# A Riley some Math and a Confusing Note

Discussion in 'Technology' started by PerpetualJ, Oct 8, 2018.

1. ### PerpetualJGuest

A Quick Note

I am having a hard time picking a topic for my next story riddle and have decided to make a new puzzle. Today I have combined a multitude of puzzles into a single larger puzzle to make something truly fun!

The Puzzle

Yesterday was quite odd; while out for my run I came across a note nailed to a tree:

Pier at the prefix, across the sea; add seventeen, just to find me.

Accept that the infix, is just an arc; reverse it, subtract it, add one more part.

Reverse to the suffix, it's where we began; you'll find it, you see, in the palm of your hand.

Take them together, but be advised; the fun isn't over, a word from the wise.

It was quite odd to find a riddle such as this in the woods; but I was intrigued, so I took the note and began analyzing it. After a while, a snake slithered by and I decided it would probably be a good idea to head back to the house to get dinner started. On my way back, I noticed there was something carved into my favorite tree branch:

$1, 3, 5, 6, 9$

$$ab + \frac{6b}{c} - d = 1$$

I wasn't sure what it meant either, but it was strange because I've run this trail hundreds of times; and I jump over that branch every time. I aim for it, and I have never seen this carving. I took a mental note of it and continued home.

After arriving at home, I noticed a note on the front door from the post office, but it was all scrambled up! Why would they play mind games with me? Was it a shipping number?

teN4ZreAmT6+3WQVlmRtdFj4xssVHE3zwYS8A7SSVSk=

I called the post office and they stated they had no record of the odd note. The mail man had no mail for me today.

All of this weighed heavily on my mind; but I decided to get some rest and tackle it again in the morning after a run and some coffee. So the next morning, I woke up, and went on my usual run. While I was out I encountered another odd note:

THE KEY! THE KEY! THE KEY YOU WILL NEED! LOOK TO THE FIRST; REARRANGE WHAT YOU SEE!

I finished my run and went back to working on deciphering these odd notes. What did they all mean?

Bonus Reputation Opportunity

The answer is actually the originally intended title for this puzzle. I will award $150$ reputation bounty to whomever gives the most creatively correct answer! A complete and thorough answer does not count as creative. The first complete and correct answer will receive a $50$ reputation bounty regardless of creativity. So there is a total of $200$ reputation up for grabs here. The initial $50$ reputation will begin as soon as possible after acceptance, and the $150$ reputation will be awarded two weeks after the answer has been selected. Should I award this based on up-votes, or on my own decision?

An example of a creative answer would be to tell a short story that gives the answer. A basic example with a fake answer:

As I started my car this morning, I heard a strange noise in the trunk; it came from a

I was terrified and I called the proper authorities to handle the situation. While waiting for them to arrive, I noticed a patch of

They were quite bright and they made me forget the noise in my trunk, even if only for a brief moment. As the authorities arrived, they handed me a piece of paper that

I thought this was rather odd, but I let them do their job, and went on my way.

Notes and Hints

Note: If you're unable to decrypt using desktop tools, or if you're having trouble decrypting, use this website. The encryption method and the key are here, you just have to find them. Also, leave the mode on CBC.

Hints: I'm not sure if people are overthinking the Riley portion or not, but the encrypted text has been solved. The math has also been solved (though not with the intended values) and is enigmatic in nature as to how it relates to the rest of the puzzle. Below you will find hints for the Riley and for the math.

Additional Tags: rhyme cipher mathematics enigmatic-puzzle

What is the original title for this puzzle?