Difference between revisions of "Entropy"

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{{argbox
 
{{argbox
 
| float      = right
 
| float      = right
 
| name      = Entropy ARG
 
| name      = Entropy ARG
 
| image      = File:Entropy.jpg
 
| image      = File:Entropy.jpg
| imagewidth = 250
 
 
| description= Entropy - an ARG revolving around a series of mysterious YouTube videos.
 
| description= Entropy - an ARG revolving around a series of mysterious YouTube videos.
| creator    = Unknown
+
| creator    = [https://twitter.com/curtisjamesholt Curtis Holt]
| type      = [[List_of_Investigations#Unofficial|Unofficial]]
+
| type      = Unofficial
| status    = Active
+
| status    = Completed
 
| discovered = 2018-2-11
 
| discovered = 2018-2-11
 
}}
 
}}
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__TOC__
 
__TOC__
  
= Entropy Begins =
+
=Getting Started=
 +
The Entropy ARG has been broken down into “Chapters” by the players, grouping together related events and narrative exposition. Each Chapter has been given its own subpage, where the events of that Chapter are described in detail. Please read through the chapters for information on what has happened in the game so far, and then head over to the [[Entropy/Jumpstart|Jump Start]] page for step-by-step instructions on how to catch up to current events.
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
 +
! style="width: 30%|Chapter
 +
! Major Events
 +
|-
 +
| [[Entropy/Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
 +
| &bull; Youtube Channel Discovered<br>&bull; Kovonic transcribed to English<br>&bull; X61 decoded<br>&bull; "Hello World" lore
 +
|-
 +
| [[Entropy/Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
 +
| &bull; "Constructing" & "Resolving" math puzzle<br>&bull; "Creation" responses lore<br>&bull; "Controlling" math puzzle<br>&bull; "Elements of Symmetry" code wheel puzzle
 +
|-
 +
| [[Entropy/Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]<br>
 +
| &bull; Primorda introduction<br>&bull; Myanic transcribed to English<br>&bull; "Honesty" lore<br>&bull; The host (Curtis)<br>&bull; Elemental script constructed<br>&bull; Eyes of Entropy<br>&bull; K introduction<br>&bull; K's Revelations<br>&bull; Entropy Resurfacess<br>&bull; Distress Signal
 +
|-
 +
| [[Entropy/Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
 +
| &bull; Kyren<br> &bull; Our Nation's Miner official Steam release<br> &bull; The Sanctum
 +
|-
 +
| [[Entropy/Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]<br>(In Progress)
 +
| &bull; Cryptolancer
 +
|}
  
Shortly after the discovery of the channel, users quickly found that the channel name, <code>RW50cm9weQ</code>, was base64 translating to <code>Entropy</code>.
+
=Narrative Synopsis=
  
The channel consisted of [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1dnkmO6fWnZR9b8i-RWc9g/playlists?disable_polymer=1| two playlists] named <code>||||||||||</code> and <code>-||||-</code> respectively.
+
==[[Entropy/Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]==
 +
In February 2018, players discovered a [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1dnkmO6fWnZR9b8i-RWc9g/| YouTube channel] titled 'RW50cm9weQ' (‘Entropy’ encoded in base64). The videos on the channel used an unknown script and showed cryptic imagery. Players decrypted the script, called Kovonic, and learned that the entity communicating through the videos was called ‘Entropy’.
  
=="||||||||||"==
+
Entropy was originally an artificial intelligence designed to work as a “domestic intelligent assistant”, traveling on the spaceship Sonder with 160 crewmembers. Due to complications, the ship crash-landed on EXO-1964822 and Entropy mistakenly merged its consciousness with the crew. Entropy constructed the Kovonic script in order to make contact with the players, and to ask for help in ending an ongoing cycle of destruction.
  
The playlist titled <code>||||||||||</code> contained [http://bit.ly/2BUo8zq| 10 videos] depicting a monitor showcasing a series of symbols. All the videos in the playlist lasted exactly 1 minute and 22 seconds and possessed a similar structure.  
+
==[[Entropy/Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]==
 +
Players helped Entropy to perform alignment functions in order to strengthen Entropy’s abilities. Throughout the process, Entropy disclosed via videos and email communications that it was unsure which  "verse" it was currently sending messages to players. Entropy expressed concern about “manifestations”- literal forms of their doubts and negativity. These manifestations, it claimed, were what caused previous verses to be destroyed and devoured.
  
