@ -26,31 +26,39 @@ If you want to play the challenge yourself, you can find it here:
## Story line
Let's start off by talking to Bow Ninecandle:
```txt
Well hello there! I'm Bow Ninecandle, bright as a twinkling star! Everyone's busy unpacking, but I've grown quite bored of that. Care to join me for a lovely game?
Oh Joy! Today, We're diving into something delightful: the curling challenge—without any ice, but plenty of sparkle!
No icy brooms here though! We're all about Curl, sending web requests from the command line like magic messages.
So, have you ever wielded Curl before? If not, no worries at all, my friend!
It's this clever little tool that lets you whisper directly to web servers. Pretty neat, right?
Think of it like sending secret scrolls through the interwebs, awaiting a wise reply!
To begin, you can type something like curl https://example.com. Voilà! The HTML of the page appears, like conjuring a spell!
Simple enough, huh? But oh, there's a whole world of magic you can cast with Curl!
We're just brushing the surface here, but trust me—it’s a hoot and a half!
If you get tangled up or need help, just give me a shout! I’m here to help you ace this curling spectacle.
So, are you ready to curl those web requests like a pro? Let’s see your magic unfold!
```
Let's start off by talking to the elf:
> Well hello there! I'm Bow Ninecandle, bright as a twinkling star! Everyone's busy unpacking, but I've grown quite bored of that. Care to join me for a lovely game?
>
> Oh Joy! Today, We're diving into something delightful: the curling challenge—without any ice, but plenty of sparkle!
>
> No icy brooms here though! We're all about Curl, sending web requests from the command line like magic messages.
>
> So, have you ever wielded Curl before? If not, no worries at all, my friend!
>
> It's this clever little tool that lets you whisper directly to web servers. Pretty neat, right?
>
> Think of it like sending secret scrolls through the interwebs, awaiting a wise reply!
>
> To begin, you can type something like `curl https://example.com`. Voilà! The HTML of the page appears, like conjuring a spell!
>
> Simple enough, huh? But oh, there's a whole world of magic you can cast with Curl!
>
> We're just brushing the surface here, but trust me—it’s a hoot and a half!
>
> If you get tangled up or need help, just give me a shout! I’m here to help you ace this curling spectacle.
>
> So, are you ready to curl those web requests like a pro? Let’s see your magic unfold!
Curious as to what we needs to be done, we should explore further. Let's start by listing the files in the current directory. This turns out to be a good idea, as we find a file there; `HARD-MODE.txt`.
Turns out we get some more steps to follow. We have already practiced all the things needed here with the silver one, so we can apply the knowledge gained there with this task.
@ -26,21 +26,33 @@ If you want to play the challenge yourself, you can find it here:
## Story line
Let's start off by talking to Morcel Nougat:
```txt
Hello again! I'm Morcel Nougat, dashing around like a reindeer on a sugar rush! We've got a bit of a dilemma, and I could really use your expertise.
Wombley and Alabaster have taken charge now that Santa’s gone missing, and We're scrambling to get the Wish List secured. But... one of the elves in the Data Management Team got overzealous, and the Shredder McShreddin 9000 gobbled up a crucial document we need to access Santa's chest!
It’s our golden ticket to getting Santa’s Little Helper tool working properly. Without it, the hardware hack we're planning is as empty as Santa’s sleigh in January.
Think you can help? I can get you into the Shredder McShreddin 9000’s inner workings to retrieve the pieces, but there are two access codes involved. One of the elves left a hint, but it’s all a blur to me!
I've noticed that some elves keep referring to a certain book when they walk by. I bet it has the answers we need to crack the code and recover the document!
You know, some of the elves always have their noses in the same book when they pass by here. Maybe it’s got the clues we need to crack the code?
```
Let's start off by talking to the elf:
> Hello again! I'm Morcel Nougat, dashing around like a reindeer on a sugar rush! We've got a bit of a dilemma, and I could really use your expertise.
>
> Wombley and Alabaster have taken charge now that Santa’s gone missing, and We're scrambling to get the Wish List secured. But... one of the elves in the Data Management Team got overzealous, and the Shredder McShreddin 9000 gobbled up a crucial document we need to access Santa's chest!
>
> It’s our golden ticket to getting Santa’s Little Helper tool working properly. Without it, the hardware hack we're planning is as empty as Santa’s sleigh in January.
>
> Think you can help? I can get you into the Shredder McShreddin 9000’s inner workings to retrieve the pieces, but there are two access codes involved. One of the elves left a hint, but it’s all a blur to me!
>
> I've noticed that some elves keep referring to a certain book when they walk by. I bet it has the answers we need to crack the code and recover the document!
>
> You know, some of the elves always have their noses in the same book when they pass by here. Maybe it’s got the clues we need to crack the code?
## Hints
{{<collapsible-blocktitle="Just Some Light Reading"isCollapsed="true"class="tight">}}
See if you can find a copy of that book everyone seems to be reading these days. I thought I saw somebody drop one close by...
{{</collapsible-block>}}
{{<collapsible-blocktitle="Shine Some Light on It"isCollapsed="true"class="tight">}}
Well this is puzzling. I wonder if Santa has a seperate code. Bet that would cast some light on the problem. I know this is a stretch...but...what if you had one of those fancy UV lights to look at the fingerprints on the keypad? That might at least limit the possible digits being used...
