Difference between revisions of "THE VAULT"

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{{argbox
 
{{argbox
 
| float      = right
 
| float      = right
−
| name        = THE VAULT
+
| name        = THE VAULT 2
 
| image      = Image:THE_VAULT_logo.png
 
| image      = Image:THE_VAULT_logo.png
 
| description = Doc created a game ... The first hero to beat it will get to loot his private VAULT valued at $10,000 real dollars. 10,000 BONES. 10,000 BIG BOIS.
 
| description = Doc created a game ... The first hero to beat it will get to loot his private VAULT valued at $10,000 real dollars. 10,000 BONES. 10,000 BIG BOIS.
 
| creator    = [https://www.stashinvest.com/ Stash]
 
| creator    = [https://www.stashinvest.com/ Stash]
 +
| type        = Unofficial
 
| status      = Active
 
| status      = Active
 
| discovered  = 2018-10-31
 
| discovered  = 2018-10-31
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{{backToTop}}
 
{{backToTop}}
  
−
The Vault is an online Alternate Reality Game involving code-breaking, real-world exploration, cryptography, and collaboration among solvers. It involves a fictional cast of characters, including the villainous Doc and helpful Dampé.  The game began on October 31, 2018 and gameplay has centered around the discord server located here: https://discord.gg/vault.  Stash, the creator of the ARG, is an active participant in the Discord Chat and occasionally posts hints, clues, feedback to direct the fellowship.
+
The Vault 2 is an online Alternate Reality Game involving code-breaking, real-world exploration, cryptography, and collaboration among solvers. It involves a fictional cast of characters, including the villainous Doc and helpful Dampé.  The game began on October 31, 2018 and gameplay has centered around the Discord Server located here: https://discord.gg/vault.  Stash Invest, the creator of the ARG, is an active participant in the Discord Chat and occasionally posts hints, clues, and feedback to direct the fellowship as one of the characters. The first hero to complete the final puzzle will receive a $10,000 grand prize.
  
−
The first Vault ran from late 2017-spring 2018 and awarded a $5,000 grand prize to the person that solved the final puzzle.
+
The first Vault ran from Late 2017 to Spring 2018 and awarded a $5,000 grand prize to the person that solved the final puzzle.
  
 
__TOC__
 
__TOC__
Line 19: Line 20:
 
= Plot =
 
= Plot =
  
−
Our friend Dampé needs our help. His ship was attacked and crashed into the surface of Io, Jupiter's fourth-largest moon. We need to land and investigate, but the moon is enveloped by a force shield created by our nemesis Doc. Doc is currently campaigning to be Galactic Mayor and is attempting to rig the election by getting 100,000,000 votes. The number of votes is tied to lowering the shield.
+
Our friend Dampé needs our help. His ship was attacked, and it crashed into the surface of Io, Jupiter's fourth-largest moon. We need to land and investigate, but the moon is enveloped by a force shield created by our nemesis Doc. Doc is currently campaigning for Galactic Mayor and is attempting to rig the election by getting 100,000,000 votes. The number of votes is tied to lowering the shield (i.e. at 10,000,000 votes, the shield was at 90%). Our ship currently does not have enough power to activate the systems necessary to lower the shield (e.g. radar system, tactical system, weapons system, etc.). Upgrades can be performed when certain power levels are reached. Power levels are tied to the amount of heroes who have joined the Discord Server. Even though Dampé is trapped, he (and others?) are able to send us clues to help us stop Doc.
  
−
More detailed information regarding progress to date can be found at the working summary here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mZMp7aTngtYUYOCtBX4riEagNnRAaR9T1e4NQHMjkOE/edit#
+
== Characters ==
 +
'''Doc''' - The villain of our story, carried over from Vault 1. “A nut job.” His goal in Vault 2 is to become Galactic Mayor by any means necessary, including kidnapping and vote manipulation.
  
−
We will continue to try to port over as much information as possible from that master document to this site as time allows.  For now, please review the summary above and join the discord serve to participate.
+
'''Robert Baron''' - Doc's opponent for Galactic Mayor. Not much is known about him other than he has 12 eyes.
  
−
= Riddles =
+
'''Dampé''' - Based on the Legend of Zelda character, he assisted the Heroes of Vault 1 with puzzle solving when the Fellowship got stuck and was killed by Doc for doing so, but he returned as a ghost. Currently trapped on Io and being forced to help Doc maintain his website, Dampé is still able to send hidden messages to the Fellowship when help is needed.
−
 
 
−
== Chapter One ==
 
−
 
 
−
=== GPS Coordinates ===
 
−
On Oct. 31, 2018, the Heroes received the following transmission from Doc in Discord, announcing his campaign for Galactic Mayor: 
 
−
[[File:VAULT_GPS_coordinates.png|thumb|right]]
 
−
<pre>
 
−
Greetings Earthlings... I am Doc! Yes, yes. The one and only. The time has come to campaign for me for Galactic Mayor in the upcoming election. I know you’re eager to work your tail off. So let’s get to work. Get out there and grab your campaign materials… Say you're there for “Mayor Doc”!
 