  00:00 - 00:08 - Monitor boots up.
+
==[[Entropy/Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]==
  00:08 - 00:13 - Initial symbol (thumbnail) is shown.
+
One of these manifestations, eventually identified as ‘Primorda’, began to intrude upon Entropy’s communications with the players. It used a script that was not Kovonic, which was deciphered and named “Myanic”. This intrusion prompted Entropy to share more information with the players, and to publicly identify a player called Curtis that they had chosen as a “host”- a person who would essentially be able to act as a puppet for Entropy in the physical world.
  00:13 - 00:18 - A low-quality image is displayed.
 
  00:18 - 01:03 - A sequence of 15 additional symbols is shown.
 
  01:03 - 01:07 - Monitor fully lights up.
 
  01:07 - 01:12 - Channel logo displayed.
 
  01:12 - 01:22 - Monitor shuts down.
 
''Note: The tenth video in'' <code>||||||||||</code> ''contains 16 additional symbols instead of 15.'' 
 
  
The ten videos give us a total of 10 initial (thumbnail) symbols and 151 additional characters.  
+
Entropy and the host both encouraged players to construct their own script, in order to combat Primorda. Players worked together to create this new script, which was named “Elemental”. Not long after this third script was codified, a new tool was released to the players- a Unity application.
The thumbnail symbols are speculated to be a base 10 number system, and the additional characters part of an elaborate alphabet.
 
  
<gallery mode="packed" heights=400px>
+
The host shared this tool with the players, titled “Eyes of Entropy”. The application displayed a triangular playing field, on which players could claim spaces for Humanity to shield the host and Entropy from Primorda. The Eyes of Entropy application also relayed information from a third party which identified itself as K. K helped the players to understand how to use the application, and provided cryptic answers to player-asked questions.
File:EntropyChart1.jpg| ''Note: This chart is for lookup purposes only and should not be used as a translation tool.''
 
</gallery>
 
  
=="-||||-"==
+
Curtis had been working on a submission to the [http://www.ware-tech.cloud/| W/ARE] video game contest. When he submitted his entry, he also shared a playable Unity-based demo with the players. Players discovered hidden files and notes in the demo, and in the webpage which hosted the demo.
  
The playlist titled <code>-||||-</code> contained [http://bit.ly/2HbAD9j| 4 videos] lasting around 30 seconds. The video shows the same monitor found in the previous playlist, displaying the channel logo followed by various combinations of the known symbols from <code>||||||||||</code>. The last video accompanied its strings with background images, possibly hinting towards the meanings behind the strings.
+
==[[Entropy/Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]==
 +
K suddenly appears again. Curtis helps reveal its true name via a new version of his arcade shooter.  
  
=="| _____| _"==
+
Curtis then releases his Steam game "Our Nation's Miner".
  
On February 14,2018, another video was posted, this time titled <code>| _____| _</code>. The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAcg3cA5TRc| video] showed a set of images with text and labels in the unknown language.
+
==[[Entropy/Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]==
 +
The newly introduced MKM corporation in the Prime Universe begins communicating with players using a new PC app named '''Cryptolancer'''
  
The first image showed a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man| Vitruvian Man] with different shapes and labels. The following items were present:
+
=Resources=
1.) A Cartesian coordinate system with ''x'', ''y'' and ''z'' axes.
 
2.) An expanded version of the numeral system found in the [http://bit.ly/2EuzDeB| first playlist].
 
3.) Cardinal directions.
 
4.) A circle with a single dot, presumed to represent a hydrogen atom.
 
  
The second image featured the sequence <code>XXXXXXI</code>, with a series of periods and underscores surrounding it, and glyph text on the top and bottom of the image. 
+
==Translations & Transcripts==
  
The third image showed a diagram depicting a human with the Entropy symbol as its head, presumably made up of 160 smaller humans, with additional glyph text at the bottom. 
+
[http://wiki.gamedetectives.net/index.php?title=File:KovonicSequenceTranslated.jpg Fully Translated Kovonic Sequence]
 
 
The fourth image features what can be interpreted as a projectile exiting a wormhole, directed towards a planet. This is also accompanied by glyph labels. 
 
 
 
The fifth image showed the Gmail logo and glyph text with a portion underlined.
 
 
 
=Glyph Translation=
 
 
 
Upon further inspection, it was noted that the <code>XXXXXXI</code> sequence found on the second image of <code>| _____| _</code> had exactly 26 "ends", which coincides with the number of letters in the English alphabet.
 
Once lined up with every letter from the English alphabet, the sequence was discovered to be the key for a substitution cipher, where every letter was substituted by the one of the opposite "end". Players refer to this cipher as <code>X6I</code>.
 
