Since beginning my OD&D sandbox it became apparent
that I needed to define the languages used within my world. The reason for this
was twofold. First, a reasonable intelligence grants a shit-ton of known
languages using the OD&D rules. Second, it was an excuse for me to better
define the various races and creatures within my milieu. Superficially
this was an easy task. Creating a list took 10 minutes or so. But deciding to
go beyond that beginning point, and go into a bit more detail took much
longer. The following text contains my current languages list, with a
description for each one. With something like Majick Script or Runic, I would
probably offer an intelligence roll based on the character's % to know
spells. If the percentage chance was too high (considering the obscurity of the
text), I would reduce this to half or one quarter.
Languages
Avakin: The written
and spoken Avakin language is eponymous with the southern folk who conquered Suthræm[1]
some centuries past. Avakin is now the primary language of the south, in
addition to being the antecedent language from which the Trade Cant was
derived. Fluency in Avakin enables a speaker to accurately converse with the
Avakin people. Those fluent in the Trade Cant will also be able to communicate
with Avakins, albeit inexactly.
Chaos [Darkling]: Devotees of
malignance, anarchy, and ruin may learn the darkling language. Many fell
creatures know this forbidden tongue, passed on through the aeons. Beings who share
a similar ethical paradigm can use this “language” to crudely communicate with
one another. Opponents of chaos will find its utterance wholly repulsive.
Common [Trade Cant]: A trade
language spoke throughout the continent. Its linguistic foundations are mostly derived
from Avakin. Although the Trade Cant has become bastardised, those able to
speak it can commune in approximate terms with Avakins, as the language still
holds much similarity.
Druidic [Secret]: Once the spiritual
tongue of the continent, the language of the druids has now become rare and
secretive. Those “chosen” by the old gods may learn Druidic; it is useful for learning
and enacting hidden rites. Isolated or cultic sects of Wæld and Væya still speak Druidic, but
most will speak an offshoot.
Ecclesia
[Priestly]: Devout and educated followers of Avagæd[2]
study and speak the dialect of Ecclesia: namely priests, friars, monks, and
knightly Templars. The most sacred texts of Avagæd
are written in Ecclesia, therefore serfs are unlikely to speak or understand it,
though the elite of Avakin society might.
Exterst: Save
for some rare artefacts inscribed with alien symbolism, the “language” of
Exterst would be all but a myth. For over a half-millennia, remnants of
unknowable apparatus have been unearthed in south-western Nozræm[3].
It is dubious whether anyone actually speaks an Exterst language, but at one
point in history it is almost certain that such a people and language existed.
Frog-Man: Consisting
mainly of croaks and groans, the tongue of the Frog-Man is primordial and
hardly the subject of worthwhile scholarly pursuit. Those in or near swamp-like
environments might learn this language, mostly borne from necessity, for to ignore
a Frog-Man is to invite death. Some depraved human hunters yearn for the taste
of Frog-Man flesh, learning the language in order to eavesdrop and discern when
the ripest younglings will be born.
Grekon: This is the chief
language spoken by the people of Nozræm. Spoken
Grekon is still prolific in the North, though centuries of Avakin conquest has
caused this language to ebb; the Trade Cant has become prominent as the standard
mode of communication.
Hillfolk: Dwelling
within crags, mountains, badlands, and desert locales, the stunted Hillfolk
speak their own language. Disparate from the flatter (and arguably tamer) areas
of the continent, the Hillfolk language has drastically evolved from other
spoken tongues. Interestingly, there are hundreds of divergent sub-dialects
based on one’s tribe and location.
Law: Guardians of
order, establishment, and munificence can use a variety of shared conventions
to interact, broadly conveying a sense of commonality and intuited meaning. Opponents
of law will find such utterances platitudinous and vapid, filled with tiresome
clichés and moralistic inanities.
Majick Script [Secret]:
Some
advanced scholars have gained a cursory knowledge of the mind-bending symbolism
of Majick. However, thorough knowledge of this language is reserved for true
practitioners of Majick, enabling them to decipher unknown scripts. Dabblers with
lesser knowledge may glean an overall notion of what a text contains, but they will
remain unable to release the latent Majick unless their skillset somehow allows
them.
Neutrality: Those possessing
neither the unbridled whim of chaos, nor the considered gravity of a lawful
society, may share a common sense of neutrality. Two beings of a neutral paradigm
can broadly converse with one another, using certain words or non-verbal
patterns. Extremists of law or chaos will experience this communication to
either radical on the one hand, or insipid on the other.
Runic: Anyone
learned in runic scripting will be able to roughly discern abstracted visual
messages contained on the surfaces of carven rocks, tombs, road markers,
parchments, and so on. Runic writing is derived from Druidic, which in turn was
derived from Wæld and Væya. Although a derivative,
unless a reader has taken care to learn the nuances of this written language,
the original intent will be nigh indiscernible.
Swamp-Tongue: The
Swamp-Tongue developed as bog denizens deigned value in trading, staking
boundaries, and engaging in parlay. While primitive, it is the primary language
of the bizarre Quagkings. Some evolved Aquatic Apes have finally grasped the basest
rudiments of this simple language. Even Frog-Men have seen the necessity for
communicating in this language. Swamp-Tongue is mainly comprised of clicks,
grunts, animalistic noises, hoots, belches, and the crudest elements of old Druidic.
There is no written form of Swamp-Tongue besides a handful of symbols, most of
which signify dangerous sinkholes or food-traps.
Thieves Cant [Secret]: Thieves and
assassins congregate in their guilds, meeting halls, and in the subterfuge of
dark places. Their secret cant, useful for enacting chicanery, is comprised of
hand signals, passwords, double-entendres, pitched whistles, odd noises, curious
symbols, and a political doublespeak capable of conveying multitudinous
messages. Some non-thieves may learn a few aspects of this “language”, but the
cant is heavily guarded and secretive, with passwords prone to regular change.
Væya: Perhaps the most ancient language, Væya is undoubtedly the most pleasant to behold.
Although akin to the Wæld language, it is much less
harsh and guttural. In written form, Væya is striking and complex, forming the
basis from which Majick and Runic scripting developed, and from which the
spoken language of Druidic eventually evolved.
Wæld: The spoken language of Wæld is harsh and guttural. Wæld
forsakes the elongated and softer vowel sounds of
Væya, dropping certain words from its dialect entirely. It would be incorrect
to suggest Wæld is an unintelligent
language. Instead, like the culture it represents, two words are avoided when
one will suffice.
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