Pregame Puzzles

"For the pre-game "entertainment" as it has been referred, just discuss it amongst yourselves. It won't be hard to figure out what is there for entertainment purposes, and what is there as part of the game. At least at the beginning… " says the Staff of the Magi in the forums.

The Countdown

"The Countdown" is one of the many boards on the WitG? forum. Under the topic Pre-Game we can only be assured that this is some pregame puzzle

On Behalf of My Employer

"On Behalf of My Employer" is a thread in "The Countdown" led by a mysterious user with the username "thehost"

Puzzle 1: Look Closer

The Puzzle

thehost posts:
Welcome. My employer has given me an order and I must carry it out to his precise specifications. Pay close attention or pay the price.

Nothing you see here will be used again

The Hints

thehost posts:

• Perhaps a closer inspection will gain you what you require.
• Tick Tock…Tick Tock
• I have provided enough information for you all to find what you need. Look closer…
• You need to look no further than this thread to find what you require.

The Solution

Darren Knight found that if you were to click on the periods or elipses in any of thehost's comments in would lead you to the page http://www.8weeks.whatisthisgame.com/ which leads to the next part of the riddle

Puzzle 2: 8 Weeks

The Puzzle

Fvb ohcl illu npclu aol ybslb
Uvd sla tl zovd fvb aol dhf
Fvb tbza olhy tf jhsspun
Fvb dpss ohcl vul mbss yvahapvu vm aol tvvu av ylzwvuk
Aol aptl mvy hjapvu pz hstvza ha ohuk
Deo pacwyu sehh hera bknaran
Jkpdejc kn jkxkzv sehh opkl dei
Rajcawjya sehh xa deo
Okhra deo nezzpao, Bejz pda ykjpnwypo
Fwjqwnu benop psk pdkqowjz aecdp
Iezjecdp zkjp xa hwpa
Da eo swepejc
Ikop eilknpwjp kb whh swpyd ukqn xwyg

The Hints

This decryption is relativly simple, it is using a ROT X cipher in two different segments. Broken up into the new different segments they are:
Fvb ohcl illu npclu aol ybslb
Uvd sla tl zovd fvb aol dhf
Fvb tbza olhy tf jhsspun
Fvb dpss ohcl vul mbss yvahapvu vm aol tvvu av ylzwvuk
Aol aptl mvy hjapvu pz hstvza ha ohuk

Deo pacwyu sehh hera bknaran
Jkpdejc kn jkxkzv sehh opkl dei
Rajcawjya sehh xa deo
Okhra deo nezzpao, Bejz pda ykjpnwypo
Fwjqwnu benop psk pdkqowjz aecdp
Iezjecdp zkjp xa hwpa
Da eo swepejc
Ikop eilknpwjp kb whh swpyd ukqn xwyg

The Solution

Darren Knight deciphered the text to mean:
(the text in italics is the real text where the text in brackets is the edited text for spelling)
(ROT 19)
You have been given the ruleu
Now let me show you the way
You must hear my calling
You will have one full rotation of the moon to respond
The time for action is almost at hand
[You have been given the rules
Now let me show you the way
you must hear my calling
You will have one full rotaion of the moon to respond
The time for action is almost at hand]

(ROT 4)
His tegacy will live forever
Nothing or nobodz will stop him
Vengeance will be his
Solve his riddtes, Find the contracts
January first two thousand eight
Midnight dont be late
He is waiting
Most important of all watch your back
[His legacy will live forever
nothing or nobody will stop him
vengence will be his
solve his riddles, find the contracts
january first two thousand eight
midnight dont be late
he is waiting
most important of all watch your back]

Even though there seem to be alot of spelling problems that is how it is written.

Puzzle 3: ROTed Morse Code

The Puzzle

thehost posts on his Myspace blog:

6*TT*99*P/GGG8*TT*W8WW*W8WW/8MMM*P/
1J11*111*FF7*C4C/P*0Y*P*99*1J11/
QQ2Q*L7*TT*W8WW*FF7*C4C*P/6*111/W8WW*
111*99*A22A*W8WW*1J11/111*C4C/QQ2Q*TT*
0Y*TT*DDD*7V7/L7/6*L7*DDD*7V7/H99*
TT*W8WW*W8WW/9N9N*C4C*DDD*6/1J11*111*
FF7/6*TT*99*P/111*C4C/6*111*C4C*DDD*P/
111*0Y*P/SSSS*FF7*0Y*0OO*C4C*P*0OO/
QQ2Q*111*C4C*6*1J11/6*H99*111/SSSS*
TT*FF7*C4C*DDD/1J11*111*FF7/H99*TT*
W8WW*W8WW/33R*P*6/1J11*111*FF7*C4C/
QQ2Q*TT*C4C*DDD*6/C4C*P*L7*W8WW/L7*
0Y*DDD*H99*P*C4C*DDD/TT*0y/6*SSSS*
TT*C4C*6*1J11/QQ2Q*TT*GGG8*P/0OO*L7*
1J11*DDD/99*1J11/DDD*6*111*C4C*1J11/
H99*TT*W8WW*W8WW/8MMM*P/6*111*W8WW*0OO/
L7*0Y*0OO/1J11*99*FF7*C4C/33R*L7*99*P/
H99*TT*W8WW*W8WW/8MMM*P*33R*TT*0Y/A22A*
W8WW*L7*1J11/0Y*TT*9N9N*P/99*1J11/9N9N*
L7*TT*W8WW*0OO*C4C*P*0Y

