On the Subject of the Violet Cipher

Roses are red. Violets are blue. Didn’t I already made this joke before? Oh well, here’s a cipher for you.

Step 1: Porta Cipher

For each pair of letters in Page 1, Screen 1 - 2, do this:

1. (Screen 2, Screen 1) = (row, column).
2. If the letter on Screen 1 is between A-M:
   • The intersection of row and column is your new letter.
3. Else, if the letter on Screen 1 is between N-Z:
   • The intersection is the letter on Screen 1.
   • The letter in top row is your new letter.

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M
AB	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z
CD	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	N
EF	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	N	O
GH	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	N	O	P
IJ	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	N	O	P	Q
KL	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	N	O	P	Q	R
MN	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	N	O	P	Q	R	S
OP	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T
QR	V	W	X	Y	Z	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U
ST	W	X	Y	Z	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V
UV	X	Y	Z	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W
WX	Y	Z	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X
YZ	Z	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y

Example

Page 1, Screen 2: CENTER
Page 1, Screen 1: KVUPEM

C(row) + K(col) => Y (intersection)
E(row) + V(col) => G (top row letter)
New Encrypted Word: YGBGTU

Step 2: Route Transposition

You will need to use the new encrypted word in Step 1, and the 2-digit number from Page 1, Screen 3.

1) Page 1, Screen 3: If the left digit is 1, use the top grid. Otherwise, use the bottom grid.

#	#	#
#	#	#

#	#
#	#
#	#

2) Start by entering the right digit into the top left square of the grid.

3) Going clockwise, +1 and enter it to the next square.

• If number becomes 7, make it a 1
• Your square should be filled with digits 1 - 6, each exactly once.

4) Place the 1st letter of the encrypted word (from Step 1) into the square labeled 1, 2nd letter into label 2 and so on.

5) Take the letters in reading order to get a new encrypted word.

Example

Page 1, Screen 3: 12 (use top grid)

Encrypted word (step 1): YGBGTU
2	3	4	->	G	B	G
1	6	5		Y	U	T
New encrypted word: GBGYUT

Step 3: Quagmire Cipher

For this, you’ll need the encrypted word you got from step 2, word from Page 1, Screen 2, and word from Page 2, Screen 1 (4 - 8 letters long).

Step 3A: Build an encryption key

• The key has 7 rows of letter.
• 1st row is always A-Z: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

For the next 6 rows, you will use a modified order of A-Z:

1. Keyword: Use word from Page 2, Screen 1, remove any duplicated letters (all 2nd or more occurrences)
2. Make an A-Z alphabet string, and remove all letters in the keyword.
3. Alpha key: concatenate keyword || remaining alphabet.
4. Copy and paste that 6 times.
5. Shift the 6 rows so that the left side spell out the word in Page 1, Screen 2.

Example

Page 1, Screen 2: CENTER
Page 2, Screen 1: PRESSURE -> PRESU
Alpha key: PRESUABCDFGHIJKLMNOQTVWXYZ

A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z
C	D	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	Q	T	V	W	X	Y	Z	P	R	E	S	U	A	B
E	S	U	A	B	C	D	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	Q	T	V	W	X	Y	Z	P	R
N	O	Q	T	V	W	X	Y	Z	P	R	E	S	U	A	B	C	D	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M
T	V	W	X	Y	Z	P	R	E	S	U	A	B	C	D	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	Q
E	S	U	A	B	C	D	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	Q	T	V	W	X	Y	Z	P	R
R	E	S	U	A	B	C	D	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	Q	T	V	W	X	Y	Z	P

For each letter of the new encrypted word (step 2), do the following:

• Find the letter in the corresponding row. (1st letter in 1st row, 2nd letter in 2nd...)
• In that column, the letter at the top row is your decrypted letter.

(Example) Encrypted Word: GBGYUT -> Decrypted Word: DETECT

Submit the decrypted word.

Tips & Tricks:

Submission:

• You may use your keyboard to input.
• To clear input: Click one of the arrows, you’ll return to one of the pages.
• To submit: press the “SUB” button after typing the answer.

Step 2 alternative:

You may turn the “number table” into a string of numbers.

Example

Page 1, Screen 3: 12 (use top grid)
Encrypted word (from step 1): YGBGTU

2	3	4	->	234165
1	6	5
Result: YGBGTU, 234165 -> GBGYUT