−
Vote for doc. All for one.
 
−
</pre>
 
  
−
The 23 GPS coordinates in the image corresponded to FedEx Offices around the United States. Heroes retrieved online print orders under the name “Mayor Doc” from the FedEx Offices.  
+
'''413 Uncanny Spark''' - An Artificial Intelligence from the Vault 1 who writes only in 1337 5/o34|<. Her initial prickly personality was caused by a restrictive protocol created by Doc. She was killed by Doc in Vault 1, but it is believed that some clues in Vault 2 were sent by her. Seems to be connected to a Discord bot named [LANTERN].
  
−
=== Volunteer Center Message ===
+
'''Cedric''' - A French citizen kidnapped by Doc and forced to make his campaign videos. Doc calls him "Fromage Cousteau".
−
The campaign materials contained two pages with four clues: (1) the [http://www.votefordoc.com Vote for Doc campaign website], (2) the volunteer center number, (3) a phone number on the envelope of the print order, and (4) the “Spread the news” riddle.
 
−
[[File:VAULT_campaign_material_1.png|thumb|right]]
 
−
[[File:VAULT_campaign_material_2.png|thumb|right]]
 
−
The Vote for Doc website included the same list of FedEx Office locations, corresponding to the GPS coordinates in the transmission image, but with the addition of a FedEx Office in Bellevue, WA. The website included the following message:
 
−
<pre>
 
−
GOT DOC FEVER? VOLUNTEER TODAY!
 
−
Zip on over to your nearest Satellite Office (🛰🏢), for your Vote For Doc campaign materials.
 
−
Say you’re there for Mayor Doc. Zoom! Express yourself!
 
−
</pre>
 
−
Each location contained nearly identical campaign materials. Each were labeled with a unique Volunteer Center number. Heroes retrieved 10 of the packets and were able to call the remaining FedEx Offices, asking them to read off the numbers. The Volunteer Center numbers, when assembled in the order of the GPS coordinates, spelled out the following list of numbers and letters:
 
−
<code>H1!441ND7431NV174710NF1ND443431PPL34S3!</code>
 
  
−
Translated as leetspeak, the clue read: <code>Hi! Mind the invitation, find me help please!</code>
+
'''FURY''' - An Artificial Intelligence for Vault 2 whose avatar is the image of a Gryphon. Out of all the characters, he interacts with the Heroes the most. Available nearly all day on the Discord Server, he keeps the Heroes motivated, provides guidance, and performs ship upgrades.
  
−
=== “Spread the news” Riddle ===
+
'''743 Devout Chronicler''' - Another AI and the Heroes' guide while exploring Titan and the Tomb of Hope.
−
The campaign materials also included the following riddle:
 
−
<pre>
 
−
Spread the news--tell your friends!
 
−
Electing Doc is your ultimate end?
 
−
But to play, you must append
 
−
The path below with a card for friends.
 
  
−
/docs________
+
'''924 Gregarious Firework''' - The AI that took over when 743 Devout Chronicler disappeared. He was trapped inside a cage in the Tomb of Hope for 1,000 years.
−
</pre>
 
−
“You must append the path below” referred to adding a path to the URL of the Vote for Doc website using the "/docs_______" and "a card for friends" (also known as an “invitation”). Therefore, the Heroes found: https://votefordoc.com/docsinvitation which contains [https://youtu.be/kdGIZPIKSos a video from Doc].
 
  
−
'''Note:''' As of Nov. 20, 2018, the FedEx locations moved to https://votefordoc.com/invitation.
+
'''Mellifera''' - A zerg egg who can communicate telepathically with Heroes that have been infected by the creep. She has been 924 Gregarious Firework's only friend for a long time.
  
−
The Doc’s Invitation video is a reference to Anorak’s Invitation video from ''Ready Player One''.
+
'''Niadra''' - A zerg queen who is helping Doc in preparation for war with the Heroes in exchange for his help retrieving her egg.
  
−
=== 001 DocLetter Packet ===
+
'''Replicatz''' - These are Doc's minions. The Fellow Ship has been able to intercept transmission from them. Replicatz include '''Mouse''', '''Bill the Lizard''', '''Pigeon''', '''Owl''', '''Frog Footman''', '''Fish Footman''', '''Panther''', and '''The Guinea Pigs''', which are also characters in the Alice in Wonderland books.
−
On Nov. 06, 2018, the Heroes received another transmission from Doc, announcing 28 new FedEx Office locations and more materials at all locations. The new locations were notified to not reveal information over the phone. The transmission was:
 
−
<pre>
 
−
Hello once again Earthlings! It's your favorite space doctor and pirate, back again. It's Doc! ARG!
 