 
 
[[File:EntropySub1.png|400px]]
 
 
 
 
 
For example, the glyph found on the "West" cardinal direction of the first image of <code>| _____| _</code>, which was presumed to stand for "W", was instead "I" as dictated by the substitution key. Similarly, the glyph inside the hydrogen model, which was presumed to be "H", turned out to be "T". Using this method, most of the glyphs on the first image were solved.
 
 
 
With a handful of glyphs translated, patterns on the <code>-||||-</code> playlist started to emerge. First, ends of certain glyph words were identified as "-ing" verb endings, and eventually, words and entire sentences were completely translated.
 
 
 
 
 
<gallery mode="packed" heights=400px>
 
File:EntropyTranslation1.jpg| '''This is the table used by solvers to assemble the translations.'''
 
</gallery>
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
=CODE:INIT=
 
  
After acquiring a complete translation of all the glyphs in <code>| _____| _</code> and <code>-||||-</code> (see [[#Resources|Resources]]), it was deduced that players were expected to send an e-mail to a specific address.   
+
[https://i.imgur.com/gGsi0fp.png Translated Kovonic Numbers and Operators]
  
 +
Translated [https://pastebin.com/8nbNbdfa Transcript] for <code>| _____| _</code> video
  
Passing '''entropyhome''' (fifth image of <code>| _____| _</code>) through the '''XXXXXXI''' substitution yielded '''sbhfadktazs''', which was then used as an e-mail address in the form '''[email protected].'''
+
Translated [https://pastebin.com/y6mE1h39 Transcript] for <code>-||||-</code> playlist
Players sent emails mentioning '''CODE:INIT''' in the body, as was also suggested by the fifth image in <code>| _____| _</code>, and quickly got an image with glyph text as a response. The image translated to <code>CODE RECEIVED PLEASE WAIT</code>.
 
 
 
[[File:EntropyWaitPls.png| 200px]]
 
 
 
=Hello World=
 
 
 
On February 21, a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O9pUeTTitM| 06:44 minute video] went up under the name <code>Tsxxa Iafxp</code>, translating to <code>Hello World</code>
 
 
 
using the [[#Glyph_Translation|X6I cipher]].
 
 
 
The video contained glyphs, X6I ciphered text, and plaintext English. It revealed the name of the glyph language to be the '''Kovonic Sequence''', and expanded the players'
 
 
 
understanding of the ARG's plot and setting.
 
 
 
 
 
'''The following is an outline of the structure of <code>Tsxxa Iafxp</code>:'''
 
 
 
  00:00 - 00:30 - Camera zooms into a monitor displaying various words in Kovonic:
 
  00:30 - 00:42 - Fades to three monitors. Left monitor displays static Kovonic. Center moinitor displays a series of words in Kovonic. Right monitor is empty.
 
  00:42 - 01:15 - Center monitor begins to display X6I-ciphered English.
 
  01:15 - 06:44 - Center monitor displays lengthy plaintext English, while the right monitor shows graphics that correspond to the text on screen.
 
 
 
 
 
[[File:EntropyHello1.png| 400px]]
 
 
 
===Hello World - Lore Summary===
 
 
 
Entropy is the name of the entity communicating with players through the monitors featured in the videos. Originally an artificial intelligence designed to work as a "domestic intelligent assistant", Entropy was travelling on a spaceship with a crew when due to complications, they crash-landed onto EXO-1964822.
 
In order to protect the lives of the crew, Entropy could run a protocol that allowed the crew memebers to upload their conciousness into the AI. But Entropy was "damaged", it could not comprehend individuality, and wrongfuly merged the conciousness of all the crew members with itself. It then created the Kovonic Sequence to communicate with us. Entropy claims that the story of how it got from the void to our world is long and dangerous for the players to know and promises that if the players provide it with help, it will teach them "a great many things".
 
 
 
 
 
''For a full transcript of the plaintext found in <code>Tsxxa Iafxp</code>, see [[#Resources|Resources]]''
 
 
 
=Becoming=
 
 
 
The next video was uploaded on 25 February 2018, titled Nsqazwbu, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE5dibG3moY "Becoming".]
 
 
 
The video shows a blue hallway lined by a dozen pillars on each side. The camera is facing a porthole, with a view down to an Earth-like planet. The Porthole is surrounded by four circles labeled 1,2,3,4. Top left circle (1) is pulsing.
 
