Deciphering Atabithian in "Trillium"

Atabithian—the mysterious language spoken by Atabithi's strange, blue, all-female population and the Peruvian guards outside the Earth pyramid—is, it turns out, merely English transliterated into a substitution cipher of Lemire's own design.  Thanks to Nika's self-coded translation program, Lemire provides the key for deciphering the text.  (A current list of substitution graphemes has been compiled here.)

Update:  Lemire includes a key to the Atabithian font at the end of Trillium #7, "All the Shadows Have Stars in Them...", including letters thus far unused in the series.  He and letterer and book designer Chris Ross also give some of their reasoning behind its design.

Below is listed the deciphered text of the Atabithian speech.  Underlined portions are provided by Lemire through Nika's translation program Essie and used to develop the cipher key.  There are some discrepancies in repeated dialogue, which I have attempted to represent in the transcription.  References list the page and panel numbers of the corresponding text.

chapter 1: the scientist

[10.6-7]  We know who you are.  We have been waiting for you.  You are the daughter.  You are the one who will undo all.  You are the great destroyer.**  You are the voice of the mouth.  You are the tongue.

[10.8-9]  It is time to once again begin the unraveling of worlds.  You must eat before you enter the mouth of god.

[10.10]  Eat.

[11.3]  Now it is your <turn> turn.


chapter 3: telemetry

[15.3]  Too late.  There is no danger.  Only the inevitable path.

[15.5]  This way, HURRY!

[15.6]  We are the ushers.  The others have already gone.  The mouth opens for you soon.  But you must hurry.  The end is about to begin.

[15.7]  We will not run.  Death brings new life.  The forbidden one is about to cross.  It is time.  It is always time.

[18.3]  This is not right.  You should not be here!  —She was meant to cross over alone.  It is forbidden.  He was not consecrated.

chapter 4: entropy

[2.2-4]  Get up!  —Hurry!  —It is not safe here!

[5.6]  Do not stop we are almost there.  A bit further and you will be safe.

[5.8]  We are here.  Our brothers will help you to see.

[6-7.1]  Sisters.  You have come at last.  —Brothers.

[6-7.3-4]  Why are there so few of you?  —Our sister<s>(kind) have gone ahead into the mouth.  We have brought the all-daughter.  The destroyer of all.  The mother of the new.

[6-7.5-6]  But there is great danger.  One who was not chosen...One from your side who <was> not consecrated has crossed over.  —We tried to eliminate the intruders, but two escaped.  We take responsibility.  We deserve death for our failure.

[8.1]  There will be enough death coming soon.  But I fear we have little time left.  —Of course.  This way.

[8.2-3]  The tree of knowled/ge.  —Not him...you must go alone.

[8.5]  Very well.  But you will need this.  There must be light before there is knowledge.

[19.2]  No!  This is not how it is supposed to happen!


chapter 5:  starcrossed

[15.2a]  You must remember...

[20.1a]  Remember.


chapter 7:  all the shadows have stars in them...

[2.7]  My mommy's gone and I'm all alone.

[4.5-6]  Of course I remember.  You are the all-mother.  I have been waiting for you.  This place is not right.  It is not meant to be.  But there is still a chance.  You can still make it right.

[4.7]  But first you must eat.

[5.1]  Hurry--we haven't much time.

[5.4]  This way.  You must hurry.

[5.5-6]  He is gone.  Lost when the temples were destroyed... when time was overwritten.  But we may have been wrong about him... he seems bound to you.  Help me.

[6.1]  Now you see...the temples were never the way home, merely a façade.  ...They hide the great machines!

[9.1]  It is a gateway.  But once you enter you will be on your own.  I can not follow--

[10.2]  Do not try to follow me, Pohl.  There is only madness here for you.  Goodbye, Commander.

[15.5]  My mommy's gone and I'm all alone.

[16.1-2]  You're all alone too.  --But you don't have to be.


chapter 8:  two stars become one

[20.2]  It's time.

[21.2]  It's time.