r/Cipher

So I'm doing a school competition for cybersecurity, and have come across this: c4dea63fa9bc59de024835d6bbba8519fd68237b037be5e34c471428de87b4aa5842a632ccf82a79470de4f68e4ba46a49465f032481adf8f1f99bbc350f345e147705187f3723801e3ee790bd36faf19ddb60d35d4393a4261a5c870ccaef8e.

The hint states that 'The ciphertext below is encrypted using a modern cryptographic algorithm. The algorithm, key, and IV can be derived using information from Stage 1. The same string is used for both KEY and IV (31 characters) Key/IV length: 31 characters exactly No spaces allowed in the password Case sensitivity: EXACT MATCH required'.

Stage 1's information brief was: Nicknamed the 'Garage Girls' after the location of their operations in the garage behind 'Nyrambla' mansion, Brisbane, the women of No. 11 Cipher Section, Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) operated British TypeX cipher machines to encrypt and decrypt communications between Central Bureau and other allied command signals intelligence (Sigint) centres such as Fleet Radio Unit Melbourne (FRUMEL) or Bletchley Park. Nyrambla operated as the headquarters for Central Bureau. The work of the 'Garage Girls' was top secret. The women were sworn to absolute secrecy and not even permitted to tell their families of their work. The Garage Girls processed huge daily volumes of coded communications spelt out in ciphers. These ciphers changed daily to make it harder for enemies to decipher. The messages were padded with irrelevant messaging to make it more difficult for enemies to understand. The messages were organised in five-letter groups and printed onto a proper ribbon. Accuracy was key in the role, as mistyped letters or symbols could result in wide-scale disaster.

I actually have 0 clue what to do here. I thought it was an AES cipher, but that doesn't work with the inputs I'm giving it. (The theme of the cipher is 'modern')

Uop nqw - adf ipa - kzx ipa adf ryu - psd bmq sfg - sfg ipa bmq wrt

This is somehow connected to the french alphabet and they won't give anymore hints abt it

Page f99r was my rosetta stone into this thing. It's anagramed Italian. My initial paper about it is up at https://zenodo.org/records/20109175

An example from page f2r top half: Transliterated text using Edith Sherwood's AVA alphabet. AVA => anagram => Italian

<f2r.1> <%>labma apcoi bam olcai apcain ctloisa
alba m(mercurio) capo i(in) amb(alembic) colai pacam(pacatam) ctliosa(calcinosa)
Place the white mercury in the head of the alembic; I strained the pacified matter into the caustic-lime mixture.

<f2r.2> borcora ctlar s<->ator cha {cho}
bor cor(cora) ctlar(con tinctura lac aqua radice) s(sive) ator(a torre) cha(chale) cho
The heart of the borax with a tincture of milk, water, and root, or rather heated here in the furnace tower.

<f2r.3> volam chea a cor ca aba cam
vola m(mercurio) a(ab) che a(ad) cor(core) ca(cale) a(ab) ba(balsam) cam(camera)
The mercury flies from that which is at the heart of the heat, from the balsam chamber.

<f2r.4> atmba clob ba cpa bais cotlam b
atmba(ab tincture mercurio balsam) cho(chale) b(bene) ba(balsam) cap(capo) basi(base) colta(colmata) m(mercurio) b(bene)
From the mercury-balsam tincture, heat the balsam well through the head and base until it is well-settled.

<f2r.5> olocor ai atobam coibn alcam bn
col oro ai atoamb(ad tomba) coni(coniuncti) b(bene) macla be(bene)
With the golden essence at the tomb [vessel base], the fusion is well-joined.

<f2r.6> sam banb<->btloi sor aloiba bcoi bca cha
sam(sale) ba(balsam) nb(ab) bolit(bolita) sor(ros-colore) aloiba bcoi(bene-coniuncti) bca(mouth) cha(chale)
Let the rose-colored extract of the balsam salt boil; it is well-joined in the alembic and heated at the opening.

<f2r.7> ator cha bama coibn<$>
ator . hac . amb(alembic) a(ab) . coni b(bene)
Heat the balsam at the tower until it is well-joined.

Smoothed out as English: Place the purified white mercury into the head of the alembic; I then poured the stabilized matter into the caustic-lime mixture. Add the essence of the borax along with a tincture of milk, water, and root—or rather, heat it here in the furnace tower.

The mercury then volatilizes from the center of the heat, moving from the balsam chamber. From this mercury-balsam tincture, heat the mixture thoroughly through the head and base of the vessel until the mercury is well-settled.

With the golden essence now at the base of the vessel, the fusion is successfully joined into a solid mass. Finally, let the rose-colored extract from the balsam salt boil; it is well-joined within the alembic when heated at the mouth. Apply a steady heat at the furnace tower until the balsam is perfectly fused."

text: XD PY JS RS WC QN BE NN FQ QJ TS BV CMPS JD

The text is on an image, 500x500, with four squares in each corner and the text is in the middle. Could this type of encryption maybe have a grafic solution? I do not really know, i tried, but nothing worked.

https://preview.redd.it/xl9m8qvoy30h1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=552e0c7575db4ecbe1f503dd91ee5a688ad32782