Do those dwarven inscriptions on walls of Cityshanks have meanings? Or they are just decoration?
Obviously, if they mean something, its just a substitution cipher for english words - i dot'n think author bothered with something more complicated. Still too little material for frequency analysis, so let's just look at context.
So, let's start with big inscription on sealed door:
What we can see here? Obviously inscriptions say that the door is forbidden and dangerous (exclamation point, a skull picture). What can it be? Most common word is "DANGER!" 6 signs, like in upper inscription. And what can be in right inscription? Something about its forbiddeness? Common sense says it's "DO NOT ENTER".
Let's check, we need to substitute letters from upper inscription to right one:
(I picked up different lookalike symbols from Unicode so tell if you cant see them)
⊟○∆#√α!
DANGER!
⊟= ∆=Φ √∆Φ√α
D N EN ER
Bingo! Filling remaining gaps:
⊟= ∆=Φ √∆Φ√α
DO NOT ENTER
What do we have for now?
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
○ ⊟√ # ∆= α Φ
Not much. What inscriptions we can find so far? Two more above other doors, short inscription on wall near entrance, two on columns and... Wait.
Zoom in more...
4 symbols on the left side and 6 on the right...
<πΦ≡ <∑□∆¶<
T N
Can it be CITY SHANKS?
<πΦ≡ <∑□∆¶<
CITY SHANKS
Well.. Same symbol < for C and S, and different symbols ○ and □ for A. Well, lets assume this inscription is much older and some symbols could have changed since. Or somebody in Cityshanks didn't spell dwarven well. Now our new alphabet looks like this (lower string is alternative readings):
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
○ <⊟√ #∑π ¶ ∆= α Φ ≡
□ <
Now, let's look on the columns (where Ikea is sleeping now) bottoms. What can we see here?
∑π⊟√ αГ∆
HIDE R N
Obviously Г = U. Well, Grawr Kokobokleebis can't say that he wasn't warned.
Let's look to the inscription near entrance:
Ω□αΦ
ART
Wart? Fart? Bart? Mart? Part? Zart?
It can be anything, so let's look on door inscriptions.
First door:
∑πNNπ√$
HI IE
Second door:
Ω=α+□α⊟ ◊□αα□¶$
OR ARD ARRAK
Well.. At first inscription, i'm out of ideas. It can only be HIPPIES, but wtf? Is there trade depot only for elves? An "elf-in-cage" zoo?
Second inscription also misterious. It can be FORWARD BARRAKS, but it lacks C in BARRACKS.. But if so, i'm glad Grawr didn't go there. And yes, in this case entrance inscription will be FART.
Maybe somebody will find better readings, for now assumed dwarven alphabet is:
(third string is alternative readings, lower string - assumed readings)
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
○ <⊟√ #∑π ¶ ∆= α ΦГ ≡
□ <
◊ Ω N $ +
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