Elder Scrolls Battlespire Secret Finally Solved After 29 Years Through Julian LeFay Preservation Archive

Preservationist Andrew Borman solves a 29-year Easter egg mystery in MS-DOS RPG Battlespire by examining original code from Bethesda developer Julian LeFay's archive.

A mystery hidden inside one of Bethesda's most unusual early role-playing adventures has finally been solved, almost three decades after the game's original release. Andrew Borman, director of digital preservation at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, has revealed how to activate a previously mysterious Easter egg in An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire. Released for MS-DOS computers in 1997, Battlespire was an experimental spin-off from Bethesda's increasingly ambitious fantasy series. Enthusiasts had previously discovered references to a hidden developer photograph and messages inside the game's files, but the precise method required to display them remained unknown. The answer emerged during the examination of materials belonging to the late Julian LeFay, an influential early Elder Scrolls developer whose personal archives were donated to The Strong. By studying the game's original code, Borman established that players must begin a game, hold down the number 1 key and type Spire. The hidden photograph and accompanying developer messages then appear, remaining visible while the relevant key is held. The discovery is entertaining in its own right, but its wider significance lies in the preservation of historical development material. The Julian LeFay collection contains documents associated with his work on videogames, including tabletop role-playing campaign notes that helped shape the Elder Scrolls universe. The museum is preserving and cataloguing the material, although public access to some digital files will require additional work because of privacy and copyright considerations. Battlespire was never the most commercially successful Elder Scrolls title, but its experimental design makes it an important part of the franchise's history. Nearly thirty years after release, its developers have finally received the opportunity to deliver one last surprise. Sometimes the greatest secret in an enormous fantasy universe turns out to be holding down a number key and typing five letters.