The Axum Language is the language of the Axum species on Proteus, written in their own script, known as Axum Radial A. It is logographic — each circular, radial glyph represents a single word or concept. 85 unique logograms have been identified.
The script is decoded by scanning the Rosetta Stone in the Overgrown Ruins, which contains the same message written in both Axum Radial A and the previously identified Architect Linear, which the PDA has decoded in previous games.
Known Logograms
85 logograms have been identified. When a sentence is formed, the logograms are arranged in a radial pattern, a characteristic unseen in Earth languages.
| Icon | Meaning | Icon | Meaning | Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1 |  | 2 |  | 3 |
 | 4 |  | 5 |  | 6 |
 | 7 |  | 8 |  | 9 |
 | 10 |  | 11 |  | Architects |
 | Axum |  | Karakorum |  | Proteus |
 | Xanadu |  | adulate |  | animal |
 | awake |  | big |  | biology |
 | bloom |  | blue |  | call |
 | change |  | city |  | claw |
 | clone |  | comet |  | control |
 | crypter |  | curious |  | death |
 | deep |  | drown |  | dwelling |
 | electricity |  | evil |  | fear |
 | fire |  | friend |  | good |
 | growth |  | hear |  | help |
 | hot |  | human |  | joy |
 | life |  | machine |  | methane |
 | mouthparts |  | new |  | oil |
 | old |  | orange |  | other |
 | pipe |  | place |  | reflection |
 | resources |  | salvage |  | salvation |
 | sea |  | see |  | self |
 | shallow |  | shape |  | sick |
 | sleep |  | small |  | space |
 | star |  | submarine |  | tailings |
 | technology |  | thief |  | tower |
 | trading |  | tree |  | turn |
 | water |  | wire |  | world |
 | writing |
Decoded Inscriptions
Soteria
Location: Karakorum Ruins
Sequence: crypter · orange · new · Axum · orange · growth
This is not a Crypter vault. Nothing useful to Axum is stored here. It will not save you or your spawn. This is a message to aliens who could help us. So that hope remains, do not destroy it. Soteria.
Upper Generator Control
Location: Karakorum Power Plant
Sequence: turn · electricity · machine · control · shallow
Upper Generator Control
Lower Generator Control
Location: Karakorum Power Plant
Sequence: turn · electricity · machine · control · deep
Lower Generator Control
Old Thermal Pipe
Location: Karakorum Power Plant
Sequence: old · hot · tower
Old Thermal Pipe
New Methane Burner
Location: Karakorum Power Plant
Sequence: new · methane · fire
New Methane Burner
Observatory Museum
Location: Axum Observatory
Sequence: comet · see · tower · old · dwelling
Observatory Museum
Karakorum Hybrid Power Plant
Location: Karakorum Power Plant
Sequence: Karakorum · other · self · electricity · machine
Karakorum Hybrid Power Plant
Our Star System
Location: Axum Observatory
Sequence: Axum · space
Our Star System
Observatory Sign 1 — The Ardhiacs
Location: Axum Observatory
Sequence: old · fire · Axum · technology · see · tree
Long ago, fire users, called Ardhiacs, built a telescope at Karakorum to spy on the World Tree at Xanadu.
Observatory Sign 2 — The Daughter
Location: Axum Observatory
Sequence: comet · Axum · deep · technology · see · death
After the zero year, when the Daughter fell from space, all Axum fled to deep water. The telescope was destroyed.
Observatory Sign 3 — Return
Location: Axum Observatory
Sequence: animal · help · Axum · technology · see · space
In the year 500 pi, brave magi and vepherds returned to Karakorum. They rebuilt this observatory to study the Erratic Messenger.
Rosetta — We call you Architects
Location: Karakorum Ruins (Rosetta Stone area)
Sequence: other · Architects · self · Axum · world · Proteus
We call you Architects. We call ourselves Axum. This world is Proteus.
Rosetta — We beg your pardon
Location: Karakorum Ruins (Rosetta Stone area)
Sequence: Architects · help · Proteus · Architects · other · joy · reflection
We beg your pardon. We called to you for help. We know it is your delight to visit and study.
Rosetta — This observatory will survive
Location: Karakorum Ruins (Rosetta Stone area)
Sequence: comet · see · tower · life · drown · writing
We believe this observatory will survive our drowning. We chose it to hold our message.
Rosetta — Open the observatory
Location: Karakorum Ruins (Rosetta Stone area)
Sequence: tower · technology · dwelling · call
Open the observatory. Find the computer hidden inside. It will tell you what we ask.
Rosetta — Soteria quote
Location: Karakorum Ruins (Rosetta Stone area)
Sequence: self · evil · other · help · joy · salvation
"If you become weak, seek remedy in strangeness." Soteria.
Rosetta — Prime Numbers
Location: Karakorum Ruins (Rosetta Stone area)
Sequence: 1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 11
1 2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19 23 29 31
Rosetta — Language Teaching
Location: Karakorum Ruins (Rosetta Stone area)
Sequence: writing · reflection · other · self · writing · trading
This message is the same in your language and ours. The purpose is to teach you our language.
Good Salvage Here
Location: Karakorum Ruins
Sequence: good · salvage · human · thief · wire
Good mining here. Set nets for human thieves.
Tongue Thieves
Location: Karakorum Ruins
Sequence: adulate · mouthparts · thief · fear · hear · reflection
Tongue thieves fear sonic resonator.
Karakorum Burns Methane
Location: Karakorum Power Plant
Sequence: Karakorum · methane · fire · old · see · curious
Today Karakorum burns methane to power Xanadu. New telescopes are better. This old tower stands as a monument to curiosity.
Space Memory
Location: Axum Observatory
Sequence: hear · place · space · see · joy · Axum
When we hear this place, we say "Remember, we saw the stars. A credit to our species. Not like what came after." But we are what came after. Leftovers: tailings. When we tend this place with broken claws, who will credit us? Against what debt?
Observatory Message Text
The message left by the Axum at the Axum Observatory is spoken in an Axum dialect that is translated by the PDA. Additionally, Axum glyphs are displayed beneath the message's holographic image which are a random selection of 12 from the following glyphs, with duplicates possible:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- adulate
- animal
- city
- shape
- world
