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| − | {{argbox
| + | #REDIRECT [[Dr. Langeskov ARG]] |
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| − | | name = Crows Crows Crows ARG
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| − | | image = File:Birdie-1.gif
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| − | | imagewidth = 200
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| − | | description= An ARG that led to the release of Dr. Langeskov, the Tiger, and the Terribly Cursed Emerald
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| − | | creator = [http://crowscrowscrows.com Crows Crows Crows]
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| − | | type = [[List_of_Investigations#Type|Official]]
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| − | | status = Completed
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| − | | discovered = 2015-10-19
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| − | }}
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| − | This article is about a short ARG that ensued prior to the release of [http://store.steampowered.com/app/409160 Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald], by indie game studio [https://crowscrowscrows.com/ Crows Crows Crows].
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| − | = The Dossier =
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| − | The puzzle started [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/ here], which contained a link to [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/report-a807.html this dossier]. The dossier contains 5 files documenting a sudden outbreak of robberies. The fourth of these files is redacted.
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| − | == Accessing the fourth file ==
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| − | Each of the four accessible files has a URL in the form /report/1 for the first file, /report/2 for the second file, etc. By substituting the numeral 4 into these URLs, we can indirectly access the [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/4.html 4th file] in the dossier. We are then presented with a block of binary code, which, when decoded, gives us the string "elgar-INVOICE.html". Plugging that into the URL leads us [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/elgar-INVOICE.html here], to what is presumably the redacted 4th document. It contains an invoice for the delivery of 10 items. This was the extent of the folder up until October 19th.
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| − | == A letter from Rome ==
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| − | [[File:Crows sstv 1.png|thumbnail|right|200px|The first SSTV image]]
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| − | A [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/letterfromrome.html 6th document] was added to the dossier, detailing Deputy Angelo's stay in Rome. The document links directly to the letter's [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/letterfromlyon.html reply], written by Angelo's superior Lavigne. After a few seconds of being on the page, the document automatically refers the viewer to [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/mayflower-error.html this error page], on which the string "admin.html" is visible. Plugging in "admin.html" into the url leads to an [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/admin.html admin console], where a file named "boot.mp3" is mentioned next to a string of hex. Decoding the hex gives us the URL for the [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/sounds/boot.mp3 mp3 file], which, when decoded using [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow-scan_television SSTV], gives us [http://wiki.gamedetectives.net/images/6/62/Crows_sstv_1.png this image].
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| − | [[File:Crows sstv 2.png|thumbnail|right|200px|The second SSTV image]]
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| − | [[File:Crows sstv 3.png|thumbnail|right|200px|The third SSTV image]]
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| − | The admin page also provided us with a [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/messages.html link], and prompted us to log in (note: the page has since been updated, and no longer requires login credentials). Logging in with username: Elizabeth Martinez (the rep from the Elgar Logistics invoice) and password: 1868 6263 2469 5948 (the number in the footer of every dossier file) unlocks the "messages" page. Most messages are available, and link in the form "/message-5345880.html". The links for "archived" messages have been greyed out, but can easily be accessed by substituting their reference numbers into the URL. One of the two archived messages contains an [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/sounds/signature.mp3 audio file], which, when decoded with SSTV, gives us [http://wiki.gamedetectives.net/images/9/94/Crows_sstv_2.png this picture]. The other archived message contains an [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/images/signature.png image file], which, when combined with [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/images/mayflower-noise.png another image file] (from the original error page) reveals [http://i.imgur.com/fsf0qCB.png this]. This gives us a [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/sounds/74647075756a66.mp3 new audio file], which, when decoded with SSTV, yields [http://wiki.gamedetectives.net/images/c/ca/Crows_sstv_3.png this picture].
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| − | '''So, in summary, 3 audio files were located and decoded using SSTV to give us three images.''' The second image has hex in the top right corner, which, when decoded, gives us the string "cecil".
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| − | == Check your Mail ==
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| − | Following urgings on the part of the developers to "[https://twitter.com/zerstoerer/status/658714543066058752 check our mail]", we went back into Martinez's [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/messages.html inbox] to discover that it had been updated with a [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/message-5346037.html new message] on October 26. The next day, two new messages appeared, [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/message-5346044.html one] of which contained base-32 text and [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/images/theme.wav.bmp this picture]. Importing this picture into Audacity produced [https://soundcloud.com/thesparrowhunt/theme this audio] (credit to TheSparrowHunt), which is from the second movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A minor.
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| − | On October 29, we got even more mail - a [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/message-5346061.html message] from Cecil with some corruption at the bottom. Decoding this using ASCII85 yields a set of coordinates, which, when put into Google Maps, are the location of the "[https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Villa+San+Remigio/@45.9244545,8.5636103,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x4785df21b605efff:0xc2f130c1c7dbb06a Villa Remigio]". Nobody knew what to do with this information until November 4th, when Haigen64 tried "[http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/remigio.html remigio.html]" as a URL. This led to a [http://crowscrowscrows.com/report/recovery.html recovery page], which, in turn, led to 2 files. These files were 2 halves of a damaged PDF file. When repaired, partially with online utilities and partially with ASCII85 decoding, the PDF file was revealed to document the construction of a garden area. Here is the [https://www.pdfescape.com/open/?2EF96C992B5BD29E803B1B54DCD8986ADD4BB7BB77D8A6CB fixed PDF file]. Note the posters on the wall in one of the images - 2 of them match our SSTV-decoded images.
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| − | After this, no further progress was made in the ARG until Dr. Langeskov was revealed.
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| − | = Game Announcement And Release =
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| − | Those subscribed to the Crows Crows Crows newsletter received a message about Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, And The Terribly Cursed Emerald's impending release. Checking Martinez's inbox showed even more email, mentioning a countdown of some kind (presumably related to the imminent release of Dr. Langeskov). On December 4, Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, And The Terribly Cursed Emerald was released, and no developments have occurred in the ARG since.
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