Language
Languages in this setting don’t align completely with standard 5E languages. What follows is information on the most predominant languages of the setting and details on who uses them.
Common
Common is an international language developed for travelers, merchants, and diplomats. Most anyone who has to deal with outsiders knows Common to facilitate interactions with others, but this knowledge is much less necessary for ordinary folk. The average person tends to know dialects within their local sphere and saves interaction with those from far away for their leaders. All player characters know Common, but not all NPCs will know Common.
Common is both spoken and written. It is a fairly straightforward language, closest in sound and lettering to English.
Ogygian
The primary language of Ogygia, spoken by humans and any sapient creatures that make large settlements, such as minotaurs and gorgons.
Ogygian is both spoken and written. It is a flowing yet strong language, closest in sound and lettering to a hybrid of modern Greek and Ukranian.
Wild Ogygian
A much older dialect of Ogygian, from which the modern language developed. Wild Ogygian originated with the ancient hecatonchieres and is still in use among the Nymphs of the Ogygian wilderness. It is almost entirely absent in modern settlements, save for shamans or similar individuals who regularly act as go-betweens with the beings of the wilderness.
Wild Ogygian is both spoken and written and uses the Ogygian alphabet, but is much closer to ancient Greek. The two languages are close enough that a person who knows Ogygian can grasp the general idea of a Wild Ogygian phrase and vice-versa, but details and effective communication are lost.
West Itharan
One of the two modern families of Itharan dialects, West Itharan dialects are spoken primarily by those west of the Turquoise Serpent river. West Itharan includes the Duma and Nasr languages, originating from the residents of the savannas and sand deserts, respectively.
West Itharan dialects are spoken and written (right-to-left). Duma was originally only spoken, with a rich range of tonal shifts in each word, but gradually adopted the Nasr script. Duma is closest to Bantu languages such as Kikuyu and Swahili, while Nasr is closest to Arabic.
East Itharan
The second modern family of Itharan dialect, spoken by those east of the Turquoise Serpent river. East Itharan includes the Hathi and Fal languages, originating from the residents of the scrublands and badlands, respectively. Hathi is notable as one of the oldest Itharan languages, second only to Old Itharan.
East Itharan dialects are spoken and written. Hathi and Fal share a joint alphabet, but Hathi is generally written left-to-right, while Fal is written right-to-left. Hathi is closest to Indian languages such as Punjabi, and Fal is closest to Persian.
Old Itharan
Old Itharan is one of the few remaining relics of the ancient kingdoms that once spread across Ithara. While it was presumed to be the mother tongue of all Itharans, now it is only used by truly ancient beings, such as preserved mummies or eternal sphinxes. Some individuals may adopt Old Itharan names, or they may be seen in especially long-lived lineages like those of the Merchant Kings Khendu Nikare and Maatkare XI, but fluency in the language itself is exceedingly rare outside of scholarly pursuits.
Old Itharan is both spoken and written. Old Itharan is written in both a hieroglyphic text and a cursive text. Hieroglyphics are largely reserved for stone engravings, while the cursive text is used in everyday writing. Old Itharan is closest to ancient Egyptian with elements of Assyrian.
Elvish
The elves of Tron Daurat unified their language very early in their history, and Elvish has remained relatively unchanged for centuries. Save for the ancient dragons or the demonic spawn of the Nightmare, nearly all entities in Tron Daurat will speak Elvish.
Elvish is both spoken and written. It is an elegant yet complex language with several uvular trills and silent consonants, closest to French.
Azumese
Nearly all beings in Azuma speak Azumese, whether human, yokai, or spirit. The language has remained mostly unchanged in the nation’s history thanks to its relatively small size and isolation.
Azumese is both spoken and written, with text either in vertical columns from right to left or in horizontal lines from left to right. It is closest to Japanese in sound and lettering.
Draconic
The ancient dragons of Tron Daurat and their kin have a unique language, unchanged through countless ages. Most true dragons communicate with this language telepathically, where it can convey much stronger emotional messages than the spoken word alone can provide. It has also been adopted as the religious language of the elves, like Latin in the Catholic Church.
Draconic is primarily spoken, but non-dragons will also write it in the Elvish alphabet. It is closest in sound to Hebrew.
Demonic
Demons spawned from the Nightmare speak this alien tongue. Demonic is the only truly reviled language, as it is only ever heard in connection with the invasive Nightmare. Most authorities in Tron Daurat have banned its use, only authorizing it among those who must learn or speak it to carry out their work, such as demonologists or demon hunters.
Demonic is exclusively spoken among demons, but it can be written with the Elvish alphabet. It is a fierce, hissing, glottal language with no close approximation in the real world.
Primordial
Primordial is an anomaly, said to be the ancestral language. Most beings will never hear it spoken in their lifetime, but when it is heard, it is immediately and fully understood by anyone native to this world, whether sapient or not. Some especially long-lived dragons speak Primordial, and it was spoken by the titans Phorcys and Ceto and the eight-branched serpent Yamata-no-Orochi. The only modern community where Primordial is commonly heard is among the sirens of Ogygia, who sing mainly in Primordial. Notably, demons spawned from the Nightmare cannot innately understand Primordial.
Primordial is exclusively spoken; no written equivalent or transcription has been developed yet. It is a speech of held primal tones, simple in sound yet impossibly evocative when heard.
Other Languages
While these languages are the most notable, smaller groups and cultures have developed their own dialects or have their own full languages suited to their circumstances or biology. For example, the girtablilu (scorpion-folk) of Ithara have their own language of deep clicks and hissing air from their spiracles. These languages are described where appropriate.
