is it just a clue on how to decrypt it or something else?
Presumably you took your role name and encrypted it, and there's a key for that, for a normal newspaper cryptogram that key would be what each letter in the cryptogram was, like a=g, b=f, etc. If you used the add a word method I detailed, then the key is the word you used, Tracker+Helium=YourCode, with Trackers as your role and Helium as your key. Basically encoded word (role) plus key = code. Doesn't have to be addition of course or words, that's just the easiest and least ambiguous route I could think of to suggest, you could for instance have converted your role into numbers (a=1,b=2, etc) then multiplied the entire thing by your year of birth, in which case the key would be your birth year. In cryptography, a key is what defines the output of a cipher. The thing you want to encode, the plaintext is converted to the code, the ciphertext by taking the plaintext through a cipher, a process of encryption, which is usually some mathematical process dependent on a key.
Example
Plaintext: TRACKER
Key: HELIUM
Cipher: Convert plain text and key to numbers, add them together, convert back to letters
Cipertext: BWMLFHR
In detail:
Tracker + Helium = BWMLFHR
20-18-1-3-11-5-18 + 8-5-12-9-21-3-0 = 28-23-13-12-32-8-18
Change the 28 and 32 into 2 and 6 (28-26 and 32-26) and you get
2-23-13-12-6-8-18 or BWMLFHR
Sidenote: Actually the cipher should say "add them together with a modulus of 26", modular arithmetic, which we do with clocks, is where 8+12=8, or "It's 5 now, in 10 hours it will be 3 o'clock", when adding letters converted to numbers, "Mod 26" is generally the default, a=1, b=2.... y=25,z=26,a=27, b=28 etc
So, basically, we don't really need a key, we need people's ciphers, just most of the simple but solid encryption methods tend to have a key, and one with a key that's a word is much more believable then if someone's cipher is some random number string, since you can make any darn word you feel like that way.

Hope that helped
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
- 15/09/2010 05:39:03 AM
1899 Views
ARRRRRRR *NM*
- 15/09/2010 06:44:52 AM
638 Views
Omg. This reply cracked me up so bad.
- 15/09/2010 12:34:38 PM
1042 Views
Arrrgggh
- 15/09/2010 12:50:18 PM
1006 Views
- 15/09/2010 12:50:18 PM
1006 Views
Re: Arrrgggh
- 15/09/2010 01:29:15 PM
1082 Views
- 15/09/2010 01:29:15 PM
1082 Views
plus...
- 15/09/2010 01:50:44 PM
998 Views
Voting Record
- 18/09/2010 05:41:39 AM
975 Views
Moving along
- 15/09/2010 02:47:27 PM
1239 Views
knife hand? *confused* *NM*
- 15/09/2010 10:25:01 PM
549 Views
Re: RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
- 15/09/2010 04:06:10 PM
1034 Views
Re: RAFO Mafia 18 - Day 2: Mystery on the High Seas
- 15/09/2010 06:23:19 PM
1143 Views
my current suspects
- 15/09/2010 09:52:52 PM
1163 Views
How is that a tactic? *NM*
- 15/09/2010 10:21:04 PM
575 Views
Day 2 EVENT: In High Spirits
- 18/09/2010 04:53:47 AM
1098 Views
I think 'Aye' is probably the best choice, Vote: Aye
- 18/09/2010 05:24:24 AM
902 Views
I can
- 18/09/2010 05:35:29 AM
1015 Views
Nay
- 18/09/2010 05:25:57 AM
1053 Views
Any debate? Anyone in favor of Nay?
- 18/09/2010 07:53:56 AM
1052 Views
We need to come up with a plan
- 19/09/2010 05:59:26 AM
1012 Views
Well, here's who voted for BA:
- 19/09/2010 08:04:26 AM
996 Views
? is the logical target
- 19/09/2010 08:56:53 AM
976 Views
Re: ? is the logical target
- 20/09/2010 02:10:49 AM
1018 Views
Re: ? is the logical target
- 20/09/2010 03:14:22 AM
976 Views
Who are your candidates for lynch?
- 20/09/2010 03:58:04 AM
1002 Views
I don't have any. Especially after my fail of a push for BA
- 20/09/2010 04:35:23 AM
976 Views
I think I have a plan
- 20/09/2010 06:33:29 AM
1130 Views
...erm...
- 20/09/2010 07:37:16 AM
1122 Views
Crypto tricks
- 20/09/2010 10:13:23 AM
1070 Views
Some thoughts...
- 19/09/2010 01:21:56 PM
910 Views
this is the first time its happened while i've been playing atleast
- 19/09/2010 04:52:13 PM
959 Views
It looks like we're proceeding with the plan so a few reminders
- 20/09/2010 06:35:21 PM
1099 Views
Hmm. I don't think I did this exactly how you wanted, with the key and whatnot.
- 20/09/2010 06:41:22 PM
1009 Views
Re: Hmm. I don't think I did this exactly how you wanted, with the key and whatnot.
- 20/09/2010 07:13:22 PM
1010 Views
Re: Hmm. I don't think I did this exactly how you wanted, with the key and whatnot.
- 21/09/2010 12:04:49 AM
956 Views
So if I'm understanding this properly...