  
−
Your elections may end today, but mine's just getting cranking. The treacle-like outpouring of support has been...treacle-like. But I really love the dedication of the group massing outside the Io shield. I can hear you chanting! DOC! DOC! DOC!
+
'''Stash Invest''' - Financial company that is running the ARG. Usually only hear from them for official out-of-game announcements as they use the cast of characters to interact with the Heroes.
  
−
I've sent out 🆕 campaign materials for you. Get out there my campaign heroes, and get me votes from anyone who cares about the galaxy! DOC! DOC! DOC! Details on my super site.
+
'''The Ancients''' - How the Stash Invest employees who made the game refer to themselves.
  
−
Vote for Doc. All for one.
+
'''The Fellow Ship''' - The name of the spaceship the Heroes are on. It is also what the Heroes playing the ARG are referred to as a whole.
  
−
https://votefordoc.com/
+
= Riddles =
−
</pre>
 
−
'''Note:''' As of Nov. 20, 2018, the FedEx locations moved to https://votefordoc.com/campaignoffices.
 
  
−
The Heroes collected 38 out of the 52 packets ([https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dnXjCTuqlQayrKX6bZ4pzTz0ah64Ri8r Folder of retrieved 001 DocLetter packets.]). The 001 DocLetter packet contained 3 pages. Each packet contained a unique recipe for “Fungus Pulmenti Turtur” on page 2 and one of the four floors of a Roman Maze on page 3.
+
== Chapter Summaries ==
  
−
=== Recipes ===
+
=== Chapter One ===
−
Each recipe for “Fungus Pulmenti Turtur” had different ingredient values, with the fourth step in the instructions either being “Cook” (in English) or “Coquere” (in Latin). [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kgCFhk_7fZqJgBDHbD6XUDKYhySkrIacnSLswD2_hTA/edit#gid=0 Spreadsheet of all the retrieved recipes.]
+
'''Full outline of [[THE_VAULT/Chapter_One|Chapter One]]'''
  
−
The Heroes followed the recipe instructions of “Trim your mushrooms. Halve your buds. Mix it all together.” to create the following equation:
+
Chapter One began on Oct. 31, 2018 with a transmission from Doc in the Discord Server. During Chapter One, Heroes discovered the [http://www.votefordoc.com Vote for Doc campaign website] which was a main source for future clues and crucial information. The website was also the location for the main objective of getting Doc [[THE_VAULT#100_Million_Votes|100 Million Votes]].
−
<code>Value = T + W - M + B + D/2 + L</code>,
 
−
where “Trim your mushrooms” meant subtracting the mushroom amount and “Halve your buds” meant dividing the dionaea muscipula buds amount by two.  
 
  
−
These recipe values matched the values of the decimal and roman numerals found in the Roman Maze path.
+
Doc sent campaign materials to FedEx locations across the U.S. which Heroes had to gather and then piece together the clues contained in each.  
  
−
=== Path of the Roman Maze ===
+
Heroes obtained enough power to use the radar system on the Fellow Ship to jam the signal to Doc's website and increased the vote count to over 16 Million in less than 2 weeks.
−
Each third page of the 001 DocLetter packet contained one of the four floors of a Roman Maze. The floor was determined by the icon in the top right corner of the page. Each were connected with up and down staircases throughout the maze. The Heroes found the path from the entrance on Floor 1 (bottom) to the exit on Floor 4 (top). [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LE9Qp1Ns6h1a8iluxIsMXxLFt8qexxc7/view Digital version of the Roman Maze in a spreadsheet.]
 
  
−
[[File:VAULT_Maze_1.png|250px]]
+
Doc's competitor, Robert Baron, hacked the website and made the radar system obsolete. Heroes then obtained enough power to use the tactical system on the Fellow Ship to hack Doc's website and add another 11,011,000 votes to the vote count.
−
[[File:VAULT_Maze_2.png|250px]]
 
−
[[File:VAULT_Maze_3.png|250px]]
 
−
[[File:VAULT_Maze_4.png|250px]]
 
  
−
The path contained a mixture of binary, decimal, and Roman numerals (from Bottom to Top):
+
=== Chapter Two ===
−
<pre>
+
'''Full outline of [[THE_VAULT/Chapter_Two|Chapter Two]]'''
−
1000111CXLVII0010CLIII0110CCLXXVI0101CCVIII0110LXXVIII1101620110LXXXVI0101CX01101691101CDLXXIV0110DXXXII00101210110CXXIII0101CLX01111690010CDLXXIV0101DXX1111CXVIII0111LXXVII0011LXVII0110LXXXII10001240110CIII0001CDXL01113510010LXXIV0110CCXL1001DCCCXLVII0110CLVII1110LXXXI0110660111LXXXVIII0101LXXVIII1111770110XCIII1001CXIX01111060011750101LXXXIX1111CXII0110CXLII0011XCVI0110LXXVII0001900111CXXVII0010LXXVIII0110LXXVIII10011340110LXXIX1110LXIX0110LXXIX0111
 