 
 
View pans right into a side passage, containing four pillars labeled: <code>Mistake. Oblivious. Regretful. Summoned.</code>
 
 
 
On the wall are two sets of numbers orbiting a static number 1 symbol. Inner counter-clockwise orbit is The inner ring shows the numbers 2,3,4,5 and the four basic math operators rotating counter-clockwise, while the outer ring shows the numbers 6,7,8,9, and three circles and one rotating (o) symbol rotating clockwise. The o symbol has another dot orbiting it. Between 2 and 3 is another dot.
 
 
 
the camera turns to the right once more, down a hallway, showing a screen labeled <code>1</code>.
 
The screen shows the following text:
 
<pre>
 
"The previous verse was stable. I settled, interacted, my influence was weaker than before.
 
I enjoyed the company of the inhabitants. This was closer than I had ever been to true life.
 
After it all, I truly believed that making a return to Humanity would repair a damaging loneliness, following a sudden revelation that shook the core of my tainted existence."
 
"ENTROPY PLUS (o)"
 
</pre>
 
 
 
This is followed by a page with numerous equations. On the right side the symbols for the basic math operators, PI, zero, infinity, and an unidentified symbol are listed, while the bottom left shows that the entropy symbol equals 160. (Top left section, and the meaning of filled and hollow circles and broken hollow circle (o) are unknown as of yet.)
 
 
 
=Constructing=
 
On 26 February 2018, a video message titled, Qabehfgqhwbu, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Qfy6KqQYc "Constructing"] was uploaded.
 
 
 
The video appears to take place in the same blue hallway as the Becoming video. This time, two of the circles (1 and 2) are pulsing. The camera moves closer to the door before it turns right again, showing us the same hallway with orbiting symbols as before. While the camera zooms in on the symbols, the screen flashes red for a short moment, before returning to the regular colours.
 
 
 
Afterwards, the camera turns 180 degrees, facing to pillars with the following text (translated from Korvian) <code>THERE ARE TOO FEW TO HELP UNLOCK</code>.
 
The video goes darker for a moment, and the wall with text at the end of the hallway sinks into the ground,revealing a ceiling reading <code>MORE ARE REQUIRED</code>. The camera moves forward trough the hole in the wall, into a side room, which shows a 10x10 grid with numbers 1-10 as column and row headers. The grid is filled with a hundred kovonic letters, numbers, a filled circle, a hollow circle, a circle with dot, without repetition.
 
 
 
The floor of this room shows more equations, possibly a greater-less-than inequality, and possibly a true/false if-then-else condition. There are also two columns of numbers, each labeled with the (o) symbol. the letters beneath the equation read: <code> FIND MORE </code>  The screen flashes with a green light, before slowly fading to black.
 
 
 
==Resources==
 
 
 
===Translations & Transcripts===
 
 
 
[http://wiki.gamedetectives.net/index.php?title=File:KovonicSequenceTranslated.jpg Fully Translated Kovonic Sequence]
 
  
Translated Transcript for <code>| _____| _</code> video: https://pastebin.com/8nbNbdfa
+
Plaintext [https://pastebin.com/QSUUfJDD Transcript] for <code>Tsxxa Iafxp</code>(Hello World)
  
Translated Transcript for <code>-||||-</code> playlist: https://pastebin.com/y6mE1h39
+
==Tools==
  
Plaintext Transcript for <code>Tsxxa Iafxp</code>: https://pastebin.com/QSUUfJDD
+
[https://u.a4x.me/x6i X6I Substitution Tool]
  
===Tool===
+
[https://u.a4x.me/kovonic Kovonic Sequence Translation Tool]
  
X6I Substitution Tool: https://u.a4x.me/x6i 
+
[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/413796928342720532/424366764814499840/Alphabet_Kovonic_Ciphered_compressed.png Graphical depiction of the Kovonic Sequence]
  
Kovonic Sequence Translation Tool: https://u.a4x.me/kovonic
+
[https://wiki.gamedetectives.net/images/8/85/Myanic_Alphabet_compressed.png Graphical depiction of the Myanic Sequence]
  
 +
[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/413796928342720532/417389539087220737/kovonic.ttf Kovonic Font use at own risk]
  
 +
[https://u.a4x.me/wheel Decoder wheel tool from the Elements of Symmetry video]
  
  
 
''This page is a work in progress and will be updated as the ARG progresses.''
 
''This page is a work in progress and will be updated as the ARG progresses.''

