Oddworld: Soulstorm

Oddworld Soulstorm ARG
Active since 12-22-2016
Oddworld Soulstorm - An ARG centered around lore from the Oddworld universe linked to the currently unreleased game Oddworld Soulstorm
Type	[[List_of_Investigations#Official|Official]]
Creator	Oddworld Inhabitants, Inc
Discovered	12-22-2016

Main Page > List of Investigations > Oddworld: Soulstorm

Mattnotes (this is a placeholder):

@edmudokon: The Mudokon "ED" from the game Oddworld

@OddworldInc: Official Oddworld twitter handle but "operated" by characters from the game

@SPIRITOF1029: A resistance group who want Mudokon freedom and run http://www.1029.io according to lore

SECTIONS:

Spirit of 1029 (Intro/Summary)

Chronology (Timeline-ish)

Works In Progress (Things suspect but not fully solved)

Unsolved Leads (Things found but overlooked/not applied yet)

Spirit of 1029

Early in 2016, Twitter account @edmudokon began posting cryptic messages that seemed to be related to the Oddworld universe. The account appears to be run by an average Mudokon named Ed who appears to have information he wants to share. Around July, @edmudokon engaged users with a series of brain-teaser puzzles, releasing information both and twitter and via the official Oddworld website, http://www.oddworld.com/soulstorm/. These puzzles led to the revelation of a website, http://1029.io, as well as a message: "now you know. you can help. join us. together we can rise."

Later that day, the twitter account @SPIRITOF1029 revealed themselves as a "Clandestine organization dedicated to doing good on behalf of the Mudokons and revealing information about a new horror being perpetrated against their species." They also tweeted their first message, parroting the http://1029.io URL and adding their own message: "There is a storm coming. Join us."

Up until December the feeds went dark, posting only reiterations of the URL with messages like "Rise up" and "We are the storm. Join us". Then, in January of 2017, activity on the accounts surged once again and the first hints of an ARG began to appear.

Smells like Mudokon Spirit

The flurry of new activity in January mainly consisted of @edmudokon and @spiritof1029 talking back and fourth about about whether or not Ed would be able to help the organization's cause. At this point, the Spirit of 1029 makes their message very clear, stating "Oddworld has been blind to the plight of the noble Mudokons for too long. We will rise. Join us! http://1029.io". Shortly thereafter, the organization quipped "We recommend knowledge of many different codes and ciphers - you never know who is listening. #learnyournameinmorsecodeday", hinting that the coming information would be enciphered in some way. Oddworld Inhabitants (Oddworld developers, @OddworldInc on Twitter) was contacted by the organization at this time, being told by Spirit of 1029 "We will help @edmudokon but we can't send anything unencrypted. You'll have to break our code. We'll be in touch." Very shortly thereafter, on January 19th, Spirit of 1029 tweets: "We have received a transmission. We will pass it on as soon as we can verify. We need your help." and the Oddworld Webpage is updated to make available two files for download.

The First Transmission

- Jan19 @SPIRITOF1029 tweets they have "first transmission", http://oddworld.com/soulstorm updates making avialable & http://www.oddworld.com/soulstorm/1029contact/1029_01_audio.mp3 for download, also

!--

72 99

 \  /
  27  45
   \  /
    18  39
     \  /
      21  36
       \  /
        ??  28
         \  /
          13  21
           \  /
            7

--> SOLUTION: 12 7+2+9+9 = 27, 2+7+4+5 = 18 & !--

16 _ 37 _ 58 _ 89 _ 145 _ 42 _ ?? _ 4 |_________________<_________________|

--> SOLUTION: 20 12 + 62 = 37, 32 + 72 = 58 puzzles in page source code

- Image is cracked first , top Anglosaxon runes read "ED", Babelstone Pigpen "YOU ARE THE KEY YOU KNOW IT IF YOU WERE LISTENING", directional arrows unknown, text reads:

Date:

Period: XXXXXXXXXXX Specification Details: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX -Observe XXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX changes in test subjects -Assess long term XXXXXXXX on XXXXXXX -Determine product safety Authorization: XXXXXXXXXXX Tests requested: -XXXXXXXX Pronostics - ?Access whenever? product XXXXXXX -Acidity Levels - ????? XXXXXXXXX -Product safety Expected results: XXXXXXXXXX make XXXXXXXXX interesting Test results: -XXXXXXX highly XXXXXX -XXXXXXX this XXXXXX ?? XXXXXX ?nice? XXXXXXXX -Highly XXXXXXX -Subjects: XXXXXX - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Conclusion: Product (ready) for consumption

---

??? : XXXXXXXX there is XXXXXX here but it will XXXX ???? XXXXX

---

- Official site updates to show progress on image

- Audio analyzed finally cracked, morse code in background when reversed yields ciphertext qmiqwmiqyidimrjqdjijilmxmnrjqdjajmpmnrprspkesmkjpdqjnyajnwsnrpgspcsppmqidimqymdbcqajnwsnrpgspcdhbzmnjajanadumjimrpq , in ceasar cipher with key storm yields tentwentyninedotiononqexerdotiofoeserdsdaspjaepositoryforwardslashassetninetyeightforwardslashimgzerofofrfiueonedst ten twenty nine dot io nonqexer dot io foeserdsdaspjaepository forwardslash asset ninety eight forward slash img zero fofrfiueonedst

- Official site second update

- http://1029.io/repository/asset98/imgzerofourfiveone/ found based on cleartext, contains 8 images:

and cycling messages (compile all possible variants)

- Official site third update "Photo 1 - Currently being assembled"

- Pieces assembled , tweeted with @OddworldInc tagged.

- Official site fourth update "Photo 1 - In the lab for reconstruction"

- This image tweeted (date)

- Rough descrambles on forums then this from OWI

- Finally OWI tweets Jan26 Simultaneous @edmudokon tweet "Yes! Yes! you can see it! I have more... but it's so scary... i will find a way... i will do my part." and @spiritof1029 tweet "Now the truth is getting out. The fight back begins here. We will rise."