−
</pre>
 
−
<pre>
 
−
100 0111 CXLVII 0010 CLIII 0110 CCLXXVI 0101 CCVIII 0110 LXXVIII 1101 62 0110 LXXXVI 0101 CX 0110 169 1101 CDLXXIV 0110 DXXXII 0010 121 0110 CXXIII 0101 CLX 0111 169 0010 CDLXXIV 0101 DXX 1111 CXVIII 0111 LXXVII 0011 LXVII 0110 LXXXII 1000 124 0110 CIII 0001 CDXL 0111 351 0010 LXXIV 0110 CCXL 1001 DCCCXLVII 0110 CLVII 1110 LXXXI 0110 66 0111 LXXXVIII 0101 LXXVIII 1111 77 0110 XCIII 1001 CXIX 0111 106 0011 75 0101 LXXXIX 1111 CXII 0110 CXLII 0011 XCVI 0110 LXXVII 0001 90 0111 CXXVII 0010 LXXVIII 0110 LXXVIII 1001 134 0110 LXXIX 1110 LXIX 0110 LXXIX 0111
 
−
</pre>
 
  
−
=== Dampé Webmaster ===
+
Chapter Two began on Nov. 30, 2018 with a transmission from Doc in the Discord Server. More campaign materials were sent to FedEx locations and gathered by the Heroes.
−
Using Clue: 380775826821002000, the Heroes found the hint that “MAZES FOLLOW THE PATH”.  
 
−
The Heroes added the full path of the Roman Maze as the URL path to the Vote for Doc website and it resulted in:
 
−
https://votefordoc.com/1000111CXLVII0010CLIII0110CCLXXVI0101CCVIII0110LXXVIII1101620110LXXXVI0101CX01101691101CDLXXIV0110DXXXII00101210110CXXIII0101CLX01111690010CDLXXIV0101DXX1111CXVIII0111LXXVII0011LXVII0110LXXXII10001240110CIII0001CDXL01113510010LXXIV0110CCXL1001DCCCXLVII0110CLVII1110LXXXI0110660111LXXXVIII0101LXXVIII1111770110XCIII1001CXIX01111060011750101LXXXIX1111CXII0110CXLII0011XCVI0110LXXVII0001900111CXXVII0010LXXVIII0110LXXVIII10011340110LXXIX1110LXIX0110LXXIX0111
 
  
−
<pre>
+
Using the tactical system, Heroes were able to add another 25 Million votes before Doc was able to fix the vulnerability in his website.
−
You’ve found my lost page. Doc is hard to shake. He is forcing me to help rig the election. I’m a good guy. Help. Find the instructions that don’t match the maze. Then you can find my letters. Ask for me by name.
 
−
-Dampé Webmaster
 
−
Thank you Heroes.
 
−
</pre>
 
  
−
This message from Dampé meant that he sent online print orders at the FedEx locations where the English/Latin word of “Cook”/“Coquere” of the fourth step of the recipe '''did not match''' with how the number was expressed in the Roman Maze path (in decimal or Roman numerals). This assumed that “Cook” (English) matched with decimal numbers and “Coquere” (Latin) matched with Roman numerals.
+
Heroes also learned of a meeting with Doc taking place on Dec. 14, 2018. A Hero posed as a member for the meeting and obtained Doc's copy of ''Ready Player One'' which was heavily annotated with clues.
  
−
The Heroes collected seven of the ten letters and found four more clues, as seen in the table below. [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yxMlAKJk1GAGXt9jzqrPNNhFcf4UNsEB Scans of Dampé Webmaster letters.]
+
Doc's new [http://www.ilovebeez.com ILOVEBEEZ website] was discovered using the clues in the book along with clues gathered from flyers posted in cities all over the world.
  
−
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 65%;"
+
Heroes participated in D&D-like sessions with 743 Devout Chronicler over a 2-month period on the Discord Server. After successfully completing the adventure by merging the past and the present in the Tomb of Hope, the Heroes unlocked Chapter Three.
−
! style="width: 20%"|Location
 
−
! style="width: 75%"|Message
 
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! style="width: 5%"|#
 
−
|-
 
−
| Anaheim, CA
 
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| “I SENT 5 LETTERS TO 10 LOCATIONS IN CASE OF WATCHFUL EYES. UNTO YOU IS CHARGED THE GREAT TASK OF KEEPING THE PURITY OF TIME.”
 
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| N/A
 
−
|-
 
−
| Beaverton, OR
 
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| “ONE IS THE ROMAN CONFLICT RESOLVED”
 
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| 1
 
−
|-
 
−
| Boston, MA
 
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| “ONE IS THE CODE CRUNCHED IN BE-TWEEN”
 
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| 0
 
−
|-
 
−
| Madison, WI
 
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| “ONE IS THE INGREDI-ENTS COOKED TO PER-FECTION”
 
−
| 5
 
−
|-
 
−
| Pensacola, FL
 
−
|
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
−
| Phoenix, AZ
 
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| “I SENT 5 LETTERS TO 10 LOCA-TIONS IN CASE OF WATCHFUL EYES. UNTO YOU IS CHARGED THE GREAT TASK OF KEEPING THE PURITY OF TIME.”
 
