2022 June ARG Discussion

A place to share those crazy "out there" theories that staff won't give any official comment on.
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Marcuson
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2022 June ARG Discussion

Post by Marcuson »

In this thread, as in the other one, I will post only facts.

On June 12th, at least two players started to receive what appears to be garbled binary from the game server. Teri received this:

Code: Select all

0/

10001 0#101001 0#11#000

001

111/#0011 # 
1 # 
0/0011000   00101110 0/#1 # 
1/1 0001011)) # 
0#)111))00110
l
And SuperSpicyJad received this:

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00110001 00111001 00110/10)0010 # 
110   ))11010  # 
0011000
0    1 # 
00)1

001#1 # 
0# 0 # 
 # 
1   010 # 
00101010 00/100# # 
)0011)000 0 # 
/0111 # 
 0##1)101 00

10110 / # 
101010  )011# # 
01#)011      # 
#   /00# # 
011) 001
0)0#0001 /    10/0   1)00#1001    00#01110 /011     100 #0010000 00101 # 
00 0011#101 0011011/)0010#110 # 
00 # 
10001 00110100 0     110110 00
00110001 00111001 00110010 00101110 00110100 00110000 00101110 00110101 00110110 00101110 00110001
00110101 00110110 00101111 00110001 00101110 00110001 00110110
Near the end of the message that SuperSpicyJad received, the binary becomes clearer and, when converted to text, reveals a web server address:

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192.40.56.156/1.16
Navigating to this address with a browser yields a page with five WEBM format image files. All of the images move or jump around as if unstable or as if they were being received over-the-air with poor transmission.
  • The first image, filename 6.19.3.webm, is a black and white drawing of what appears to be a scarecrow silhouetted against a dark sky. A shadowy bird is flying toward it.
  • The second image, filename 10.3.webm, is a drawing of the Yr rune.
  • The third image, filename 12.12.webm, depicts a series of colorful groups of blocks moving in circles around one another.
  • The fourth image, filename 13.4.15.webm, appears to be a black and white line drawing of what looks like a gatehouse with a stylized sunrise above the door.
  • The fifth image, filename 14.10.14.10.14.10.14.10.14.10.14.10.webm, depicts some kind of vague red-and-black cloud or amorphous shape.
Examining the source code for this page reveals the following commented-out text:

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AOYVBNO
JSLMAZ NSPTWZLZ
VM SVZA TLTVYPLZ
DVYSKZ
HWHYA AYHCLSPUN
WHAODHFZ AOYVBNO AOL
KHYR WBZOLZ
AOLT MBYAOLY
This text has been encrypted with a Caesar Cipher. When each letter is shifted seven letters backwards in the alphabet, the following words are revealed:

Code: Select all

THROUGH
CLEFTS GLIMPSES
OF LOST MEMORIES
WORLDS
APART TRAVELING
PATHWAYS THROUGH THE
DARK PUSHES
THEM FURTHER
Finally, this text appears on the page as well:

Code: Select all

U09NRVRISU5HIElTIFRSWUlORyBUTyBLRUVQIFRIRU0gT1BFTiBTVFJBTkdFIFZJU0lUT1JTIFRSQVZFTCBUSEVNIE5PVCBLTk9XSU5HIFdIQVQgVEhFWSBBUkU=
When decoded using Base64, the following message is revealed:

Code: Select all

SOMETHING IS TRYING TO KEEP THEM OPEN STRANGE VISITORS TRAVEL THEM NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE
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Candelori
Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2017 5:29 pm

Re: 2022 June ARG Discussion

Post by Candelori »

This is an exceptionally intriguing development. I am positively giddy at seeing these unsettling cryptic images.

10.3 (Yr Rune) I am convinced is the symbol of Jonathon Crowhaven. It is seen in nearly all of these strange ARG occurrences, and conveniently serves as a double-link to Crowhaven: The first being the Yr rune's association with death and Crowhaven being known as the Necromancer who has mastered death. The second being the rune's likeness to a crow's foot. While not as common as this rune, crows are another reocurring theme in these communications: a hidden spectrogram image, the album cover art from the "Forever Dancing Under a Fallen Sky" track, the scarecrow image with a nearby crow, the name of the reverse audio track "The Crow, the Owl, and the Dove." If there is anything new to be revealed from this particular image, I have not seen it.

I would also posit that in the cryptic ARG message "Grin with inner flame, shelter for the birds, eyesight of the wise - heed ye not these words," that "shelter for the birds" could be a haven for crows; hence Crowhaven.

6.19.3 (Scarecrow) brings to mind the scarecrows of CLOK, but may perhaps simply be serving as another link between these messages and crows; hence Crowhaven.