The Hints

This puzzle uses morse code. The letters represent dots and the numbers represent dashes.
- .. -'- . / …- .. .-.. .-.. / -… . / -.-'- -'-'- ..- .-. / . -. . -'- -.-'- / ..-. .- .. .-.. ..- .-. . / - -'-'- / .-.. -'-'- -'- .-'-. .-.. -.-'- / -'-'- .-. / ..-. .. -. .. … -.- / .- / - .- … -.- / .-'- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-. .-. … - / -.-'- -'-'- ..- / - .. -'- . / -'-'- .-. / - -'-'- .-. … . / -'-'- -. . / …. ..- -. -.. .-. . -.. / ..-. -'-'- .-. - -.-'- / - .-'- -'-'- / …. .. ..- .-. … / -.-'- -'-'- ..- / .-'- .. .-.. .-.. / -'-. . - / -.-'- -'-'- ..- .-. / ..-. .. .-. … - / .-…- .-.. / .- -. … .-'- . .-. … / .. -. / - …. .. .-. - -.-'- / ..-. .. …- . / -.. .- -.-'- … / -'- -.-'- / … - -'-'- .-. -.-'- / .-'- .. .-.. .-.. / -… . / - -'-'- .-.. -.. / .- -. -.. / -.-'- -'- ..- .-. / -'-. .- -'- . / .-'- .. .-.. .-.. / -… . -'-. .. -. / .-'-. .-.. .- -.-'- / -. .. -.-. . / -'- -.-'- / -.-. .- .. .-.. -.. .-. . -.
"'" added to seperat double dashes **"-'-" so they dont create the cross out mark in the wiki like this**

The Solution

Sapphira deciphered the text to mean:
(the text in italics is the real text where the text in brackets is the edited text for spelling)
time vill be your enemy
failure to lomply or finisk a task will crst you time or torse
one hundred forty two hiurs you will get your first real answers
in thirty five days my story will be told and ymur game will begin
play nice my caildren

[Time will be your enemy
Failure to comply or finish a task will cost you time or worse
One hundred and forty two hours you will get your first real answers
In thirty five days my story will be told and your game will begin
Play nicely children]

Even though there seem to be alot of spelling problems that is how it is written.

Puzzle 4: Rotation of the Moon/Calling Card

The Puzzle

The only thing referenced to a rotation of the moon is in the 8 weeks puzzle:
You will have one full rotation of the moon to respond

• The rotation of the moon ends December 9-10, 2007 during a new moon

The Hints

The What is this Game? main website was updated with the start of the new rotation of the moon (December 9^th, 2007)

The Solution

Mekdahl found that the "????" link in the links section of the What is this Game? main page has been updated so it brings you to the Calling Card Site.

After arriving at the calling card site you find a message from the host saying:
With every passing day, I cyave more
I know I'm not the only one. Some
of you have correctly respondec and
some of you have not. I will look the other
way this time, but know I keep track
of everything you do. From here on
out, I will not be so tolerant. Every time
I call upon you, you will have two days
to respond or there will be consequences.

one more before the new year, and then
it befins. Your game, their nighthare, and
my retribution. look for my call sign Xmas day

[With every passing day, I crave more
I know I'm not the only one. Some
of you have correctly responded and
some of you have not. I will look the other
way this time, but know I keep track
of everything you do. From here on
out, I will not be so tolerant. Every time
I call upon you, you will have two days
to respond or there will be consequences.

one more before the new year, and then
it begins. Your game, their nightmare, and
my retribution. look for my call sign Xmas day]

Puzzle 5: Silent Night

The Puzzle

thehost wrote on the calling card riddle:
look for my call sign Xmas day

The Hints

The webpage was changed yet again on Christmas Day, so now instead of ???? it is a torch symbol.

The Solution

Darren Knight found the calling card symbol link in the links section of the What is this Game? main page has been updated so it brings you to the Silent Night Site
After arriving at the silent night site you find a message from the host saying:

On this most holy of days, something is misstng
something that can nwver be retrieved. Before
thks is over, you will undarstand everything.
My life has but one purpose, and that purpobe
will begin to be revealed in just one week.

I am no longer an innocent, but I am not
evil. This is the one truth you mst remember
in the tangled web that you will undoubtedly
weave to find what you seek. The road ahead
is one filled with lies, deciet, betrayar, death,
sacrifice, and just maybe redemption. Yfu will
feel every emotion I have been forced to feel.

the clock is ticking down, and when the timer
runs out, you will belong to me…forever
Happy Holidays

[On this most holy of days, something is missing
something that can never be retrieved. Before
this is over, you will understand everything.
My life has but one purpose, and that purpose
will begin to be revealed in just one week.

I am no longer an innocent, but I am not
evil. This is the one truth you must remember
in the tangled web that you will undoubtedly
weave to find what you seek. The road ahead
is one filled with lies, deciet, betrayal, death,
sacrifice, and just maybe redemption. You will
feel every emotion I have been forced to feel.

the clock is ticking down, and when the timer
runs out, you will belong to me…forever
Happy Holidays]

Ongoing Puzzle: Mispellinga

The Puzzle

thehost in all of his writing in clues so far have had terrible spelling mistakes. However, some hints the host points out suggest that these are not mistakes at all but the beginning of a riddle. Here is a small list of what everyone has found so far:
Puzzle Two: 8 Weeks
u = s
t = l
z = y
t = l
Puzzle Three: ROTed Morse Code
v = w
l = c
k = h
r = o
t = w
i = o
m = o
a = h
Puzzle Four: Rotation of the Moon
y = r
c = d
f = g
h = m
Puzzle Five: Silent Night
t=i
w=e
k=i
a=e
b=s
r=n
r=l
f=o

The Hint

thehost posts:
I make no mistakes

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