Languages of Lorithandar: Difference between revisions
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==Playable Race Languages== | ==Playable Race Languages== | ||
Many of the races know a certain language or languages that set them apart from the others. Some have various dialects unique to a specific region or societal faction. More in-depth information on each race's native language and history may be found on each race's main page. Listed below are the languages most likely to be known by each race. Regional dialects' locations are specified in parentheses. | Many of the races know a certain language or languages that set them apart from the others. Some have various dialects unique to a specific region or societal faction. More in-depth information on each race's native language and history may be found on each race's main page. Listed below are the languages most likely to be known by each race. All player characters will begin the game knowing Common and an appropriate race-specific language or regional dialect. Mixed bloods begin with Common and the racial language of one of their parents. Regional dialects' associated locations are specified in parentheses. | ||
===Common=== | ===Common=== | ||
''Common'' is name of the trade-tongue spoken by most of the inhabitants of Lorithandar. | ''Common'' is name of the trade-tongue spoken by most of the inhabitants of Lorithandar. | ||
===[[Elari]]=== | ===[[Elari]]=== | ||
* A mix of ''Pandemonian'' and ''Unseelie''. | * Common | ||
* ''Elari'': A mix of ''Pandemonian'' and ''Unseelie''. | |||
===[[High Elf]]=== | ===[[High Elf]]=== | ||
* Common. | *'' Common''. | ||
* ''Arcadian''. | * ''Arcadian'', ''Seelie''. | ||
===[[Wild Elf]]=== | ===[[Wild Elf]]=== | ||
* Common | * ''Common.'' | ||
* ''Navarri'': Wild Elf mother tongue. | * ''Wild Elf'' or ''Navarri'': Wild Elf mother tongue. | ||
* ''Xanmaeril'ka'': a bastardized conglomeration of ''Pandemonian'' and ''Navarri''. (Karn) | * ''Xanmaeril'ka'': a bastardized conglomeration of ''Pandemonian'', ''Arcadian'', and ''Navarri'' commonly used among Devinites, descended from ancient Elari slaves. (Karn) | ||
* ''Pandemonian'' and ''Unseelie''. (Elarum) | * ''Elari'': Elari race tongue, a mix of ''Pandemonian'' and ''Unseelie''. (Elarum) | ||
===[[Wood Elf]]=== | ===[[Wood Elf]]=== | ||
* Common. | * ''Common''. | ||
* ''Sylvani'': Wood Elf mother tongue. | |||
===[[Faerie]]=== | ===[[Faerie]]=== | ||
* Common. | * ''Common''. | ||
* ''Arcadian'', ''Seelie''. | * ''Arcadian'', ''Seelie''. | ||
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===[[Human]]=== | ===[[Human]]=== | ||
* Common. | * ''Common.'' | ||
* _______. (Koolong) | *'' _______''. (Koolong) | ||
===[[Svaald]]=== | ===[[Svaald]]=== | ||
* Common | * ''Common''. | ||
* | * ''Svaaldi'': Svaald mother tongue. | ||
===[[Troll]]=== | ===[[Troll]]=== | ||
* Common | * ''Common''. | ||
* | * ''Troll'': Troll native language. | ||
==Other Languages== | ==Other Languages== | ||
===Draconic=== | |||
[[Dragon|Dragons]] are perhaps the most powerful and revered race on Lorithandar. Though few in number, they have certainly made their mark on the world. As such, their language and customs are in many locations highly revered and the ability to not only understand but communicate in ''Draconic'' is considered impressive by many. The language is composed of very long, guttural words that can be challenging to pronounce for those without draconic mouths. Another hamper to learning ''Draconic'' is that, since dragons have such large lungs, they do not need to pause for breath nearly as often as lesser races. When a dragon speaks in their native tongue, often entire monologues come out as a stream of growls and sound without pause. There are only occasional breaks for breath built into the language, but situational allowances have been made in the past for lower lung capacity during official functions. | |||
Dragons themselves tend to have very long lives and pick up new languages easily, so it tends to be faster, easier, and safer to simply speak with one in ''Common'', should the opportunity ever arise. Also, as an aside, dragons' true names tend to be just long enough to make the average human run out of breath trying to say one, so if no alternative form of address is offered, it is always recommended to ask. | |||
===Planar=== | ===Planar=== | ||
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====Arcadian==== | ====Arcadian==== | ||