- 21/09/2010 01:38:34 AM
958 Views
That is correct. *NM*
- 21/09/2010 01:44:37 AM
591 Views
im still not clear on the key thing.
- 21/09/2010 04:38:53 PM
988 Views
Okay
- 21/09/2010 05:28:23 PM
1002 Views
Re: Okay
- 21/09/2010 07:43:39 PM
941 Views
You wanted to hint at it, not say it..... *NM*
- 21/09/2010 07:46:10 PM
576 Views
horsefeathers
- 21/09/2010 07:55:44 PM
927 Views
- 21/09/2010 07:55:44 PM
927 Views
It's alright. So long as no one actually tries to decode it. :/ *NM*
- 21/09/2010 08:00:17 PM
595 Views
I'm glad I'm dead so I don't have to bother with this.
*NM*
- 21/09/2010 11:28:46 PM
534 Views
*NM*
- 21/09/2010 11:28:46 PM
534 Views
List of Codes and Roleclaims (Table)
- 21/09/2010 11:25:37 AM
1120 Views
So I shouldn't code my Role now? *NM*
- 21/09/2010 01:45:10 PM
521 Views
A couple Questions
- 21/09/2010 08:53:29 PM
956 Views
On this whole decryption thing though...
- 21/09/2010 10:28:57 PM
1078 Views
Any idea when we are gonna start decrypting?
- 22/09/2010 01:44:39 AM
945 Views
Wait why does it say and between my codes?
- 22/09/2010 11:00:51 PM
981 Views
what now?
- 22/09/2010 09:27:09 PM
912 Views
Napoleon needs to roleclaim now
- 22/09/2010 09:51:56 PM
1031 Views
Arg... REALLY sorry people.
- 23/09/2010 08:16:00 PM
1010 Views
You definitely do not get that in eveeeery game
- 23/09/2010 09:14:46 PM
1057 Views
Why is that so suspicious?
- 23/09/2010 10:02:23 PM
997 Views
It's suspicious because it's not true
- 23/09/2010 10:17:43 PM
1047 Views
Cause people tend to accentuate the negative, they seek to form patterns, and they like exaggerating *NM*
- 24/09/2010 05:07:13 AM
641 Views
Re: You definitely do not get that in eveeeery game
- 23/09/2010 10:27:31 PM
1048 Views
Everyone can start decrypting now
- 23/09/2010 09:01:24 PM
988 Views
Ok, I'll go ahead and do mine too
- 23/09/2010 11:16:29 PM
1073 Views
I was too lazy to verify beyond oxygen and flourine
- 24/09/2010 12:45:09 AM
1063 Views
Re: I was too lazy to verify beyond oxygen and flourine
- 24/09/2010 02:44:11 AM
1001 Views
eh, what the heck
- 24/09/2010 03:04:29 AM
906 Views
Just out of curiosity, why do you say townie? RB could just as easily be scum, if not more so. *NM*
- 24/09/2010 05:13:50 AM
579 Views
Just out of curiosity, why do you say townie? RB could just as easily be scum, if not more so. *NM*
- 24/09/2010 05:13:51 AM
458 Views
other factors make me think otherwise
- 24/09/2010 06:07:31 AM
875 Views
right, mine
- 24/09/2010 10:37:45 AM
1043 Views
Re: right, mine
- 24/09/2010 10:43:26 AM
987 Views
EPWOP
- 24/09/2010 10:55:42 AM
996 Views
Re: EPWOP
- 24/09/2010 12:47:47 PM
1036 Views
Okay, that squares
- 24/09/2010 01:14:31 PM
977 Views
Re: Okay, that squares
- 24/09/2010 01:22:42 PM
1043 Views
I was lazy... I used the INTERNET
- 24/09/2010 06:04:26 AM
875 Views
Re: I was lazy... I used the INTERNET
- 24/09/2010 02:29:29 PM
955 Views
While we're waiting on White Flame
- 25/09/2010 08:59:09 PM
1090 Views
Re: While we're waiting on White Flame
- 25/09/2010 10:47:47 PM
952 Views
EBWOP
- 25/09/2010 10:48:31 PM
951 Views
It's probably also worth noting
- 25/09/2010 11:17:19 PM
1002 Views
Re: While we're waiting on White Flame
- 26/09/2010 02:47:14 AM
1017 Views
Vote: Fox and Ravens
- 26/09/2010 03:15:38 AM
1057 Views
Eh. The RC's always mess me up
- 26/09/2010 03:43:54 AM
926 Views
Yes, they can be tricky
- 26/09/2010 04:00:52 AM
962 Views
Re: Yes, they can be tricky
- 26/09/2010 04:33:40 AM
1013 Views
not to mention...
- 26/09/2010 04:55:30 AM
1012 Views
Vote: Fox and Ravens *NM*
- 26/09/2010 02:31:43 PM
600 Views
I mean can we just lynch him without going through the procedure if he'll just give up?
- 26/09/2010 07:33:38 PM
1155 Views
- 26/09/2010 07:33:38 PM
1155 Views
Somebody want to hammer?
- 26/09/2010 09:02:17 PM
1021 Views

*NM*