Stuck and unsure which direction to go at this point and what parts of the available information are relevant for this stage (no luck with any of the approaches so far):
- use content of the qr codes?
- anagrams?
- use the markings?
- use the pipes?
- decode the aztec as something else? (since no proper orientation markers, and apparent improbable symmetry suggesting it might not be an aztec code)
- select appropriate pixels from the aztec using markings or pipes, and decode entire code? (the aztec core does not contain proper orientation markers though)
- select appropriate pixels from the aztec using markings or pipes, and decode part of the code? (the aztec core mode message indicates 2 layers and 7 data codewords, so presumably the keypad code is <= 7 characters)
Any opinions or hints to narrow it down?
A phone pad?
1=0
2= ABC
3= DEF
4=GHI
5= JKL
6= MNO
7 = PQRS
8 = TUV
9= WXYZ
Triangle orientation could determine if it's A, B, or C. So, 2a would be A, 2b would be B, and 2c would be C?
Was just looking at my phone and thought of this. Not sure how it would apply to the squares that have four letters.
I haven't had much time to spend on this, but isn't this a modified pigpen cipher? Everyone has exhausted this possibility? Could we all share the different variations of pigpen cipher we've tried?
I like the sudoku suggestion. That does trigger some ideas. But before I go down a sudoku rabbit hole... I think we should consolidate the most obvious choices for a basic substitution cipher. And make a list of all the strings that have been checked to date.