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Some Background

I have this ... work associate ... with whom I've done several jobs that are, as some would say, of questionable legality (no judging please). We're pretty successful together, but he likes to skip town after jobs, leaving nothing but an enigmatic email. I've been chasing him around the world like some kind of twisted Carmen Sandiego for job after job. I don't know why I continue to work with this guy, but alas ...

He sends the emails when he gets to a new city. I've been pretty good at tracking him through said emails until now. I'm stuck on this one, so I've come here in search of help! I need to know where he's gone this time. Please don't guess incorrectly because every guess is a plane ticket and precious hours of my time. Thanks, all!


The Email

Hey, Matt!

I'm off again! Meet me for the next job in 2 days, assuming you can make any sense of this cipher. I hope it's not impossible for you to put together!

Smell ya later!
-[REDACTED]

DCIPHERTEXT

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2
my patronage, anyone's hearse
conceals quickly raging roars
concerning suffering boars



Go!
Have at it, puzzlers! I need this ASAP! I'll be readying my go bag for when you get his location! Today of all days ...

Thanks again!!

Hint
He sent along the following hint:

Yo! I haven't heard from you, and I want your help for this job. Just take what you know about ciphers and upend it. See you tomorrow!

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    $\begingroup$ That title gave me some serious nostalgia for Cyberchase $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    May 4, 2016 at 15:52
  • $\begingroup$ So that backstory's fictional, right? ...Just making sure. $\endgroup$
    – Deusovi ♦
    May 4, 2016 at 15:56
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    $\begingroup$ I'm not at liberty to say. $\endgroup$
    – Matt
    May 4, 2016 at 15:59
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    $\begingroup$ Admit it. You're working with @Alconja. $\endgroup$
    – Khale_Kitha
    May 4, 2016 at 17:03
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Let me know when you catch up to Waldo. $\endgroup$
    – mbomb007
    May 4, 2016 at 18:59

2 Answers 2

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Your friend is hiding in:

San Francisco, California - Though I don't know where, specifically, sorry.

How to figure this out.

As mentioned by kamenf
The symbols are in the Star Wars universe Aurebesh language and translate to: QRVPTEJRNFT

If you take the first letters of each word, from the poem, you are left with:

MPAHCQRRCSB

If you use a vigenere cipher to combine each of those with DCIPHERTEXT you are left with:

NLNAOAICRSA and RNIIFOACCFS

The clue about a twisted Carmen Sandiego implies that we're wanting to have an anagram somewhere in here, so we try it, now.

An anagram from NLNAOAICRSARNIIFOACCFS is "SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA"

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  • $\begingroup$ Huzzah! I'm off to the airport! $\endgroup$
    – Matt
    May 5, 2016 at 15:20
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    $\begingroup$ Good luck finding him somewhere in the city. :P $\endgroup$
    – Khale_Kitha
    May 5, 2016 at 15:21
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Partial answer:

The Aurebesh alphabet shows following Latin letters:

q r v p t e j r n f t

Trying to map them to the 11 words that follow...

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    $\begingroup$ Also 11 characters in DCIPHERTEXT $\endgroup$
    – Dan Russell
    May 5, 2016 at 13:10

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