Please help me decipher the text
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1$\begingroup$ Is this a puzzle? Is there any context for the text. $\endgroup$– gtwebbOct 19, 2016 at 20:11
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3$\begingroup$ Is this a translation request, or is this actually a cipher? $\endgroup$– Ian MacDonaldOct 19, 2016 at 20:25
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4$\begingroup$ I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it appears to use an non english language and is simply a translation not a puzzle $\endgroup$– Beastly GerbilOct 19, 2016 at 20:27
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2$\begingroup$ There aren't enough symbols for this to actually be a language with symbols like this, it looks like it's using these symbols to encipher the latin alphabet. $\endgroup$– SconibulusOct 19, 2016 at 21:08
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4$\begingroup$ this is not a translation. the puzzle is a simple substitution cipher, only made difficult by the choice of representation of symbols. transcribing those characters to something practical to work with is tedium and pain, and I don't recommend future puzzlers to do this sort of thing... $\endgroup$– Rubio ♦Oct 19, 2016 at 21:19
2 Answers
I transcribed the characters of the original to unique symbols, then did a simple substitution cipher on the result. The original text has a couple spaces missing, so literally translates to
FROM THE ENTRANCE MAKE YOUR WAY PAST THE FIRST EASILYNEGOTIATED FALL. JUST PAST THE LARGE PASSAGE TO YOURRIGHT IS A PASSAGE TO THE LEFT. FOLLOW THIS AND TURN RIGHT. THE CACHE IS BEHIND THE DEADS HIGH UP TO THE RIGHT
If anyone's interested, I started by picking an arbitrary ascii character that the original symbol vaguely reminded me of, giving me this mess:
L 2 H t r 3 Z E r E + 3 2 B + D E r t B K E r i H l 2 r A B i r M B h 3 r 3 Z E r L m 2 h 3 r E B h m b i + E P H 3 m B 3 E \$ r L B b b . r j l h 3 r n B h 3 r 3 Z E r b B 2 P E r n B h h B P E r 3 H r i H l 2 2 m P Z 3 r m h r B r n B h h B P E r 3 H r 3 Z E r b E L 3 . r L H b b H A r 3 Z m h r B + \$ r 3 l 2 + r 2 m P Z 3 . r 3 Z E r A B A Z E r m h r 8 E Z m + \$ r 3 Z E r \$ E B \$ h r Z m P Z r l n r 3 H r 3 Z E r 2 m P Z 3
from there it was figuring out the substitution.
a choice of "r" or "3" for space, which ended up being "r"; then "r 3 Z E r" -> " the "; then the rest started falling into place.
I think this is a monoalphabetic substitution cipher, I've transliterated as best I'm able
First I assumed that the bold, very common element was space. ABCD EFG GHEBIHJG DIKG LMNB OIL PIKE EFG ARBKE GIKRSLH GTCERIEGU AISS, VNKE PIKE E FG SIBTG PIKKITG EC LCNBBRT FE RK I PIKKITG EC EFG SGAE , ACSSCO EFRK IHY ENBH BRTF E, EFG JIJFG RK QGFRHU EFG UGIUK FRTF NX EC EFG BRTFE
After a few adjustments for possible misspellings, I have something that resembles a message:
from the entrance make your way past the first easily-negotiated fall, just past the large passage to your right is a passage to the left, follow this and turn right, the cache is behind the beads high up to the right
The word I am least sure about is
BEADS, but not much else seemed to make sense there. (It looked like DEADS)