Intro:
So I was browsing around the wiki looking at the images for the written language of Ascalon to see if any runes matched with the Elonian alphabet when I stumbled upon a lead language creators page. Mr Matthew Medina.
Here's the specific excerpt that caught my eye.
Quote:
As Guild Wars has evolved so have the languages - so far I haven't seen that anyone has translated the 100 or so Canthan symbols. One word of caution though - not EVERY language in the original Guild Wars universe actually translates into anything - I believe I was the only artist on the team that actually made readable languages, so some of the runes, glyphs and scripts you see in the game will be just for "show"
So in an effort to find out if the work of me and two of my guild mates and fellow loreites Gmr Leon and Konig Des Todes was all in vain I asked if he could provide a list of which languages were nonsensical. His reply was
Quote:
As far as I have seen, all of the languages that CAN be translated HAVE been translated. Ascalonian has it's own page here on the wiki, as does Canthan. The other languages you see will most likely be untranslatable. The specific example you cited is just such a prop - the scriptures of those banners and pillars are not developed languages, but simply aesthetic choices.
There is only one "language" that has escaped detection thus far, which I can understand being that it only appears on ONE particular prop in Eye of the North. And honestly, if anyone can find this prop, and decipher the text just based on that single piece of art, I might just have to send them something ultra-cool!
So with our current researched dashed it seems we have a whole new thing that has been brought to our attention. While this doesn't mean mean there is definitely only ONE left (Matthew is only human and he could be mistaken or misinformed) this IS a confirmation that there is a prop in EoTN just laying around waiting to be deciphered! In my opinion the first order of business should be likely places this prop could be. While exploring have YOU seen anything that would be a candidate? What places would you suggest. After we have a list of suggested places I think we should discuss organizing an expedition to scour Eye of the North. What say you?
be aware that cantha is based on china/japan so one char could mean 2 words (i don't mean dfferent words) I know this cause i am chinese and my aunt is japanese so i should know
Uhhhhhh, Karn.... That has nothing to do with the topic. The point of this is:
There is an undiscovered language out there that is still translatable, it is the last language that is translatable in GW at this time. And it is seemingly very obscure and going to be hard to translate due to the lack of the language.
I personally think it is in a dungeon that is quickly passed, such as Shards of Orr and Sepulchur of Dragrimmar.
Afterall, many people just go in, kill, and do what they need to do nowadays, especially in the more annoying areas like Shards of Orr.
Since there is only one prop, that means that it is not in an area with repeated designs, which rules out most of the dungeons, but still leave individual rooms of certain dungeons.
Actually Konig, I'm thinking maybe we might be misunderstanding. Only one prop doesn't have to mean only one place. Maybe he was just mentioning one prop to tell us its the only small piece where this language exists, it there could be multiple copies of this one prop.
Since there is only one prop, that means that it is not in an area with repeated designs, which rules out most of the dungeons, but still leave individual rooms of certain dungeons.
The tombs in which Zoldark the Unholy lies/walks (last level of the Vloxen Excavations Dungeon) seem a plausible option for me, that dungeon level has more architecture than most dungeons do, and, (IIRC) no other dungeon has that room.
Anyway..how about we get a small list together of possible locations of these texts and than we search through them?
That level is Thommis/Rend's room in Slavers, and is in a few other dungeons as well. But the room of Zoldark is only in that dungeon. But I already explored it, and I saw no writings, just a lot of candles. And stain-glass windows.
Of dungeons that could likely hold something, I'd say we look through:
Sepulcher of Dragrimmar
Catacombs of Kathandrax
Shards of Orr
Vloxen Excavation
Heart of the Shiverpeaks
Cathedral of Flames
Bloodstone Caves
This list was made of suggested possibilities of dungeons from both GWO, Guru, and the guild itself (only three people discussing in the guild though >.>)
Last edited by Konig Des Todes; 10-12-2008 at 08:04.
I have a vague memory of some props on the way to various slaver's bosses. Tables and various architecture that I don't recall in other place...? Just tossing it out there. I agree with the OP that it could be repeated in many dungeons though.
Another way to look at it is who's language is it? Avicara? Ancient dwarf? Asuran? Mursaat? Norn? Other?
As I told Amantis in the guild, I believe that this untranslated language is the Charr symbols on the Charr decorder.
Iirc, no one has bothered with translating it, very little has been done with it at all actually. We are currently getting all three from a guildie on Amantis' non-Sanctum account. After that, I will put all three through the decoder, record the decoding for all three ways to decode for each plan (i.e., 9 times), and start doing work with that.
If that is the translatable language, I can have what is translatable soon - and anything I get confused about I will post up.
EDIT: Never mind, the aformentioned way to translate won't work, the dials on the decoder go to the same spots (although the middle dial goes to two spots). So if it were to be the Charr symbols to be translatable, we could only translate two.
Last edited by Konig Des Todes; 11-12-2008 at 03:35.
The Languages Of Tyria: One left undiscovered!
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