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Off topic: The coded message in the D&D Expert Set
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Guy Fullerton
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:16 am 
 

As I perused my old Dave Cook D&D Expert Set (light blue cover), I found a coded message framing the picture on page X52.

I remember trying to decipher it as a kid, but I never completely succeeded. I could get bits and pieces figured out, but the standalone letters just never made sense to me.

Well, I finally figured it out.

(But I won't spoil it for you. Let's just say it's not all that exciting or mysterious; it makes sense in the context of that page and the rest of the picture.)

Has this been discussed at all before? I originally did some googling to look for answers (which failed), and I couldn't even find anybody talking about it, which kind of surprised me, given how collectors have gathered up so many bits of trivia about the books.
  

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aia
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 4:27 am 
 

never paid attention to the border of that image...

i have no clue on the real meaning: i guess that a runic alphabet would be necessary to decode it... maybe the one of tolkien?


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grodog
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:11 pm 
 

At least post a scan of the pic for us, so we can try to noodle on it :D


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Guy Fullerton
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:16 pm 
 

Here's the image:
Image
  

Zenopus
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:22 pm 
 

This was just discussed on Dragonsfoot:

http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewt ... 15&t=31523

[spoiler note: the DF thread has the answer]
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copycat
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:41 pm 
 

Pretty easy, once visible. Must say I never really bothered to look or care. That picture doesn't scream at me, so I've always glanced over it.


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MadderMax
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:57 pm 
 

You'd care if it was some stupid CobraLa thing!


In youth he had felt the hidden beauty and ecstasy of things, and had been a poet; but poverty and sorrow and exile had turned his gaze in darker directions, and he had thrilled at the imputations of evil in the world around.-HPL
  

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Guy Fullerton
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:12 pm 
 

zhowar wrote:This was just discussed on Dragonsfoot:

*slaps forehead*

Why couldn't I find that the other day?! My Google-fu is weak! Lol!
  

deimos3428
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 10:54 pm 
 

Looks like standard futhark.  Kinda odd that the transliterated text is in English, though.  Very few vikings spoke modern English.
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