I’ll admit it; I tried to decipher that Game Informer back cover from yesterday.  The prospect of learning more about the upcoming fifth Elder Scrolls was enticing, and I set about the task of decoding the Nordic runes.  I didn’t get far.  Clearly, I’m not a cryptographer of any kind.  Luckily, the inside of the magazine (and the website) included a translation key, allowing us to read the cryptic message.

According to the magazine’s cryptogram, the runes spell out the following nonsensical gibberish;

DOVAHKIIN DOVAHKIIN / NAAL OK ZIN LOS VAHRIIN / WAH DEIN VOKUL MAHFAERAAK AHST VAAL / AHRK FIN NOROK PAAL GRAAN / FOD NUST HON ZINDRO ZIN / DOVAHKIIN FAH HIN KOGAAN MU DRAAL /

AHRK FIN KEL LOST PRODAH / DO VED VIING KO FIN KRAH / TOL FOD ZEYMAH WIN KEIN MEYZ FUNDEIN / ALDUIN FEYN DO JUN / KRUZIIK VOKUN STAADNAU / VOTH AAN BAHLOK WAH DIIVON FIN LEIN

Luckily, the page also includes a translation key, which turns the gibberish into this poetic offering.

DRAGONBORN DRAGONBORN / BY HIS HONOR IS SWORN / TO KEEP EVIL FOREVER AT BAY / AND THE FIERCEST ROUT / WHEN THEY HEAR TRIUMPH'S HONOR / DRAGONBORN FOR YOUR BLESSING WE PRAY

AND THE SCROLLS HAVE FORTOLD / OF BLACK WINGS IN THE COLD / THAT WHEN BROTHERS WAGE WAR COME UNFURLED / ALDUIN BANE OF KINGS / ANCIENT SHADOW UNBOUND / WITH A HUNGERY TO SWALLOW THE WORLD

So yeah, dragons.