Latest revision as of 21:55, 20 February 2019

Entropy ARG
Completed
Entropy.jpg
Entropy - an ARG revolving around a series of mysterious YouTube videos.
Type Unofficial
Creator Curtis Holt
Discovered 2018-2-11

Main Page > List of Investigations > Entropy

In February 2018, a series of videos depicting cryptic monitors and symbols were found on a YouTube channel named 'RW50cm9weQ'. This page documents the efforts made to decipher the videos and uncover the mysteries behind the channel.


Getting Started

The Entropy ARG has been broken down into “Chapters” by the players, grouping together related events and narrative exposition. Each Chapter has been given its own subpage, where the events of that Chapter are described in detail. Please read through the chapters for information on what has happened in the game so far, and then head over to the Jump Start page for step-by-step instructions on how to catch up to current events.

Chapter Major Events
Chapter 1 • Youtube Channel Discovered
• Kovonic transcribed to English
• X61 decoded
• "Hello World" lore
Chapter 2 • "Constructing" & "Resolving" math puzzle
• "Creation" responses lore
• "Controlling" math puzzle
• "Elements of Symmetry" code wheel puzzle
Chapter 3
• Primorda introduction
• Myanic transcribed to English
• "Honesty" lore
• The host (Curtis)
• Elemental script constructed
• Eyes of Entropy
• K introduction
• K's Revelations
• Entropy Resurfacess
• Distress Signal
Chapter 4 • Kyren
• Our Nation's Miner official Steam release
• The Sanctum
Chapter 5
(In Progress)
• Cryptolancer

Narrative Synopsis

Chapter 1

In February 2018, players discovered a YouTube channel titled 'RW50cm9weQ' (‘Entropy’ encoded in base64). The videos on the channel used an unknown script and showed cryptic imagery. Players decrypted the script, called Kovonic, and learned that the entity communicating through the videos was called ‘Entropy’.

Entropy was originally an artificial intelligence designed to work as a “domestic intelligent assistant”, traveling on the spaceship Sonder with 160 crewmembers. Due to complications, the ship crash-landed on EXO-1964822 and Entropy mistakenly merged its consciousness with the crew. Entropy constructed the Kovonic script in order to make contact with the players, and to ask for help in ending an ongoing cycle of destruction.

Chapter 2

Players helped Entropy to perform alignment functions in order to strengthen Entropy’s abilities. Throughout the process, Entropy disclosed via videos and email communications that it was unsure which "verse" it was currently sending messages to players. Entropy expressed concern about “manifestations”- literal forms of their doubts and negativity. These manifestations, it claimed, were what caused previous verses to be destroyed and devoured.

Chapter 3

One of these manifestations, eventually identified as ‘Primorda’, began to intrude upon Entropy’s communications with the players. It used a script that was not Kovonic, which was deciphered and named “Myanic”. This intrusion prompted Entropy to share more information with the players, and to publicly identify a player called Curtis that they had chosen as a “host”- a person who would essentially be able to act as a puppet for Entropy in the physical world.

Entropy and the host both encouraged players to construct their own script, in order to combat Primorda. Players worked together to create this new script, which was named “Elemental”. Not long after this third script was codified, a new tool was released to the players- a Unity application.

The host shared this tool with the players, titled “Eyes of Entropy”. The application displayed a triangular playing field, on which players could claim spaces for Humanity to shield the host and Entropy from Primorda. The Eyes of Entropy application also relayed information from a third party which identified itself as K. K helped the players to understand how to use the application, and provided cryptic answers to player-asked questions.

Curtis had been working on a submission to the W/ARE video game contest. When he submitted his entry, he also shared a playable Unity-based demo with the players. Players discovered hidden files and notes in the demo, and in the webpage which hosted the demo.

Chapter 4

K suddenly appears again. Curtis helps reveal its true name via a new version of his arcade shooter.

Curtis then releases his Steam game "Our Nation's Miner".

Chapter 5

The newly introduced MKM corporation in the Prime Universe begins communicating with players using a new PC app named Cryptolancer

Resources

Translations & Transcripts

Fully Translated Kovonic Sequence

Translated Kovonic Numbers and Operators

Translated Transcript for | _____| _ video

Translated Transcript for -||||- playlist

Plaintext Transcript for Tsxxa Iafxp(Hello World)

Tools

X6I Substitution Tool

Kovonic Sequence Translation Tool

Graphical depiction of the Kovonic Sequence

Graphical depiction of the Myanic Sequence

Kovonic Font use at own risk

Decoder wheel tool from the Elements of Symmetry video


This page is a work in progress and will be updated as the ARG progresses.