers require a key, which is what is alluded to in the second sentence.

Ottendorf ciphers require a book or reference text and a location.

The reference text is alluded to by "Lazarus Church, 1883 Liberty Lane" and "Newly built, Colossal church" (Newly and Colossal are capitalized as further clues)
The clues allude to the poem "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus, the poem on the Statue of Liberty and originally published in 1883

The key is said to be in the "middle of the 5th row"

The fifth line of the poem is "Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name" and the middle word of that line is "lightning" indicating that the Vigenere key is "lightning"

Using that key on the final cipher text:

watch question mark v equals lower case d upper case q lower case w four lower case w nine upper case w lower case g upper case X lower case c upper case q

Converting the words into letters yields:
watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Which can be recognized as a YouTube video watch address.

Going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ contains the final clue from which you will find the solution.


Congratulations to everyone that solved the riddle!