Holiday Hack 2019: Unredact Threatening Document
Objective
Find the Letter
In the top left corner of the quad, I see the letter on the ground behind a tree:
This is significantly easier to spot with all the other players removed from the screen, which I did with a TamperMonkey script (see Appendix A).
Clicking on the letter opens it on my computer:
The letter is from “A Concerned and Aggrieved Character” addressed to all Elf U personnel. The subject and first two paragraphs have been redacted as “Confidential”, but the third paragraph is a threat to take action if the issue isn’t addressed in six months (with the send date in February).
Solution
It is not uncommon for people attempting to redact parts of documents to do so incorrectly, such that it appears information is redacted, but really it’s still there.
The first thing I check in this kind of situation is if I can select and copy the text. In this case, I can. Then I can paste it elsewhere and see it clearly. The first redaction reads:
Subject: DEMAND: Spread Holiday Cheer to Other Holidays and Mythical Characters… OR ELSE!
The first two paragraphs read:
It remains a constant source of frustration that Elf University and the entire operation at the North Pole focuses exclusively on Mr. S. Claus and his year-end holiday spree. We URGE you to consider lending your considerable resources and expertise in providing merriment, cheer, toys, candy, and much more to other holidays year-round, as well as to other mythical characters.
For centuries, we have expressed our frustration at your lack of willingness to spread your cheer beyond the inaptly-called “Holiday Season.” There are many other perfectly fine holidays and mythical characters that need your direct support year-round.
The first all caps word is DEMAND, and I submit that to complete the challenge.