{{</collapsible-block>}}
{{<collapsible-blocktitle="Who Are You Calling a Dorf?"isCollapsed="true"class="tight">}}
Hmmmm. I know I have seen Santa and the other elves use this keypad. I wonder what it contains. I bet whatever is in there is a **National Treasure**!
{{</collapsible-block>}}
## Recon
@ -97,11 +109,9 @@ Woohoo! We got the medal.
Let's first talk to the elf again, he'll tell us what we'll have to do for gold.
```txt
WOW, you did it! You know, they say Ottendorf ciphers were used back in the Frosty Archives crisis… or was that during the Jack Frost incident? Either way, you're amazing!
But wait—there’s still one more code tucked away! This one might need a bit more elbow grease… you may need to try a few combinations to crack it!
```
> WOW, you did it! You know, they say Ottendorf ciphers were used back in the Frosty Archives crisis… or was that during the Jack Frost incident? Either way, you're amazing!
>
> But wait—there’s still one more code tucked away! This one might need a bit more elbow grease… you may need to try a few combinations to crack it!
We also received a new item, but from reading the text we probably only need it for the hardware hacking challenge.
I love brain games! This one is like the New York Times Connections game. Your goal here is to find groups of items that share something in common. Think of each group as having a hidden connection or theme—four items belong together, and there are multiple groups to find! See if you can spot patterns or common threads to make connections. Group all the items correctly to win!
{{</collapsible-block>}}
Oh, and while you're at it, check out randomElf's score — they hit fifty thousand points, which seems… oddly suspicious.
WOW! A high score of 50,000 points! That’s way beyond the limit! With only four rounds and a max of 400 points per round, the top possible score should be 1,600 points. So, how did someone get to 50,000? Something unusual must be happening!
Think they might have tampered with the game? Just a hunch!
```
If you're curious, you might want to check under the hood. Try opening the browser's developer tools console and looking around—there might even be a variable named 'score' that could give you some insights. Sometimes, games hold secrets for those who dig a little deeper. Give it a shot and see what you can discover!
@ -26,21 +26,33 @@ If you want to play the challenge yourself, you can find it here:
## Story line
Let's start off by talking to Poinsettia McMittens:
```txt
Center your mind, and become one with the island!
Relax...
This isn't working! I'm trying to play this game but the whole "moving back to the North Pole" thing completely threw me off.
Say, how about you give it a try. It's really simple. All you need to do is help the elf get to the exit.
Let's start off by talking to the elf:
> Center your mind, and become one with the island!
>
> Relax...
>
> This isn't working! I'm trying to play this game but the whole "moving back to the North Pole" thing completely threw me off.
>
> Say, how about you give it a try. It's really simple. All you need to do is help the elf get to the exit.
>
> The faster you get there, the better your score!
>
> I've run into some weirdness with the springs though. If I had created this game it would've been a lot more stable, but I won't comment on that any further.
When developing a video game—even a simple one—it's surprisingly easy to overlook an edge case in the game logic, which can lead to unexpected behavior.
{{</collapsible-block>}}
The faster you get there, the better your score!
{{<collapsible-blocktitle="Elf Minder 9000: RTD (Read the Docs)"isCollapsed="true"class="tight">}}
Be sure you read the "Help" section thoroughly! In doing so, you will learn how to use the tools necessary to safely guide your elf and collect all the crates.
{{</collapsible-block>}}
I've run into some weirdness with the springs though. If I had created this game it would've been a lot more stable, but I won't comment on that any further.
@ -26,25 +26,29 @@ If you want to play the challenge yourself, you can find it here:
## Story line
Let's start off by talking to Jingle Ringford:
```txt
Welcome to the Geese Islands and the 2023 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge!
I'm Jingle Ringford, one of Santa's many elves.
...
Just kidding! It's actually the 2024 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge!
And although we're on Frosty's Beach on Christmas Island, we'll soon be on our way back to the North Pole.
I thought it best to wait here for people that heard we're on the Geese Islands but may not know we're leaving.
I haven't seen Santa since we started packing up, but he always asks me to give a quick orientation to newcomers, so I'm continuing the tradition.
Before you head out any further onto the island, you need to accomplish two simple tasks.
```
Let's start off by talking to the elf:
> Welcome to the Geese Islands and the 2023 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge!
>
> I'm Jingle Ringford, one of Santa's many elves.
>
> ...
>
> Just kidding! It's actually the 2024 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge!
>
> And although we're on Frosty's Beach on Christmas Island, we'll soon be on our way > back to the North Pole.
>
> I thought it best to wait here for people that heard we're on the Geese Islands but > may not know we're leaving.
>
> I haven't seen Santa since we started packing up, but he always asks me to give a > quick orientation to newcomers, so I'm continuing the tradition.
>
> Before you head out any further onto the island, you need to accomplish two simple > tasks.
>
> But first, here's a parting gift. I packed this snowball made of the magical, > never-melting snow of Christmas Island. A little souvenir to take with you when we > leave for the North Pole.
>
> Click on the snowball on your avatar. That's where you will see your Objectives, > Hints, resource links, and Conversations for the Holiday Hack Challenge.
>
> Now, click on the Cranberry Pi Terminal and follow the on-screen instructions.
