The Tyrian Alphabet

Discovering the Tyrian Alphabet

Discovery during GW Beta in Dec. 2004

By: Eratimus, TAOS Chairman

The Start of the GW Lore Craze

How was the alphabet translated?



The idea of an obscure runic language came to me after the launch of GuildWars when Banegrivm, Guild Leader of the 1st Fist of Light posted a "strange map" he had found a screen shot of that was on sign up north of the Wall. I took one look at it and realized that indeed they for the most part they were Runes. Not any obscurely created runes, but in fact resembled those used in Gothic, Fulthark, and Swedish-Norwegian runic alphabets, as the various I saw on the map included a mixture of all three. I did also find that the Devs may indeed have change a few, perhaps to make them unique.

The first thought that came to me was that they are using real world runes and the letters corresponding to them. At which point I began trying to translate the upper most set of runes which was believed to spell "Tyria". In the end of that process after combining a mixture of real life runes and their letters, I came to realize that in fact the runes are NOT using the same letters as used in real life. That in fact, the image of the runes were used, but the devs. designated their own letters to each rune.

With this new insight, and the knowledge and of what the locations were representing, I soon was able to translate and document those areas, ending with a at least 3 groups translated. Those being Ascalon, Tyria, Kryta. You can say, Well ok, you think you know what an area is representing, then you assumed those runes were letters? Well I backed and continue to prove that the translations were correct because of cross-comparison.  The "y" in Tyria uses the same "y' rune in Kryta. The rune for "a" is used all in the right places for all three of those groupings. This lead to the discovery of the letters A, S, C, L, O, N, T, Y, I, and K. Soon after I was able to decipher the south central set of runes where we see the Shiverpeaks. But, this was a mistake by me, as I originally thought that the first set is Shiver and the second set below is Peaks. This uncovered the letters, P, V, and H. I wondered why the words were separated. It was until I got a screen shot originally taken and submitted by "F" was I able to get a clearer written set of runes. The SW area by Linea and Androgial was mentioned to have been either the Ring of Fire or Fire Isle. After some close translating I was finally able translate and find the right runes for Ring of Fire, which revealed the letters G, F, and E.

After some close observations I soon uncovered that my translation of "Shiver Peaks" was wrong. In fact, the first line DID spell out the complete Shiverpeaks, and surprise to me, as again the Alphabet proved itself, I translated _ o_ntns. Hmm, I wondered what that could mean. Then, out of the blue a realization came that hit me like a freight train. OF Course that is what it is, it was "mountns" This spelling does not include the ai when referring to the correct spelling of mountains, but it did give some insight as it revealed the letters M, O, and U.

Soon after I began my translations of the set of runes in the South East. I originally translated the runes to Try_ _a_ Desert. This left me at a standstill as those missing letters I could not see clearly. It was not until "Linitas" mentioned that the first set could even be Crystal, did it hit me that he was right. I had miss translated the first letter as a T and not C. It was found that location was the Crystal Desert, which just now as I was updating this article as I have been making changes, an blurb from the last Gaile Gray interview was submitted to me.

"The Crystal Desert is a nexus of powerful mystical energies. For centuries entire cultures have made pilgrimages to the burning sands in search of spiritual atonement. Their bones litter the dunes, a testament to the dangers of this inhospitable environment. The only other evidence of their existence is the hollow, wind-torn buildings of their temporary civilizations."

The one location that had bewildered me for the longest time was that set of runes to the West. Drytchnath and Androgial had mentioned that it could be Majesty's Rest or Maguuma Jungle. It was not until I realized those central two letters of the first set of runes was uu and not a c or v, did it come to me that the first letter of the second group wa s a J. A letter that had eluded any sort of translating. This revealed it to be Maguuma Jungle and the letters J, and a new rune for M and G.

This completed the entire translation of the Map. It also completed the alphabet, save the translations for B, X, W, Q, and Z. I have come to see that map as a "Rosetta Stone" of sorts for this ancient runic language.

That brings up another point, WHERE did this language come from, is it perhaps from a past fallen Kingdom? Orr? Ascalon? Elona?|||Has any of these exact runes been found in Factions or Nightfall? Does there exist maps of the land such as above but for Cantha and Elona? Any info will help continue this research.|||Quote:








Has any of these exact runes been found in Factions or Nightfall? Does there exist maps of the land such as above but for Cantha and Elona? Any info will help continue this research.




There was a map of Elona in this style. It showed where Kourna, Istan,and Vabbi are on the map. It also shows Desolation. I'll see if I can get a pic for you if nobody else does. It goes fairly quickly so I can't tell you if there were any of the same runes on it.

I can't say I've seen a map of Cantha in that style sadly.|||Yes that would be great. It would allow us to know if the Alphabet is linked to more then just the Ascalon nation.|||This is the best pic I could get of the map. I would have rotated it, but it makes it harder to examine the runes.

|||http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=390336

If you cannot view images in this thread, let me know - I can't see it myself but others seem to be ok.

Anyway those were found in the Crystal Desert but the writing looks similar in style to those in the image above. Elonians have their own language characters?|||Quote:








http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=390336

If you cannot view images in this thread, let me know - I can't see it myself but others seem to be ok.

Anyway those were found in the Crystal Desert but the writing looks similar in style to those in the image above. Elonians have their own language characters?




Something I think you may want to know Barinthus. One of those pedestals can be found in the town/mission outpost Gates to Desolation. I got there the other day and saw it. It looked like it was placed where it would have been a strategic Ranger location..|||Makes sense to me. Cantha has a Asian-inspired culture and has pseudo-Asian characters. Elona has a North African-inspired culture, and has pseudo-Arabic characters.|||Gates to Desolation? Is that Nightfall?|||Quote:








Gates to Desolation? Is that Nightfall?




Yea. I was kind of thinking it would be a bit obvious. Anyway yea it is, it's a town after you've gone through a portion of the area Turai's Procession.