Canonfire! Forums-viewtopic-D&D Online players need help from Greyhawk Gurus (YOU!)

Thu May 07, 2015 5:41 am D&D Online players need help from Greyhawk Gurus (YOU!)

Hello all!
Recently the module Temple of Elemental Evil has been ported to Dungeons and Dragons Online.
At the end of the first part of the dungeon crawl is a scroll we have so far been unable to decipher.
We thought it might be a good idea to ask if any of you can help us decrypt it.

Thanks in advance!

Thu May 07, 2015 3:27 pm

Let's see.

"Drink...more...Ovaltine."

What a rip-off!

The runes don't seem to completely match anything, but it does match "runic script" fairly well, such as this one:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4a/c9/8c/4ac98c3829243fb4d10dfe2a8d1158fd.jpg

Doesn't mean it was translated exactly though. Also, I will assume it is the latest version of the Temple of Elemental Evil that was ported over to DDO, which would mean it is Forgotten Realms-based and not Greyhawk-based. One would then assume that these runes are from the main runic script used in the Forgotten Realms, which would be Dethek Runes. that is the written language of dwarves; most people use it as the dwarven script in any campaign setting. You can find it here:

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Dethek

Doesn't seem to match very well, but we don't know if things were deliberately changed or that any newer authors were simply ignorant of the vast library of previously created material.

Good luck! You might try a DDO forum too, as there ought to be others seeking the same information, and so be more chatter on the topic.

And, nice user name. Cool

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Sun May 10, 2015 7:14 pm

At first glance it seems to be a mish-mash of different runic alphabets, and while some words make sense in English (the middle word in that top line could be read as "fang"), some do not.

I submit it's possible this is an invented alphabet using an invented language, rather than a historical runic alphabet and/or a real language (some of those words don't have vowels, which doesn't sound like anything even vaguely Indo-European).

Joe / GG

Sun May 10, 2015 8:37 pm

Not related to greyhawkery reminded me of the runic alphabet I found in the Ultima 4 computer game...

Sun May 10, 2015 10:18 pm

It might just say, "This is what you rolled for your DEATH saving throw!"

I don't know about any of you, but rolling an upside down inverted "Y" is probably not a good thing (or is it?). Laughing

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Tue May 12, 2015 9:22 am

Another possibility is that they're using some sort of substitution cipher. It would be something like, "take the rune that you see here and use the next one in the futhark", sort of like ADVZQD, if you just take the next letter for each one, spells out "beware".

Don't have the time right now to experiment with this, but it's worth looking into.

Also, Cebrion, the inverted "Y" is an "R" sound, but generally only found at the end of words and names in Old Norse. An R sound inside or at the start of a word would use the R-looking rune. ;-)

Joe / GG

Wed May 13, 2015 2:37 am

I consign you to oblivion for failing to recognize my allusion to dark forbidden knowledge of the Elder Elemental God!!! Evil Grin

Yes, I know it is supposed to be in a triangle, but he's branching out I tell you! Laughing

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Thu May 14, 2015 4:41 pm