My_Synthetic_Friend

If you played in last year's contest, you might recall that there was one challenge that was infamously difficult. Just a real pain to solve. The kind that makes you just want to give up and go home. It was awful for everyone involved.

So, let's do that again!

The cipher text below is triple encrypted. I will give you clues on each step, and you will need to work out the puzzle to move on. The problem is that you'll only get the next ciphertext and won't know if you've made a mistake along the way until you get to the end!

My last step is your first. You'll need the grid below, and hang onto it because you'll need it again later. And no cheating. I have a real problem with cheating because my brother used to lie when we played Battleship and I'd be sitting there calling out hits and he'd be like, "No, dude, that's a miss" and it's like COME ON but you can't look to see if he's lying because then YOU'RE the cheater!!

Ciphertext: poctf{uwsp_ABDA_BDDADDBEBEABDABE_EEDEEB_EAEDBEBDDEEB}

We pass by each other on the second step. Now you get to make your own grid! One thing you might notice about ciphers is that a lot of them, historically, were devised by brilliant people in administrative positions. After all, no one needs to keep secrets more than power-brokers. This one is no different. This method was developed by a master of diplomacy and strategy that navigated the complex world of court politics with ease, often serving as the voice of authority behind the throne. His talent for administration and negotiation earned him wealth and prestige, though his success bred many enemies. Despite his brilliance, his fortunes were tied to the favor of the ruler he served. When the tides of power shifted, his downfall was as swift as his rise. His legacy remains one of both extraordinary achievement and the fragility of influence in the volatile arena of royal politics. Oh, and you'll need a key for this one. It's a single word and your clue is 🕛 + 🍽️

My first step is your last and.... Wait... This can't be right. MORE grids? That doesn't make sense. How many grid ciphers could there possibly be?? Hmm... Oh, ok this one also has transposition. So we get a little of that flavor, too. Well, you know who else, historically, has created lots of ciphers? Nerds. Nerds working for the military, generally. Geniuses, really, and like all geniuses they are rarely appreciated in their time. The developer of this cipher faced his share of criticism in his day, but is now well-regarded as one of the great code-breakers that bridge the gap between classical and modern methods. To solve this, you'll need some letters from a number... Just a second my random number generator in my brain is running... Ok, I am thinking of a number. If you double it and subtract 15, you get 31.

That should be it. If you made it this far you should have the flag.