Difference between revisions of "Pillar 1"

From Decrypting the NKRYPT sculpture
Jump to: navigation, search
 
(11 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 3: Line 3:
 
Pillar 01 is the "Title Pillar".  
 
Pillar 01 is the "Title Pillar".  
  
It contains two cipher texts, the sculpture's title, and a string of numbers at the base.
+
It contains an alphabetic cipher text at the top ('''Unsolved''' at the moment), a labrinthine cipher ('''Solved'''), the sculpture's title "NKRYPT" and a series of numbers around the bottom which probably form part of a cipher ('''Unsolved''').
 +
 
 +
Pillar 1 is 2569mm tall, and is the tallest of the eight pillars.
  
 
==Top Cipher==
 
==Top Cipher==
Line 13: Line 15:
 
{|border="1"
 
{|border="1"
 
|
 
|
 +
<tt>
 
OXPUWAOEKZVCRLUYFMLXTPNATW
 
OXPUWAOEKZVCRLUYFMLXTPNATW
  
Line 32: Line 35:
  
 
BRYVUCSBNPYAVSTTONZFWIUUNW
 
BRYVUCSBNPYAVSTTONZFWIUUNW
 
+
</tt>
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
The letters 'P', 'V', and 'L' are in a larger font size.
 +
 
The current best decryption is:
 
The current best decryption is:
 
{|border="1"
 
{|border="1"
Line 40: Line 46:
 
|}
 
|}
  
==Bottom cipher==
+
==Bottom cipher - Solved==
 
[[File:Pillar_01-Text_02.jpg|thumb|right|Large view of the text in the middle of Pillar 1]]
 
[[File:Pillar_01-Text_02.jpg|thumb|right|Large view of the text in the middle of Pillar 1]]
  
Line 47: Line 53:
 
The cipher text reads:
 
The cipher text reads:
 
{|border="1"
 
{|border="1"
|
+
|<tt>
 
ALABYRINTHSTANDSBEHATAWAIT
 
ALABYRINTHSTANDSBEHATAWAIT
  
EHTHCUORHTPEOYEROFTSAMCINE
+
EHTHCUORHTPEOYEROFTSAMGINE
  
 
ATONEBYONESTUATHEYCREATETH
 
ATONEBYONESTUATHEYCREATETH
Line 57: Line 63:
  
 
ETWISTSANDTURNSFORPAKALLTH
 
ETWISTSANDTURNSFORPAKALLTH
 
+
</tt>
 
|}
 
|}
  
A solution posted by [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=432926846793651&set=a.432204380199231.108947.431342376952098&type=1 Glenn McIntosh on the nkrpyt Facebook page on 20 February 2013]
+
A solution posted by [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=432926846793651&set=a.432204380199231.108947.431342376952098&type=1 Glenn McIntosh on the nkrypt Facebook page on 20 February 2013]
 
{|border="1"
 
{|border="1"
|
+
|<tt>
 
A labyrinth stands before you
 
A labyrinth stands before you
  
Line 74: Line 80:
  
 
the enigmas that await
 
the enigmas that await
 +
</tt>
 
|}
 
|}
  
==Numbers around base==
+
==Base==
  
A string of numbers run in a circular pattern around the base
+
A string of numbers run in a circular pattern around the base of each pillar ([[Base_Code|see notes on the base code]]). On this pillar, it reads:
  
 
{|border="1"
 
{|border="1"
| 10 12 11 12 11 11 14 17 30 3016 18 11 12 10 10 10 14 19 24 12 12 12 13 7 9 8 11 14 14
+
| <tt>
 +
10 12 11 12 11 11 14 17 30 30 16 18 11 12 10 10 10 14 19 24 12 12 12 13 7 9 8 11 14 14
 +
</tt>
 
|}
 
|}
 
=Lessons learned=
 
Pillar 1 introduces a very simple code that actually doesn't change the writing, but changes the way it is read from the grid.
 
 
It has taught me the very close similarity of C and G in the writing system and the need to be very careful in reading these letters. (It is a shame that the designers didn't make the font more distinct.)
 

Latest revision as of 23:53, 29 July 2013

Pillar 01-Night01.jpg

Pillar 01 is the "Title Pillar".

It contains an alphabetic cipher text at the top (Unsolved at the moment), a labrinthine cipher (Solved), the sculpture's title "NKRYPT" and a series of numbers around the bottom which probably form part of a cipher (Unsolved).

Pillar 1 is 2569mm tall, and is the tallest of the eight pillars.

Top Cipher

Large view of the cipher at the top of Pillar 1

The top cipher is very high and difficult to read (unless you are very tall). It consists of a grid of 10 rows and 26 columns wrapping around the entire pillar.

The cipher text reads

OXPUWAOEKZVCRLUYFMLXTPNATW

VGZTCGVGDAAXFDKOCRFRUOKAPW

LCMPTFPBTYXRSZKKQUBJAMHYUL

MZVSXXZHDLYHOKWWEJUXLXKRZU

PPESLBOEKOGRTAYDFOHRHVMPBN

DTEZBTYDXNMPXHVNKCIYEMJFVE

MNKDIQBOSUFFFWBVDNKHRTLIMZ

WRRQUFNNBGKUWNQCHDEFSTZZRQ

UIUDPTKGATPSJIFXXGGSNTWJLA

BRYVUCSBNPYAVSTTONZFWIUUNW

The letters 'P', 'V', and 'L' are in a larger font size.

The current best decryption is:

Bottom cipher - Solved

Large view of the text in the middle of Pillar 1

The bottom cipher is at eye height. It contains letters in a grid of 5 rows and 26 columns. It contains what appear to be plain text words. A glyph containing an oscilating line and a dissected triangle points into one column of letters.

The cipher text reads:

ALABYRINTHSTANDSBEHATAWAIT

EHTHCUORHTPEOYEROFTSAMGINE

ATONEBYONESTUATHEYCREATETH

IEFOENOTUBSIDNSNRETTRAMTHG

ETWISTSANDTURNSFORPAKALLTH

A solution posted by Glenn McIntosh on the nkrypt Facebook page on 20 February 2013

A labyrinth stands before you

and is but one of eight

mark all the twists and turns

for patterns they create

that one by one step through

the enigmas that await

Base

A string of numbers run in a circular pattern around the base of each pillar (see notes on the base code). On this pillar, it reads:

10 12 11 12 11 11 14 17 30 30 16 18 11 12 10 10 10 14 19 24 12 12 12 13 7 9 8 11 14 14