−
| N/A
 
−
|-
 
−
| Providence, RI
 
−
|
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
−
| Raleigh, NC
 
−
|
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
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| San Francisco, CA
 
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| “ONE IS THE CODE SLIMMED TO MAKE SENSE”
 
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| 7
 
−
|-
 
−
| San Jose, CA
 
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| “ONE IS THE INGREDI-ENTS COOKED TO PER-FECTION”
 
−
| 5
 
−
|}
 
  
−
Each clue pointed to new URL paths which contained pieces of a new Roman Maze.
+
=== Chapter Three ===
−
'''“THE CODE CRUNCHED IN BETWEEN”''' pointed to isolating the binary from the Roman Maze.
+
'''Full outline of [[THE_VAULT/Chapter_Three|Chapter Three]]'''
−
'''“THE ROMAN CONFLICT”''' pointed to fixing the mismatched values from the 10 locations using the correct number system based on the fourth step of the recipe. (The Heroes were missing some of the 001 DocLetter packet but were able to backwards solve and brute force the missing locations.)
 
−
'''“INGREDIENTS COOKED TO PERFECTION”''' pointed to using the corrected decimal and Roman numbers from THE ROMAN CONFLICT and adding back the binary in their original order.
 
−
'''“CODE SLIMMED DOWN”''' pointed to isolating the binary and converting it to ASCII.
 
  
−
=== bless_up Maze ===
+
Chapter Three began on Feb. 28, 2019 with a transmission from Doc in the Discord Server. More campaign materials were sent to FedEx locations.
−
The corrected decimal and Roman numbers with the binary:
 
−
https://votefordoc.com/10001111470010CLIII0110CCLXXVI0101CCVIII0110LXXVIII1101LXII0110LXXXVI010111001101691101CDLXXIV0110DXXXII00101210110CXXIII0101CLX01111690010CDLXXIV0101DXX1111CXVIII0111LXXVII0011LXVII0110LXXXII10001240110CIII0001CDXL01113510010740110CCXL1001DCCCXLVII0110CLVII1110LXXXI0110660111LXXXVIII0101LXXVIII1111770110XCIII100111901111060011LXXV0101LXXXIX111111201101420011XCVI0110LXXVII00019001111270010780110LXXVIII10011340110LXXIX1110LXIX0110LXXIX0111
 
−
which led to bless_up_WON (1/4).
 
  
−
The isolated binary:
+
The AI known as 743_Devout_Chronicler disappeared and their account was overtaken by the AI known as 924_GR3G4R10US_F1RRR3WORK. The Heroes helped this new AI escape from the Tomb of Hope.
−
https://votefordoc.com/0111001001100101011011010110010101101101011000100110010101110010010111110111001101101000011000010111001001101001011011100110011101011111011010010111001101011111011000110110000101110010011010010110111001100111
 
−
which led to bless_up_TOO (2/4).
 
  
−
The corrected decimal and Roman numbers without the binary:
+
== Ongoing Investigations ==
−
https://votefordoc.com/100147CLIIICCLXXVICCVIIILXXVIIILXIILXXXVI110169CDLXXIVDXXXII121CXXIIICLX169CDLXXIVDXXCXVIIILXXVIILXVIILXXXII124CIIICDXL35174CCXLDCCCXLVIICLVIILXXXI66LXXXVIIILXXVIII77XCIII119106LXXVLXXXIX112142XCVILXXVII9012778LXXVIII134LXXIXLXIX79
 
−
which led to bless_up_TREE (3/4).
 
  
−
The translated binary to ASCII:
+
=== 100 Million Votes ===
−
https://votefordoc.com/remember_sharing_is_caring
+
Doc’s Invitation video and the Vote for Doc website both said that Doc needed 100,000,000 votes in order to win the election for Galactic Mayor. There was a voting button that served as Doc’s vote counter on the Vote for Doc website. The Heroes knew the shield on Io would be lowered when Doc reached 100 million votes.
−
which led to bless_up_FUR (4/4).
 
  
−
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LE9Qp1Ns6h1a8iluxIsMXxLFt8qexxc7/view Digital version of the bless_up Maze in a spreadsheet.]
+
The first method of increasing the vote counter was multiple Heroes using <code>!jam</code> command at once. Then the Heroes had to switch to gaining bursts of votes from building and finding <code>!hack</code> commands. On Dec. 14, 2018, power on the Fellow Ship was diverted to the hangar, allowing Heroes to fly around using personal spaceships and discover new locations in space (i.e. new hidden channels on the Discord). Because of this, voting capabilities were reduced to manually clicking the vote button on the Vote for Doc website. Recruiting more Heroes to the Discord would result in more power for the Fellow Ship which would allow for new means of vote manipulation.
  
