Languages

Ethnic languages:

• Aetheric, also called Common or Valqar. Originally spoken by the Valqari of Wanderstar, it has become the lingua franca of aethernauts and merchants all over Orphan.
• Andarine, spoken by the Andars, is a changeable language; depending on the speaker’s mood, it may be as silken as still water, or as choppy as the sea in storm.
• Ashaarin, spoken in the Witchmire, is a dialect of Dhavashrin. Unlike Dhavashrin, Ashaarin is sibilant and toneless, as it is not spoken exclusively by human mouths.
• Belhacinti, the language of Belhacint. It is much like the country where it is spoken: equal parts ornate splendor and militaristic precision.
• Cadhaël, spoken in Windreach. A delicate tongue, replete with soft consonants and melodious vowels, which seems almost to mimic the whisper of the wind.
• Dhavashrin, the language of Dhavashri, is a lilting, melodic tongue with a reputation for seductiveness.
• Hyylic, the language of the Hyyla, is as rugged as the land from which it hails.
• Mora is a catch-all term for any of the many mutually intelligible languages spoken in the Moranneon. These languages are sometimes also called Rose Tongues, for their deceptive simplicity—pretty words growing out of tangles of thorny grammar.
• Oroscan, spoken in the Orosca Desert. An elegant, lively language which dances on the tongue like a candle’s flame.
• Rhonir, the language of the Rhonir Tribes, is a harsh language full of stark consonant sounds.
• Yao, spoken in Yaocapact and Waste-Walker. With its flowing diphthongs and hard, clipped consonants, it evokes the natural shapes of stone.

Other languages:

• Druidic, the tongue of druids, combines conventional speech with a range of imitative nature sounds. A somewhat magical language, it is understood by plants and animals.
• Mystic is the argot of wizards and magical scholars. Subtle magics woven into its very grammar make it sound like indistinct babble to the uninitiated eavesdropper. Learning Mystic without the assistance of an initiate is seen as a mark of true genius.
• Thieves’ Cant is Aetheric so riddled with slang and obscure references that it’s essentially a separate language. You can dial it down, but doing so limits you to conveying only simple concepts; an involved conversation is always recognizable as Thieves’ Cant.
• Truespeech is the language of God. It is a language of power, which calls all things by their true names. It cannot be taught; it comes naturally to all sufficiently powerful beings. On the other hand, all things that hear it, living or not, understand it and are moved to obey.