12.12 (Dancing Lights) is, for reasons I cannot explain, the most unsettling of the images to me. There is simply something eerie about it. I have been unable to deduce any pattern or meaning from the lights, their positions, or their movements.

13.4.15 (Gatehouse) is one that I am most hopeful in discerning additional meaning from. I believe there are at least two, possibly three, individuals near the center of the image. The one on the left is wearing what appears similar to a buckled pilgrim's hat, and is holding some sort of rod or staff with a wheel-like device at the top. Above their head is what appears to me to be some lettering.

14.10.14.10.14.10.14.10 (Red Cloud) appears the most obviously sinister. It additionally has the most intriguing filename to me, being the longest we've seen and a simple repeating pattern. I must admit the image does make me think of Giygas, the enigmatic and disturbing "embodiment of evil" from the Earthbound SNES game, though I do not think the two are related. I only mean to point out the similarity in appearance and vague feeling of dread that they convey. I can almost hear the ringing sounds in my ears after looking at it.

On to the texts:
THROUGH CLEFTS GLIMPSES OF LOST MEMORIES WORLDS APART TRAVELING PATHWAYS THROUGH THE DARK PUSHES THEM FURTHER
SOMETHING IS TRYING TO KEEP THEM OPEN STRANGE VISITORS TRAVEL THEM NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE
Glimpsing lost memories lost in the darkness brings Malfant to mind, as well as similar feelings observed in certain locations from CLOK and Somnium. The quotes do seem to fit in quite naturally with a previous one:
UNRAVELING SEAMS THE OTHER SIDE PUSHES THROUGH THINGS FROM THE WAY OF DREAMS
My COGG website: https://candelori.neocities.org
You think to yourself, "I am tempted to henceforth refer to this as the Bicker Board."
You experience a sudden flash of insight, as though you have an increased understanding of who you are.
Navi
Posts: 350
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:07 am

Re: 2022 June ARG Discussion

Post by Navi »

I wanted to share some thoughts. In this quote, "Grin with inner flame, shelter for the birds, eyesight of the wise - heed ye not these words,"
Grin with inner flame could represent purity, as the inner flame is something related to the church of light I believe. Doves are usually related to purity and virtue, so this is probably related to Serafina. Then as stated, shelter for the birds, Crowhaven, and then eyesight of the wise, this makes me think of owls, Destiny Owleyes. Do these immortals/ascended have their own symbols?
wander without wanting, thrust into lands unknown. the shadows shift and change, and the worlds with them.
I'm not a soldier but I'm fighting
Can you hear me through the silence?
I won't give up 'cause there will be a day
We'll meet again
Navi
Posts: 350
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:07 am

Re: 2022 June ARG Discussion

Post by Navi »

I also just realized, grin with inner flame could also represent the Pumpkin King. Sorry for double posting!
wander without wanting, thrust into lands unknown. the shadows shift and change, and the worlds with them.
I'm not a soldier but I'm fighting
Can you hear me through the silence?
I won't give up 'cause there will be a day
We'll meet again
User avatar
Lexx416
Posts: 563
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2017 6:14 pm

Re: 2022 June ARG Discussion

Post by Lexx416 »

"Grin with inner flame, shelter for the birds, eyesight of the wise - heed ye not these words,"

Given that we're being told explicitly to NOT heed those words, I think that this is a cautionary tale from someone with (obviously) more context than us. It could be cautioning against Immortality, or even cautioning against using the Occult at all.

Shelter for the Birds seems like a great fit for Crowhaven (who sounds like an overall tragic tale). I'm not really sure of "eyesight for the wise" - maybe a reference to Malfant.

"Grin with inner flame" could be a reference to the Lapisian Church of Sacred Flame - cautioning people from deviating from the Inner Light to the Inner Flame.
"You hear the Woses, the Wild Men of the Woods... Remnants of an older time they be, living few and secretly, wild and wary as beasts."
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Candelori
Posts: 116
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Re: 2022 June ARG Discussion

Post by Candelori »

"Eyesight of the Wise" does make me think of Destiny Owleyes as well. Owls are oft considered symbols of wisdom, and "eyes" is directly in Destiny's title.

"Grin with Inner Flame" referring to the Lapisian Church of the Sacred Flame is an interesting possibility to consider. From Inner Light to Inner Flame, later to be called the Sacred Flame in order to better differentiate.
My COGG website: https://candelori.neocities.org
You think to yourself, "I am tempted to henceforth refer to this as the Bicker Board."
You experience a sudden flash of insight, as though you have an increased understanding of who you are.
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