−
[[File:VAULT_bless_up_WON.jpg|250px]]
+
=== Io Campaign Offices ===
−
[[File:VAULT_bless_up_TOO.jpg|250px]]
+
The locations listed under Earth on Doc's [https://www.votefordoc.com/offices/ Campaign Offices] webpage reference FedEx locations in the United States. There is also a listing for future locations on Io which currently reads <code>Coming s[0,0]n…</code>
−
[[File:VAULT_bless_up_TREE.jpg|250px]]
 
−
[[File:VAULT_bless_up_FUR.jpg|250px]]
 
  
−
The Heroes used the same methodology to solve these new Roman Mazes and picked out the capital letters in the path (disregarding the start of sentences).
+
=== The Elder Bounty ===
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
[[File:VAULT_THE_ELDER_BOUNTY.png|thumb|x200px|The Elder Bounty image version, created by FURY]]
−
! Floor
+
On Dec. 18, 2018, the Heroes purchased [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/507327022314422292/524654261657665556/THE_ELDER_BOUNTY.pdf a mysterious item] from the legendary bounty hunter ROMAN. The name of the file was possibly a reference to Destiny 2's Wanted Bounties. Visually, the bounty was similar to the [[Rasputin_ARG|Rasputin ARG’s Rasputin Chamber puzzle]].
−
! Path
 
−
! Message
 
−
|-
 
−
| 1/4
 
−
| “Unto you is charged the great ta'''S'''k of keeping the puri'''T'''y of tim'''E'''. Know that th'''A'''re is only one true time'''L'''
 
−
| STEAL
 
−
|-
 
−
| 2/4
 
−
| ine, though there are those who woul'''D''' have it '''O'''therwise. You must prote'''C'''t it. Without the truth of time a
 
−
| DOC
 
−
|-
 
−
| 3/4
 
−
| s it i'''S''' meant to unfold, more will be lost than you can '''P'''ossibly im'''A'''gine. The fabric of reality will unra
 
−
| SPA
 
−
|-
 
−
| 4/4
 
−
| vel. It i'''S''' a heavy taSk--the base of all tasks of this '''WOR'''l'''D''', for nothing can transpire without time.”
 
−
| SSWORD
 
−
|}
 
  
−
This following path was a reference to a World of Warcraft as a quote from Blessing of the Bronze Aspect by Aman'Thul:
+
Heroes found a long list of decimals after the End of Filer marker (%%EOF) in the PDF. Each decimal converted into a fraction, where the numerator was a [[THE_VAULT/Chapter_One#Recipes|Recipe value]] and the denominator was the corresponding location number (from the original 52 FedEx locations).
  
−
“Unto you is charged the great ta'''S'''k of keeping the puri'''T'''y of tim'''E'''. Know that th'''A'''re is only one true time'''L'''ine, though there are those who woul'''D''' have it '''O'''therwise. You must prote'''C'''t it. Without the truth of time as it i'''S''' meant to unfold, more will be lost than you can '''P'''ossibly im'''A'''gine. The fabric of reality will unravel. It i'''S''' a heavy ta'''S'''k--the base of all tasks of this '''WOR'''l'''D''', for nothing can transpire without time.”
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Current Progress: [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kgCFhk_7fZqJgBDHbD6XUDKYhySkrIacnSLswD2_hTA/edit?usp=sharing  All the calculated fractions.]
  
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The capital letters (shown in bold) led the Heroes to https://votefordoc.com/STEALDOCSPASSWORD which gave them access to Doc’s email address: [email protected].
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=== DocLetter 003 ===
 +
On Feb. 28, 2019, Doc broadcast the following transmission in the Discord Server:  
  
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=== Hacking the Shields with Terminals ===
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<pre>
 +
Campaign Cadets!
  
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== Ongoing Investigations ==
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The race is on! It's Chapter Three! And I'm fast! But how many roads must a Doc walk down?
  
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=== 100 Million Votes ===
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Votes are continuing upwards and my enemies are trapped in a time locked...trap! Ha! Let's keep it that way. I must not say too much due to my pesky enemies being illegal and stuff always. Anyways, campaign letters are on their way if you know where to look!
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We are told in both Doc’s Invitation video and on the Vote for Doc site that he needs 100,000,000 votes in order to win the election for Galactic Mayor. There is a voting button tha1t serves as Doc’s vote counter on the Vote for Doc site.
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</pre>
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We have strong evidence that the shield on Io will lower when Doc get to 100M votes.
 
