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So Mithrandir's chat profile has a puzzle:

Hello. There's a puzzle here. You will need EG7Rx. However, you start at: https://i.stack.imgur.com/hSUe2.png

That URL is this picture:

enter image description here

Can you help to solve it?

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1 Answer 1

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Every imgur gives a letter for the future one.
Here's the list -
https://i.stack.imgur.com/hSUe2.png x
https://i.stack.imgur.com/voWId.png w
https://i.stack.imgur.com/KCdul.png P
https://i.stack.imgur.com/cnklt.png Y
https://i.stack.imgur.com/v60QU.png x

Which finally gives

enter image description here

Text version -

Znel jnf yvggyr.
Fur unq na byqre oebgure anzrf Senax.
Gurve zbgure Anapl jnf n fubeg jbzna.
Fb jnf gurve Cncn.
Senax jnf gur bqq bar bhg, orvat gnyy.

Decoding the above

Using n as the key or applying rot-13 we get -
Mary was little.
She had an older brother names Frank.
Their mother Nancy was a short woman.
So was their Papa.
Frank was the odd one out, being tall.

Now

enter image description here

Text version

'pomsre. l'a vwtphgfoh. rkog geq
gwspmaxzg, bmekh? ukvb dg n biexznb
tscnyo sl wvr wegq gvdi. phoqi jmu mbev
lhlg mlyozrxkc? dv, oex rkseo mq qcao...
rmz wf dlc hbq. nslh wf issu ehowr.
l vnfi nxh lyyp iwakp yqgjov fhfr.
biyozl, sx'q hofi xm iwan. m'k zovdmlj.
grbmmxgyi, cmx'fr cxgoz yysilbt?
kqycwaq. amz, mbe'vc vhhlfmub.
rbq... kdmoo hm vczoxflbt opqh?
grbmmxgyi, pcdjr! yqe, jc ngew dzeoebb...
anx. ithflyrc, jwio xflg tec phd.

lyy'th tvxmqksq. lyr zvnd'w rks nxwuhf?

As @Gareth already figured out the key, trying to look at the note we get

little Mary -> m
Older Brother Frank -> F
Nancy was short -> n
Short Papa -> p
Frank Tall -> F


This gives another imgur https://i.stack.imgur.com/mFnpF.png
enter image description here
Searching the same in the Chat gives the result as
Bilge, thou franchok! Thy key is DONKEY!

And hence, the key is DONKEY!
Yay! Happy to discover the camouflaged Donkey. :)

Finally

Applying DONKEY as the key we get
'mazing. i'm impressed. that was difficult, right? hard as a regular puzzle on the main site. ready for your next challenge? ah, but there is none... now is the end. done is your quest. i have put your final answer here. really, it's easy to find. i'm waiting. seriously, you're still looking? amazing. wow, you're stubborn. erm... maybe do something else? seriously, leave! omg, go away already... man. everyone, give this guy rep. you've finished. but what's the answer?

Which is

First letter of each sentence MITHRANDIR IS AWESOME

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  • $\begingroup$ Now you must figure out what the lines about Mary and family are... Mwahaha. $\endgroup$
    – Mithical
    Feb 10, 2017 at 11:37
  • $\begingroup$ Transcript: chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/35345399#35345399 $\endgroup$
    – Mithical
    Feb 10, 2017 at 11:52
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    $\begingroup$ Feeding the "'pomsre" text to an automated Vigenere solver and playing a bit yields the key DONKEY which gives English text on decoding. Presumably there's something concealed in it by some means. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan ♦
    Feb 10, 2017 at 13:28
  • $\begingroup$ First letters of sentences in the decoded text say MITHRANDIRISAWESOMEYB. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan ♦
    Feb 10, 2017 at 13:29
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    $\begingroup$ You're wrong about mary, Frank, nancy, papa, and Frank... ;) $\endgroup$
    – Will
    Feb 10, 2017 at 14:42

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