Languages: A Way to Communicate
2023-09-13
In the world of Til (in alignment with D&D rules) there are multiple languages which Player Characters can pick from when organizing the benefits gained from their classes or backgrounds. So listed below are the Languages which can be learned along with the situations with which they are likely to see use…
Old World Languages - These Languages are likely to be spoken by many different people in almost every area, with their many speakers having been born into this world during the great travel at the beginning of the fourth age. In doing so the Gods granted the migrants a collective common language which of course is now understood as Common. Common is an amalgamation of all common sounds for the different races of the old world and any mouth shape can keep this assonance heavy language. However, this is not to say that the myriad languages of humans disappeared instantly, rather they slowly fell out of use because of the sheer convenience of this new language. Instead it was the words of other groups which stuck around for much longer, Elvish, Dwarvish, Halfling, Gnomish, and Orcish all stayed in use for multiple centuries! They were written and studied until the entropy of convenience was simply irresistible. Once the Elves left to discover their chosen land (and never returned) in the 2nd Century the non-human groups which had formed in the interim slowly were subsumed by the expanding human empire. Now only the historians who study their respective cultures can utilize these dying languages.
Elvish (Elves) - This gentle tongue uses a series of combination words which cause great problems for those trying to learn it
Dwarvish (Dwarves) - This lilted languages utilizes a series of grunts and clicks which produce an easy to learn but difficult to pronounce language
Halfling (Hobbits) - The languages of the small folk utilize many different words for greens and plants which astound others while having a strange lack of words for red. It is known to sound like pitchy chipmunks are arguing when Hobbits speak
Orcish (Orcs) - A strong language that makes “I love you” sound like a threat, it is easy to learn and even easier to learn swears. Few still speak it out of convenience but rather out of spite, due to certain circles who isolate themselves to emulate The Navigator of the 1st Century
New World Languages - The beings which call this new world their home aren’t as varied as the Old World denizens but they each have their own rich histories and languages which come along.
Draconic (Dragons, Dragonborn, Kobolds, and Arcanists) - Those which hibernate grew in power over many years and though rare (instead choosing to allow unfertilized eggs to hatch into servants) they speak a language known for its sharp endings and esoteric verb-adjective structure. The only common reason to learn it is to interact with the powerful Commonwealth (dominated by Dragonborn) or to learn the new Arcane Magic, as the runes of these spells are all based on draconic speech
Goblish (Goblins and Hobgoblins) - Those of the pastures and forests within the new world speak a language of many dialects, but most keep a simple structure of words to converse while modifying them with strange whistles. These are known to be difficult for the Old Worlders to imitate but when spoken fluently the musical language it produces is quite a sound to behold
Exotic Languages - These lesser spoken languages are rare by their otherworldly natures, their origins barely understood and only gained through magical means by most of its human speakers
Celestial (Angels) - This language is made up of pieces of chords which resonate with the correct pronunciation, its natural speakers’ tones coming out as musical to mortal ears. With some difficulty it can be learned by the practiced priest or cleric but even then the common man will just hear the singing of the divine they wish to hear
Demonic (Demons) - When spoken by a demon it radiates into the mind like a foul smell hits the nose, but when a tiefling or other mortal speaks it comes across with strong glottal stops and flaps, plus a distinct discordant low tone which is produced whenever the language is used
Jotun (Giants) - These otherworldly creatures entered the world in a time long past and made their presence known with their great works, and with their special runic language their magic became permanent marks on the land. This creates great envy in the Arcanists of the world as they’ve been unable to make magic permanent in their many centuries of study. Finally, though this is a dead language the historians who’ve recreated it (physically, if not magically) speak it with many long words with even longer lists of pronunciations
Primordial (Elementals) - The creatures of the world have existed long before true sentience came to some of them. These forces of nature are closer to structural forces of the world rather than sentient beings, though the Primordial Titans of the Old Gods cross this line for some. It isn’t spoken in the more common sense but rather two creatures fluent in it just understand each other by the vibrations of the earth and air or the waves within fire or water
Subterran (Deltian Underground) - When the half-elves and dwarves of Quinn’s Delta were trapped within the mountain they formed a new language in defiance of those that sealed them below. This language has sharp and quick verbage for most words, with combining words
Sylvan (Fae) - This is spoken by those of a far away realm that take strides into the unsettled world on occasion, with a magical bend towards this state of chaotic being. It is spoken with a range of pitches to denote tense and very few long words, preferring a huge variance of small words with very close pronunciation