  
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[STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION]
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Heroes determined that the question <code>how many roads must a Doc walk down?</code> was a reference to the Ultimate Question from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Ultimate Answer being 42, Heroes found [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/528749342333468672/553775234684289024/20190308_210404.jpg DocLetter 003] at the FedEx location in New Orleans which was listed as location #42 on Doc's [https://www.votefordoc.com/offices/ Campaign Offices] webpage. Doc's doodle at the bottom of the letter was a connect-the-dots version of [https://static.vecteezy.com/system/resources/previews/000/082/445/non_2x/yellow-brick-road-vector.jpg this image], which could be another reference to https://www.stashinvest.com/the_end.
  
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[[File:GPS Locations.jpg|thumb]]
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= Resources =
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[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1epKLMCBlxKJxHTHQm_hbRxN9QUsKnajI Folder of everything for Vault 2]
  
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[[Meta:Style_Guide]]
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[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1A8ac_DHF26DTzYfNNkmlsvSZOLqHcCel Vault 1 Solutions by imatv]
  
 
{{WIP}}
 
{{WIP}}

Latest revision as of 05:25, 11 October 2020

THE VAULT 2
Active since 2018-10-31
THE VAULT logo.png
Doc created a game ... The first hero to beat it will get to loot his private VAULT valued at $10,000 real dollars. 10,000 BONES. 10,000 BIG BOIS.
Type Unofficial
Creator Stash
Discovered 2018-10-31

Main Page > List of Investigations > THE VAULT

The Vault 2 is an online Alternate Reality Game involving code-breaking, real-world exploration, cryptography, and collaboration among solvers. It involves a fictional cast of characters, including the villainous Doc and helpful Dampé. The game began on October 31, 2018 and gameplay has centered around the Discord Server located here: https://discord.gg/vault. Stash Invest, the creator of the ARG, is an active participant in the Discord Chat and occasionally posts hints, clues, and feedback to direct the fellowship as one of the characters. The first hero to complete the final puzzle will receive a $10,000 grand prize.

The first Vault ran from Late 2017 to Spring 2018 and awarded a $5,000 grand prize to the person that solved the final puzzle.

Plot

Our friend Dampé needs our help. His ship was attacked, and it crashed into the surface of Io, Jupiter's fourth-largest moon. We need to land and investigate, but the moon is enveloped by a force shield created by our nemesis Doc. Doc is currently campaigning for Galactic Mayor and is attempting to rig the election by getting 100,000,000 votes. The number of votes is tied to lowering the shield (i.e. at 10,000,000 votes, the shield was at 90%). Our ship currently does not have enough power to activate the systems necessary to lower the shield (e.g. radar system, tactical system, weapons system, etc.). Upgrades can be performed when certain power levels are reached. Power levels are tied to the amount of heroes who have joined the Discord Server. Even though Dampé is trapped, he (and others?) are able to send us clues to help us stop Doc.

Characters

Doc - The villain of our story, carried over from Vault 1. “A nut job.” His goal in Vault 2 is to become Galactic Mayor by any means necessary, including kidnapping and vote manipulation.

Robert Baron - Doc's opponent for Galactic Mayor. Not much is known about him other than he has 12 eyes.

Dampé - Based on the Legend of Zelda character, he assisted the Heroes of Vault 1 with puzzle solving when the Fellowship got stuck and was killed by Doc for doing so, but he returned as a ghost. Currently trapped on Io and being forced to help Doc maintain his website, Dampé is still able to send hidden messages to the Fellowship when help is needed.

413 Uncanny Spark - An Artificial Intelligence from the Vault 1 who writes only in 1337 5/o34|<. Her initial prickly personality was caused by a restrictive protocol created by Doc. She was killed by Doc in Vault 1, but it is believed that some clues in Vault 2 were sent by her. Seems to be connected to a Discord bot named [LANTERN].

Cedric - A French citizen kidnapped by Doc and forced to make his campaign videos. Doc calls him "Fromage Cousteau".

FURY - An Artificial Intelligence for Vault 2 whose avatar is the image of a Gryphon. Out of all the characters, he interacts with the Heroes the most. Available nearly all day on the Discord Server, he keeps the Heroes motivated, provides guidance, and performs ship upgrades.

743 Devout Chronicler - Another AI and the Heroes' guide while exploring Titan and the Tomb of Hope.

924 Gregarious Firework - The AI that took over when 743 Devout Chronicler disappeared. He was trapped inside a cage in the Tomb of Hope for 1,000 years.

Mellifera - A zerg egg who can communicate telepathically with Heroes that have been infected by the creep. She has been 924 Gregarious Firework's only friend for a long time.

Niadra - A zerg queen who is helping Doc in preparation for war with the Heroes in exchange for his help retrieving her egg.

Replicatz - These are Doc's minions. The Fellow Ship has been able to intercept transmission from them. Replicatz include Mouse, Bill the Lizard, Pigeon, Owl, Frog Footman, Fish Footman, Panther, and The Guinea Pigs, which are also characters in the Alice in Wonderland books.

Stash Invest - Financial company that is running the ARG. Usually only hear from them for official out-of-game announcements as they use the cast of characters to interact with the Heroes.