Adapted from the now-dead language of the realm [[Mechanus]], basic Arcadian is perhaps the "purest" form of the planar tongues. It is a gendered language primarily spoken by the Seelie and Unseelie of [[Arcadia]] and has also been adapted by their descendants, the | Adapted from the now-dead language of the realm [[Mechanus]], basic Arcadian is perhaps the "purest" form of the planar tongues. It is a gendered language primarily spoken by the Seelie and Unseelie of [[Arcadia]] and has also been adapted by their descendants, the Faerie and Elari. Each has a distinctly different “accent”. It tends to sound more bright and fluid when spoken by the Seelie, whereas when spoken by the Unseelie the words are formed slowly and almost sensually. It is a very nuanced language, and a simple change in tone may be used to convey layers upon layers of meaning, which is why it may be important to specify whether a character is speaking in a certain dialect. | ||
* ''Seelie.'' Accented Arcadian unique to the Seelie realm of Arcadia. | * ''Seelie.'' Accented Arcadian unique to the Seelie realm of Arcadia. | ||
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====Pandemonian==== | ====Pandemonian==== | ||
Pandemonian, the tongue most common in [[Pandemonium]], is also derived from Arcadian. It was adapted by creatures with odd mouths not suited to speak Arcadian to include entirely new vocabulary, in part due to their inability to replicate the expressive tonal changes of classical Arcadian. The words tend to be sharp and abrupt, with hard stops and guttural growls worked in. Those who speak Pandemonian tend to be abrupt and straightforward in their speech patterns, as little else would occur to them. The mere sound of Pandemonian being spoken may seem intimidating to those unfamiliar with it. | Pandemonian, the tongue most common in [[Pandemonium]], is also derived from Arcadian. It was adapted by creatures with odd mouths not suited to speak Arcadian to include entirely new vocabulary, in part due to their inability to replicate the expressive tonal changes of classical Arcadian. The words tend to be sharp and abrupt, with hard stops and guttural growls worked in. Those who speak Pandemonian tend to be abrupt and straightforward in their speech patterns, as little else would occur to them. The mere sound of Pandemonian being spoken may seem intimidating to those unfamiliar with it, and the beings speaking it are probably twice as scary. | ||
Goblins and orcs were brought to Lorithandar from Pandemonium to be used by the Elari as slaves. They speak a simplistic version of Pandemonian which is similar enough that someone who speaks the base language would be able to make sense of it. | |||
====Stygian==== | ====Stygian==== | ||
The language of [[Stygia]] is entirely unique from the other planar languages, as it was developed | The language of [[Stygia]] is entirely unique from the other planar languages, as it was developed separately from them. The Stygian tongue is comprised of rasping vowels and soft, sibilant consonants. One unfamiliar with the language might think they’re hearing the beings engaged in conversation simply hissing eerily at one another, but this is usually not the case. | ||
=== | ===Spirit=== | ||
Spirits such as [[Spirits#Mortal_Spirits|Ghosts]] or [[Spirits#Dragon_Spirits|Dragon Spirits]] may communicate in any language that they knew at the time of their death. If they did not speak any language, as in the case of [[Spirits#Animal_Spirits|Animal Spirits]] or [[Spirits#Elementals|Elementals]], it may be very challenging to communicate with these creatures. Some shaman may choose to purchase the [[Soulspeak]] benefit, allowing them to bypass the language barrier and communicate with otherwise nonverbal spirits. | |||
Latest revision as of 18:18, 1 June 2024
Playable Race Languages
Many of the races know a certain language or languages that set them apart from the others. Some have various dialects unique to a specific region or societal faction. More in-depth information on each race's native language and history may be found on each race's main page. Listed below are the languages most likely to be known by each race. All player characters will begin the game knowing Common and an appropriate race-specific language or regional dialect. Mixed bloods begin with Common and the racial language of one of their parents. Regional dialects' associated locations are specified in parentheses.
Common
Common is name of the trade-tongue spoken by most of the inhabitants of Lorithandar.
Elari
- Common
- Elari: A mix of Pandemonian and Unseelie.
High Elf
- Common.
- Arcadian, Seelie.
Wild Elf
- Common.
- Wild Elf or Navarri: Wild Elf mother tongue.
- Xanmaeril'ka: a bastardized conglomeration of Pandemonian, Arcadian, and Navarri commonly used among Devinites, descended from ancient Elari slaves. (Karn)
- Elari: Elari race tongue, a mix of Pandemonian and Unseelie. (Elarum)
Wood Elf
- Common.
