Languages

Languages

    There are many languages in the Northern Province.  Here are a few important ones.  Almost all languages have a Written aspect which is an additional cost to learn to read and write.

    The notation below denotes the complexity of the spoken and written forms of the dialect or language.  A 1/1 means it takes one NWP to learn to speak and 1 to learn to read.  a 3/2 means you can spend up to three NWP slots on speaking the language and two on writing it.

The Common Tongue of Men.

    Having its origin in the arrival from across the Barrier Sea, the true and High form of the Language is Common/Kingdom 3/3.  Knowing this languages spoken and written forms to the third degree, allows you to understand all the other variants to a certain degree.

    Each dialect of Common has a Low Version 1/0 that can be taken.  Low common variants are mostly slang and aphorisms.  It is the daily tongue of the masses.

    Further NWP slots may be spent to master each dialect of common.

·        Common/Kingdom 3/3

o   Kingdom/Low 1/0

o   Common/Keshite 1/0

§  Keshite/Low 1/0

o   Common/Ptolegian 1/0

§  Ptolegian/Low 1/0

o   Common/Lydian 1/0

§  Lydian/Low 1/0

 

    In the Swamps to the West of the Northern Provence, a hybridization of Lydian and High Elvish is spoken.  It is called Slowat by the humans of the NP.  IT incorporates some whistles and noises.  Slowats written form is nothing more than a collection of symbols.

·        Slowat 2/1

 

    Along the coasts of the Northern Province another Local Dialect is spoken amongst the fisherman and mixed races.  It takes from the Wild form of Elvish, Dwarven and Lydian.  It is called Serbean.  Serbean is written form is fairly complex, and in appearance is similar to elvish but more angular and less flowing.

·        Serbean 2/2

 

     Amongst all traders and travelers that is a universal language that combines hand signs, noises, and a few words.  It is very simple and may predate the maturation of the Great languages.  This lets travels communicate, time, direction, danger, weather, distance, price, talk about food and make agreements.  Though it is wildly referred to as Barter, it is more the tongue of travelers on the road.

·        Barter 1/1

    Sign Language is a completely nonverbal language that is the favorite of the mage class.  It is a highly complex language of gestures that has no written form.

·        Sign Language 3/0

    Khenku are a race of humanoid avians that live all over the northern province.  Their language cannot be fully penetrated by the tongues of men, but much can be learned and more can be understood.  It is composed primarily of Chirps, Whistles, Clicks and Calls.  It is also the Hunters Language.

·        Khenku 2/0

    On old language exists in the northern province though its use has diminished with the arrival of Men and Elves and Dwarves.  Cerpa had its origins in non-humanoid types. Little is left of its written for but poems and landmarkers carved in stone.

·        Cerpa 1/1

    Among wild and dark creatures that are not kin to the humaoinds a “Dark” language is spoke.  Dragons and Dopplegangers, and wild and magical creatures of all kinds speak this language.  It has no written form.

·        Enkish 2/0

    Dwarven is also spoken here, an old language with a fully developed written form.  Though there are seven kingdoms of dwarves, the variances are merely accent, though a few slang words exist in each accent that are unique to each kingdom.

·        Dwarven 3/3

 

    Kordic is spoken by the many kords of the northern province.  There are two main types of Kordic.  That spoken by the various tribes and clans, and the dialect from the south spoken in the armies of Mok Turosh.  Though the written forms are identical and overly simple, the languages are different enough that they can be told apart by  a non speaker.

·        Kordic/Clanned  2/1

·        Kordic/Mok 2/1

    There are Three varients of Elvish spoken in the world.  Great Elvish spoken in Westfolden.  High Elvish, spoken by the great houses of elves that used to fill the Vasting.  And Shiboan, the elvish spoken amongst the dark Shiboan elves in the many islands of the south.  While some consider Wild Elvin  to be the precursor or original elvish  tongue, it is actually a degradation of High and Great Elvish spoken by elven slaves and now the developed language of those slaves that have lived now many centuries outside the grasp of the kingdoms.

·        Elvin/Great 3/3

o   Wild 1/1

·        Elvin/High 3/3

o   Wild 1/1

·        Elvin/Shiboan 3/3

    Many years in the past, the original men of the world arrived in what all refer to as The West.  They are collectively called the Western Men.  This was before Elves were great, but after the Dwarves Broke the world.  The western men caught magic as it was released by the dwarves as they were great tamers of existence.  They forced it into two forms, a verbal form and a written one, and to this day, none use magic without knowing each form.

·        Sorisaris 3/0

·        Nulidean 0/3

    Howerver, the Western Men also spoke and wrote their own tongue, the spoken version long ago disappeared with them, but the written form remains and it is become a sages language refered to as WC.

·        WC 0/3