The Ancients - How the Stash Invest employees who made the game refer to themselves.

The Fellow Ship - The name of the spaceship the Heroes are on. It is also what the Heroes playing the ARG are referred to as a whole.

Riddles

Chapter Summaries

Chapter One

Full outline of Chapter One

Chapter One began on Oct. 31, 2018 with a transmission from Doc in the Discord Server. During Chapter One, Heroes discovered the Vote for Doc campaign website which was a main source for future clues and crucial information. The website was also the location for the main objective of getting Doc 100 Million Votes.

Doc sent campaign materials to FedEx locations across the U.S. which Heroes had to gather and then piece together the clues contained in each.

Heroes obtained enough power to use the radar system on the Fellow Ship to jam the signal to Doc's website and increased the vote count to over 16 Million in less than 2 weeks.

Doc's competitor, Robert Baron, hacked the website and made the radar system obsolete. Heroes then obtained enough power to use the tactical system on the Fellow Ship to hack Doc's website and add another 11,011,000 votes to the vote count.

Chapter Two

Full outline of Chapter Two

Chapter Two began on Nov. 30, 2018 with a transmission from Doc in the Discord Server. More campaign materials were sent to FedEx locations and gathered by the Heroes.

Using the tactical system, Heroes were able to add another 25 Million votes before Doc was able to fix the vulnerability in his website.

Heroes also learned of a meeting with Doc taking place on Dec. 14, 2018. A Hero posed as a member for the meeting and obtained Doc's copy of Ready Player One which was heavily annotated with clues.

Doc's new ILOVEBEEZ website was discovered using the clues in the book along with clues gathered from flyers posted in cities all over the world.

Heroes participated in D&D-like sessions with 743 Devout Chronicler over a 2-month period on the Discord Server. After successfully completing the adventure by merging the past and the present in the Tomb of Hope, the Heroes unlocked Chapter Three.

Chapter Three

Full outline of Chapter Three

Chapter Three began on Feb. 28, 2019 with a transmission from Doc in the Discord Server. More campaign materials were sent to FedEx locations.

The AI known as 743_Devout_Chronicler disappeared and their account was overtaken by the AI known as 924_GR3G4R10US_F1RRR3WORK. The Heroes helped this new AI escape from the Tomb of Hope.

Ongoing Investigations

100 Million Votes

Doc’s Invitation video and the Vote for Doc website both said that Doc needed 100,000,000 votes in order to win the election for Galactic Mayor. There was a voting button that served as Doc’s vote counter on the Vote for Doc website. The Heroes knew the shield on Io would be lowered when Doc reached 100 million votes.

The first method of increasing the vote counter was multiple Heroes using !jam command at once. Then the Heroes had to switch to gaining bursts of votes from building and finding !hack commands. On Dec. 14, 2018, power on the Fellow Ship was diverted to the hangar, allowing Heroes to fly around using personal spaceships and discover new locations in space (i.e. new hidden channels on the Discord). Because of this, voting capabilities were reduced to manually clicking the vote button on the Vote for Doc website. Recruiting more Heroes to the Discord would result in more power for the Fellow Ship which would allow for new means of vote manipulation.

Io Campaign Offices

The locations listed under Earth on Doc's Campaign Offices webpage reference FedEx locations in the United States. There is also a listing for future locations on Io which currently reads Coming s[0,0]n…

The Elder Bounty

The Elder Bounty image version, created by FURY

On Dec. 18, 2018, the Heroes purchased a mysterious item from the legendary bounty hunter ROMAN. The name of the file was possibly a reference to Destiny 2's Wanted Bounties. Visually, the bounty was similar to the Rasputin ARG’s Rasputin Chamber puzzle.

Heroes found a long list of decimals after the End of Filer marker (%%EOF) in the PDF. Each decimal converted into a fraction, where the numerator was a Recipe value and the denominator was the corresponding location number (from the original 52 FedEx locations).

Current Progress: All the calculated fractions.

DocLetter 003

On Feb. 28, 2019, Doc broadcast the following transmission in the Discord Server: 

Campaign Cadets! 

The race is on! It's Chapter Three! And I'm fast! But how many roads must a Doc walk down? 

Votes are continuing upwards and my enemies are trapped in a time locked...trap! Ha! Let's keep it that way. I must not say too much due to my pesky enemies being illegal and stuff always. Anyways, campaign letters are on their way if you know where to look!

Heroes determined that the question how many roads must a Doc walk down? was a reference to the Ultimate Question from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Ultimate Answer being 42, Heroes found DocLetter 003 at the FedEx location in New Orleans which was listed as location #42 on Doc's Campaign Offices webpage. Doc's doodle at the bottom of the letter was a connect-the-dots version of this image, which could be another reference to https://www.stashinvest.com/the_end.

Resources

Folder of everything for Vault 2

Vault 1 Solutions by imatv


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