- Sylvani: Wood Elf mother tongue.
Faerie
- Common.
- Arcadian, Seelie.
Feran
- Common.
- Feran: Feran mother tongue. (Shingrow)
Human
- Common.
- _______. (Koolong)
Svaald
- Common.
- Svaaldi: Svaald mother tongue.
Troll
- Common.
- Troll: Troll native language.
Other Languages
Draconic
Dragons are perhaps the most powerful and revered race on Lorithandar. Though few in number, they have certainly made their mark on the world. As such, their language and customs are in many locations highly revered and the ability to not only understand but communicate in Draconic is considered impressive by many. The language is composed of very long, guttural words that can be challenging to pronounce for those without draconic mouths. Another hamper to learning Draconic is that, since dragons have such large lungs, they do not need to pause for breath nearly as often as lesser races. When a dragon speaks in their native tongue, often entire monologues come out as a stream of growls and sound without pause. There are only occasional breaks for breath built into the language, but situational allowances have been made in the past for lower lung capacity during official functions.
Dragons themselves tend to have very long lives and pick up new languages easily, so it tends to be faster, easier, and safer to simply speak with one in Common, should the opportunity ever arise. Also, as an aside, dragons' true names tend to be just long enough to make the average human run out of breath trying to say one, so if no alternative form of address is offered, it is always recommended to ask.
Planar
Due to the presence of magic and circumstances of its colonization, Lorithandar has a lot of contact with adjacent planes of existence. As such, it may be beneficial or even necessary for the Fated to know one of the planar languages, or possibly Draconic.
Arcadian
Adapted from the now-dead language of the realm Mechanus, basic Arcadian is perhaps the "purest" form of the planar tongues. It is a gendered language primarily spoken by the Seelie and Unseelie of Arcadia and has also been adapted by their descendants, the Faerie and Elari. Each has a distinctly different “accent”. It tends to sound more bright and fluid when spoken by the Seelie, whereas when spoken by the Unseelie the words are formed slowly and almost sensually. It is a very nuanced language, and a simple change in tone may be used to convey layers upon layers of meaning, which is why it may be important to specify whether a character is speaking in a certain dialect.
- Seelie. Accented Arcadian unique to the Seelie realm of Arcadia.
- Unseelie. Accented Arcadian unique to the Unseelie realm of Arcadia.
Aaru
The primary language in Aaru is derivative of Arcadian, however it was adapted to suit the neurotically structured citizens of the realm of Angels. Organized word and tonal patterns are threaded together to form sentences with specific meaning. There are, of course, many exceptions to the various rules of Aaru's grammar, which makes it a challenging language to learn. Those who speak Aaru tend to be sticklers for formality and proper phrasing, as a single misplaced word can result in a drastic misunderstanding. Never say anything to an Angel in Aaru unless you’re absolutely certain it means what you think it means.
Pandemonian
Pandemonian, the tongue most common in Pandemonium, is also derived from Arcadian. It was adapted by creatures with odd mouths not suited to speak Arcadian to include entirely new vocabulary, in part due to their inability to replicate the expressive tonal changes of classical Arcadian. The words tend to be sharp and abrupt, with hard stops and guttural growls worked in. Those who speak Pandemonian tend to be abrupt and straightforward in their speech patterns, as little else would occur to them. The mere sound of Pandemonian being spoken may seem intimidating to those unfamiliar with it, and the beings speaking it are probably twice as scary.
Goblins and orcs were brought to Lorithandar from Pandemonium to be used by the Elari as slaves. They speak a simplistic version of Pandemonian which is similar enough that someone who speaks the base language would be able to make sense of it.
Stygian
The language of Stygia is entirely unique from the other planar languages, as it was developed separately from them. The Stygian tongue is comprised of rasping vowels and soft, sibilant consonants. One unfamiliar with the language might think they’re hearing the beings engaged in conversation simply hissing eerily at one another, but this is usually not the case.
Spirit
Spirits such as Ghosts or Dragon Spirits may communicate in any language that they knew at the time of their death. If they did not speak any language, as in the case of Animal Spirits or Elementals, it may be very challenging to communicate with these creatures. Some shaman may choose to purchase the Soulspeak benefit, allowing them to bypass the language barrier and communicate with otherwise nonverbal spirits.